Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den physiologischen Veränderungen porciner Spermatozoen, die durch einen metabolischen Einbau von Fettsäuren in Spermatozoenlipide hervorgerufen werden. Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Untersuchung der metabolischen Aufnahme von Fettsäuren in die Spermatozoenlipide und die Bewertung des physiologischen Zustandes porciner Spermatozoen mit Hinblick auf die Niedrigtemperaturlagerung. Alle in den porcinen Spermatozoen vorkommenden Lipide wurden mittels GC und MALDI-TOF-MS analysiert. Hauptvertreter der polaren Lipidklassen sind Glycerophospholipide (GPC, GPE). Der Hauptvertreter der neutralen Lipidklassen ist Diacylglycerol (DAG). Die metabolische Aufnahme von Fettsäuren in die Lipide wurde durch die Supplementierung des Flüssigkonservierungsmediums mit [14C]-Octadecadiensäure radiochemisch untersucht. Anhand dieser Experimente wurde gezeigt, dass die Temperatur und die Inkubationsdauer wichtige Faktoren für die metabolische Aufnahme dieser Radiochemikalie in die Spermatozoenlipide sind. Die zugesetzten Fettsäuren werden sowohl in die neutralen (DAG) als auch in die polaren Lipide (diacyl-GPC) der Spermatozoen eingebaut. Nach Supplementierung mit 13C-markierter Octadecadiensäure wurden die Lipide mittels MALDI- und Q-TOF-MS als DAG (18:2/18:2), GPC (16:0/18:2) und GPC (18:2/18:2) charakterisiert. Die gleichen Ergebnisse wurden auch für die in den Spermatozoenlipiden vorkommenden Hexadecen-, Octadecen-, und Octadecatriensäure erhalten. Bei der Untersuchung des physiologischen Zustandes von Spermatozoen wurde gezeigt, dass insbesondere Supplementierungsvarianten mit endogen vorkommenden Fettsäuren zu einer besseren Spermatozoenvitalität und Motilität bei Niedrigtemperaturlagerung führten. Gleichzeitig wurde eine Verminderung des Auftretens von akrosomalen Schäden festgestellt. Damit stellt eine Supplementierung der Spermatozoen mit ausgewählten Fettsäuren eine effektive Maßnahme zur Lagerung von Spermatozoen bei 4 bis 6°C dar. / This study examines the metabolic incorporation of selected fatty acids into the lipids of porcine spermatozoa and evaluates the physiological state of spermatozoa subsequent to low temperature storage supplementation with selected free fatty acids. The aim was to understand the role of fatty acids in relation to the (cryo-)preservation of spermatozoa and successful reproduction in more detail. All lipids present in porcine spermatozoa were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The main representatives of the polar lipid classes are glycerophospholipids (in particular GPC and GPE). The main representatives of the neutral lipid classes are diacylglycerols (DAG). Metabolic incorporation of fatty acids into lipids was radiochemically monitored using [14C]-octadecadienoic acid in the supplied spermatozoa-preservation medium. Temperature and incubation time were shown to be particularly important determinants. The added fatty acids were incorporated into both the spermatozoas’ neutral (DAG) and polar lipids (diacyl-GPC). The affected lipids were characterised by means of MALDI- and Q-TOF-MS subsequent to the supplementation of uniformly 13C-labelled octadecadienoic acid. DAG (18:2/18:2), GPC (16:0/18:2) and GPC (18:2/18:2) could be identified and a de-novo biosynthesis of DAG (18:2/18:2) could be proven. The same results were obtained when spermatozoa were supplemented with hexadecenoic, octadecenoic and octadecatrienoic acids. Finally, it was shown that the physiological state of the spermatozoa, especially those supplemented with endogeneously present fatty acids, led to an enhanced vitality and motility in spermatozoa subsequent to low temperature storage. It was also observed that acrosomal damage was reduced and that hexadecenoic acid significantly stabilised all the vitality parameters. In conclusion, supplementing spermatozoa with selected fatty acids is an effective solution for the storage of spermatozoa at 4 to 6°C.

The factors that determine the efficiency of energy transfer in aquatic food webs have been investigated for many decades. The plant-animal interface is the most variable and least predictable of all levels in the food web. In order to study determinants of food quality in a large lake and to test the recently proposed central importance of the long-chained eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) at the pelagic producer-grazer interface, we tested the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) at the pelagic producerconsumer interface by correlating sestonic food parameters with somatic growth rates of a clone of Daphnia galeata. Daphnia growth rates were obtained from standardized laboratory experiments spanning one season with Daphnia feeding on natural seston from Lake Constance, a large pre-alpine lake. Somatic growth rates were fitted to sestonic parameters by using a saturation function. A moderate amount of variation was explained when the model included the elemental parameters carbon (r2 = 0.6) and nitrogen (r2 = 0.71). A tighter fit was obtained when sestonic phosphorus was incorporated (r2 = 0.86). The nonlinear regression with EPA was relatively weak (r2 = 0.77), whereas the highest degree of variance was explained by three C18-PUFAs. The best (r2 = 0.95), and only significant, correlation of Daphnia's growth was found with the C18-PUFA α-linolenic acid (α-LA; C18:3n-3). This correlation was weakest in late August when C:P values increased to 300, suggesting that mineral and PUFA-limitation of Daphnia's growth changed seasonally. Sestonic phosphorus and some PUFAs showed not only tight correlations with growth, but also with sestonic α-LA content. We computed Monte Carlo simulations to test whether the observed effects of α-LA on growth could be accounted for by EPA, phosphorus, or one of the two C18-PUFAs, stearidonic acid (C18:4n-3) and linoleic acid (C18:2n-6). With >99 % probability, the correlation of growth with α-LA could not be explained by any of these parameters. In order to test for EPA limitation of Daphnia's growth, in parallel with experiments on pure seston, growth was determined on seston supplemented with chemostat-grown, P-limited Stephanodiscus hantzschii, which is rich in EPA. Although supplementation increased the EPA content 80-800x, no significant changes in the nonlinear regression of the growth rates with α-LA were found, indicating that growth of Daphnia on pure seston was not EPA limited. This indicates that the two fatty acids, EPA and α-LA, were not mutually substitutable biochemical resources and points to different physiological functions of these two PUFAs. These results support the PUFA-limitation hypothesis for sestonic C:P < 300 but are contrary to the hypothesis of a general importance of EPA, since no evidence for EPA limitation was found. It is suggested that the resource ratios of EPA and α-LA rather than the absolute concentrations determine which of the two resources is limiting growth.

Autosomal dominant epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI) is a rare disease characterized by intra-epidermal blistering due to mutations in either of two keratin genes, KRT1 and KRT10, expressed by suprabasal keratinocytes. Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a non-blistering, hyperkeratotic disease caused by mutations in one of the following genes: ABCA12, ALOX12B, ALOXE3, TGM1, CYP4F22, NIPAL4 and SLC27A4, which are all essential for skin barrier homeostasis. ARCI and EI often respond well to treatment with retinoids, but the mechanism of action is unclear. The aim of this thesis was to increase the knowledge of pathogenic pathways in ichthyosis and to find new explanations to the effect of retinoids. In vitro studies of immortalized keratinocytes from EI patients showed an abnormal keratin aggregation after heat stress, that could be partially inhibited by pre-treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or retinoic acid receptor α-agonists. ATRA treatment also reduced the relative expression of mutated vs wildtype KRT10. The clearance of ATRA in human keratinocytes was found to be mediated by CYP26B1. In skin biopsies from ARCI patients, immunofluorescence analysis of 12R-LOX, eLOX-3, TGM1, ichthyin and FATP4 showed altered expression, not only of the mutated protein, but also of the other proteins. These observations are consistent with a feedback regulatory mechanism by which the loss of one protein results in an up-regulation of other proteins. Furthermore, 12R-LOX, eLOX-3 and TGM1 were intimately co-localized in stratum corneum, as were ichthyin and FATP4, suggesting that the proteins are linked to the same metabolic pathway. When treated with a CYP26 inhibitor known to raise the endogenous ATRA level of the skin, two patients with NIPAL4 mutations, initially exhibiting increased co-localization signals for 12R-LOX and eLOX-3, displayed normalized lipoxygenase expressions and showed clinical improvement. In conclusion, mechanisms are proposed by which pathogenic keratin aggregations in EI and epidermal protein deficiencies in ARCI patients may be mitigated by retinoids. Furthermore, the vivid crosstalk between proteins incriminated in ARCI suggests that these enzymes operate along a common metabolic pathway essential for producing barrier lipids in stratum corneum. Any abrogation of this production may cause barrier failure, hence resulting in a compensatory hyperkeratosis characteristic of congenital ichthyosis.

In the production of biodiesel via the transesterification of vegetable oils, purification to international standards is challenging. A key measure of biodiesel quality is the level of free glycerol in the biodiesel. In order to remove glycerol from fatty acid methyl ester (FAME or biodiesel), a membrane separation setup was tested. The main objective of this thesis was to develop a membrane process for the separation of free glycerol dispersed in FAME after completion of the transesterification reaction and to investigate the effect of different factors on glycerol removal. These factors included membrane pore size, pressure, temperature, and methanol, soap and water content. First, a study of the effect of different materials present in the transesterification reaction, such as water, soap, and methanol, on the final free glycerol separation was performed using a modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane, with 100 kD (ultrafiltration) molecular weight cut off for all runs at 25°C. Results showed low concentrations of water had a considerable effect in removing glycerol from the FAME. The mechanism of separation of free glycerol from FAME was due to the removal of an ultrafine dispersed glycerol-rich phase present in the untreated (or raw) FAME. The size of the droplets and the free glycerol separation both increased with increasing water content of the FAME. Next, three types of polymeric membranes in the ultrafiltration range with different molecular weight cut off, were tested at three fixed operating pressures and three operating temperatures (0, 5 and 25oC) to remove the free glycerol from a biodiesel reactor effluent. The ASTM standard for free glycerol concentration was met for the experiments performed at 25°C. The results of this study indicate that glycerol could be separated from raw FAME to meet ASTM and EN standards at methanol feed concentrations of up to 3 mass%. The process was demonstrated to rely on the formation of a dynamic polar layer on the membrane surface. Ceramic membranes of different pore sizes (0.05 µm (ultrafiltration (UF) range) and 0.2 µm (microfiltration (MF) range)) were used to treat raw FAME directly using the membrane separation set up at temperatures of 0, 5 and 25°C. The results were encouraging for the 0.05 µm pore size membrane at the highest temperature (25°C). The effect of temperature on glycerol removal was evident from its relation with the concentration factor (CF). Higher temperatures promoted the achievement of the appropriate CF value sooner for faster separation. Membrane pore size was also found to affect separation performance. A subsequent study revealed the effect of different variables on the size of the glycerol droplets using dynamic light scattering (DLS). A key parameter in the use of membrane separation technology is the size of the glycerol droplets and the influence of other components such as water, methanol and soaps on that droplet size. The effect of water, methanol, soap and glycerol on the size of suspended glycerol droplets in FAME was studied using a 3-level Box-Behnken experimental design technique. Standard statistical analysis techniques revealed the significant effect of water and glycerol on increasing droplet size while methanol and soap served to reduce the droplet size. Finally, a study on the effect of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) at different water concentrations in the FAME phase on glycerol removal using UF (0.03 µm pore size, polyethersulfone (PES)) and MF (0.1 and 0.22 µm pore sizes, PES) membranes at 25, 40 and 60°C was performed. Results showed that running at 25°C for the two membrane types produced the best results for glycerol removal and exceeded the ASTM and EN standards. An enhancement of glycerol removal was found by adding small amounts of water up to the maximum solubility limit in biodiesel. An increase in temperature resulted in an increase in the solubility of water in the FAME and less effective glycerol removal. Application of cake filtration theory and a gel layer model showed that the gel layer on the membrane surface is not compressible and the specific cake resistance and gel layer concentration decrease with increasing temperature. An approximate value for the limiting (steady-state) flux was reported and it was found that the highest fluxes were obtained at the lowest initial water concentrations at fixed temperatures. In conclusion, dispersed glycerol can be successfully removed from raw FAME (untreated FAME) using a membrane separation system to meet the ASTM biodiesel fuel standards. The addition of water close to the solubility limit to the FAME mixture enables the formation of larger glycerol droplets and makes the separation of these droplets straightforward.

A whole-cell DHA-rich algal product (A-DHA, provided by Evonik Industries) that is rich in DHA (125 mg DHA/g dry matter) is a possible replacement for fish oil in salmonid diets. The nutrient digestibilities of the algal product were measured in rainbow trout in freshwater and in Atlantic salmon in saltwater (32-33 ppm). In experiment 1, rainbow trout (initial weight ~ 300g) were randomly assigned to 12 x 120 L tanks (n = 10 per tank). A reference diet containing 1% Celite as an indigestible marker and three test diets with increasing percentage of A-DHA substitution (6.67%, 13.33% and 20%) were fed. Feces were collected using a settling column and feed and feces analyzed for digestible dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), ash, crude protein (CP), essential amino acids and total lipid. The digestibility of six long-chain fatty acids including 18:1n-9 (OA), 18:2n-6 (LA), 18:3n-3 (ALA), 20:4n-6 (ARA), 20:5n-3 (EPA) and 22:6n-3 (DHA) was measured. In experiment 2, Atlantic salmon (~170g) were randomly distributed to 12 fiberglass tanks (600L) with 106 fish per tank. The fish were assigned to four diets with the same levels of A-DHA inclusion as for rainbow trout and yttrium oxide (Y2O3) was used as an inert marker. Feces were collected by stripping and the digestibilities of DM, CP and lipid as well as OA, LA, ALA, ARA, EPA and DHA were determined. In experiment 1, the apparent digestibility of dietary DM, GE and lipid in rainbow trout declined significantly with increasing inclusion of A-DHA (P < 0.01). The inclusion of A-DHA had no effect on the digestibility of CP and ash as well as the availability of essential amino acids (P > 0.05). Furthermore, increased inclusion of A-DHA resulted in significantly lower digestibility of ARA, EPA and DHA (P < 0.05). A similar pattern was seen in the digestibility of OA, LA and ALA, although the effect of A-DHA inclusion was not statistically significant. Regression analysis revealed that nutrient contribution from A-DHA had significantly negative linear and quadratic effects on the apparent digestibility of DM, GE, and lipid. The inclusion levels of A-DHA had both significantly negative linear and quadratic effects on digestibility of LA and ALA, whereas only significantly negative linear effect was found on OA. Significantly negative linear and quadratic regressions were observed for the digestibility of ARA, EPA and DHA. The linear regression for CP was significantly negative and the regressions for the individual amino acids were not significant (P > 0.05). In experiment 2, dietary inclusion of A-DHA had a significantly negative effect on lipid digestibility in Atlantic salmon, at all inclusion rates whereas the significant negative effect on digestibilities of DM and CP was only observed in fish fed 20% A-DHA. The digestibilities of OA, LA, ALA and EPA were greater than 91%. In contrast, the apparent digestibilities of ARA and DHA decreased significantly with increasing substitution of A-DHA (P < 0.01). Significantly negative linear and quadratic regressions were found between nutrient contribution from A-DHA to the diets and apparent digestibility of DM, CP and lipid, so were LA, EPA and DHA. However, there were only significant quadratic regressions for OA, ALA and ARA, but not significant linear effects. Subsequently, a twelve-week feeding trial in rainbow trout was conducted to investigate the impact of replacing fish oil with A-DHA in canola-oil-based diets on the growth performance and fatty acid composition and retention. Four experimental diets containing only canola oil (CO; 13.5%), fish oil (FO; 13.5%), canola oil and fish oil (C+F; 7.4% and 6.1%, respectively) or canola oil and A-DHA (C+A; 15.5% and 6%, respectively) were formulated to contain 386.2 g/kg digestible crude protein and 17.58 MJ/kg digestible energy. In addition, the C+A diet was formulated to have the same DHA concentration as in the C+F diet. Each diet was fed to three tanks of rainbow trout (average initial weight of 70g; n = 17/tank) and the fish were fed to apparent satiation 2 times daily. At the end of the growth trial, all fish approximately tripled their weight. No significant differences were noted between the dietary treatments in growth performance as measured by final weight, average weight gain, feed intake, specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Although FO and C+A fed fish tended to accumulate more lipids, final whole body lipid content did not differ significantly between dietary treatments (P = 0.11). The concentrations of EPA, DHA as well as total n-3 fatty acid were significantly higher in fish fed the FO diet than fish fed the other 3 diets. The C+A fed fish had lower EPA and higher DHA concentrations compared with the CO and C+F fed fish; however, the differences were not significant. Apparent retention of total lipid in the trout was not significantly influenced by treatments (P > 0.05). Similarly, dietary treatments had no significant effect on the apparent retention of total saturated fatty acids, total mono-unsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The retention of 18:4n-3 (SDA) was significantly higher (> 100%) in fish fed CO and C+A compared with fish fed FO and C+F (< 51%), indicating greater bioconversion of ALA to SDA in the CO and C+A fed fish than in FO and C+F fed fish. The retention of EPA in the CO and C+A fed fish was over 100%, suggesting a net synthesis of EPA in these treatment groups. In contrast, the EPA retention in the FO and C+F fed fish was 55 and 21%, respectively, which showed a tendency to be significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P = 0.09). The CO fed fish had significantly higher DHA retention than fish fed the other 3 diets. The DHA retention in the FO fed fish (112%) was numerically but not significantly higher than in the C+F (66%) and C+A fed fish (73%). Thus, feeding the C+A to rainbow trout resulted in DHA retention equal to feeding the C+F.

Cocaethylene (CE) is a cocaine metabolite formed during alcohol and cocaine co-consumption. To our knowledge, no previous studies were conducted assessing CE as a biomarker indicating chronic excessive alcohol consumption in a suspected high-risk population. In this study, we hypothesized that hair CE can be an effective marker for alcohol consumption in a high-risk population. We recorded cocaine, benzoylecgonine, and CE levels in hair samples from individuals, establishing the predictive value of CE by comparing it to hair levels of the widely used hair fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), direct markers of chronic excessive alcohol consumption. CE had 14.04% sensitivity and 95.18% specificity in samples separating FAEE positive/negative results. The positive predictive value was 0.66, showing that the results for individuals with CE positive results were more than likely to be FAEE positive, but not conclusively. Thus, CE cannot be used as a definitive marker, indicating chronic excessive alcohol consumption.

This study provides insight into the structure/function relationship between desaturases and acetylenases, and indicates amino acid residues within acetylenases which influence reaction outcome. <i>Oleate desaturases</i> belong to a family of enzymes capable of introducing cis double bonds between C12 - C13 in oleate esters. Acetylenases are a subset of oleate desaturase enzymes which introduce a triple bond in the C12 - C13 position of linoleate. To better understand which amino acids could be responsible for differentiating the activity of acetylenases from typical desaturases, a total of 50 protein sequences were used to compare the two classes of enzymes resulting in the identification of 11 amino acid residues which are conserved within either separate family but differ between the two groups of enzymes. These identified amino acid residues were then singularly altered by site-directed mutagenesis to test their role in fatty acid modification. Specifically, the wild type acetylenase, Crep1 from <i>Crepis alpina</i>, and a number of point mutants have been expressed in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, followed by fatty acid analysis of the resulting cultures. Results indicate the importance of 4 amino acid residues within Crep1 (Y150, F259, H266, and V304) with regards to desaturase and acetylenase chemoselectivity, stereoselectivity, and/or substrate recognition. The F259L mutation affected the acetylenase by converting it to an atypical FAD2 capable of producing both cis and trans isomers. The V304I mutation resulted in the conversion of Crep1 into a stereoselective FAD2, where only the cis isomers of 16:2 and 18:2 were produced. The Y150F mutation led to a loss of acetylenase activity without affecting the inherent desaturase activity of Crep1. The H266Q mutation appears to affect substrate selection causing an inability to bind substrate (16:1-9c and/or 18:1-9c) in a cisoid conformation, resulting in an increased accumulation of trans product. The changes in enzyme activity detected in cultures expressing Crep1 mutants demonstrate the profound effect that exchanging as little as one amino acid can have on an enzyme properties. Enzymes retain some conservation of amino acids necessary for activity, such as those involved in metal ion binding, whereas subtle changes can affect overall enzyme function and catalysis.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase integral in regulating cell growth, survival, and migration. EGFR signaling, which is dependent on localization of the receptor within lipid rafts, is often hijacked during colon tumorigenesis. Previous work has found that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is protective against colon cancer. This fatty acid is proposed to function in part by perturbing lipid rafts and thereby altering cell signaling. The overall objective of this work was to determine whether DHA alters EGFR function and signaling. We assessed EGFR localization and ligand-induced phosphorylation in YAMC cells treated with fatty acids. We found that DHA reduced the localization of EGFR to lipid rafts. Concomitant with altering receptor localization, DHA was found to increase EGFR phosphorylation. However, DHA paradoxically suppressed EGFR signal transduction. We found that DHA uniquely altered EGFR activity, and other long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid did not exert the same effect. We additionally observed similar effects on EGFR activation and signaling by feeding mice a diet enriched in fish oil (high in DHA), and this was attendant with reduced colon tumorigenesis. We next probed the mechanism by which DHA enhances EGFR phosphorylation. We found that DHA facilitates receptor dimerization to increase phosphorylation. We additionally identified Ras activation as the site of perturbation of signal transduction. DHA suppressed signal transduction by both changing the localization of EGFR within the plasma membrane and increasing receptor endocytosis and degradation. Lastly, we extended our observations into a wounding model. Although DHA uniquely altered ligand-stimulated EGFR activity, both DHA and EPA altered EGFR transactivation and signaling upon injury. This culminated in reduced wound healing in DHA and EPA treated cells. In an animal model, we found that diets enriched in either DHA or EPA altered EGFR signaling in the colonocytes of wounded animals. Overall, we found that DHA modifies EGFR signaling, which can be beneficial or detrimental for health depending on the disease state of an individual. These data help elucidate a mechanism by which DHA protects against colon cancer, as well as indicating a potential downside of n-3 PUFA therapy.

In this research water dispersed epoxy varnishes were produced by reacting solid epoxy resin with ethylene diamine (EDA) and maleinized fatty acids of linseed oil. Maleinized fatty acid (MFA) was produced by the maleinization process, in which, fatty acid and maleic anhydride were reacted under nitrogen atmosphere. Maleinization was performed in order to insert hydrophilic groups to the fatty acid chains, which were then inserted to the backbone of the epoxy resin. This was done to give water dispersibility to the hydrophobic epoxy resin. Solid epoxy resin was dissolved in 1,4-dioxane. Ethylene diamine was then added to the solution at 50&deg / C, and stirred for 4 hours. Then the temperature was increased to 80oC and kept for 2 hours. Maleinized fatty acids were then introduced, and the reaction was carried out at 90oC for 10 hours. 1,4-dioxane was used for the removal of the water, which forms as the byproduct. Then the driers were added. The carboxylic groups of the maleinized fatty acid were neutralized by morpholine and the product was dispersed in water. The varnish was applied on test panels and left for air-drying for 24 hours and then baked at 140&deg / C for 5 hours. The free epoxy content was determined by pyridinium-chloride titration and it was seen that all the epoxy groups reacted. Also, produced fatty acid was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and maleinized fatty acid was characterized by H-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. Hardness, bending, impact resistance, gloss, and abrasion resistance tests were carried out on hardened varnish specimens. The samples generally showed good mechanical and physical properties. While the baking time was increased the hardness of product increased. Samples showed superior impact resistance, gloss, and flexibility.

In the production of biodiesel via the transesterification of vegetable oils, purification to international standards is challenging. A key measure of biodiesel quality is the level of free glycerol in the biodiesel. In order to remove glycerol from fatty acid methyl ester (FAME or biodiesel), a membrane separation setup was tested. The main objective of this thesis was to develop a membrane process for the separation of free glycerol dispersed in FAME after completion of the transesterification reaction and to investigate the effect of different factors on glycerol removal. These factors included membrane pore size, pressure, temperature, and methanol, soap and water content. First, a study of the effect of different materials present in the transesterification reaction, such as water, soap, and methanol, on the final free glycerol separation was performed using a modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane, with 100 kD (ultrafiltration) molecular weight cut off for all runs at 25°C. Results showed low concentrations of water had a considerable effect in removing glycerol from the FAME. The mechanism of separation of free glycerol from FAME was due to the removal of an ultrafine dispersed glycerol-rich phase present in the untreated (or raw) FAME. The size of the droplets and the free glycerol separation both increased with increasing water content of the FAME. Next, three types of polymeric membranes in the ultrafiltration range with different molecular weight cut off, were tested at three fixed operating pressures and three operating temperatures (0, 5 and 25oC) to remove the free glycerol from a biodiesel reactor effluent. The ASTM standard for free glycerol concentration was met for the experiments performed at 25°C. The results of this study indicate that glycerol could be separated from raw FAME to meet ASTM and EN standards at methanol feed concentrations of up to 3 mass%. The process was demonstrated to rely on the formation of a dynamic polar layer on the membrane surface. Ceramic membranes of different pore sizes (0.05 µm (ultrafiltration (UF) range) and 0.2 µm (microfiltration (MF) range)) were used to treat raw FAME directly using the membrane separation set up at temperatures of 0, 5 and 25°C. The results were encouraging for the 0.05 µm pore size membrane at the highest temperature (25°C). The effect of temperature on glycerol removal was evident from its relation with the concentration factor (CF). Higher temperatures promoted the achievement of the appropriate CF value sooner for faster separation. Membrane pore size was also found to affect separation performance. A subsequent study revealed the effect of different variables on the size of the glycerol droplets using dynamic light scattering (DLS). A key parameter in the use of membrane separation technology is the size of the glycerol droplets and the influence of other components such as water, methanol and soaps on that droplet size. The effect of water, methanol, soap and glycerol on the size of suspended glycerol droplets in FAME was studied using a 3-level Box-Behnken experimental design technique. Standard statistical analysis techniques revealed the significant effect of water and glycerol on increasing droplet size while methanol and soap served to reduce the droplet size. Finally, a study on the effect of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) at different water concentrations in the FAME phase on glycerol removal using UF (0.03 µm pore size, polyethersulfone (PES)) and MF (0.1 and 0.22 µm pore sizes, PES) membranes at 25, 40 and 60°C was performed. Results showed that running at 25°C for the two membrane types produced the best results for glycerol removal and exceeded the ASTM and EN standards. An enhancement of glycerol removal was found by adding small amounts of water up to the maximum solubility limit in biodiesel. An increase in temperature resulted in an increase in the solubility of water in the FAME and less effective glycerol removal. Application of cake filtration theory and a gel layer model showed that the gel layer on the membrane surface is not compressible and the specific cake resistance and gel layer concentration decrease with increasing temperature. An approximate value for the limiting (steady-state) flux was reported and it was found that the highest fluxes were obtained at the lowest initial water concentrations at fixed temperatures. In conclusion, dispersed glycerol can be successfully removed from raw FAME (untreated FAME) using a membrane separation system to meet the ASTM biodiesel fuel standards. The addition of water close to the solubility limit to the FAME mixture enables the formation of larger glycerol droplets and makes the separation of these droplets straightforward.