Quantification of lipid mass by a liquid scintillation counting procedure following charring on thin-layer plates

Abstract

A novel method for the densitometric measurement of charred lipid bands from thin-layer chromatograms using a liquid scintillation counter is described. Following suspension in a scintillator gel, the reduction in the external standard channels ratio was used as a measure of the quenching effect, and therefore density, of the charred material. The relationship between the external standard channels ratio and mass of the lipid was linear for all the common lipid classes up to about 100 μg although accurate interpolations of the calibration curves were possible up to at least 1 mg. The extent of charring of the neutral lipids did not appear to depend on the degree of unsaturation of the constituent fatty acids although in the case of the phospholipids significant differences in the extent of charring were observed between naturally occurring and completely saturated lecithins. Analysis of total lipid extracts by this method yielded results closely comparable with those obtained by other well-established quantification procedures. The sbility of this method to provide a quick and accurate lipid quantifieation procedure is discussed.