ABSTRACT
The older names for glycerol esterified with long chain fatty acids were monoglyceride, diglyceride and triglyceride, that is, glycerides. Triacylglycerol is the most important storage fat, being found in animal depot fats, seed oils and milk. A washed chloroform–methanol extract of a tissue such as liver will contain triacylglycerols and phospholipids together with free and esterified cholesterol. Ester bonds react with hydroxylamine and ferric Perchlorate to give a purple complex which provides a colorimetric analysis. Identification of wax esters requires a preliminary fractionation on a silica column from which they can be eluted with benzene. A pure wax monoester fraction is obtained by preparative TLC in benzene and its identity can be checked by infrared or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 1-alkyl 2,3-diacylglycerols and neutral plasmalogens will appear in the triacylglycerol fraction after chromatography on a silicic acid column. Mild alkaline hydrolysis will remove the acyl groups to leave monoalkyl ethers which can be purified by preparative thin-layer chromatography.
