ABSTRACT
Lipids comprise the class of compounds extracted by nonpolar solvents (e.g., hexane, chloroform, diethyl ether) from the complex mixtures found in samples of biological origin. This is a physical separation based on solubility, and although the term “lipid” is commonly associated with triglycerides and fatty acids, it also includes terpenoids, waxes, phospholipids, prostaglandins, steroids, and other lipophilic and hydrophobic compounds. Triglycerides can also incorporate terpenoid fatty acid side chains (e.g., phytanic acid; Fig. 1), blurring even the boundaries between these classes of compounds.
