ABSTRACT
Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is used extensively for lipid analysis and is a valuable tool for the separation and tentative identification of neutral and complex lipid classes. TLC can achieve separations of complex mixtures comparable to other types of liquid column chromatography. Although numerous sorbents are available for lipid TLC, silica gel is the one used most frequently. In recent years, lipid TLC has made use of the newer, finer grades of silica gel, which are also used in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) columns. TLC has the distinct advantage of allowing for the separation of lipids of different polarities on the same plate with a single solvent system.
