Separation of phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine, and other phospholipids by thin-layer chromatography

Thin-layer chromatography of phospholipids and cerebrosides was performed on Silica Gel G plates using a mixture of chloroform-methanol-acetic acid-water as development solvent. Two types of chromatoplates were used: “neutral” plates, prepared from Silica Gel G slurry made in water, and “basic” plates, prepared from Silica Gel G slurry made in 0.01 m sodium acetate or sodium carbonate solutions. Only chromatograms run on “basic” plates showed good and reproducible separations of phosphatidyl serine from other phospholipids, independent of the amount of phosphatidyl serine present in the sample. However, “neutral” plates gave better separation of cerebrosides from phospholipids. A practical method of applying these systems for separation of phospholipids extracted from rat liver and human serum is presented.