Lipids of retina: I. Analysis of gangliosides in beef retina by thin layer chromatography

Lipids were extracted from beef retina by chloroform‐methanol (2∶1); the gangliosides were removed from the total lipid extract by partitioning into water and chromatographing on thin layer plates coated with silica gel. The analytical methods are described for estimating ganglioside components, i.e., N‐acetyl neuraminic acid, hexoses, hexosamine, sphingosine and fatty acids, in the presence of silica gel. Major gangliosides present in beef retina have been tentatively identified as follows: a ganglioside containing two N‐acetyl neuraminyl groups but no hexosamine; two gangliosides containing two N‐acetyl neuraminyl groups and one hexosamine; and a ganglioside with three N‐acetyl neuraminyl moieties and one hexosamine.