The phospholipid composition of pig lung surfactant

Surface active material (surfactant), which contained 80% lipid material, was isolated from pig lungs by the saline perfusion procedure. The lipids were analyzed by column, thin layer and paper chromatography, followed by gas liquid chromatography to determine the fatty acid composition of the major phospholipid fractions. It was found that this pig lung surfactant contained the phospholipid constituents known to be present in mammalian tissues and in addition, phosphatidylglycerol (1.5%) and lyso‐bisphosphatidic acid (2.0%) were also found. These two components occurred in higher proportions in the surfactant lipids than in the lipids of the whole lung tissues.