The application of gradient saturation in unidimensional planar chromatography of polar lipids. Part 1: Presentation of the HPTLC system

A thermostated HPTLC system was assembled to test the influence of gradient chamber saturation upon resolution of polar lipids chromatographed on boric acid‐impregnated silica gel plates. Inexpensive mixtures of nonacidic (14 component peaks) and acidic (8 component peaks) lipids were prepared from soya lecithin by a simplified procedure involving DEAE‐Sephadex liquid column chromatography to monitor performance of the system using a readily available reference material. The system requires ca. 5 min chamber presaturation after which the polar lipids are chromatographed in less than 30 min. Retention times (tR) as well as peak area % values of all component peaks and measured by scanning photodensitometry to demonstrate the influence of different modes of chamber saturation upon the resolution of polar lopids.