A simplified procedure for separating amniotic fluid phospholipids with thin-layer chromatography.

A simple, unidimensional, thin-layer-chromatographic separation of amniotic fluid phospholipids involving detection with a phosphorus-specific spray was compared to the two-dimensional, thin-layer-chromatographic method described by Gluck et al. There were close correlations between the two techniques for lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios and for the presence of phosphatidylglycerol. The advantages of the unidimensional method are a shorter procedure time, the ability to analyze multiple samples on a single plate and the simplicity of a single-solvent system.