Rapid analysis of membrane lipids using a combination of thin-layer chromatography and scanning of photographic negatives.

A simple method is proposed for the analysis of the distribution and changes in membrane lipids subjected to different treatments (lipolytic, aging, etc.). This technique involves only one thin-layer chromatographic step followed by a scanning of the photographic negative of the charred thin layer. This method is time saving, inexpensive and does not require the technical skill usually demanded in lipidology. The precision of this method is compared with that obtained with the classical TLC-GC method: its variability is roughly twice that of the TLC-GC method.