NMR lipid profiles of cells, tissues, and body fluids: proton NMR analysis of human erythrocyte lipids.

One- and two-dimensional high resolution NMR spectroscopy was applied to determine quantitatively and qualitatively the lipids extracted from human erythrocyte membranes. The relative amounts of the major lipids were determined from the spectra of unfractionated lipid extracts. After HPLC fractionation of the lipid extracts and NMR analysis of the fractions, it was possible to determine the features of the component lipids of each lipid class and to compare, especially, the fatty acid types and composition of the individual major glycerophospholipids. The results of this proton NMR analysis were compared to those obtained elsewhere using classical lipid analytical techniques and found to be in substantial agreement.