ANALYSIS OF DIPALMITOYL PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE IN AMNIOTIC-FLUID BY ENZYMATIC-HYDROLYSIS AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY REFLECTANCE SPECTRODENSITOMETRY

A novel test for the determination of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in amniotic fluid (AF) as free dipalmitoylglycerol (DPG), is de scribed. Aliquots of amniotic fluid were hydrolyzed with Bacilus cereu s phospholipase C, and the resulting diglycerides analyzed by AgNO3-mo dified high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-reflectance spectrodensitometry. This HPTLC system provided resolution of DPG and palmitoylpalmitoleoylglycerol (FOG) from other 1,2-diglycerides and ch olesterol. The turn-around analysis time for triplicate aliquots of am niotic fluid was 40 min. Recoveries ranged between 90 and 98%. In summ ary, this method provides a quantitative, specific, highly reproducibl e, and fast turn-around means of analysis of DPPC in amniotic fluid.