FLUOROMETRIC DETECTION OF GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS ON THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHIC PLATES

A microdetection system for glycosphingolipid analysis has been develo ped using 5-hydroxy-1-tetralone as the fluorescent labeling reagent. T he reagents in H2SO4 per mit the fluorometric detection of acidic and neutral glycosphingolipids both in test tube and on thin-layer chromat ographic plates. Glycosphingolipids can be detected at concentrations as low as 5 pmol on the thin-layer chromatographic plate. The method i s a rapid and simple, and feasible for determination of glycosphingoli pid from small amounts of biological samples.