A VARIANT FOR ISOLATION OF SERUM GANGLIOSIDES

The serum gangliosides are of great diagnostic importance. A step-by-s tep procedure for their isolation from serum is described and it inclu des the following stages: a) dehydration of the sample; b) total lipid s extraction; c) non-polar lipids removal by preparative TLC; d) elimi nation of the blood sugar by Sep-Pak technique; e) TLC of the ganglios ide fractions. Azeotropic distillation of the mixture of serum water/n -propanol was used for sample dehydration. Triple extraction was carri ed out: with cyclohexane (I); chloroform : methanol = 1:1 (v/v) (II) a nd chloroform : methanol = 1 : 2 (v/v) (III). The extracts were combin ed and the non-polar lipids were removed. The eluate composition was c hecked out by HPTLC with a modified mobile phase: chloroform:methanol: 0.1 M sodium lactate = 55 : 40 : 10 (v/v/v). Comparative data for the R(f) values of the ganglioside fractions as well as recovery data are presented. This method is also applicable for milk samples.