Separation and characterization of peanut phospholipid molecular species using high-performance liquid chromatography and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

Total lipid extracts from peanut seed were separated on a silica column int o a triacylglycerol fraction and a polar lipid fraction by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The polar fraction containing the phospholip ids was retained on the precolumn, and the triacylglycerol fraction was elu ted to a waste flask by a special valve arrangement. Phospholipids were elu ted from the precolumn and separated into various classes on a silica analy tical column. Each phospholipid class was manually collected and subsequent ly subjected to reversed-phase HPLC in tandem with a fast atom bombardment mass spectrometer. Phosphatidylethanolamine was separated into five molecul ar species. Phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine were each separate d into six molecular species.