The possibilities for HPLC analysis of lipids have been revolutionised by the availability of evaporative light-scattering detectors, with which the response is independent of the nature of the mobile phase and does not depend On the presence of specific chromophores in the lipids. It was thus possible to develop an HPLC procedure, involving ternary gradient elution, for separating all the lipid classes in animal tissues in a single step. Although reversed-phase HPLC has been widely used for the analysis of molecular species of lipids, sliver ion chromatography can be a valuable alternative. For example, a stable silver ion column for HPLC was developed which permitted resolution of molecular species of triacylglycerols, even from such complex samples as fish oils, again With light-scattering detection and gradient elution. The capacity for HPLC resolution of diastereomeric diacyl-sn-glycerol derivatives, prepared from triacylglycerols. has lead to a new simple method for stereospecific analysis of the latter.

• William W. Christie