Reversed-phase separations of nitrogenous phospholipids on an octadecanoyl poly(vinyl alcohol) phase

Molecular species of nitrogenous phospholipids (PLs) phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), PE-derivatives and sphingomyelin (SP) were separated on an octadecanoyl poly(vinyl alcohol) (ODPVA) column by reversed-phase HPLC with UV and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). Mobile phases employed variable proportions of acetonitrile, methanol and water. HPLC-UV of the polar lipids yield components with peak intensities somewhat different from those obtained by HPLC-ELSD despite discernible similarity in the peak profiles observed in the two detection systems. Incorporation of ammonium hydroxide in mobile phases resulted in a decrease in analyte retention. The mobile phase basicity effect on capacity factors of PE species was significantly greater than that of PC counterparts. The new ODPVA-HPLC-ELSD technique was applied to the analysis of PC and PE molecular species in vegetable oils.