Lipid Profiling

Neutral lipids are the triglycerides which consist of three fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule. Cholesterol is also a neutral lipid. Neutral lipids such as cholesterol esters and triglycerides are insoluble in water and essentially lack detergent properties. Phospholipids are a class of lipids that are a major component of all cell membranes. Phospholipids belong to the lipid family of biological polymers. A phospholipid is composed of two fatty acids, a glycerol unit, a phosphate group and a polar molecule. There are no simple methods available for analysis of phospholipids since the close range of polarity between different phospholipid species makes detection difficult.