Quantitative recovery of free and esterified fatty acids from thin-layer plates coated with silica gel.

A method is described for the recovery of fatty acids from silica gel on thin-layer plates. The method is simple and rapid and depends on the conversion of silica gel to potassium silicate, using potassium hydroxide, followed by acidification in such a way that the silicic acid is kept in solution. Fatty acids are then extracted by shaking with solvent. Fatty acid recovery from free fatty acid, phospholipid, glyceride and cholesterol ester zones is more than 90% efficient. There is no oxidation or isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids.