Pancreatic lipase assays with triglycerides as substrate: contribution of each sequential reaction to product formation.

Human pancreatic lipase assays are usually performed in the presence of either emulsified triglycerides or diglycerides within the limits of their solubility. Two reactions are catalyzed in the presence of triglycerides: hydrolysis of triglycerides to diglycerides, and diglycerides to monoglycerides. The contribution of each reaction to the final result was determined after extensive kinetic studies on the appearance and/(or) accumulation of intermediates and/(or) products. Acylated glycerides were analyzed after extraction from the reaction mixture, separation of lipid classes by thin-layer chromatography, and quantification by capillary gas chromatography. The results show that after 10 min of reaction in the presence of high concentrations of triolein, 75% of the released fatty acids arise from the first reaction. Relative merits and disadvantages of each substrate (triglyceride or diglyceride) are discussed in terms of practicability.