Fractionation by column chromatography of lipids and lipid sulfur extracted from soils

Total lipids extracted from eight soils were fractionated by silicic acid column chromatography, to yield fractions representing less-polar lipids, glycolipids and polar lipids. The distribution between these lipid classes was similar for all soils, with glycolipids dominant (mean 64%) and polar lipids least abundant (mean 4%). In contrast, lipid S distribution showed considerable variation among samples of diverse origin. The polar lipid fraction accounted for 7–36% of lipid S, despite the small proportions present. Significant concentrations of S(0.03–2.3%) were found in all Chromatographic fractions, indicating a variety of sulfolipid forms. These findings indicate that silicic acid column chromatography is a useful preparatory tool to characterize sulfolipid constituents of soil.