title: Separation and purification of sphingomyelin diastereomers by high-performance liquid chromatography.
abstract: All naturally occurring sphingomyelins have the d-erythro-(2S,3R) configuration of the sphingoid base. We have developed a normal-phase HPLC method for the separation of this natural stereoisomer from the l-threo-sphingomyelin, which is the other stereoisomer commonly present in semisynthetic preparations of acyl-chain defined sphingomyelins. The chromatographic method was developed by modification of a previously reported method for phospholipid separation on a normal-phase diol column. The separation was accomplished by a binary gradient of solvent mixtures (A) hexane:isopropanol:acetic acid (82:17:1.0 by vol) and (B) isopropanol:water:acetic acid (85:14:1.0 by vol) with 0.08 vol% triethylamine added to both solvent mixtures. The program of gradient elution was optimized for maximal separation of sphingomyelin diastereomers. For detection of the lipids, a light-scattering detector was used. This analytical scale HPLC method was also used for purification of the stereoisomers (up to 0.5 mg of N-oleoyl-sphingomyelin in a single injection). The purified stereoisomers were at least 99% pure according to high-performance thin-layer chromatography and analytical HPLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Abo Akademi University, Turku, FIN 20521, Finland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ramstedt
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Slotte
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D012997:Solvents; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D013109:Sphingomyelins