Thin Layer Chromatographic Analysis of Neutral Lipids in the Digestive Gland-Gonad Complex of Biomphalaria Glabrata Snails Maintained on Various Diets

Abstract

Thin layer chromatography on channeled, high performance preadsorbent silica gel plates was used to study the neutral lipid composition of six diets/i.e., hen's egg albumen, hen's egg yolk, leaf lettuce, Tetramin fish food, lettuce/Tetramin (1:1), and Spirulina, and the digestive gland-gonad complex of Biomphalaria qlabrata snails maintained on these diets. Differences in the neutral lipid profiles between the diet and the DGG suggest that factors other than dietary uptake, presumably metabolic, play a role in determining the lipid composition of the snail.