Lipid Extraction

Lipids are insoluble in water and are commonly extracted from tissue, cells, or fluids using organic solvents. The efficiency of lipid extraction depends on the partitioning of different lipids into the organic phase and lipid composition of the sample. The most commonly used solvent systems for lipid extraction are protocols based on the methods that were initially published by Folch (1), and Bligh & Dyer (2). These and other solvent systems are routinely applied to a wide range of biological samples for lipid extraction (3). For more information on the extraction of lipids, see: http://www.cyberlipid.org/extract/extr0001.htm

  1. Folch J., Lees M., Sloane Stanley G. H. 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 226: 497–509.
  2. Bligh, E. G. & Dyer, W. J. 1959. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can. J. Biochem. Physiol. 37: 911–917.
  3. Reis, A., Rudnitskaya et al. 2013 A comparison of five lipid extraction solvent systems for lipidomic studies of human LDL. J Lipid Res. 2013 Jul; 54(7): 1812–1824.