Lipid Chemistry, Biology and Analysis

About Lipids
Definitions, structures, composition, occurrence, biochemistry and functions of most types of fatty acids and lipids. For convenience, this has been subdivided into five sections -

• Basic information on what lipids are and what they do
• Fatty acids and eicosanoids
• Simple glycerolipids, sterols, lipoproteins, etc
• Complex glycerolipids - phospho - and glycolipids
• Sphingolipids

Lipid Analysis
Practical and theoretical descriptions of the many techniques used for the analysis of lipids, both chromatographic and spectroscopic. For practical reasons, this part of the site is subdivided into six sections. The literature survey section includes a current awareness service.

• Mass spectrometry of fatty acid derivatives
• Selected topics in the analysis of lipids
• NMR chemical shifts for fatty acids and their derivatives
• Silver ion chromatography of lipids
• Gas Chromatography and Lipids
• Literature surveys of analytical methodology

Oils and Fats
These pages cover the chemistry, nutrition and analysis of frying oils and their degradation products, and the major oils and fats as commodities.

• Frying oils
• Oils/fats in the market place
• Basic information on triacylglycerols, etc

What's new?
Summary of recent changes to the site, items of general interest, a Calendar of appropriate conferences, etc - a page of Links to other useful sites - and a 'lipid blog' discussing new publications or related items that have caught our attention.

Information and experience gained at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (Invergowrie, Dundee, Scotland (DD2 5DA) has been used to produce these web documents, as a free service to scientists and students everywhere. I am grateful to the Institute for continuing to provide me with access to library facilities.