Glycolipids isolation and characterization from natural source: A review

For centuries, many natural products are known to contain a wide range of glycolipid compounds; some are chemical substances that produce a definite biological/physiological effect. Isolation and characterization of glycolipids are evolving with new techniques being or under development. This review gives a brief description of different methods of natural glycolipids extraction, isolation, and characterization. Modern extraction instruments and techniques accelerate glycolipids’ extraction processes. Chromatographic methods, such as column chromatography and TLC are the most commonly used techniques for glycolipid isolation and purification, different characterization techniques ranging from chemical methods, reagents spray UV-detection, MS, FTIR, and NMR with later tandem-MS, TOF, FID, ESI, and ELSD modifications of the existing techniques allowing faster, more sensitive and direct analysis.