A TECHNIQUE OF PREPARATIVE PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY

Abstract

The use of a solvent redevelopment technique enables the separation of amino acids from complex biological materials in the presence of high concentrations of salts. By conventional chromatography, 1.17 mg of total amino acids have been separated from the high salt medium M 150. The preparative technique as described here has separated amounts as great as 1.17 g and the patterns are essentially the same as for the analytical types. The separations are effected by four or more successive 15- to 20-hour solvent developments with drying between each solvent stage before the staining of chromatograms or isolation of particular bands. The results of these solvent developments on the preparative scale are illustrated with photographs of actual chromatograms. This technique requires thick filter paper sheets up to 4 ft in length for analytical, and particularly for preparative, chromatograms.