The effect of apparatus, extraction time, and solvent type on lipid extractions of snow geese

Abstract

Variability in apparatus, solvent type, and extraction time for lipid extractions is common in the literature. To investigate the effect of this methodological variability on the amount and type of material extracted, equal subsamples of snow goose (Chen caerulescens) homogenate were extracted in Soxhlet and Goldfisch fat extractors with petroleum ether, diethyl ether, chloroform–methanol, and a petroleum ether–chloroform–methanol mixture for 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. The type of solvent used had the largest effect on the amount of material that was extracted. Petroleum ether and diethyl ether extracted few nonlipids, but chloroform–methanol extracted relatively large amounts of nonlipids. We conclude that chloroform–methanol, when used in a Goldfisch or Soxhlet fat extractor, is an inappropriate solvent for studies dealing with body composition.