Lipid Fractions of Chicken Broiler Tissues and Their Fatty Acid Composition

Abstract

SUMMARY Lipids extracted from chicken breast muscle, thigh muscle, and skin tissue were fractionated by thin‐layer and column chromatography. Breast muscle lipids were highest in the proportions of phospholipids to neutral lipids, followed by thigh muscle and skin tissue lipids. Gas‐liquid chromatography analysis of the fatty‐acid‐containing fractions showed that phospholipids contained higher levels of 18‐carbon saturated, and 20–24‐carbon unsaturated fatty acids than triglycerides. Triglycerides contained higher levels of 18‐carbon mono‐ and diunsaturated fatty acids than phospholipids. The minor lipids were generally between the phospholipids and triglycerides in their proportion of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of similar lipid fractions did not vary appreciably with tissue location: only the proportion or level of lipid fractions varied in different tissues.