Plant leaf waxes can be characterised by HPLC eitherin toto or after separation into acidic and neutral fractions using DEAE Sephadex A-25. Group separation of acidic fraction components is easy using reversed phase systems; this method is also applicable but not recommended for the characterisation of unfractionated wax samples. Separation and quantitation of wax neutral fractions is easier by adsorption HPLC systems but solvent composition is critical and normally involves use of tetrahydrofuran. The replacement of a sample loop of the injector by a short column permits injection of larger volumes as well as separate elution of the most polar components. Examples are presented using mass and UV detectors as well as gravimetric analysis of wax from several plant species.

J. A. Zabkiewicz

Papers

Qualitative and quantitative chromatographic analysis of plant leaf waxes