The separation of esters of choline by filter-paper chromatography

Abstract

Choline esters can be separated from each other and from choline by paper chromato-graphy. n-Propanol- and n-butanol-water mixtures, with or with-out the addition of a 3d component such as benzyl alcohol or formic acid, gave the best separations. The esters were detected on the paper by an adaptation of the hydroxylamine-ferric chloride test for carboxylic esters, by the iodine method of Brante, by the phosphotungstic acid-stannous chloride method of Chargaff et al. and, in the case of acetylcholine, by pharmacological assay.