Simple liquid-liquid partition system for isolation of labeled oleic acid from mixtures with glycerides.

Oleic acid has a partition coefficient, upper phase/lower phase, of 1.9 (22 degrees C) in the liquid-liquid partition system described herein. Tri-, di-, and monoolein are found almost exclusively in the lower (organic) phase. Oleic acid can be quantitatively removed from mixtures of triglyceride and partial glycerides by means of this partition system under conditions resembling those in a lipase assay.