HPLC column switching technique for the clean-up of steroid samples

A simple column-switching system was used for the clean-up of steroid samples. Fatty tissues were extracted as described in a previous paper [1]. The filtered and concentrated extract is injected on to a HPLC system consisting of three columns. After a front-cut between column 2 and column 3, the fraction of interest is separated on column 3. Gradient elution offers the possibility to isolate a single or multi- component fraction, which can be examined by HPTLC or another detection technique.