Modified Van Handel Zilversmith method modifications?

• A. Chloroform, silicic acid, and pink color
• B. Hexane, silica, and blue color
• C. Ethanol, silica, and red color
• D. Chloroform, silica gel, and pink color

Answer: (A)

The modification tests how lipids are first extracted, cleaned up, and detected in the Van Handel–Zilversmith protocol. Chloroform is used as the extracting solvent because lipids dissolve well in this nonpolar solvent, giving a concentrated lipid fraction. Silicic acid serves as the adsorbent/cleanup phase to separate lipids from pigments and other nonlipid substances, providing a cleaner sample before detection. The pink color comes from the lipid-specific color reaction with vanillin in sulfuric acid (the van Handel reagent), giving a reliable readout for lipids present in the sample. Hexane or ethanol would not provide the same broad lipid extraction or cleanup efficiency, and using silica gel instead of silicic acid can alter separation and affect the color readout, making the pink signal less reliable.