Lipidisch

Lipidisch is an adjective in German used to describe something that relates to lipids or has lipid-like properties. The term is widely used in biochemistry, cell biology, histology, pharmacology and food science. It can describe molecules that belong to the lipid family, lipid-containing structures, or processes driven by lipids. Common phrases include lipidische Membranen, lipidisch basierte Substanzen, and lipidisch lösliche Verbindungen.

In histology, lipidisch refers to lipids and lipid-rich areas; lipids are often extracted during standard tissue preparation, which can obscure lipid-containing features. Therefore researchers use cryosectioning or special fixation methods to preserve lipids and study lipidisch structures more reliably. In pharmacology, lipidisch can refer to lipid-based drug delivery systems, such as liposome-based formulations, or to lipidisch-soluble drugs that dissolve in fats rather than water.

Etymology: The word derives from Lipid, borrowed from French lipide, which traces to Greek lipos meaning fat. The German suffix -isch forms adjectives that describe material, origin, or relation.

See also: Lipid, Lipide, Lipidklasse, Fett, Fettsäuren, Lipidomics.