An HPLC-MS approach for analysis of very long chain fatty acids and other apolar compounds on octadecyl-silica phase using partly miscible solvents

Reliability of LipidSearch software identification and its application to assess the effect of dry salting on the long-chain free fatty acid profile of tilapia muscles

Dry salting has important effects on food lipids. In this work, the reliability of LipidSearch software identification and its application to assess the effect of dry salting on the long-chain free fatty acid profile of tilapia muscles were studied by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Extractive Orbitrap mass spectrometry and LipidSearch software. Compared with the standard reference identification method, the LipidSearch software identification method was suggested to be a reliable identification method for long-chain free fatty acid identification. During the dry salting process, tilapia muscles with low muscle-to-salt mass ratios of 3-8 might have stable and similar free fatty acid profile changes, and the free fatty acid amounts decreased and then increased with time. This work could provide useful information to evaluate the development and application of LipidSearch software as well as a way to analyze the effect of dry salting on the free fatty acids change of aquatic products.

Liquid-Chromatographic Methods for Carboxylic Acids in Biological Samples

Carboxyl-bearing low-molecular-weight compounds such as keto acids, fatty acids, and other organic acids are involved in a myriad of metabolic pathways owing to their high polarity and solubility in biological fluids. Various disease areas such as cancer, myeloid leukemia, heart disease, liver disease, and lifestyle diseases (obesity and diabetes) were found to be related to certain metabolic pathways and changes in the concentrations of the compounds involved in those pathways. Therefore, the quantification of such compounds provides useful information pertaining to diagnosis, pathological conditions, and disease mechanisms, spurring the development of numerous analytical methods for this purpose. This review article addresses analytical methods for the quantification of carboxylic acids, which were classified into fatty acids, tricarboxylic acid cycle and glycolysis-related compounds, amino acid metabolites, perfluorinated carboxylic acids, α-keto acids and their metabolites, thiazole-containing carboxylic acids, and miscellaneous, in biological samples from 2000 to date. Methods involving liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet, fluorescence, mass spectrometry, and electrochemical detection were summarized.

Sustainable and Selective Extraction of Lipids and Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae

The procedures for the extraction and separation of lipids and nutraceutics from microalgae using classic solvents have been frequently used over the years. However, these production methods usually require expensive and toxic solvents. Based on our studies involving the use of eco-sustainable methodologies and alternative solvents, we selected ethanol (EtOH) and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) for extracting bio-oil and lipids from algae. Different percentages of EtOH in CPME favor the production of an oil rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA), useful to biofuel production or rich in bioactive compounds. The proposed method for obtaining an extract rich in saturated or unsaturated fatty acids from dry algal biomass is disclosed as eco-friendly and allows a good extraction yield. The method is compared both in extracted oil percentage yield and in extracted fatty acids selectivity to extraction by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂).

Charging and Charge Switching of Unsaturated Lipids and Apolar Compounds Using Paternò-Büchi Reactions

The ability to control the charge state and ionization efficiency of lipids and hydrocarbons by means of in-source Paternò-Büchi functionalization in nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry experiments is investigated. Ultraviolet light irradiation of acetylpyridine filled nano-electrospray emitter tips, containing unsaturated analytes, generates protonated lipid and hydrocarbon ions. Comparison of reaction yields and fragment ion abundances of functionalized unsaturated fatty acids indicate that acetylpyridine Paternò-Büchi functionalization allows to readily detect fatty acids and determine double bond positions, but fragmentation efficiency and reactivity depend on double bond position and varies between different acetylpyridine isomers. Results for methyl oleate and olefins suggest that fragment ion abundances of unsaturated compounds depend on interactions between acetylpyridine and nearby functional groups. Paternò-Büchi functionalization with acetylpyridine was used to detect and assign double bond positions of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid, cholesterol ester, triglyceride, and hydrocarbon standards with ion abundances that are up to 631 times higher than abundances of the same compounds prior Paternò-Büchi reaction. To demonstrate the scope and analytical robustness of the newly developed method, free fatty acids in mouse brain as well as male Schistosoma mansoni extracts and hydrocarbons in an olefin mixture are investigated. For this complex set of analytes, charging and charge switching using acetylpyridine Paternò-Büchi functionalization enable double bond position assignment and relative quantification in positive ion mode. Graphical Abstract.

Precolumn Derivatization with Bromine to Improve Separation and Detection Sensitivity of Triacylglycerols in Edible Oil by Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

The complexity of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in edible oils is largely due to the many similar unsaturated TAG compounds, which makes profiling TAGs difficult. In this study, precolumn derivatization with bromine (Br₂) was used to improve the separation and detection sensitivity of TAGs in edible oils by RP-HPLC. Oil samples dissolved in n-hexane and TAGs were derived by reaction with a Br2-CCl₄ (1:1, v/v) solution for 3 h at room temperature. The derivate product solution was stable and was best separated and detected by RP-HPLC using a C18 column, with a mobile phase of methanol-n-hexane (91.5:8.5, v/v) at 25°C. A detection wavelength of 230 nm was used. The results showed that the approach enabled the separation and detection of more similar TAGs by RP-HPLC. The method was applied to profile 20 types of edible oil, and the results presented the differences in the TAG profiles of various edible oils, which may be useful in the identification of edible oils.

A rapid and sensitive profiling of free fatty acids using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) after chemical derivatization

A mass spectrometry method for the improved identification and quantification of free fatty acids (FFAs) based on derivatization using trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSD) was developed and validated to be an sensitive and accurate method for analyzing FFAs.

Long-chain free fatty acid profiling analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in mouse treated with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonist

A change in the free fatty acid (FFA) profile reflects an alteration in the lipid metabolism of peripheral tissue. A high-throughput quantitative analysis method for individual FFAs therefore needs to be established. We report here an optimized LC-MS assay for a high-throughput and high-sensitivity analysis of the 10 major long-chain FFAs in mouse plasma and liver. This assay enables quantification of individual FFAs by using trace amounts of samples (2 µL of plasma and 10 mg of liver tissue). We apply this method to analyze the FFA profile of plasma and liver samples from an obese mouse model treated with bezafibrate, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonist, and show a change in the FFA profile, particularly in the palmitoleic and oleic acid contents. This assay is useful for quantifying individual FFAs and helpful for monitoring the condition of lipid metabolism.

A small RNA activates CFA synthase by isoform-specific mRNA stabilization

Small RNAs use a diversity of well-characterized mechanisms to repress mRNAs, but how they activate gene expression at the mRNA level remains not well understood. The predominant activation mechanism of Hfq-associated small RNAs has been translational control whereby base pairing with the target prevents the formation of an intrinsic inhibitory structure in the mRNA and promotes translation initiation. Here, we report a translation-independent mechanism whereby the small RNA RydC selectively activates the longer of two isoforms of cfa mRNA (encoding cyclopropane fatty acid synthase) in Salmonella enterica. Target activation is achieved through seed pairing of the pseudoknot-exposed, conserved 5' end of RydC to an upstream region of the cfa mRNA. The seed pairing stabilizes the messenger, likely by interfering directly with RNase E-mediated decay in the 5' untranslated region. Intriguingly, this mechanism is generic such that the activation is equally achieved by seed pairing of unrelated small RNAs, suggesting that this mechanism may be utilized in the design of RNA-controlled synthetic circuits. Physiologically, RydC is the first small RNA known to regulate membrane stability.

Combined LC/MS-platform for analysis of all major stratum corneum lipids, and the profiling of skin substitutes

Ceramides (CERs), cholesterol, and free fatty acids (FFAs) are the main lipid classes in human stratum corneum (SC, outermost skin layer), but no studies report on the detailed analysis of these classes in a single platform. The primary aims of this study were to 1) develop an LC/MS method for (semi-)quantitative analysis of all main lipid classes present in human SC; and 2) use this method to study in detail the lipid profiles of human skin substitutes and compare them to human SC lipids. By applying two injections of 10μl, the developed method detects all major SC lipids using RPLC and negative ion mode APCI-MS for detection of FFAs, and NPLC using positive ion mode APCI-MS to analyze CERs and cholesterol. Validation showed this lipid platform to be robust, reproducible, sensitive, and fast. The method was successfully applied on ex vivo human SC, human SC obtained from tape strips and human skin substitutes (porcine SC and human skin equivalents). In conjunction with FFA profiles, clear differences in CER profiles were observed between these different SC sources. Human skin equivalents more closely mimic the lipid composition of human stratum corneum than porcine skin does, although noticeable differences are still present. These differences gave biologically relevant information on some of the enzymes that are probably involved in SC lipid processing. For future research, this provides an excellent method for (semi-)quantitative, 'high-throughput' profiling of SC lipids and can be used to advance the understanding of skin lipids and the biological processes involved.

LC/ESI-MS/MS detection of FAs by charge reversal derivatization with more than four orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity

Quantitative analysis of fatty acids (FAs) is an important area of analytical biochemistry. Ultra high sensitivity FA analysis usually is done with gas chromatography of pentafluorobenzyl esters coupled to an electron-capture detector. With the popularity of electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometers coupled to liquid chromatography, it would be convenient to develop a method for ultra high sensitivity FA detection using this equipment. Although FAs can be analyzed by ESI in negative ion mode, this method is not very sensitive. In this study, we demonstrate a new method of FA analysis based on conversion of the carboxylic acid to an amide bearing a permanent positive charge, N-(4-aminomethylphenyl)pyridinium (AMPP) combined with analysis on a reverse-phase liquid chromatography column coupled to an ESI mass spectrometer operating in positive ion mode. This leads to an ∼60,000-fold increase in sensitivity compared with the same method carried out with underivatized FAs. The new method is about 10-fold more sensitive than the existing method of gas chromatography/electron-capture mass spectrometry of FA pentafluorobenzyl esters. Furthermore, significant fragmentation of the precursor ions in the nontag portion improves analytical specificity. We show that a large number of FA molecular species can be analyzed with this method in complex biological samples such as mouse serum.

Nonesterified fatty acid determination for functional lipidomics: comprehensive ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantitation, qualification, and parameter prediction

Despite their central importance for lipid metabolism, straightforward quantitative methods for determination of nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) species are still missing. The protocol presented here provides unbiased quantitation of plasma NEFA species by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Simple deproteination of plasma in organic solvent solution yields high accuracy, including both the unbound and initially protein-bound fractions, while avoiding interferences from hydrolysis of esterified fatty acids from other lipid classes. Sample preparation is fast and nonexpensive, hence well suited for automation and high-throughput applications. Separation of isotopologic NEFA is achieved using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS detection. In combination with automated liquid handling, total assay time per sample is less than 15 min. The analytical spectrum extends beyond readily available NEFA standard compounds by a regression model predicting all the relevant analytical parameters (retention time, ion path settings, and response factor) of NEFA species based on chain length and number of double bonds. Detection of 50 NEFA species and accurate quantification of 36 NEFA species in human plasma is described, the highest numbers ever reported for a LC-MS application. Accuracy and precision are within widely accepted limits. The use of qualifier ions supports unequivocal analyte verification.

Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of fatty acid metabolism

We present a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method for long-chain and very-long-chain fatty acid analysis and its application to (13)C-tracer studies of fatty acid metabolism. Fatty acids containing 14 to 36 carbon atoms are separated by C(8) reversed-phase chromatography using a water-methanol gradient with tributylamine as ion pairing agent, ionized by electrospray and analyzed by a stand-alone orbitrap mass spectrometer. The median limit of detection is 5 ng/mL with a linear dynamic range of 100-fold. Ratios of unlabeled to (13)C-labeled species are quantitated precisely and accurately (average relative standard deviation 3.2% and deviation from expectation 2.3%). In samples consisting of fatty acids saponified from cultured mammalian cells, 45 species are quantified, with average intraday relative standard deviations for independent biological replicates of 11%. The method enables quantitation of molecular ion peaks for all labeled forms of each fatty acid. Different degrees of (13)C-labeling from glucose and glutamine correspond to fatty acid uptake from media, de novo synthesis, and elongation. To exemplify the utility of the method, we examined isogenic cell lines with and without activated Ras oncogene expression. Ras increases the abundance and alters the labeling patterns of saturated and monounsaturated very-long-chain fatty acids, with the observed pattern consistent with Ras leading to enhanced activity of ELOVL4 or an enzyme with similar catalytic activity. This LC/MS method and associated isotope tracer techniques should be broadly applicable to investigating fatty acid metabolism.

Comprehensive analysis of the major lipid classes in sebum by rapid resolution high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry

Sebum is a complex lipid mixture that is synthesized in sebaceous glands and excreted on the skin surface. The purpose of this study was the comprehensive detection of the intact lipids that compose sebum. These lipids exist as a broad range of chemical structures and concentrations. Sebum was collected with SebuTape(TM) from the foreheads of healthy donors, and then separated by HPLC on a C8 stationary phase with sub 2 µm particle size. This HPLC method provided high resolution and excellent reproducibility of retention times (RT). Compound mining was performed with time of flight (TOF) and triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometers (MS), which allowed for the classification of lipids according to their elemental composition, degree of unsaturation, and MS/MS fragmentation. The combination of the two MS systems detected 95 and 29 families of triacylglycerols (TAG) and diacylglycerols (DAG), respectively. Assignment was carried out regardless of positional isomerism. Among the wax esters (WE), 28 species were found to contain the 16:1 fatty acyl moiety. This method was suitable for the simultaneous detection of squalene and its oxygenated derivative. A total of 9 cholesterol esters (CE) were identified and more than 48 free fatty acids (FFA) were detected in normal sebum. The relative abundance of each individual lipid within its own chemical class was determined for 12 healthy donors. In summary, this method provided the first characterization of the features and distribution of intact components of the sebum lipidome.

Determination of essential fatty acid composition among mutant lines of Canola (Brassica napus), through high pressure liquid chromatography

The present study aimed to quantify the methyl esters of lenoleic acid (LA), gamma-lenolenic acid (LNA) and oleic acid (OL) in the oil of Brassica napus mutants. Five stable mutants (ROO-75/1, ROO-100/6, ROO-125/12, ROO-125/14, and ROO-125/17) of B. napus cv. 'Rainbow' (P) and three mutants (W97-95/16, W97-0.75/11 and W97-.075/13) of B. napus cv. 'Westar' (P) at M6 stage, exhibiting better yield and yield components, were analyzed for essential fatty acids. The highest seed yield was observed in the mutant (ROO-100/6) followed by ROO-125/14 of Rainbow, that is, 34% and 32% higher than their parent plants, respectively. Westar mutant W97-75/11 also showed 30% higher seed yield than its parent plant. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of the composition of fatty acids indicated that OL was the most dominant fatty acid, ranging from 39.1 to 66.3%; LA was second (15.3-41.6%) and LNA was third (18.1-28.9%). Mutant ROO-125/14 showed higher OL contents than parent (Rainbow). These results are expected to support the approval of ROO-125/14 in the National Uniform Varietal Yield Trials (NUVYT) as a new variety based on high oil quality.

Plasma free fatty acid profiling in a fish oil human intervention study using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid method was developed for the simultaneous profiling of 29 free fatty acids in plasma using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-MS/MS). Barium acetate was used as the cationization agent in the positive ion mode for sensitive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) experiments. The cis- and trans-C18:1 and -C18:2 isomers were baseline-separated using two tandem reversed-phase C18 UPLC columns, while identification of two pairs of positional isomers of C18:3 and C20:3 required isomer-specific product ions, as the analytes were not chromatographically resolved. The assay linearity was greater than three orders of magnitude and correlation coefficients were >0.99; the limits of detections were typically less than 0.2 microM. The method was successfully applied to plasma free fatty acid profiling of samples from volunteers who participated in a randomized crossover study involving the administration of either placebo or fish oil capsules. The results clearly indicate the ability to measure the time profiles of the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in plasma for the volunteers given fish oil capsules while the concentrations of the other free fatty acids and the total free fatty acid concentration in plasma remained virtually constant.

Purification of dinosterol for hydrogen isotopic analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A semi-preparative normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) method is presented for the purification of various alcohol fractions from total lipid extracts derived from sediments, for the purpose of hydrogen isotopic measurement by gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS). 4-methylsterols, including the dinoflagellate-specific marker dinosterol (4,23,24-trimethylcholestan-22-en-3beta-ol), were successfully separated from notoriously co-eluting plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid alcohols and alkyl alcohols. We find that substantial hydrogen isotope fractionation occurs during chromatographic separation, demonstrating the importance of recovering the entire peak when subsequent hydrogen isotope analyses are to be performed. This is the first report of such hydrogen isotopic fractionation for a natural unlabelled compound.

Analysis of triacylglycerols on porous graphitic carbon by high temperature liquid chromatography

The retention behaviour of several triacylglycerols (TAGs) and fats on Hypercarb, a porous graphitic carbon column (PGC), was investigated in liquid chromatography (LC) under isocratic elution mode with an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD). Mixtures of chloroform/isopropanol were selected as mobile phase for a suitable retention time to study the influence of temperature. The retention was different between PGC and non-aqueous reversed phase liquid chromatography (NARP-LC) on octadecyl phase. The retention of TAGs was investigated in the interval 30-70 degrees C. Retention was greatly affected by temperature: it decreases as the column temperature increases. Selectivity of TAGs was also slightly influenced by the temperature. Moreover, this chromatographic method is compatible with a mass spectrometer (MS) detector by using atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI): same fingerprints of cocoa butter and shea butter were obtained with LC-ELSD and LC-APCI-MS. These preliminary results showed that the PGC column could be suitable to separate quickly triacylglycerols in high temperature conditions coupled with ELSD or MS detector.

Rapid measurement of deuterium-labeled long-chain fatty acids in plasma by HPLC-ESI-MS

Imbalanced fatty acid metabolism contributes significantly to the increased incidence of metabolic disorders. Isotope-labeled fatty acids (2H, 13C) provide efficient means to trace fatty acid metabolism in vivo. This study reports a new and rapid method for the quantification of deuterium-labeled fatty acids in plasma by HPLC-MS. The sample preparation protocol developed required only hydrolysis, neutralization, and quenching steps followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis in negative ion mode using single ion monitoring. Deuterium-labeled stearic acid (d7-C18:0) was synthesized to reduce matrix interference observed with d5 analog, which improved the limit of detection (LOD) significantly, depending on the products analyzed. Linearity > 0.999 between the LOD (100 nM) and 30 microM, accuracy > 90%, precision > 88%, and adequate recovery in the dynamic range were obtained for d7-C18:0 and d7-oleic acid (C18:1). Upon oral dosing of d7-C18:0 in rats, the parent compound and its desaturation and beta-oxidation products, d7-C18:1 and d7-C16:0, were circulating with a maximal concentration ranging from 0.6 to 2.2 microM, with significant levels of d7-fatty acids detected for up to 72 h.

Analysis of sterols by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry combined with chemometrics

A newly developed high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) method has been successfully used to analyze plasma concentrations of various phytosterols (cholestanol and beta-sitosterol) and cholesterol metabolites (desmosterol and lathosterol). This was based on an unusual solvent combination of water/methanol vs. methanol/acetone/n-hexane applied on a Purospher Star RP-18e (125 x 2 mm, 3 microm) column, which proved excellent for the separation, identification and quantification of plasma sterols. Simple solid-phase extraction preparation of plasma samples was performed, followed by the developed fast and robust HPLC separation. Results on four groups of people were compared, those with low, normal and high plasma cholesterol levels and those with high cholesterol levels on statin therapy, and the results were evaluated using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Variable selection for LDA was achieved using backward removal selection. Highly discriminatory variables were the ratios of desmosterol to sitosterol and of lathosterol to total plasma cholesterol. The latter ratio was also excellent for distinguishing subjects on statin therapy. The success rate of classification was 100%. The present pilot study shows the potential of HPLC/MS analysis and chemometrics for studying cholesterol-related disorders and warrants future full-scale medical study.

High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based chemometric characterization of olive oils

In this study the effective discrimination of extra virgin olive oils is described using HPLC-MS, combined with chemometric evaluation. The presented method is simple since the diluted oil sample is directly injected into the system, without any preliminary chemical derivatization or purification step. Separation of diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols and sterols occurs within 20 min and is achieved using an octadecyl-silica column. Detection is performed by positive APCI mass spectrometry which provided sensitivity to detect over 50 compounds in the sample. After extraction of data, stepwise discriminant function analysis is used to select the variables with the highest discriminative power. These variables are used to perform linear discriminant analysis and classify/predict the samples. One-hundred per cent classification and 99% prediction rate was achieved for olive oils obtained from Nocellara, Biancolilla and Cerausola cultivars. Reliability of prediction was tested by cross validation.