Determination of Phospholipids in Food Samples

Phospholipidomics in Clinical Trials for Brain Disorders: Advancing our Understanding and Therapeutic Potentials

Phospholipidomics is a specialized branch of lipidomics that focuses on the characterization and quantification of phospholipids. By using sensitive analytical techniques, phospholipidomics enables researchers to better understand the metabolism and activities of phospholipids in brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In the brain, identifying specific phospholipid biomarkers can offer valuable insights into the underlying molecular features and biochemistry of these diseases through a variety of sensitive analytical techniques. Phospholipidomics has emerged as a promising tool in clinical studies, with immense potential to advance our knowledge of neurological diseases and enhance diagnosis and treatment options for patients. In the present review paper, we discussed numerous applications of phospholipidomics tools in clinical studies, with a particular focus on the neurological field. By exploring phospholipids' functions in neurological diseases and the potential of phospholipidomics in clinical research, we provided valuable insights that could aid researchers and clinicians in harnessing the full prospective of this innovative practice and improve patient outcomes by providing more potent treatments for neurological diseases.

Rapid Acid/Base Switching in Flow Injection Analysis and Isocratic Elution Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometric Detection for Improved Sensitivity

Ion signals in electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) are affected by addition of acid or base. Acids or bases are typically added to samples to enhance detection of analytes in positive- or negative-ion mode, respectively. To carry out simultaneous monitoring of analytes with different ionogenic moieties by ESI-MS, a rapid acid/base switching system was developed. The system was further coupled with flow injection analysis (FIA) and liquid chromatography (LC) MS. The two variants enable detection of separated analytes immediately after alternating addition of acid and base. The methods were tested using a set of phospholipids (PLs) as analytes. The rapid acid/base switching enhanced signals of some of the PL analytes in both ion modes of MS. Both FIA-MS and LC-MS with acid/base switching show signal enhancements (∼1.3-23.2 times) of some analyte signals when compared with analysis conducted without acid/base switching. The proposed methods are suitable for simultaneous analysis of cationic and anionic analytes. The FIA-MS and LC-MS methods with acid/base switching were also applied in analysis of lipid extract from real samples (sausage and porcine liver). However, the FIA-MS results were affected by ionization competition and isobaric interference due to the complexity of the sample matrix and diversity of PL species. In contrast, the LC-MS mode provides adequate selectivity to observe signal enhancement for specific analyte ions. Overall, alternating addition of acid and base immediately before the ESI source can improve analytical performance without the need to carry out separate analyses targeting different types of analytes.

Quantification of phosphatides in sunflower oils using a potentiometric e-tongue

Consisting of two fatty acyl groups, phospholipids are a vital part of vegetable oils and the source of essential fatty acids. Moreover, phospholipids influence oxidative and flavor stability and color evolution of vegetable oils, and their quantification has a significant role in the quality assessment of oils. In this study, we proposed a new highly efficient, affordable, environmentally friendly, and simple approach for the evaluation of phospholipid concentrations based on potentiometric multisensor systems coupled with chemometric data processing. Support vector machines, partial least squares, and multiple linear regressions were used to predict phosphatide concentrations based on potentiometric multisensor system responses. Application of multivariate regression tools yielded the following root mean square errors of prediction: 0.005 mg/100 g of oil in the range 0.0-59.4 mg/100 g for refined oils; 0.008 mg/100 g in the range 0.0-100 mg/100 g for low phosphatide oils and 0.24 mg/100 g in the range 100-2270 mg/100 g for high phosphatide oils. This approach can be considered as a rapid and straightforward method to quantify the phosphatides in sunflower oils.

Nano-enabled plant-based colloidal delivery systems for bioactive agents in foods: Design, formulation, and application

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their dietary choices on the environment, animal welfare, and health, which is causing many of them to adopt more plant-based diets. For this reason, many sectors of the food industry are reformulating their products to contain more plant-based ingredients. This article describes recent research on the formation and application of nano-enabled colloidal delivery systems formulated from plant-based ingredients, such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and phospholipids. These delivery systems include nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoliposomes, nanophytosomes, and biopolymer nanoparticles. The composition, size, structure, and charge of the particles in these delivery systems can be manipulated to create novel or improved functionalities, such as improved robustness, higher optical clarity, controlled release, and increased bioavailability. There have been major advances in the design, assembly, and application of plant-based edible nanoparticles within the food industry over the past decade or so. As a result, there are now a wide range of different options available for creating delivery systems for specific applications. In the future, it will be important to establish whether these formulations can be produced using economically viable methods and provide the desired functionality in real-life applications.

Lactational Changes of Phospholipids Content and Composition in Chinese Breast Milk

Phospholipids are pivotal polar lipids in human milk and essential for infants’ growth and development, especially in the brain and cognitive development. Its content and composition are affected by multiple factors and there exist discrepancies in different studies. In this study, we determined five major phospholipids classes (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin) in 2270 human milk samples collected from 0 to 400 days postpartum in six regions of China. The high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) was performed to quantify the phospholipids. Total phospholipid median (IQR) content was in a range between 170.38 ± 96.52 mg/L to 195.69 ± 81.80 mg/L during lactation and was higher concentrated in colostrum milk and later stage of lactation (after 200 days postpartum) compared with that in the samples collected between 10 to 45 days postpartum. Variations in five major sub-class phospholipids content were also observed across lactation stages (phosphatidylethanolamine: 52.61 ± 29.05 to 59.95 ± 41.74 mg/L; phosphatidylinositol: 17.65 ± 10.68 to 20.38 ± 8.55 mg/L; phosphatidylserine: 15.98 ± 9.02 to 22.77 ± 11.17 mg/L; phosphatidylcholine: 34.13 ± 25.33 to 48.64 ± 19.73 mg/L; sphingomyelin: 41.35 ± 20.31 to 54.79 ± 35.26 mg/L). Phosphatidylethanolamine (29.18–32.52%), phosphatidylcholine (19.90–25.04%) and sphingomyelin (22.39–29.17%) were the dominant sub-class phospholipids in Chinese breast milk during the whole lactation period. These results updated phospholipids data in Chinese human milk and could provide evidence for better development of secure and effective human milk surrogates for infants without access to breast milk.

Development and Validation of a Simple Method to Quantify Contents of Phospholipids in Krill Oil by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

This study focuses on developing a quantification method for phosphatidylcholine (PC) and total phospholipid (PL) in krill oil using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Signals derived from the choline and phosphate groups were selected as indicator variables for determining PC and total PL content; calibration curves with a correlation coefficient of >0.988 were constructed with calibration samples prepared by mixing krill oil raw material and fish oil in different ratios. The limit of detection (LOD, 0.35–3.29%) of the method was suitable for the designed assay with good accuracy (97.90–100.33%). The relative standard deviations for repeatability (0.90–2.31%) were acceptable. Therefore, both the methods using absorbance and that using second-derivative were confirmed to be suitable for quantitative analysis. When applying this method to test samples, including supplements, the PC content and total PL content were in good agreement with an average difference of 2–3% compared to the 31P NMR method. These results confirmed that the FT-IR method can be used as a convenient and rapid alternative to the 31P NMR method for quantifying PLs in krill oil.

Degradation of the polar lipid and fatty acid molecular species in extra virgin olive oil during storage based on shotgun lipidomics

Among the bioactive compounds present in extra-virgin olive oil, polar lipids and free fatty acids are minor compounds with well-known nutritional values and have been studied for traceability and adulteration investigations as well. In the present paper, the simultaneous characterization of polar lipids and free fatty acids in a pool of fifteen EVOO samples was achieved by means of reversed phase C18 analysis coupled to negative polarity high-resolution mass spectrometry. A total of 24 polar lipids, comprising 19 phospholipids and 5 sulfolipids, and 27 free fatty acids were tentatively identified, including several odd-chain and very long-chain fatty acids at trace levels. Moreover, a one-month study of lipid degradation on simulated storage conditions was carried out thanks to the set-up of a dedicated approach for degradation product analysis which was implemented of Compound Discoverer software. By virtue of the customized data processing workflow, more than forty compounds were tentatively identified, including compounds deriving from hydrolysis and oxidation reactions. Finally, by analysis of peak area trends, phosphoester hydrolyses of polar heads of phospholipids emerged as the fastest reactions, followed by glycerol ester hydrolyses and oxidative processes.

A Reliable HPLC-ELSD Method for Determination of Cholesterol, Phosphatidylcholine, Lysophosphatidylcholine Content and the Stability of a Liposomal Formulation

Background:

Liposomes continue to play an important role in drug delivery research due to their ability to improve transport and targeting of a wide range of active molecules. Analysis of liposomal components is a key point in the characterization and evaluation of formulation stability. The aim of this work was to develop and validate an HPLC-ELSD method for the characterization and quality control of liposomes.

Methods:

HPLC-ELSD method was validated by assessing selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and quantitation. The mobile phase consisted of a 0.1% (v/v) of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and methanol in gradient elution. Initial rate was 20:80 (0.1% TFA: methanol), with a ramp reaching 100% methanol. HPLC-MS/MS was used to confirm the presence of the fatty acid mixture in the analyzed lipids, as well as sub-products generated under pre-determined conditions in the stability study.

Results:

A HPLC-ELSD method has been developed to detect and measure cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine. High specificity, sensitivity and linearity within the predetermined range for all the compounds analyzed (R2>0.99) were obtained. Accuracy and precision results for all the compounds were within the acceptance limit of ≤5% and 90-110%, respectively. Mass spectrometry results showed complementary information about the phospholipid composition to evaluate the degree of degradation of liposomes over different storage conditions.

Conclusion:

The method was successfully applied as a quality control tool for the analysis of a wide range of lipids, present in liposomal formulations. HPLC-MS/MS was used to ensure complete elucidation of the lipid components and the detected lyso-forms.

31P NMR Quantification of Phospholipids and Lysophospholipids in Food Emulsions

For food emulsions containing enzymatically modified egg yolk, the conventional Folch extraction does not fully recover the polar lysophospholipids. This can be overcome by repeated methanol extractions. After solvent evaporation, the extracted (lyso)phospholipids are solubilized into mixed micelles with cholate as a detergent. The solubilized (lyso)phospholipids can be accurately quantified by ³¹P NMR with recoveries ranging between 96% and 108%. Detection at a high (16.4 T) relative to a mainstream (9.4 T) magnetic field strength did not offer a significant advantage since the slow molecular tumbling of the mixed micelles increased line widths. This was due to field-strength-dependent chemical shift anisotropy relaxation. Method precision is similar at 9.4 and 16.4 T, with within-laboratory reproducibilities of 7-22% and 12-25%, respectively. The method can be implemented as a routine analytical procedure at 9.4 T (400 MHz NMR spectrometer), and the limits of detection and quantification are adequate for the verification of the standard of identity of a mayonnaise prepared with enzymatically modified egg yolk.

Qualitative analysis of phospholipids and their oxidised derivatives - used techniques and examples of their applications related to lipidomic research and food analysis

Phospholipids (PLs) are important biomolecules that not only constitute structural building blocks and scaffolds of cell and organelle membranes but also play a vital role in cell biochemistry and physiology. Moreover, dietary exogenous PLs are characterised by high nutritional value and other beneficial health effects, which are confirmed by numerous epidemiological studies. For this reason, PLs are of high interest in lipidomics that targets both the analysis of membrane lipid distribution as well as correlates composition of lipids with their effects on functioning of cells, tissues and organs. Lipidomic assessments follow-up the changes occurring in living organisms, such as free radical attack and oxidative modifications of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) build in PL structures. Oxidised PLs (oxPLs) can be generated exogenously and supplied to organisms with processed food or formed endogenously as a result of oxidative stress. Cellular and tissue oxPLs can be a biomarker predictive of the development of numerous diseases such as atherosclerosis or neuroinflammation. Therefore, suitable high-throughput analytical techniques, which enable comprehensive analysis of PL molecules in terms of the structure of hydrophilic group, fatty acid (FA) composition and oxidative modifications of FAs, have been currently developed. This review addresses all aspects of PL analysis, including lipid isolation, chromatographic separation of PL classes and species, as well as their detection. The bioinformatic tools that enable handling of a large amount of data generated during lipidomic analysis are also discussed. In addition, imaging techniques such as confocal microscopy and mass spectrometry imaging for analysis of cellular lipid maps, including membrane PLs, are presented.

Effects of micro wet milling on bioaccessibility of phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid in komatsuna during in vitro digestion

Foods rich in phosphatidic acid (PA) can ameliorate stomach ulcers in mice by hydrolysis of PA to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). In this study, PA-rich komatsuna was produced using the micro wet milling (MWM) system, which can mill food products into micrometer-scale without causing detrimental factors such as frictional heat. To evaluate the efficiency of the MWM system in increasing PA and forming LPA, the availability of PA in the MWM komatsuna to hydrolyze into LPA under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion conditions were investigated. The results showed that through effective MWM milling, komatsuna was sufficiently milled into smaller particles, and PA was abundantly produced in the milled komatsuna; the increased PA promoted LPA formation during digestion, resultant a dominant molecular species of 16:0 LPA which could effectively reduce ulcer lesions. These indicated that MWM can elevate the bioaccessibility of komatsuna PA and LPA in the GI tract, which will benefit the dietary treatment of stomach ulcers.

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography as a Technique to Fractionate High-Valued Compounds from Lipids

Natural products are in high demand these days due to rising awareness among consumers. Healthy diets, especially those in emerging markets, growth in populations with nutritional deficiencies, and supporting government regulations provide high growth opportunities for these compounds. However, extraction of high-valued compounds from natural sources is not an easy task. Natural products are complex matrices, with relevant compounds present in small amounts and often mixed with other compounds of similar structures. Most of the applications are related to the pharmaceutical sector, but interest in food and natural products is growing fast. Lipid and carbohydrate extracts are examples of starting materials employed to purify these relevant compounds. At the same time supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is an emerging technique for preparative separation due to (1) use of supercritical fluids, commonly carbon dioxide, giving a large reduction in use of organic solvents; and (2) new hardware has been made commercially available recently that makes SFC a viable option. SFC fulfills high demands with respect to selectivity, versatility and sensibility. Fractionation or purification by SFC of high-valued compounds from natural sources is an interesting option, the relevance of which will increase in the future. This paper is a survey of trends and applications of SFC in the field of natural products purification.

Complexity of Advanced Glycation End Products in Foods: Where Are We Now?

Recent clinical trials indicate that consumption of dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may promote the development of major chronic diseases. However, the outcomes of human studies have proven inconclusive as a result of estimates of the total AGE intake being taken with a single AGE in most of the studies. In this perspective, we summarized the major types of AGEs derived from proteins, nucleic acids, and phospholipids during food processing and suggested a panel of AGEs as markers to better measure the intake of total dietary AGEs in human studies.

Phospholipids in Human Milk and Infant Formulas: Benefits and Needs for Correct Infant Nutrition

The composition of human milk has served as a basis for the development of infant formulas, which are used when breastfeeding is not possible. Among the human milk nutrients, 50% of the total energetic value corresponds to fat, with a high level of fatty acids and 0.2-2.0% present in the form of phospholipids (PLs). The PL contents and fatty acid distribution in PL species have been investigated as bioactive elements for the production of infant formulas, since they offer potential benefits for the optimum growth and health of the newborn infant. The differences in the amount of PLs and in fatty acid distribution in PL species between human milk and infant formulas can imply biologically significant differences for newborn infants fed with infant formulas versus human milk-mainly due to the greater proportion of sphingomyelin with respect to phosphatidylcholine in infant formulas. The limited information referred to the characterization of fatty acid distribution in PL species in infant formulas or in ingredients used to enrich them merits further research in order to obtain products with benefits similar to those of human milk in terms of infant growth, visual acuity, and neurological development. The present review establishes the scientific basis for helping to adjust formulations to the requirements of infant nutrition.

Recent Advances in Phospholipids from Colostrum, Milk and Dairy By-Products

Milk is one of the most important foods for mammals, because it is the first form of feed providing energy, nutrients and immunological factors. In the last few years, milk lipids have attracted the attention of researchers due to the presence of several bioactive components in the lipid fraction. The lipid fraction of milk and dairy products contains several components of nutritional significance, such as ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, CLA, short chain fatty acids, gangliosides and phospholipids. Prospective cohort evidence has shown that phospholipids play an important role in the human diet and reinforce the possible relationship between their consumption and prevention of several chronic diseases. Because of these potential benefits of phospholipids in the human diet, this review is focused on the recent advances in phospholipids from colostrum, milk and dairy by-products. Phospholipid composition, its main determination methods and the health activities of these compounds will be addressed.

Supplementation of laying-hen feed with annatto tocotrienols and impact of α-tocopherol on tocotrienol transfer to egg yolk

Hens can efficiently transfer nutrients from their feed to the eggs. Tocotrienols (T3s) have various health benefits including lowering cholesterol. Annatto is the only known source of T3s without the presence of α-tocopherol; hence it can be used to study T3 transfer without the interference of α-tocopherol. In this study, hens were fed diets for 7 weeks containing annatto at 100, 500, or 2000 ppm (by weight) and also 2000 ppm annatto with 200, 600, or 1000 ppm of added α-tocopherol to study the effect of α-tocopherol on transfer of T3s. No significant differences were found in egg production or properties. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in transfer efficiencies of tocopherol and T3s to the yolks. α-Tocopherol was transferred more efficiently (21.19-49.17%) than γ-T3 (0.50-0.96%) or δ-T3 (0.74-0.93%). Addition of 1000 ppm of α-tocopherol decreased the amount of γ-T3 but did not impact the transfer of δ-T3 to the egg. These feeding treatments did not impact the cholesterol content of the eggs.

Total Phospholipids in Edible Oils by In-Vial Solvent Extraction Coupled with FTIR Analysis

A simple procedure for the determination of total phospholipids (TPL) in edible oils was developed by combining a single-step, in situ methanol/acetonitrile (MeOH/ACN) extraction of the oil sample followed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis of the extract. Spectral analysis of extracts in a 25 μm CaF₂ cell obtained using 1:1 MeOH/ACN added to oil in a 2:1 ratio indicated that measurements made using only the asymmetric phosphate diester PO₂^- stretching band at 1243 cm^-1 in second-derivative spectra were sufficient for the accurate measurement of TPL with minimal coextracted triglyceride interferences being encountered. FTIR calibration spectra were devised using only phosphatidylcholine (PC) as a representative phospholipid standard, covering a range of 0-50000 μg/g TPL and spiked into 1:1 MeOH/ACN, capable of tracking the added PC with an SD of <200 μg/g. The FTIR method was initially validated using model PC-spiked degummed canola oil and subsequently with commercial crude and refined soy and rapeseed oils as well as a lecithin tablet with the FTIR TPL predictions compared to those of the AOCS Ca 12-55 molybdenate method. The FTIR method tracked the AOCS results well, being somewhat more reproducible than the reference method (±3.2 vs ±4.9%), which limited its accuracy relative to the AOCS reference procedure (±2.2%). The simple in-vial solvent extraction procedure, followed by FTIR analysis of the extract, is a simple, efficient, and rapid procedure that is also amenable to automation using an autosampler-equipped FTIR if multiple samples are to be analyzed.

Determination and characterization of glycerophospholipids in olive fruit and oil by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis with electrospray-mass spectrometric detection

A nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis method with electrospray-mass spectrometric detection was developed to study the glycerophospholipid fraction in olive fruit and olive oil samples. In olive fruits, where the information available about the phospholipid fraction was very scarce, results obtained in this work allowed us to complete and improve this knowledge. The glycerophospholipid fraction of the olive fruit samples analyzed was composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (lyso-PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA), lysophosphatidic acid (lyso-PA), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). Differences in the relative abundance of the glycerophospholipid classes determined were observed as a function of the botanical and geographical origin of the olive fruits analyzed. Interestingly, the olive stone and pulp analyzed also showed different glycerophospholipid compositions. For olive oil, five glycerophospholipids (lyso-PA, PC, PE, lyso-PE, and PG) were detected. Finally, identification of the main molecular species in the different glycerophospholipid classes for the olive fruit samples analyzed was accomplished by tandem mass spectrometric experiments and information from the literature.

Molecular characterization of phospholipids by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with an evaporative light scattering detector, high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography combined with a flame ionization detector in different oat varieties

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is an important crop produced in various regions of Europe and North America. Oat lipids are a heterogeneous mixture of acyl lipids and unsaponifiable components. The neutral lipids are mainly triacylglycerols and account for 50-60% of total oat lipids. Oat oil is also rich in polar lipids, that is, phospholipids and glycolipids. Characterization of oat polar lipids has largely been performed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), but the composition of phospholipid classes has been poorly studied. The aim of our work was the determination of different phospholipids in Romanian oat samples. For that purpose, one commercial sample (Comun) and four pure varieties (Jeremy, Lovrin 1, Lovrin 27-T, and Mures) were used. High-performance liquid chromatography combined with an evaporative light scattering detector results allowed us to establish that phosphatidylethanolamine was the most representative phospholipid in all of the oat samples. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis showed that C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C20:0, and C20:1 were the fatty acids bound to the glycerol backbone. Using first-preparative TLC and later gas chromatography, it was demonstrated that linoleic acid (C18:2) was the main fatty acid of the phospholipid fraction in all of the samples.