Phospholipid profiling : a computationally assisted LC-HRMS approach in lecithin

Šijanec, Ana (avtor), Pompe, Matevž (avtor)

The use of lecithin as an emulsifier in food supplements has increased in recent years. However, successful formation of liposomes or micelles requires an appropriate mixture of phospholipids in lecithin. To evaluate the emulsification properties of lecithin for food supplements, a reliable analytical procedure for characterizing phospholipids is necessary. A liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed to identify phospholipids in lecithin without standard reference materials. For efficient separation of phospholipids before mass spectrometric analysis, a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method was optimized using a Waters XBridge Protein BEH C4 column. The optimized chromatographic method demonstrated good linearity and precision. Molecular ions were detected in full scan mode to determine accurate mass-to-charge ratios for individual peaks in the chromatogram. A custom Python program was then used to generate a list of possible phospholipid species for each peak based on the measured mass-to-charge ratios. Tandem mass spectrometry was performed to confirm the identity of specific phospholipids by comparing experimental fragmentation patterns with theoretical predictions. Identification of the phospholipids was also confirmed with four commercially available standard reference compounds, demonstrating the reliability of the proposed approach. The developed method offers a practical and cost-effective strategy for identifying phospholipids in complex matrices, especially when standard reference compounds are unavailable. Additionally, it enables targeted selection of standard compounds for future quantitative analyses, making it a valuable tool for comprehensive lipid profiling.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: phospholipids, lecithin, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: FKKT - Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2026
• Št. strani: 13 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 13, iss. 1, art. 40
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179675
• UDK: 543.544.5:543.51
• ISSN pri članku: 2297-8739
• DOI: 10.3390/separations13010040
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265853955
• Datum objave v RUL: 19.02.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Separations
• Skrajšan naslov: Separations
• Založnik: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2297-8739
• COBISS.SI-ID: 525934873

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: fosfolipidi, lecitin, tekočinska kromatografija, masna spektrometrija

Projekti

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P1-0153-2020
• Naslov: Raziskave in razvoj analiznih metod in postopkov