Progress of Mass Spectrometry-Based Lipidomics in the Dairy Field

Abstract

Lipids play important biological roles, such as providing essential fatty acids and signaling. The wide variety and structural diversity of lipids, and the limited technical means to study them, have seriously hampered the resolution of the mechanisms of action of lipids. With advances in mass spectrometry (MS) and bioinformatic technologies, large amounts of lipids have been detected and analyzed quickly using MS-based lipidomic techniques. Milk lipids, as complex structural metabolites, play a crucial role in human health. In this review, the lipidomic techniques and their applications to dairy products, including compositional analysis, quality identification, authenticity identification, and origin identification, are discussed, with the aim of providing technical support for the development of dairy products.

Keywords: application; dairy products; lipidomics; lipids; mass spectrometry.

Figure 1

The main functions of milk lipids.

Figure 2

The workflow of MS-based lipidomics (a–d). APCI, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; APPI, atmospheric pressure photoionization; BUME, butanol/methanol; DART, direct analysis in real time; DESI, desorption electrospray ionization; DI, direct injection; 2DLC, two-dimensional liquid chromatography; EI: electron impact ionization; ESI, electrospray ionization; FT-ICQ, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance; GC, gas chromatography; HILIC, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography; LAESI, laser ablation electro spray ionization; LC, liquid chromatography; MALDI, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization; MTBE, methyl tert-butyl ether; NPLC, normal phase liquid chromatography; RPLC, reversed phase liquid chromatography; TOF, time-of-flight; Q, quadrupole; QQQ, triple quadrupole.

Figure 3

MS-based lipidomics in dairy products. FA, fat acid; GL, glycerolipid; GP: glycerophospholipid; Sph: sphingolipid; ST, sterol lipid; SL, saccharolipid; PR, prenol lipid; PK, polyketide.