Analysis of soybean lecithins and beef phospholipids by HPLC with an evaporative light scattering detector

Linear (r > 0.99) calibration curves were obtained for 10–150 μg of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 10–75 μg of phosphaditylinositol (PI), phosphaditylserine (PS) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine, 10–100 μg of phosphatidic acid (PA) and 10–250 μg of phosphatidylcholine (PC) by high-performance liquid chromatography analyses with an evaporative light scattering detector, a Zorbax 7-μm silica column and gradient elution with two solvents. One solvent (A) contained 415 mL isooctane (IOCT), 5 mL tetrahydrofuran (THF), 446 mL isopropanol (IPA), 104 mL CHCl₃ and 30 mL H₂O; and the other solvent (B) contained 216 mL IOCT, 4 mL THF, 546 mL IPA, 154 mL CHCl₃ and 80 mL H₂O. The gradient in which 100% A linearly changed to 100% B in 20 min followed by 12 min of 100% B and then a linear change to 100% A during 5 min separated PE, PS and PC in soybean lecithins and beef lipids, but failed to resolve PI and PA. In these same samples, less polar lipids were separated from phospholipids (PL) by elution from Bond-Elut silica columns with diethyl ether/hexane (20:80, vol/vol), and PL were recovered by elution with methanol. This procedure is useful for concentration of minor lipid components. Levels of PE, PI-PA, PS and PC were higher in granular than in liquid lecithin, and PC was the most abundant PL in soybean lecithins and beef lipids.     

Differential effect of N-ethyl maleimide on Δ6-desaturase activity in human fetal liver toward fatty acids of the n−6 and n−3 series

The effect of N-ethyl-maleimide (NEM) on Δ5-and Δ6-desaturase activities and the incorporation of substrates and products into different microsomal lipid classes and phospholipid (PL) subclasses were studied in human fetal liver microsomes, obtained after legally approved therapeutic abortion. Desaturase activities were measured by a radiochemical method using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After nonphospholipid (NPL) and PL separation on silica cartridges, the radioactivity in different lipids of the NPL group was assessed by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography, and their fatty acid (FA) composition by gas-liquid chromatography. The PL subclasses were separated, and the distribution of radioactivity between products and substrates was determined in PL subclasses. NEM inhibited the Δ5- and Δ6-desaturase activities in the n−6 series of FA but not the Δ6-desaturase activity in the n−3 series, which suggests the existence of two distinct Δ6-desaturases, one for the n−6 series and another for the n−3 series. Whether NEM was present or absent, most of the radioactivity was recovered in the free FA form (about 80%). The desaturation products, obtained in the presence or absence of NEM, were preferentially incorporated into PL, suggesting a channeling of the newly synthesized FA toward microsomal PL. The comparison of the distribution of substrates and products incorporated into the different PL classes showed that most of the labeled FA were incorporated into phosphatidylcholine and to a lesser degree into phosphatidylethanolamine.     

Lipid analyses of isolated surface membranes ofLeishmania Donovani promastigotes

Constituent lipids of surface membranes (SM) isolated fromLeishmania donovani promastigotes were analyzed and compared with those obtained from whole cells and an isolated kinetoplast-mitochondrion fraction (KM). On a dry weight basis, the total extractable lipids constituted ≈47%, 12% and 24% of the SM, cells and KM, respectively. The total lipids of SM, cells and KM all were composed of ≈70% phospholipids (PL), 20–25% neutral lipids and 5–10% glycolipids. Sterols and diglycerides composed 60% and 30%, respectively, of the various neutral lipid fractions. Several mannose- and galactose-containing glycolipids were fractionated but not identified. The glycolipid fractions from cells and SM had demonstrable antigenic activities with rabbit anti-SM sera. Striking quantitative differences were apparent between the PL profiles of the 3 cellular components examined. The PL of SM, whole cells and KM, respectively, were composed of: 15%, 51% and 24% phosphatidylcholine; 37%, 13% and 11% phosphatidylethanolamine (PE); 18%, 10% and 14% phosphatidylinositol; 10%, 1% and 4% phosphatidylserine and traces of cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid. An unknown PL containing sphingosine, choline and vicinal hydroxyl groups but no free amino moieties made up ≈19% of the PL of SM and whole cells, but it constituted ≈27% of the PL of KM. The PL side chain constituents of whole cells and SM were composed mainly of longchain fatty acids (C18–20). Further, over 50% of the PE of SM was in the alkyl and alK-1-enyl ether forms. These SM properties might contribute to the organism's resistance to digestion in the hydrolytic environs of both its insect vector and mammalian hosts.     

Light-scattering detection of phospholipids resolved by HPLC

An improved method for the analysis of phospholipids by normal-phase HPLC is described. Addition of methanol and acetonitrile to a gradient based on 2-propanol/hexane/water promoted a rapid separation of major classes of bovine surfactant phospholipids (PL) by using a conventional silica column. The use of an ELSD permitted an accurate analysis of a mixture of PL. Calibration curves were linear within the range of 5–40 μg with detection limits below 1 μg for PE and PC, and CV ranged from 0.6 to 9.6%. PL present in surfactant homogenates were separated by a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure before HPLC analysis. This methodology gave a recovery of 95% and combined SPE-HPLC and quantification of biological PL within a 30-min run. The use of ELSD detection of the eluted compounds was precise, linear, and sensitive.     

Comparison of lipid composition ofCandida guilliermondii grown on glucose,ethanol and methanol as the sole carbon source

The carbon and energy source for aerobically grown cultures ofCandida guilliermondii profoundly influenced the neutral lipid content and the fatty acid composition of the individual lipid components. Methanol (0.80%, w/v) grown cells cultivated at 30 C in presence of 0.025% ammonium sulfate contained 12% total lipids, 67% of which was neutral lipids. Glucose (0.74%, w/v) or ethanol (0.53%, w/v) grown cells contained 21–22% total lipids, 80% of which was neutral lipids, under the same conditions. Methanol-grown cells contained a decreased 18∶1 acid (52–54% of total fatty acids) and an increased 18∶2 acid (23–25%), as compared with glucose- or ethanol-grown cells which contained 57–66% 18∶1 acid and 8–14% 18∶2 acid, in both neutral and polar lipid fractions. The relationship between methanol metabolism and desaturation of fatty acid in yeast was discussed.     

Variation in fatty acid composition of the different acyl lipids in seed oils from fourSesamum species

Seeds from different collections of cultivatedSesamum indicum Linn. and three related wild species [specifically,S. alatum Thonn.,S. radiatum Schum and Thonn. andS. angustifolium (Oliv.) Engl.] were studied for their oil content and fatty acid composition of the total lipids. The wild seeds contained less oil (ca. 30%) than the cultivated seeds (ca. 50%). Lipids from all four species were comparable in their total fatty acid composition, with palmitic (8.2–12.7%), stearic (5.6–9.1%), oleic (33.4–46.9%) and linoleic acid (33.2–48.4%) as the major acids. The total lipids from selected samples were fractionated by thin-layer chromatography into five fractions: triacylglycerols (TAG; 80.3–88.9%), diacylglycerols (DAG; 6.5–10.4%), free fatty acids (FFA; 1.2–5.1%), polar lipids (PL; 2.3–3.5%) and steryl esters (SE; 0.3–0.6%). Compared to the TAG, the four other fractions (viz, DAG, FFA, PL and SE) were generally characterized by higher percentages of saturated acids, notably palmitic and stearic acids, and lower percentages of linoleic and oleic acids in all species. Slightly higher percentages of long-chain fatty acids (20∶0, 20∶1, 22∶0 and 24∶0) were observed for lipid classes other than TAG in all four species. Based on the fatty acid composition of the total lipids and of the different acyl lipid classes, it seems thatS. radiatum andS. angustifolium are more related to each other than they are to the other two species.     

Fatty acid composition of late embryonic and early postnatal rat brain

The fatty acid (FA) composition and distribution in a variety of phospholipids (PL) and neutral lipids (NL) at two discrete stages during the embryonic rat brain development were investigated. Over 96% of the FA were acylated into fetal brain PL at embryonic day 17 after the peak of neuronal proliferation and at embryonic day 20, one day prior to delivery. Phosphatidylcholine constituted approximately 60% of the total PL pool, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) 30%, phosphatidylserine (PS) 6%, and phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4%. The diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols constituted 1–2% of the fetal brain lipids. α-Linolenic acid (18∶3n−3) and linoleic acid (18∶2n−6) were found in very low amounts in all fetal brain PL and NL. The percentage of the n−6 polyunsaturated FA, consisting of arachidonic acid (AA), 22∶4n−6 and 22∶5n−6, remained unchanged in all the fractions, except in Pl, in which the proportion of AA increased. The concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increased with age in all the fractions, with the bulk of accumulation accounted for by its increase in PE and, to a lesser extent, in PS. This finding suggests a “DHA accretion spurt” during the last three days of pregnancy.     

Lipid and fatty acid composition and energy partitioning during embryo development in the shrimp Macrobrachium borellii

Energy partitioning, composition of lipids and fatty acids, and their utilization by embryos were determined in the lecithotrophic shrimp Macrobrachium borellii during seven development stages. The biochemical composition at stage I is represented by lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, with 29.3, 28.7, and 0.2% dry weight, respectively. The former two were identified as the major energy-providing components, contributing 131 and 60 cal/100 mg egg, dry weight, respectively. The overall conversion efficiency (CE) was 45.0% (calculated as percentage of vitelline energy transformed into embryonic tissues). Lipids were the most important energy reserve (CE 39.3%), followed by proteins (CE 57.1%), both being simultaneously utilized during development while carbohydrates were synthesized de novo (CE 587.5%). Variation in the lipid class composition of embryos and vitellus showed an accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAG) and phospholipids (PL) up to stage IV, a more active accumulation and selective utilization phase (stages V and VI), and a consumption and de novo synthesis period until hatching. Structural lipids (PL and cholesterol) and pigment astaxanthin were selectively conserved in embryos, but TAG, hydrocarbons, and esterified sterols were preferentially depleted. Monounsaturated fatty acids (FA) were the major group in TAG, whereas polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were the major group in PL after organogenesis. Certain PUFA such as 22∶6n−3 and 20∶5n−3 were selectively accumulated in PL.     

Tocopherol Content and Fatty Acid Distribution of Peas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum sativum</Emphasis> L.)

The positional distribution of fatty acids (FA) of triacylglycerols (TAG) and major phospholipids (PL) prepared from four cultivars of peas (Pisum sativum L.) were investigated as well as their tocopherol contents. The lipids extracted from these peas were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) into seven fractions. The major lipid components were PL (52.2–61.3%) and TAG (31.2–40.3%), while the other components were also present in minor proportions (5.6–9.2%). γ-Tocopherol was present in the highest concentration, and α- and δ-tocopherols were very small amounts. The main PL components isolated from the four cultivars were phosphatidylcholine (42.3–49.2%), followed by phosphatidylinositol (23.3–25.2%) and then phosphatidylethanolamine (17.7–20.5%). Small but significant differences (P < 0.05) in FA distribution existed when different pea cultivars were determined. However, the principal characteristics of the FA distribution in the TAG and the three PL were evident among the four cultivars; unsaturated FA were predominantly located in the sn-2 position, and saturated FA primary occupied the sn-1 or sn-3 position in the oils of the peas. These results suggest that the regional distribution of tocopherols and fatty acids in peas is not dependent on the climatic conditions and the soil characteristics of the cultivation areas during the growing season.     

The distribution of lipids in the germ,endosperm, pericarp and tip cap of amylomaize,LG-11 hybrid maize and waxy maize

The quantitative distribution of 23 acyl lipid classes and unsaponifiable matter in kernels of amylomaize, LG-11 hybrid maize and waxy maize is described. LG-11 and waxy maize were normal (oil content) varieties, containing 4.9% and 5.1% lipid, respectively, while amylomaize (9.3% lipid) was a high oil variety. The distribution of kernel lipids was 76–83% in germ, 1–2% in pericarp, 1% in tip cap, 1–11% in starch, and 13–15% in aleurone plus the nonstarch fraction of the starchy endosperm. Germ contained 39–47% lipid, which was nostly triglyceride (TG), with some steryl esters (SE) and diglycerides (DG), and small amounts of glycolipids (GL) and phospholipids (PL). Aleurone lipids appeared to be TG with some free fatty acids (FFA) and SE. The other nonstarch lipids in starchy endosperm were FFA with very small amounts of SE, DG, GL and PL. The starches had a little surface lipid (FFA) and true (internal) starch lipid (FFA, lyso-PL) in quantities roughly related to amylose content (amylomaize =ca. 73% amylose, 1.0% lipid; LG-11=23% amylose, 0.7% lipid; waxy maize =<5% amylose, 0.2% lipid). Pericarp lipids (0.8–2.5%) were mainly unsaponifiable matter, the acyl lipids being TG, SE, DG and FFA. Tip cap lipids (2.5–2.9%) had more TG, GL and PL than pericarp lipids, but were otherwise similar. Pericarp lipids and endosperm nonstarch lipids appeared to have suffered extensive degradation at some time during kernel development or after harvesting, while lipids in starch, germ and tip cap were evidently unaffected. FFA and lyso-PL are regarded as normal components of maize starch (rather than degradation products) and may occur as amylose inclusion complexes.     

Effects of extraction and fractionation pressures on supercritical extraction of cholesterol from beef tallow

Edible beef tallow was extracted by supercritical CO₂ in a dynamic mode at pressures from 138 to 345 bars and temperatures of 40 and 50°C. The lipid fractions were collected at 34.5 bar/40°C. A retrograde behavior of lipid solubility was observed around 170–175 bar. The ranges of the cholesterol concentration [chol.], were 300–450 mg/100 g and 50–200 mg/100 g lipid for the fractions extracted at 138 bar and 345 bar, respectively. Beef tallow was also extracted with sequentially varied pressures of 138, 345 and 138 bars at 40°C and collected at 34.5 bar/40°C. The results showed that after 20 kg CO₂ was used for extracting 100 g of loaded beef tallow the weight of the residual beef tallow remaining in the extractor was 23 g with [chol.] of 49 mg/100 g lipid. The lower [chol.] of the residual beef tallow represents a 60–70% reduction in cholesterol content, when compared with untreated beef tallow where [chol.] ranges from 130 to 160 mg/100 g lipid. To isolate lipid fractions containing higher [chol.], beef tallow was extracted at 345 bar/40°C and then fractionated into three separators connected in series with decreasing pressures of 173 bar, 117 bar, and 34.5 bar at 40°C, respectively. The results showed that the fractions collected from the third separator (34.5 bar) contained concentrated [chol.] ranging from 272 to 433 mg/100 g lipid. The fatty acid analysis revealed that the fractions containing high [chol.] generally consisted of high concentrations of myristic and palmitoleic acids but low concentrations of stearic and oleic acids.     

Lipid components and enzymatic hydrolysis of lipids in muscle of Chinese freshwater fish

The lipid and fatty acid composition of muscle of 10 species of freshwater fish obtained from a market of Shanghai City was examined. Total lipids (TL) ranged over 0.9–4.7% of muscle for all samples. The content of triacylglycerol (TG) in muscle ranged over 0.2–3.4% and that of polar lipids (PL) was 0.5–1.3%. Differences of TL content were dependent on TG contents. The predominant important fatty acids (>10% of the total fatty acids in TL) were 16∶0 and 18∶1n−9 with some 16∶1n−7, 18∶2n−6, and 22∶6n−3. The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content was 10.2–43.4%, and especially Chinese sea bass contained above 20% of 22∶6n−3 in the total fatty acids. There were higher levels of PUFA such as 20∶5n−3 and 22∶6n−3 in PL than in neutral lipids. Muscle of the silver carp was stored at 20°C, and changes of lipid classes during storage were examined. Free fatty acids increased, and PL decreased during storage. This phenomenon was inhibited by heating the muscle, suggesting that lipid hydrolysis by phospholipase occurred in silver carp muscle.     

Isolation of Pure Phospholipid Fraction from Egg Yolk

The phospholipid (PL) fraction from egg yolk was isolated and purified. In the procedure applied (method 2) the egg yolk was extracted with ethanol, precipitated using acetone chilled to −20 °C and washed using acetone. The purity of the samples was checked by HPLC analysis using a Charged Aerosol Detector (CAD). The results were compared with those obtained for the phospholipid fraction isolated and purified by deoiling yolk before extraction and the precipitation of PL with acetone chilled to 4 °C (method 1). The use of acetone chilled to −20 °C to precipitate and wash the phospholipids yielded the phospholipid fraction with 100% purity (78.7 ± 0.2 of phosphatidylcholine and 21.3 ± 0.2 of phosphatidylethanolamine). When deoiling and the 4 °C purification process was used (method 1) 0.4 ± 0.1% cholesterol and some traces of triacylglycerols remained in the PL fraction.     

Lipid Classes,Fatty Acid Distributions and Triacylglycerol Molecular Species of Broad Beans (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia faba</Emphasis>)

Seed oils from four legume cultivars of Vicia faba, grown in Japan, were extracted and classified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) into eight fractions. The major lipid components were triacylglycerols (TAG: 48.8–50.1%) and phospholipids (PL: 47.5–50.5%), while hydrocarbons (HC), steryl esters (SE), free fatty acids (FFA), diacylglycerols (1,3- and 1,2-DAG) and monoacylglycerols (MAG) were present in minor proportions (1.8–2.4%). All lipid samples had high amounts of total unsaturated FA, representing 79.7–82.8% and 77.6–79.7% for TAG and PL, respectively. Molecular species and FA distributions of TAG, isolated from the total lipids in the broad beans, were analyzed by a combination of argentation-TLC and GC. Fourteen different molecular species were detected. With a few exceptions, the main TAG components were S₂D (6.1–8.9%), SD₂ (7.8–10.5%), SMT (6.3–8.5%), M₂D (4.5–6.2%), MD₂ (18.9–21.8%), D₃ (21.0–23.9%) and MDT (8.1–10.2%) (where S, M, D, and T denote a saturated fatty acid, a monoene, a diene, and a triene, respectively). These results suggest that the lipid classes, FA distributions and TAG molecular species of broad beans are not dependent on the cultivation areas during the growing season.     

Analysis of FA contents in individual lipid fractions from human placental tissue

Data on FA contents in the human placenta are limited. Different methods have been used for the FA analysis, and only percentage results have been presented. We developed and evaluated a method for the determination of FA concentrations in placental tissue. Lipids were extracted from placental tissue with a chloroform/methanol mixture; and phospholipids (PL), nonesterified FA (NEFA), TG, and cholesterol esters (CE) were isolated by TLC. Individual lipid fractions were derivatized with methanolic hydrochloric acid, and the FAME, were quantified by GC with FID. The CV of intra-assay (n=8) of absolute concentrations were evaluated for FA showing a, tissue content >0.01 mg/g. CV ranges were 4.6–11.0% for PL, 6.4–9.3% for NEFA, 6.1–8.9% for TG, and 11.4–16.3% for CE. The relative FA composition across a term placenta indicated no differences between samples of central and peripheral locations of maternal and fetal site (CV 0.5–9.9%), whereas the absolute FA concentrations were only reproducible in the PL fraction (CV 7.0–12.8%). The method shows a reasonably high precision that is well suited for physiological and nutritional studies.     

Studies on the in vivo metabolism of retinoic acid in the rat

A time study of the metabolism of 6,7-¹⁴C-retinoic acid after intraperitoneal injection of physiological levels (17 μg, 0.39 μc) into vitamin A deficient rats, which had been repleted with retinoic acid for two weeks up to two days before injection, resulted in a rapid metabolism to more polar compounds in the small intestine and its contents and a slower metabolism to primarily different materials in the liver and kidney. The major route of metabolism resulted in the urinary excretion of 60% of the injected dose in 24 to 27 hr. Urinary metabolites of 15-¹⁴C-retinoic acid were eluted from silicic acid at a similar concentration of solvents as the ring labeled metabolites although only 32% of the injected dose was recovered in 24 hr. Compounds chromatographically similar to the urinary metabolites were observed at various times in the liver, kidney and small intestine plus contents in addition to retinoic acid and other metabolites. The relative amounts of the metabolites in the different tissues studied varied as a function of the tissue and the time of analysis after injection. Most of the radioactivity from all tissues was extractable into methanol. A liver subcellular distribution of the radioactivity derived from the intraperitoneal injection of 650 μg of 6,7-¹⁴C-retinoic acid (25.9 μc) after 3 hr indicated a minimal level of association of radioactivity (150–250 dpm/mg protein) with all fractions and a greater association of radioactivity with the lysosomal-microsomal fraction (300–350 dpm/mg protein) and the 60–100% ammonium sulfate precipitable (750–800 dpm/mg protein) and 100% ammonium sulfate soluble fractions (422 dpm/mg protein) of the soluble supernatant.     

In Vitro Simultaneous Transfer of Lipids to HDL in Coronary Artery Disease and in Statin Treatment

The exchange of lipids with cells and other lipoproteins is a crucial process in HDL metabolism and for HDL antiatherogenic function. Here, we tested a practical method to quantify the simultaneous transfer to HDL of phospholipids, free-cholesterol, esterified cholesterol and triacylglycerols and to verify the lipid transfer in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or undergoing statin treatment. Twenty-eight control subjects without CAD, 27 with CAD and 25 CAD patients under simvastatin treatment were studied. Plasma samples were incubated with a donor nanoemulsion prepared by ultrasonication of the constituent lipids and labeled with radioactive lipids; % lipids transferred to HDL were quantified in the HDL-containing supernatant after chemical precipitation of non-HDL fractions and the nanoemulsion. The assay was precise and reproducible. Increase of temperature (4–37 °C), of incubation period (5 min to 2 h), of HDL-cholesterol concentration (33–244 mg/dL) and of mass of nanoemulsion lipids (0.075–0.3 mg/μL) resulted in increased lipid transfer from the nanoemulsion to HDL. In contrast, increasing pH (6.5–8.5) and albumin concentration (3.5–7.0 g/dL) did not affect lipid transfer. There was no difference between CAD and control non-CAD with regard to the lipid transfer, but statin treatment reduced the transfer to HDL of all four lipids. The test herein described is a valid and practical tool for exploring an important aspect of HDL metabolism.     

Determination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>9,<Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis>11-CLA in major human plasma lipid classes using a combination of methylating methodologies

Isomeric CLA exhibit several significant biological activities in animals and humans and are easily isomerized to their corresponding t,t-CLA isomers during methylation with various acid-catalyzed reagents. To minimize such isomerization and provide a valid quantification of human plasma CLA content, several methylation methods were tested. Plasma neutral lipid, nonesterified FA (NEFA), and polar lipid classes were separated into the following fractions: (i) cholesteryl ester (CE, 1.2 mg/12 mL, 37.5% lipids), (ii) TAG (0.8 mg/12 mL, 25% lipids), (iii) NFFA (0.2 mg/12 mL, 6.2% lipids), (iv) MAG/DAG/cholesterol (0.3 mg/12 mL, 9.4% lipids), and (v) phospholipid (PL, 0.5 mg/20 mL, 15.6% lipids). Data showed that c9,t11-CLA found in TAG, MAG/DAG/cholesterol, and PL fractions were converted to methyl esters with sodium methoxide within 2 h at 55°C. However, the c9,t11-CLA in the CE fraction could not be completely converted to methyl esters by sodium methoxide/acetylchloride in methanol or methanolic KOH; instead, CE was treated with sodium methoxide and methyl acetate in diethyl ether for 1 h. NEFA were converted to methyl esters with trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSDAM). All reaction mixtures were monitored by TLC prior to GLC analysis. The highest enrichment of c9,t11-18∶2 (% FA) was in TAG (0.31%), followed by CE (0.14%) and PL (0.13%). The above methylation methods were then applied to a small subset (n=10) of nonfasting plasma lipid fractions to confirm the applicability of these data. Results from this subset of samples also indicated that the greatest enrichment of c9,t11-CLA was present in the TAG fraction (0.39%), followed by CE (0.27%) and PL (0.22%). These data indicate that different plasma fractions have different c9,t11-CLA contents.     

Purification of Extracted Fatty Acids from the Microalgae <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spirulina</Emphasis>

The fatty acid (FA) analysis of microalgae Spirulina was studied by applying accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and followed by purification using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The objective was to develop a sensitive and reliable purification procedure to remove pigment in lipids co-extracted from Spirulina. Four extraction solvents were used for the ASE lipids extraction. The extraction efficiency was ranked in the following order: chloroform:methanol > dichloromethane:methanol > ethanol > hexane. The major composition of fatty acids were examined. Hexane and chloroform:methanol were compared for the purification step. The amounts of sorbent (Silica gel H), sample, and the volume of eluent were optimized during SPE procedure. This purification step can successfully remove the pigments from extracted lipids. For 0.1 g algae sample, chloroform:methanol (2:1, v/v) was the optimal extraction solvent, 0.3 g silica gel was the optimal amount of sorbent, with 7 mL for the volume of eluent. For hexane as the extraction solvent, 0.5 g algae sample, 0.3 g silica gel was the optimal amount of sorbent, 5 mL was the optimal volume of eluent. The calibration curve was produced comprised from five samples that contained FAME concentrations which was ranged from 0.1 to 10 mg/L (R ² > 0.99). The recoveries of fatty acids were 67.97–134.37%, 74.20–99.13% and 98.34–115.42%, with standard deviations (SD) of three replicate detections ranged from 1.09 to 8.41%.     

Year-round high arachidonic acid levels in herbivorous rabbit fish Siganus fuscescens tissues

To identify a stable resource of 20∶4 n−6 (arachidonic acid, AA) in marine fish tissues, the lipid profiles of Siganus fuscescens organs (muscle, liver, and other viscera) and stomach contents were examined throughout the year. Crude total lipid (TL) contents in respective organs showed seasonal variations and were high in winter and low in summer. The main FA in TL were 16∶0, 18∶0, 16∶1n−7, 18∶1n−9, AA, and 22∶6n−3 (DHA). These FA were those generally observed in marine fish lipids, except for comparatively high levels of AA. In TL of muscle and liver, AA showed relatively high values during the period from late May to August (muscle, 4.6–13.1%; liver, 4.5–9.1%), compared with other seasons (muscle, 4.3–9.5%; liver, 3.6–8.4%). The AA levels in TL of other viscera and stomach contents fluctuated (other viscera, 2.0–10.7%; stomach contents, 7.6–26.7%). Regardless of the fishing season, each organ contained a higher level of AA in polar lipids (PL) than in neutral lipids. It was concluded that the fish contain comparatively high levels of AA in their TL throughout the year, and they accumulate AA characteristically in their tissue PL, probably from dietary food sources. Moreover, it was suggested that S. fuscescens has potential utility as a natural marine source of nutritional lipids, because the fish contain comparatively high levels of DHA and AA.