Targeted analysis of ceramides and cerebrosides in yellow lupin seeds by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and multistage mass spectrometry

Promoting Circular Economy by Leveraging Annatto Byproducts from Bixa orellana L. into Sustainable Antioxidant Food Packaging

Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is cultivated primarily for the extraction of bixin, a natural dye with substantial industrial importance, resulting in the generation of large quantities of residues that remain underutilized. This study provides the first in-depth characterization of annatto byproducts derived through molecular distillation, highlighting their untapped potential for sustainable innovation. Employing state-of-the-art techniques-HS-SPME-GC-MS for volatile compounds and UPLC-MS/QTOF for non-volatile ones-the research identified a remarkable array of bioactive constituents. Over thirty pharmacologically significant compounds were unveiled, many appearing for the first time in annatto byproducts. Notable discoveries include diterpenoid alcohols, oleamide, δ-tocotrienol, n-alkanes, fatty acid methyl esters, and springene among the volatiles. Among the non-volatiles, groundbreaking identifications such as dihydroactinidiolide, dihydrochalcone, 3-phenyl propiofenone, novel tetracosan amides, halisphingosine A, kauranetriols, and phytoene derivatives redefine the chemical profile of this residue. Further amplifying the value of these findings, the study successfully transformed these byproducts into innovative antioxidant packaging materials, demonstrating their high potential for food preservation and sustainable applications. The packaging films, developed from samples devoid of vegetable oil, exhibited robust antioxidant properties, offering a compelling solution to extend shelf life and reduce spoilage. This work underscores the importance of revalorizing agricultural residues like annatto byproducts, turning waste into high-value resources that align with the principles of the circular economy.

Complete Polar Lipid Profile of Kefir Beverage by Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography with HRMS and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Kefir, a fermented milk product produced using kefir grains, is a symbiotic consortium of bacteria and yeasts responsible for driving the fermentation process. In this study, an in-depth analysis of kefir's lipid profile was conducted, with a focus on its phospholipid (PL) content, employing liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Nearly 300 distinct polar lipids were identified through hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) and Fourier-transform orbital-trap MS and linear ion-trap tandem MS/MS. The identified lipids included phosphatidylcholines (PCs), lyso-phosphatidylcholines (LPCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and lyso-phosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs), phosphatidylserines (PSs), phosphatidylglycerols (PGs), and phosphatidylinositols (PIs). The presence of lysyl-phosphatidylglycerols (LyPGs) was identified as a key finding, marking a lipid class characteristic of Gram-positive bacterial membranes. This discovery highlights the role of viable bacteria in kefir and underscores its probiotic potential. The structural details of minor glycolipids (GLs) and glycosphingolipids (GSLs) were further elucidated, enriching the understanding of kefir's lipid complexity. Fatty acyl (FA) composition was characterized using reversed-phase LC coupled with tandem MS. A mild epoxidation reaction with meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) was performed to pinpoint double-bond positions in FAs. The dominant fatty acids were identified as C18:3, C18:2, C18:1, C18:0 (stearic acid), C16:0 (palmitic acid), and significant levels of C14:0 (myristic acid). Additionally, two isomers of FA 18:1 were distinguished: ∆9-cis (oleic acid) and ∆11-trans (vaccenic acid). These isomers were identified using diagnostic ion pairs, retention times, and accurate m/z values. This study provides an unprecedented level of detail on the lipid profile of kefir, shedding light on its complex composition and potential nutritional benefits.

Review of available "extraction + purification" methods of natural ceramides and their feasibility for sewage sludge analysis

Natural ceramide, a biologically active compound present in plants, has been used widely in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Abundant ceramide has been detected in sewage sludge, which has inspired the idea to recycle ceramide from it. Therefore, the methods of extracting, purifying, and detecting ceramides from plants were reviewed, with the aim to establish methods to get condensed ceramide from sludge. Ceramide extraction methods include traditional methods (maceration, reflux, and Soxhlet extraction) and green technologies (ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and supercritical fluid extraction). In the past two decades, more than 70% of the articles have used traditional methods. However, green extraction methods are gradually improved and showed high extraction efficiency with lower solvent consumed. The preferred technique for ceramide purification is chromatography. Common solvent systems include chloroform-methanol, n-hexane-ethyl acetate, petroleum ether-ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether-acetone. For structural determination of ceramide, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry are used in combination. Among quantitative analysis methods for ceramide, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was the most accurate. This review concludes that with our prilemenary experiment results it is feasible to apply the plant "extraction + purification" process of ceramide to sludge, but more optimization need to be performed to get better results.

Regiochemical Assignment of N-Acylphosphatidylethanolamines (NAPE) by Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization with Multistage Mass Spectrometry and Its Application to Extracts of Lupin Seeds

1,2-Diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-N-acyl-ethanolamines (NAPE) are low abundance phospholipids but important constituents of intracellular membranes of plant tissues, responsible for generating bioactive N-acylethanolamine (NAE), which participates in several physiological processes such as regulation of seed germination and protection against pathogenic attacks. From an analytical point of view, the critical aspect of these bioactive lipids lies in the determination of fatty acyl chains located in sn-1/sn-2 position on the glycerol backbone (O-linked), along with the amide-bound (N-linked) fatty acyl chain. Here, the identity and occurrence of NAPE in lipid extracts of lupin seeds (Lupinus luteus L.) was assessed by electrospray ionization in negative ion mode upon reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC-ESI) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) either at high- (i.e., Orbitrap FTMS) or low- (linear ion trap, LIT) resolution/accuracy. Collisional induced dissociation (CID)-tandem MS and MS³ acquisitions of chemically prepared NAPE allowed to unequivocally recognize the N-linked fatty acyl chain and to establish the diagnostic product ions that were successfully applied to identify NAPE in lipid extracts of yellow lupin seeds. The most abundant NAPE species were those containing N-acyl groups C18:1, C18:2; a minor prevalence was found for C16:0, C18:0, and C18:3, and almost the same acyl chains O-linked on the glycerol backbone in several sn-1/sn-2 combinations were observed. The positional isomers of NAPE species were identified as deprotonated molecules ([M-H]^-) at m/z 978.7541 (three isomers 52:3), m/z 980.7694 (two isomers 52:2), m/z 1002.7535 (four isomers 54:5), m/z 1004.7686 (two isomers 54:4), m/z 1006.7837 (two isomers 54:3), and m/z 1008.8026 (single isomer 54:2). The total amount of NAPE in lupin seeds ranged in the interval of 2.00 ± 0.13 mg/g dw, in agreement with other edible legumes. We anticipate our approach to be a robust assessment method potentially applicable to biological extracts containing NAPE species and can provide comprehensive profiles and contents.