Structural elucidation of phospholipids in omega-3 food supplements

Abstract

A novel method was developed for UPLC-MS analysis of phospholipids in complex lipid samples. The methods developed allowed for identification and structural elucidation of different PL species and by utilizing MSE technology, rapid qualitative analyses of complex lipid samples were made possible. By using UPLC-MS it was confirmed that a high proportion of the total content of commercial marine oils contained the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. The study also showed that the two different brands of krill oil capsules had very similar content. A raw extract intended for commercial use, where the goal was to enrich phospholipids with the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, was also analysed. The study revealed that a higher proportion of the total content of the raw extract contained essential fatty acids. As the raw extract was obtained from other sources than krill oil this showed that, in addition to krill, there are also other marine sources that have a high content of the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA.