A direct and facile simultaneous quantification of non-polar and polar lipids in different species of marine samples using normal-phase HPLC–CAD

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a sensitive and reliable normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–charged aerosol detector (NP-HPLC–CAD) method for direct and simultaneous quantification of diverse and complex lipid classes in marine samples. The 33-minute HPLC method so developed effectively separates 10 classes of non-polar and polar lipid. The quantitative calibration curves for all 10 lipid classes were built with satisfactory correlation coefficients (R2 ≥ 0.9910), wide linear range (0.01–5.00 mg/mL), low limit of detection (LOD, 2–40 ng) and limit of quantification (LOQ, 4–80 ng). The precision (relative standard deviation of 2.33–7.13 %) and recovery rate (83.69–108.06 %) for the quantitative method met the acceptance criteria of FDA guidelines. Finally, the NP-HPLC–CAD method was successfully used to analyze marine lipid samples from abalone, oyster, scallop, mussel and Antarctic krill. Results show complex lipid composition of marine samples, mainly containing triacylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine.