Profiling of Triacylglycerides present in edible oils consumed in India using LC/MS/MS

Significance of the Topic

Profiling triacylglycerides in edible oils is essential for nutritional assessment, authenticity verification and quality control. Detailed characterization of fatty acid composition supports food safety, regulatory compliance and guides industrial processing decisions.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study aimed to establish a rapid and comprehensive method to identify and quantify triacylglyceride species in oils commonly consumed in India. Mahua oil was used as a model system to demonstrate application of synchronized survey scan for simultaneous acquisition of precursor and product ion data.

Methodology

Sample preparation involved diluting 10 microliters of oil in 20 milliliters of isopropanol. Separation was performed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography using a C8 column at 50 degrees Celsius. A constant flow of 0.7 milliliters per minute delivered 5 microliter injections. Detection was achieved by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in full scan, synchronized survey scan and neutral loss modes.

Instrumentation Used

• UHPLC Nexera system
• LCMS-8040 triple quadrupole equipped with dual ion source for simultaneous ESI and APCI
• LabSolutions software with synchronized survey scan functionality

Main Results and Discussion

Synchronized survey scan enabled acquisition of full scan and MS2 spectra in a single analysis at a scanning speed of 15000 u per second. Mahua oil profiling revealed oleic, palmitic, stearic and linoleic acids as major fatty acyl components. Extracted ion chromatograms and neutral loss scans distinguished triacylglyceride species varying by degree of unsaturation. Product ion spectra allowed assignment of fatty acid positions on the glycerol backbone.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• High throughput screening of oil quality and authenticity
• Detailed fatty acid profiling for nutritional labeling
• Detection of adulteration across diverse edible oil types
• Support for industrial process optimization

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Integration with high resolution mass spectrometry for isomer differentiation
• Automation of data interpretation using machine learning
• Expansion to minor lipid classes and oxidized species
• Real time monitoring in processing lines

Conclusion

The use of synchronized survey scan on a UHPLC–triple quadrupole platform provides a rapid and comprehensive workflow for triacylglyceride profiling in edible oils. This approach simplifies method development and yields rich analytical information in a single run, supporting quality control and nutritional research.

References

1. Dhara R, Bhattacharyya DK et al Analysis of sterol and other components present in unsaponifiable matter of mahua, sal and mango kernel oil Journal of Oleo Science 59 169–176 2010
2. Duffin KL, Henion JD Electrospray and tandem mass spectrometric characterization of acylglycerol mixtures dissolved in nonpolar solvents Analytical Chemistry 63 1781–1788 1991
3. Murphy RC, James PF Detection of diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol molecular species using neutral loss mass spectrometry Analytical Biochemistry 366 59–70 2007