1 research outputs found
On-Chip Lipid Extraction Using Superabsorbent Polymers for Mass Spectrometry
Pretreatment of samples
is one of the most important steps in analytical
methods for efficient and accurate results. Typically, an extraction
method used for lipid analysis with mass spectrometry is accompanied
by complex liquid–liquid extraction. We have devised a simple,
rapid, and efficient lipid extraction method using superabsorbent
polymers (SAPs) and developed a high-throughput lipid extraction platform
based on a microfluidic system. Since SAPs can rapidly absorb an aqueous
solution from a raw sample and convert it into the gel, the lipid
extraction process can be remarkably simplified. The hydrophobic lipid
components were captured into the fibrous SAP gel and then solubilized
and eluted directly into the organic solvent without significant interference
by this polymer. The small-scale lipid extraction process minimizes
the liquid handling and unnecessary centrifugation steps, thereby
enabling the implementation of a SAP-integrated microfluidic lipid
extraction platform. The SAP method successfully induced reproducible
extraction and high recovery rates (95–100%) compared to the
conventional Folch method in several lipid classes. We also demonstrated
the feasibility of the SAP method for the analysis of lipids in complex
biological samples, such as the brain and liver, as well as <i>Escherichia coli</i>. This small-scale SAP method and its microfluidic
platform will open up new possibilities in high-throughput lipidomic
research for diagnosing diseases because this new technique saves
time, labor, and cost