With the advance in science and technology as well as the improvement of living standards, the function of food is no longer just to meet the needs of survival. Food science and its associated nutritional health issues have been increasingly debated. Lipids, as complex metabolites, play a key role both in food and human health. Taking advantages of mass spectrometry (MS) by combining its high sensitivity and accuracy with extensive selective determination of all lipid classes, MS‐based lipidomics has been employed to resolve the conundrum of addressing both qualitative and quantitative aspects of high‐abundance and low‐abundance lipids in complex food matrices. In this review, we systematically summarize current applications of MS‐based lipidomics in food field. First, common MS‐based lipidomics procedures are described. Second, the applications of MS‐based lipidomics in food science, including lipid composition characterization, adulteration, traceability, and other issues, are discussed. Third, the application of MS‐based lipidomics for nutritional health covering the influence of food on health and disease is introduced. Finally, future research trends and challenges are proposed. MS‐based lipidomics plays an important role in the field of food science, promoting continuous development of food science and integration of food knowledge with other disciplines. New methods of MS‐based lipidomics have been developed to improve accuracy and sensitivity of lipid analysis in food samples. These developments offer the possibility to fully characterize lipids in food samples, identify novel functional lipids, and better understand the role of food in promoting healt.

A comprehensive lipidomic analysis was performed onto three edible brown seaweeds, namely Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, and Scagassum natans, using reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (RPLC−Q-TOF-MS/MS). In total, 675 lipid molecules, including glycolipids (GLs), phospholipids, sphingolipids (SLs), betaine lipids, and glycerolipids, were identified and semiquantified. With the exception of the high content of diacylglycerols found in L. japonica (54.6% of total lipids), GLs were the dominant component in the three brown seaweeds (27.7−56.7% of total lipids), containing a high proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid. Interestingly, SLs represented by ceramide and hexosylceramide containing phytosphingosine and α-hydroxy fatty acid structures were detected in the three brown seaweeds. A large number of acylated GLs were identified and reported for the first time in these seaweeds, including acylated monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and acylated digalactosyldiacylglycerol containing nonoxidized fatty acids. The bioactive lipids identified herein could be considered potential biomarkers for identifying these seaweeds, evaluating their nutritional value and further promoting their utilization.

In 1980, bioactive peptides were first described in a study on peptide biosynthesis in the neurointermediate lobe of Xenopus laevis. 1 Since then, bioactive peptides with beneficial physiological properties to living organisms have been widely studied. At present, bioactive peptides, including those obtained from marine and terrestrial environments, are a promising area for development for the international food industry. Marine bioactive peptides have broad potential use in the development of functional foods and as new therapeutics and also play an important role in improving culture efficiency.Oysters, the most cultured shellfish worldwide, are an important marine biological resource to humans. According to statistics reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2018; http://www.fao.org/fishe ry/stati stics/ en), global oyster production was around 6.1 million tons. The chemical composition of oysters is (based on dry flesh weight) as follows: protein (39.1%-53.1%); glycogen (21.6%-38.9%); and fat (7.8%-8.7%). 2 Methods commonly used for protein extraction include salting out, enzymatic hydrolysis and organic solvent-or/and pH-based protocols. The most abundant amino acids in oysters are taurine (Tau), glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic acid (Glu) and proline (Pro). Moreover, since eight essential amino acids account for

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Ether-phospholipids (ether-PLs) in sea urchins, especially eicosapentaenoic-acid-enriched plasmenyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PE-P) and plasmanyl phosphatidylcholine (PC-O), exhibit potential lipid-regulating effects. However, their underlying regulatory mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Herein, we integrated an untargeted lipidomics strategy and biochemical analysis to investigate these mechanisms in high-fat-induced atherosclerotic hamsters. Dietary supplementation with PE-P and PC-O decreased total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in serum. The lipid regulatory effects of PE-P were superior to those of PC-O. Additionally, 20 lipid molecular species, including phosphatidylethanolamine, cholesteryl ester, triacylglycerol, and phosphatidylinositol, were identified as potential lipid biomarkers in the serum of hamsters with PC-O and PE-P treatment (95% confidence interval; p < 0.05). The variations of lipids may be attributed to downregulation of adipogenesis genes and upregulation of lipid β-oxidation genes and bile acid biosynthesis genes. The improved lipid homeostasis by ether-PLs in sea urchins might be a key pathway underlying the antiatherosclerosis effect.