Analytical methods for cholesterol quantification

• Published in: Yàowu shi͡p︡in fenxi Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 375 - 386
• Main Authors: Li, Li-Hua, Dutkiewicz, Ewelina P., Huang, Ying-Chen, Zhou, Hsin-Bai, Hsu, Cheng-Chih
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China (Republic : 1949- ) Elsevier Taiwan LLC 01.04.2019; Food and Drug Administration; Taiwan Food and Drug Administration
• Subjects: AIMS; Analytical methods; atmospheric pressure; Bile acids; Biological properties; Biological samples; Brain; Cardiovascular diseases; Cell membranes; central nervous system diseases; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - analysis; Chromatography; Chromatography, Gas; Chromatography, Liquid; Coronary artery disease; DART; DESI; Diabetes mellitus; Enzyme Assays; Food; foods; Gas chromatography; Heart; Heart diseases; Hormones; human diseases; Humans; image analysis; Interrogation; Ionization; Ions; Laboratories; Lasers; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Liquid chromatography; Mass Spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Measurement methods; Membranes; Methods; Molecular Structure; Neuroimaging; New technology; noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; nutrition risk assessment; Organic chemistry; Precursors; Quantification; Review; Scientific imaging; Spectroscopy; Steroid hormones; Steroids; Sterols; stroke; technology; Triglycerides; Vitamin D; United States > US; AIMS; DART; DESI; Quantification; Mass spectrometry; Cholesterol
• ISSN: 1021-9498; 2224-6614
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfda.2018.09.001

Cholesterol is an important lipid molecule in cell membranes and lipoproteins. Cholesterol is also a precursors of steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. Abnormal levels of cholesterol or its precursors have been observed in various human diseases, such as heart diseases, stroke, type II diabetes, brain diseases and many others. Therefore, accurate quantification of cholesterol is important for individuals who are at increased risk for these diseases. Multiple analytical methods have been developed for analysis of cholesterol, including classical chemical methods, enzymatic assays, gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), and mass spectrometry (MS). Strategy known as ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS), operating at atmospheric pressure, with only minimal sample pretreatments for real time, in situ, and rapid interrogation of the sample has also been employed for quantification of cholesterol. In this review, we summarize the most prevalent methods for cholesterol quantification in biological samples and foods. Nevertheless, we highlight several new technologies, such as AIMS, used as alternative methods to measure cholesterol that are potentially next-generation platforms. Representative examples of molecular imaging of cholesterol in tissue sections are also included in this review article.