Work

Tandem Mass Spectrometric Analysis and Cross-Species Comparison of Triacylglycerol Regioisomers in Mammalian Milk

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Milk fats have complex profiles of triacylglycerols (TG) with a significant gap in understanding the species-specific compositions of regioisomers. This study comprehensively analyzed TG regioisomers in milk of eight mammalian species using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and a calculation algorithm. Distinct TG regioisomer profiles were observed across species, shaped by the phylogenetic status and the structure of digestive tracts (ruminants, pseudo-ruminants, and non-ruminants). The ruminants (cow, goat, and sheep) exhibited highly similar milk TG regioisomeric profiles, while the pseudo-ruminant (camel) showed similar profiles to those of the non-ruminants (dog, horse, human, and pig). The non-ruminants showed a sn -2 abundance of palmitic acid in milk TGs; especially dog and pig milk displayed TG regioisomer profiles close to that of human milk. These findings provide novel insights into cross-species variation in lipid metabolism and the nutritional properties of milk fats, supporting product development for food and early life nutrition.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08520

Authors: Qizhu Zhao, Mikael Fabritius, Marika Kalpio, Md Abdullah Al Sazzad, Baoru Yang

Institution: University of Turku

Language: English

Topic: Edible Oils Quality and Analysis

Subfield: Organic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,500