A method for a comprehensive lipidomic analysis of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) with the use of LC-Q-TOF-MS and dispersive micro-solid-phase (μDSPE) extraction

Flaxseed (FS) is one of the richest sources of alpha-linolenic acid oil and lignans, and it is suggested that the consumption of flaxseed may contribute to the prevention of certain chronic diseases such as many types of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular stroke. Here, we demonstrate a new method for comprehensive FS lipidome profiling with the use of LC-Q-TOF-MS and dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction. The effects of stationary phase amount, flaxseed amount and different organic solvents for non-polar lipid elution on the FS lipidome coverage were investigated. The developed and validated protocol allowed for improved monitoring of both polar and non-polar lipids simultaneously, overcoming the challenge of low- and highabundance lipid species. Furthermore, the method was applied to characterize a set of brown flaxseed and yellow flaxseed samples, as well as flaxseed meal.