A Promising Raman Spectroscopy Technique for the Investigation of trans and cis Cholesteryl Ester Isomers in Biological Samples

Lipid geometry is an important issue in biology and medicine. The cis-trans geometry conversion of double bonds in lipids is an endogenous process that can be mediated by sulfur-centered free radicals. Trans isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids can be used as biological markers of free radical stress, and their presence in biological samples can be determined by synthesis and characterization of appropriate reference compounds. Fractions of plasma lipids, such as cholesteryl linoleate and arachidonate esters, are interesting targets because of their connection with membrane phospholipid turnover and their roles in cardiovascular health. In this context, Raman spectroscopy can provide a useful contribution, since Raman analysis can be performed directly on the lipid extracts without any derivatization reaction, is nondestructive, and can rapidly supply biochemical information. This study focused on the build up of Raman spectral libraries of different cis and trans isomers of cholesteryl esters to be used as references for the examination of complex biological samples and to facilitate isomer recognition. Unsaturated cholesteryl esters obtained by chemical synthesis and with different alkyl chain lengths, double bond numbers, or both, were analyzed. The potential of Raman analysis for trans isomer detection in biological samples was successfully tested on some cholesteryl ester lipid fractions from human serum. The data suggest promising applications of Raman spectroscopy in metabolomics and lipidomics.