The main goal of this study was to explore the phospholipid alterations associated with the development of prostate cancer (PCa) using two imaging methods: matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization with time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF/MS), and electrospray ionization with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (ESI-QqQ/MS). For this purpose, samples of PCa tissue (n = 40) were evaluated in comparison to the controls (n = 40). As a result, few classes of compounds, namely phosphatidylcholines (PCs), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), sphingomyelins (SMs), and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), were determined. The obtained results were evaluated by univariate (Mann–Whitney U-test) and multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis, correlation analysis, volcano plot, artificial neural network, and random forest algorithm), in order to select the most discriminative features and to search for the relationships between the responses of these groups of substances, also in terms of the used analytical technique. Based on previous literature and our results, it can be assumed that PCa is linked with both the synthesis of fatty acids and lipid oxidation. Among the compounds, phospholipids, namely PC 16:0/16:1, PC 16:0/18:2, PC 18:0/22:5, PC 18:1/18:2, PC 18:1/20:0, PC 18:1/20:4, and SM d18:1/24:0, were assigned as metabolites with the best discriminative power for the tested groups. Based on the results, lipidomics can be found as alternative diagnostic tool for CaP diagnosis.

The aim of this research was to select parameters for supercritical extraction with CO2 of Medicago sativa L., considered as functional food, in quarter-technical plant, providing the highest concentration of bioactive polar constituents and simultaneously maintaining the highest efficiency of the process. For the purpose of optimization, mathematical statistics was used. Qualitative analysis of products was performed with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The SFC analysis revealed a proper separation of flavonoids and phenolics acids for dedicated TFC and TPC optimal parameters. The obtained results have proved that it is a possibility to extract polar compounds with non-polar solvent under higher values of pressure and temperature and to enrich product with desired group of bioactive compounds with proper optimization. The proposed extraction technique allows to obtain on an industrial scale, using an environmentally friendly solvent, a preparation rich in biologically active nutrients that can be implemented in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries.

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Analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to characterize the lipid profile of 3 lactic acid bacteria strains. By gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, 23 fatty acids were identified. Dominant acids were palmitic (C16:0), oleic (C18:1), and α-linoleic acid (C18: 3n -3) for Lactobacillus paracasei; for Lactococcus lactis they were palmitic (C16:0), gondoic (C20:1), myristoleic (C14:1), and eicosadienoic acid (C20:2), respectively; and in the case of Lactobacillus curvatus were C18:1, C18: 2n -6, and C16:0, respectively. The effect of the medium on fatty acid composition was also determined. In addition, the fatty acid profile was also compared using MALDI MS analysis. The MALDI-TOF MS was used for qualitative analysis and identification of bacterial lipids. Phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, triacylglycerols, and ceramides were the most abundant species in lactic acid bacteria. One hundred different combinations of fatty acids in polar and nonpolar lipids have been identified, including 11 phospholipids (18 phosphatidylglycerol, 16 phosphatidylethanolamine, 10 phosphatidylinositol, 8 phosphatidylcholine, 4 lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine, 3 lyso-phosphatidylcholine, 3 phosphatidylserine, 1 lyso-phosphatidic acid, 1 lyso-phosphatidylglycerol, 1 lyso-phoshatidylinositol, and 1 phosphatidic acid), 23 triacylglycerols, 9 ceramides, and 2 sphingomyelin. The most abundant fatty acids identified were C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, and C18:3. Obtained lipid profiles allowed to distinguish the tested bacterial strains.

The aim of this study was to develop a new comprehensive extraction protocol based on green technology for the enhanced release of polyphenolic compounds from plant cells. In this work, extracts from yerba mate and yellow lupine seed were obtained by using three different extraction techniques: maceration, supercritical fluid extraction with co-solvent (SFE) and enzyme assisted-supercritical fluid extraction with co-solvent (EA-SFE). Several experimental parameters such as time, type of solvent and co-solvent as well as CO2 flow rate were selected to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The chemical profiles in the obtained extracts and their biological activity were evaluated. HPLC-MS/MS analysis indicated that the level of phenolic compounds in extracts from yerba mate obtained by EA-SFE was approximately five times higher than for maceration and 3.2 times higher than for SFE. In the case of extracts from yellow lupine seed an approximately 5.6-fold increase was observed in comparison with maceration and SFE with 96% MeOH, and 2.9 times for SFE with 96% EtOH. The developed protocol with a mix of enzymes commonly applied in the agricultural industry significantly raises the efficiency of liberation of secondary metabolites.