Analysis of polar lipids in the serum from rats fed shiitake by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry.

Consumption of a shiitake mushroom diet has been reported to have effects on serum phospholipids. However, much less is known about the effect on serum polar lipids including lysophospholipids and free fatty acids. In the present study, the effects of a shiitake diet were evaluated on the basis of identification and quantification of individual polar lipid components in rat serum using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. By comparison with standards and published data, 50 lysophospholipids and 32 free fatty acids were identified, and the concentrations of 27 polar lipids in rat serum were determined. Shiitake diets decreased the levels of all individual polar lipid components in the serum of male rat. The total level of serum polar lipids in males fed 4% shiitake diets (1365.71 mol/L) was significantly lower than that of the control (2270.26 mol/L). However, shiitake diets did not significantly affect the levels of serum polar lipids in female rats.