Analytical methods for trace levels of reactive carbonyl compounds formed in lipid peroxidation systems

Analysis of trace levels of reactive carbonyl compounds (RCCs), including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, malonaldehyde, glyoxal, and methyl glyoxal, is extremely difficult because they are highly reactive, water soluble, and volatile. Determination of these RCCs in trace levels is important because they are major products of lipid peroxidation, which is strongly associated with various diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, aging, and atherosclerosis. This review covers the development and application of various derivatives for RCC analysis. Among the many derivatives which have been prepared, cysteamine derivatives for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde; N-hydrazine derivatives for acrolein, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, and malonaldeyde; and o-phenylene diamine derivatives for glyoxal and methyl glyoxal were selected for extended discussion. The application of advanced instruments, including gas chromatograph with nitrogen-phosphorus detector (GC/NPD), mass spectrometer (MS), high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), GC/MS, and LC/MS, to the determination of trace RCCs in various oxidized lipid samples, including fatty acids, skin lipids, beef fats, blood plasma, whole blood, and liver homogenates, is also discussed.