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Lipid Composition and Thermotropic Properties of Meibum of Animal Models and Humans with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

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Updated: May 10, 2026

Phenol Red Thread-based Sampling Procedure for Untargeted Tear Fluid Lipidomics in Biomarker Discovery

Phenol Red Thread-based Sampling Procedure for Untargeted Tear Fluid Lipidomics in Biomarker Discovery

Published on: December 12, 2025

Tear film lipids.

Igor A Butovich¹

¹Department of Ophthalmology and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9057, USA.

Experimental Eye Research

|June 18, 2013

Summary

Human meibomian gland secretions (MGS) contain a complex lipid mixture. This review details experimental techniques for analyzing MGS lipid composition and implications for ocular surface health.

Area of Science:

Ophthalmology
Biochemistry
Analytical Chemistry

Background:

Human meibomian gland secretions (MGS, or meibum) comprise a complex lipid mixture, including wax esters, cholesteryl esters, and fatty acids.
The precise chemical nature and presence of certain lipids within MGS have been subjects of ongoing scientific debate.
Understanding MGS composition is crucial for ocular surface health and tear film stability.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent findings on MGS lipid composition using various experimental techniques.
To evaluate the limitations and applicability of different analytical methods.
To discuss the biochemical, biophysical, and physiological implications of MGS lipid profiles.

Main Methods:

High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) for lipid profiling.

Keywords:

chromatography lipidomics lipids mass spectrometry meibomian gland secretions meibum

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Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for volatile and semi-volatile lipid analysis.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural elucidation of MGS lipids.

Main Results:

A comprehensive lipid map of the meibomian lipidome was generated using HPLC-MS.
Integration of the author's laboratory data with existing literature provided a broader view of MGS and tear lipid composition.
Key lipid classes identified include wax esters, cholesteryl esters, free fatty acids, and acylglycerols.

Conclusions:

Advanced analytical techniques like HPLC-MS, GC-MS, and NMR are essential for characterizing the complex MGS lipidome.
The presented lipid map offers a valuable resource for understanding MGS function and dysfunction.
Future research should focus on refining analytical methods and further elucidating the physiological roles of specific MGS lipids.