Rapid sample preparation for ganglioside analysis by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Gangliosides (GG) are glycosphingolipids, composed of a ceramide moiety (fatty acid and long chain base) linked to an oligosaccharide chain containing one (or more) molecule of sialic acid. After lipid extraction from biological matrices, quantification of GG by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) can be impacted by ion suppression effects due to co-elution with more abundant lipids in the matrix. In this study, a simple, rapid and efficient method to purify GG from biological samples by Phree columns is proposed. This approach proved to be useful in eliminating phospholipids (PL) from the matrix and thus increasing the signal of GG classes and molecular species in rat brain samples during LC-ESI/MS analysis.