Microwave-assisted extraction driven lipid profile alterations and in vitro digestive characteristics of functional...

This study employed microwave-assisted ethanol extraction (MAE) to extract lipids from the heads and thoraxes of Litopenaeus vannamei. Analysis of lipid composition was conducted using UHPLC-MS/MS non-targeted lipidomics. The results indicated that MAE achieved a lipid extraction efficiency of 99.05%. Compared to ethanol extraction method (EE) and chloroform-methanol extraction method (Folch), MAE achieved high extraction efficiency while enriching polyunsaturated fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5), docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6), arachidonic acid (C20:4n6), and linoleic acid (C18:2n6c). A total of 4235 lipid species were identified, PC (16:0/22:6), PE (27:1/12:0), and DG (18:0/18:2) were the lipid molecules most affected by MAE. Furthermore, MAE-extracted lipids exhibited potent radical scavenging activities, attributed to the synergistic enrichment of polar lipids and endogenous antioxidants. In vitro digestion models demonstrated that MAE LVLs outperformed soybean oil in physicochemical stability, particularly regarding the maintenance of n-3 PUFAs during the digestive process. In conclusion, MAE technology not only facilitates the high-efficiency recovery of functional lipids but also enhances their bioaccessibility by synchronously co-extracting lipid-matrix endogenous antioxidants to form a protective micro-emulsion system, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the high-value utilization of aquatic byproduct lipids.