Analytical methods for cholesterol quantification

Analytical methods for cholesterol quantification

Cholesterol is an important lipid molecule in cell membranes and lipoproteins. Cholesterolis also a precursors of steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. Abnormal levels ofcholesterol or its precursors have been observed in various human diseases, such as heartdiseases, stroke, type II diabetes, brain diseases and many others. Therefore, accuratequantification of cholesterol is important for individuals who are at increased risk for thesediseases. Multiple analytical methods have been developed for analysis of cholesterol,including classical chemical methods, enzymatic assays, gas chromatography (GC), liquidchromatography (LC), and mass spectrometry (MS). Strategy known as ambient ionizationmass spectrometry (AIMS), operating at atmospheric pressure, with only minimal samplepretreatments for real time, in situ, and rapid interrogation of the sample has also beenemployed for quantification of cholesterol. In this review, we summarize the most prevalentmethods for cholesterol quantification in biological samples and foods. Nevertheless,we highlight several new technologies, such as AIMS, used as alternative methods tomeasure cholesterol that are potentially next-generation platforms. Representative examplesof molecular imaging of cholesterol in tissue sections are also included in thisreview article.