Lipids represent a large group of biomolecules that are responsible for various functions in organisms. Diseases such as diabetes, chronic inflammation, neurological disorders, or neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases can be caused by lipid imbalance. Due to the different stereochemical properties and composition of fatty acyl groups of molecules in most lipid classes, quantification of lipids and development of lipidomic analytical techniques are problematic. Identification of different lipid species from complex matrices is difficult, and therefore individual analytical steps, which include extraction, separation, and detection of lipids, must be chosen properly. This review critically documents recent strategies for lipid analysis from sample pretreatment to instrumental analysis and data interpretation published in the last five years (2019 to 2023). The advantages and disadvantages of various extraction methods are covered. The instrumental analysis step comprises methods for lipid identification and quantification. Mass spectrometry (MS) is the most used technique in lipid analysis, which can be performed by direct infusion MS approach or in combination with suitable separation techniques such as liquid chromatography or gas chromatography. Special attention is also given to the correct evaluation and interpretation of the data obtained from the lipid analyses. Only accurate, precise, robust and reliable analytical strategies are able to bring complex and useful lipidomic information, which may contribute to clarification of some diseases at the molecular level, and may be used as putative biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets.

Nowadays, lipidomics plays a crucial role in the investigation of novel biomarkers of various diseases. Its implementation into the field of clinical analysis led to the identification of specific lipids and/or significant changes in their plasma levels in patients suffering from cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, sepsis, and many other diseases and pathological conditions. Profiling of lipids and determination of their plasma concentrations could also be helpful in the case of drug therapy management, especially in combination with therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Here, for the first time, a combined approach based on the TDM of colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, and lipidomic profiling is presented in a case study of a critically ill male patient suffering from Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pneumonia. Implementation of innovative analytical approaches for TDM (online combination of capillary electrophoresis with tandem mass spectrometry, CZE-MS/MS) and lipidomics (liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS) was demonstrated. The CZE-MS/MS strategy confirmed the chosen colistin drug dosing regimen, leading to stable colistin concentrations in plasma samples. The determined colistin concentrations in plasma samples reached the required minimal inhibitory concentration of 1 μg/mL. The complex lipidomics approach led to monitoring 545 lipids in collected patient plasma samples during and after the therapy. Some changes in specific individual lipids were in good agreement with previous lipidomics studies dealing with sepsis. The presented case study represents a good starting point for identifying particular individual lipids that could correlate with antimicrobial and inflammation therapeutic management.

Many biologically active metabolites of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) are associated with different neurodegenerative diseases and neurological disorders. Precise and reliable methods for their determination are needed. Variability in their physicochemical properties makes the analytical process challenging. In this case, chemical modification of analyte derivatization could come into play. Here, we introduce a novel fast reversed-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UHPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method for the determination of Trp and its ten metabolites in human plasma samples after derivatization with 2-bromo-4′-nitroacetophenone (BNAP). The derivatization procedure was optimized in terms of incubation time, temperature, concentration, and volume of the derivatization reagent. Method development comprises a choice of a suitable stationary phase, mobile phase composition, and gradient elution optimization. The developed method was validated according to the ICH guidelines. Results of all validation parameters were within the acceptance criteria of the guideline, i.e., intra- and inter-day precision (expressed as relative standard deviation; RSD) were in the range of 0.5–8.2% and 2.3–7.4%, accuracy was in the range of 93.3–109.7% and 94.7–110.1%, limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0.15–9.43 ng/mL, coefficients of determination (R2) were higher than 0.9906, and carryovers were, in all cases, less than 8.8%. The practicability of the method was evaluated using the blue applicability grade index (BAGI) with a score of 65. Finally, the developed method was used for the analysis of Alzheimer’s disease and healthy control plasma to prove its applicability. Statistical analysis revealed significant changes in picolinic acid (PA), anthranilic acid (AA), 5 hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-OH IAA), and quinolinic acid (QA) concentration levels. This could serve as the basis for future studies that will be conducted with a large cohort of patients.

Biogenic amines are low-molecular-weight nitrogen compounds that are formed primarily by the decarboxylation of amino acids by microbial enzymes. These active substances are found mainly in various types of food or beverages. At certain concentrations, biogenic amines are essential for many physiological functions but toxic if consumed in large quantities. Therefore, the development and optimization of methods sensitive to determine these substances are very much needed. The determination of biogenic amines in food and beverages by the most commonly used separation methods with different types of detection is covered in this review.

Recently, a series of thirty-eight 4-{[(benzyloxy)carbonyl]amino}-2-hydroxybenzoic acid amides designed as potential acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE/BChE) inhibitors were described as potential drugs to alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Some of these compounds have shown promise for inhibiting either AChE or BChE. Since these compounds are structurally similar to agents inhibiting beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), the aim of the contribution was to verify how our compounds were able to affect this enzyme, which, when inhibited, blocks the formation of amyloid-β, but whose inhibition is associated with significant adverse effects in humans. At a concentration of 10 µM, only benzyl {4-[(4-fluorophenyl)carbamoyl]-3-hydroxyphenyl}carbamate was found to show approximately 28% inhibition of BACE1 activity.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurological disease of unknown etiology that is associated with various risk factors. Various pharmacological approaches targeting distinct mechanisms have been investigated; however, they have not yet achieved disease-modifying effects. A series of nine trisubstituted 1,3,5-triazine-based derivatives was investigated as potential inhibitors of the β-secretase enzyme (beta-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1, BACE1), one of the key enzymes in the pathogenesis of AD. Although the triazine-based derivatives are reported to be potent BACE1 inhibitors, the compounds discussed in this contribution, at a concentration of 10 µM, demonstrated completely insignificant activity. It is worth noting that methyl (4-{4-[(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)amino]-6-[(4-sulfamoylbenzyl)amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl}piperazin-1-yl)- acetate and 4-({4-chloro-6-[(3-hydroxypropyl)amino]-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl}amino)benzenesulfonamide showed an approximately 9% and 2% inhibition of BACE1 activity, respectively.