The role of amino phospholipids in the removal of the cito- and geno-toxic aldehydes produced during lipid oxidation

The role of amino phospholipids in the removal of 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals and 4,5-epoxy-2-alkenals was studied to determine the fate of highly toxic oxygenated aldehydes produced in foods as a consequence of lipid oxidation. The results obtained showed that phosphatidylethanolamine rapidly removed both exogenously added aldehydes as well as the endogenously produced aldehydes when its fatty acid chains were oxidized in the presence of an oxidative stress inducer. This removal, which was always produced in the range of pH (6–9) and temperature (25–60 °C) studied, produced the corresponding carbonyl–amine reaction products between the aldehydes and the amino group of the amino phospholipid. These results suggest that, in the presence of amino phospholipids, the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid chains is not likely to produce free oxygenated aldehydes in enough concentration to pose a significant risk for human health. On the other hand, these compounds contributed to the formation of specific carbonyl–amine reaction products whose toxicity is mostly unknown at present.