A comparison of three methods of soft ionization mass spectrometry of crude phospholipid extracts

Many different classes of phospholipids were identified from crude extracts of hearts by three soft ionization mass spectrometric techniques: liquid matrix secondary ion mass spectrometry in the negative mode, (-)LSIMS, and in the positive mode, (+)LSIMS, and field desorption. (-)LSIMS and (+)LSIMS are complementary methods. In some cases it was possible to establish the fatty acid and aldehyde composition and position of some phospholipid classes, by the analysis of fragments.