INFORM May 2026

20 INFORM MAY 2026 , VOL. 37, NO. 5

DISCOVERING NEW LIPID SOURCES WITH POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS FROM DIETARY FOODS Siddabasave Gowda B. Gowda, Divyavani Gowda, Shu-Ping Hui Hokkaido University researchers are pioneering the What if your daily cup of herbal tea or bowl of rice held secret

mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques, for targeted and untargeted lipid analysis, to uncover and quantify novel bioactive lipid species. Dietary lipids in food are being thoroughly evaluated thanks to recent advancements in lipidomics. Used in conjunction with enhanced chromatography–mass spectrometry techniques our research is revealing the intricacies of lipids and lipid-derived volatiles, such as aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones, and how they change with cooking temperatures and storage conditions. These findings also suggest fatty acids can modulate the body’s glycemic response by forming complexes with starches.

discovery of bioactive lipids in everyday Japanese foods, turning humble grains, teas, and staples into powerful allies against diabetes, inflammation, and metabolic diseases.

weapons against diabetes and inflammation? Lipids are essential nutrients in our diet, yet their composition in food remains underexplored. At Hokkaido University’s Laboratory for Advanced Lipid Analysis in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Japan, my research team investigates lipids and their functions at the intersection of analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and food science. The team is co led by Shu-Ping Hui, professor of analytical chemistry, in collaboration with Divyavani Gowda, assistant professor of analytical chemistry. Our lab specializes in using advanced liquid chromatography