Rapid microwave assisted extraction of meat lipids

• MAE of lipids reduced analysis time and solvent consumption.
• The new method extinguished the use of chloroform as extraction solvent.
• The developed extraction method did not alter lipid composition.

A new method for microwave assisted extraction (MAE) of meat lipids using a non-halogenated solvent and at low temperature was developed. The effect of microwave irradiation on lipid oxidation during extraction was verified by conjugated dienes, peroxide index, volatile compound (hexanal, pentanal and propanal) and fatty acid analyses. The method showed to be precise and accurate at comparison with Folch extraction and by validation with standard reference material. No changes occurred in the fatty acid composition and no lipid oxidation products were detected. The optimized and validated method was applied to meats with different lipid contents. The results showed that MAE can be used to study lipids from meat samples without the risk of chemical changes during the extraction process, allowing for automation, precision, accuracy, reduction in extraction time, lower cost, reductions in sample size and solvent consumption, hence producing fewer residues for the environment.