Advance in food-derived phospholipids: Sources, molecular species and structure as well as their biological activities

Phospholipids derived from different food sources have been extensively studied and widely used in different industrial areas, including food, animal feed, medicine, and pharmaceuticals. In recent years, the utilization of phospholipids, particularly bioactive ones, has gained attention, owing to their enrichment of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This article presents a detailed and up-to-date review on the sources, molecular species, and structures of food-derived phospholipids. Moreover, this review highlights the structure–activity relationship of phospholipids and provides mechanistic insights into their biological activities. Food-derived phospholipids have been isolated and characterized from various sources, including plant, animal, and aquatic sources. These phospholipids possess considerable differentiation in their molecular species and structure, owing to variations in the properties of the polar headgroup, the length of the fatty alkyl chain, and the degree of unsaturation. In particular, the molecular species of aquatic-source phospholipids show a substantial amount of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA. The diversity in molecular species and structures results in different biological activities. Polar headgroups such as choline and amino groups, as well as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids, are crucial to our food system and health, especially regarding antioxidant activity, memory, improving immunity, and preventing cardiovascular disease.