Development and Validation of the LC–MS/MS Method for Determination of 130 Natural and Synthetic Cannabinoids in Cannabis Oil

Dietary supplements are widely available products used by millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, the procedure of adding pharmaceutical and psychoactive substances has recently been observed, in order to increase the effectiveness of supplements in the form of hemp oils. For this reason, it is extremely important to develop analytical methods for the detection of substances prohibited in dietary supplements and food products. In the present study, using the LC–MS/MS technique, an innovative method for the detection and quantification of 117 synthetic cannabinoids and 13 natural cannabinoids in dietary supplements and food products in the form of oils during one 13-min chromatographic run was developed. Each method was fully validated by characterization of the following parameters: The limit of detection was set to 0.1 ng/mL (100 µg/g, 0.01%). The limit of quantification ranged from 0.05 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL. The criteria assumed for systematic error caused by methodological bias (±20%) resulting from the recovery of analytes after the extraction process, as well as the coefficient of variation (CV) (≤20%), were met for all 130 tested compounds. The positive results of the validation confirmed that the developed methods met the requirements related to the adequacy of their application in a given scope. Additionally, methods developed using the LC–MS/MS technique were verified via proficiency tests. The developed analytical procedure was successfully used in the analysis of hemp oils and capsules containing them in the studied dietary supplements.     

Chromatographic Determination of the Mycotoxin Patulin in 219 Chinese Tea Samples and Implications for Human Health

Patulin (PAT) is a mycotoxin, with several acute, chronic, and cellular level toxic effects, produced by various fungi. A limit for PAT in food of has been set by authorities to guarantee food safety. Research on PAT in tea has been very limited although tea is the second largest beverage in the world. In this paper, HPLC−DAD and GC−MS methods for analysis of PAT in different tea products, such as non-fermented (green tea), partially fermented (oolong tea, white tea, yellow tea), completely fermented (black tea), and post-fermented (dark tea and Pu-erh tea) teas were developed. The methods showed good selectivity with regard to tea pigments and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and a recovery of 90–102% for PAT at a 10–100 ppb spiking level. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) in tea were 1.5 ng/g and 5.0 ng/g for HPLC−UV, and 0.25 ng/g and 0.83 ng/g for GC−MS. HPLC was simpler and more robust, while GC−MS showed higher sensitivity and selectivity. GC−MS was used to validate the HPLC−UV method and prove its accuracy. The PAT content of 219 Chinese tea samples was investigated. Most tea samples contained less than 10 ng/g, ten more than 10 ng/g and two more than 50 ng/g. The results imply that tea products in China are safe with regard to their PAT content. Even an extreme daily consumption of 25 g of the tea with the highest PAT content (124 ng/g), translates to an intake of only 3 μg/person/day, which is still an order of magnitude below the maximum allowed daily intake of 30 µg for an adult.     

在线固相萃取/净化-高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定番茄、大米和圆白菜中8种氨基甲酸酯类农药残留

建立了在线固相萃取/净化-高效液相色谱-串联质谱(online SPE-HPLC-MS/MS)同时测定番茄、大米和圆白菜中8种氨基甲酸酯类农药的分析方法。将番茄5.0 g(不加水)、圆白菜和大米各2.0 g(各加3 mL水),以1000 r/min旋涡1 min,加入2 g氯化钠和10 mL 0.5%(v/v)甲酸乙腈溶液,旋涡均匀后离心,上清液氮吹后用10%(v/v)乙腈水溶液复溶,复溶液使用CAPCELL PAK C₁₈净化柱(50 mm×2.0 mm, 15 μm)进行在线净化,当流动相0.1%(v/v)甲酸水溶液和乙腈的体积比分别为90∶10和35∶65时,可实现氨基甲酸酯农药的吸附和洗脱。以ACQUITY UPLC CSH C₁₈色谱柱(100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm)为分析柱,实现8种氨基甲酸酯类农药的分离,以0.1%(v/v)甲酸水溶液和乙腈为流动相进行梯度洗脱,在12.0 min内即可完成分析。在优化条件下,8种氨基甲酸酯类农药在各自线性范围内线性良好,相关系数均大于0.995, LOD和LOQ分别为0.01~0.3 ng/mL和0.05~1.0 ng/mL;在3个加标水平下,8种氨基甲酸酯类农药的加标回收率为73.76%~112.32%,相对标准偏差为1.28%~13.14%(n=6)。通过在线净化的方式,大大提高了前处理效率,只需12 min即可完成净化上样,不需氮吹复溶等步骤,提高了处理效率。该法回收率高,重复性好,具有准确、快速、灵敏、环保等优点,可用于植物性食品中8种氨基甲酸酯类农药的检测。     

Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction Based on Magnetic Sulfonated Reduced Graphene Oxide for HPLC–MS/MS Analysis of Illegal Basic Dyes in Foods

In this study, a magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) method coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) for the determination of illegal basic dyes in food samples was developed and validated. This method was based on Magnetic sulfonated reduced graphene oxide (M-S-RGO), which was sensitive and selective to analytes with structure of multiaromatic rings and negatively charged ions. Several factors affecting MSPE efficiency such as pH and adsorption time were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration curves exhibited good linearity, ranging from 5 to 60 µg/g with correlation coefficients >0.9950. The limits of detection of 16 basic dyes were in the range of 0.01–0.2 µg/L. The recoveries ranged from 70% to 110% with RSD% < 10%. The results indicate that M-S-RGO is an efficient and selective adsorbent for the extraction and cleanup of basic dyes. Due to the MSPE procedures, matrix effect and interference were eliminated in the analysis of HPLC–MS/MS without the matrix-matched standards. Thus, validation data showed that the proposed MSPE–HPLC–MS/MS method was rapid, efficient, selective, and sensitive for the determination of illegal basic dyes in foods.     

UPLC–MS/MS测定动物源食品中9种β-受体激动剂

建立超高效液相色谱–串联质谱法检测动物源食品中克伦特罗、莱克多巴胺、沙丁胺醇、特布他林、氯丙那林、西马特罗、菲诺特罗、妥布特罗、喷布特罗等9种β-受体激动剂的方法。样品经β-葡萄糖醛苷酶酶解,用0.2mol/L乙酸铵溶液(pH 5.2)提取,阳离子固相萃取柱净化,以乙腈–0.2%甲酸水溶液作为流动相进行洗脱,用Eclipse Plus C_(18)(50 mm×2.1 mm,1.8μm)色谱柱分离,采用多反应监测(MRM)模式进行定性和定量分析。9种β-受体激动剂的质量浓度在0.1~10.0 ng/mL范围内与定量离子丰度呈良好的线性关系,线性相关系数均大于0.999,检出限为0.1μg/kg。平均回收率为85.0%~101.2%,测定结果的相对标准偏差为2.8%~9.5%(n=6)。该方法精密度好,灵敏度高,能简便、快速、准确地测定动物源食品中的9种β-受体激动剂。     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法检测婴幼儿辅助食品中多种兽药残留

生产婴幼儿辅助食品的原辅料中常常含有鱼类、肉类、肝类等动物性组织,存在兽药残留的风险,为了更加全面地对这类产品进行安全监管,研究并开发了同时检测婴幼儿辅助食品中6大类(喹诺酮类、磺胺类、大环内酯类、硝基咪唑类、氯霉素类和抗病毒类)50种抗生素和抗病毒类兽药残留的超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱法(UPLC-MS/MS)。样品采用酸化乙腈超声提取,提取液经新型的脂质增强型Captiva EMR-Lipid固相萃取柱净化,浓缩复溶后采用流动相乙腈和0.1%(v/v)甲酸水溶液,经C18柱梯度洗脱分离,电喷雾多反应监测(MRM)模式检测,基质匹配外标法定量。结果显示,该方法50种兽药在0.5~50 μg/L范围内线性关系较好,相关系数均不低于0.995,方法检出限为0.03~0.70 μg/kg,定量限为0.09~2.33 μg/kg。50种化合物在不同基质中,添加5和50 μg/kg两个加标水平进行试验,平均回收率为64.37%~119.3%,相对标准偏差均小于15%。将该方法应用于14份国产和6份进口的婴幼儿辅助食品检测,结果显示,1份进口肉类婴幼儿辅助食品中检出磺胺喹噁啉、磺胺二甲嘧啶和替米考星。该方法简单快速,灵敏度和准确度高,样品量消耗少,适用于婴幼儿辅助食品中多种兽药残留的检测。     

Determination of Tetracyclines in Honey Using Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Absorbance Detection and Residue Confirmation by Mass Spectrometry

A determination method has been optimized and validated for the simultaneous analysis of tetracycline （TC）, oxytetracycline （OTC）, chlortetracycline （CTC） and doxycycline （DC） in honey. Tetracyclines （TCs） were removed from honey samples by chelation with metal ions bound to small Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow columns and eluted with Na2EDTA-Mcllvaine pH 4.0 buffers. Extracts were further cleaned up by Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction （SPE）, while other solid-phase extraction cartridges were compared. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a polar end-capped C 18 column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of oxalic acid, acetonitrile and methanol. LC with ultraviolet absorbance at 355 nm resulted in the quantitation of all four tetracycline residues from honey samples fortified at 15, 50, and 100 ng/g, with liner ranges for tetracyclines of 0.05 to 2 μg/mL. Mean recoveries for tetracyclines were greater than 50% with R.S.D. values less than 10% （n= 18）. Detection limits of 5, 5, 10, 10 ng/g for oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline, respectively and quantitation limits of 15 ng/g for all the four tetracyclines were determined. Direct confirmation of the four residues in honey （2-50 ng/g） was realized by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC/MS/MS）. The linear ranges of tetracyclines determined by LC/MS/MS were between 5 to 300 ng/mL, with the linear correlation coefficient r〉 0.995. The limits of detection of 1 to 2 ng/g were obtained for the analysis of the TCs in honey.     

保健食品中违禁药物检验技术研究进展

保健食品是适用于特定人群、具有调节作用、不以治疗疾病为目的的食品。随着人们生活水平的提高和对健康的追求，保健食品市场日益增大。目前，制售假冒伪劣保健产品、虚假宣传保健食品功效和欺诈式销售产品是制约保健食品产业可持续发展的主要因素。尤其是保健食品中违禁药物的非法添加，使保健食品的食用安全存在较大隐患，严重降低消费者的信心。对保健食品违禁添加的药物进行有效监管，对保护消费者权益具有十分重要的意义。该综述以与保健功能声称相关的药物药理作用为溯源基础，系统梳理了保健食品中可能非法添加的违禁药物种类，重点介绍常见的8类保健食品违禁药物检测技术进展，包括液相色谱法、液相色谱-质谱法、直接实时分析质谱法、气相色谱-质谱法、核磁共振波谱法、红外光谱法、高分辨质谱法等，以期为保健食品违禁药物检测标准的研制和日常监测提供参考，同时对保健食品中违禁药物添加的趋势和检验技术发展进行了简单展望。     

Combined quantification of paclitaxel,docetaxel and ritonavir in human feces and urine using LC‐MS/MS

A combined assay for the determination of paclitaxel, docetaxel and ritonavir in human feces and urine is described. The drugs were extracted from 200 μL urine or 50 mg feces followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis coupled with positive ionization electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The validation program included calibration model, accuracy and precision, carry‐over, dilution test, specificity and selectivity, matrix effect, recovery and stability. Acceptance criteria were according to US Food and Drug Administration guidelines on bioanalytical method validation. The validated range was 0.5–500 ng/mL for paclitaxel and docetaxel, 2–2000 ng/mL for ritonavir in urine, 2–2000 ng/mg for paclitaxel and docetaxel, and 8–8000 ng/mg for ritonavir in feces. Inter‐assay accuracy and precision were tested for all analytes at four concentration levels and were within 8.5% and <10.2%, respectively, in both matrices. Recovery at three concentration levels was between 77 and 94% in feces samples and between 69 and 85% in urine samples. Method development, including feces homogenization and spiking blank urine samples, are discussed. We demonstrated that each of the applied drugs could be quantified successfully in urine and feces using the described assay. The method was successfully applied for quantification of the analytes in feces and urine samples of patients. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LC–MS/MS analysis of coccidiostats in meat supply chain safety

The presence of coccidiostats in meat products represents an important topic because of the animal administration of these substances, authorized as feed additives for targeted species, in order to prevent and inhibit coccidiosis. Coccidiostats include both ionophores and synthetic molecules characterized by different chemical–physical properties such as polarity. Meat is a matrix characterized by many interfering compound groups, such as proteins, phospholipids, and fats. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) analysis allows the required selectivity and sensitivity for discriminating analytes and matrix interferences. For these reasons, an LC–MS/MS method for the analysis of coccidiostats in meat products was developed without SPE purification steps. The correct analyte quantification is allowed by matrix-matched calibration. The method validation was performed by the replicated analysis of spiked meat samples at two different concentration levels (limit of quantification—LOQ—and a 10 times LOQ) in order to evaluate method recovery and repeatability, plus spiked samples at higher concentrations up to 10,000 μg/kg. Moreover, the metrological approach was used for the calculation of method uncertainty. The application of the developed method to real samples evidenced the presence of some non-ionophores coccidiostats in the meat and liver of chicken and rabbit species. Although, the determined concentration was below the established MRLs, the monitoring of coccidiostats in the meat supply chain is confirmed as a good strategy in order to safeguard consumer health.     

Development of an Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Hydroxylated Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Animal-Derived Food

Hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) are a group of metabolites biotransformed from polychlorinated biphenyls by animals with higher toxicities than their parent compounds. The present work developed and validated an analytical method for determinating penta-, hexa-, and hepta-chlorine substituted OH-PCBs in animal-derived food based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) with isotope-dilution. The target analytes were extracted with a 50% n-hexane/dichloromethane (v/v), purified by sulfuric acid-silica gel, and separated by 5% hydrated silica gel, achieving a final concentration of 100 times before injection to LC–MS/MS. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for target OH-PCBs were within the ranges of 0.003–0.010 μg/kg and 0.009–0.030 μg/kg, respectively. Average recoveries ranged between 76.7% and 116.5%, with relative standard deviations of less than 18.4%. The proposed method is simple, time-saving, sensitive, and accurate, making it a powerful tool for risk monitoring of OH-PCBs in animal-derived food.     

Validation of short run time LC-ESI (+) MS/MS method for determination of twenty recommended pesticide residues in food based on QuEChERS extraction technique

Food is expected to contain pesticide residues that might have many problems due to their toxicities for human and animals. So, it is very important to detect and quantify the pesticides contamination levels to increase food safety for the human. The target of our study is to analyse a 20 new pesticides including different pesticide classes such as 1 acaricide, 3 fungicides, 2 plant growth regulators, 11 herbicides, 1 insecticide, 1 rodenticide, and 1 metabolite which were selected according to their modern application in the Egyptian agriculture as well as the recommendation of the Egyptian Agriculture Pesticides Committee (APC). The research is focused on the method validation for the routine analysis of the targeted pesticide residues according to the European SANTE/11,813/2017 guideline. The validation was carried out by fortifying of three levels at 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg in four blank matrices: apple, green beans, fennel seeds and rice which represent different classes of food. The most common citrate buffered QuEChERS extraction method and liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) device were used. The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive electrospray ionisation ESI (+) mode and the non-scheduled multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) method in a short run time of 16.0 min. The limits of quantifications (LOQs) for all pesticides ranged between 0.01 and 0.05 mg/kg. Good linearity of the method was in the concentration range 0.001–0.5 μg/ml with acceptable correlation coefficients (r²) ≥ 0.99 for all analytes. The average recoveries for all the target pesticide residues were in the range of 70–120% with relative standard deviations RSDs ≤ 20%. The matrix effect was compensated by using the standard addition method. This short run time LC ESI (+) MS/MS Method may help laboratories which deal with the routine pesticide residues analysis in different food samples.     

Eco-friendly and Cleaner Process Using Online Microwave-assisted Steam Extraction Coupled with Solid-phase Extraction for Trace Analysis of Sulfonamides in Animal Feed

An environmentally friendly method for extracting sulfonamides(SAs) residues from animal feed was described and applied. The method used online microwave-assisted steam extraction coupled with solid phase extraction(MASE-SPE), which was followed by the analysis using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS). The SAs residues were extracted successively with water steam under microwave irradiation, and thus directly introduced into an SPE column containing cation-exchange resin. The SAs were then eluted with methanol-ammonia(90:10, volume ratio) from the SPE column and followed by HPLC-MS/MS. The limits of detection(LODs) for the analytes ranged from 0.24 ng/g to 0.49 ng/g. The limits of quantification(LOQs) ranged from 0.82 ng/g to 1.63 ng/g. Average recoveries of SAs were 76.3%-92.1%. The developed method was a reliable and environmentally friendly alternative to previous methods with respect to time, solvent and labor consumption for the analysis of SAs in animal foodstuffs.     

Analysis of pharmaceuticals in indirect potable reuse systems using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) LC–MS/MS method for 18 commercial drugs in secondary wastewater and product water from water recycling plants using microfiltration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO) has been developed, optimised and validated. The method incorporates a range of multi-class pharmaceuticals including lipid lowering agents, analgesics, antipyretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, anticoagulants, tranquilizers, cytostatic agents, and antiepileptics. Method limits of quantitation (MLQs) in secondary wastewater ranged from 15 to 250 ng/L, while MLQs in post-RO water ranged from 1 to 25 ng/L. Results from analysis of secondary wastewater from Western Australia are presented, and represent the largest survey of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals within Australia to date. Analysis of post-RO water from two MF/RO water recycling facilities also demonstrate that MF/RO treatment removes most pharmaceuticals to below the analytical limits of detection, and more importantly, up to seven orders of magnitude below health-based guideline values.     

Multiresidue fully automated online SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of endocrine-disrupting and pharmaceutical compounds at trace level in surface water

The present work describes the development and validation of a sensitive method for the determination of traces of diverse groups of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in surface water. Thirty-seven substances have been selected, including 10 pesticides, 6 hormonal steroids and assimilates, 12 pharmaceuticals, 5 alkylphenols, 1 chlorophenol and 3 other well-known human contaminants, 1 UV filter and 2 plasticisers. An automated online solid-phase extraction (SPE) is directly coupled to liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Different SPE columns have been tested, and the injection volume has been optimised. The developed analytical methodology is based on the direct injection of 2.5 mL of water sample acidified at pH 1.6 on an Oasis HLB loading column (20 × 2.1 mm) with 5-µm particles. Then, the chromatographic separation is achieved on a Kinetex XB C18 (100 × 2.1 mm; 1.7 µm) column, and the quantification is realised in multiple-reaction monitoring mode. The online SPE step warrants minimal sample handling, low solvent consumption, high sample throughput, saving time and costs. This method allows the quantification of the target analytes in the lower ng/L concentration range, with limits of quantification (LQs) between 100 pg/L and 10 ng/L, 26 compounds having LQ lower than 1 ng/L. The monitoring of two selected MS/MS transitions for each compound allows the reliable confirmation of positive findings even at the LQ level. The developed and validated methodology has been applied to the analysis of various real samples from two French rivers. Twelve target compounds have been detected in the environmental samples, and the major pollutants are pharmaceuticals usually used by humans (paracetamol, carbamazepine, oxazepam, ketoprofen, trimethoprim). The pesticides atrazine and carbendazim have been ubiquitously detected in real samples too. Metronidazole, sulfamethoxazole and diuron were also frequently quantified in the water samples.     

蛋白芯片法同时检测食品中克伦特罗与莱克多巴胺的残留量

建立了食品中克伦特罗和莱克多巴胺残留含量同时检测的微阵列蛋白芯片法。结果显示:克伦特罗的线性范围为0.07～1.2 ng/g;莱克多巴胺的线性范围为0.05～0.8 ng/g。猪肉、猪肝中上述两种物质的加标回收率为74%～132%,相对标准偏差均小于10%。将所建立的方法与HPLC-MS方法进行对比,两者检测结果一致。该方法简单、快速、通量高,可用于实际样品中克伦特罗和莱克多巴胺残留量的检测。     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定猪肉、鸡蛋、牛奶中9种食源性兴奋剂类药物残留

β-受体激动剂、β-阻断剂、蛋白同化制剂属于兴奋剂类药物,在动物饲养和屠宰过程中的违禁使用成为食源性兴奋剂类药物残留的来源,危害人类健康.目前 β-受体激动剂、蛋白同化制剂的检测较多,β-阻断剂检测报道较少,动物源食品中 β-阻断剂检测尚无标准方法.该文建立了超高效液相色谱-串联质谱测定猪肉、鸡蛋、牛奶中 β-受体激动...     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法快速测定水基食品模拟物中28种受限芳香族伯胺的迁移量

建立了高效液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)联用方法用于快速测定水基食品模拟物(10%乙醇、30 g/L乙酸和20%乙醇)中28种芳香族伯胺的迁移量。用水基食品模拟物浸泡待测样品中一定时间(在100 ℃条件下)后,冷却至室温并混匀,所得浸泡液经亲水性聚四氟乙烯针头式过滤器过滤后,直接进行HPLC-MS/MS测定。采用Agilent Zorbax SB-Phenyl柱,以水和0.1%甲酸-25%乙腈-甲醇溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱分离;质谱具电喷雾离子源,在正离子和分段式多反应监测(MRM)模式下检测。结果表明,方法定量限为0.002～10 μg/L,在5～100 μg/L或10～100 μg/L范围内线性关系良好(r2＞0.995);在10、20、40 μg/L水平的加标回收率为76.6%～114%,相对标准偏差为1.53%～8.97%。该方法样品前处理简单快速,色谱分离效果和线性关系好,检出限较低、回收率和准确度高,且完全满足欧盟(EU)No 10/2011法规中对芳香族伯胺特定迁移量的限量要求。该方法已成功应用于30批次出口欧盟的食品接触材料相关制品中芳香族伯胺特定迁移量的检测。     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定动物性食品中20种抗生素类药物残留

建立了一种专属、灵敏的方法用于同时检测动物性食品中β-内酰胺类青霉素类抗生素、大环内酯类抗生素、四环族抗生素和林可胺类共20 种抗生素药物残留.首先对动物性食品中的抗生素类药物进行提取,再经HLB固相萃取柱净化,采用电喷雾离子源,以正离子检测方式进行质谱分析.实验结果表明,在10-200 μg/L质量浓度范围内上述20...