液相色谱/四极杆-飞行时间质谱法筛查奶酪中29种禁用和限用合成色素

建立了奶酪样品中29种禁用和限用合成色素的液相色谱/四极杆-飞行时间质谱(LC/Q-TOF MS)筛查方法。样品经正己烷-水(3:1, v/v)振荡提取,得到正己烷层、水层和残渣3部分。正己烷层经旋转蒸发浓缩后,用乙酸乙酯-环己烷(1:1, v/v)溶解,经过凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)净化去除油脂。水层经乙腈振荡提取,得到乙腈-水提取液。残渣经氨水-甲醇(1:99, v/v)溶液振荡提取,得到氨水-甲醇提取液。乙腈-水提取液和氨水-甲醇提取液不需净化直接分析。结果表明: 29种不同极性范围的合成色素化合物分别得到了有效的提取,提取回收率为70%～95%。而Q-TOF MS提供的精确质量数定性功能可以将不同种类的合成色素化合物筛查出来,各化合物与精确质量质谱库中化合物的匹配度为59.66～99.47。通过Target MS/MS扫描方式进行定量,得到8种苏丹类化合物的方法检出限为0.4～2.5 μg/kg, 21种水溶性合成色素及染料化合物的检出限为20～80 μg/kg。该方法对禁用和限用合成色素的筛查范围广泛,对含有蛋白质、脂肪等基质的食品具有较好的适用性。     

Fast analysis of doping agents in urine by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry: I. Screening analysis

The general strategy to perform anti-doping analyses of urine samples starts with the screening for a wide range of compounds. This step should be fast, generic and able to detect any sample that may contain a prohibited substance while avoiding false negatives and reducing false positive results. The experiments presented in this work were based on ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Thanks to the high sensitivity of the method, urine samples could be diluted 2-fold prior to injection. One hundred and three forbidden substances from various classes (such as stimulants, diuretics, narcotics, anti-estrogens) were analysed on a C₁₈ reversed-phase column in two gradients of 9 min (including two 3 min equilibration periods) for positive and negative electrospray ionisation and detected in the MS full scan mode. The automatic identification of analytes was based on retention time and mass accuracy, with an automated tool for peak picking. The method was validated according to the International Standard for Laboratories described in the World Anti-Doping Code and was selective enough to comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency recommendations. In addition, the matrix effect on MS response was measured on all investigated analytes spiked in urine samples. The limits of detection ranged from 1 to 500 ng/mL, allowing the identification of all tested compounds in urine. When a sample was reported positive during the screening, a fast additional pre-confirmatory step was performed to reduce the number of confirmatory analyses.     

Multiresidue screening of pesticides in Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In this study, an efficient screening method based on a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe extraction method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was established for the determination of 90 pesticides residues in Panax Ginseng. The accuracy of the method was then verified by analyzing the false positive rate and the screening detection limit in Ginseng. The results revealed that the screening detection limit of 33 of 90 pesticide residues were 0.01 mg·kg⁻¹, 22 species were 0.05 mg·kg⁻¹, 11 species were 0.10 mg·kg⁻¹, 8 species were 0.20 mg·kg⁻¹, and another 16 species were greater than 0.20 mg·kg⁻¹. A total of 73 pesticides were ultimately suitable to be practically applied for rapid analysis of pesticide residues in Ginseng. Finally, the established method was used to analyze the pesticide residues in 35 Ginseng samples available on the market. And the residual of dimethomorph, azoxystrobin, tebuconazole, and pyraclostrobin was relatively severe in Ginseng samples. This work expanded the range of pesticides detected and provided a rapid, effective method for pesticides screening in Ginseng.     

超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱定性研究茶叶籽中的酚类化合物

采用超高效液相色谱(UHPLC)-四极杆-飞行时间质谱(Q-TOF/MS)技术定性分析茶叶籽中的酚类化合物。茶叶籽样品经乙醇水溶液提取后经反相色谱分离,通过Q-TOF/MS进行化合物的鉴定。基于山茶属及相关植物化学组成的文献,建立了一个含有106种酚类化合物的数据库。对UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS采集得到的一级质谱数据进行数据库检索,然后对检索到的化合物色谱峰进行二级质谱扫描,根据得到的碎片离子推断化合物的结构。初步推断出茶叶籽提取物中的24种酚类化合物,包括13种酚酸类、4种儿茶素类和7种黄酮类化合物,并通过与标准品比对,进一步确证了这些化合物。结果表明UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS技术可以用于对茶叶籽中酚类化合物进行快速、准确、可靠的定性分析,促进新化合物的发现与鉴别。     

A comprehensive study of celastrol metabolism in vivo and in vitro using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Celastrol has attracted great attention owing to its anti-arthritis, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Nevertheless, its metabolism in vivo (rats) and in vitro (rat liver microsomes and intestinal flora) has not been comprehensively characterized. In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used as a rapid and sensitive approach for studying the metabolism of celastrol in vivo and in vitro. A total of 43 metabolites were identified and characterized. These include 26 metabolites in vivo, and 28 metabolites in vitro (nine metabolites in rat liver microsomes and 24 metabolites in rat intestinal flora). Additionally, the celastrol-biotransformation capacity of the intestinal tract was confirmed to exceed that of the liver. Furthermore, the metabolic profile of celastrol is summarised. The information obtained from this study may provide a basis for understanding the pharmacological mechanisms of celastrol and will be beneficial for clinical applications.     

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of the impact of bran-processing on the chemical profile of Radix Paeoniae Alba (Baishao)

In this study, a rapid and versatile ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based chemical profiling approach was applied to evaluate chemical constitution of crude and processed Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) samples. A total of 44 compounds were identified, among which the contents of 9 compounds in processed samples were obviously decreased and 8 compounds were increased. Furthermore, compound 28 was not found in RPA sample after stir-frying with wheat bran. The proposed method provided a chemical basis for exploring the processed mechanism of herbal medicine.     

液相色谱-四极杆/ 飞行时间质谱快速筛查与确证苹果、番茄和甘蓝中的281种农药残留

建立了苹果、番茄和甘蓝中281种农药残留的QuEChERS结合液相色谱-四极杆/飞行时间质谱(LC-Q-TOF/MS)快速筛查方法。方法采用1%醋酸乙腈提取样品,经丙基乙二胺(PSA)净化,LC-Q-TOF/MS测定。281种农药在苹果、番茄和甘蓝中3个添加水平下的回收率在70%～120%范围的比例分别为98.6%、99.3%和98.2%;回收率的相对标准偏差(RSD)均≤20%(n=5);在0.25～10倍最大残留限量(MRL)的含量范围内,线性相关系数r²≥0.99的农药比例分别为95.7%、96.1%和98.2%;检出限分别为0.03～4.47、0.01～4.49和0.02～3.61 μg/kg。本方法采用精确质量数据库和谱图库检索的方式,实现了不用农药标准品对照而完成对果蔬中农药残留的快速筛查,提高了定性鉴别的准确性。应用所建立的方法对30个市售果蔬样品进行筛查,共检出13种农药残留。其中,甘蓝中甲胺磷的含量超过了GB 2763-2012《食品安全国家标准\5食品中农药最大残留限量》和欧盟的MRL;番茄中鱼藤酮的含量超出欧盟的MRL。     

Assessment of benzophenone-4 reactivity with free chlorine by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The stability of the UV filter benzophenone-4 (BP-4) in free chlorine-containing water was investigated, for the first time, by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–QqTOF-MS). High mass accuracy and resolution capabilities of this hybrid mass spectrometer were used for the reliable assignation of empirical formulae and chemical structures of BP-4 derivatives. Time-course profiles of the parent compound and its by-products were simultaneously recorded by direct injection of sample aliquots, after quenching the excess of chlorine, in the LC–QqTOF-MS system. At neutral pHs, in excess of chlorine, BP-4 showed a limited stability fitting a pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics. A noticeable reduction in the half-lives of BP-4 was observed when increasing the sample pH between 6 and 8 units and also in presence of bromide traces. The reaction pathway of this UV filter involved a first electrophilic substitution of hydrogen per chlorine (or bromide) in the phenolic ring, followed by oxidation of the carbonyl moiety to an ester group, which induced a further electrophilic substitution in the same aromatic ring. Above reactions were also noticed when mixing a BP-4 containing personal care product with chlorinated tap water and in chlorinated swimming pool and sewage water, previously spiked with a BP-4 standard.     

液相色谱-四极杆/ 飞行时间质谱快速筛查与确证苹果、番茄和甘蓝中的281种农药残留

建立了苹果、番茄和甘蓝中281种农药残留的QuEChERS结合液相色谱-四极杆/飞行时间质谱(LC-Q-TOF/MS)快速筛查方法。方法采用1%醋酸乙腈提取样品,经丙基乙二胺(PSA)净化,LC-Q-TOF/MS测定。281种农药在苹果、番茄和甘蓝中3个添加水平下的回收率在70%～120%范围的比例分别为98.6%、99.3%和98.2%;回收率的相对标准偏差(RSD)均≤20%(n=5);在0.25～10倍最大残留限量(MRL)的含量范围内,线性相关系数r²≥0.99的农药比例分别为95.7%、96.1%和98.2%;检出限分别为0.03～4.47、0.01～4.49和0.02～3.61 μg/kg。本方法采用精确质量数据库和谱图库检索的方式,实现了不用农药标准品对照而完成对果蔬中农药残留的快速筛查,提高了定性鉴别的准确性。应用所建立的方法对30个市售果蔬样品进行筛查,共检出13种农药残留。其中,甘蓝中甲胺磷的含量超过了GB 2763-2012《食品安全国家标准\5食品中农药最大残留限量》和欧盟的MRL;番茄中鱼藤酮的含量超出欧盟的MRL。     

超高效液相色谱/高分辨飞行时间质谱法同时检测乳制品中19种抗生素

利用超高效液相色谱/高分辨飞行时间质谱结合数据库建立了乳制品中19种抗生素的分析方法。样品依次经过乙腈和酸化乙腈处理后,冷冻离心浓缩,经超高效液相色谱分离,正离子扫描模式下,在10 min内对19种抗生素进行分离和检测,质量浓度在10～500或15～1000 μg/L范围内具有良好的线性关系,检出限为3～5 μg/L,平均回收率为68.4%～96.7%。加标样品的筛查结果表明,保留时间偏差不大于0.1 min,质量偏差小于5 mDa,同位素峰形匹配度不低于87.4%, 19种加标抗生素被全部检测出来,且大部分抗生素获得很高的鉴定评分。对购自本地超市的40余份乳制品进行了筛查分析,未检出阳性样品。该分析方法具有前处理简单、分析速度快、灵敏度高、质量精确度高的特点,可应用于乳制品中抗生素的快速筛查。     

Determination of priority organic micro-pollutants in water by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

A multiclass method has been developed for screening, quantification and confirmation of organic micro-pollutants in water by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with a triple quadrupole analyzer. The work has been focused on the determination of more than 50 compounds belonging to different chemical families: 19 organochlorine and organophosphorus insecticides, 6 herbicides, 7 polychlorinated biphenyls, 16 polycyclic aromatics hydrocarbons, 2 brominated diphenyl ethers, and 3 octyl/nonyl phenols and pentachlorobenzene. Most of these analytes are included in the list of priority substances in the framework on European Water Policy.Analyte extraction was performed by solid phase extraction using C₁₈ cartridges, and five isotopically labeled standards were added before extraction as surrogates. Analyses were performed by gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in electron impact mode. Accuracy and precision were evaluated by means of recovery experiments using water samples fortified at two concentration levels (25 and 250 ng L⁻¹), with satisfactory results for most of analytes. The excellent selectivity and sensitivity reached in selected reaction monitoring mode allowed us satisfactory quantification and confirmation at levels as low as 25 ng L⁻¹. Two MS/MS transitions were acquired for each analyte, using the Q/q intensity ratio as a confirmatory parameter. The method developed was applied to the analysis of surface, ground and wastewater samples collected from the Valencia Region (Spain).Analytical methodology using negative chemical ionization mode was also validated for the organochlorine compounds selected, showing a superior sensitivity and lower detection limits.     

Evaluating polymer monolith in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for reliable quantification and confirmation of quinolone antibacterials in edible animal food

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method is presented to determine seven trace quinolone antibacterials simultaneously in milk, egg, chicken and fish. This method is based on the combination of polymer monolith in-tube solid-phase microextraction with liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-QTOF-MS). LC/ESI-QTOF-MS offers the capability of unequivocal identification of target compounds from complex matrices, as well as the possibility of quantitation at low-level concentrations in real samples. The extraction was performed with a poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic column. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good extraction efficiencies for the targets were obtained with no matrix interference in the subsequent LC/ESI-QTOF-MS. Good linearities were obtained for seven quinolones with the correlation coefficients (R) above 0.9951. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) for seven quinolones were found to be 0.3–1.2 ng/g in egg, 0.2–3.0 ng/mL in milk, 0.2–0.7 ng/g in chicken and 0.2–1.0 ng/g in fish. The recoveries of quinolones spiked in four different matrices ranged from 80.2 to 115.0%, with relative standard deviations less than 14.5%. The developed method was applied for the determination of quinolone residues in animal-producing food, and the positive samples were confirmed with high number of identification points (IPs) according to the IP system defined by the European Union (Commission Decision 2002/657/EC).     

Chemical profiling and characterization of phenolic acids,flavonoids, terpene glycosides from Vangueria agrestis using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and metabolomics approach

Vangueria agrestis is a shrub indigenous to tropical Africa, belonging to family Rubiaceae and is traditionally used as a decoction for treatment of fever, pain, and malaria. This study was undertaken to investigate the chemical constituents based on precursor exact mass and fragment ion information. The chemical profiling and structural characteristics of chemical constituents from methanolic extracts of dried aerial parts and roots of V. agrestis and dietary supplements were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with UNIFI platform and multivariate analysis in both negative and positive ion modes. A non-targeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was carried out to profile the chemical constituents of crude extracts of V. agrestis, and 73 compounds, including reference compounds, were identified. The fragments of flavonoids, monoterpene, and triterpene glycosides revealed the characteristic cleavage of glycosidic linkages, and the fragmentation pattern provided the identity of the sugars. This analytical method provides a quick method for quality assessment of dietary supplements. Finally, a chemometrics approach with multivariate statistical tools was used to visualize the differences between root and aerial parts of plant samples and to find the potential chemical markers that differentiate among these parts of V. agrestis samples and dietary supplements.     

Quantitative liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Over the last decade, time-of-flight (TOF) instruments have increasingly been used as quantitation tools. In addition, because of their high resolving power, they can be used for verification of empirical formulas. Historically, TOF instruments have had limited quantitation capabilities because of their narrow dynamic range. However, recent advances have improved these limitations. This review covers the rationale for using TOF for LC detection, and describes the many methods currently in the literature for the quantitation of pharmaceuticals, environmental pollutants, explosives and many phytochemicals.     

基于非靶标筛查的超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱法检测尿液样品中的酰基肉碱

建立了一种基于母离子扫描模式的超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱检测尿液中酰基肉碱的分析方法。对酰基肉碱类化合物所共有的m/z为60、85和144的碎片离子进行选择性检测,结合化合物母离子扫描的结果及其对应的保留时间,选取一致性较好的化合物进行筛选,再利用高分辨质谱确认,最终检测到37种酰基肉碱化合物,其中有14种尚未被HMDB和LIPID MAPS数据库收录。该方法可应用于其他生物样本(如血液、组织)中酰基肉碱的定性、定量分析,可作为检测酰基肉碱化合物的新选择。     

Boron nitride nanosheet-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction of alkaloids from lotus plumule by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS)-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion method was established to microextract alkaloids from medicinal plants. The target compounds were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. During the experimental process, several important parameters, including the type of dispersant, the amount of dispersant, the grinding time, and the type of elution solvent, were optimized. Finally, the BNNSs were chosen as the best dispersant, and their microcosmic morphologies were identified by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Because of the special property of BNNSs, the cost of this experiment was greatly reduced, especially in elution volume, sample amount (50 mg), and extraction time (2 min). Under the best conditions, 50 mg of sample powder was dispersed with 50 mg of BNNSs, the grinding time was 120 s, the mixed powder was eluted with 200 μL of methanol, and good linearity (r² > 0.9993) and satisfactory recoveries (80–100%) were obtained. The inter- and intraday precisions were acceptable, with RSDs lower than 2.01 and 4.84%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 2.54 to 15.00 ng/mL, and the limits of quantitation were 8.47 to 50.00 ng/mL. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of liensinine, isoliensinine, and neferine in lotus plumule.     

Characterization of synthetic nucleic acids by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The potential of electrospray ionization quadrupole-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QqTOF-MS) for the characterization of synthetic nucleic acids was evaluated. Oligonucleotides ranging in size from 12 up to 51 nucleotides were analyzed via direct infusion MS as well as via liquid chromatography (LC) online hyphenated to MS. These experiments proved the outstanding mass spectrometric performance of the TOF mass analyzer in regard of accuracy, reproducibility, resolution, and sensitivity. During a 1-min run, the monoisotopic mass of (dT)(24) was measured with a maximum relative mass deviation of 7.64 ppm proving the high mass accuracy of the TOF analyzer. Over a period of 1 h, mean deviations were determined in the range between -3.58 ppm and 3.06 ppm demonstrating the high stability of the applied external calibration. The molecular mass of a 51-mer was measured with a deviation smaller than 3.23 ppm from the theoretical value. The resolution exceeded a value of m/Deltam = 20 000 (m is the measured mass and Deltam the full peak width at half-maximum), which enabled the separation of the isotopic peaks of all investigated oligonucleotides. Because of the outstanding transmission and detection efficiency of the TOF mass analyzer, detection limits in the amol/microl to low fmol/microl range were reached. The usability of LC-ESI-QqTOF-MS for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of synthetic oligonucleotide mixtures was demonstrated.     

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in ambient air by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method for determining 22 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air has been developed and validated by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using a triple quadrupole analyzer (QqQ). The method was validated in terms of both steps of sampling and analysis. The sampling method, which is based on active sampling using polyurethane foam (PUF) as adsorbent, was validated by generating standard atmospheres. The retention capacity of this sampling sorbent allows up to 5 m³ of air to be sampled without any breakthrough for most compounds. Two solvent extraction methods were compared: sonication and Soxhlet extraction with a mixture of n-hexane:diethyl ether (95:5 v/v). Both extraction methods yielded similar results, but the first one required less solvent and time. The method exhibited good accuracy (80.3–99.8%), precision (2.2–15.2%) and lower limits that allowed quantification and confirmation at levels as low as 0.008 ng/m³. Finally, the method was applied to the analysis of PCBs in the air in areas near to a municipal solid-waste landfill and directly above the refuse in the landfill, where it indicatedd the presence of some of the target compounds. Figure General chemical structure of polychlorinated biphenyls     

Solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry for the selective determination of fungicides in wine samples

In this work, a reliable and selective procedure for the determination of thirteen fungicides in red and white wine samples is proposed. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography (LC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), based on a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) system, were used as sample preparation and determination techniques, respectively. Extraction and purification of target analytes was carried out simultaneously by using a reversed-phase Oasis HLB (200mg) SPE cartridge combined with acetonitrile as elution solvent. Fungicides were determined operating the electrospray source in the positive ionization mode, with MS/MS conditions adjusted to obtain at least two intense product ions per compound, or registering two transitions per species when a single product was noticed. High selective MS/MS chromatograms were extracted using a mass window of 20 ppms for each product ion. Considering external calibration as quantification technique, the overall recoveries (accuracy) of the procedure ranged between 81% and 114% for red and white wine samples (10-20 mL), spiked at different concentrations between 5 and 100 ng mL(-1). Relative standard deviations of the above data stayed below 12% and the limits of quantification (LOQs) of the method, calculated for 10 mL of wine, varied between 0.1 ng mL(-1) for cyprodinil (CYP) and 0.7 ng mL(-1) for myclobutanil (MYC). The optimized method was applied to seventeen commercial wines produced in Spain and obtained from local supermarkets. Nine fungicides were determined, at levels above the LOQs of the method, in the above samples. The maximum concentrations and the highest occurrence frequencies corresponded to metalaxyl (MET) and iprovalicarb (IPR).