Mass spectrometric behavior of anabolic androgenic steroids using gas chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source. Part I: Ionization

The detection of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) is one of the most important topics in doping control analysis. Gas chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry (GC–MS(/MS)) with electron ionization and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry have been traditionally applied for this purpose. However, both approaches still have important limitations, and, therefore, detection of all AAS is currently afforded by the combination of these strategies. Alternative ionization techniques can minimize these drawbacks and help in the implementation of a single method for the detection of AAS. In the present work, a new atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source commercialized for gas chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time‐of‐flight analyzer has been tested to evaluate the ionization of 60 model AAS. Underivatized and trimethylsylil (TMS)‐derivatized compounds have been investigated. The use of GC–APCI–MS allowed for the ionization of all AAS assayed irrespective of their structure. The presence of water in the source as modifier promoted the formation of protonated molecules ([M+H]⁺), becoming the base peak of the spectrum for the majority of studied compounds. Under these conditions, [M+H]⁺, [M+H‐H₂O]⁺ and [M+H‐2·H₂O]⁺ for underivatized AAS and [M+H]⁺, [M+H‐TMSOH]⁺ and [M+H‐2·TMSOH]⁺ for TMS‐derivatized AAS were observed as main ions in the spectra. The formed ions preserve the intact steroid skeleton, and, therefore, they might be used as specific precursors in MS/MS‐based methods. Additionally, a relationship between the relative abundance of these ions and the AAS structure has been established. This relationship might be useful in the structural elucidation of unknown metabolites. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Feasibility of gas chromatography-microchip atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry in analysis of anabolic steroids

Mass spectrometers equipped with atmospheric pressure ion sources (API-MS) have been designed to be interfaced with liquid chromatographs (LC) and have rarely been connected to gas chromatographs (GC). Recently, we introduced a heated nebulizer microchip and showed its potential to interface liquid microseparation techniques and GC with API-MS. This study demonstrates the feasibility of GC-microchip atmospheric pressure photoionization-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-μAPPI-MS/MS) in the analysis of underivatized anabolic steroids in urine. The APPI microchip provides high ionization efficiency and produces abundant protonated molecules or molecular ions with minimal fragmentation. The feasibility of GC-μAPPI-MS/MS in the analysis of six selected anabolic steroids in urine samples was studied with respect to intra-batch repeatability, linearity, linear range, and limit of detection (LOD). The method showed good sensitivity (LODs 0.2-1 ng/mL), repeatability (relative standard deviation<10%), and linearity (regression coefficient≥0.9995) and, therefore, high potential for the analysis of anabolic steroids. Quantitative performance of the method was tested with two authentic urine samples, and the results were in good agreement with those obtained with conventional GC-electron ionization-MS after derivatization.     

Capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection of anabolic steroids II

High resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been used to detect anabolic steroids in urine. With fused silica capillary columns connected directly to mass spectrometer, the anabolic steroids could be detected after extraction, hydrolysis, and derivatization with a sensitivity better then 1 ppb. In vivo excretion and metabolism has been investigated for androstanolone, methandriol, oxymesterone, quindenione, and boldenone.     

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in anabolic steroid analysis--optimization and comparison of three ionization techniques: electrospray ionization,atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and atmospheric pressure photoionization

The applicability of liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for the detection of the free anabolic steroid fraction in human urine was examined. Electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and atmospheric pressure photoionization methods were optimized regarding eluent composition, ion source parameters and fragmentation. The methods were compared with respect to specificity and detection limit. Although all methods proved suitable, LC/ESI-MS/MS with a methanol-water gradient including 5 mM ammonium acetate and 0.01% acetic acid was found best for the purpose. Multiple reaction monitoring allowed the determination of steroids in urine at low nanogram per milliliter levels. LC/MS/MS exhibited high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of free steroids and may be a suitable technique for screening for the abuse of anabolic steroids in sports.     

Systematic screening and characterization of glycosides in tobacco leaves by liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry using neutral loss scan and product ion scan

Glycosides in tobacco leaves are highly important aromatic precursors. It is necessary to reveal glycosides in tobacco leaves to improve tobacco planting and processing. This study describes a method for the systematic screening of glycosides in tobacco leaves by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Although glycosides contain numerous aglycones, the number of glycans is limited. Based on a screening table of glycans designed for neutral loss scan, glycosides with different aglycones were systematically screened out. Then, the MS² fragment spectra of scanned glycosides were further obtained using product ion scan. By comparison with the spectra in online tandem mass spectral databases, reported references, and verification by commercial standards, 64 glycosides were detected, including 39 glycosides linked with monosaccharides, 18 glycosides linked with disaccharides and 7 glycosides linked with trisaccharides. It is noteworthy that glycosides linked with trisaccharides have previously been rarely reported in tobacco. This method appears to be a useful tool for the systematic screening and characterization of glycosides in tobacco and can potentially be applied to other plants.     

Validation of a qualitative screening method for pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

A wide-scope screening method was developed for the detection of pesticides in fruit and vegetables. The method was based on gas chromatography coupled to a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source (GC-(APCI)QTOF MS). A non-target acquisition was performed through two alternating scan events: one at low collision energy and another at a higher collision energy ramp (MS^E). In this way, both protonated molecule and/or molecular ion together with fragment ions were obtained in a single run. Validation was performed according to SANCO/12571/2013 by analysing 20 samples (10 different commodities in duplicate), fortified with a test set of 132 pesticides at 0.01, 0.05 and 0.20 mg kg⁻¹. For screening, the detection was based on one diagnostic ion (in most cases the protonated molecule). Overall, at the 0.01 mg kg⁻¹ level, 89% of the 2620 fortifications made were detected. The screening detection limit for individual pesticides was 0.01 mg kg⁻¹ for 77% of the pesticides investigated. The possibilities for identification according to the SANCO criteria, requiring two ions with a mass accuracy ≤±5 ppm and an ion-ratio deviation ≤±30%, were investigated. At the 0.01 mg kg⁻¹ level, identification was possible for 70% of the pesticides detected during screening. This increased to 87% and 93% at the 0.05 and 0.20 mg kg⁻¹ level, respectively. Insufficient sensitivity for the second ion was the main reason for the inability to identify detected pesticides, followed by deviations in mass accuracy and ion ratios.     

Determination of eight nitrosamines in water at the ng L levels by liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

In this work, we have developed a sensitive method for detection and quantification of eight N-nitrosamines, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosomorpholine (NMor), N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N-nitrosopirrolidine (NPyr), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPip), N-nitroso-n-dipropylamine (NDPA) and N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine (NDBA) in drinking water. The method is based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in positive mode with a triple quadrupole analyzer (QqQ). The simultaneous acquisition of two MS/MS transitions in selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM) for each compound, together with the evaluation of their relative intensity, allowed the simultaneous quantification and reliable identification in water at ppt levels. Empirical formula of the product ions selected was confirmed by UHPLC-(Q)TOF MS accurate mass measurements from reference standards.Prior to LC–MS/MS QqQ analysis, a preconcentration step by off-line SPE using coconut charcoal EPA 521 cartridges (by passing 500 mL of water sample) was necessary to improve the sensitivity and to meet regulation requirements. For accurate quantification, two isotope labelled nitrosamines (NDMA-d₆ and NDPA-d₁₄) were added as surrogate internal standards to the samples.The optimized method was validated at two concentration levels (10 and 100 ng L⁻¹) in drinking water samples, obtaining satisfactory recoveries (between 90 and 120%) and precision (RSD < 20%). Limits of detection were found to be in the range of 1–8 ng L⁻¹. The described methodology has been applied to different types of water samples: chlorinated from drinking water and wastewater treatment plants (DWTP and WWTP, respectively), wastewaters subjected to ozonation and tap waters.     

Gas chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (GC-API-MS): Review

Although the coupling of GC/MS with atmospheric pressure ionization (API) has been reported in 1970s, the interest in coupling GC with atmospheric pressure ion source was expanded in the last decade. The demand of a “soft” ion source for preserving highly diagnostic molecular ion is desirable, as compared to the “hard” ionization technique such as electron ionization (EI) in traditional GC/MS, which fragments the molecule in an extensive way. These API sources include atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI), electrospray ionization (ESI) and low temperature plasma (LTP). This review discusses the advantages and drawbacks of this analytical platform. After an introduction in atmospheric pressure ionization the review gives an overview about the history and explains the mechanisms of various atmospheric pressure ionization techniques used in combination with GC such as APCI, APPI, APLI, ESI and LTP. Also new developments made in ion source geometry, ion source miniaturization and multipurpose ion source constructions are discussed and a comparison between GC-FID, GC-EI-MS and GC-API-MS shows the advantages and drawbacks of these techniques. The review ends with an overview of applications realized with GC-API-MS.     

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     

Application of atmospheric pressure ionization HPLC-MS-MS for the analysis of natural products

Summary The development of techniques utilizing atmospheric pressure ionization, namely atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI), has pioneered the coupling of liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometry in recent years. Both ESI and APCI generate ions from polar and labile biomaterials with remarkable ease and efficiency. In particular, the use of HPLC with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) opens further dimensions in the field of bioorganic analysis. Thus, HPLC-MS-MS provides the tools for direct elucidation of the structure and variety of polar natural compounds in complex matrices. In order to develop efficient and straightforward strategies for the analysis of polar natural products, the potential and the limitations of these hyphenated analytical techniques are discussed using heterocyclic aromatic amines, fumonisins, acylated glycoconjugates and regioisomeric fatty acid hydroperoxides as examples. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

液相色谱-大气压化学电离离子阱质谱法测定烟草中的游离茄尼醇

用液相色谱/大气压化学电离离子阱质谱建立了一种分析烟草中游离茄尼醇的方法。烟草样品用甲醇振荡提取30 min,在分析前无需进行其它前处理。在1.8μm快速分离C18色谱短柱上用V(甲醇)∶V(异丙醇)=85∶15等梯度洗脱实现了茄尼醇的快速分离。用不带碰撞能量的二级质谱全扫描选择监测离子m/z 613.6进行定量,检出限为0.4μg/L,RSD为1.1%,两种添加量的回收率分别为97%和99%。方法应用于不同烟草和烟草制品样品的检测分析。     

液相色谱-大气压化学电离串联质谱法测定婴幼儿配方奶粉中的维生素D

建立了婴幼儿配方奶粉中维生素D的液相色谱-大气压化学电离串联质谱(LC-APCI-MS/MS)分析方法。样品经正己烷和甲基叔丁基醚混合溶液提取,ProElut VDC固相萃取柱净化,Kinetex C_(18)色谱柱分离,采用大气压化学电离(APCI)源、正离子扫描和多反应监测(MRM)模式对维生素D_2和维生素D_3进行检测,内标法定量。结果表明维生素D_2和维生素D_3在5~5 000μg/L范围内均具有良好的线性关系,检出限为2μg/kg,定量限为5μg/kg。在5、10和100μg/kg添加水平下,维生素D_2和维生素D_3的回收率为85.2%~105.3%,相对标准偏差为4.7%~8.1%。该方法简便准确,灵敏度高,适用于婴幼儿奶粉中维生素D的测定。     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fractions in asphalt mixtures using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

An analytical method using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in asphalt fractions has been developed. The 14 compounds determined, characterized by having two or more condensed aromatic rings, are expected to be present in asphalt and are considered carcinogenic and mutagenic. The parameters of the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface were optimized to obtain the highest possible sensitivity for all of the compounds. The limits of detection ranged from 0.5 to 346.5 μg/L and the limits of quantification ranged from 1.7 to 1550 μg/L. The method was validated against a diesel particulate extract standard reference material (NIST SRM 1975), and the obtained concentrations agreed with the certified values. The method was applied to asphalt samples after its fractionation according to ASTM D4124 and the method of Green. The concentrations of the seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons quantified in the sample ranged from 0.86 mg/kg for benzo[ghi]perylene to 98.32 mg/kg for fluorene.     

Development and validation of a qualitative screening method for the detection of exogenous anabolic steroids in urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A screening method for the urinary detection of 34 exogenous anabolic steroids has been developed. The method involves an enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction and detection by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The use of some adducts such as [M+NH₄]⁺, [M+CH₃COO]⁻ and [M+H+MeOH]⁺ was necessary in order to detect some analytes at the required level (lower than 10 ng/ml). Two transitions were selected for each analyte. Different concentration factors have been studied in order to increase the sensitivity. A concentration factor of 50 was selected for the screening method although the high ion suppression observed under these conditions can hamper its application as a quantitative method. The method was validated and limits of detection were obtained by spiking ten different blank urine samples at five different concentration levels. Up to 29 analytes were detected in all spiked urines at the required level. Limits of detection between 1 and 10 ng/ml were obtained for most analytes which fulfil current requirements. The applicability of the method was shown by analysing positive samples.     

超高效液相色谱-大气压化学电离-串联质谱法测定烘焙咖啡中丙烯酰胺

建立了烘焙咖啡中丙烯酰胺的超高效液相色谱-大气压化学电离-串联质谱（UHPLC-APCI-MS/MS）分析方法。样品经甲醇提取，HLB固相萃取（SPE）小柱净化，Brownlee validated AQ C18色谱柱分离，采用大气压化学电离（APCI）源，正离子扫描和多反应监测（MRM）模式对丙烯酰胺进行检测，内标法定量。结果表明，丙烯酰胺在0.5~100.0 μg/L范围内具有良好的线性关系，相关系数（r²）为0.999，方法检出限为5.0 μg/kg，定量限为10.0 μg/kg。在100.0、200.0和1000.0 μg/kg添加水平下，丙烯酰胺的回收率为94.6%~115.0%，相对标准偏差（RSD）值为2.8%~3.6%（n=6）。本方法采用APCI源作为离子化方式，能有效地减少咖啡基质对丙烯酰胺的基质干扰，前处理简单，灵敏度高，适用于咖啡中丙烯酰胺的日常检测。     

Potential of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source in GC‐QTOF MS for pesticide residue analysis

The potential applications of a new atmospheric pressure source for GC‐MS analysis have been investigated in this work. A list of around 100 GC‐amenable pesticides, which includes organochlorine, organophosphorus and organonitrogenated compounds, has been used to evaluate their behavior in the new source. Favoring the major formation of the molecular ion in the source has been the main goal due to the wide‐scope screening possibilities that this fact brings in comparison with the traditional, highly fragmented electron ionization spectra. Thus, the addition of water as modifier has been tested as a way to promote the generation of protonated molecules. Pesticides investigated have been classified into six groups according to their ionization/fragmentation behavior. Four of them are characterized by the abundant formation of the protonated molecule in the atmospheric pressure source, mostly being the base peak of the spectrum. These results show that wide‐scope screening could be easily performed with this source by investigating the presence of the protonated molecule ion, MH+. The developed procedure has been applied to pesticide screening in different food samples (nectarine, orange and spinach) and it has allowed the presence of several pesticides to be confirmed such as chlorpyriphos ethyl, deltamethrin and endosulfan sulfate. The availability of a quadrupole time‐of‐flight instrument made it feasible to perform additional MS/MS experiments for both standards and samples to go further in the confirmation of the identity of the detected compounds. Results shown in this paper have been obtained using a prototype source which exhibits promising features that could be applied to other analytical problems apart from those illustrated in this work. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of priority pesticides in baby foods by gas chromatography tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) method for the determination of twelve priority pesticides, and transformation products (e.g. metabolites) specified in the EU Baby Food Directive 2003/13/EC is described. Prior to GC-MS/MS analysis, co-extractives were removed from acetonitrile extracts using dispersive solid phase extraction with octadecyl (200 mg) and primary secondary amine (50 mg) sorbents. The clean up proved essential for the satisfactory long-term chromatographic performance during the analysis of a range of representative commercially pre-prepared baby food samples. Extracts spiked with pesticides at 1-8 microg kg(-1), yielded average recoveries in the range 60-113% with relative standard deviations less than 28%.     

Determination of anabolic androgenic steroids as imidazole carbamate derivatives in human urine using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Anabolic androgenic steroids are widely abused substances in sports doping. Their detection present limitations regarding the use of soft ion sources such as electrospray or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In the current study, a novel derivatization method was developed for the ionization enhancement of selected anabolic androgenic steroids. The proposed method aims at the introduction of an easily ionizable moiety into the steroid molecule by converting the hydroxyl groups into imidazole carbamates using 1,1′‐carbonyldiimidazole as derivatization reagent. The proposed method was applied to water and urine samples spiked with exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids in various concentration levels. Steroid imidazole carbamate derivatives have shown intensive [M+H]⁺ signals under electrospray ionization and common fragmentation patterns in tandem mass spectrometry mode with [M‐CO₂+H]⁺ and [M‐ΙmCO₂+H]⁺ as major ions with low collision energy. The obtained results showed that the majority of steroids were detectable at concentrations equal or lower to their minimum required performance level according to the World Anti‐Doping Agency technical document. The proposed method is sensitive with a preparation procedure that could be easily applied to the analysis of doping control samples.     

Relationships between structure,ionization profile and sensitivity of exogenous anabolic steroids under electrospray ionization and analysis in human urine using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

The relationships between the ionization profile, sensitivity, and structures of 64 exogenous anabolic steroids (groups I–IV) was investigated under electrospray ionization (ESI) conditions. The target analytes were ionized as [M + H]⁺ or [M + H–nH₂O]⁺ in the positive mode, and these ions were used as precursor ions for selected reaction monitoring analysis. The collision energy and Q3 ions were optimized based on the sensitivity and selectivity. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.05–20 ng/mL for the 64 steroids. The LODs for 38 compounds, 14 compounds and 12 compounds were in the range of 0.05–1, 2–5 and 10–20 ng/mL, respectively. Steroids including the conjugated keto‐functional group at C3 showed good proton affinity and stability, and generated the [M + H]⁺ ion as the most abundant precursor ion. In addition, the LODs of steroids using the [M + H]⁺ ion as the precursor ion were mostly distributed at low concentrations. In contrast, steroids containing conjugated/unconjugated hydroxyl functional groups at C3 generated [M + H ? H₂O]⁺ or [M + H ? 2H₂O]⁺ ions, and these steroids showed relatively high LODs owing to poor stability and multiple ion formation. An LC‐MS/MS method based on the present ionization profile was developed and validated for the determination of 78 steroids (groups I–V) in human urine. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.