Searching for anthropogenic contaminants in human breast adipose tissues using gas chromatography‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

The potential of gas chromatography‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC‐TOF MS) for screening anthropogenic organic contaminants in human breast adipose tissues has been investigated. Initially a target screening was performed for a list of 125 compounds which included persistent halogen pollutants [organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenylss (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)], polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylphenols, and a notable number of pesticides from the different fungicide, herbicide and insecticide families. Searching for target pollutants was done by evaluating the presence of up to five representative ions for every analyte, all measured at accurate mass (20‐mDa mass window). The experimental ion abundance ratios were then compared to those of reference standards for confirmation. Sample treatment consisted of an extraction with hexane and subsequent normal‐phase (NP) High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or SPE cleanup. The fat‐free LC fractions were then investigated by GC‐TOF MS. Full‐spectral acquisition and accurate mass data generated by GC‐TOF MS also allowed the investigation of nontarget compounds using appropriate processing software to manage MS data. Identification was initially based on library fit using commercial nominal mass libraries. This was followed by comparing the experimental accurate masses of the most relevant ions with the theoretical exact masses with calculations made using the elemental composition calculator included in the software. The application of both target and nontarget approaches to around 40 real samples allowed the detection and confirmation of several target pollutants including p,p′‐DDE, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Several nontarget compounds that could be considered anthropogenic pollutants were also detected. These included 3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxy‐toluene (BHT) and its metabolite 3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde (BHT‐CHO), dibenzylamine, N‐butyl benzenesulfonamide (N‐BBSA), some naphthalene‐related compounds and several PCBs isomers not included in the target list. As some of the compounds detected are xenoestrogens, the methodology developed in this paper could be useful in human breast cancer research. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新型污染物的环境质谱技术研究进展

随着科学技术的飞速发展,质谱检测及其联用技术方法正以前所未有的速度、广度和深度全面渗透到环境分析化学中,其在环境监测中的使用已经或正在日常化.近年来,一些高分辨质谱及其与色谱等的联用技术在目标污染物和非目标污染物的同时甄别鉴定和分析中发挥了重要作用,其对于阐明污染物在环境的归趋具有重要意义.本文对质谱技术及其与气相色谱和液相色谱的联用技术在污染物尤其是新型污染物分析中的进展进行了总结,并对高分辨质谱技术的环境应用研究给于关注,对环境质谱技术的发展方向进行了展望.     

Quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry screening for synthetic cannabinoids in herbal blends

‘Legal highs’ are novel substances which are intended to elicit a psychoactive response. They are sold from ‘head shops’, the internet and from street suppliers and may be possessed without legal restriction. Several months ago, a 19‐year‐old woman came searching for medical treatment as she had health problems caused by smoking legal highs. The substances were sold as herbal blends in plastic bags under four different labels. In this work, samples of these herbal blends have been analysed to investigate the presence of psychoactive substances without any reference standard being available at the laboratory. A screening strategy for a large number of synthetic and natural cannabinoids has been applied based on the use of ultra‐high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole‐time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐QTOF MS) under MS^E mode. A customized home‐made database containing literature‐based exact masses for parent and product ions of around 200 synthetic and natural cannabinoids was compiled. The presence of the (de)protonated molecule measured at its accurate mass was evaluated in the samples. When a peak was detected, collision‐induced dissociation fragments and characteristic isotopic ions were also evaluated and used for tentative identification. After this tentative identification, four synthetic cannabinoids (JWH‐081, JWH‐250, JWH‐203 and JWH‐019) were unequivocally confirmed by subsequent acquisition of reference standards. The presence in the herbal blends of these synthetic cannabinoids might explain the psychotic and catatonic symptoms observed in the patient, as JWH compounds could act as potent agonists of CB₁ and CB₂ receptors located in the Limbic System and Basal ganglia of the human brain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of multiple pesticide residues in teas by gas chromatography with accurate time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

In this work, gas chromatography tandem with electron ionization and full‐scan high‐resolution mass spectrometry with a time‐of‐flight mass analyzer was evaluated for analyzing pesticide residues in teas. The relevant aspects for mass spectrometry analysis, including the resolution and mass accuracy, acquisition rate, temperature of ion source, were investigated. Under acquisition condition in 2‐GHz extended dynamic range mode, accurate mass spectral library including 184 gas chromatography detectable pesticides was established and retrieval parameters were optimized. The mass spectra were consistent over a wide concentration range (three orders) with good match values to those of NIST (EI‐quadrupole). The methodology was verified by the validation of 184 pesticides in four tea matrices. A wide linear range (1–1000 μg/kg) was obtained for most compounds in four matrices. Limit of detection, limit of quantification, and limit of identification values acquired in this study could satisfy the requirements for maximum residue levels prescribed by the European Community. Recovery studies were performed at three concentrations (10, 50, and 100 μg/kg). Most of the analytes were recovered at an acceptable range of 70–120% with relative standard deviations ≤ 20% in four matrices. The potential extension of qualitative screening scope makes gas chromatography tandem with electron ionization and mass spectrometry with a time‐of‐flight mass analyzer a more powerful tool compared with gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.     

Comprehensive identification and structural characterization of target components from Gelsemium elegans by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry based on accurate mass databases combined with MS/MS spectra

This study reports an applicable analytical strategy of comprehensive identification and structure characterization of target components from Gelsemium elegans by using high‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐QqTOF MS) based on the use of accurate mass databases combined with MS/MS spectra. The databases created included accurate masses and elemental compositions of 204 components from Gelsemium and their structural data. The accurate MS and MS/MS spectra were acquired through data‐dependent auto MS/MS mode followed by an extraction of the potential compounds from the LC‐QqTOF MS raw data of the sample. The same was matched using the databases to search for targeted components in the sample. The structures for detected components were tentatively characterized by manually interpreting the accurate MS/MS spectra for the first time. A total of 57 components have been successfully detected and structurally characterized from the crude extracts of G. elegans , but has failed to differentiate some isomers. This analytical strategy is generic and efficient, avoids isolation and purification procedures, enables a comprehensive structure characterization of target components of Gelsemium and would be widely applicable for complicated mixtures that are derived from Gelsemium preparations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modern MALDI time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

This paper focuses on development of time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometry in response to the invention of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Before this breakthrough ionization technique for nonvolatile molecules, TOF was generally considered as a useful tool for exotic studies of ion properties but was not widely applied to analytical problems. Improved TOF instruments and software that allow the full potential power of MALDI to be applied to difficult biological applications are described. A theoretical approach to the design and optimization of MALDI‐TOF instruments for particular applications is presented. Experimental data are provided that are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions of resolving power and mass accuracy. Data on sensitivity and dynamic range using kilohertz laser rates are also summarized. These results indicate that combinations of high‐performance MALDI‐TOF and TOF‐TOF with off‐line high‐capacity separations may ultimately provide throughput and dynamic range several orders of magnitude greater than those currently available with electrospray LC‐MS and MS‐MS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Liquid chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry evaluation of fungicides reactivity in free chlorine containing water samples

Liquid chromatography (LC) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), based on the use of a hybrid quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass analyzer, was used to investigate the reactivity of nine fungicides in free chlorine‐containing water samples. Three of the selected compounds (fenhexamid, FEN; pyrimethanil, PYR; and cyprodinil, CYP) displayed a poor stability in presence of moderate chlorine levels; thus, the effects of different parameters on their half‐lives (t_1/2) were evaluated. Sample pH, bromide traces, and the water matrix affected their relative stabilities. Despite such variations, the three fungicides are degraded at significant rates not only in ultrapure, but also in surface water spiked with chlorine levels up to 2 µg ml^?1, and when mixed with chlorinated tap water, generating several transformation products (TPs). The time‐course of precursor species and their TPs was followed in the LC‐MS mode, using the information contained in accurate, full scan mass spectra (MS) to propose the empirical formulae of TPs. Thereafter, their ion product scan (MS/MS) spectra were considered to set their chemical structures; allowing, in some cases, to distinguish between isomeric TPs. The reaction pathway of FEN, the less stable fungicide, involved just an electrophilic substitution of hydrogen per chlorine, or bromine, and cleavage of the molecule to render an amide. PYR and CYP shared common reaction routes consisting of halogenation, hydroxylation, and condensation processes leading to complex mixtures of TPs, which were relatively stable to further transformations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry identification and determination of tri‐ and hexaaryl chloro imidazoles in sewage sludge

The identification and further quantification of 2‐chloro‐triarylimidazole (o‐Cl‐TAI) and its dimer (o‐DCl‐HABI) in sludge from a sewage treatment plant (STP) is reported for the first time. Liquid chromatography (LC) quadrupole time‐of‐flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) was used as analytical technique during screening and determination steps. Pollutants were identified following a post‐run search strategy, applying the chlorine mass filter, and characterized by their accurate MS and product ion scan spectra. Finally, their identities were confirmed with authentic standards. The species (o‐Cl‐TAI) has been rated as potentially genotoxic and carcinogenic for mice and rats. Effects of sample preparation in the stability and the extraction efficiency of both compounds are discussed. Under final conditions, they were extracted from freeze‐dried samples (0.5 g of sludge or biosolids dispersed with 2 g of C₁₈ and packed into a polypropylene syringe) with 20 ml of methanol, which also flowed through a clean‐up layer of Florisil and PSA sorbents (0.5 g each). This method attained quantitative extraction yields and limits of quantification between 4 and 10 ng/g. The pollutants o‐Cl‐TAI and o‐DCl‐HABI were ubiquitous in sludge and biosolids obtained in consecutive years from the investigated STP. Their concentrations varied from 0.02 to more than 13 μg/g (freeze‐dried sample). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of a quadrupole ion storage trap as a source for time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Designs of a quadrupole ion trap (QIT) as a source for time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometry are evaluated for mass resolution, ion trapping, and laser activation of trapped ions. Comparisons are made with the standard hyperbolic electrode ion trap geometry for TOF mass analysis in both linear and reflectron modes. A parallel‐plate design for the QIT is found to give significantly improved TOF mass spectrometer performance. Effects of ion temperature, trapped ion cloud size, mass, and extraction field on mass resolution are investigated in detail by simulation of the TOF peak profiles. Mass resolution (m/Δm) values of several thousand are predicted even at room temperature with moderate extraction fields for the optimized design. The optimized design also allows larger radial ion collection size compared with the hyperbolic ion trap, without compromising the mass resolution. The proposed design of the QIT also improves the ion–laser interaction volume and photon collection efficiency for fluorescence measurements on trapped ions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Systematic screening and characterization of astragalosides in an oral solution of Radix Astragali by liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and Peakview software

Liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry coupled with automated data analysis by Peakview software was employed to systematically screen and characterize the astragalosides in Radix Astragali, a Chinese medical preparation. The separation was performed on a poroshell 120 SB‐C18 column equipped in a conventional liquid chromatography system. After being separated using a general gradient elution, the analytes were detected by the triple quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer in both positive‐ and negative‐ion modes. The mass defect filtering function built in the Peakview software was utilized to rapidly screen the potential ions of interest, while some functions of Peakview such as Formula Finder, XIC manager, and IDA Explorer were employed to facilitate the assignment or characterization of the screened astragalosides. A total of 42 astragalosides were screened and tentatively characterized or assigned, and 20 of them were firstly detected in Radix Astragali. According to the screened astragalosides, acetylation, glycosidation, hydrogenation, oxidation, and hydration were considered to be the major secondary metabolic pathways involved in the formation of the astragalosides. The combination of liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and automated Peakview analysis is a feasible and efficient tool to screen and identify the constituents in complex matrices of herbal medicines.     

Identification strategies for flame retardants employing time‐of‐flight mass spectrometric detectors along with spectral and spectra‐less databases

In the past, the preferred strategy for the identification of unknown compounds was to search in an appropriate mass spectral database for spectra obtained using either electron ionisation (GC‐MS analyses) or collision‐induced dissociation (LC‐MS/MS analyses). Recently, an increase has been seen in the use of accurate mass instruments and spectra‐less databases, based on monoisotopic accurate mass alone. In this article, we describe a systematic workflow for the screening and identification of new flame retardants. This approach utilises LC‐quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight MS and spectra‐less databases based only on monoisotopic accurate mass for the identification of ‘unknowns’. An in‐house database was built, and the input parameters used in the data analysis process were optimised for flame retardant chemicals, so that it can be easily transferred to other laboratories. The procedure was successfully applied to dust, foam and textiles from car interiors and indoor consumer products. The developed method was demonstrated for the main new flame retardant present in Antiblaze V6 and for the three unreported reaction by‐products/impurities present in the same technical mixture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural elucidation of new urinary tamoxifen metabolites by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

In this study, tamoxifen metabolic profiles were investigated carefully. Tamoxifen was administered to two healthy male volunteers and one female patient suffering from breast cancer. Urinary extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography quadruple time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry using full scan and targeted MS/MS techniques with accurate mass measurement. Chromatographic peaks for potential metabolites were selected by using the theoretical [M + H]⁺ as precursor ion in full‐scan experiment and m/z 72, 58 or 44 as characteristic product ions for N,N‐dimethyl, N‐desmethyl and N,N‐didesmethyl metabolites in targeted MS/MS experiment, respectively. Tamoxifen and 37 metabolites were detected in extraction study samples. Chemical structures of seven unreported metabolites were elucidated particularly on the basis of fragmentation patterns observed for these metabolites. Several metabolic pathways containing mono‐ and di‐hydroxylation, methoxylation, N‐desmethylation, N,N‐didesmethylation, oxidation and combinations were suggested. All the metabolites were detected in the urine samples up to 1 week. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metabolomics method based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry to analyze toxins in fresh and dried toad venom

Drying is a critical step to prolong the storage time in natural medicine processing but it changes the chemical characteristics of the product. In this study, research was performed to characterize the metabolomic changes in toad venom induced by vacuum‐drying at 60°C and air‐drying at room temperature by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with pattern recognition approaches. In total 52 metabolites, down‐regulated or up‐regulated, were identified as potential chemical markers. Compared with fresh toad venom, vacuum‐drying at 60°C succeeded in raising the conjugated‐type bufadienolide content significantly, while the content of free‐type bufadienolides were slightly reduced. On the other hand, toad venom air‐dried at room temperature presented a relatively low amount of bufadienolides compared with fresh venom. For example, the content of several known anti‐tumor components (gamabufotalin, bufotalin, cinobufagin, etc.) were significantly reduced. The 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide bioassay further showed that venom air‐dried at room temperature had weaker anti‐tumor activity on human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC‐7721 proliferation in vitro than samples vacuum‐dried at 60°C. These results showed that the great metabolomic changes of toad venom occurred during the drying process, suggesting that a proper drying procedure is important for sustaining the chemical quality of natural medicines.     

Potential of monitoring isotopologues by quantitative gas chromatography with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for metabolomic assay

Because of the extreme complexity of metabolomic samples, the effectiveness of quantitative gas chromatography with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry depends substantially on the expansion of the linear dynamic range. Facing the existence of numerous saturated detector signals, a data processing method based on monitoring isotopologues has been developed. The monoisotopic ion kept the high mass spectrometry sensitivity, and the less abundant isotopologue ions extended the linear dynamic range. This alternative method was proved to extend the linear dynamic range to five orders of magnitude successfully and overcome the quantitative problems induced by the ion detector saturation. Finally, to validate the applicability, the method was applied to a metabolomic assay of Alzheimer's disease. Comparing with the traditional monoisotopic method, the use of monitoring isotopologues helped us to discover an additional eight metabolites with significant difference and to conduct a more reliable principal component analysis as well. The results demonstrated that monitoring isotopologues in quantitative gas chromatography with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry could improve the authenticity of metabolomic analysis.     

New potential biomarkers for mesterolone misuse in human urine by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

In this paper, mesterolone metabolic profiles were investigated carefully. Mesterolone was administered to one healthy male volunteer. Urinary extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography quadruple time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐QTOFMS) for the first time. Liquid–liquid extraction was applied to processing urine samples, and dilute‐shoot analyses of intact metabolites were also presented. In LC‐QTOFMS analysis, chromatographic peaks for potential metabolites were hunt down by using the theoretical [M–H]^? as target ions in full scan experiment, and their actual deprotonated ions were analyzed in targeted MS/MS mode. Ten metabolites including seven new sulfate and three glucuronide conjugates were found for mesterolone. Because of no useful fragment ion for structural elucidation, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry instrumentation was employed to obtain structural details of the trimethylsilylated phase I metabolite released after solvolysis. Thus, their potential structures were proposed particularly by a combined MS approach. All the metabolites were also evaluated in terms of how long they could be detected, and S1 (1α‐methyl‐5α‐androst‐3‐one‐17β‐sulfate) together with S2 (1α‐methyl‐5α‐androst‐17‐one‐3β‐sulfate) was detected up to 9 days after oral administration, which could be the new potential biomarkers for mesterolone misuse. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of tropane and cinnamamide alkaloids from Scopolia tangutica by high‐performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry

Scopolia tangutica is a traditional Chinese medicine used for antispasmodic, anesthesia, analgesia, and sedation. Its medicinal activity is associated to alkaloid constituents, including tropane and cinnamamide types. Low content of alkaloids in plant makes them difficult to be isolated and identified. The present work developed an effective method to quickly characterize alkaloids from Scopolia tangutica by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry. Thirteen reference compounds were studied for their fragmentation pathways, including five tropane alkaloids and eight cinnamamide ones. Alkaloid constituent was analyzed by an optimized high‐performance liquid chromatography method and mass spectrometry analysis to achieve systematic characterization of alkaloids from Scopolia tangutica. As a result, 53 compounds were identified, including 21 tropane alkaloids (eight new ones), 18 caffeoyl ones (ten new ones) and 14 dicaffeoyl ones (seven new ones). It was important to provide rich information in phytochemical study and structure‐guided isolation of important compounds from this plant.     

Metabolic profiling of quercetin in rats using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Quercetin, a kind of major flavonoid found in many traditional chinese medicines, is an effective substance for treatments such as lowering blood lipids. However, the studies on quercetin have been mainly focused on its pharmacological effect; the treatment of diseases on a material basis, particularly the metabolites derived from quercetin in vivo , has not been evaluated. In this study, we determined the levels, distributions and types of quercetin's metabolites in plasma, urine, feces and bile of rats after a single oral administration of quercetin at a dose of 80 mg/kg, using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS). A total of 36 metabolites of quercetin were identified, including 11 metabolites in plasma, 34 metabolites in urine, 12 metabolites in feces and 21 metabolites in bile. The results showed that phase I metabolites were reduction metabolites and phase II metabolites mainly included glucuronidation, sulfation and methylation metabolites. These results provide important information on the metabolism of quercetin, which will be helpful for its further development and utilization.     

Elucidation of artefacts in proton transfer reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometers

We present an effective procedure to differentiate instrumental artefacts, such as parasitic ions, memory effects, and real trace impurities contained in inert gases. Three different proton transfer reaction mass spectrometers were used in order to identify instrument‐specific parasitic ions. The methodology reveals new nitrogen‐ and metal‐containing ions that up to date have not been reported. The parasitic ion signal was dominated by [N₂]H⁺ and [NH₃]H⁺ rather than by the common ions NO⁺ and O₂⁺. Under dry conditions in a proton transfer reaction quadrupole interface time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (PTR‐QiTOF), the ion abundances of [N₂]H⁺ were elevated compared with the signals in the presence of humidity. In contrast, the [NH₃]H⁺ ion did not show a clear humidity dependency. On the other hand, two PTR‐TOF1000 instruments showed no significant contribution of the [N₂]H⁺ ion, which supports the idea of [N₂]H⁺ formation in the quadrupole interface of the PTR‐QiTOF. Many new nitrogen‐containing ions were identified, and three different reaction sequences showing a similar reaction mechanism were established. Additionally, several metal‐containing ions, their oxides, and hydroxides were formed in the three PTR instruments. However, their relative ion abundancies were below 0.03% in all cases. Within the series of metal‐containing ions, the highest contribution under dry conditions was assigned to the [Fe(OH)₂]H⁺ ion. Only in one PTR‐TOF1000 the Fe⁺ ion appeared as dominant species compared with the [Fe(OH)₂]H⁺ ion. The present analysis and the resulting database can be used as a tool for the elucidation of artefacts in mass spectra and, especially in cases, where dilution with inert gases play a significant role, preventing misinterpretations.     

New clostebol metabolites in human urine by liquid chromatography time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry and their application for doping control

In this study, clostebol metabolic profiles were investigated carefully. Clostebol was administered to one healthy male volunteer. Urinary extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MS) using full scan and targeted MS/MS techniques with accurate mass measurement for the first time. Liquid–liquid extraction and direct injection were applied to processing urine samples. Chromatographic peaks for potential metabolites were found by using the theoretical [M–H]^? as target ion in full scan experiment, and their actual deprotonated ions were analyzed in targeted MS/MS mode. Fourteen metabolites were found for clostebol, and nine unreported metabolites (two free ones and seven sulfate conjugates) were identified by MS, and their potential structures were proposed based on fragmentation and metabolism pathways. Four glucuronide conjugates were also first reported. All the metabolites were evaluated in terms of how long they could be detected and S1 (4ξ‐chloro‐5ξ‐androst‐3ξ‐ol‐17‐one‐3ξ‐sulfate) was considered to be the long‐term metabolite for clostebol misuse detected up to 25 days by liquid–liquid extraction and 14 days by direct injection analysis after oral administration. Five conjugated metabolites (M2, M5, S2, S6 and S7) could also be the alternative biomarkers for clostebol misuse. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detecting changes in arabidopsis cell wall composition using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) was previously used to characterize lignocellulosic materials, including woody biomass. ToF‐SIMS can acquire both rapid spectral and spatial information about a sample's surface composition. In the present study, ToF‐SIMS was used to characterize the cell walls of stem tissue from the plant model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana. Using principal component analyses, ToF‐SIMS spectra from A. thaliana wild‐type (Col‐0), cellulose mutant (irx3), and lignin mutant (fah1) stem tissues were distinguished using ToF‐SIMS peaks annotated for wood‐derived lignocellulose, where spectra from the irx3 and fah1 were characterized by comparatively low polysaccharide and syringyl lignin content, respectively. Spatial analyses using ToF‐SIMS imaging furthermore differentiated interfascicular fiber and xylem vessels based on differences in the lignin content of corresponding cell walls. These new data support the applicability of ToF‐SIMS peak annotations based on woody biomass for herbaceous plants, including model plant systems like arabidopsis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.