Abstract
Nutriology relies on advanced analytical tools to study the molecular compositions of food and provide key information on sample quality/safety. Small nutrients detection is challenging due to the high diversity and broad dynamic range of molecules in food samples, and a further issue is to track low abundance toxins. Herein, we developed a novel plasmonic matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) approach to detect small nutrients and toxins in complex biological emulsion samples. Silver nanoshells (SiO2@Ag) with optimized structures were used as matrices and achieved direct analysis of ~ 6 nL of human breast milk without any enrichment or separation. We performed identification and quantitation of small nutrients and toxins with limit-of-detection down to 0.4 pmol (for melamine) and reaction time shortened to minutes, which is superior to the conventional biochemical method currently in use. The developed approach contributes to the near-future application of MALDI MS in a broad field and personalized design of plasmonic materials for real-case bio-analysis.
Highlights
Nutriology in clinics relies on advanced analytical tools to analyze the molecular compositions of food, which may provide key information on sample quality and safety [1, 2]
Silver nanoshells were synthesized by silver mirror reactions, through the multi-cycled coating of silver nanoparticles on the surface of silica spheres
Silver nanoshells were negatively charged with a zeta potential of - 21.0 ± 0.8 mV (Table S1), which was ideal for the production of Na?/K?/ Ag? adducts during laser desorption/ionization (LDI)
Summary
Nutriology in clinics relies on advanced analytical tools to analyze the molecular compositions of food, which may provide key information on sample quality and safety [1, 2] Small nutrient molecules, such as sugar and amino acids, serve as key energy resources and help maintain normal physiological processes in living systems [3,4,5]. There are two major obstacles for MALDI MS in analysis of small molecules, including (1) selection of tailored matrix materials for specific application with high efficacy; and (2) quantitation of analytes overcoming the non-predictable desorption/ionization behavior [15, 17]. Compared to solution analysis as achieved, the application of core–shell plasmonic hybrids remains to be explored for detection of nutrients and toxins toward food industry and clinical nutriology, in a much more complicated colloid system for emulsion analysis. Our approach contributes to the near-future application of MALDI MS in a broad field and personalized design of plasmonic materials for real-case bio-analysis
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