Abstract
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is used to increase the flexibility of plastics for industrial products. However, the illegal use of the plasticizer DEHP in food and drinks has been reported in Taiwan in 2011. In order to assess the exact extent of the absorption of DEHP via the oral route, the aim of this study is to develop a reliable and validated ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method to evaluate the oral bioavailability of DEHP in rats. The optimal chromatographic separation of DEHP and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP; used as internal standard) were achieved on a C18 column. The mobile phase was consisted of 5 mM ammonium acetate-methanol (11:89, v/v) with a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The monitoring ion transitions were m/z 391.4 → 149.0 for DEHP and m/z 313.3 → 149.0 for BBP. The mean matrix effects of DEHP at low, medium and high concentrations were 94.5 ± 5.7% and 100.1 ± 2.3% in plasma and feces homogenate samples, respectively. In conclusion, the validated UPLC-MS/MS method is suitable for analyzing the rat plasma sample of DEHP and the oral bioavailability of DEHP was about 7% in rats.
Highlights
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been widely used as a plasticizer in industry to improve the flexibility of polyvinylchloride. it is legal for DEHP to be used as an additive in plastic bottles, consumer products and food containers, previous studies have demonstrated that detectable levels of DEHP in food and medical devices, such as tubing, blood bags, and dialysis equipment, may pose potential health risks [1,2].A variety of additives, including gum arabic, palm oil and emulsifiers, are commonly used in beverages as clouding agents to keep emulsions properly dispersed and enhance viscosity in conventional food products
The precursor ions of DEHP and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) are located at m/z 391.4 [M+H]+ and m/z 313.3 [M+H]+, respectively, and the selected ions were fragmented in the collision cell
The most abundant transition product for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) quantification of DEHP and BBP was m/z 149, corresponding to a phthalic anhydride fragment which can be derived from phthalate [21]
Summary
DEHP has been widely used as a plasticizer in industry to improve the flexibility of polyvinylchloride. it is legal for DEHP to be used as an additive in plastic bottles, consumer products and food containers, previous studies have demonstrated that detectable levels of DEHP in food and medical devices, such as tubing, blood bags, and dialysis equipment, may pose potential health risks [1,2].A variety of additives, including gum arabic, palm oil and emulsifiers, are commonly used in beverages as clouding agents to keep emulsions properly dispersed and enhance viscosity in conventional food products. In order to reduce cost, extend shelf life and give products a more appealing appearance, some manufacturers have added DEHP to clouding agents since the 1980s. 2011, the Taiwanese Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) detected that DEHP had been used to replace palm oil as a clouding agent in food and drink. DEHP has been recognized as a kind of environmentally active hormone, and many of these toxic agents are associated with developmental and reproductive problems in laboratory animals and humans. DEHP caused a decrease in the ratio of estradiol to estrone levels and altered estradiol production and metabolism in female rats at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg [3]. In order to quantify DEHP contamination in blank samples, one previous study applied a column switching LC-MS coupled with an online sample preparation method [24]. The basal level of DEHP in blank sample had no influence on quantifying the DEHP in plasma and feces
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