Abstract
In the last decade, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) has reemerged as an analytical separation technique, especially due to the commercialization of ion mobility mass spectrometers. Its applicability has been extended beyond classical applications such as the determination of chemical warfare agents and nowadays it is widely used for the characterization of biomolecules (e.g., proteins, glycans, lipids, etc.) and, more recently, of small molecules (e.g., metabolites, xenobiotics, etc.). Following this trend, the interest in this technique is growing among researchers from different fields including food science. Several advantages are attributed to IMS when integrated in traditional liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry (MS) workflows: (1) it improves method selectivity by providing an additional separation dimension that allows the separation of isobaric and isomeric compounds; (2) it increases method sensitivity by isolating the compounds of interest from background noise; (3) and it provides complementary information to mass spectra and retention time, the so-called collision cross section (CCS), so compounds can be identified with more confidence, either in targeted or non-targeted approaches. In this context, the number of applications focused on food analysis has increased exponentially in the last few years. This review provides an overview of the current status of IMS technology and its applicability in different areas of food analysis (i.e., food composition, process control, authentication, adulteration and safety).
Highlights
In the current context of food trade globalization and due to the recognized impact of the diet on human health, food analysis has become more important than ever
Regarding collision cross section (CCS)-related measurements, they can only be carried out using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) instruments that operate at low electric fields (e.g., Drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS)) because the reduced mobility is using independent of the electric
As a result of the improvements on resolving power (Rp) expected in UHRIMS technology, IMS separations will be able to provide similar peak capacities as liquid chromatography (LC) at lower analysis times, which will be revolutionary from an analytical point of view and transformative for several applications [121]
Summary
In the current context of food trade globalization and due to the recognized impact of the diet on human health, food analysis has become more important than ever. Molecules 2019, 24, x FOR PEER REVIEW packaging, etc.), as well as its effects on consumers (e.g., investigation of bioactive compounds), is Molecules 2019, 24, 2706 gaining great importance Other issues such as food authentication (i.e., quality, origin, etc.), adulteration and fraud detection have acquired great relevance in the field of food chemistry in the last few years [2].quality, origin, etc.), adulteration and fraud detection have acquired great authentication The ‘momentum transfer collision integral’ (Ω), commonly referred to as the collision cross section (CCS), is reported as the response resulting from ion mobility measurements [11], td or K are the variables that are measured when performing IMS experiments Both parameters can be correlated according to Mason–Schamp equation (Equation (3)) when the separation occurs at low electric fields [12]
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