Abstract
A 7-min multifamily residue method for the simultaneous quantification and confirmation of 8 phytohormones and 27 acidic herbicides in fruit and vegetables using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was developed, validated according to SANTE 12682/2019, and accredited according to UNE-EN-ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Due to the special characteristics of these kinds of compounds, a previous step of alkaline hydrolysis was carried out for breaking conjugates that were potentially formed due to the interactions of the analytes with other components present in the matrix. Sample treatment was based on QuEChERS extraction and optimum detection conditions were individually optimized for each analyte. Cucumber (for high water content commodities) and orange (for high acid and high water content samples) were selected as representative matrices. Matrix-matched calibration was used, and all the validation criteria established in the SANTE guidelines were satisfied. Uncertainty estimation for each target compound was included in the validation process. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of more than 450 samples of cucumber, orange, tomato, watermelon, and zucchini during one year. Several compounds, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-(3-indolyl)butyric acid (IBA), dichlorprop (2,4-DP), 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy acetic acid (MCPA), and triclopyr were found, but always at concentrations lower than the maximum residue level (MRL) regulated by the EU.
Highlights
Phytohormones play essential roles in the regulation of physiological processes in plants and vegetables, most of them involved in the plants’ growth, development, defense, and response to environmental stimuli [1,2]
The goal was to find a compromise between the highest abundance precursor/product ion combinations and the m/z ratio in order to obtain high sensitivity but, at the same time, high selectivity
The developed method allows us to group in a single “run” the phytohormones and acidic pesticides widely used in cucumber and orange by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)–mass spectrometry (MS)/MS
Summary
Phytohormones play essential roles in the regulation of physiological processes in plants and vegetables, most of them involved in the plants’ growth, development, defense, and response to environmental stimuli [1,2]. Plant hormones have an influence on plant development and crop yield, directly or indirectly. Research into the hormone physiology of plants has become an important target for agriculture development [3,4]. Plant hormones can be considered one of the cornerstones of molecular breeding and a key to opening the door of modern agriculture. They may be generated by plants in a natural way.
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