Ionization Quadrupole Orbitrap High-resolution Mass Research Articles

Analytical Strategies for LC-MS-Based Untargeted and Targeted Metabolomics Approaches Reveal the Entomological Origins of Honey.

A comprehensive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics approach was developed to discriminate honey harvested from Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola (A. mellifera) and Apis cerana cerana Fabricius (A. cerana). Based on an untargeted strategy, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC Q-Orbitrap) was combined with chemometrics techniques to screen and identify tentative markers from A. mellifera and A. cerana honey. In targeted metabolomics analysis, a sensitive method of solid-phase extraction followed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was established for quantifying three markers, and the results showed that 3-amino-2-naphthoic acid and methyl indole-3-acetate could be considered markers of A. cerana honey, as they were present in higher amounts in A. cerana honey than in A. mellifera honey, whereas kynurenic acid was determined to be a marker of A. mellifera honey. This work highlights critical information for the authentication of A. cerana and A. mellifera honey.

Study on the Sleep-Improvement Effects of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni in Drosophila melanogaster and Targeted Screening to Identify Its Active Components and Mechanism.

Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (HC) is an edible plant in Asia, and it has been traditionally used for sleep-improvement. However, the bioactive components and mechanism of HC in sleep-improvement are still unclear. In this study, the sleep-improvement effect of HC hydroalcoholic extract was investigated based on a caffeine-induced insomnia model in Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster), and the ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS) and network pharmacology strategy were further combined to screen systematically the active constituents and mechanism of HC in sleep-improvement. The results suggested HC effectively regulated the number of nighttime activities and total sleep time of D. melanogaster in a dose-dependent manner and positively regulated the sleep bouts and sleep duration of D. melanogaster. The target screening suggested that quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, caffeic acid, and nicotinic acid were the main bioactive components of HC in sleep-improvements. Moreover, the core targets (Akt1, Cat, Ple, and Sod) affected by HC were verified by the expression of the mRNA of D. melanogaster. In summary, this study showed that HC could effectively regulate the sleep of D. melanogaster and further clarifies the multi-component and multi-target features of HC in sleep-improvement, which provides a new insight for the research and utilization of HC.

Determination of Lekethromycin, a Novel Macrolide Lactone, in Rat Plasma by UPLC-MS/MS and Its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

Lekethromycin, a new macrolide lactone, exhibits significant antibacterial activity. In this study, a reliable analytical ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS) method was established and validated for the detection of lekethromycin in rat plasma. After a simple acetonitrile (ACN)-mediated plasma protein precipitation, chromatographic separation was performed on a Phenomenex Luna Omega PS C18 column (30 × 2.1 mm i.d. particle size = 3 μm) conducted in a gradient elution procedure using 0.5% formic acid (FA) in ACN and 0.5% FA in water as the mobile phase pumped at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Detection was carried out under positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) conditions in parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode with observation of m/z 804.5580 > 577.4056 for lekethromycin and 777.5471 > 619.4522 for gamithromycin (internal standard, IS). The linear range was 5–1000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.99), and the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 5 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision (expressed as relative standard deviation, RSD) values were ≤7.3% and ≤6.3%, respectively, and the accuracy was ≥90% ± 5.3%. The mean extraction recovery RSD valWeue was <5.1%. Matrix effects and dilution integrity RSD values were <5.6% and <3.2%, respectively. Lekethromycin was deemed stable under certain storage conditions. This fully validated method was effectively applied to study the pharmacokinetics of lekethromycin after a single intravenous administration of 5 mg/kg in rats. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were T1/2λz, CL_obs and VZ_obs were 32.33 ± 14.63 h, 0.58 ± 0.17 L/h/kg and 25.56 ± 7.93 L/kg, respectively.

A strategy for untargeted screening of macrolides and metabolites in bass by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the non-target screening of macrolides and metabolites in bass (Lateolabrax) was developed using an automated on-line extraction procedure followed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC Q-Orbitrap). The estimated performance characteristics were satisfied, complying with the requirements of the guidelines specified in European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The decision limit ranged from 0.12 μg kg−1 to 3.61 μg kg−1, and detection capability ranged between 0.20 μg kg−1 and 6.02 μg kg−1. Precision in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) was under 14% for all compounds, and the extraction recoveries ranged from 81% to 107%. Finally, the method was applied to ten different commercially important bass species and confirmed the presence of ten macrolides and metabolites. Five non-target compounds of robenidine, lincomycin hydrochloride, thiacloprid, fenbendazole, and thiabendazole were elucidated in the untargeted screening.

Untargeted screening of sulfonamides and their metabolites in salmon using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the non-target screening of sulfonamides and metabolites in salmon was developed, using automated on-line extraction procedure followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC Q-Orbitrap), including three systematic workflows (i) fully non-targeted data acquisition with fragmentation, (ii) suspect library spectra searching followed by characteristic structural fragments filtering and (iii) confirmation of non-target analytes and structural characterization of unknown analytes based on the availability of reference standards. The estimated performance characteristics were satisfactory complying with the requirements of the guidelines specified in European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Four untargeted compounds were identified and confirmed from salmon samples of different origin taken from monitoring control program.

Development and Validation of a Qualitative Method for Target Screening of 448 Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables Using UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap Based on Data-Independent Acquisition and Compound Database.

A semiautomated qualitative method for target screening of 448 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables was developed and validated using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap). The Q-Orbitrap Full MS/dd-MS2 (data dependent acquisition) was used to acquire product-ion spectra of individual pesticides to build a compound database or an MS library, while its Full MS/DIA (data independent acquisition) was utilized for sample data acquisition from fruit and vegetable matrices fortified with pesticides at 10 and 100 μg/kg for target screening purpose. Accurate mass, retention time and response threshold were three key parameters in a compound database that were used to detect incurred pesticide residues in samples. The concepts and practical aspects of in-spectrum mass correction or solvent background lock-mass correction, retention time alignment and response threshold adjustment are discussed while building a functional and working compound database for target screening. The validated target screening method is capable of screening at least 94% and 99% of 448 pesticides at 10 and 100 μg/kg, respectively, in fruits and vegetables without having to evaluate every compound manually during data processing, which significantly reduced the workload in routine practice.

High-throughput untargeted screening of veterinary drug residues and metabolites in tilapia using high resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry

An analytical method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of one hundred and thirty-seven veterinary drug residues and metabolites from sixteen different classes in tilapia utilizing an improved fully non-targeted way of data acquisition with fragmentation. The automated on-line extraction procedure was achieved in a simple disposable pipet extraction. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC Q-Orbitrap) was used for the separation and detection of all the analytes. The methodology was validated by taking into consideration the guidelines specified in European SANCO/12571/2013 Guideline 2013 and Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The extraction recoveries ranged from 81% to 111%. The limits of decision ranged from 0.01 to 2.73 μg kg−1 and the detection capabilities ranged from 0.01 to 4.73 μg kg−1. The one hundred and thirty-seven compounds behave dynamic 0.1–500 μg kg−1, with correlation coefficient >0.99. The fully non-targeted data acquisition way improves both sensitivity and selectivity for the fragments, which is beneficial for screening performance and identification capability. This validated method has been successfully applied on screening of veterinary drug residues and metabolites in muscle of tilapia, an important and intensively produced fish in aquaculture.

Targeted and untargeted data-dependent experiments for characterization of polycarbonate food-contact plastics by ultra high performance chromatography coupled to quadrupole orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry

Materials that come in contact with foods are potential sources of chemical food contamination. Consequently, characterization of their composition is of paramount importance considering the possible occurrence of several unknown molecules such as non-intentionally added substance (NIAS), residual monomers, degradation products, plastic additives and organic colorants. Previous studies concerning the characterization in terms of composition are focalized in the recognition of additives. To the best author's knowledge there are no scientific data about the composition of a plastic material in terms of colorants.In this work, an analytical method employing capillary ultra high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–ESI Q-orbitrap) was exploited for characterization of polycarbonate for food contact material. Data-dependent experiments for targeted and untargeted analysis were employed after a total dissolution of polycarbonate samples and extraction of its components. The presence of common additives such as antioxidants and UV absorbers was confirmed by targeted analysis, while, the untargeted approach combined with the high mass accuracy of orbitrap technology allowed to identify for the first time some polycarbonate degradation products and the organic dyes effectively used for the coloration of plastic objects intended to come in contact with food. The present study shows the high potential of this technique in the field of material characterization aimed at food safety evaluation.

Analysis of phthalates in milk and milk products by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

A new analytical method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 27 phthalates in milk and milk products. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation method. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap) was used for the separation and detection of all the analytes. The method was validated by taking into consideration the guidelines specified in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and 2007/19/EC. The extraction recoveries were in a range of 90.7% to 104.6%, with coefficient of variation <5.6%. The 27 compounds behave dynamic range in the 0.1–1000μgkg−1 concentration, with correlation coefficient >0.99. The limits of detection for the analytes are in the range 0.32–2.6μgkg−1. This method has been successfully applied on screening of phthalates in 96 commercial milk and milk product samples.

High-throughput screening of pesticide and veterinary drug residues in baby food by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry

A new analytical method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 333 pesticide and veterinary drug residues in baby food. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize a generic extraction method. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI Q-Orbitrap) was used for the separation and detection of all the analytes. The method was validated by taking into consideration the guidelines specified in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and SANCO/12571/2013. The extraction recoveries were in a range of 79.8–110.7%, with coefficient of variation <8.3%. The 333 compounds behave dynamic in the range 0.1–1000μgkg−1 concentration, with correlation coefficient >0.99. The limits of detection for the analytes are in the range 0.01–5.35μgkg−1. The limits of quantification for the analytes are in the range 0.01–9.27μgkg−1. This method has been successfully applied on screening of pesticide and veterinary drugs in ninety-three commercial baby food samples, and tilmicosin, fenbendazole, tylosin tartrate and thiabendazole were detected in some samples tested in this study. The present study is very useful for fast screening of different food contaminants.

Multi-mycotoxin analysis in dairy products by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry

A new analytical method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 58 mycotoxins in dairy products. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation method. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap) was used for the separation and detection of all the analytes. The method was validated by taking into consideration the guidelines specified in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and 401/2006/EC. The extraction recoveries were in a range of 86.6–113.7%, with coefficient of variation <6.2%. The 58 compounds could be detected in the 0.001–100μgkg−1 concentration range, with correlation coefficient >0.99. The limits of detection for the analytes are in the range 0.001–0.92μgkg−1. The repeatability was lower than 6.4%. This method has been successfully applied on screening of mycotoxins in commercial dairy product samples, and it is very useful for fast screening of different food contaminants.

Analysis of additives in dairy products by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry

A new method combining QuEChERS with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap) was developed for the highly accurate and sensitive screening of 43 antioxidants, preservatives and synthetic sweeteners in dairy products. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation method for the determination of 42 different analytes in dairy products for the first time. After optimization, the maximum predicted recovery was 99.33% rate for aspartame under the optimized conditions of 10mL acetionitrile, 1.52g sodium acetate, 410mg PSA and 404mgC18. For the matrices studied, the recovery rates of the other 42 compounds ranged from 89.4% to 108.2%, with coefficient of variation <6.4%. UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap Mass full scan mode acquired full MS data was used to identify and quantify additives, and data-dependent scan mode obtained fragment ion spectra for confirmation. The mass accuracy typically obtained is routinely better than 1.5ppm, and only need to calibrate once a week. The 43 compounds behave dynamic in the range 0.001–1000μgkg−1 concentration, with correlation coefficient >0.999. The limits of detection for the analytes are in the range 0.0001–3.6μgkg−1. This method has been successfully applied on screening of antioxidants, preservatives and synthetic sweeteners in commercial dairy product samples, and it is very useful for fast screening of different food additives.

Application of Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Electrospray Ionization Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Determination of 166 Pesticides in Fruits and Vegetables

This paper presents an application of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap) for determination of 166 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. Pesticides were extracted from the samples using the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) procedure. UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap MS (i.e., full MS scan) acquired full MS data for quantification, and UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap dd-MS(2) (i.e., data-dependent scan) obtained product-ion spectra for confirmation. UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap MS quantification was achieved using matrix-matched standard calibration curves with isotopically labeled standards or chemical analogues as internal standards. The method performance characteristics that included overall recovery, intermediate precision, and measurement uncertainty were evaluated according to a nested experimental design. For the matrices studied, about 90.3-91.5% of the pesticides had recoveries between 81 and 110%, 92.1-97.6% had intermediate precision ≤20%, and 89.7-95.2% had measurement uncertainty ≤40%. Confirmation was based on mass accuracy ≤5 ppm and LC retention time tolerance within ±2.5%. Overall, the UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap has demonstrated great performance for quantification and confirmation of pesticide residues in fresh fruits and vegetables.