Analysis of trace microcystins in vegetables using matrix solid-phase dispersion followed by high performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry detection

Zong-Yao Qian; Zhi-Gang Li; Jian Ma; Ting-Ting Gong; Qi-Ming Xian

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2017.05.079

Analysis of trace microcystins in vegetables using matrix solid-phase dispersion followed by high performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry detection

Talanta. 2017 Oct 1:173:101-106. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.05.079. Epub 2017 May 27.

Authors

Zong-Yao Qian¹, Zhi-Gang Li², Jian Ma², Ting-Ting Gong², Qi-Ming Xian³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Institute of Agricultural Quality Standards and Testing Technology Research, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Xinjiang 830091, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China. Electronic address: xianqm@nju.edu.cn.

PMID: 28602183
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.05.079

Abstract

A selective and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of five common microcystins (MC-LR, -RR, -YR, -LW, -LF) in various vegetables was established using Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion (MSPD) followed by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detection. To optimize the pretreatment procedure for extracting the microcystins from three vegetable matrices (tomato, cucumber and spinacia, which represented different colors), Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the main factors affecting the extraction efficiency, including sample/dispersant mass ratio, as well as the proportion mixture dispersant and the volumes of solvent. Based on the optimum conditions, the intra-day and inter-day variability for each microcystins in all vegetable samples were less than 8.6%, with the recoveries ranging from 71.9% to 96.5%. The limits of detection and quantitation of the method were 13.0μg/kg (dw) and 43.0μg/kg (dw), respectively. The established method was successfully applied to the analysis of MCs in vegetable samples which were collected by Lake Taihu. The procedure promising to be relative small sample size and short pretreatment time for the assay that can be used for monitoring MCs concentrations in vegetables.

Keywords: Determination; LC-MS/MS; Lake Taihu; MSPD; Microcystin; Vegetable.

MeSH terms

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Food Analysis / methods*
Food Contamination / analysis
Limit of Detection*
Linear Models
Mass Drug Administration
Microcystins / analysis*
Microcystins / isolation & purification*
Solid Phase Extraction / methods*
Vegetables / chemistry*

Substances

Microcystins