A method for the determination of cucurbitacin B (CuB), cucurbitacin I (CuI) and cucurbitacin E (CuE) in plasma, urine and melon and fruit vegetables was developed by ultra performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The target analytes in plasma and urine were extracted and cleaned-up by solid supported liquid-liquid extraction, while those in melon and fruit vegetables were extracted with acetonitrile and then diluted with water. CuB, CuI and CuE were separated on an XBridge BEH C18 column (100 mm×3.0 mm, 2.5 μm) with gradient elution using mobile phases of methanol and 0.025% (v/v) ammonia aqueous solution. An atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface was used as the ion source and the analysis was performed in negative ionization multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The cucurbitacins in plasma and urine were quantified by the matrix working standard curve internal standard method, while those in melon and fruit vegetables were quantified by the solvent standard curve external standard method. Oleandrin was used as the internal standard. The average recoveries were 89.0%-113% for the three cucurbitacins in plasma and urine, with RSDs of 1.7%-12.2% (n=6). The average recoveries were 87.6%-114% for the three cucurbitacins in melon and fruit vegetables, with RSDs of 4.1%-11.1% (n=6). The limit of detection (S/N=3) of the three cucurbitacins was 0.03 μg/L in plasma and urine, and 5-10 μg/kg in melon and fruit vegetables. The method is simple, sensitive and accurate. It has been used for the determination of cucurbitacins in bitter bottle gourd and in the plasma and urine of patients poisoned by bitter bottle gourd, CuB was successfully detected.
Keywords: cucurbitacin B (CuB); cucurbitacin E (CuE); cucurbitacin I (CuI); melon and fruit vegetables; plasma; ultra performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS); urine.