A more quantitative extraction of arsenic-containing compounds from seafood matrices is essential in developing better dietary exposure estimates. More quantitative extraction often implies a more chemically aggressive set of extraction conditions. However, these conditions may result in undesirable chemical changes in the native arsenicals which may further complicate the toxicological risk assessment. This balance between quantitative extraction and species-specific integrity may be best addressed by using simulated gastric juice as an extraction solvent to mimic 'bioavailability'. This, conceptually, should extract the bioavailable fraction and induce any chemical changes that would occur because of ingestion. The most chemically labile species associated with seafood are thought to be the arsenosugars and for this reason their chemical stability is investigated in this study. Four arsenosugars (3-[5'-deoxy-5'-(dimethylarsinoyl)-beta-ribofuranosyloxy]-2-hydroxypropylene glycol, As(328); 3-[5'-deoxy-5'-(dimethylarsinoyl)-beta-ribofuranosyloxy]-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid, As(392); 3-[5'-deoxy-5'-(dimethylarsinoyl)-beta-ribofuranosyloxyl-2-hydroxypropyl hydrogen sulfate, As(408); and 3-[5'-deoxy-5'-(dimethylarsinoyl)-beta-ribofuranosyloxy]-2-hydroxypropyl-2,3-hydroxypropyl phosphate, As(482)) were isolated from seaweed extracts and subjected to simulated gastric juice and acidic conditions which mimic the stomach's pH of 1.1. Three acid solutions were used to test the chemical stability of the arsenosugars: simulated gastric juice, 78 mM nitric acid and 78 mM hydrochloric acid. The composition of the solutions was monitored over time (up to 48 h) using IC-ICP-MS for detection. The arsenosugars were found to degrade at the rate of 1.4% per h at 38 degrees C and 12.2% per h at 60 degrees C. The plots of percent conversion versus time were found to be independent of the starting arsenosugar and all had r2 values of greater than 0.97. A single common degradation product was observed in all the stability studies. A mass balance between the starting arsenosugar (As(392), As(408) and As(482)) and the degradation product was conducted with each set of experiments. This mass balance indicated that the degradation process did not produce any unchromatographable species. This degradation product was tentatively identified as As(254) as determined by ESI-MS/MS spectral data. An acid hydrolysis mechanism was proposed for the formation of As(254) from each of the native arsenosugars by hydrolysis at the C-1 carbon on the ribose ring.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE‐5) inhibitors are a class of drugs used primarily in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PDE‐5 inhibitors include sildenafil citrate, vardenafil hydrochloride and tadalafil. In this study, accurate mass measurements were made by electrospray ionization (ESI) using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) to elucidate the structures of sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil analogs that were found in products marketed as dietary supplements. Initial detection of these analogs was accomplished through routine screening of suspect samples by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization multi‐stage mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MSn) on a low‐resolution ion trap instrument. The chromatographic behavior and mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns observed were often similar to those observed for FDA approved PDE‐5 inhibitors. The mass accuracy and resolving power associated with FTICRMS allows for the determination of elemental compositions. Elucidation of the product ion structures for the analogs was accomplished through the use of accurate mass measurements with the aid of Mass Frontier software (version 4.0). Using FTICRMS, accurate masses with measurement errors averaging <0.4 ppm were achieved, allowing assignment of one possible elemental formula to each fragment ion. The mass measurement errors associated with [M + H]+ for the analogs aminotadalafil, piperidino vardenafil, hydroxyacetildenafil and piperidino acetildenafil were 0.1, 0.0, 0.1 and 0.5 ppm, respectively. Based on the accuracy of the measurements, structural assignments could be made with a high degree of confidence. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A rapid screening method for pesticides has been developed to promote more efficient processing of produce entering the United States. Foam swabs were used to recover a multiclass mixture of 132 pesticides from the surfaces of grapes, apples, and oranges. The swabs were analyzed using direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization coupled with a high-resolution Exactive Orbitrap™ mass spectrometer. By using a DART helium temperature gradient from 100-350°C over 3 min, a minimal separation of analytes based on volatility differences was achieved. This, combined with the Exactive's mass resolution of 100,00, allowed the chromatographic step, along with the typical compositing and extraction steps associated with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) approaches, to be eliminated. Detection of 86% of the analytes present was consistently achieved at levels of 2 ng/g (per each apple or orange) and 10 ng/g (per grape). A resolution study was conducted with four pairs of isobaric compounds analyzed at a mass resolution of 100 000. Baseline separation was achieved with analyte ions differing in mass by 25 ppm and analyte ions with a mass difference of 10 ppm were partially resolved. In addition, field samples that had undergone traditional sample preparation using QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, rugged, and safe) were analyzed using both LC/MS and DART-MS and the results from the two techniques were found to be comparable in terms of identification of the pesticides present. The use of swabs greatly increased sample throughput by reducing sample preparation and analysis time.

The purpose of the current study was to develop a LC-MS n method for the analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in comfrey. Published data presents an extensive list of PAs and their N-oxides present in comfrey. However, standards are not commercially available for any of the PAs typically present in comfrey. Those PAs that are not stereoisomers were readily resolved on a C 18 column using a water-acetonitrile gradient as the mobile phase. The use of a selective technique, LC-MS/MS, allowed us to identify groups of PAs and their N-oxides, as well as identify the number of PAs present in each group, including those that were not completely resolved chromatographically.

A rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for the screening and determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in edible seafood is described. The method uses quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based extraction and HPLC with fluorescence detection (FLD). The method was developed and validated in response to the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Rapid and highly sensitive PAH screening methods are critical tools needed for oil spill response; they help to assess when seafood is safe for harvesting and consumption. Sample preparation involves SPE of edible seafood portions with acetonitrile, followed by the addition of salts to induce water partitioning. After centrifugation, a portion of the acetonitrile layer is filtered prior to analysis via HPLC-FLD. The chromatographic method uses a polymeric C18 stationary phase designed for PAH analysis with gradient elution, and it resolves 15 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency priority parent PAHs in fewer than 20 min. The procedure was validated in three laboratories for the parent PAHs using spike recovery experiments at PAH fortification levels ranging from 25 to 10 000 microg/kg in oysters, shrimp, crab, and finfish, with recoveries ranging from 78 to 99%. Additional validation was conducted for a series of alkylated homologs of naphthalene, dibenzothiophene, and phenanthrene, with recoveries ranging from 87 to 128%. Method accuracy was further assessed based on analysis of National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 1974b. The method provides method detection limits in the sub to low ppb (microg/kg) range, and practical LOQs in the low ppb (microg/kg) range for most of the PAH compounds studied.