SBSE(EG-Silicone)-UFLC-MS/MS and HPLC-Flu Analysis of Norharman in Passiflora edulis Rinds

Abstract

Previous studies on Passiflora edulis (sour passion fruit) rinds reported some biological activities and there is a growing interest on rinds flour as a possible functional food, but its alkaloid composition was not detailed investigated. This work reports on for the first time in the literature the identification of norharman in P. edulis rinds, by using stir bar sorptive extraction combined with ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry [SBSE(EG-Silicone)-UFLC-MS/MS)]. This β-carboline alkaloid is suspected to be neurotoxic. Therefore, another purpose of this study was to develop methods of targeted quantification of norharman in P. edulis rinds extracts using polydimethylsiloxane as stationary phase (SBSE(PDMS)) and a copolymer of polydimethylsiloxane and polyethylene glycol as stationary phase (SBSE(EG-Silicone)) combined with high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-Flu) and ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS). Norharman extraction by SBSE(PDMS) and SBSE(EG-Silicone) was optimized and compared, and the analytical performance of SBSE(EG-Silicone) method was superior to that of SBSE(PDMS). The analysis of a sample of dried P. edulis rind indicated (332.16 ± 8.43) pg g-1 of norharman.