Acylic sugar derivatives for GC/MS analysis of 13C-enrichment during carbohydrate metabolism

Metabolic profiling with stable-isotope tracers in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is a well-established technique for measuring substrate redistribution within metabolic pathways. This analysis relies on the ability to localize and quantify the fractional incorporation of 13C isotope into each carbon atom of precursor-derived metabolites. In this paper, several carbohydrate derivatization procedures (peracetylation, deuterioalditol acetates, and aldononitrile acetates) are evaluated for the positional isotopic information obtained by gas chromatography/electron impact mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS). These derivatives have been compared for the quantitative evaluation of 13C distribution into isotopomers of 13C-labeled aldoses and ketoses, and the fragmentation pathways for 15 hexoses, pentoses, and amino sugars of biological origin have been assessed. In addition, a new type of carbohydrate derivative (dialkyldithioacetal acetates) has been developed for GC/MS that retains the charge on the anomeric carbon of the original monosaccharide. Electron impact ionization of these derivatives generates well-resolved base peaks arising from C1-C2 bond cleavage with charge retention at the C1 thiol groups. The dialkyldithioacetal acetates are uniquely well suited for measuring isotopic enrichment into the characteristic anomeric carbon of aldose sugars and will facilitate the global analysis of metabolic flux in carbohydrate pathways.     

Differential metabolomics using stable isotope labeling and two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

This work describes an approach to differential metabolomics that involves stable isotope labeling for relative quantification as part of sample analysis by two-dimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCxGC/MS). The polar metabolome in control and experimental samples was extracted and differentially derivatized using isotopically light and heavy (D6) forms of the silylation reagent N-methyl-N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA). MTBSTFA derivatives are of much greater hydrolytic stability than the more common trimethylsilyl derivatives, thus diminishing the possibility of isotopomer scrambling during GC analysis. Subsequent to derivatization with MTBSTFA, differentially labeled samples were mixed and analyzed by GCxGC/MS. Metabolites were identified, and the isotope ratio of isotopomers was quantified. The method was tested using three classes of metabolites; amino acids, fatty acids, and organic acids. The relative concentration of isotopically labeled metabolites was determined by isotope ratio analysis. The accuracy and precision, respectively, in quantification of standard mixtures was 9.5 and 4.77% for the 16 amino acids, 9.7 and 2.83% for the mixture of 19 fatty acids, and 14 and 4.53% for the 20 organic acids. Suitability of the method for the examination of complex samples was demonstrated in analyses of the spiked blood serum samples. This differential isotope coding method proved to be an effective means to compare the concentration of metabolites between two samples simultaneously.     

Analysis of organoselenium and organic acid metabolites by laser desorption single photon ionization mass spectrometry

A method for analyzing organoselenium and organic acid metabolites using laser desorption from graphite surfaces coupled to vacuum ultraviolet single photon ionization mass spectrometry (LD/SPI MS) is described. The 1-10-fmol sensitivity and linear dynamic range allows quantitative detection of selenomethionine, trimethylselenonium ion, methylselenogalactosamine, and 1beta-methylseleno-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine in complex biological samples such as human urine. In addition, common urinary metabolites such as tartronic, glutaric, orotic, uric, suberic, and hydroxyhippuric acids, are readily detected. Screening and quantitative detection of these organoselenium and organic acid metabolites is achieved within minutes. The results are also consistent with those obtained using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry techniques. The study demonstrates the viability of matrix-free LD/SPI MS for molecular characterization and quantitative analysis of biological metabolites in the m/z 10-500 range that are present in complex biological fluids.     

Simultaneous derivatization and quantification of the nitric oxide metabolites nitrite and nitrate in biological fluids by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Simultaneous quantification of nitrite and nitrate, the major oxidative metabolites of L-arginine-derived nitric oxide (NO), in biological fluids by GC or GC/MS methods is currently impossible. The separate analysis of these anions is associated with severe methodological problems. Therefore, a GC/MS method was developed which allows, for the first time, simultaneous quantification of nitrite and nitrate in various biological fluids. The method involves a single derivatization procedure, by which endogenous nitrite and nitrate and their externally added 15N-labeled analogues are simultaneously converted in aqueous acetone by pentafluorobenzyl bromide to the nitro and nitric acid ester pentafluorobenzyl derivatives, respectively, and a single GC/MS analysis. Nitrite and nitrate concentrations measured in plasma and urine of humans by this method correlated excellently with those from quantification of nitrite and nitrate in these matrixes using a previously reported GC/MS method that, however, requires reduction of nitrate to nitrite. Also, the present method enables discrimination between S-nitro- and S-nitroso-glutathione, which have identical chromatographic and spectrophotometric properties. The method is very useful to routinely study metabolism and reactions of NO and its metabolites in vitro and in vivo. It is accurate, interference-free, sensitive-50 fmol of [15N]-nitrite and [15N]nitrate were detected at signal-to-noise ratios of 870:1 and 95:1, respectively-and should be a reference method for nitrite and nitrate measurements.     

Stable-isotope dimethylation labeling combined with LC-ESI MS for quantification of amine-containing metabolites in biological samples

One of the challenges associated with metabolome profiling in complex biological samples is to generate quantitative information on the metabolites of interest. In this work, a targeted metabolome analysis strategy is presented for the quantification of amine-containing metabolites. A dimethylation reaction is used to introduce a stable isotopic tag onto amine-containing metabolites followed by LC-ESI MS analysis. This labeling reaction employs a common reagent, formaldehyde, to label globally the amine groups through reductive amination. The performance of this strategy was investigated in the analysis of 20 amino acids and 15 amines by LC-ESI MS. It is shown that the labeling chemistry is simple, fast (<10-min reaction time), specific, and provides high yields under mild reaction conditions. The issue of isotopic effects of the labeled amines on reversed-phase (RP) and hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) LC separations was examined. It was found that deuterium labeling causes an isotope effect on the elution of labeled amines on RPLC but has no effect on HILIC LC. However, 13C-dimethylation does not show any isotope effect on either RPLC or HILIC LC, indicating that 13C-labeling is a preferred approach for relative quantification of amine-containing metabolites in different samples. The isotopically labeled 35 amine-containing analogues were found to be stable and proved to be effective in overcoming matrix effects in both relative and absolute quantification of these analytes present in a complicated sample, human urine. Finally, the characteristic mass difference provides additional structural information that reveals the existence of primary or secondary amine functional groups in amine-containing metabolites. As an example, for a human urine sample, a total of 438 pairs of different amine-containing metabolites were detected, at signal-to-noise ratios of greater than 10, by using the labeling strategy in conjunction with RP LC-ESI Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance MS.     

Validated comprehensive analytical method for quantification of coenzyme A activated compounds in biological tissues by online solid-phase extraction LC/MS/MS

We report a robust, reliable, and comprehensive analytical method for the identification and quantification of the entire class of coenzyme A (CoA) activated substances, particularly short-, medium-, and long-chain acyl-CoAs derived from various biological tissues. This online SPE-LC/MS/MS-based method is characterized by a simple three-step sample preparation: (1) addition of buffer, organic solvents, and internal standards; (2) homogenization; and (3) centrifugation. The supernatant is injected directly into the SPE-LC/MS/MS system. Identification of CoA activated compounds is performed by accurate mass determination within the HPLC run. Method validation for short-, medium-, and long-chain acyl-CoA fatty acids revealed excellent quality. Accuracy was found to be between 87 and 107% and precision was between 0.1 and 12.8% in mouse skeletal muscle. The lower limit of quantification for all investigated compounds was well below 3.1% of estimated physiological levels in 200 mg of mouse tissue. Comparable results were obtained for mouse liver, mouse brown white adipose tissue and rat liver. For all investigated tissues, no matrix effect was observed.     

Analysis of amino acid isotopomers using FT-ICR MS

Fluxes through known metabolic pathways and the presence of novel metabolic reactions are often determined by feeding isotopically labeled substrate to an organism and then determining the isotopomer distribution in amino acids in proteins. However, commonly used techniques to measure the isotopomer distributions require derivatization prior to analysis (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)) or large sample sizes (nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy). Here, we demonstrate the use of Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry with direct infusion via electrospray ionization to rapidly measure the amino acid isotopomer distribution in a biomass hydrolysate of the soil bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough. By applying high front-end resolution for the precursor ion selection followed by sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation, it was possible to determine exactly and unambiguously the specific locations of the labeled atoms in the amino acids, which usually requires a combination of 2-D 13C NMR spectroscopy and GC/MS. This method should be generally applicable to all biomass samples and will allow more accurate determination of metabolic fluxes with less work and less sample.     

Enhancement of the LC/MS analysis of fatty acids through derivatization and stable isotope coding

This paper focuses on the development of an enhanced LC/ESI-MS method for the identification and quantification of fatty acids through derivatization. Fatty acids were derivatized with 2-bromo-1-methylpyridinium iodide and 3-carbinol-1-methylpyridinium iodide, forming 3-acyloxymethyl-1-methylpyridinium iodide (AMMP). This process attaches a quaternary amine to analytes and enabled ESI-MS in the positive mode of ionization with common LC mobile phases. Moreover, detection sensitivity was generally 2500-fold higher than in the negative mode of ionization used with underivatized fatty acids. The limits of detection were roughly 1.0-4.0 nM (or 10 pg/injection) for standard fatty acids from C10 to C24 and spanned approximately 2 orders of magnitude in linearity. AMMP derivatives had unique tandem mass spectra characterized by common ions at m/z 107.0, 124.0, and 178.0. Individual fatty acids also had unique fingerprint regions that allowed identification of their carbon skeleton number, number of double bonds, and double bond position. The derivatization method also allowed coding of analytes as a means of recognizing derivatives and enhancing quantification. 2H-Coding was achieved through derivatization with deuterated 3-carbinol-1-methyl-d3-pyridinium iodide. The 2H-coded derivatization reagent, 3-acyloxymethyl-1-methyl-d3-pyridinium iodide, was used in two ways. One was to differentially label equal fractions of a sample such that after being recombined and analyzed by ESI-MS all fatty acids appeared as doublet clusters of ions separated by roughly 3 amu. This greatly facilitated identification of fatty acids in complex mixtures. Another use of stable isotope coding was in comparative quantification. Control and experimental samples were differentially labeled with nondeuterated and deuterated isotopomers of CPM, respectively. After mixing the two samples, they were analyzed by ESI-MS. The abundance of a fatty acid in an experimental sample relative to the control was established by the isotope ratio of the isotopomeric fatty acids. Absolute quantification was achieved by adding differentially labeled fatty acid standards to experimental samples containing unknown quantities of fatty acids. Utility of the method was examined in the analysis of human serum samples.     

LC/MS/MS method for quantitative determination of long-chain fatty acyl-CoAs

Long-chain acyl-CoA esters (LCACoAs) are activated lipid species that represent key substrates in lipid metabolism. The relationship between lipid metabolism disorders and type 2 diabetes has attracted much attention to this class of metabolites. This paper presents a highly sensitive and robust on-line LC/MS(2) procedure for quantitative determination of LCACoAs from rat liver. A fast SPE method has been developed without the need for time-consuming evaporation steps for sample preparation. LCACoAs were separated with high resolution using a C18 reversed-phase column at high pH (10.5) with an ammonium hydroxide and acetonitrile gradient. Five LCACoAs (C16:0, C16:1, C18:0 C18:1, C18:2) were quantified by selective multireaction monitoring using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in positive electrospray ionization mode. It is possible to perform a neutral loss scan of 507 for lipid profiling of complex LCACoA mixtures in tissue extracts. The method presented was validated according to ICH guidelines for quantitative determination of five LCACoAs for physiological concentrations in 100-200 mg of tissue with accuracies ranging from 94.8 to 110.8%, interrun precisions between 2.6 and 12.2%, and intrarun precisions between 1.2 and 4.4%. Due to the high sensitivity of the developed method, the amount of tissue biopsied for reliable quantification can be reduced. This may be advantageous in the quantification of LCACoAs in humans.     

Systematic identification of conserved metabolites in GC/MS data for metabolomics and biomarker discovery

Analysis of metabolomic profiling data from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) measurements usually relies upon reference libraries of metabolite mass spectra to structurally identify and track metabolites. In general, techniques to enumerate and track unidentified metabolites are nonsystematic and require manual curation. We present a method and software implementation, freely available at http://spectconnect.mit.edu, that can systematically detect components that are conserved across samples without the need for a reference library or manual curation. We validate this approach by correctly identifying the components in a known mixture and the discriminating components in a spiked mixture. Finally, we demonstrate an application of this approach with a brief analysis of the Escherichia coli metabolome. By systematically cataloguing conserved metabolite peaks prior to data analysis methods, our approach broadens the scope of metabolomics and facilitates biomarker discovery.     

Absolute quantification of the G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin by LC/MS/MS using proteolysis product peptides and synthetic peptide standards

Methods for the absolute quantification of a membrane protein are described using isotopically labeled or unlabeled synthetic peptides as standards. Synthetic peptides are designed to mimic peptides that are cleaved from target analyte proteins by proteolytic or chemical digestion, and the peptides selected serve as standards for quantification by LC/MS/MS on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The technique is complementary to relative quantification techniques in widespread use by providing absolute quantitation of selected targets with greater sensitivity, dynamic range, and precision. Proteins that are found to be of interest by global proteome searches can be selected as targets for quantitation by the present method. This method has a much shorter analytical cycle time (minutes versus hours for the global proteome experiments), making it well suited for high-throughput environments. The present approach using synthetic peptides as standards, in conjunction with proteolytic or chemical cleavage of target proteins, allows mass spectrometry to be used as a highly selective detector for providing absolute quantification of proteins for which no standards are available. We demonstrate that quantification is simple and reliable for the integral membrane protein rhodopsin with reasonable recoveries for replicate experiments using low-micromolar solutions of rhodopsin from rod outer segments.     

Extraction and GC/MS analysis of the human blood plasma metabolome

Analysis of the entire set of low molecular weight compounds (LMC), the metabolome, could provide deeper insights into mechanisms of disease and novel markers for diagnosis. In the investigation, we developed an extraction and derivatization protocol, using experimental design theory (design of experiment), for analyzing the human blood plasma metabolome by GC/MS. The protocol was optimized by evaluating the data for more than 500 resolved peaks using multivariate statistical tools including principal component analysis and partial least-squares projections to latent structures (PLS). The performance of five organic solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, acetone, chloroform), singly and in combination, was investigated to optimize the LMC extraction. PLS analysis demonstrated that methanol extraction was particularly efficient and highly reproducible. The extraction and derivatization conditions were also optimized. Quantitative data for 32 endogenous compounds showed good precision and linearity. In addition, the determined amounts of eight selected compounds agreed well with analyses by independent methods in accredited laboratories, and most of the compounds could be detected at absolute levels of approximately 0.1 pmol injected, corresponding to plasma concentrations between 0.1 and 1 microM. The results suggest that the method could be usefully integrated into metabolomic studies for various purposes, e.g., for identifying biological markers related to diseases.     

Identification and quantification of cardiac glycosides in blood and urine samples by HPLC/MS/MS.

Cardiac glycosides (CG) are of forensic importance because of their toxicity and the fact that very limited methods are available for identification of CG in biological samples. In this study, we have developed an identification and quantification method for digoxin, digitoxin, deslanoside, digoxigenin, and digitoxigenin by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). CG formed abundant [M + NH4]+ ions and much less abundant [M + H]+ ions as observed with electrospray ionization (ESI) source and ammonium formate buffer. Under mild conditions for collision-induced dissociation (CID), each [M + NH4]+ ion fragmented to produce a dominant daughter ion, which was essential to the sensitive method of selected reaction monitoring (SRM) quantification of CG achieved in this study. SRM was compared with selected ion monitoring (SIM) regarding the effects of sample matrixes on the methodology. SRM produced lower detection limits with biological samples than SIM, while both methods produced equal detection limits with CG standards. On the basis of the HPLC/MS/MS results for CG, we have proposed some generalized points for conducting sensitive SRM measurements, in view of the property of analytes as well as instrumental conditions such as the type of HPLC/MS interface and CID parameters. Analytes of which the molecular ion can produce one abundant daughter ion with high yield under CID conditions may be sensitively measured by SRM. ESI is the most soft ionization source developed so far and can afford formation of the fragile molecular ions that are necessary for sensitive SRM detection. Mild CID conditions such as low collision energy and low pressure of collision gas favor production of an abundant daughter ion that is essential to sensitive SRM detection. This knowledge may provide some guidelines for conducting sensitive SRM measurements of very low concentrations of drugs or toxicants in biological samples.     

Poly(ethylene glycol)-based stable isotope labeling reagents for the quantitative analysis of low molecular weight metabolites by LC-MS

Stable isotope labeling (SIL) in combination with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is one of the most widely used quantitative analytical methods due to its sensitivity and ability to deal with extremely complex biological samples. However, SIL methods for metabolite analysis are still often limited in terms of multiplexing, the chromatographic properties of the derivatized analytes, or their ionization efficiency. Here we describe a new family of reagents for the SIL of primary amine-containing compounds based on pentafluorophenyl-activated esters of 13C-containing poly(ethylene glycol) chains (PEG) that addresses these shortcomings. A sequential buildup of the PEG chain allowed the introduction of various numbers of 13C atoms opening extended multiplexing possibilities. The PEG derivatives of rather hydrophilic molecules such as amino acids and glutathione were successfully retained on a standard C18 reversed-phase column, and their identification was facilitated based on m/z values and retention times using extracted ion chromatograms. The mass increase due to PEG derivatization moved low molecular weight metabolite signals out of the often noisy, low m/z region of the mass spectra, which resulted in enhanced overall sensitivity and selectivity. Furthermore, elution at increased retention times resulted in efficient electrospray ionization due to the higher acetonitrile content in the mobile phase. The method was successfully applied to the quantification of intracellular amino acids and glutathione in a cellular model of human lung epithelium exposed to cigarette smoke-induced oxidative stress. It was shown that the concentration of most amino acids increased upon exposure of A549 cells to gas-phase cigarette smoke with respect to air control and cigarette smoke extract and that free thiol-containing species (e.g., glutathione) decreased although disulfide bond formation was not increased. These labeling reagents should also prove useful for the labeling of peptides and other compounds containing primary amine functionalities.     

Derivatization with Girard reagent T combined with LC-MS/MS for the sensitive detection of 5-formyl-2'-deoxyuridine in cellular DNA

Nucleoside 5-formyl-2'-deoxyuridine (FodU) is a major thymidine lesion generated by reactive oxygen species. In vitro and in vivo replication studies revealed that FodU can be mutagenic. A reliable and sensitive quantification method is, therefore, important for assessing the biological implications of this lesion. However, the detection limit of FodU by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was relatively poor compared with those of other oxidative DNA base damages. In this paper we described a new approach for the highly sensitive detection of FodU. We derivatized FodU with Girard reagent T to form a hydrazone conjugate harboring a precharged quaternary ammonium moiety, which enabled the facile detection of the resulting conjugate by positive-ion electrospray ionization MS. We also showed that the combination of derivatization with LC-MS/MS on a linear-ion-trap mass spectrometer could allow for the quantification of FodU at a detection limit of 3-4 fmol, which is approximately 20-fold better than that for the direct analysis of the underivatized compound. By using isotope-labeled FodU as the internal standard and this derivatization method, we further quantified, by using LC-MS/MS, the yield of FodU formed in cellular DNA.     

Improved LC-MS method for the determination of fatty acids in red blood cells by LC-orbitrap MS

We report a new method for fast and sensitive analyses of biologically relevant fatty acids (FAs) in red blood cells (RBC) by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A new chemical derivatization approach was developed forming picolylamides from FAs in a quantitative reaction. Fourteen derivatized FA standards, including saturated and unsaturated FAs from C14 to C22, were efficiently separated within 15 min. In addition, the use of a recently introduced benchtop orbitrap mass spectrometer under positive electrospray ionization (ESI) full scan mode showed a 2-10-fold improvement in sensitivity compared with a conventional tandem MS method, with a limit of detection in the low femtomole range for saturated and unsaturated FAs. The developed method was applied to determine FA concentrations in RBC with intra- and interday coefficients of variation below 10%.     

Quantification of proteins on gold nanoparticles by combining MALDI-TOF MS and proteolysis

Protein-coated nanoparticles have been used in many studies, including those related to drug delivery, disease diagnosis, therapeutics, and bioassays. The number and density of proteins on the particles' surface are important parameters that need to be calculable in most applications. While quantification methods for two-dimensional surface-bound proteins are commonly found, only a few methods for the quantification of proteins on three-dimensional surfaces such as nanoparticles have been reported. In this paper, we report on a new method of quantifying proteins on nanoparticles using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). In this method, the nanoparticle-bound proteins are digested by trypsin and the resulting peptide fragments are analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS after the addition of an isotope-labeled internal standard (IS) which has the same sequence as a reference peptide of the surface-bound protein. Comparing the mass intensities between the reference peptide and the IS allows the absolute quantification of proteins on nanoparticles, because they have the same molecular milieu. As a model system, gold nanoparticles were examined using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a coating protein. We believe that our strategy will be a useful tool that can provide researchers with quantitative information about the proteins on surfaces of three-dimensional materials.     

Determination of alpha- and beta-hydroxycarbonyls and dicarbonyls in snow and rain samples by GC/FID and GC/MS employing benzyl hydroxyl oxime derivatization

A flame ionization detector (FID) combined with capillary gas chromatography (GC/FID) and gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been used to identify multifunctional carbonyls in wet precipitation samples. The carbonyl groups were first derivatized to O-benzylhydroxyloxime (BH oxime) by using O-benzylhydroxylamine. The BH oxime derivatives were then treated with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide for the hydroxyl group to derive their TMS ethers. The BH oxime/TMS derivatives were measured using GC/FID as well as GC/MS on positive EI and CI (isobutane was used as CI gas) modes. Three groups of carbonyl compounds (monoaldehydes, dicarbonyls, hydroxycarbonyls) were identified in the samples by using this method. We have identified, for the first time, a group of alpha- and beta-hydroxycarbonyls, glycolaldehyde, hydroxyacetone, and 4-hydroxy-2-butanone, in wet precipitation samples. Concentrations of hydroxycarbonyls ranged from 0.9 to 53.8 microg/L in the precipitation samples. Their concentration level is similar to that of low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids, which have been reported as major water-soluble organic compounds in rain.     

Determination of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), iso-LSD, and N-demethyl-LSD in body fluids by gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Procedures for detection and quantitation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), iso-LSD, and N-demethyl-LSD by capillary chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) are presented. Several methods for derivatization, sample introduction, and ionization, in combination with mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS), have been evaluated for overall ionization efficiency and product-ion sensitivity and specificity. Fragmentation pathways derived from low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of protonated LSD, and the protonated trimethylsllyl derivatives of LSD (LSD-TMS) and deuterium-labeled analogs of LSD, have been proposed. Principal dissociations primarily involve the amide and piperidine-ring moieties in which losses of CH3 radical, CH3NH2, CH3NCH2, diethylamine, diethylformamide, and N,N-diethylpropenamide from MH+ are observed. Positive-ion ammonia chemical ionization and subsequent MS/MS analysis of the protonated molecules (MH+) of the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of LSD, iso-LSD, and N-demethyl-LSD provide a high degree of specificity for identification of these compounds in urine or blood at low-pg/mL concentrations. Negative-ion chemical ionization and GC/MS/MS analysis of the molecular anion (M-) of the trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivative is well suited for trace-level identification of N-demethyl-LSD, a metabolite of LSD.     

Toxicological screening with formula-based metabolite identification by liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

An analytical procedure was evaluated for the comprehensive toxicological screening of drugs, metabolites, and pesticides in 1-mL urine samples by TurboIon spray liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOFMS) in the positive ionization mode and continuous mass measurement. The substance database consisted of exact monoisotopic masses for 637 compounds, of which an LC retention time was available for 392. A macroprogram was refined for extracting the data into a legible report, utilizing metabolic patterns and preset identification criteria. These criteria included +/-30 ppm mass tolerance, a +/-0.2-min window for absolute retention time, if available, and a minimum area count of 500. The limit of detection, determined for 90 compounds, was <0.1 mg/L for 73% of the compounds studied and >1.0 mg/L for 6% of the compounds. For method comparisons, 50 successive autopsy urine samples were analyzed by this method, and the results confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Findings for parent drugs were consistent with both methods; in addition, LC/TOFMS regularly revealed apparently correct findings for metabolites not shown by GC/MS. Mean and median mass accuracy by LC/TOFMS was 7.6 and 5.4 ppm, respectively. The procedure proved well-suited for tentative identification without reference substances. The few false positives emphasized the fact that all three parameters, exact mass, retention time, and metabolite pattern, are required for unequivocal identification.