Data-dependent acquisition based high-resolution mass spectrum for trace Alternaria mycotoxin analysis and sulfated metabolites identification

• Published in: Food chemistry 2021-12, Vol.364, p.130450-130450, Article 130450
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaoman, Qu, Jinyao, Dai, Zhaoji, Lin, Yucheng, Lu, Guozhu, Yang, Shupeng, You, Yanli, Liu, Huihui, Wu, Yongning, Jiang, Guibin, Li, Yanshen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternaria mycotoxin; Data-dependent acquisition; Food safety; High-resolution mass spectrometer; Sulfated metabolites
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130450

[Display omitted] •A reliable DDA methods was developed for precise analysis of Alternaria mycotoxins.•Two sulfated Alternaria mycotoxins were identified in tomato samples.•A custom databased was established for Alternaria mycotoxins screening. Alternaria mycotoxins are food-related compounds that are mainly produced by Alternaria fungi species. However, it’s difficult for Alternaria mycotoxins analysis, especially for conjugated metabolites in food safety surveillance. In this work, a novel data-dependent acquisition (DDA) full mass scan and products scan protocol was proposed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of five target mycotoxins in tomato samples using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap). In total, 24 sulfated metabolites were detected with post-data analysis techniques, and two sulfated metabolites (AME-sulfated and AOH-sulfated) were identified in Alternaria fungi -inoculated tomatoes. In addition, a custom database was established, and it was successfully applied for Alternaria mycotoxins and sulfated metabolites screening in tomatoes. With the improvement in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) as well as post-data analysis techniques, DDA based HRMS method could be widely applied for compound analysis, identification, and screening in quantitative field.