Method development and validation for analysis of phenolic compounds in fatty complex matrices using enhanced matrix removal (EMR) lipid cleanup and UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS

• Published in: Food chemistry 2022-03, Vol.373 (Pt A), p.131096-131096, Article 131096
• Main Authors: Yin, Zhiya, Yuan, Bo, Lyu, Weiting, Huang, Qingrong, Simon, James E., Wu, Qingli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Enhanced matrix removal; High-fat matrices; Lipids; Persea; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; QuEChERS; Solid Phase Extraction; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131096

•A robust UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method developed for 55 phenolic compounds in 7 fatty matrices.•QuEChERS and enhanced matrix removal (EMR) in 96-well plate for sample cleanup.•EMR removed 56–77% of total lipids as profiled by UHPLC-QTOF-MS.•Stepwise recoveries were validated, with final accuracy of 78–117%. Reliable analysis of phenolic compounds in fatty matrices is a challenging task. In this work, a robust analytical method was developed and validated for 55 phenolic compounds employing QuEChERS (quick, efficient, cheap, easy, rugged and safe) and Enhanced Matrix Removal (EMR)-lipid cleanup in 96-well plates for sample preparation, coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). Seven high-fat matrices of pork brain, belly and liver; horse serum, beef, salmon and avocado were explored for method validation and led to promising stepwise recoveries of extraction, clean-up, drying-reconstitution of most analytes ranging from 75% to 113%, and with an accuracy of 78%∼117%, except for six catechin-analogues. The matrix removal efficiency of EMR was determined using UHPLC-quadruple time of flight (QTOF)-MS, and results indicated that 56%∼77% of co-extractives were removed. This method would be readily extended to wide range of applications demanding high-throughput and sensitive analysis of phenolic compounds in fatty samples.