Determination of glutathione in spruce needles by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
For the determination of glutathione (GSH) and its oxidized form (GSSG) in spruce needles their electrospray mass and MS/MS spectra were recorded with an ion trap mass spectrometer (ITMS, LCQ, Finnigan) and a triple stage quadrupole mass spectrometer (TSQ, Quattro II, Micromass). A study of the stability of GSH in aqueous solutions shows the presence of dimeric and trimeric forms of GSH, as well as GSSG, GSH-sulfonate and GSH-sulfinic acid. The same components were also found in extracts of spruce needles. We developed an assay which is suitable for monitoring low concentrations of GSH and similar compounds in plant tissues, employing the sensitivity and specificity of LC/MS/MS. Preliminary results on the mass spectrometric determination of GSH in spruce needles are given.
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Askerceva 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Marjan
M
Gucek
Simon
S
Makuc
Anita
A
Mlakar
Julija
J
Bericnik-Vrbovsek
Joze
J
Marsel