Detection of dehydroepiandrosterone and androsterone in a traditional Chinese herbal product.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androsterone (ADT) were detected in a traditional Chinese herbal product by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). DHEA and ADT were tentatively identified by comparing their electron ionization (EI) mass spectra with those in the GC-MS Wiley database. A multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) scan was performed in LC-MS/MS to confirm the presence of the DHEA and ADT in the herbal product extract. Both the [M + H]+ and the [M + NH4]+ of DHEA and ADT were selected as the precursor ions. DHEA was detected with ion transitions m/z 306.4 --> 271.2, 306.4 --> 253.3, 289.2 --> 270.9, 289.3 --> 253.1 while ADT was detected with ion transitions m/z 308.5 --> 273.6, 308.5 --> 255.3, 291.5 --> 273.5, 291.5 --> 255.2, which confirmed the presence of the two steroid hormones in the herbal product. Limits of detection (LODs) of 0.2 microg ml(-1) for DHEA and 0.3 microg ml(-1) for ADT were found in methanolic standard solutions when [M +NH4]+ of DHEA and ADT were selected as the precursor ions, which allowed the detection of DHEA and ADT at trace level without time-consuming derivatization.
Zou
Peng
P
Centre for Analytical Science, Health Sciences Authority, 11 Outram Road, Singapore. zou.29@osu.edu
Chen
Ping
P
Oh
Sharon Sze-Yin
SS
Kiang
Kin-Har
KH
Low
Min-Yong
MY
D000738:Androsterone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D000738:Androsterone