title: Significant sensitivity improvements by matrix optimization: a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric study of lipids from hen egg yolk.
abstract: Due to its sensitivity, the tolerance of impurities and the simplicity of performance, matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is increasingly used to analyze lipids from biological sources. Although its detailed role is not understood so far, the applied matrix has a pronounced effect on the achievable spectrum quality and particularly how sensitive the individual lipid classes are detectable. Different matrix compounds were recently established in the lipid field including 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), 9-aminoacridine (9-AA), para-nitroaniline (PNA), 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), and 2-(2-aminoethylamino)-5-nitropyridine (AAN). It is the aim of this paper to compare the properties of these matrices with the newly synthesized matrix, alpha-cyano-2,4-difluorocinnamic acid (Di-FCCA). An organic extract from hen egg yolk was used as a simple and easily available test system. It will be shown that Di-FCCA is the matrix of choice to detect lipids in the positive-ion mode due to an achievable sensitivity gain of more than one order of magnitude compared to alternative matrices. In contrast, Di-FCCA is not suitable for negative-ion detection of phospholipids. Here, 9-AA is unequivocally the matrix of choice.
authors.affiliation: LIFE Center, University of Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teuber
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.forename: Thorsten W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Jaskolla
mesh_terms: D000585:Aminacrine / Q000032:analysis; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000737:chemistry; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry*; D005841:Gentisates / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000032:analysis; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: C539053:2-(2-aminoethylamino)-5-nitropyridine; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002934:Cinnamates; D005841:Gentisates; D008055:Lipids; D011725:Pyridines; C029010:cinnamic acid; C019498:4-nitroaniline; C005563:captax; D000585:Aminacrine; C010925:2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid