Simultaneous detection of 22 toxic plant alkaloids (aconitum alkaloids, solanaceous tropane alkaloids, sophora alkaloids, strychnos alkaloids and colchicine) in human urine and herbal samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous detection of 22 toxic plant alkaloids, including aconitum alkaloids and their hydrolyzed products (aconitine, hypaconitine, mesaconitine, yunaconitine, crassicauline A, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconine, deacetylyunaconitine, deacetylcrassicauline A), solanaceous tropane alkaloids (atropine, anisodamine, scopolamine, anisodine), sophora alkaloids (matrine, sophoridine, oxymatrine, cytisine, N-methylcytisine), strychnos alkaloids (brucine, strychnine) and colchicine, in herbal and urine samples was developed and validated. Following sample preparation by liquid-liquid extraction, chromatographic separation was achieved on Eclipse XDB C8 column. Identification was based on two multiple reaction monitoring transitions and the relative ion intensity. Method selectivity was demonstrated. The limits of detection were 5ng/mL for all analytes, except 50ng/mL for cytisine. The herbal matrix effects ranged from 89% to 118%, whereas the urine matrix effects were between 91% and 109% for all analytes except cytisine (57%) and N-methylcytisine (67%). The urine extraction recovery ranged from 74% to 110% for all analytes, except cytisine (15%) and oxymatrine (30%). With the good extraction efficiency of the other major sophora alkaloids, the relatively low extraction recovery of the minor sophora alkaloids cytisine and oxymatrine did not affect identification of sophora alkaloids as a group. Carry-over was minimal at less than 0.1%. The method was successfully applied in analysis of 170 cases of suspected herbal poisoning, with aconitum alkaloids, sophora alkaloids, solanaceous tropane alkaloids, and strychnos alkaloids being detected in 53, 42, 18, and 6 cases, respectively.
Hospital Authority Toxicology Reference Laboratory, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong.
Sau Wah
SW
Ng
Chor Kwan
CK
Ching
Albert Yan Wo
AY
Chan
Tony Wing Lai
TW
Mak
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000652:urine*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000506:poisoning*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods
D000470:Alkaloids; D010936:Plant Extracts
Alkaloids; Herb; Liquid chromatography; Tandem mass spectrometry; Urine