Rapid Determination of Endogenous 20-Hydroxyecdysone in Plants on MALDI-TOF/TOF Mass Spectrometry via Chemical Labeling Based on Boronate Affinity

Quinoa as phytopharmaceutical? Urinary elimination of ecdysterone after consumption of quinoa alone and in combination with spinach

The phytosteroid ecdysterone is classified as an anabolic agent and has been included on the monitoring list of the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2020. Therefore, the consumption of food rich in ecdysterone, such as quinoa and spinach, is the focus of a lively debate. Thus, the urinary excretion of ecdysterone and its metabolites in humans was investigated following quinoa consumption alone and in combination with spinach. Eight participants (four male and four female) were included, and they ingested 368 ± 61 g cooked quinoa alone and in combination with 809 ± 115 g spinach after a washout. Post-administration urines were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. After intake of both preparations, ecdysterone and two metabolites were excreted in the urine. The maximum concentration of ecdysterone ranged from 0.44 to 5.5 µg/mL after quinoa and from 0.34 to 4.1 µg/mL after quinoa with spinach. The total urinary excreted amount as parent drug plus metabolites was 2.61 ± 1.1% following quinoa intake and 1.7 ± 0.9% in combination with spinach. Significant differences were found in the total urinary excreted amount of ecdysterone, 14-deoxy-ecdysterone, and 14-deoxy-poststerone. Only small portions of ecdysterone from quinoa and the combination with spinach were excreted in the urine, suggesting that both quinoa and spinach are poor sources of ecdysterone in terms of bioavailability.

Mass Spectrometry Based on Chemical Derivatization Has Brought Novel Discoveries to Lipidomics: A Comprehensive Review

Lipids, as one of the most important organic compounds in organisms, are important components of cells and participate in energy storage and signal transduction of living organisms. As a rapidly rising field, lipidomics research involves the identification and quantification of multiple classes of lipid molecules, as well as the structure, function, dynamics, and interactions of lipids in living organisms. Due to its inherent high selectivity and high sensitivity, mass spectrometry (MS) is the "gold standard" analysis technique for small molecules in biological samples. The combination chemical derivatization with MS detection is a unique strategy that could improve MS ionization efficiency, facilitate structure identification and quantitative analysis. Herein, this review discusses derivatization-based MS strategies for lipidomic analysis over the past decade and focuses on all the reported lipid categories, including fatty acids and modified fatty acids, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sterols and saccharolipids. The functional groups of lipids mainly involved in chemical derivatization include the C=C group, carboxyl group, hydroxyl group, amino group, carbonyl group. Furthermore, representative applications of these derivatization-based lipid profiling methods were summarized. Finally, challenges and countermeasures of lipid derivatization are mentioned and highlighted to guide future studies of derivatization-based MS strategy in lipidomics.

Synthesis of hollow molecular imprinting nanoparticles based on polyethylenimine and boronate affinity for selective extraction of ovalbumin

The hollow MCM-48 polyethyleneimine carboxyphenylboronic acid molecularly imprinted polymers (H-MPC@MIPs) were synthesized to efficiently and selectively separate and enrich the ovalbumin (OVA) in egg white samples. Polyethyleneimine contained enough active amino groups to increase the amount of boric acid molecules modified to silica nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the materials were etched to enhance the adsorption effect. The H-MPC@MIPs exhibited a rapid adsorption equilibrium rate (within 30 min) and outstanding adsorption capacity for OVA (1334.1 mg g-1). It possessed a good reusability after 5 cycles. In addition, both the high density and the imprinting action of boric acid were essential for enhancing the identification and binding of OVA. The OVA in egg white samples was successfully selectively enriched using this method.