MSACL 2019 US Abstract

A Novel Derivatization Method for High-Sensitivity LC-MS/MS Analysis of Aromatic Compounds

Y. Ruben Luo, Cassandra Yun, Kara L. Lynch
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA

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Y. Ruben Luo (Presenter) University of California at San Francisco

Presenter Bio: Y. Ruben Luo received his PhD in analytical chemistry from Stanford University, and his BS in chemistry from Peking University, China. He is currently a clinical chemistry fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to his fellowship, he worked in the clinical diagnostics industry for 9 years, holding positions as product manager of a global biotech / clinical diagnostics company and technical director of a third-party laboratory. His research experience focused on the development of clinical diagnostic assays and devices based on mass spectrometry and optical biosensors.

Relevant Financial Disclosures (within past 24 months) Stock/Bonds Applin Biotech Salary Applin Biotech Discussing Products? NO, presenter will NOT present educational content related to products/services of the ineligible company(ies) listed above. Conflict mitigation NOT REQUIRED.

A novel derivatization method was developed for high-sensitivity LC-MS/MS analysis of low-abundance compounds in biological specimens samples. The method involves an azo-coupling reaction that produces derivatized analytes with ionization efficiency in mass spectrometry. It allows for direct derivatization reaction in neat samples and does not require sample clean-up, thus facilitating a “derivatize & shoot” sample preparation procedure. The derivatization method was successfully applied to 6 typical aromatic compounds. Full validation of this methodology for the analysis of 5 cannabinoids in human breath demonstrated sub-pg/ml sensitivity and a linear correlation between tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN) in 180 samples. The method was also applied to whole blood samples and showed good correlation to a previously validated non-derivatization method.