DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRIC METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ECDYSTEROIDS IN BIOLOGICAL EXTRACTS

The development of a new high-performance liquid chromatography-atmosp heric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring (HPLC-APCI-MS-SIM) method for the analysis and quantificat ion of ecdysteroids (molting hormones) in biological extracts is repor ted. APCI spec tra of authentic ecdysteroids exhibited major ions corr esponding to the successive loss of water from the pseudomolecular ion . The most abundant of these ions were used for SIM. The absolute sens itivity of this HPLC-APCI-MS-SIM method for detection, but not quantif ication, was down to 10-100 pg of ecdysteroid per analysis. This is co mparable to the sensitivity afforded for ecdysteroid detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring, but obviates the requirement for chemical derivatization of the ecdysteroids prior to analysis. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.