Development and optimisation of an HPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-ToF method for the determination of phenolic acids and derivatives

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 14;9(2):e88762. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088762. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

A method for the HPLC-MS/MS analysis of phenols, including phenolic acids and naphtoquinones, using an amide-embedded phase column was developed and compared to the literature methods based on classical C18 stationary phase columns. RP-Amide is a recently developed polar embedded stationary phase, whose wetting properties mean that up to 100% water can be used as an eluent. The increased retention and selectivity for polar compounds and the possibility of working in 100% water conditions make this column particularly interesting for the HPLC analysis of phenolic acids and derivatives. In this study, the chromatographic separation was optimised on an HPLC-DAD, and was used to separate 13 standard phenolic acids and derivatives. The method was validated on an HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF. The acquisition was performed in negative polarity and MS/MS target mode. Ionisation conditions and acquisition parameters for the Q-ToF detector were investigated by working on collision energies and fragmentor potentials. The performance of the method was fully evaluated on standards. Moreover, several raw materials containing phenols were analysed: walnut, gall, wine, malbec grape, French oak, red henna and propolis. Our method allowed us to characterize the phenolic composition in a wide range of matrices and to highlight possible matrix effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods*
  • Electronics*
  • Hydroxybenzoates / analysis*
  • Reference Standards
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*

Substances

  • Hydroxybenzoates
  • phenolic acid

Grants and funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the VAT project (“La vita breve del tannino”, founded by PAR-FAS 2007–2013 Regione Toscana) for the financial support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.