Effective strategies are required to address food safety issues related to the illegal addition of antihypertensive drugs to food and claims of antihypertensive function. In this study, a novel ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of three antihypertensive drugs (azilsartan, candesartan cilexetil, and lacidipine) in 12 food matrices (pressed candies, solid beverages, alternative teas, tea drinks, biscuits, jellies, mixed liquors, oral liquids, medicinal teas, tablets, hard capsules, and soft capsules). Initially, mass spectrometry parameters, such as the collision energies of the three antihypertensive drugs, were optimized. Subsequently, the response intensities and chromatographic separation conditions of the three drugs in different mobile phases were compared. In addition, to enhance the recoveries, various extraction solvents and purification methods, including solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns and the QuEChERS technique, were investigated. In the developed method, sample determination involved three steps. First, the sample was extracted using 0.2% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile and then filtered using high-speed centrifugation, in addition, the extracted solution of alternative tea and medicinal tea was purified using the QuEChERS technique. Second, the supernatant was diluted with water, and filtered through a 0.22 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. Finally, the analytes were separated on an Agilent Eclipse Plus RRHD C18 column (50 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) using a 5 mmol/L ammonium formate aqueous solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phases under gradient elution conditions and then detected using UHPLC-MS/MS with positive electrospray ionization (ESI) in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Quantitative analysis was performed using a matrix-matched external standard method. Methodological validation showed good linear relationships for all three antihypertensive drugs in the investigated concentration ranges, with correlation coefficients (r2) greater than 0.996. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of lacidipine were 0.02 mg/kg and 0.04 mg/kg, respectively, whereas those of the other two drugs were 0.01 mg/kg and 0.02 mg/kg, respectively. In the 12 food matrices, the average recoveries of the drugs ranged from 86.6% to 107.5% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.1%-10.9% (n=6) at low, medium, and high spiked levels. Furthermore, this method was successfully applied to the analysis of real food samples. Overall, the newly developed method is simple, rapid, sensitive, accurate, and suitable for the qualitative and quantitative determination of antihypertensive drugs in different food matrices. This work could provide technical support for food safety agencies in implementing measures against the illegal addition of antihypertensive drugs to food.
为解决食品中非法添加化学降压药并以此宣称具有降压功能的食品安全问题,本研究基于超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UHPLC-MS/MS)技术,建立了一种同时测定压片糖果、固体饮料、代用茶、茶饮料、饼干、果冻、配制酒和保健食品(口服液、茶剂、片剂、硬胶囊、软胶囊)等12种典型食品基质中阿齐沙坦、坎地沙坦酯和拉西地平等3种新型降压药的分析方法。样品以0.2%(v/v)甲酸乙腈提取,选择性采用QuEChERS净化,再用水稀释,经聚四氟乙烯膜过滤,以5 mmol/L甲酸铵水溶液-乙腈为流动相,通过Agilent Eclipse Plus RRHD C18色谱柱(50 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 μm)进行分离,在电喷雾正离子扫描(ESI+)、多反应监测(MRM)模式下进行测定,基质匹配外标法定量。方法学研究表明,3种降压药在各自的线性范围内线性关系良好,相关系数(r2)均大于0.996;拉西地平的检出限(LOD)为0.02 mg/kg,定量限(LOQ)为0.04 mg/kg,阿齐沙坦和坎地沙坦酯的LOD均为0.01 mg/kg, LOQ均为0.02 mg/kg;对12种基质进行低、中、高3个水平的加标试验(n=6), 3种降压药的平均回收率为86.6%~107.5%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为1.1%~10.9%。该方法简单、快速、灵敏、准确,适用于食品中阿齐沙坦、坎地沙坦酯、拉西地平的同时测定,解决了这3种药物在食品基质中检测方法缺失的难题,可为监管部门提供技术支撑。
Keywords: antihypertensive drugs; azilsartan; candesartan cilexetil; foods; lacidipine; ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).