Article Title

Rapid identification of herbal toxins using electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry for emergency care

Authors

H. Su
K.-T. Liu
B.-H. Chen
Y.-P. Lin
Y.-M. Jiang
Y.-H. Tsai
F.-R. Chang
J. Shiea
C.-W. Lee

Abstract

The unintentional ingestion of toxic compounds in herbs is not uncommon in many parts of the world. To provide timely and life-saving care in the emergency department, it is essential to develop a point-of-care analytical method that can rapidly identify these toxins in herbs. Since electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS) has been successfully used to characterize non-volatile chemical compounds without sample preparation, it was used to identify toxic herbal compounds in this study. The herbal toxins were collected either by sweeping a metallic probe across the surface of a freshly cut herb section or by directly sampling extracts of ground herbal powder. The analytes on the probe were then desorbed, ionized and detected using ELDI/MS, wherein analysis of the herbal toxins was completed within 30 s. This approach allows for the rapid morphological recognition of herbs and early point-of-care identification of herbal toxins for emergency management and is promising in providing important toxicological information to ensure appropriate medical treatment. © 2019

Abstract Image

ScienceDirect Link

10.1016/j.jfda.2018.11.001

Recommended Citation

Su, H.; Liu, K.-T.; Chen, B.-H.; Lin, Y.-P.; Jiang, Y.-M.; Tsai, Y.-H.; Chang, F.-R.; Shiea, J.; and Lee, C.-W. (2019) "Rapid identification of herbal toxins using electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry for emergency care," Journal of Food and Drug Analysis: Vol. 27 : Iss. 2 , Article 10.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfda.2018.11.001

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