Solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography--mass spectrometry for the determination of free fatty acids in shellfish.

A novel analytical protocol for the determination of free fatty acids (FFAs; saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) in shellfish using electrospray ionisation and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is described. Total lipids were extracted from four commercially important shellfish species using chloroform-methanol in a modification of the traditionally used Bligh and Dyer method. FFAs were recovered from lipidic shellfish extracts by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on an aminopropyl-silica column using a 98:2 v/v diethyl ether (DEE)-acetic acid solution.

Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry--detection of lipophilic shellfish toxins.

A rapid multiple toxin method based on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was developed for the detection of okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1), DTX-2, yessotoxin (YTX), homoYTX, 45-hydroxy-YTX, 45-hydroxyhomo-YTX, pectenotoxin-1 (PTX-1), PTX-2, azaspiracid-1 (AZA-1), AZA-2, and AZA-3. Toxins were extracted from shellfish using methanol-water (80%, v/v) and were analyzed using a C8 reversed-phase column with a 5 mM ammonium acetate-acetonitrile mobile phase under gradient conditions. The method was validated for the quantitative detection of OA, YTX, PTX-2, and AZA-1 in 4 species (mussels, Mytilus edulis; cockles, Cerastoderma edule; oysters, Crassostrea gigas; king scallop, Pecten maximus) of shellfish obtained from United Kingdom (UK) waters.