Determination of Prostaglandin E2 in Pork and Lymph Nodes by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatogrpahy-tandem Mass Spectrometry.

A method was developed for the determination of prostaglandin E₂ in pork and lymph nodes based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Samples were extracted with acetonitrile, defatted with acetonitrile-saturated n-hexane, cleaned up by HLB solid-phase extraction columns, and the eluates were blown to near-dryness with nitrogen at 45 °C and determined by re-solubilizing in a 50% acetonitrile solution containing 0.2% formic acid. The separation was conducted on a C₁₈ column with 0.1% formic acid solution and acetonitrile as mobile phases, and the multiple reaction monitoring was performed in negative ion mode. The limit of detection for prostaglandin E₂ in pork and its products was 10 µg/kg, and the limit of quantification was 20 µg/kg. The recoveries of prostaglandin E₂ in the method were in the range of 90~120%, and the precision was below 15.0%. The accuracy and precision of the method met the requirements for quantitative analysis. The values of prostaglandin E₂ in non-lymph node samples were below the limit of quantification using the established method, and the range of prostaglandin E₂ in lymph node samples was 20.7~101.0 µg/kg. By determining the amount of prostaglandin E₂ in a sample, it can be used as an aid in identifying lymph nodes. This method is highly accurate and generalizable, and it provides strong technical support for combating the illegal use of lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]