Would you like to discover a combined method to ensure the high quality of shellfish, intended for human consumption? This on-demand webinar describes such a method using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC/MS/MS) and MassHunter software.
Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) are potent neurotoxins produced by several species of phytoplankton, and may bio-accumulate in filter-feeding shellfish. Human consumption of contaminated shellfish can result in Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). As a result, monitoring of PST in shellfish is a statutory requirement in many regions of the world, including the EU. However, the detection of PSTs is challenging, due to their highly polar hydrophilic nature and the large number of structurally similar congeners.
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is another low molecular weight toxin thought to be produced by marine bacteria, which has been found to accumulate in bivalve shellfish. While TTX is not yet stipulated in the EU regulatory requirements, it is known to be as toxic as some analogs of PST.
Monitoring TTX along with other PSTs in shellfish could further protect public health. However, current methodologies used in control labs (including LC/FLD) are not suitable for its detection, and these labs do not have spare resources to add a further test. A method that can detect all PSTs and TTX together in one analytical method would be advantageous for monitoring the risk from all these hydrophilic marine toxins.
In this presentation, the development of a combined method to ensure the high quality of shellfish, intended for human consumption, using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC/MS/MS) and MassHunter software is discussed.
What does it cover?
- a discussion of equipment requirements, sample preparation, and method parameters to perform robust and reliable HILIC/MS/MS, and the quality procedures to assure that these requirements are always in place.
- a method verification exercise along with validated single-laboratory and multi-laboratory method performance characteristics demonstrating that it is suitable for routine analysis.
By viewing this presentation you will learn:
- how to setup a single method to cover 20 PSTs and TTX using HILIC/MS/MS analysis following a rapid one-step extraction and simple desalting cleanup procedure
- the performance of the 6495B triple quadrupole LC/MS system under real working conditions
- how HILIC/MS/MS provides the necessary sensitivity, accuracy, reproducibility, and ruggedness while providing a rapid, simple, and cost‑effective solution in comparison to other analytical detection methods
- about the results from a recently completed international collaborative validation study for the method, demonstrating acceptable performance across 21 laboratories.
The Presenter
Andrew D. Turner
(Principal Chemist, Food Safety Group, Cefas Weymouth Laboratory, UK)
As Principal Chemist in the Cefas Weymouth Food Safety Group, Andrew is responsible for the marine biotoxin testing in shellfish performed on behalf of the UK government competent authorities. He oversees the development and implementation of new methods for food safety surveillance and leads the development of research activities of the chemistry team. As a Chartered Chemist, he has over 20 years' postgraduate experience delivering analytical chemistry in a commercial and government environment. Current research interests include the development and validation of new instrumental methods for marine biotoxins, assessment of rapid testing methods for use by industry and the impact of cyanobacteria on aquatic food safety. They also include the development and production of stable toxin reference materials and risks from new and emerging shellfish and fin fish toxins to the UK and Europe, including the impacts of tetrodotoxins and ciguatera fish poisoning. He leads an active programme of research, collaborating with a wide network of international government and commercial testing laboratories throughout Europe, North and South America and Asia.
