<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The present study describes the analysis of several organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products using a liquid chromatography (LC) method with mass spectrometric (MS) detection (LC-MS). Prior to the application of the LC-MS method, a qualitative analysis for the identification of the organic acids in tobacco and oral tobacco products was performed. The qualitative method used direct silylation of the plant material followed by GC-MS separation and detection. For the acids’ quantitation, a novel LC-MS method has been developed and validated. The acids of interest for quantitation were the following: acetic, citric, fumaric, glyceric, lactic, maleic, malic, oxalic, pyroglutamic, pyruvic, quinic, and trihydroxybutanoic. The LC separation was performed on a Synergy 4u Hydro-RP column 250 × 4.6 mm, with an aqueous mobile phase containing 5% methanol and 0.15% formic acid. The LCMS method has the advantage versus LC methods with other detection types (refractive index, UV absorption at low UV range, or conductivity) of being capable of positive identification of the analytes based on their specific ions, and of having significantly better sensitivity. Unfortunately, the LC-MS method was not generating good results for oxalic acid and acetic acid also expected to be present in some samples of tobacco or tobacco products. The study describes the advantages and disadvantages of the LC-MS method for the analysis of organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products.</p></abstract>

The present study describes the analysis of several organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products using a liquid chromatography (LC) method with mass spectrometric (MS) detection (LC-MS). Prior to the application of the LC-MS method, a qualitative analysis for the identification of the organic acids in tobacco and oral tobacco products was performed. The qualitative method used direct silylation of the plant material followed by GC-MS separation and detection. For the acids’ quantitation, a novel LC-MS method has been developed and validated. The acids of interest for quantitation were the following: acetic, citric, fumaric, glyceric, lactic, maleic, malic, oxalic, pyroglutamic, pyruvic, quinic, and trihydroxybutanoic. The LC separation was performed on a Synergy 4u Hydro-RP column 250 × 4.6 mm, with an aqueous mobile phase containing 5% methanol and 0.15% formic acid. The LCMS method has the advantage versus LC methods with other detection types (refractive index, UV absorption at low UV range, or conductivity) of being capable of positive identification of the analytes based on their specific ions, and of having significantly better sensitivity. Unfortunately, the LC-MS method was not generating good results for oxalic acid and acetic acid also expected to be present in some samples of tobacco or tobacco products. The study describes the advantages and disadvantages of the LC-MS method for the analysis of organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products.

An LC-MS Method for the Analysis of Some Organic Acids in Tobacco Leaf, Snus, and Wet Snuff

Contributions to Tobacco & Nicotine Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The present study describes the analysis of several organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products using a liquid chromatography (LC) method with mass...

An LC-MS Method for the Analysis of Some Organic Acids in Tobacco Leaf, Snus, and Wet Snuff

Published Online: Apr 25, 2018

Page range: 30 - 41

Received: Jun 07, 2017

Accepted: Feb 27, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cttr-2018-0004

Keywords
Organic acids, hydroxy acids, tobacco, oral tobacco products

© 2018 Serban C. Moldoveanu et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

An LC-MS Method for the Analysis of Some Organic Acids in Tobacco Leaf, Snus, and Wet Snuff

Published Online: Apr 25, 2018

Page range: 30 - 41

Received: Jun 07, 2017

Accepted: Feb 27, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cttr-2018-0004

KeywordsOrganic acids, hydroxy acids, tobacco, oral tobacco products

© 2018 Serban C. Moldoveanu et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Organic acids, hydroxy acids, tobacco, oral tobacco products