Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Analysis of Complex Molecules and Their Reactions on Surfaces by Means of Cluster-Induced Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 1, 2020
Tracing origins of complex pharmaceutical preparations using surface desorption atmospheric pressure chemical
Xinglei Zhang1, Bin Jia, Keke Huang
1Department of Applied Chemistry, East China Institute of Technology, Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province 344000, P. R. China.
Abstract:
A novel strategy to trace the origins of commercial pharmaceutical products has been developed based on the direct chemical profiling of the pharmaceutical products by surface desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (DAPCI-MS). Besides the unambiguous identification of active drug components, various compounds present in the matrixes are simultaneously detected without sample pretreatment, providing valuable information for drug quality control and origin differentiation. Four sources of commercial amoxicillin products made by different manufacturers have been successfully differentiated. This strategy has been extended to secerning six sources of Liuwei Dihuang Teapills, which are herbal medicine preparations with extremely complex matrixes. The photolysis status of chemical drug products and the inferior natural herd medicine products prepared with different processes (e.g., extra heating) were also screened using the method reported here. The limit of detection achieved in the MS/MS experiments was estimated to be 1 ng/g for amoxicillin inside the capsule product. Our experimental data demonstrate that DAPCI-MS is a useful tool for rapid pharmaceutical analysis, showing promising perspectives for tracking the entire pharmaceutical supply chain to prevent counterfeit intrusions.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
Mass Spectrum: Interpretation
Peptide Identification Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry
This technique helps gather information regarding the protein from which the peptide was obtained and to study the peptides’ amino acid sequence. Identifying peptides from a complex mixture is an important component of the growing field of...

