Rapid speciation and quantification of selenium compounds by HPLC-ICP MS using multiple standards labelled with...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Speciation analysis of metals and metalloids is crucial for understanding metabolic and toxicological pathways.
• High-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP MS) is a key technique for such analyses.
• Accurate identification and quantification of specific metal metabolites remain challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and efficient method for simultaneous identification and quantification of selenium (Se) metabolites.
• To validate the method using selenised garlic extract and rat urine samples.
• To demonstrate the utility of isotope-labeled standards in high-throughput speciation analysis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a method utilizing multiple stable isotope-labeled selenium standards.
• Application of high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP MS) for speciation.
• Analysis of selenised garlic extract and rat urine spiked with labeled standards.

Main Results:

• Quantification of specific Se metabolites in selenised garlic: γ-glutamyl-methylselenocysteine (723.8 ng Se ml⁻¹), methylselenocysteine (414.8 ng Se ml⁻¹), and selenomethionine (310.7 ng Se ml⁻¹).
• Identification of excreted Se compounds in rat urine: selenate, methylselenonic acid, selenosugar, and trimethylselenium ions.
• Demonstrated high-throughput identification and quantification capabilities using isotope-labeled standards.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables rapid and accurate speciation of selenium compounds.
• The use of multiple stable isotope-labeled standards significantly improves the efficiency of Se metabolite analysis.
• This approach is valuable for metabolic and toxicological studies of selenium and other metalloids.