Determining fatty acids by desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using thin-layer chromatography substrates

In this study, we demonstrate the application of ambient mass spectrometry for measuring fatty acids from various biological sample matrices such as olive oil, fish oil, salmon, and human serum. Optimum performance was obtained after spotting samples onto thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates as sample substrates for a custom-built solvent-assisted desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (DI-MS) interface. Good to excellent linearities (coefficients of determination, 0.9856 to 0.9977) and reproducibilities (average 6 % relative standard deviation (RSD) using syringe deposition) were obtained after application of an internal standard. Signal suppression phenomena were minimized by separating the analytes by TLC to some extent prior to DI-MS, leading to a fourfold increase of signal-to-noise ratios as compared to single spot mixture analysis without TLC separation. Graphical Abstract Solvent-assisted desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry.