Quantitative analysis of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) in fish muscle by high-performance liquid chromatography with...

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a reactive compound produced during the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, is implicated in numerous diseases and the degradation of food quality. Although the detection of HNE in meat has a long history, methods for detecting HNE in freshwater fish are inadequate due to the significant influence of matrix differences (i.e., the matrix effect). We developed a method to measure HNE in six freshwater fish species: Grass carp, Silver carp, Bighead carp, Common carp, Crucian carp, and Wuchang bream. This method showed excellent linearity (R² values from 0.9943 to 0.9958) and high recovery rates (95.45-104.41 %), with limits of detection (LOD) between 0.029 and 0.176 μmol/kg, covering a range of 0.006 to 25.600 μmol/kg. Matrix effect assessment revealed matrix factors (Mf) between 0.13 and 0.47. This study enhances our understanding of lipid oxidation in fish and guides improvements in food processing techniques.