Rapid Quantification of Trigonelline in Honey Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Trigonelline is an alkaloid with various pharmacological properties and may serve as a distinguishing marker between rape honey and other types of honey. Therefore, rapid, high-throughput methods for its quantification are needed to authenticate honey, as described in this study.

Honey samples were diluted and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) using a stable isotope-labeled internal standard without chromatography. The method was validated through application to various types of honey samples.

The method demonstrated excellent linearity (R² = 0.9973) over the range of 0.01 to 1 μg/mL, with a limit of detection of 2.04 ng/mL and a limit of quantification of 6.35 ng/mL. Precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, ranged from 0.5% to 12.7%, and recoveries were satisfactory, ranging from 98.6% to 118.3%. Crucially, the quantitation correlated well with conventional high-performance liquid chromatography, while reducing the analysis time to less than 2 min per sample.

A rapid, high-throughput MALDI-MS method for detecting trigonelline in honey was developed and validated. Its speed and sensitivity make it well-suited for routine honey varietal identification and quality screening.