Solid-phase extraction followed by direct TOF-MS-MS and HPLC analysis of ptaquiloside in Pteridium aquilinum from different places of China

Ptaquiloside (PTA) is a carcinogenic norsesquiterpene glucoside existing in Pteridium aquilinum, the young fronds of which are widely used as a wild vegetable in China. To ensure food safety, it is extremely important to establish a fast and accurate method for the quantification of PTA in P. aquilinum. This paper aimed to establish a qualification and quantification method for PTA in P. aquilinum based on a solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-concentrating technique followed by TOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD analysis. The results showed that the developed method can qualify and quantify the PTA in P. aquilinum with an average recovery of 87.0% for PTA. The method is repeatable extra- and inter- days, with RSD values lower than 5%. A total of 18 P. aquilinum samples from different places of China were analyzed by the established method. The contents of PTA in the investigating samples varied from 5.61 ± 0.50–4250 mg kg−1 in dry weight, which was mostly lower than those of cases reported abroad. This study presents the characterization and quantitative assay of PTA in P. aquilinum from different places of China using direct TOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD quantification combined with solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-concentrating technique, which can be employed for the safety evaluation of the food derived from P. aquilinum.