Development and validation of a HILIC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitative of taste-active compounds in foods

Taste-active compounds are significant for the taste and nutrition of food, but their simultaneous quantification remains challenging due to the lack of efficient methods. The existing methods are difficult to simultaneously quantify many species and quantities of taste-active compounds by a single assay. In this study, a rapid and reliable method based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) was established for the simultaneous quantification and validation of 51 taste-active compounds in different food samples. The established method had a wide linear range (0.1–3000 ng/mL) and the limits of quantification were within the range from <0.1 to 100 ng/mL. This method demonstrated good quantification recovery in the range of 60–130 %. With the method proposed, the simultaneous determination of 51 taste-active compounds in 25 food samples was successfully applied. The quantitative and comparative results of taste-active compounds in different food products reveal the chemical characteristics and differences among different types of foods. This method showed good performance and a good application prospect for the simultaneous quantification of taste-active compounds in food samples. The analysis of key taste-active compounds in various food raw materials can enrich the diversification and individual flavor customization needs of food flavorings.