Determination of nicotine and three minor alkaloids in tobacco by hydrophilic interaction chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

Summary.A reliable, sensitive and rapid method for determination of nicotine and three minor alkaloids (cotinine, anabasine and nornicotine) in tobacco by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) has been established. HILIC separation was performed on a BEH HILIC column using isocratic elution at 0.5 mL/min with acetonitrile:water (85:15, v/v) mobile phase containing 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate (pH 5.00). Separated analytes were determined by electrospray ionization MS/MS in the positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. Alkaloids from tobacco were extracted in an ultrasonic bath for 10 min with acetonitrile:water mixture (8:2, v/v) containing 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate (pH 5.00). Limits of quantification were 10 µg/g for cotinine, 20 µg/g for anabasine and nornicotine, and 30 µg/g for nicotine. Mean recoveries from tobacco ranged between 94.8% and 104.1% for different analytes with relative standard deviations within 5%. The performance of the proposed method was tested for the extraction and determination of the four alkaloids in cigarette tobacco fillers, and satisfactory results were achieved.

Simultaneous determination of tobacco minor alkaloids and tobacco‐specific nitrosamines in mainstream smoke by dispersive solid‐phase extraction coupled with ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem orbitrap mass spectrometry

“…The nornicotine and anabasine in cigarette smoke likely possess abuse potential . The contents of nicotine, anabasine, and cotinine have been widely studied in tobacco leaves, tobacco fillers, etc. Their metabolites in human urine, plasma and saliva samples have been used as biomarkers for the study of tobacco use.…”

Anatabine, Nornicotine, and Anabasine Reduce Weight Gain and Body Fat through Decreases in Food Intake and Increases in Physical Activity

“…Minor tobacco alkaloids are naturally occurring compounds [5] that are structurally [6] and functionally [7][8][9] analogous to nicotine, the primary psychoactive component in cigarettes, and have been the subject of research on novel therapeutics for smoking cessation [10], cognitive disorders including Alzheimer's disease [11][12][13] and Parkinson's disease [14], traumatic brain injury [15], inflammatory bowel disease [16] and psoriasis (Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals), as well as a novel strategy for pain management [17]. Previous research investigating the role of nicotine on body weight has repeatedly demonstrated that cigarette smoking and/or nicotine administration produces sustained weight loss and reduced food intake [18][19][20][21][22].…”

Determination of Nicotine in Cigarette Tobacco Smuggled to Brazil by Modified QuEChERS Methodology

“…Since nicotine is synthesized in the roots and transported to the leaves, its concentration influences the plant development. [8,9] Therefore, the nicotine content evaluation is an important parameter for the tobacco quality in cigarettes [10]. For cigarettes with intentionally reduced amounts of nicotine, it is necessary for the plants to be genetically modified; it takes 8-12 years of research for a certain variety to be commercialized [8,11].…”