Nathalie Gillard

Identification of Proteins and Peptide Biomarkers for Detecting Banned Processed Animal Proteins (PAPs) in Meat and Bone Meal by Mass Spectrometry

The outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United Kingdom in 1986, with processed animal proteins (PAPs) as the main vector of the disease, has led to their prohibition in feed. The progressive release of the feed ban required the development of new analytical methods to determine the exact origin of PAPs from meat and bone meal. We set up a promising MS-based method to determine the species and the source (legal or not) present in PAPs: a TCA-acetone protein extraction followed by a cleanup step, an in-solution tryptic digestion of 5 h (with a 1:20 protein/trypsin ratio), and mass spectrometry analyses, first without any a priori, with a Q-TOF, followed by a targeted triple-quadrupole analysis. Using this procedure, we were able to overcome some of the major limitations of the official methods to analyze PAPs, detecting and identifying prohibited animal products in feedstuffs by the monitoring of peptides specific for cows, pigs, and sheep in PAPs.

Advances in ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for sensitive detection of several food allergens in complex and processed foodstuffs

Sensitive detection of food allergens is affected by food processing and foodstuff complexity. It is therefore a challenge to detect cross-contamination in food production that could endanger an allergic customers life. Here we used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for simultaneous detection of traces of milk (casein, whey protein), egg (yolk, white), soybean, and peanut allergens in different complex and/or heat-processed foodstuffs. The method is based on a single protocol (extraction, trypsin digestion, and purification) applicable to the different tested foodstuffs: chocolate, ice cream, tomato sauce, and processed cookies. The determined limits of quantitation, expressed in total milk, egg, peanut, or soy proteins (and not soluble proteins) per kilogram of food, are: 0.5mg/kg for milk (detection of caseins), 5mg/kg for milk (detection of whey), 2.5mg/kg for peanut, 5mg/kg for soy, 3.4mg/kg for egg (detection of egg white), and 30.8mg/kg for egg (detection of egg yolk). The main advantage is the ability of the method to detect four major food allergens simultaneously in processed and complex matrices with very high sensitivity and specificity.

Development and validation of rapid multiresidue and multi-class analysis for antibiotics and anthelmintics in feed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT A new multi-residue method for the analysis of veterinary drugs, namely amoxicillin, chlortetracycline, colistins A and B, doxycycline, fenbendazole, flubendazole, ivermectin, lincomycin, oxytetracycline, sulfadiazine, tiamulin, tilmicosin and trimethoprim, was developed and validated for feed. After acidic extraction, the samples were centrifuged, purified by SPE and analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Quantitative validation was done in accordance with the guidelines laid down in European Commission Decision 2002/657/CE. Matrix-matched calibration with internal standards was used to reduce matrix effects. The target level was set at the authorised carryover level (1%) and validation levels were set at 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. Method performances were evaluated by the following parameters: linearity (0.986 < R2 < 0.999), precision (repeatability < 12.4% and reproducibility < 14.0%), accuracy (89% < recovery < 107%), sensitivity, decision limit (CCα), detection capability (CCβ), selectivity and expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2).This method has been used successfully for three years for routine monitoring of antibiotic residues in feeds during which period 20% of samples were found to exceed the 1% authorised carryover limit and were deemed non-compliant.

Highlight on Bottlenecks in Food Allergen Analysis: Detection and Quantification by Mass Spectrometry

Food laboratories have developed methods for testing allergens in foods. The efficiency of qualitative and quantitative methods is of prime importance in protecting allergic populations. Unfortunately, food laboratories encounter barriers to developing efficient methods. Bottlenecks include the lack of regulatory thresholds, delays in the emergence of reference materials and guidelines, and the need to detect processed allergens. In this study, ultra-HPLC coupled to tandem MS was used to illustrate difficulties encountered in determining method performances. We measured the major influences of both processing and matrix effects on the detection of egg, milk, soy, and peanut allergens in foodstuffs. The main goals of this work were to identify difficulties that food laboratories still encounter in detecting and quantifying allergens and to sensitize researchers to them.

A mass spectrometry method for sensitive, specific and simultaneous detection of bovine blood meal, blood products and milk products in compound feed

Feed sustainability is one of the biggest challenges for the next few years. Solutions have to be found that take feed quality and safety into account. Animal by-products are one valuable source of proteins. However, since the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, their use has been strictly regulated. The objective of this study was to propose a routine, sensitive and specific method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for the detection of blood-derived products and milk powder in feed. Contaminated aquafeeds were analysed in order to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the method. This new method meets both selectivity and sensitivity (0.1% (w/w)) requirements imposed by the European Commission for animal proteins detection methods. It offers an innovative and complementary solution for the simultaneously identification of authorised and unauthorised animal by-products such as processed animal proteins (PAPs).

Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for detecting ten allergens in complex and incurred foodstuffs

Food allergy is a considerable heath problem, as undesirable contaminations by allergens during food production are still widespread and may be dangerous for human health. To protect the population, laboratories need to develop reliable analytical methods in order to detect allergens in various food products. Currently, a large majority of allergen-related food recalls concern bakery products. It is therefore essential to detect allergens in unprocessed and processed foodstuffs. In this study, we developed a method for detecting ten allergens in complex (chocolate, ice cream) and processed (cookie, sauce) foodstuffs, based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Using a single protocol and considering a signal-to-noise ratio higher than 10 for the most abundant multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transition, we were able to detect target allergens at 0.5mg/kg for milk proteins, 2.5mg/kg for peanut, hazelnut, pistachio, and cashew proteins, 3mg/kg for egg proteins, and 5mg/kg for soy, almond, walnut, and pecan proteins. The ability of the method to detect 10 allergens with a single protocol in complex and incurred food products makes it an attractive alternative to the ELISA method for routine laboratories.

Development of a strategy for the quantification of food allergens in several food products by mass spectrometry in a routine laboratory

Worldwide, mass spectrometry is widely used to detect and quantify food allergens, especially in complex and processed food products. Yet, the absence of a regulatory framework for the developed methods has led to a lack of harmonization between laboratories. In this study, ten allergens were analyzed in eight food products by UHPLC-MS/MS, in order to establish criteria for the retention time, variation tolerance, the ion ratio deviation, and the signal-to-noise ratio for allergen detection. The set of criteria should help laboratories to compare results and avoid false positives and negatives. Furthermore, a strategy combining standard addition and labeled peptide correction was used to quantify milk, soy, peanut, and egg allergens in eight food products. This strategy is particularly interesting for routine laboratories, which receive hundreds of samples and cannot use an external calibration curve for each sample.

Development of a confirmatory method for detecting recombinant bovine somatotropin in plasma by immunomagnetic precipitation followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), a synthetic growth hormone, is used to stimulate growth and enhance milk production in dairy cows. Both its use and the sale of dairy products from treated animals are prohibited in the European Union, as well as in Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, but authorised in several countries (e.g. Brazil, USA). Screening methods involve detecting anti-rbST antibodies (biomarkers) in treated cows. Confirmatory methods are required to prove rbST abuse. The major challenges in determining rbST are its potentially low levels, its high similarity to native bST, and matrix interferences. To overcome these obstacles, we have developed a method involving immunomagnetic precipitation followed by UHPLC-MS/MS for rbST detection. Briefly, protein G magnetic beads pre-coated with an in-house produced monoclonal antibody were added to plasma. Incubation at room temperature allowed rbST present in the sample to bind to the magnetic beads. After that, magnetic beads were isolated by centrifugation and thoroughly washed (PBS, PBS + 0.2% Tween 20). Finally, rbST was released by alkalinisation and the samples were trypsin digested prior to UHPLC-MS/MS analysis in the MRM mode. Validation was done in accordance with European Commission Decision 2002/657/CE. Matrix-matched calibration with internal standards was used. The decision limit (CCα) reached with this approach was 0.11 µg l−1.