Oasis PRiME HLB Food Applications Notebook

Importance of the Topic

Modern food safety testing demands rapid, robust sample preparation to remove lipids and phospholipids that compromise chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses. Conventional defatting and cleanup approaches are often laborious, solvent-intensive, or inefficient at removing polar lipids.

Study Objectives and Overview

This summary compiles a series of application studies demonstrating the use of Oasis PRiME HLB Cartridges for fast, one-step cleanup of diverse food matrices. Matrices include meat, seafood, milk, infant formula, eggs, avocado, cereal grains, bovine liver, and leafy greens. Target analytes span veterinary drugs, pesticides, mycotoxins, and pigments.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Sample extraction by acidified acetonitrile or QuEChERS protocols to precipitate proteins and extract analytes
• Pass-through cleanup with Oasis PRiME HLB Cartridge (no conditioning) to retain fats and phospholipids
• Optional dispersive SPE for residual polar interferences
• UPLC-MS/MS analysis on ACQUITY UPLC I-Class coupled to Xevo TQ-S (ESI) or APGC-MS/MS for GC-amenable pesticides
• Columns: ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18, CSH C18 or CORTECS T3; GC columns with Rxi-5ms for APGC

Main Results and Discussion

Across all studies, Oasis PRiME HLB cleanup removed >90% of co-extracted phospholipids and >80% of fats, preserving analyte recoveries (typically 70–120%) for multi-class compounds. Comparative tests showed superior retention of planar pesticides versus graphitized carbon black, and equivalent or better cleanup compared with traditional C18 SPE or hexane defatting. Cleanup formats include vacuum cartridges and syringe-compatible “Plus” cartridges for flexible workflows.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Simple, single-step protocol reduces hands-on time and solvent use
• Protects LC columns and MS sources from lipid and phospholipid contamination
• Compatible with high-throughput sample processing and automation
• Versatile cartridge formats for vacuum manifolds or manual syringe use
• Applicable to veterinary drug, pesticide, mycotoxin, and pigment analyses

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Integration of Oasis PRiME HLB cleanup into fully automated platforms and robotic liquid-handling systems can further improve throughput. Expanding the sorbent library and cartridge formats may enable broader environmental, clinical, and complex matrix applications. Coupling with emerging high-resolution MS techniques will support ever-lower detection limits and comprehensive screening panels.

Conclusion

Oasis PRiME HLB Cartridges deliver a universal, rapid cleanup solution for diverse food matrices, ensuring high analyte recoveries and minimal matrix effects in UPLC-MS/MS and APGC-MS/MS workflows, thereby supporting efficient and reliable food safety testing.

References

• Young MS, Tran KV. Oasis PRiME HLB Cartridge for Effective Cleanup of Meat and Seafood Extracts. Waters Application Briefs.
• Young MS, Shia JC. Rapid Cleanup of Avocado Extracts Prior to APGC-MS/MS Pesticide Analysis. Waters Application Notes.
• Young MS, Tran KV. Oasis PRiME HLB and QuEChERS for UPLC-MS/MS Mycotoxin Analysis in Cereal Grains. Waters Technology Brief.