Agilent Enhanced Matrix Removal—Lipid

Importance of the Topic

The accurate measurement of trace residues in fatty foods and complex biological matrices is often compromised by lipids that accumulate in instruments, reduce column lifetime and cause ion suppression. Efficient lipid removal without sacrificing analyte recovery is crucial for high-sensitivity chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses.

Study Objectives and Overview

This application note presents Agilent Enhanced Matrix Removal—Lipid, a novel sorbent designed to selectively remove lipids from high-fat samples such as avocado, oils, liver and spices. The goal is to replace traditional C18/PSA cleanup in QuEChERS protocols to maximize both lipid removal and analyte recovery across polar, mid-polar and non-polar compounds.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Samples were extracted using a standard six-step QuEChERS protocol followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) with EMR—Lipid sorbent. Comparative cleanups employed C18/PSA and zirconia sorbents. Treated extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in full-scan mode, GC triple quadrupole (GC-QQQ) and liquid chromatography triple quadrupole (LC-QQQ) to evaluate matrix removal, analyte recovery, chromatographic performance and instrument stability.

Used Instrumentation

• Agilent EMR—Lipid dSPE kit
• C18/PSA and zirconia dSPE sorbents for comparison
• GC/MS (full scan) and GC-QQQ systems
• LC-QQQ systems

Main Results and Discussion

EMR—Lipid achieved up to 92% lipid removal in avocado extracts and demonstrated high recovery (70–120%) for 73 pesticides and multiple veterinary drugs. It greatly reduced matrix ion suppression, yielding improved signal-to-noise ratios, sharper chromatographic peaks and accurate integration. Over 100 injections of fatty matrices saw only a 4% drop in internal standard response versus up to 50% with other sorbents, indicating prolonged instrument uptime. Reproducibility was also superior, with percent RSDs often below 10% compared to higher variability from alternative cleanups.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced analyte sensitivity and lower limits of quantitation due to reduced interferences
• Extended maintenance intervals and reduced downtime from cleaner sources and columns
• Increased sample throughput with consistent performance over numerous injections
• Streamlined, universal workflow suitable for a broad range of target analytes
• Cost savings by minimizing re-runs and instrument servicing

Future Trends and Applications

As regulatory requirements tighten and laboratories demand higher throughput, selective lipid removal technologies like EMR—Lipid will become integral to efficient workflows. Future directions may include integration with automated platforms, application to emerging contaminants and expansion into metabolomics and clinical research, further broadening its utility.

Conclusion

Agilent Enhanced Matrix Removal—Lipid provides a unique solution for targeted lipid cleanup without analyte loss. By improving analytical sensitivity, reproducibility and instrument uptime, it simplifies laboratory operations and delivers high-quality data for food, biological and environmental testing.