利用毛筆從皮膚採樣結合電噴灑質譜法運用於分析咖啡因及其代謝物之研究

Abstract

本研究開發了一種新型非侵入性採樣結合電噴灑質譜法的方法，使用毛筆做為採樣工具，以乙醇作為溶劑，刷取受試者的眼皮進行採樣。之後將毛筆放置於質譜入口前進行偵測，由於乙醇揮發速度很快，因此會帶著分析物從毛筆表面上逸出，當分析物與電噴灑游離源所釋放出的離子接觸時，會使分析物被離子化，以進入質譜儀進行分析。本實驗有對不同部位及不同受試者進行研究分析，發現利用毛筆刷取眼皮採樣的訊號較為明顯；而經常喝咖啡跟經常運動的人跟不常運動及不喝咖啡的人相比，也會有不同的結果。研究結果證明，本實驗方法適用於受試者飲用咖啡後對咖啡因及其代謝物的分析。本實驗也對毛筆沾取乙醇隨時間的揮發作探討，發現前四分鐘揮發速率較快，因此實驗時間將控制在三分鐘內完成。

A novel and non-invasive sampling method was developed for use in electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (ESI/MS). A watercolor pen (brush) was used as the sampling tool, in which the brush was rinsed with ethanol and used to collect a sample from the eyelid of a volunteer. Following this, the brush was quickly moved to the front of the mass inlet, where the ethanol as well as the analytes evaporated very fast and escaped from the brush surface. When the analytes make contact with the ESI plume, which arises from the ESI needle tip, they are ionized and then detected by the mass spectrometer. The findings show that this new technique is applicable for the analysis of caffeine and its metabolites from eyelids after the volunteers consumed cups of coffee.