Simultaneous determination of steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals and personal care products with LC–MS/MS in feces of killer whales (Orcinus orca)

A method enabling simultaneous measurement of steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in fecal samples of killer whales (Orcinus orca) has been developed and validated with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The compounds include a suite of hor...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Liao, Xiangjun
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Western CEDAR 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2022ssec/allsessions/148
https://cedar.wwu.edu/context/ssec/article/3310/type/native/viewcontent/V2_liaox.pptx_AWSAccessKeyId_AKIAYVUS7KB2I6J5NAUO_Signature_d6eF4sPN8pBUsTM3N2alabBI_2FhY_3D_Expires_1690453776
Description
Summary:A method enabling simultaneous measurement of steroid hormones and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in fecal samples of killer whales (Orcinus orca) has been developed and validated with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The compounds include a suite of hormones such as glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoid, androgens, estrogens, progestogens and PPCPs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antibacterial and antifungal agents. This method can be used to assess killer whale reproduction, stress and other physiological responses as well as contaminant related exposure. Further, it provides a reference method for the validation of new immunoassays such as radio immunoassay and enzyme immunoassay for the detection of steroid hormones in this matrix. The optimized method involved an extraction of the freeze-dried fecal samples with reagent alcohol and water followed by purification of the extracts by solid phase extraction with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge and liquid–liquid extraction with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Reconstituted extracts were analyzed by LC–MS/MS with an electrospray interface. This method has been successfully applied to the analysis of hormones and PPCPs in killer whale fecal material in support of research and monitoring initiatives that are aimed at assessing the health of both the Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) and the Threatened Northern Resident Killer Whales. Results will support the Government of Canada’s Whales Initiative and its pursuit to assist in the recovery of SRKW.