High-throughput quantification of butachlor by DART-MS/MS coupled with micro-solid-phase extraction and dual fragmentation to enhance selectivity and sensitivity

Huaqiang Li; Feifei Wu; Yuxian Ding; Guozhou Long; Lei Yin

doi:10.1007/s00216-025-05975-0

High-throughput quantification of butachlor by DART-MS/MS coupled with micro-solid-phase extraction and dual fragmentation to enhance selectivity and sensitivity

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2025 Jun 27. doi: 10.1007/s00216-025-05975-0. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Huaqiang Li¹, Feifei Wu², Yuxian Ding¹, Guozhou Long^{3

4}, Lei Yin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Green Agricultural Production and Intelligent Equipment, College of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Green Agricultural Production and Intelligent Equipment, College of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China. wufeifei0414@163.com.
³ Guangdong Guozhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
⁴ Guangdong Jiqun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
⁵ School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, Liaoning, 124221, China. leiyin@dlut.edu.cn.

PMID: 40576763
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-025-05975-0

Abstract

A novel and rapid analytical assay based on direct analysis in real-time tandem mass spectrometry (DART-MS/MS) technology was established for quantification of butachlor in this study. The assay incorporated micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) for sample pretreatment, with acetochlor as an internal standard. Quantification was achieved via transitions from [M + H]⁺ precursor ions to primary and secondary fragment ions at m/z 312.1 → 238.0 → 162.1 (butachlor) and 270.1 → 224.1 → 148.0 (acetochlor). This chromatography-free approach eliminated reliance on mobile phases and chromatographic instrumentation, significantly improving analytical throughput (0.4 min/sample) while reducing environmental impact. Method validation demonstrated linearity over 0.5-100 ng/mL (R² > 0.995), with intra-/inter-day precision < 13.1% and accuracy ranging from -6.00% to 11.0%. The assay was used to evaluate the cellular uptake kinetics of butachlor in MCF-7 cells. These findings underscore the utility of DART-MS/MS assay for rapid environmental and toxicological assessments while highlighting potential safety concerns associated with butachlor exposure. The integration of DART-MS/MS with μ-SPE offers a sustainable alternative to conventional bioanalytical workflows, combining speed, sensitivity, and reduced chemical consumption for ecotoxicological studies.

Keywords: Butachlor; Cellular uptake; DART-MS/MS; Micro-solid-phase extraction; Quantification.

Abstract

Grants and funding