Methylated magnetic covalent organic framework for sample preparation and LC-MS/MS detection of 12 tadalafil analogs in dietary supplements

Abstract

Tadalafil analogs are often illegally added to dietary supplements such as herbal beverages, protein powders and tablet foods. Due to the complexity of the matrices, effective extraction of tadalafil analogs is the key to achieve accurate quantification. Therefore, it is of great significance to establish a rapid and effective method for the analytical determination of tadalafil analogs in complex matrices. In this study, a novel methylated magnetic covalent organic framework, Fe₃O₄@TFPB-OT, was successfully synthesized under mild conditions. Fe₃O₄@TFPB-OT demonstrated robust adsorption capabilities, with capacities ranging from 52.4 to 90.9 mg/g for the tadalafil analogs. Several pre-enrichment parameters were optimized, including adsorbent dosage, extraction time, pH, shaking time, elution solvent, and desorption time. The applicability of Fe₃O₄@TFPB-OT was evaluated as effective adsorbents for the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of 12 tadalafil analogs in dietary supplements. Combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, the limits of detection (LODs) of this method ranged from 0.005 to 0.05 μg/L in liquid matrices and from 0.005 to 0.05 μg/kg in solid matrices, showing good sensitivity and recoveries ranged from 56.1 % to 90.9 %with relative standard deviations lower than 3.9 %, demonstrating good accuracy and precision. Additionally, the adsorbent retained its effectiveness after at least ten reuse cycles, indicating significant reusability. This study provides an effective method for the analysis and detection of tadalafil analogs in dietary supplements and has great potential for application.