Simultaneous analysis of residual prohibited doping substances in foods using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Anal Methods. 2024 Dec 16. doi: 10.1039/d4ay01606h. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The continuous consumption of various foods increases the risk of unintentional exposure to residual contaminants. Thus, improving premonitoring procedures to ensure food safety is critical. Herein, a rapid and efficient assay was developed to monitor residual contaminants in food, with a focus on banned doping substances. First, 73 doping compounds, including anabolic agents that can be ingested from food were selected, after which a gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) method was developed for their simultaneous screening. Based on the GC-MS/MS-determined food-matrix characteristics and types, a sample-preparation module was developed to optimize the sample-preparation method. Thereafter, the developed analytical method was validated using representative food matrices, and the results confirmed that the developed method obtained good recoveries (80-123% (limit of quantification: 0.01-20 μg kg-1)). To monitor residual doping substances in commercially available foods, the established method was applied to the analysis of 40 food samples, including meat. Notably, endogenous hormones, such as testosterone, nandrolone, 19-norandrosterone, and 19-noretiocholanolone, were detected in the meat samples, although they did not exceed the maximum residue limits. This approach enables the assessment of potential exposure levels to food-borne endogenous hormones, thereby supporting food safety and preventing unintentional doping incidents in athletes.