Evaluation of a Luffa Cylindrica-Based Biosorbent as an Alternative for Sample Preparation in the Multiresidue Determination of Pesticides in Fish Fillets by UHPLC-MS/MS

Abstract

The bioaccumulation of pesticides in fish can pose risks to human health. In this study, a biosorbent based on chitosan-modified vegetable sponge (Luffa cylindrica) for use in the clean-up stage of extracts intended for the multiresidue determination of pesticides in fish fillets by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The proposed biosorbent is a sustainable, renewable, and low-cost alternative for cleaning food extracts via dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE). The method consisted of extracting the analytes using the original QuEChERS procedure, followed by a clean-up step using the developed biosorbent and subsequent determination by UHPLC-MS/MS. The efficiency of the clean-up, evaluated primarily by monitoring the removal of phospholipids, demonstrated a high capacity to remove co-extracted compounds from the matrix. The method was validated for 130 pesticides in fish fillets, with method limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.001 mg kg−1 for most of the evaluated pesticides. Application in commercial fish fillet samples resulted in the detection of pesticides at concentrations between 0.0062 and 0.1308 mg kg−1, demonstrating that the biosorbent is a promising alternative for the preparation of samples from complex lipid matrices.