Determination of N-carbamylglutamate in feeds and animal products by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

N-carbamylglutamate (NCG), a synthetic analogue of N-acetylglutamate, is an activator of blood ammonia conversion and endogenous arginine synthesis. Here, we established an accurate quantitative determination of NCG in feeds, animal tissues, and body fluids using the high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The sample pretreatment procedures included extraction with 0.5% of formic acid in water/methanol (80/20, v/v), and purification using an anionic solid phase extraction cartridge. Satisfactory separation of NCG was achieved in 20 min with the application of an Atlantis T3 column, and a confirmative detection of NCG was ensured by multiple reaction monitoring of positive ions. NCG spiked in feeds, tissues, and body fluids were evaluated in regard to linearity, sensitivity, recovery, and repeatability. Recoveries for different sample matrices were in the range of 88.12% to 110.21% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 8.8%. Limits of quantification were within the range of 0.012 to 0.073 mg kg−1 and 0.047 to 0.077 µg mL−1 for solid and liquid samples, respectively. This study will provide a solid foundation for the evaluation of availability and metabolic mechanism of NCG in animals.