Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for rapid, sensitive and direct detection of melamine in dairy products

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for detection of melamine in dairy products by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) without any sample preparation is demonstrated. The ESI-MS/MS on the protonated melamine at m/z 127 produced the characteristic fragment ions at m/z 110, 85, 68, 60. This method has a good linearity in the range of 0.5-10.0 mu g/mL, with detection limit 0.1 mu g/mL and RSD 8.9% (n = 5). Together with existing recent methods on mass spectrometry and NP-based sensing methodologies for melamine detection, the present method provides an efficient platform for detection of melamine in milk products without any sample preparation steps or post-separation procedures. (C) 2014 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.