Gold nanoparticle-enhanced target for MS analysis and imaging of harmful compounds in plant, animal tissue and on fingerprint

• First use of gold nanoparticle method for detection and imaging of designer drug.
• Co-localization of drug and fingerprint endogenous lipids is shown.
• AuNPET aided analysis of very complicated biological mixtures is shown.
• Harmful and cancerogenic compounds in onion and liver were detected.

Gold nanoparticle-enhanced target (AuNPET) was used for detailed investigation of various materials of biological origin – human fingerprint, onion bulb and chicken liver. Analysis of these objects was focused on toxic and harmful compounds – designer drug containing pentedrone, diphenylamine in onion and potentially cancerogenic metronidazole antibiotic in liver. Detection of large quantity of endogenous compounds from mentioned objects is also shown. Most of analyzed compounds were also localized with MS imaging and relationship between their function and location was discussed. Detected compounds belong to a very wide range of chemical compounds such as saccharides, ionic and non-ionic glycerides, amino acids, fatty acids, sulfides, sulfoxides, phenols etc. Fingerprint experiments demonstrate application of AuNPET for detection, structure confirmation and also co-localization of drug with ridge patterns proving person-drug contact.

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