1-Naphthylhydrazine hydrochloride: A new matrix for the quantification of glucose and homogentisic acid in real samples by MALDI-TOF MS

BackgroundDue to its strong ultraviolet absorption and low background interference in the low molecular weight region, 1-naphthylhydrazine hydrochloride (NHHC) has been selected as an ideal matrix to detect small molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).ResultsThis salt-tolerant matrix could be applied for the high sensitive glucose analysis with an ultra-low limit of detection of 1 amol, and the [glucose + Cl]− signal can be found even in saturated NaCl solution. With NHHC, glucose in serum and the biomarker homogentisic acid in urine were successfully determined by MALDI-TOF MS in negative ion mode.ConclusionThis NHHC-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS method provided a fast and high through-put approach for the small molecule analysis in complex samples, and have a great potential in clinical applications.

► Develop a new matrix for detecting small molecules by MALDI-TOF MS.
► This matrix can reach an ultra-low limit-of-detection of 1 amol to glucose.
► Successfully determined glucose and the biomarker with NHHC.