Application of time-of-flight mass spectrometry for screening of crude glycerins for toxic phorbol ester contaminants

Since 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received numerous complaints of pet illnesses that may be related to the consumption of jerky pet treats. Many of those treats include glycerin as an ingredient. Glycerin can be made directly from oils such as palm seed oil, but can also be derived from the seed oil of toxic Jatropha plant during biodiesel production. If crude glycerin from biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas is used in the manufacture of animal feed, toxic tigliane diterpene phorbol esters (PEs), namely Jatropha factors (JFs), may be present and could lead to animal illnesses. Considering the numerous uses of glycerin in consumer products there is a need for a rapid method to screen crude glycerin for JF toxins and other PE contaminants. We describe the development of an ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography/quadrupole time of flight (UHPLC/Q-TOF) method for screening crude glycerin for PEs. An exact mass database, developed in-house, of previously identified PEs from Jatropha curcas as well as putative compounds was used to identify possible contaminants.