A simple and sensitive approach to quantify methyl farnesoate in whole arthropods by matrix-solid phase dispersion and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

•A new MSPD method for analysis of methyl farnesoate (MF) in arthropods, avoiding the hemolymph extraction, is presented.•The levels of MF were quantified in three different species and the recoveries were higher than 69%.•Female gammarus locusta presented the highest MF levels, with an average concentration of 11.9 ng/g.•This method can support future studies of endocrine disruption, involving MF production, in arthropods.

Methyl farnesoate (MF) is an arthropod hormone that plays a key role in the physiology of several arthropods' classes being implicated in biological processes such as molting and reproduction. The development of an analytical technique to quantify the levels of this compound in biological tissues can be of major importance for the field of aquaculture/apiculture conservation and in endocrine disruption studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a simple and sensitive method to measure native levels of MF in the tissue of three representative species from different arthropods classes with environmental and/or economic importance. Thus, a new approach using whole organisms and the combination of matrix solid-phase dispersion with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was developed. This method allows quantifying endogenous MF at low levels (LOQs in the 1.2-3.1 ng/g range) in three arthropod species, and could be expanded to additional arthropod classes. The found levels ranged between 2 and 12 ng/g depending on the studied species and gender. The overall recovery of the method was evaluated and ranged between 69 and 96%.