Extraction and determination of the Pimelea toxin simplexin in complex plant-polymer biocomposites using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry

In the present paper, we describe how a robust and fundamental methodology was developed for extraction and determination of a principal natural toxin compound, simplexin, from a series of bulk biocomposites. These complex matrices were fabricated by direct encapsulating either ground plant particles or an ethanolic crude extract of the Australian toxic pasture plant Pimelea trichostachya in the biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was initially employed to examine the chemical compositions of these complicated systems. Then, a more sensitive strategy was developed and validated by combining solid-phase extraction and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with a quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer for the quantification of simplexin embedded in different biocomposites. Satisfactory linearity (R2 > 0.99) and recovery ranges (86.8–116%) with precision (relative standard deviations) of between 0.2 and 13% (n = 3) were achieved from seven biocomposites. The established protocol was further shown to be accurate and reliable in confirming the homogeneous distribution of the simplexin in different biocomposite formulations. A limited mass transfer of simplexin (< 3.5%) from one of the biocomposites into a simulated but sterilized in vitro rumen environment after a 10-day incubation was also revealed by utilizing the method. This quantitative analysis of targeted natural product within plant material-integrated polymeric platforms has potential application when controlled release is required in the bovine rumen and other biological systems.