Ying-Tzu Shieh, Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Te-I Weng, Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Ju-Yu Chen, Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
I-Ting Wang, Department of Critical Care, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 10491 Taipei, Taiwan
Kevin Shu-Leung Lai, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Chia-Mo Lin, Chest department, Shin Kong Memorial Wu Ho-Su Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Chu-Yun Teng, Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Guan-Yuan Chen, Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanFollow

Bongkrekic acid, Biofluids, Clinical analysis, Diagnosis, LC-MS/MS

Bongkrekic acid (BKA) poisoning is a severe foodborne illness with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to identifyBKA in postmortem tissues from poisoning victims in Taiwan and to develop a reliable analytical method for detectingBKA in biofluids to aid clinical diagnosis and treatment. BKA was identified in postmortem samples using high-reso-lution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and confirmed with an independent ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatographycoupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method. To meet clinical needs, a UHPLC-MS/MS methodwas developed and validated for BKA detection in plasma and urine. Method optimization included adjustments to ionsource conditions for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions and avoidance of glass vials due to BKAadsorption onto free silanol groups. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a 50-mm Hypersil Gold C18 col-umn within a 6-min run time. The validated UHPLC-MS/MS method successfully detected BKA in biofluids, enablingits application in identifying victims of foodborne poisoning. The method demonstrated high accuracy and efficiency,facilitating timely diagnosis and aiding in treatment strategies for critically ill patients. The developed UHPLC-MS/MSmethod provides a reliable approach for detecting BKA in clinical and forensic settings. Its implementation enhancesdiagnostic capabilities, improves patient outcomes, and supports monitoring of toxin elimination in cases of BKA poisoning.

Shieh, Ying-Tzu; Weng, Te-I; Chen, Ju-Yu; Wang, I-Ting; Lai, Kevin Shu-Leung; Lin, Chia-Mo; Teng, Chu-Yun; and Chen, Guan-Yuan (2025) "Development and validation of an analytical method for determination of bongkrekic acid in biofluids for toxin monitoring," Journal of Food and Drug Analysis: Vol. 33 : Iss. 3 , Article 12.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.38212/2224-6614.3549

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