Rapid determination of trace dicyandiamide in mussels from Zhejiang coast by ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with isotope internal standard dilution technique.

In this study, a rapid and accurate ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method coupled with the isotope internal standard dilution technique was established and validated to determine trace dicyandiamide (DCD) in mussels. The sample was extracted by acetonitrile, and chromatographic separations were performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH Amide column by using water-acetonitrile (9:91, v/v) as the mobile phase within 3 min. DCD was determined by using DCD-(15)N4 as an internal standard. The results showed that the recoveries were between 96.2 and 103 % with relative standard deviations (RSDs) in the range of 0.6-6.0 %. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.05 μg/kg. This method can be applied to the routine analysis for the rapid and sensitive determination of trace DCD in mussels. Overall, the data reiterate the importance of investigating the presence of DCD in marine biological samples, which can act as food quality controls for human health.