Abstract:

The present paper describes the development and validation of a method for the simultaneous determination of
20 plant growth regulator residues in strawberry and Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) by using high performance liquid
chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The plant growth regulator residues in 15 g of samples were
extracted with acetonitrile (containing 1% acetic acid) and then analyzed using HPLC-MS/MS. The chromatographic
analysis was carried out on a Phenomenex XB-C18 (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 2.6 μm) column with methanol and 5 mmol/L
ammonium acetate solution containing 0.1% acetic acid as the mobile phases with a gradient program, and the analytes were
quantified by matrix-matched external standard method. The recoveries of 20 plant growth regulators in strawberry and
Chinese bayberry at three spiked levels were 70.0%–114.8%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) between 1.25% and
11.1%. The limits of detection of the method ranged from 0.14 to 2.9 μg/kg. The method is simple, rapid, sensitive, accurate
and repeatable. These figures of merit meet the requirements for the detection of 20 plant growth regulator residues in
strawberry and Chinese bayberry.

Key words: high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), plant growth regulator, strawberry, Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra), residue