Simultaneous determination of 11 phytoestrogens in human serum using a 2 min liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method

A rapid 2 min liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method operating in multiple reaction ion monitoring mode was developed and validated that allows for the characterization and simultaneous quantification of 11 phytoestrogen metabolites with mass transitions m/z 241/119 (equol), 253/132 (daidzein), 255/149 (dihydrodaidzein), 257/108 (O-desmethylangolesin), 269/133 (genistein), 283/184 (glycitein), 267/191 (formononetin), 289/109 (biochanin A), 267/91 (coumestrol), enterodiol (301/253), and enterolactone (297/253). The method was demonstrated to be specific and sensitive, and a linear response for each phytoestrogen was observed over a range of 1–5000 ng/mL in human serum with the exception of dihydrodaidzein, whose lower limit of quantification was 2 ng/mL. The separation was carried out on a Synergi Polar-RP 2.5 micron (50 mm × 2.0 mm i.d.) column at 50 °C with water and acetonitrile (both containing 10 mM ammonium acetate) as the mobile phase under gradient conditions at a flow rate of 0.75 mL/min. This LC–MS/MS method is very useful for high-throughput analysis of phytoestrogens and proved to be simple, sensitive, reproducible, and reliable.