LC-QTOF-MS evaluation of rabbit-specific peptide markers for meat quantitation

Anna Stachniuk ^a,*, Anna Kozub ^a, Renata Czeczko ^b,Magdalena Montowska ^c, Emilia Fornal ^a

a Department of Bioanalytics, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Jaczewskiego 8b, 20-090, Lublin, Poland

b Department of Chemistry, University of Live Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 15, 20-950, Lublin, Poland

c Department of Meat Technology, Pozna_n University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624, Poznan, Poland

Ten rabbit-specific tryptic peptide markers and one marker peptide specific to both rabbit and hare were evaluated formass signal linearity in binary meat mixtures using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry.Seven meat mixtures containing chicken and varying percentages of rabbit (1%, 5%, 10%, 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100%) were analyzed. Additionally, the signal linearity of twelve peptide markers for chicken meat was examined. The best candidate peptides for the quantification of meat content were selected. Five of eleven peptides for rabbit meat and five of twelve peptides for chicken meat showed good linearity (R2 > 0.97). The limits of detection and limits of quantification for these markers were in the range of 0.43e1.91% [w/w] and 1.44e6.38% [w/w], respectively. The method allowed determination of the percentage content of rabbit and chicken meat in two- and three-component meat mixtures with good accuracy. The preliminary quantification data provide a starting point for developing label-free and absolute quantification methods for rabbit and chicken meat using multiple reaction monitoring of peptide markers.

Keywords: Linearity, Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, Meat products, Peptide markers, Rabbit

https://doi.org/10.38212/2224-6614.3403