Mass Spectrometry of Biomolecules: Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Natural Health Products

Abstract

Modern biomolecular mass spectrometry has become invaluable in every aspect of biochemical research, owing to the development of soft ionization methods, and liquid chromatography-mass analyzer interface technologies, as well as advances in microelectronics and computers that allow for fast scan cycles and data management. The application of mass spectrometry in the natural health products industry is, however, sparse. Given the complexity of the chemical composition of these products, the use of mass spectrometry as a chromatographic detector is essential for the proper identification and quantification of their bioactive components. It is also important to monitor the fate of the bioactive components of natural health products during processing, as processing conditions may modify their structure and activity. Mass spectrometric evaluations of commercial health food products show that most products are lacking in quality, with respect to the composition of their active components, indicating that the methods presently used for quality control and quantitative analysis are not adequate. This review examines the use of biomolecular mass spectrometry for analysis of the bioactive components in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and herbal health products. With the health and safety of consumers at stake, mass spectrometry should be made mandatory for analysis of these products.

Keywords:

• Mass spectrometry
• Natural product
• Functional foods
• Nutraceuticals
• Health products
• Chinese medicines