Analytical Sciences

Rapid LC-MS/MS Determination of Hesperidin in Fermented Tea Prepared from Unripe Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu) Fruits and Third-crop Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Leaves

Masashi MIURA, Mamiko NOGAMI, Miho SAKAI, Miwa SATO, and Takeshi YATSUSHIRO

Department of Production and Distribution, Miyazaki Agricultural Research Institute, 5805 Shimonaka Sadowara-cho, Miyazaki, Miyazaki 880-0212, Japan

For improving quality control in the fermented tea production process and advancing the corresponding food labeling with function claims, a rapid and robust hesperidin analysis method using LC-MS/MS with the sample dilution approach was developed by following internationally accepted criteria of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The linear correlation coefficient (r²) of the regression line was 0.9997 in the concentration range of 0.025 – 2.5 mg/L. The matrix effect evaluated using regression line slope values was negligible. The recovery rate of 100.7% indicated improved trueness. The performance of the newly developed method in determining the hesperidin content of fermented tea samples did not significantly vary from that of a well-established, conventional method. The HorRat values of intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility studies were both within the acceptable range, indicating sufficient accuracy of the newly developed method according to the AOAC criteria.

J-STAGE: View this article in J-STAGE