In situ antioxidation-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction and discrimination of chiral flavonoids from citrus fruit via ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive in situ antioxidation process assisted with a matrix solid-phase dispersion method for extracting chiral flavonoids in citrus fruit was established, and samples were further analyzed using ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry. The collision cross-sections of the target compounds were studied using single-field and stepped-field methods. The optimal conditions were obtained using 30 mg of C18 as a dispersant, methanol as an elution solvent and 0.6 mM 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) as a radical solution. Additionally, the method showed satisfactory limits of detection (3.70–6.52 ng/mL) and good recoveries (96.78–104.67%) for four flavonoids in citrus fruit. The IC50 values of DPPH radical-scavenging activities ranged from 817.8 to 981.55 μg/mL for tested samples. The method was a good alternative for the microextraction and determination of antioxidant capacity and chiral differentiation of narirutin, naringin, hesperidin and neohesperidin in citrus fruit.