Potato glycoalkaloids in soil-optimising liquid chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry for quantitative studies

Potato glycoalkaloids are produced in high amounts in potato fields during the growth season and losses to soil potentially impact shallow groundwater and via tiles to fresh water ecosystems. A quantitative liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-TOF-MS) method for determination and quantification of potato glycoalkaloids and their metabolites in aqueous soil extracts was developed. The LC–ESI-TOF-MS method had linearities up to 2000 μg/L for α-solanine and α-chaconine and up to 760 μg/L for solanidine. No matrix effect was observed, and the detection limits found were in the range 2.2–4.7 μg/L. The method enabled quantification of the potato glycoalkaloids in environmental samples.