Objective To establish an LC-MS/MS method for screening 5 kinds of plant growth regulators in Xiaohuoluo pills.

Methods The samples were extracted using the SHIMSEN plant growth regulator special package and purified. The Waters ACQUITY UPLC C₁₈ column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) was used, and acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution (containing 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate) was used as the mobile phase, and gradient elution was performed. The flow rate was 0.3 mL/min; the column temperature was 40 ℃. The analysis was performed in both positive and negative ion electrospray ionization modes with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM).

Results The linear relationship of 5 plant growth regulators was good, and the correlation coefficients (r) of paclobutrazol, mepiquat chloride, diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6), mepiquat-pentachlorophenoxide, chlormequat chloride and 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) were 0.9972, 0.9982, 0.9989, 0.9994 and 0.9983, respectively. The limits of detection (LODs) for the 5 analytes were 0.011, 0.012, 0.012, 0.012 mg/kg and 0.013 mg/kg, respectively. The average spiked-sample recoveries were 99.39%, 91.45%, 87.22%, 91.09% and 94.19%, (n = 6) respectively. The method was used to screen 5 kinds of plant growth regulators in Xiaohuoluo pills.

Conclusion The established detection method for plant growth regulator residues is sensitive, accurate, and specific, and can be used to screen plant growth regulators in Xiaohuoluo pills.

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