Comprehensive analysis of commercial biopesticides using UHPLC and GC-HRMS: Targeted, suspect and unknown component determination
Alba Reyes-Ávila, Roberto Romero‐González, Francisco Javier Arrebola, Antonia Garrido Frenich
Abstract
15 commercial biopesticides (CBs), based on vegetable extracts and oils, were characterized. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to a hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyser, such as quadrupole (Q)-Orbitrap, were used. Both targeted and untargeted (suspect and unknown modes) analyses were carried out. For the targeted analysis, a database was built, encompassing volatile and non-volatile compounds commonly found in vegetable extracts and oils. This database comprised 27 LC-amenable compounds and 31 GC-amenable compounds. 17 targeted compounds were quantified, and 101 compounds were tentatively identified by untargeted analysis. CBs based on essential oils, such as orange oil or cinnamon extract contained the highest number of detected compounds. Monoterpenes (limonene or linalool), and sesquiterpenes (δ-cadinene or γ-elemene) were mainly found. Moreover, some co-formulants such as dibutyl phthalate or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were also detected. The concentration of targeted natural compounds ranged from 2 mg/L (linalool) to 450 g/L (trans-cinnamaldehyde).