Method for the Determination of Veratridine and Cevadine, Major Components of the Natural Insecticide Sabadilla, in Lettuce and Cucumbers

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 45; no. 5; pp. 1758 - 1761
• Main Authors: Zang, Xuejun, Fukuda, Elaine K, Rosen, Joseph D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.05.1997
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; BOTANICAL INSECTICIDES; CONCOMBRE; CUCUMBERS; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; INSECTICIDAS DE ORIGEN VEGETAL; INSECTICIDE D'ORIGINE VEGETALE; LAITUE; LECHUGAS; LETTUCES; PEPINO; Monocotyledones; Pesticides; HPLC chromatography; Natural product; Chemical ionization; Lettuce; Liliaceae; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Cucumber; Mass spectrometry; Vegetable; Quantitative analysis; Phytopharmacology
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf9606013

Sabadilla, an insecticide widely used by organic farmers, can be separated into five of its components (veratridine, cevadine, cevine, cevacine, and sabadine) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and detected by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (APCI/LCMS). Using APCI/LCMS in the selected ion monitoring mode as the determinative step, an analytical method has been developed for the detection and quantitation of the two largest sabadilla components, veratridine and cevadine, in lettuce and cucumbers spiked with veratrine. The insecticides are extracted with acetonitrile/water, and the extract is cleaned up by solid phase extraction (SPE) on a C-18 cartridge. The limits of detection (calculated at a signal to noise ratio of 10 to 1) of veratridine and cevadine in cucumbers and lettuce are 1−2 ppb, and the recoveries range from 74% to 101%. Keywords: Organic farming; sabadilla; veratridine; cevadine; cevine; cevacine; sabadine; high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); atmospheric pressure chemical ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (APCI/LCMS)