Development of a new isotopically labeled internal standard for ergosterol measurement by GC/MS

J Environ Monit. 2009 Aug;11(8):1513-7. doi: 10.1039/b901824g. Epub 2009 Jun 12.

Abstract

Environmental exposure to fungi has been associated with a variety of adverse health effects. Ergosterol, a marker of total fungal biomass, can be used to quantify exposure to fungi. Unfortunately, environmental ergosterol measurement using published GC/MS/MS methods is prone to bias introduced by sample matrix effects, resulting in potential measurement inaccuracy. We developed an isotopically labeled internal standard ((13)C ergosterol) for ergosterol quantification by GC/MS/MS, to eliminate bias due to sample matrix effects and selective losses during preparation. To produce (13)C ergosterol, we grew Saccharomyces Cerevisiae on (13)C D-glucose under aerobic conditions at room temperature. The (13)C labeled ergosterol comprised 97.1% of the ergosterol in the dry yeast preparation. Ergosterol spike-recovery from house dust samples averaged 99.3% using the isotopically labeled yeast preparation as the internal standard (I.S.). By contrast, spike-recovery averaged 42.4% when 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) was the internal standard. Analysis of indoor house dust samples from a large epidemiologic study also showed the systematic underestimation of ergosterol when analyzed using 7-DHC as compared with using the yeast preparation containing the isotopically labeled authentic compound, (13)C-ergosterol.

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Dehydrocholesterols / analysis
  • Dehydrocholesterols / chemistry
  • Ergosterol / analysis
  • Ergosterol / chemistry
  • Ergosterol / standards*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / standards*
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Reference Standards
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism

Substances

  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Dehydrocholesterols
  • 7-dehydrocholesterol
  • Glucose
  • Ergosterol