Detection and Quantification of Ricin in Beverages Using Isotope Dilution Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The toxic plant protein ricin has gained notoriety due to wide availability and potential use as a bioterrorism agent, with particular concern for food supply contamination. We have developed a sensitive and selective mass spectrometry-based method to detect ricin in tap water, 2% milk, apple juice, and orange juice. Ricin added to beverage matrices was extracted using antibody-bound magnetic beads and digested with trypsin. Absolute quantification was performed using isotope dilution mass spectrometry with a linear ion trap operating in product-ion-monitoring mode. The method allows for identification of ricin A chain and B chain and for distinction of ricin from ricin agglutinin within a single analytical run. Ricin-bound beads were also tested for deadenylase activity by incubation with a synthetic ssDNA oligomer. Depurination of the substrate by ricin was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). This method was used successfully to extract ricin from each beverage matrix. The activity of recovered ricin was assessed, and quantification was achieved, with a limit of detection of 10 fmol/mL (0.64 ng/mL).