Quantitation of myo-inositol as its hexakis(trifluoroacetyl) derivative with negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Highly volatile hexakis(trifluoroacetyl) derivatives of myo-inositol and hexadeutero-myo-inositol have been prepared and analysed by capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The electron impact and negative ion (methane) chemical ionization mass spectra of these compounds have been determined. Negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometric analysis of hexakis(trifluoroacetyl)-myo-inositol achieves a sensitivity one order of magnitude greater than electron impact mass spectrometric analysis of hexakis(trimethylsilyl)-myo-inositol at appropriate selected ions. Stable isotope dilution measurement of myo-inositol versus hexadeutero-myo-inositol employing gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry of the hexakis(trifluoroacetyl) derivatives is demonstrated, and this method is applied to the detection of inositol derived from hydrolysis of water-soluble inositol phosphates obtained from isolated pancreatic islets.