Trapped Ion Mobility Incorporated in LC–HRMS Workflows as an Integral Analytical Platform of High Sensitivity: Targeted and Untargeted 4D-Metabolomics in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Abstract

Trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) is a promising technique for the separation of isomers based on their mobility. In the present work, TIMS coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was applied as a comprehensive analytical platform to address authenticity challenges, focusing on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Isomers detected in EVOO’s phenolic fraction, classified into secoiridoids group, were successfully separated. Thanks to parallel accumulation serial fragmentation (PASEF) acquisition mode, high-quality spectra were obtained, facilitating identification. Moreover, a four-dimensional (4D) untargeted metabolomics approach was implemented to evaluate EVOO’s global profile in cases of both variety and geographical origin discrimination. Potential authenticity markers, attributed to isomers, were successfully identified through the proposed workflow that incorporates ion mobility information along with LC–HRMS analytical evidence (i.e., mass accuracy, retention time, isotopic pattern, MS/MS fragmentation). Our study establishes LC–TIMS–HRMS in food authenticity and highlights mobility-enhanced metabolomics in four dimensions