Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

Abstract

Development and application of an LC-MS/MS method for determining methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) levels in human plasma

Ling Lin, Dejian Ma, Richard J. Bloomer, Matthew Butawan, Webb A. Smith and Charles R. Yates*

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) isan organosulfur phytochemical widely used as a dietary supplement carrying structure/function claims that includethe promotion of joint health. Untargeted metabolomics studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have identified MSM in plasma and urine. However, MS-based methodology is more suitable for pharmacokinetic studies designed to explore MSM’s concentration-effect relationship for purposes of establishing dosing guidelines. To address this deficiency, an LC-MS/MS method using MSM, deuterated MSM (MSM-d6, internal standard), and liquid-liquid extraction was developed and validated in accordance with international guidelines. The method proved well-suited for determining MSM levels in human plasma following chronic oral administration (1, 2, or 3 grams daily) for four weeks. The availability of a robust LC-MS/MS method and MSM dose linearity data provides a framework for exploring MSM’s concentration-effect relationship to support various structure/function claims.

Published Date: 2020-05-11; Received Date: 2020-04-15