New LC-MS/MS method for analysis of thyroxine (T4) and steroid hormones developed at FishLab

In 2023, we at FishLab developed a new analytical method for the quantification of thyroxine (T4) and selected steroid hormones in fish plasma. The method is based on LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry), and provides high specificity, sensitivity and analytical robustness when analyzing low hormone levels in complex biological matrices.

The method combines salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) with UPLC-MS/MS and enables simultaneous determination of multiple hormones with good precision and reproducibility. The work is published in the peer-reviewed journal Separations (MDPI) in the article “Salting-Out Assisted Liquid-Liquid Extraction for UPLC-MS/MS Determination of Thyroxine and Steroid Hormones in Human Serum and Fish Plasma” .

Link to the full article here

Thyroxine (T4) is a key hormone in the regulation of metabolism and development in fish, and may be relevant to include in studies of physiological processes such as smoltification. Furthermore, quantitative determinations of stress-related hormones are important to gain insight into the physiological state of the fish, while measurement of sex hormones may help to identify incipient sexual maturation at an early stage.

Alemnesh Yirda Urge is the first author of the publication, and the experimental work related to method development was carried out as part of her master's thesis at the University of Stavanger. The method is currently included in the analysis tools at FishLab and is used in research and development projects where high demands are placed on analytical quality, including in aquaculture and nutrition-related studies.