biostudies-literatureUnknown417(18)Cardini JThe increasing trend towards more plant-based diets has underscored the need for a comprehensive understanding of the presence of potentially toxic elements in plant-based foods. Among these, cadmium is of particular concern due to its potential health risks. Our understanding of how cadmium is bound in plant-based foods and how this affects its bioavailability is currently limited. This paper introduces a qualitative methodology that combines SEC-ICP-MS/MS and SEC-QTOF-MS for identifying cadmium-chelating compounds and performing simultaneous speciation analysis of phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc in plant-based foods. The present study details the optimization of the cadmium extraction process across seven different matrices with varying protein content. A large variation in tAnalytical and bioanalytical chemistry4147-4161https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12276129biostudies-literatureA novel approach for the identification of cadmium-chelating compounds in plant-based foods using SEC-ICP-MS/MS and SEC-QTOF-MS.PMC12276129Loeschner KSloth JJCardini JfalseA novel approach for the identification of cadmium-chelating compounds in plant-based foods using SEC-ICP-MS/MS and SEC-QTOF-MS.The increasing trend towards more plant-based diets has underscored the need for a comprehensive understanding of the presence of potentially toxic elements in plant-based foods. Among these, cadmium is of particular concern due to its potential health risks. Our understanding of how cadmium is bound in plant-based foods and how this affects its bioavailability is currently limited. This paper introduces a qualitative methodology that combines SEC-ICP-MS/MS and SEC-QTOF-MS for identifying cadmium-chelating compounds and performing simultaneous speciation analysis of phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc in plant-based foods. The present study details the optimization of the cadmium extraction process across seven different matrices with varying protein content. A large variation in t2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Jul2026-03-27T16:55:31.644Z2025-08-31T03:05:21.361ZS-EPMC122761294047386310.1007/s00216-025-05931-y