biostudies-literatureGonzalez-Gomez LMCIU/AEI/FEDER, UEFCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaARDITI-Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e InovaçãoFundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Madeira 14-2020 program to the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network through PROEQUIPRAM program650https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9612249biostudies-literatureUnknown14(10)This work presents an optimized methodology based on the miniaturization of the original QuEChERS (μ-QuEChERS) followed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for the determination of tropane alkaloids (TAs), atropine, and scopolamine in leafy vegetable samples. The analytical methodology was successfully validated, demonstrating quantitation limits (MQL) ≤ 2.3 ng/g, good accuracy, and precision, with recoveries between 90-100% and RSD ≤ 13% for both analytes. The method was applied to the analysis of TA-producing plants (<i>Brugmansia versicolor</i>, <i>Solandra maxima,</i> and <i>Convolvulus arvensis</i>). High concentrations of scopolamine were found in flowers (1771 mg/kg) and leaves (297 mg/kg) of <i>B. versicolor</i>. The highest concentration of atropine ToxinsImproved Analytical Approach for Determination of Tropane Alkaloids in Leafy Vegetables Based on µ-QuEChERS Combined with HPLC-MS/MS.PMC9612249CQM Base Fund - UIDB/00674/2020 and Programmatic Fund - UIDP/00674/2020M14-20 M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000008RTI2018-094558-B-I00 (EVALKALIM)M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000005 - Centro de Química da Madeira - CQM+ (Madeira 14-20 Program) and by the project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000001Gonzalez-Gomez LCamara JSPereira JAMMorante-Zarcero SSierra IfalseImproved Analytical Approach for Determination of Tropane Alkaloids in Leafy Vegetables Based on µ-QuEChERS Combined with HPLC-MS/MS.This work presents an optimized methodology based on the miniaturization of the original QuEChERS (μ-QuEChERS) followed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for the determination of tropane alkaloids (TAs), atropine, and scopolamine in leafy vegetable samples. The analytical methodology was successfully validated, demonstrating quantitation limits (MQL) ≤ 2.3 ng/g, good accuracy, and precision, with recoveries between 90-100% and RSD ≤ 13% for both analytes. The method was applied to the analysis of TA-producing plants (<i>Brugmansia versicolor</i>, <i>Solandra maxima,</i> and <i>Convolvulus arvensis</i>). High concentrations of scopolamine were found in flowers (1771 mg/kg) and leaves (297 mg/kg) of <i>B. versicolor</i>. The highest concentration of atropine 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Sep2025-04-18T21:22:14.036Z2025-04-07T09:16:01.757ZS-EPMC96122493628791910.3390/toxins14100650