Online preconcentration and determination of chondroitin sulfate,dermatan sulfate and hyaluronic acid in biological and cosmetic samples using capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis with large‐volume sample stacking using an electroosmotic flow pump was developed for the determination of chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid. Central composite design was used to simultaneously optimize the parameters for capillary electrophoresis separation. The optimized capillary electrophoresis conditions were 200 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 200 mM butylamine, and 0.5% w/v polyethylene glycol as a background electrolyte, pH 4 and ‐16 kV. Exploiting large‐volume sample stacking using an electroosmotic flow pump, the sensitivity of the proposed capillary electrophoresis system coupled with UV detection was significantly improved with limits of detection of 3, 5, 1 mg/L for chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid, respectively. The developed method was applied to the determination of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid in cell culture media, cerebrospinal fluid, cosmetic products, and supplementary samples with highly acceptable accuracy and precision. Therefore, the proposed capillary electrophoresis approach was found to be simple, rapid, and reliable for the determination of chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid in cell culture media, cerebrospinal fluid, cosmetic, and supplementary samples without sample pretreatment.     

On-line stacking techniques for the nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic determination of acrylamide in processed food

In the present study, field amplified sample stacking (FASS) techniques in the nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis method (NACE) were introduced for the on-line concentration of the acrylamide to improve acrylamide detection at 210 nm by diode-array detection. Acetonitrile (ACN) as a nonaqueous solvent permits acrylamide to be protonated through the change of its acid-base chemistry, allowing capillary electrophoretic separation of this compound. Choosing 30 mmol L(-1) HClO(4), 20 mmol L(-1) NaClO(4), 218 mmol L(-1) CH(3)COOH in ACN as the separation electrolyte and employing sample stacking methods, the LOD value of acrylamide was decreased to 2.6 ng mL(-1) with electrokinetic injection and 4.4 ng mL(-1) with hydrodynamic injection. Optimized stacking conditions were applied to the determination of acrylamide in several foodstuffs. The method is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and widely applicable for the determination of acrylamide in food samples.     

Large-volume stacking with polarity switching and sweeping for chlorophenols and chlorophenoxy acids in capillary electrophoresis

This paper describes approaches for stacking large volumes of sample solutions containing a mixture of chlorophenols and chlorophenoxyacetic acids as their anions in capillary zone electrophoresis, and compares results to standard capillary electrophoresis (CE) and normal stacking modes. In order to increase the amount of sample injected beyond the optimal conditions and maintain high resolution, the sample introduction buffer must be removed after the stacking process is completed. This is achieved by pumping the sample buffer out of the column using polarity switching. Large sample volumes are loaded by hydrodynamic injection, then stacked at the injection buffer/run electrolyte interface, followed by the removal of the large plug of low-conductivity sample matrix from the capillary column using polarity switching and finally the separation of the stacked anions in a basic buffer (pH 8.65). Around 10- and 40-fold improvement of sensitivity was achieved by normal stacking and large-volume stacking with polarity switching, respectively, when compared to the standard CE analysis. Sweeping-micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) was also investigated for the purpose of comparison to the stacking technique. The method should be suitable for the analysis of these chemical compound classes in industrial chlorophenoxyacetic acid manufacture.     

应用移动反应界面富集技术进行毛细管电泳尿液指纹分析

快速灵敏的尿液指纹图谱分析对于临床诊断中发现新的生物标记至关重要。该文建立了一种简便、快速、灵敏的移动反应界面(MRB)介导的富集技术进行毛细管电泳尿液指纹图谱分析。MRB由25 mmol/L甘氨酸（Gly）-HCl（pH 2.5）作为样品缓冲液和50 mmol/L Gly-NaOH（pH 12.3）作为电泳缓冲液形成。与常规的毛细管区带电泳只能观察到尿液中不到10个峰相比,采用MRB可以观察到超过80个峰并将检测灵敏度提高了至少十几倍,显示该方法对于代谢组学分析具有重要的意义。     

pH-mediated acid stacking with reverse pressure for the analysis of cationic pharmaceuticals in capillary electrophoresis

When using capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the analysis of biological samples, it is often necessary to employ techniques to overcome peak-broadening that results from having a high-conductivity sample matrix. To improve the concentration detection limits and separation efficiency of cationic pharmaceuticals in CE, pH-mediated acid stacking was performed to electrofocus the sample, improving separation sensitivity for the analyzed cations by 60-fold. However, this method introduces a large titrated acid plug into the capillary. To overcome the limitations this low-conductivity plug poses to stacking, the plug was removed prior to the separation step by applying reverse pressure to force it out of the anode of the capillary. Employing this technique allows for roughly twice the volume of sample to be injected. A maximum sample injection time of 240 s was attainable with baseline peak resolution compared to a maximum sample injection time of 120 s without reverse pressure, leading to a twofold decrease in the limits of detection of the analytes used. Separation efficiency overall is also improved when utilizing the reverse pressure step. For example, a 60 s sample injection time results in 94,000 theoretical plates as compared to 60,500 theoretical plates without reverse pressure. This reverse-pressure method was used for detection and quantitation of several cationic pharmaceuticals that were prepared in Ringer's solution to simulate microdialysis sampling conditions.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with acetonitrile stacking through capillary electrophoresis for the determination of three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs in body fluids

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was combined with acetonitrile stacking in capillary electrophoresis for the identification of three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, fluoxetine, and fluvoxamine) in human fluids such as urine and plasma. Parameters that affect the extraction and stacking efficiency, such as the type and volume of the extraction and disperser solvent, extraction time, salt addition for dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, and sample matrices, pH, and concentration of the separation buffer for stacking, were investigated and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the enrichment factors were in the range of 1195–1441. Limits of detection ranged from 1.4 to 1.7 nM for the target analytes. Calibration graphs displayed satisfied linearity with R² greater than or equal to 0.9978, and relative standard deviations of the peak area analysis were in the range of 2.9–5.0% (n = 3). The recoveries of all tricyclic antidepressant drugs from urine and plasma were in the range of 77–117 and 79–106%, respectively. The findings of this study show that dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction acetonitrile‐stacking capillary electrophoresis is a rapid and convenient method for identifying tricyclic antidepressant drugs in urine and plasma.     

High-throughput polymerase chain reaction analysis of clinical samples by capillary electrophoresis with UV detection

Routine genetic analysis of large numbers of individuals by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using capillary electrophoresis is often restricted by the low throughput of standard protocols and the tedious sample preparation process. Here, we demonstrate that capillary electrophoresis with UV detection can be used in PCR-based DNA analysis starting from clinical samples without purification or complicated sample manipulation. After PCR reaction using cheek cells, blood, or HIV-1 gag DNA, the reaction mixtures were injected into a capillary array either on-line or off-line by base stacking. The use of multiplexed absorption detection and the elimination of any purification steps both before and after PCR reaction can potentially provide significant benefits compared to current methods for DNA analysis with regard to time, cost, and labor.     

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis for rapid and sensitive determination of fangchinoline and tetrandrine in radix Stephaniae tetrandrae and its medicinal preparations

A simple, rapid, and sensitive non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis procedure with head-column field-amplified sample stacking concentration for the analysis of fangchinoline and tetrandrine is established. Optimum separation and stacking conditions were obtained when the sample was injected at 8 kV for 50 s after preliminary pressure injection of ethanol (16.9 kPa) for 0.6 s and separated with the buffer containing 50 mM ammonium acetate, 0.5% (v/v) acetic acid, and 50% (v/v) acetonitrile in methanol medium at 24 kV applied voltage. The analytes were detected by UV at 214 nm. The two bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids can be separated within 6 min and quantified with high sensitivity. The detection limits were 0.30 ng mL(-1) for fangchinoline and 0.34 ng mL(-1) for tetrandrine, which indicated that the sensitivities were at least 1000-fold enhanced over those reported in the literature as obtained by UV detection. The method was applied to the analysis of fangchinoline and tetrandrine in Radix Stephaniae tetrandrae and its medicinal preparations with good results.     

Electrophoretic Behavior Study of Bacteria of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Edwardsiella tarda and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli by Capillary Electrophoresis with UV and Fluorescence Detection

Capillary electrophoresis approaches have been utilized for the study of bacteria under specific experimental conditions. The main objective within our research work was to study electrophoretic behaviors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by means of capillary electrophoresis with UV and fluorescence detection. Edwardsiella tarda and Enteropathogenic escherichia coli were also included in the study. The results showed that proper pretreatment (vortexing or sonication) for each bacterial sample before injection was necessary to disperse the clusters of cells, which is helpful to observe the single peaks and better peak shape of bacteria during electrophoresis. Apart from this, it was found that ionic strength of buffer affected mobilities of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a result of increasing of buffer concentration from 25 mM to 150 mM. Moreover, sharp and single peaks were still observed without significant increase of noise in the concentration range. Eventually, mixtures of bacteria were well separated under optimized separation conditions with UV and fluorescence detection. In the mean time, comparison of concentration sensitivities for Pseudomonas aeruginosa by UV and fluorescence detection was made. Blue light emitting diode induced fluorescence detection was found to be more sensitive (8.5-fold higher) than UV detection with home-made fluorescence detection system. Generally, proposed CE methods for the analysis of bacteria could be potentially valuable for the monitoring of bacteria contamination in real life.     

Comparison of hydrodynamically closed two‐dimensional capillary electrophoresis coupled with ultraviolet detection and hydrodynamically open capillary electrophoresis hyphenated with mass spectrometry in the bioanalysis of varenicline

Two capillary electrophoresis methods for monitoring renally excreted varenicline, a highly effective drug prescribed for smoking cessation, in human urine were developed and compared. A method combining capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry was proposed for the fast analysis of varenicline (analysis time up to 7 min). Here, mass spectrometry was a prerequisite for achieving high sensitivity and selectivity of the analysis suitable for the quantification of a 15 ng/mL level of varenicline in un‐pretreated urine matrices. An alternative approach, two‐dimensional (column‐coupled) capillary electrophoresis with enhanced sample load capacity and ultraviolet detection, was proposed as a low‐cost alternative to capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry. The isotachophoresis on‐line sample treatment included simple elimination of the major matrix constituents and stacking of the sample in a large volume so that threefold lower quantitation limits could be easily achieved in comparison to the capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry. On the other hand, longer analysis time (ca. 4.5‐fold) and more complex electrolyte system in the coupled zone electrophoresis step (including two additives enhancing separation selectivity, i.e. isopropanol and cyclodextrin) were prerequisites for the complete separation of varenicline from the sample matrix. Anyway, both the developed methods were validated according to the Food and Drug Administration guidelines showing favorable performance parameters, suitable for their routine biomedical use.     

Quantitative Analysis of Genistein in Human Plasma by Online Concentration CE with UV Detection

A rapid capillary electrophoresis method based on online acid barrage stacking has been successfully established for analysis of trace amounts of genistein in human plasma. Genistein was analyzed within 8 min, with 200 mmol L^?1 citric acid (pH 1.7) as acid barrage, and injection times of 180 and 30 s for sample and acid, respectively. Good linearity was obtained in the range 0.05–5 mg L^?1 and the limit of detection was 0.03 mg L^?1. Compared with normal sample injection, this method resulted in more than a fiftyfold improvement in detection sensitivity. The technique has potential for use in studies of genistein metabolism and of exposure levels in humans.     

Effect of NaOH on large-volume sample stacking of haloacetic acids in capillary zone electrophoresis with a low-pH buffer

Large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) is an effective on-capillary sample concentration method in capillary zone electrophoresis, which can be applied to the sample in a low-conductivity matrix. NaOH solution is commonly used to back-extract acidic compounds from organic solvent in sample pretreatment. The effect of NaOH as sample matrix on LVSS of haloacetic acids was investigated in this study. It was found that the presence of NaOH in sample did not compromise, but rather help the sample stacking performance if a low pH background electrolyte (BGE) was used. The sensitivity enhancement factor was higher than the case when sample was dissolved in pure water or diluted BGE. Compared with conventional injection (0.4% capillary volume), 97-120-fold sensitivity enhancement in terms of peak height was obtained without deterioration of separation with an injection amount equal to 20% of the capillary volume. This method was applied to determine haloacetic acids in tap water by combination with liquid-liquid extraction and back-extraction into NaOH solution. Limits of detection at sub-ppb levels were obtained for real samples with direct UV detection.     

Quantitative on‐line concentration for capillary electrophoresis with inkjet sample introduction technique

A quantitative sample introduction method based upon inkjet injection was applied to capillary electrophoresis coupled with stacking and sweeping on‐line concentration techniques. Methylxanthines were used as model compounds for the proof‐of‐concept of the method. The volume of injected sample could be easily manipulated by controlling the number of ejected droplets in the injection procedure. Under optimized conditions, a linear relationship between the ejected droplet number and peak area was obtained when the droplet number introduced into the capillary was less than 100. Under optimized quantitative on‐line concentration conditions, the limits of detection for theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline were 1.0, 2.0, and 1.0 μM, respectively. The inkjet injection system was evaluated by comparing it with conventional injection methods. The electropherogram of the inkjet injection mode was the same as that for hydrodynamic injection mode, and no sample discrimination was observed compared with the electrokinetic injection mode. The established method was applied to the determination of methylxanthines in bottled green tea. The recoveries of theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline were 94.1, 110.6, and 86.8%, respectively. We conclude that proposed method can be used for quantitative concentration for capillary electrophoresis, thus resulting in an improved accuracy.     

Analysis of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates by capillary zone electrophoresis with large-volume sample stacking

A systematic investigation of optimal conditions for determining the homologues of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates (LAS) by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) using the large-volume sample stacking technique was presented. The most effective sample stacking and separation conditions was 20 mM borate buffer with 30% acetonitrile at pH 9.0, and the sample hydrodynamic injection of up to 90 s at 4 p.s.i. (1 p.s.i. = 6,892.86 Pa) (around 711 nl). Under such conditions, approximately a 100-fold enrichment factor was achieved based on peak heights. The reproducibility of migration time and quantitative results of stacking CZE can be improved by using internal standards. Quantitation limits of the homologues of LAS were 0.002-0.01 mg/l under these enrichment conditions. The analysis of real samples of laundry and dishwashing detergents was performed. The established high-performance liquid chromatography method was applied to evaluate the stacking CZE method, and compatible results were obtained.     

Response surface methodology in the development of a stacking-sensitive capillary electrophoresis method for the analysis of tricyclic antidepressants in human serum

Stacking methods are very important in overcoming the poor detection limits in capillary electrophoresis (CE). In this paper, the separation and determination of several tricyclic antidepressants by a stacking method is described. The inclusion of acetonitrile (ACN) in the sample causes stacking (transient pseudoisotachophoresis) especially in presence of sodium chloride. An experimental design (central composite design) together with the response surface methodology has been used to find the optimum composition of the separation buffer and the optimal stacking conditions in few experiments. The response functions used are the product of the total resolution by the number of peaks, for the optimization of the separation buffer, and the product of the total resolution by the mean of the peak heights, for the optimization of the stacking conditions. About 28% of the capillary volume is loaded with sample. The calibration curves are linear over the working range (50-300 ng/mL). With a bubble capillary, the limits of detection (LODs) are in the order of 5 ng/mL. For the analysis of serum samples, enrichment with sodium chloride and the protein precipitation with ACN are enough to avoid interferences and to get stacking. Recoveries between 91.6 and 104% and RSD between 0.6 and 12% are obtained in the analysis of samples of lyophilized human serum and non-lyophilized human serum, spiked with the drugs.     

Fenofibrate and fenofibric acid analysis by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoresis method has been developed to measure fenofibrate in capsules based on micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with detection at 280 nm using a borate buffer containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). However, the metabolite of this drug (fenofibric acid) in serum and whole blood was analyzed by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) in a borate-carbonate buffer using acetonitrile stacking. The analysis is rapid, < 7 min with no interferences. Incubation of fenofibrate in whole blood caused hydrolysis of the ester bond with the release of fenofibric acid.     

Stacking and quantitative analysis of lovastatin in urine samples by the transient moving chemical reaction boundary method in capillary electrophoresis

A simple, sensitive, and useful concentration method for lovastatin (Lvt) in urine has been developed based on the transient moving chemical reaction boundary method (tMCRBM) in capillary electrophoresis. The MCRB is formed with acidic sample buffer (Gly-HCl) and alkaline running buffer (Gly-NaOH). The following optimal conditions were determined for stacking and separation: electrophoretic buffer of 100 mM Gly- NaOH (pH 11.52), sample buffer of 20 mM Gly-HCl (pH 4.93), fused-silica capillary of 76 cm × 75-μm i.d (67 cm from detector), sample injection at 14 mbar for 3 min. A 21- to 26-fold increase in peak height was achieved for detection of Lvt in urine under the optimal conditions compared with normal capillary zone electrophoresis. By combining the sample pretreatment procedure with the stacking method, the sensitivity of Lvt in urine was increased by 105- to 130-fold. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for Lvt in urine were decreased to 8.8 ng/mL and 29.2 ng/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision values (expressed as RSD) were 2.23–3.61% and 4.03–5.05%, respectively. The recoveries of the analyte at three concentration levels changed from 82.65 to 100.49%.     

Two dimensional mapping of cancer cell extracts by liquid chromatography-capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet absorbance detection

A two-dimensional liquid chromatography/capillary electrophoresis technique was developed for rapid and comprehensive mapping of cell extracts. The cell extracts were first separated by reversed-phase HPLC based on hydrophobicity. Fractions of the effluent from the HPLC system were collected into 96-well microtiter plates and dried under vacuum. The fractions were reconstituted with deionized water, separated by capillary array electrophoresis based on charge-to-size ratio, and detected by UV absorption at 214 nm. Prior to analysis by multiplexed capillary electrophoresis, the reconstituted fractions were concentrated on-column using large volume sample stacking with polarity switching. In this way, high-resolution analysis of even the minor components in the complicated mixture was possible.     

多响应曲面优化-毛细管电泳-激光诱导荧光快速检测食源性致病菌

建立了食品中常见致病菌: 沙门菌的invA基因、大肠杆菌O157∶H7的rfbO157基因、志贺菌的ipaH基因及副溶血性弧菌Vpara(16S-23S rDNA IGS)基因的多重PCR产物-毛细管电泳快速检测方法. 根据沙门菌、大肠杆菌O157∶H7、志贺菌及副溶血性弧菌的特异性基因保守序列设计出多重PCR引物, 优化PCR 扩增反应体系. 采用多响应曲面法优化毛细管电泳的分离条件, 以含有DNA荧光染料SYBR Green Ⅰ的1.0％甲基纤维素为筛分介质, 通过毛细管电泳-激光诱导荧光同时检测4种常见致病菌的PCR 扩增产物. 在优化的多重PCR反应体系和毛细管筛分电泳条件下, 此方法可以同时检测出沙门菌的invA基因、大肠杆菌O157∶H7的rfbO157基因、志贺菌的ipaH基因及副溶血性弧菌Vpara(16S-23S rDNA IGS)基因的多重PCR扩增产物, 25 min内即可完成检测. 迁移时间的日内相对标准偏差为0.92%~1.58%. 通过多响应曲面的优化, 有效改善了毛细管电泳对DNA分子的分离能力.     

Capillary isoelectric focusing of probiotic bacteria from cow's milk in tapered fused silica capillary with off-line matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry identification

In this study, combination of capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) in tapered fused silica (FS) capillary with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is presented as an efficient approach for unambiguous identification of probiotic bacteria in real sample. For this purpose, bacteria within genus Lactobacillus were selected as model bioanalytes and cow's milk was selected as a biological sample. CIEF analysis of both the cultivated bacteria and the bacteria in the milk was optimized and isoelectric points characterizing the examined bacteria were subsequently determined independently of the bacterial sample origin. The use of tapered FS capillary significantly enhanced the separation capacity and efficiency of the CIEF analyses performed. In addition, the cell number injected into the tapered FS capillary was quantified and an excellent linearity of the calibration curves was achieved which enabled quantitative analysis of the bacteria by CIEF with UV detection. The minimum detectable number of bacterial cells was 2 × 10⁶ mL⁻¹. Finally, cow's milk spiked with the selected bacterium was analyzed by CIEF in tapered FS capillary, the focused and detected bacterial cells were collected from the capillary, deposited onto the cultivation medium, and identified using MALDI-TOF MS afterward. Our results have revealed that the proposed procedure can be advantageously used for unambiguous identification of probiotic bacteria in a real sample.