Determination of Microcystins in Cyanobacteria by Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Liquid Chromatography‐Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A method for the detection of microcystins (microcystin LR, RR, and YR) in cyanobacteria by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has been developed. Supercritical fluids for the analytical extraction of nonvolatile, higher molecular weight compound, and microcystins from cyanobacteria were investigated. The microcystins included in this study are sparsely soluble in neat supercritical fluid CO₂. However, the microcystins was successfully extracted with a ternary mixture (90% CO₂, 9.5% methanol, 0.5% water) at 40°C and 250 atm. The polar carbon dioxide‐aqueous methanol fluid system gave high extraction efficiency for the extraction of the polar microcystins from cyanobacteria. The microcystins were determined by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).     

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Salidroside from Rhodiola rosea L var. rosea Root

Salidroside from the root of Rhodiola rosea L var. rosea was extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide with and without methanol as modifier. Three parameters, i.e. temperature, pressure and different concentrations of methanol were optimized. Salidroside determinations were carried out using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV‐Vis detector. An experimental design of response surface methodology (RSM) was used to map the effect of pressure (at 200, 300 and 400 bar), temperature (at 50, 60 and 70 °C) and percentage of methanol modifier (at 80, 90 and 100%) on the extraction yield of the active compound and to determine the optimal conditions for the extraction of salidroside from the root of plant. The results showed that supercritical carbon dioxide failed to extract salidroside from the plant material without a methanol as modifier. The yield obtained after 1.5 h extraction with the rate of modifier 0.4 mL/min and 300 bar, 70 °C, and 80 percent of methanol modifier condition was the highest (17.15 mg/g). The optimum conditions were 70 °C, 295.49 bar and 80 percent of methanol as modifier with the yield of 16.17 mg/g. In addition, the yield obtained with supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was compared with the Soxhlet extraction, whose yield was 8.64 mg/g.     

HPLC-electrospray ionization-MS-MS analysis of Cephalotaxus harringtonia leaves and enhancement of the extraction efficiency of alkaloids therein by SFE

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is developed for use in the electrospray mass spectrometric (MS)-MS analysis of alkaloids contained in Cephalotaxus harringtonia leaves. Nine alkaloids having ester groups can be separated and detected with good sensitivity. The MS and MS-MS spectra obtained provides information on their chemical structures. Supercritical fluid extraction is also applied in order to improve the extraction efficiency of Cephalotaxus alkaloids such as cephalotaxine, harringtonine, homoharringtonine, and isoharringtonine. When carbon dioxide-methanol-water (80:18:2, v/v) is used the extraction yield is found to be higher than that using the other supercritical solvents evaluated and conventional organic solvent extraction.     

Extraction of Microcystins From Cyanobacteria Using Aqueous Methanol Modified Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

A new method for the fast extraction of microcystins RR and LR in cyanobacterium was developed using carbon dioxide supercritical fluid. The microcystins were successfully extracted with 90% aqueous methanol modified CO₂. The method developed here has several advantages over solid phase extraction sample preparation technique for the analysis of microcysins.     

Performance comparison between packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and HPLC using cyclandelate as the model analyte

A reproducible and fast method has been developed for the assay of cyclandelate in bulk and drug forms using packed column supercritical fluid chromatography using dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) as internal standard. The drug and the internal standard were resolved by elution with supercritical fluid carbon dioxide doped with 14.29% (v/v) methanol on an RP-C₁₈ column and detected spectrophotometrically at 228 nm. Chromatographic figures of merit using C₈, C₁₈, cyano and phenyl columns have been assessed. Parallel experiments have been performed by HPLC and the data have been compared. Supercritical fluid extraction using CO₂ modified with a small amount of methanol was found to give quantitative analytical recoveries of cyclandelate from a dosage form. SFC has been shown to be a viable, faster alternative technique to HPLC generating less disposable waste. Received: 20 June 1997 / Revised: 20 October 1997 / Accepted: 26 October 1997     

Supercritical fluid extraction of flavonoids from Scutellariae Radix

An optimal condition of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) for flavonoids of Scutellaria baicalensis was developed. In this study, various temperatures, pressures and modifiers were studied. The conventional extraction methods were conducted in parallel for comparison. The crude extracts were qualitatively compared by TLC and GC–MS, and the contents of flavonoids were determined by HPLC. The amounts of baicalin, baicalein and wogonin in the Scutellariae Radix obtained by supercritical fluid extraction and a conventional sonic shaking method were 137.6 mg/g, 8.6 mg/g and 2.2 mg/g, 113.5 mg/g, 5.7 mg/g and 2.3 mg/g, respectively. Application of SFE for extraction of the flavonoids from Scutellariae Radix was preferable. The optimal conditions of SFE was as follows: supercritical carbon dioxide–MeOH–water (20:2.1:0.9), 50°C and 200 bar.     

Performance comparison between packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and HPLC using cyclandelate as the model analyte

A reproducible and fast method has been developed for the assay of cyclandelate in bulk and drug forms using packed column supercritical fluid chromatography using dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) as internal standard. The drug and the internal standard were resolved by elution with supercritical fluid carbon dioxide doped with 14.29% (v/v) methanol on an RP-C₁₈ column and detected spectrophotometrically at 228 nm. Chromatographic figures of merit using C₈, C₁₈, cyano and phenyl columns have been assessed. Parallel experiments have been performed by HPLC and the data have been compared. Supercritical fluid extraction using CO₂ modified with a small amount of methanol was found to give quantitative analytical recoveries of cyclandelate from a dosage form. SFC has been shown to be a viable, faster alternative technique to HPLC generating less disposable waste.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin from sediment samples

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is a promising technique for the extraction of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) from environmental matrices such as contaminated sediments. The ability of SFE to solubilize many organic contaminants is well documented in industrial processes but its analytical applications were exploited just recently. In this study supercritical carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide and their mixtures with 2% methanol were used to extract 2,3,7,8-TCDD from aquatic sediments. An attractive feature of this process is that the carbon dioxide, being a virtually inert fluid, leaves no solvent residue on the processed sediment. Almost 100% of the 2,3,7,8-TCDD can be extracted from a sediment spiked with 200 μg/kg 2,3,7,8-TCDD in 30 minutes by using supercritical carbon dioxide + 2% methanol. Cleanup procedure is compared with the Soxhlet extraction procedure currently used as a standard method for extracting dioxins from sediment samples.     

Evaluation of dithiocarbamates and beta-diketones as chelating agents in supercritical fluid extraction of Cd, Pb, and Hg from solid samples

The use of four dithiocarbamates and three fluorinated β-diketones as potential chelating agents for three transition metal ions (Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺) extracted from spiked sand and filter paper samples by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was investigated. The extractions were performed at 45°C and 250 atm for spiked sand samples and at 60°C and 200 atm for filter paper samples using supercritical carbon dioxide modified with 5% methanol. At 250 atm and using carbon dioxide modified with 5% methanol, the recoveries of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions from spiked sand samples were 95% with lithium bis(trifluoroethyl)dithiocarbamate (LiFDDC) as the chelating agent; they ranged from 83–97% with diethylammonium diethyldithiocarbamate and from 87–97% with sodium di-ethyldithiocarbamate as chelating agents, and from 68–96% with trifluoracetylacetone, hexafluoroacetylacetone, and thenoylfluoroacetone as chelating agents. Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate was not effective in the chelation SFE of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions from either spiked sand or spiked filter paper samples under the extraction conditions used. Supercritical carbon dioxide alone gave consistently lower analyte recoveries than supercritical carbon dioxide modified with 5% methanol. The results suggest that the solubility of the metal chelate in the supercritical fluid plays a more important role than the solubility of the chelating agent in the supercritical fluid, as long as sufficient chelating agent is present in the fluid phase. Fluorination of the chelating agent, as in the case of LiFDDC, increases the solubility of the metal chelate, and subsequently enhances the extraction efficiency for the metal ions.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of nylon 6: An investigation into the factors affecting the efficiency of extraction of caprolactam and its oligomers

Caprolactam and oligomers can be efficiently extracted from nylon 6 by use of supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide containing 7.5 % (m/m) methanol as the extraction fluid. The application of a static extraction, using an additional amount of methanol, is necessary to obtain high extraction efficiencies.     

Effect of temperature,collection mode,and modifier on the supercritical CO2 extraction of dicofol residues from fish samples

Toxicity evaluation of Dicofol to Astyanax bimaculatus schubarti, a characteristic fish species living in tropical rivers and lakes was carried out through LC₅₀ – 96 Hours. These experiments were performed under laboratory controlled conditions with atmospheric air flow and dilution water at 25°C in the static mode, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with pure CO₂ and CO₂ modified with hexane and methanol were used at 50, 70, 80, and 100°C and 300 atm. Several collection modes were studied to extract Dicofol from fish samples. The extraction efficiencies were directly comparedd with those obtained after 8 h of Soxhlet extraction using the same clean-up with Florisil and analysis by HRGC/ECD and HRGC/MS as a confirmatory analytical technique. The SFE recoveries at temperatures lower than 80°C were typically lower than soxhlet recoveries; however a temperature increase enhanced the efficiency of SFE. The results showed that under certain conditions, supercritical fluid gave higher extractio power (extracted 11 % more pesticide), shorter extraction time, and lower solvent consumption than Soxhlet, thus affording an excellent alternative to the conventional method for extracting Dicofol from fish sample.     

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) as a multi-residue extraction procedure for beta-agonists in bovine liver tissue

A supercritical fluid extraction procedure has been developed for the extraction of beta-agonists in bovine liver samples. The method is suitable for compounds of different beta-agonist classes: the substituted aniline-type compounds (e.g. clenbuterol) and the phenolic-type compounds (e.g. salbutamol), including conjugated forms of the latter. The developed procedure involves a combination of supercritical fluid extraction with enzyme immunoassay for the determination of clenbuterol and salbutamol residues at the low ppb level. Addition of methanol modifier and removal of sample moisture are necessary for the extraction of more polar analytes such as salbutamol. Method validation incorporating intra- and inter-assays was carried out on fortified liver tissue and showed good recovery and low variation (RSD < 15%). An enzyme hydrolysis procedure was incorporated into the method for the deconjugation of conjugated residues. The developed procedure was shown to be successful for the determination of both clenbuterol and salbutamol in incurred liver tissue.     

Pesticide multiresidue analysis of 303 compounds using supercritical fluid extraction.

Compared to generally used solvent extraction methods, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with carbon dioxide has the advantages of automation and simple operation in preparing samples for pesticide residue analysis. This report is the outcome of our evaluation of the practicality of SFE for the preparation of samples for pesticide residue analysis. We studied the recovery of 303 compounds with several crops by a simultaneous analytical method of SFE, cartridge column purification, followed by GC/MS determination. We achieved 70 to 120% recovery for more than 80% of the examined compounds.     

Extraction of paeonol from Jisheng Shenqi Wan using supercritical fluid extraction

Supercritical carbon dioxide with or without methanol and 95% ethanol modifiers was used to extract paeonol from the pills of Jisheng Shenqi Wan and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the extract. The effect of temperature and pressure on the yield of paeonol was tested. The results show that the recovery of paeonol was improved by adding a polar modifier, such as methanol and 95% ethanol in supercritical fluid. The yield obtained after 120 min extraction with 95% ethanol modified-supercritical carbon dioxide was the highest (1.51, w/w at 60 degrees C and 400 bar), while that obtained with supercritical carbon dioxide only at 40 degrees C was the lowest from 0.67 to 0.83 over a range of 200-600 bar.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of oxindole alkaloids from Uncaria tormentosa

Supercritical fluid extraction of oxindole alkaloids from Uncaria Tormentosa is described. The extraction was performed with supercritical carbon dioxide alone and with supercritical carbon dioxide modified with 10% metanol, and the extracts were analyzed by GC/MS and HPLC/MS.     

A comparative study using HPLC and packed column supercritical fluid chromatography for the assay of three anti-psychotic dosage forms

A reproducible and selective method was developed for the analysis of three anti-pschycotics, i.e. haloperidol, trifluoperazine and trihexyphenidyl in bulk and dosage forms using packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The analytes were resolved by elution with supercritical fluid carbon dioxide doped with 16.67% (v/v) methanol containing 0.8% isopropylamine. Parallel studies were performed by HPLC using ion pairing reagent and a comparison is discussed. The method was successfully used for the assay of three formulations containing a combination of: (1) haloperidol-trihexyphenidyl; (2) haloperidol-trifluoperazine; (3) trifluoperazine-trihexyphenidyl.     

Detection of hydroperoxides in combustion aerosols by supercritical fluid extraction coupled to thin-layer chromatography

A simple method for separation of hydroperoxides from solid matrices using supercritical fluid extraction with on-line sample transfer to thin-layer chromatographic plates is presented. About 80% recovery is achieved for several thermally stable aromatic test compounds. For aliphatic hydroperoxides, up to 71% are found to be extracted with carbon dioxide and a solution of citric acid in methanol as a modifier. Application of the technique to the investigation of combustion aerosols is shown.     

Extraction and isolation of diphenylheptanes and flavonoids from Alpinia officinarum Hance using supercritical fluid extraction followed by supercritical fluid chromatography

In this paper, an off-line combination method of supercritical fluid extraction and supercritical fluid chromatography was developed for the selective extraction and isolation of diphenylheptanes and flavonoids from Alpinia officinarum Hance. The enrichment of target components was successfully achieved using supercritical fluid extraction with the following conditions (8% ethanol as co-solvent at 45°C and 30 MPa for 30 min). Taking full advantage of the complementarity of supercritical fluid chromatography stationary phases, a two-step preparative supercritical fluid chromatography strategy was constructed. The extract was firstly divided into seven fractions on a Diol column (250 × 20 mm internal diameter, 10 μm) within 8 min by gradient elution increasing from 5% to 20% modifier (methanol) at 55 ml/min and 15 MPa. Then the seven fractions were separated by using a 1-AA or a DEA column (250 × 19 mm internal diameter, 5 μm) at 50 ml/min and 13.5 MPa. This two-step strategy showed superior separation ability for structural analogs. As a result, seven compounds, including four diphenylheptanes and three flavonoids with high purity, were successfully obtained. The developed method is also helpful for the extraction and isolation of other structural analogs of traditional Chinese medicines.     

Rapid analysis of free fatty acid composition in Brassica rapa L. and Brassica napus L. extracts by surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A rapid and simple technique was developed to identify free fatty acids in mixtures by the surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF MS) using powdered carbon aerogels as a “matrix”. A 3% solution of a neutral surfactant Triton X-100 was used as a fixing agent of carbon particles as well as a suppressor of background peaks. The extraction of free fatty acids from Brassica napus (rape) and Brassica rapa (turnip) seeds was performed by using both methanol-chloroform mixture and supercritical fluid extraction techniques. The quantitative analysis of the seed composition was carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method. The detection limits were determined using a mixture of ten standard fatty acids and were found to be 3 ng of each acid per spot.     

Optimisation of supercritical fluid extraction of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons from spiked soil and marine sediment standard reference material

 For the determination of 16 PAHs in soils and sediment samples by GC/FID and GC/MS, the dynamic off-line supercritical fluid extraction with both pure and modified carbon dioxide has been evaluated. The optimisation of extraction parameters was performed for four individual groups of PAHs according to their number of aromatic rings (2–3 rings, 4 rings, 5 rings and 6 rings) by varying pressure (200–510 bar), temperature (50–150 °C), extraction fluid volume (10–50 ml), and the methanol modifier concentration (0–10%). Using a five level spherical factorial experimental design the number of experiments required for optimisation was 45. In spiked soil samples extraction efficiencies of 80–100% were achieved for the individual groups of PAHs. At the optimal set of conditions 10–30% lower recoveries of PAHs were obtained for the standard reference material NIST SRM 1941a (marine sediment). The largest differences between extraction recoveries of native and spiked PAHs occurred at high molecular weight PAHs. Using SFE efficiency data for the standard reference material, cluster analysis proved that dividing the 16 PAHs into four groups according to their number of aromatic rings was appropriate and correct. Received: 2 February 1996/Revised: 26 November 1996/Accepted: 30 November 1996