Evaluation of a method based on liquid chromatography-diode array detector-tandem mass spectrometry for a rapid and comprehensive characterization of the fat-soluble vitamin and carotenoid profile of selected plant foods

The feasibility of using reversed-phase liquid chromatography/diode array/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-MS/MS) for a rapid and comprehensive profiling of fat soluble vitamins and pigments in some foods of plant origin (maize flour, green and golden kiwi) was evaluated. The instrumental approach was planned for obtaining two main outcomes within the same chromatographic run: (i) the quantitative analysis of ten target analytes, whose standards are commercially available; (ii) the screening of pigments occurring in the selected matrices. The quantitative analysis was performed simultaneously for four carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene) and six compounds with fat-soluble activity (α-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, ergocalciferol, phylloquinone and menaquinone-4), separated on a C30 reversed-phase column and detected by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) tandem mass spectrometry, operating in Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) mode. Extraction procedure was based on matrix solid-phase dispersion with recoveries of all compounds under study exceeding 78 and 60% from maize flour and kiwi, respectively. The method intra-day precision ranged between 3 and 7%, while the inter-day one was below 12%. The mild isolation conditions precluded artefacts creation, such as cis-isomerization phenomena for carotenoids. During the quantitative LC-SRM determination of the ten target analytes, the identification power of the diode array detector joined to that of the triple quadrupole (QqQ) allowed the tentatively identification of several pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), without the aid of standards, on the basis of: (i) the UV-vis spectra recorded in the range of 200-700nm; (ii) the expected retention time; (iii) the two SRM transitions, chosen for the target carotenoids but also common to many of isomeric carotenoids occurring in the selected foods.     

Simultaneous Determination of Trichothecenes A, B, and D in Maize Food Products by LC–MS–MS

Two new methods of analysis, based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, for simultaneous determination of trichothecenes A, B, and D in maize flour and oil have been developed and validated in accordance with European Commission decision 2002/657/EC (recovery, CCα, CCβ, and precision). The trichothecenes were extracted from maize flour by matrix solid-phase dispersion, with recoveries ≥79%, and from maize oil by liquid–liquid extraction, with recoveries ≥78%. Limits of quantitation ranged between 0.03 and 50 μg kg^?1, depending on the electrospray response to each analyte and on the matrix. Monitoring of flour and oil samples with this HPLC–MS–MS method revealed the presence of deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, and diacetoxyscirpenol at very low concentrations.     

Analysis of B6 vitamers in plasma by reversed-phase column liquid chromatography

The seven vitameric forms of B6 can be measured in biologic fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography. Use of a reversed-phase column, with optimized solvent and buffer conditions, combined with fluorometric detection, allowed linear detection of vitamers from 0.4 to 20 ng. All vitamers from plasma, urine or tissue extracts can be analyzed within 50 min. Reproducibility and recovery studies indicate a selective and sensitive procedure, which greatly enhances studies on vitamin B6 metabolism.     

Optimization and development of a high‐performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous determination of vitamin E and carotenoids in tomato fruits

A simple and reliable high‐performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of lipophilic antioxidants in tomato fruits using C₃₀ column operated at 15°C and a gradient mobile phase based on acetonitrile/methanol/dichloromethane in a total run time of 30 min. Diode array and fluorescence detectors were used respectively for the detection of carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and β‐carotene) and vitamin E analogs (α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐tocopherols, and tocotrienols). The best extraction yield of analytes in tomato fruits was achieved by employing ethyl acetate/hexane (1:1, v/v) after several treatments with various solvents. In addition, low extraction yields were obtained for carotenoids compared to tocopherols by adopting solid‐phase extraction as a second clean‐up step. The method was validated on the basis of recovery, precision, linearity, and limit of detection and quantification using spiked tomato samples. The method was applied to cherry and medium‐sized tomato fruits. Lycopene was found to be present in largest amount in tomato pulp, followed by β‐carotene and lutein. Due to its simplicity, rapidity, and efficiency, the method is suitable for routine analysis of lipophilic antioxidants in tomato fruits, and may also be applied to other vegetables of similar phytochemical profiles.     

Sample preparation for routine high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of retinol palmitate in emulsified nutritional supplements by solid-phase extraction using monosodium L-glutamate as dissolving agent

Retinol palmitate (vitamin A, 73.3 microg/g) in an emulsified nutritional supplement was determined by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (excitation 350 nm, emission 480 nm) using monosodium L-glutamate as a dissolving agent to obtain higher recovery of vitamin A from the emulsified sample solution. A Bond Elut C2 cartridge (500 mg) was chosen for SPE after comparison with 16 other types. A sample solution was applied to a conditioned Bond Elut C2 cartridge and then vitamin A was eluted with ethanol followed by HPLC. The proposed method was simple, rapid (sample preparation time by SPE: ca. 8 min, retention time: ca. 8 min), sensitive [detection limit: ca. 0.1 pg/injection (100 microl) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1], highly selective and reproducible (relative standard deviation (RSD): ca. 2.9% (n = 5), between-day RSD ca. 3.7 (5 days). The recovery of vitamin A was over 90% by the standard addition method.     

Determination of Vitamin B3 Vitamer (Nicotinamide) and Vitamin B6 Vitamers in Human Hair Using LC-MS/MS

Water-soluble B vitamins participate in numerous crucial metabolic reactions and are critical for maintaining our health. Vitamin B deficiencies cause many different types of diseases, such as dementia, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and HIV. Vitamin B3 deficiency is linked to pellagra and cancer, while niacin (or nicotinic acid) lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL). A highly sensitive and robust liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy (LC/MS-MS) method was developed to detect and quantify a vitamin B3 vitamer (nicotinamide) and vitamin B6 vitamers (pyridoxial 5′-phosphate (PLP), pyridoxal hydrochloride (PL), pyridoxamine dihydrochloride (PM), pridoxamine-5′-phosphate (PMP), and pyridoxine hydrochloride (PN)) in human hair samples of the UAE population. Forty students’ volunteers took part in the study and donated their hair samples. The analytes were extracted and then separated using a reversed-phase Poroshell EC-C18 column, eluted using two mobile phases, and quantified using LC/MS-MS system. The method was validated in human hair using parameters such as linearity, intra- and inter-day accuracy, and precision and recovery. The method was then used to detect vitamin B3 and B6 vitamers in the human hair samples. Of all the vitamin B3 and B6 vitamers tested, only nicotinamide was detected and quantified in human hair. Of the 40 samples analysed, 12 were in the range 100–200 pg/mg, 15 in the range 200–500 pg/mg, 9 in the range of 500–4000 pg/mg. The LC/MS-MS method is effective, sensitive, and robust for the detection of vitamin B3 and its vitamer nicotinamide in human hair samples. This developed hair test can be used in clinical examination to complement blood and urine tests for the long-term deficiency, detection, and quantification of nicotinamide.     

Determination of clethodim and its oxidation metabolites in crops by liquid chromatography with confirmation by LC/MS

A method was developed for determination of the herbicide clethodim (C0) and its oxidation metabolites clethodim sulfoxide (C1) and clethodim sulfone (C2) in agricultural products. Upon extraction, both C0 and C1 were oxidized to C2 by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, and C2 was determined by liquid chromatography (LC). The C2 peak was confirmed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI). Recoveries of C0 from radish, tomato, onion, sweet potato, kidney bean, carrot, cabbage, and lettuce ranged from 91 to 118% following fortification at 0.05-1.0 ppm. The detection limit of C2 in crops was 0.01 ppm (S/N > 3). The fortified samples of onion, sweet potato, kidney bean, and carrot were confirmed by LC/MS (ESI), and the peak of C2 was detected.     

Quantities of B6 vitamers in human milk by high-performance liquid chromatography. Influence of maternal vitamin B6 status

A rapid, sensitive procedure is described for the analysis of the B6 vitamers pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, and pyridoxine in human milk from women taking and not taking supplements containing the vitamin using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection. Vitamer values represent the sum of their phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms. Minimum detectable quantities were 1-3 ng. Excellent recoveries of these vitamers in milk were obtained. Similar B6 vitamer concentrations of milk were obtained using the developed high-performance liquid chromatographic and the accepted microbiological techniques. Pyridoxal, actually consisting of pyridoxal plus pyridoxal phosphate, was the predominant B6 vitamer in human milk. The concentration of B6 vitamers in milk was reflective of the maternal vitamin B6 status.     

Separation of B6 vitamers with micellar liquid chromatography using UV and electrochemical detection

Separation of six vitamers of vitamin B6 was performed by RP-HPLC using micellar mobile phase, UV and electrochemical detection. Effect of temperature, type and amount of organic modifier in mobile phase on efficiency and asymmetry factor showed that, the appropriate conditions were temperature of 35 degrees C and 3.0-5.0% (v/v) 1-butanol in mobile phase. Variations of selectivity factor versus 1-butanol concentration, pH of mobile phase, and SDS concentration was investigated and the following optimized conditions were selected for the separation: 3.0% (v/v) 1-butanol, pH=5.5 and 65 mM SDS in mobile phase. Electrochemical behavior of vitamers in optimized mobile phase was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, and potential of +1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl(Sat.) was chose as working potential. Finally, separation of B6 vitamers using UV detection at 254 nm and electrochemical detection at +1.2 V was compared.     

Application of a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to the analysis of water-soluble vitamins in Italian pasta

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of several water-soluble vitamins, namely vitamins B₁, B₂, B₆ (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine), and PP (nicotinamide and nicotinic acid), pantothenic acid, and folic acid was developed and validated. The analytes were characterized by means of their electrospray (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectra. In general, the positive ion spectra were 100- to 1000-fold more intense than the corresponding negative ion ones. Chromatography of water-soluble vitamins was obtained by using a reversed-phase C16 Amide (15 cm, 5 μm) column and a mobile phase made of ammonium formate buffer (20 mM, pH 3.75)/methanol under gradient elution conditions. Linearity of the MS response was observed over three to four orders for both ESI and APCI, and limits of detection were in the low μg/l range for both the ionization techniques. In particular, the sensitivity of ESI was about two- to five-fold higher for all vitamins except PP vitamers, for which APCI produced a better response. Precision calculated at two concentration levels (0.05 and 1.0 mg/l) was within 0.2-7.4% for all intra- and inter-day determinations and for all analytes. The LC-ESI-MS/MS method was applied to the quantitative analysis of the natural content of vitamins in typical Italian pasta samples, as well as in fortified pasta samples produced for the US market.     

Stable isotope dilution assay for the accurate determination of mycotoxins in maize by UHPLC-MS/MS

A fast, easy-to-handle and cost-effective analytical method for 11 mycotoxins currently regulated in maize and other cereal-based food products in Europe was developed and validated for maize. The method is based on two extraction steps using different acidified acetonitrile–water mixtures. Separation is achieved using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) by a linear water–methanol gradient. After electrospray ionisation, tandem mass spectrometric detection is performed in dynamic multiple reaction monitoring mode. Since accurate mass spectrometric quantification is hampered by matrix effects, uniformly [¹³C]-labelled mycotoxins for each of the 11 compounds were added to the sample extracts prior to UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. Method performance parameters were obtained by spiking blank maize samples with mycotoxins before as well as after extraction on six levels in triplicates. The twofold extraction led to total recoveries of the extraction steps between 97% and 111% for all target analytes, including fumonisins. The [¹³C]-labelled internal standards efficiently compensated all matrix effects in electrospray ionisation, leading to apparent recoveries between 88% and 105% with reasonable additional costs. The relative standard deviations of the whole method were between 4% and 11% for all analytes. The trueness of the method was verified by the measurement of several maize test materials with well-characterized concentrations. In conclusion, the developed method is capable of determining all regulated mycotoxins in maize and presuming similar matrix effects and extraction recovery also in other cereal-based foods.     

Determination of vitamin B6 vitamers and pyridoxic acid in biological samples.

For the determination of vitamin B6 vitamers (pyridoxal phosphate, pyridoxamine phosphate, pyridoxal, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine) and 4-pyridoxic acid in biological samples such as plasma, cerebrospinal fluid and rat brain regions, a sensitive micromethod using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection in combination with post-column derivatization is described. Metaphosphoric acid tissue extracts with deoxypyridoxine as an internal standard were injected into the HPLC system with a binary gradient elution at a flow-rate of 1.2 ml/min. The excitation wavelength of the fluorescence detector was set at 328 nm and the emission wavelength at 393 nm with a 15-nm slit width for the photocell. This method allows the assay of vitamin B6 vitamers within 30 min in one chromatographic run. The present method has been applied extensively for the measurement of vitamin B6 vitamer levels in discrete brain regions of small animals, cells in culture and biopsy samples.     

Development of HPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of metabolites of organophosphate pesticides,synthetic pyrethroids,herbicides and DEET in human urine

We developed an isotopic dilution high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/tandem mass spectrometer (MS/MS) method to rapidly and accurately quantify nine metabolites of several classes of pesticide in 1 mL human urine specimens. The analytes covered in the method are two organophosphate (OP) pesticide metabolites: 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), 2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinol (IMPY); three synthetic pyrethroid metabolites: 3-phenoxy benzoic acid (3-PBA), 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4-F-3-PBA) and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl-1(1-cyclopropane) carboxylic acid (t-DCCA); three herbicide metabolites: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (DCPAA), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (TCPAA) and atrazine mercapturate; and one insect repellent: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). The analytes are first deconjugated by incubating with acetate/β-glucuronidase buffer at 37°C for 17 h. The deconjugated analytes are extracted and concentrated from the urine matrix using solid-phase extraction cartridges, separated through C18 reversed phase HPLC, and analysed on MS/MS. The MS/MS was operated in positive and negative electrospray ionisation switch mode. Two ions from each analyte and one from each labelled internal standard are monitored for quantification and confirmation. The limit of detections (LODs) for all the analytes are in the low parts-per-trillion (0.05 ng/mL) except TCPy where it was 0.5 ng/mL) with a wide linear range (0.05 up to 40 ng/mL) and provides high accuracy (recoveries: 90–118%) and high precision (coefficient of variation <15%). The method accuracy was also verified by the analysis of proficiency testing urine samples. We analysed 101 urine samples for a recent California study cohort, and detection frequencies ranged from ~100% to 0%: 3-PBA (98%), IMPY (91%), TCPy, (89%), DCPAA (66%), 4-F-3-PBA (11%), TCPAA (0%).     

Determination of pesticide residues in nonfatty foods by supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry: collaborative study

A collaborative study was conducted to determine multiple pesticide residues in apple, green bean, and carrot by using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Seventeen laboratories from 7 countries participated in the final study, and a variety of different instruments was used by collaborators. The procedure simply entails 3 steps: (1) mix 1.1 g drying agent (Hydromatrix) per 1 g frozen precomminuted sample, and load 4-5.5 g of this mixture into a 7-10 mL extraction vessel; (2) perform SFE for 20-30 min with a 1-2 mL/min flow rate of carbon dioxide at 0.85 g/mL density (320 atm, 60 degrees C); and (3) inject the extract, which was collected on a solid-phase or in a liquid trap, into the gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, using either an ion-trap instrument in full-scan mode or a quadrupole-type instrument in selected-ion monitoring mode. The ability of GC/MS to simultaneously quantitate and confirm the identity of the semivolatile analytes at trace concentrations is a strong feature of the approach. The selectivity of SFE and GC/MS avoids the need for post-extraction cleanup steps, and the conversion of the CO2 solvent to a gas after SFE eliminates the solvent evaporation step common in traditional methods. The approach has several advantages, but its main drawback is the lower recoveries for the most polar analytes, such as methamidophos and acephate, and the most nonpolar analytes, such as pyrethroids. Recoveries for most pesticides are >75%, and recoveries of nonpolar analytes are still >50%. The (within-laboratory) repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) values of the recoveries are generally <15%. More specifically, the average results from the 9-14 laboratories in the final analysis of 6 blind duplicates at 3 concentrations for each pesticide are as follows: carbofuran in apple (75-500 ng/g), 89% recovery, 7% RSDr, 9% reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSDR); diazinon in apple (60-400 ng/g), 83% recovery, 13% RSDr, 17% RSDR; vinclozolin in apple (6-400 ng/g), 97% recovery, 13% RSDr, 18% RSDR; chlorpyrifos in apple (50-300 ng/g), 105% recovery, 11% RSDr, 13% RSDR; endosulfan sulfate in apple (150-1000 ng/g), 95% recovery, 15% RSDr, 17% RSDR; trifluralin in green bean (30-200 ng/g), 58% recovery, 11% RSDr, 27% RSDR; dacthal in green bean (60-400 ng/g), 88% recovery, 11% RSDr, 17% RSDR; quintozene in green bean (60-400 ng/g), 79% recovery, 13% RSDr, 18% RSDR; chlorpyrifos in green bean (50-300 ng/g), 84% recovery, 11% RSDr, 17% RSDR; p,p'-DDE in green bean (45-300 ng/g), 64% recovery, 14% RSDr, 27% RSDR; atrazine in carrot (75-500 ng/g), 90% recovery, 11% RSDr, 15% RSDR; metalaxyl in carrot (75-500 ng/g), 89% recovery, 8% RSDr, 12% RSDR; parathion-methyl in carrot (75-500 ng/g), 84% recovery, 14% RSDr, 15% RSDR; chlorpyrifos in carrot (50-300 ng/g), 77% recovery, 13% RSDr, 19% RSDR; and bifenthrin in carrot (90-600 ng/g), 63% recovery, 12% RSDr, and 25% RSDR. All analytes except for the nonpolar compounds trifluralin, p,p'-DDE, and bifenthrin gave average Horwitz ratios of <1.0 when AOAC criteria were used. These 3 analytes had high RSDr values but lower RSDR values, which indicated that certain SFE instruments gave consistently lower recoveries for nonpolar compounds. The collaborative study results demonstrate that the method meets the purpose of many monitoring programs for pesticide residue analysis, and the Study Director recommends that it be adopted Official First Action.     

Determination of fludioxonil and famoxadone in processed fruits and vegetables by liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

The feasibility of using liquid chromatography/ electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) for determining 2 fungicides (fludioxonil and famoxadone) in tomato pulp, pear purée, and concentrated lemon juice has been evaluated. A miniaturized extraction-partition procedure requiring small amounts of nonchlorinated solvents was used. The extracts (5 microL) were analyzed by LC/ESI-MS/MS without previous cleanup. Chromatographic determination was performed using a C18 column with isocratic elution. Four MS/MS transitions of precursor ions were monitored simultaneously (2 for each pesticide) by means of negative ESI. Mean recoveries from samples at fortification levels of 0.002-0.020 mg/kg (fludioxonil) and 0.010-0.100 mg/kg (famoxadone) ranged from 77.1 to 96.5%, with associated relative standard deviations between 4.2 and 11.5%.     

Solid-phase extraction of 4(5)-methylimidazole (4MeI) and 2-acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-imidazole (THI) from foods and beverages with subsequent liquid chromatographic-electrospray mass spectrometric quantification

A method for the simultaneous determination of 4(5)-methylimidazole (4MeI) and 2-acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-imidazole (THI) was developed using SPE and HPLC/MS. Solid-phase extraction using SCX Disc cartridges was used for isolation of the analytes from liquid samples. The lower LOQwas 0.1 ng/mL for 4MeI and 0.2 ng/ mL for THI. The linearity of the calibration curves was satisfactory as indicated by correlation coefficients >0.999. The CV for the intra- and inter-day precision was <5% (n = 6); the accuracy was in the range 98-103%. The recovery was > or = 97 and > or = 98% for THI and 4MeI, respectively. The method was used to determine THI and 4MeI in beverages, coffee, caramel colours and other samples.     

Application of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for the measurement of vitamin D in infant formula and adult/pediatric nutritional formula: First Action 2011.11

In an effort to measure vitamin D, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was applied to samples. The use of UHPLC-MS/MS decreased the run time by 50%. The UHPLC-MS/MS achieved equal or better separation efficiency with complex food matrixes compared to HPLC-MS/MS. It was also observed that under the optimized conditions of UHPLC, all previtamins of vitamin D3, D2, and isotope-labeled vitamin D3 were baseline-separated from their corresponding vitamins. The sterol isomers found in complex food matrixes that interfere in the analysis were well separated from the analytes. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by analyzing National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 1849 infant reference material. The average vitamin D3 concentration was 0.251 +/- 0.012 microg/g. This showed excellent agreement with the certified value of 0.251 +/- 0.027 microg/g. The spike recovery study of a commercial infant formula matrix showed a range of recovery from 100 to 108%. The LOQ values determined were 0.0022 and 0.0028 microg/g for vitamins D3 and D2, respectively; LOD values were 0.00065 and 0.00083 microg/g for vitamins D3 and D2, respectively.     

Water-soluble vitamins

Simultaneous Determination of Vitamins.--Klejdus et al. described a simultaneous determination of 10 water- and 10 fat-soluble vitamins in pharmaceutical preparations by liquid chromatography-diode-array detection (LC-DAD). A combined isocratic and linear gradient allowed separation of vitamins in 3 distinct groups: polar, low-polar, and nonpolar. The method was applied to pharmaceutical preparations, fortified powdered drinks, and food samples, for which results were in good agreement with values claimed. Heudi et al. described a separation of 9 water-soluble vitamins by LC-UV. The method was applied for the quantification of vitamins in polyvitaminated premixes used for the fortification of infant nutrition products. The repeatability of the method was evaluated at different concentration levels and coefficients of variation were <6.5%. The concentrations of vitamins found in premixes with the method were comparable to the values declared. A disadvantage of the methods mentioned above is that sample composition has to be known in advance. According to European legislation, for example, foods might be fortified with riboflavin phosphate or thiamin phosphate, vitamers which are not included in the simultaneous separations described. Vitamin B2.--Vi?as et al. elaborated an LC analysis of riboflavin vitamers in foods. Vitamin B2 can be found in nature as the free riboflavin, but in most biological materials it occurs predominantly in the form of 2 coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Several methods usually involve the conversion of these coenzymes into free riboflavin before quantification of total riboflavin. According to the authors, there is growing interest to know flavin composition of foods. The described method separates the individual vitamers isocratically. Accuracy of the method is tested with 2 certified reference materials (CRMs). Vitamin B5.-Methods for the determination of vitamin B5 in foods are limited because of their low sensitivity and poor selectivity. Pakin et al. proposed a post-column derivatization of pantothenic acid as a fluorescent compound and used this principle in a specific and sensitive method for the determination of free and bound pantothenic acid in a large variety of foods. A French laboratory invited European laboratories to participate in a series of collaborative studies for this method, which will be carried out in 2005/2006. A more sophisticated method was described by Mittermayer et al. They developed an LC-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method for the determination of vitamin B5 in a wide range of fortified food products. Application of the method to various samples showed consistent results with those obtained by microbiology. Vitamin B6.-Method 2004.07, an LC method for the analysis of vitamin B6 in reconstituted infant formula, was published by Mann et al. In contrast with this method, which quantifies vitamin B6 after converting the phosphorylated and free vitamers into pyridoxine, Vi?as et al. published an LC method which determines 6 vitamin B6 related compounds, the 3 B6 vitamers, their corresponding phosphorylated esters, and a metabolite. Accuracy was determined using 2 CRMs. Results were within the certified ranges. Vitamin C.-Franke et al. described an extensive study to vitamin C and flavonoid levels of fruits and vegetables consumed in Hawaii. Vitamin C was determined by measuring ascorbic acid in its reduced state by LC and coulometric detection along with UV absorbance detection at 245 nm. No attempts were made to assess levels of dehydroascorbic acid. Most recent research revealed that cell uptake of dehydroascorbic acid is unlikely to play a major role, which may explain the very low vitamin C activity of orally administered L-dehydroascorbic acid in rats. The food levels found by Franke et al. are variably lower, higher, or equal in comparison to other studies. Iwase described a method for the determination of ascorbic acid in foods using L-methionine for the pre-analysis sample stabilization. Electrochemical detection was used for the quantification. Traditionally, metaphosphoric acid was proven to be a useful dissolving agent for the determination of ascorbic acid. However, it dissolves in water very slowly, it is hygroscopic, and accurate weighing is not easy. Adjustment at pH 2-3 takes a long time. It appeared to be possible to replace metaphosphoric acid by 0.2% phosphoric acid. Methionine played an important role on the stability of ascorbic acid. The method seemed to be applicable to the routine analysis of ascorbic acid in foods. Folic Acid.-Microbiological analysis of total folate in foods is often considered as the golden standard compared to other methods based on, for example, LC. Koontz et al. showed results of total folate concentrations measured by microbiological assay in a variety of foods. Samples were submitted in a routine manner to experienced laboratories that regularly perform folate analysis fee-for-service basis in the United States. Each laboratory reported the use of a microbiological method similar to the AOAC Official Method for the determination of folic acid. Striking was, the use of 3 different pH extraction conditions by 4 laboratories. Only one laboratory reported using a tri-enzyme extraction. Results were evaluated. Results for folic acid fortified foods had considerably lower between-laboratory variation, 9-11%, versus >45% for other foods. Mean total folate ranged from 14 to 279 microg/100 g for a mixed vegetable reference material, from 5 to 70 microg/100 g for strawberries, and from 28 to 81 microg/100 g for wholemeal flour. One should realize a large variation in results, which might be caused by slight modifications in the microbiological analysis of total folate in foods or the analysis in various (unfortified) food matrixes. Furthermore, optimal combination of enzymes and reaction conditions may vary depending on the composition of the food. Padrangi and Laborde showed recently that treatment with alpha-amylase had no significant effect on measured folate in spinach, although addition of protease significantly increased the release of folate. LC/MS applications gain increasing attention because of their specificity. Rychlik used stable isotope dilution assays for the determination of the folate content of broccoli and bread. Compared to data in the literature and food data bases, amounts were significantly lower. Pawlosky et al., however, found comparable values for 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid and folic acid by HPLC analysis with fluorescent detection and HPLC/MS. Among samples analyzed were CRMs and broccoli. Besides folic acid, other water-soluble vitamins were also determined by LC/MS/MS by Leporati et al. The method was applied to the quantitative analysis of the natural content of vitamins in typical Italian pasta samples, as well as in fortified pasta samples produced for the U.S. market. Biotin.-A paper from Staggs et al. included the assertion that existing biotin data in food composition tables are inaccurate because the majority are based on bioassays with all relevant disadvantages. Data in most cases are overestimated with consequences for recommendations for dietary biotin intake. An HPLC/avidin-binding assay was used to analyze 87 foods to support the hypothesis mentioned.     

Rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the estimation of nicorandil in human plasma

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the estimation of nicorandil in human plasma. Nicorandil was extracted from human plasma using solid-phase extraction technique. Imipramine was used as the internal standard. A Betasil C18 column provided chromatographic separation of analytes followed by detection with mass spectrometry. The method involves a rapid solid-phase extraction from plasma, simple isocratic chromatography conditions and mass spectrometric detection that enables detection at nanogram levels. The proposed method has been validated for a linear range of 1.0-500.0 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient of > or =0.9993. The intra-run and inter-run precision and accuracy was within 10.0%. The overall recovery for nicorandil was 63.81%. The total run time was just 3.0 min.     

Trace analysis of explosives in soil: pressurized fluid extraction and gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reservation, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The soil is the Helemano series. The soil samples are fortified with eight explosives for development of the analytical method. These analytes are 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene; 1,3-dinitrobenzene; 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT); hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX); nitrobenzene (NB); octogen; 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene; and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. The analytes are recovered with pressurized fluid extraction and measured with liquid chromatography (LC), LC-mass spectrometry (MS), and gas chromatography-MS. Average recoveries of the seven analytes, except for NB, range from 67% to 110% from freshly fortified samples. The procedure fails to extract NB in soil. The average recoveries decrease from 67-110% to 41-81% as the soil is aged for 1 day to 6 months after fortification of the soil with the seven explosives. The field samples are analyzed for the presence of explosives, of which DNT and RDX are indeed detected. The results obtained with this procedure agree well with those obtained by an independent laboratory following the standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method SW-846 8330. Compared with the EPA method, this new method provides MS confirmation of the analytes, and the extraction requires approximately 15 min, rather than 18 h by the EPA method.