HPLC-fluorescence detection and MEKC-LIF detection for the study of amino acids and catecholamines labelled with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxyaldehyde

Naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxyaldehyde (NDA) is commonly used for detection of primary amines in conjunction with their separation with HPLC and CE. The fluorescence of the derivatives can be measured by a conventional fluorometer or via LIF. NDA is a reactive dye, which can replace o-phthaldehyde (OPA) and provides for derivatives which are considerably more stable than OPA derivatives. In addition, NDA can be used to derivatize primary amines at concentrations as low as 100 pM. In this work, HPLC/fluorescence and MEKC/LIF experiments were performed to separate/detect six neuroactive compounds, the amino acids, Gly, Glu, Asp, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the catecholamines, dopamine and noradrenaline. The two methods were compared in terms of performance of separation. The amino acids can be separated in HPLC in less than 30 min and an identical separation is obtained in CE using MEKC and lithium salts with greater resolution (the number of theoretical plates was approximately 5000 for HPLC and 200 000 for MEKC). The lowest detected concentration was in the range of 0.1 nM for CE/LIF. The presence of a high salt concentration does not affect the separation of the samples. Examples of the analysis of microdialysate samples as well as amino acids in Ringer's solution are presented.     

毛细管电色谱-激光诱导荧光检测法分析食品中的生物胺

以4-氟-7-硝基-2,1,3-苯并氧杂恶二唑(NBD-F)为衍生化试剂,建立了食品中5种痕量生物胺(色胺、组胺、酪胺、亚精胺、精胺)的毛细管电色谱-激光诱导荧光检测(CEC-LIF)分析方法。采用50 mmol/L硼酸盐缓冲溶液(pH 8.0)作为衍生介质,在75℃条件下对生物胺进行衍生化反应25 min。生物胺衍生产物的最优色谱条件:固定相为C18毛细管电色谱柱,流动相为乙腈-乙酸铵(20 mmol/L,pH 8.0)(75∶25,v/v),辅助压力为6.9 MPa,分离电压为-8 kV,流速为0.03 mL/min。实验结果表明,生物胺的检出限(LOD,S/N=3)为0.1~1.0μg/L,加标回收率为78.3%~113.9%。该方法可成功用于加工和发酵食品中生物胺的测定,结果与传统HPLC法的检测结果无显著性差异,且检出限更低、分析速度更快,对于食品中痕量污染物的残留监测具有应用价值。     

In-capillary derivatization and analysis of amino acids,amino phosphonic acid-herbicides and biogenic amines by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

This paper describes a general approach for the in-capillary derivatization of amino compounds and the subsequent sensitive determination of the derivatives by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) or capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Amino acids, biogenic amines and amino phosphonic acid-herbicides were chosen as model analytes to evaluate the analytical potential of this approach. Fulfilment of the in-capillary reaction of the analytes using LIF detection hinged on the excellent labeling chemistry of 5-(4,6-dichloro-s-triazin-2-ylamino)fluorescein (DTAF) and the good resolution achieved in the separation of derivatized analytes. Careful optimization of the electrophoretic conditions in the mixing step of this protocol allowed the determination of amino acids, biogenic amines and phosphorus-containing amino acid-herbicides with concentration limits of detection at the nug/L level and relative standard deviations from 3.5 to 5.8%. The whole analysis is carried out within 20 min, resulting in a very simple, fast and practical approach for the fully automated analysis of amino acids and related compounds in low-volume and low-concentration samples.     

Determination of biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages by ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection and integrated pulsed amperometric detection

The determination of biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages is important to assess the potential risks associated with the consumption of high concentrations of these compounds. In addition, product storage conditions and the length of storage can cause the formation of biogenic amines that reduce product quality. We report a new method using cation-exchange chromatography with either suppressed conductivity, integrated pulsed amperometry, UV, or a combination of these detection techniques to determine biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages. The main objective was to provide a direct comparison between IPAD and suppressed conductivity detection for determining biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages. Suppressed conductivity is the simplest detection approach for determining putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, agmatine, phenylethylamine, spermidine, and spermine with good sensitivity (0.004-0.08 mg/l) and was used to evaluate the influence of storage time and conditions on the evolution of biogenic amines in alcoholic beverages. Integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IPAD) detects more biogenic amines than suppressed conductivity detection, enabling the detection of dopamine, tyramine, and serotonin. Tyramine was simultaneously determined by UV detection and IPAD to provide confirmation and ensure the accuracy of the analytical results. The linearity of biogenic amine responses was within 0.1-20 mg/l and peak area precisions were 0.24-4.97% for IPAD, suppressed conductivity-IPAD, and UV detection. The sensitivity for the 10 biogenic amines using the 3 detection techniques varied considerably from 0.004-1.1 mg/l and recoveries were within 85-122%.     

Capillary electrophoresis with a UV light-emitting diode source for chemical monitoring of native and derivatized fluorescent compounds

We report the utilization of a high power UV light-emitting diode for fluorescence detection (UV-LED-IF) in CE separations. CE-UV-LED-IF allows analysis of a range of environmentally and biologically important compounds, including PAHs and biogenic amines, including neurotransmitters, amino acids, proteins, and peptides, that have been derivatized with UV-excited fluorogenic labels, e.g., o-phthalic dicarboxaldehyde/beta-mercaptoethanol (OPA/beta-ME). The 365 nm UV-LED was used as a stable, low cost source for detection of UV-excited fluorescent compounds. UV-LED-IF was used with both zonal CE separations and MEKC. Native fluorescence detection of PAHs was accomplished with detection limits ranging from 10 nM to 1.3 microM. Detection limits for OPA/beta-ME-labeled glutamic acid and aspartic acid were 11 and 10 nM, respectively, for off-line labeling, and 47 and 47 nM, respectively, for on-line labeling, comparable to UV-laser-based systems. Analysis of OPA/beta-ME-labeled proteins and peptides was performed with 28 and 47 nM detection limits for BSA and myoglobin, respectively.     

Postcolumn reactor using a laser-drilled capillary for light-emitting diode-induced fluorescence detection in CE

This study investigated a novel postcolumn reactor for fluorescence detection in CE. A laser-drilled capillary, with an aperture made by laser ablation, was used for mixing derivatization reagents with the analytes separated by CZE. The derivatization reagents, o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA), and 2-mercaptoethanol, were introduced into the capillary through the aperture and reacted with the analytes after CZE separation. High voltages were applied to both the inlet reservoir and the reservoir filled with the derivatization reagents. Thus, the flow rate of the derivatization reagents was controlled by the electric potential that was applied to the reservoir of the derivatization reagents. A UV light-emitting diode was used as an excitation light source for the fluorescence detection of OPA derivatives. A commercially available tee connector was compared with the laser-drilled capillary. The results implied that the dead volume of the laser-drilled capillary was less than that of the tee connector, since the laser-drilled capillary suppressed band broadening more efficiently. The LODs for amino acids were determined to be approximately 5 microM. The method was applied to the determination of amino acids in a Japanese beverage.     

Direct separation and detection of biogenic amines by ion-pair liquid chromatography with chemiluminescent nitrogen detector

Analysis of biogenic amines is critical to pharmaceutical and food industry due to their biological importance. For many years, the determination of biogenic amines has relied on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupling with pre-, on-, or post-column derivatization procedures to enable UV or fluorescent detections. In this study, 14 biogenic amines were separated on a Phenomenex Luna Phenyl-Hexyl column by an ion-pair liquid chromatography method using perfluorocarboxylic acids as ion-pair reagents and detected by a chemiluminescent nitrogen detector (CLND). This direct separation and detection HPLC method eliminated the time consuming and cumbersome derivatization procedures. Compared with HPLC-UV (post-column derivatization with ninhydrin) and HPLC-charged aerosol detector (CAD) methods, this HPLC-CLND technique provided narrower peaks, better baselines, and improved separations and detections. Excellent linearity was acquired by CLND for each of the 14 biogenic amines ranging from less than 1 ng to about 1000 ng (on-column weights). The relative response factors determined by this LC-CLND method were proportional to the numbers of nitrogen atoms in each compound, which has been the characteristic of the equimolar determinations by CLND. In addition, a number of samples including beer, dairy beverage, herb tea, and vinegar were analyzed by the LC-CLND method with satisfactory precision and accuracy.     

Determination of biogenic amines in food samples using derivatization followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of selected biogenic amines in various fish and other food samples. It is based on a precolumn derivatization of the amines with succinimidylferrocenyl propionate under formation of the respective amides and their reversed-phase liquid-chromatographic separation with subsequent electrospray ionization mass-spectrometric detection. Deuterated putescine, cadaverine, and histamine are added prior to the derivatization as internal standards that are coeluted, thus allowing excellent reproducibility of the analysis to be achieved. Depending on the analyte, the limits of detection were between 1.2 and 19.0 mg/kg, covering between 2 and 3 decades of linearity. The limit of detection and the linear range for histamine are suitable for the surveillance of the only defined European threshold for biogenic amines in fish samples. Compared with the established ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA)/LC/fluorescence method, the newly developed method allows an unambiguous identification of the biogenic amines by their mass spectra in addition to only retention times, a fivefold acceleration of the separation, and independency from the sample matrix owing to the isotope-labeled internal standards. Various fish, calamari, and salami samples were successfully analyzed with the new method and validated with an independent OPA/LC/fluorescence method.     

Capillary electrophoretic and micellar electrokinetic separations of asymmetric dimethyl-L-arginine and structurally related amino acids: quantitation in human plasma

We report the development of efficient electrophoretic methods for the separation and quantification of L-arginine and six naturally occurring derivatives that are structurally and functionally related. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) employing a concentrated borate buffer at pH 9.4 achieves the separation of mixtures containing dimethyl-L-arginine, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, L-arginine, L-homoarginine, L-ornithine, and L-citrulline as 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzofurazan derivatives. In addition, the separation of the isomeric dimethyl-L-arginine derivatives (symmetric and asymmetric) is attained with baseline resolution by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) when a high concentration of deoxycholic acid is added as a surfactant to the same running buffer. The influence of buffer type, concentration, and pH on the separation was studied to optimize separation conditions. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for asymmetric dimethyl-L-arginine in aqueous solution was determined to be 20 microM using UV absorption in a CE separation and 0.1 microM using laser induced fluorescence (LIF) detection in an MEKC separation. This newly developed method was successfully applied for the quantitation of asymmetric dimethyl-L-arginine and L-arginine in human plasma samples at levels that might be used as a clinical diagnostic for cardiovascular disease (0.125 microM LOQ).     

Determination of biogenic amines in wines and beers by high performance liquid chromatography with pre-column dansylation and ultraviolet detection

Summary A sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of eleven biogenic amines, using 1,7-diaminoheptane as internal standard, has been developed. The method involves pre-column derivatization of the amines with dansyl chloride and subsequent solid phase extraction of the derivatives through C18 cartridges. The derivatization and solid phase extraction procedures were optimized. The separation of dansylamides was achieved on an Inertsil ODS-3 column (250×4 mm I.D. 5 μm) using a 35-min gradient elution method with a binary system of acetonitrile-water, a flow rate of 1 mL.min¹ with UV detection at 254 nm. Linearity of derivatization was obtained for concentrations ranging from 0.025 to 3.0 mg.L¹. The within- and between-day relative standard deviations ranged from 0.4 to 5.7% and 0.6 to 7.3% respectively. The overall process was successfully applied to identify and quantify biogenic amines in white, red and Retsina Greek wines and Greek beers, after their treatment with polyvinylpyrrolidone.     

Sensitive determination of biogenic amines by capillary electrophoresis with a new fluorogenic reagent 3-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde

An effective approach was proposed to the derivatization of seven biogenic amines using 3-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde (FBQCA) as a fluorogenic reagent. The sensitive determinations of these derivatives were achieved by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. The derivatization and electrophoretic conditions have been optimized. A running buffer was composed of mixtures of 25 mM pH 9.5 boric acid, 25 mM SDS, and 27% ACN. At 25 °C and 22.5 kV, the baseline separation of the derivatives was accomplished in 13 min. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was found as low as 0.4 nM. The proposed method was validated by the linearity of two orders magnitude and correlation coefficient in the range 0.9969–0.9998. Also, the procedure was successfully applied to the determination of biogenic amines in soy sauce, fish and wine samples.     

Analytical potential of 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2'-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein for the determination of amino compounds by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

The analytical potential of a fluorescein analogue, 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2'-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein (SAMF), for the first time synthesized in our laboratory, as a labeling reagent for the labeling and determination of amino compounds by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was investigated. Biogenic monoamines and amino acids were chosen as model analytes to evaluate the analytical possibilities of this approach. The derivatization conditions and separation parameters for the biogenic amines were optimized in detail. The derivatization was performed at 30 degrees C for 6 min in boric acid buffer (pH 8.0). The derivatives were baseline-separated in 15 min with 25 mM boric acid running buffer (pH 9.0), containing 24 mM SDS and 12.5% v/v acetonitrile. The concentration detection limit for biogenic amines reaches 8 x 10(-11) mol.L(-1) (signal-to-noise ratio = 3). The application of CE in the analysis of the SAMF-derivatized amino acids was also exploited. The optimal running buffer for amino acids suggested that weak acidic background electrolyte offered better separation than the basic one. The proposed method was applied to the determination of biogenic amines in three different beer samples with satisfying recoveries varying from 92.8% to 104.8%. Finally, comparison of several fluorescein-based probes for amino compounds was discussed. With good labeling reaction, excellent photostability, pH-independent fluorescence (pH 4-9), and the resultant widely suited running buffer pH, SAMF has a great prospect in the determination of amino compounds in CE.     

Improvement of extraction procedure for biogenic amines in foods and their high-performance liquid chromatographic determination.

A high-performance liquid chromatography method is described for the simultaneous determination of the biogenic amines tryptamine, 2-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine in cheese. The optimization of the procedure for the extraction of amines from the matrix is described. The separation of dansyl derivatives of the amines was achieved by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with gradient elution, followed by UV detection at 254 nm. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 7)-water. Under these conditions, rapid elution of the amines in less than 13 min was obtained. Validation of the method included calibration experiments, addition of standard amines for the determination of amine recoveries and repeatability tests.     

Integrated on-chip derivatization and electrophoresis for the rapid analysis of biogenic amines

We demonstrate the monolithic integration of a chemical reactor with a capillary electrophoresis device for the rapid and sensitive analysis of biogenic amines. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) is widely employed for the analysis of amino-group containing analytes. However, the slow reaction kinetics hinders the use of this dye for on-chip labeling applications. Other alternatives are available such as o-phthaldehyde (OPA), however, the inferior photophysical properties and the UV lambdamax present difficulties when using common excitation sources leading to a disparity in sensitivity. Consequently, we present for the first time the use of dichlorotriazine fluorescein (DTAF) as a superior in situ derivatizing agent for biogenic amines in microfluidic devices. The developed microdevice employs both hydrodynamic and electroosmotic flow, facilitating the creation of a polymeric microchip to perform both precolumn derivatization and electrophoretic analysis. The favorable photophysical properties of the DTAF and its fast reaction kinetics provide detection limits down to 1 nM and total analysis times (including on-chip mixing and reaction) of <60 s. The detection limits are two orders of magnitude lower than current limits obtained with both FITC and OPA. The optimized microdevice is also employed to probe biogenic amines in real samples.     

Separation and detection of angiotensin peptides by Cu(II) complexation and capillary electrophoresis with UV and electrochemical detection

The use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) with on-capillary Cu(II) complexation for the determination of angiotensin and its metabolites is described. The resulting copper-peptide complexes can be detected using either UV or electrochemical (EC) detection. Optimal reaction and separation conditions for the angiotensin peptides were first determined using CE with UV detection. With UV detection, the limit of detection (signal-to noise ratio S/N = 3) for native angiotensin II was 18 microM, while the limit of detection (LOD) obtained for the copper-angiotensin II complex is 2 microM. CE with EC detection was then evaluated, yielding significantly lower LODs--2 microM for native angiotensin II and 200 nM for the copper-angiotensin II complex. The addition of copper to the run buffer improved the separation and sensitivity for both CE-UV and CE-EC detection. The method was demonstrated by monitoring the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II in plasma via angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and subsequent inhibition of ACE by captopril.     

Separation of biogenic amines by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with on-line chemiluminescence detection

A method of on-line chemiluminescence detection with capillary electrophoresis for biogenic amines (diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine and diaminohexane) labeled with N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol is reported for the first time. Two separation modes, capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), were studied. The results show that excellent resolution was achieved in MEKC. Parameters affecting separation process and chemiluminescence detection have been examined in detail. Under the optimum conditions, the baseline separation of four amines was obtained within 7.5 min. The detection limits (S/N=3) of diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine and diaminohexane are 3.5 x 10(-8), 3.5 x 10(-8), 3.9 x 10(-8) and 1.2 x 10(-7) M, respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of biogenic amines in lake water.     

Analysis of biologically active amines by CE

This paper provides an overview on the current status of the analysis of biogenic amines by CE. The basic CE separation and detection strategies for the analysis of biogenic amines are briefly described. CZE and MEKC that provide highly efficient and reproducible analysis of biogenic amines are particularly surveyed. With respect to the detection of biogenic amines, we focus on LIF, UV-visible absorption, electrochemiluminescence, and MS. Derivatization strategies, indirect methods, and on-line concentration techniques such as field-amplified sample stacking, sweeping, and use of polymer solution are described. To show the practicality of CE, we highlight currently developed techniques for the determinations of biogenic amines in biological samples, including foods, beverages, cerebrospinal fluids, urine, and single cells.     

Simultaneous analysis of free amino acids and biogenic amines in honey and wine samples using in loop orthophthalaldeyde derivatization procedure

This work presents a RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous quantification of free amino acids and biogenic amines in liquid food matrices and the results of the application to honey and wine samples obtained from different production processes and geographic origins. The developed methodology is based on a pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde carried out in the sample injection loop. The compounds were separated in a Nova-Pack RP-C(18) column (150 mm x 3.9 mm, 4 microm) at 35 degrees C. The mobile phase used was a mixture of phase A: 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.3), methanol and tetrahydrofuran (91:8:1); and phase B: methanol and phosphate buffer (80:20), with a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. Fluorescence detection was used at an excitation wavelength of 335 nm and an emission wavelength of 440 nm. The separation and quantification of 19 amino acids and 6 amines was carried out in a single run as their OPA/MCE derivatives elute within 80 min, ensuring a reproducible quantification. The method showed to be adequate for the purpose, with an average RSD of 2% for the different amino acids; detection limits varying between 0.71 mg/l (Asn) and 8.26 mg/l (Lys) and recovery rates between 63.0% (Cad) and 98.0% (Asp). The amino acids present at the highest concentration in honey and wine samples were phenylalanine and arginine, respectively. Only residual levels of biogenic amines were detected in the analysed samples.     

Determination of biogenic amines in HeLa cell lysate by 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2'-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection

An MEKC-LIF method using 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2'-methoxy-carbonyl) fluorescein (SAMF) newly synthesized in our lab as a labeling reagent for the separation and determination of eight typical biogenic amines was proposed. After careful study of the derivatization condition such as pH value, reagent concentration, temperature, and reaction time, derivatization reaction was accomplished as quickly as 10 min with stable yield. Optimal separation of SAMF-labeled amines was achieved with a running buffer (pH 9.3) containing 30 mM boric acid, 25 mM SDS, and 20% v/v ACN. The proposed method allowed biogenic amines to be determined with LODs as low as 0.25-2.5 nmol/L and RSD values from 0.4 to 4.5%. The present method has been successfully used to monitor biogenic amines in HeLa cells and fish samples. This study exploits the potential of MEKC-LIF with SAMF labeling as a tool for monitoring biogenic amines involved in complex physiological and behavioral processes in various matrices.