Study of 19th century inks from archives in the Palazzo Ducale (Venice, Italy) using various analytical techniques

Inks and paper are the main materials and components of library and archive collections. Since the Third century B.C. there has been a continual succession of ink recipes from all over the world, with varying levels of documentation of the recipes used; however, it was only in the 19th century that Europe became the main producer and industrial leader in the discovery of new products. The aim of this study is to find out more about this last historical period, when new inks were created that had never been known or used in the past. In this study we chose four inks: they belong to documents preserved in the archive of the Superintendence Beni architettonici per il paesaggio e per il patrimonio storico artistico ed etnoantropologico (BAPPDAD) of Venice Lagoon, held in the Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace) of Venice.Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS) and pyrolysis coupled to a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric detector (Py–GC–MS) allowed us to obtain a qualitative characterization of organic and inorganic elements in three different ink typologies.     

Development of a dedicated peptide tandem mass spectral library for conservation science

In recent years, the use of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) on tryptic digests of cultural heritage objects has attracted much attention. It allows for unambiguous identification of peptides and proteins, and even in complex mixtures species-specific identification becomes feasible with minimal sample consumption. Determination of the peptides is commonly based on theoretical cleavage of known protein sequences and on comparison of the expected peptide fragments with those found in the MS/MS spectra. In this approach, complex computer programs, such as Mascot, perform well identifying known proteins, but fail when protein sequences are unknown or incomplete. Often, when trying to distinguish evolutionarily well preserved collagens of different species, Mascot lacks the required specificity. Complementary and often more accurate information on the proteins can be obtained using a reference library of MS/MS spectra of species-specific peptides. Therefore, a library dedicated to various sources of proteins in works of art was set up, with an initial focus on collagen rich materials. This paper discusses the construction and the advantages of this spectral library for conservation science, and its application on a number of samples from historical works of art.     

Effect of Selected Microorganisms on Fusarium Toxins Production

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of selected microorganisms on mycotoxins production by molds of the genus Fusarium, namely HT-2 and T-2 toxins. Appropriate nutritive media were inoculated with test microorganisms (Rhodotorula spp., Leuconostoc spp., Pantoea agglomerans), subsequently inoculated with Fusarium molds, then incubated under various conditions. Content of Fusarium mycotoxins in individual samples was determined using HPLC/MS/MS. Separation of mycotoxins was performed on a C₁₈ stationary phase column using gradient elution. Total analysis time was less than 20 minutes. In examining the effect of accompanying microflora on the production of HT-2 and T-2 toxins, a decrease in production of both mycotoxins was observed under various experimental conditions. Greatest inhibitory effect was observed in the presence of Pantoea agglomerans CCM 298 bacteria. It was found that the amount of HT-2 and T-2 toxins produced by the examined mold strains also depends on cultivation conditions and the nutritive medium used.     

Methyl benzoate as a marker for the detection of mold in indoor building materials

A convenient analytical method to quantify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from various building materials has not been addressed yet. This work presents a new and rapid automated method using SPME combined with GC/MS. Methyl benzoate - as a metabolic biomarker for mold growth-was used to indicate VOCs and to determine and assess mold growth on damp samples. Gypsum board and wall-board paper were used as examples of common indoor building materials. Optimized extraction conditions were carried out manually, using a GC/flame ionization detector. Moldy samples were analyzed using an automated SPME-GC/MS analysis under optimized conditions. The amount of methyl benzoate emitted from the studied samples ranged from 32 to 46 ppb, where the density of the fungal biomass was found to be 8 x 10(4) cells/mL. A relationship between the amount of fungal biomass and the emitted concentration of methyl benzoate was found and assessed based upon cultured mold samples taken from indoor building sites. The analytical method shows promise for the compound methyl benzoate, which can easily be identified at low detection limits (LOD = 3 ppb) and good linearity (>0.988), and its extraction and detection can be accomplished cleanly by current extraction techniques. Results suggest that this method with easy sample preparation can be used for quantitation and, of importance, minimal matrix effects are observed.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids for the entire process quality control from Senecio scandens to Senecio scandens‐containing preparations by high performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

Senecio scandens as a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine that is used alone or in combination with other herbs in preparations such as QianBai BiYan tablets has attracted much attention because of its hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Nowadays, most studies for pyrrolizidine alkaloids are only performed on herbs or a preparation, however, production of preparations is a dynamic process, control of toxic impurities for raw materials, or finished products cannot monitor the production process dynamically. Thus, in this study, qualitative and quantitative analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids for the entire process quality control from S. scandens to its preparations was carried out with HPLC‐MS/MS for the first time, which was more comprehensive and dynamic than the previous single‐layer analysis. First, the species of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in S. scandens were analyzed, and the characteristic fragmentation rules of pyrrolizidine alkaloids containing common parent nucleus were found, which can be used to identify these components rapidly in the future. Then, a quantitative method for S. scandens to QianBai BiYan tablets and other nine S. scandens‐containing preparations was established, and after the medication safety speculation, all of them met the relevant safety requirements. After that, in order to ensure the stability and controllable of drug quality, the limit of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in preparations was determined according to the safe dosage that is stipulated to be the same as raw materials. Finally, the factors causing the content change of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in S. scandens from different source were studies, which can provide theoretical basis for selecting suitable raw materials for production.     

Analysis of polyamines as carbamoyl derivatives in urine and serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A quantitative analysis of polyamines in urine and serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is described. The polyamines were carbamylated with isobutyl chloroformate, extracted with diethyl ether under pH 9.0, and analyzed by LC-MS/MS with single reaction monitoring mode. The limit of quantification was 1 ng/mL based on a signal-to-noise ratio>3, and the correlation coefficient (r2) for the calibration curves was >0.99 for both urine and serum samples. The present method was applied to urine and serum samples from 30 breast cancer patients and 30 normal female controls. There was no significant difference in the urinary polyamine levels between breast cancer patients and controls. However, 1,3-diaminopropane, putrescine, spermine and N-acetylspermidine levels in serum increased in breast cancer patients. These four serum polyamines may be a good index to study both production and metabolism of polyamines, and a useful tool in assessment of the polyamine status of breast cancer patients.     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定牛奶中糠氨酸

采用超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法建立了检测牛奶中糠氨酸含量的分析方法。试样经10.6 mol/L盐酸水解,纯水稀释后,糠氨酸在C18色谱柱上以0.1%甲酸水溶液和乙腈为流动相,进行液相色谱分离;质谱检测采用电喷雾正离子化模式和多反应监测模式(MRM)。结果表明,糠氨酸在0.01~0.5 mg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数(R2)为0.9996,定量限(LOQ)为0.5 mg/100 g蛋白。在生牛乳空白样品中添加浓度为10,100,300 mg/100 g蛋白时,糠氨酸的平均回收率为93.1%~95.7%,相对标准偏差(RSDs)为1.2%~1.7%(n=6)。     

气相色谱法测邻氰基苄基氯

采用GC／MS法检测出邻氰堪苄基氯中的杂质组分，并使用萘做内标物进行气相色谱法对邻氰堪苄基氯的定量检测。     

Thermal Characterization of Materials Using Evolved Gas Analysis

Thermal analysis combined with evolved gas analysis has been used for some time. Thermogravimetry (TG) coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy(TG/FTIR), Thermogravimetry (TG) coupled with mass spectrometry (TG/MS), and Thermogravimetry (TG) coupled with GC/MS offers structural identification of compounds evolving during thermal processes. These evolved gas analysis (EGA) techniques allow to evaluate the chemical pathway of the degradation reaction by determining the decomposition products. In this paper the TG/FTIR, TG/MS, and Pyrolysis/GC-MS systems will be described and their applications in the study of several materials will be discussed, including the analysis of the degradation mechanisms of organically modified clays, polymers, and coal blends. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of the furaltadone metabolite 5-methylmorpholino-3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ) using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry during the nitrofuran crisis in Portugal

The use of nitrofuran veterinary drugs as antibacterial compounds in food-producing animals has been banned in the EU since 1995. As nitrofurans are extensive and rapidly metabolized, control of their illegal use in animal production must be done in edible tissues by LC-MS/MS analysis in order to determine persistent tissue-bound metabolites. The introduction during 2002 of the multi-residue detection of nitrofuran tissue-bound metabolites by LC-MS/MS for nitrofuran control in Portuguese Residues Monitoring Plan, revealed the presence of 5-morpholinomethyl-3-amino-2-oxozolidinone (AMOZ), the bound residue of furaltadone, in a large number of samples, namely in meat poultry samples. From the 226 analysed samples in the last 4 months of 2002, 78 were non-compliant due to the presence of AMOZ (61 broilers, 11 turkeys, 5 quails and 1 pig). In this context, the aim of this paper is to describe the analytical data obtained on meat samples collected from various animal species under official Portuguese control for nitrofuran drug residues during the so-called “Portuguese nitrofuran crisis”. Presented at the AOAC Europe Workshop, November 2006, Limassol, Cyprus.     

固相微萃取-气相色谱/质谱法测定果汁及茶饮料中的10种光引发剂

建立了用固相微萃取结合气相色谱/质谱（GC/MS）检测13种果汁饮料和3种茶饮料中10种光引发剂的方法。通过正交试验筛选对萃取过程影响较大的因素,再通过单因素试验进一步优化,确定最佳的操作条件。样品经萃取后,在GC/MS进样口解吸3 min,经HP-5MS色谱柱分离,以选择离子方式监测,外标法定量。为消除基质的干扰,以样品基质加标做工作曲线,线性范围为0.3~60 μg/L,检出限为3~16 ng/L。分别对4个不同加标水平的样品平行测定5次,相对标准偏差均小于14.5%。对不同品牌、不同种类的16种盒装饮料进行了测定,所有样品中全部检出二苯甲酮,部分样品中检出对二甲氨基苯甲酸异辛酯、2-异丙基硫杂蒽酮、4-甲基二苯甲酮、1-羟基环己基苯基甲酮、2-氯噻吨酮。该方法操作简单、灵敏度高、无污染,可对10种光引发剂同时测定。该研究结果为从包装材料迁移至饮料中的光引发剂的测定提供了参考。     

Comparison of Different Cartridges of Solid Phase Extraction for Determination of Polyphenols in Tobacco by UPLC/MS/MS and Multivariate Analysis

The comparison of solid phase extraction(SPE) for the preconcentration and isolation of polyphenols in tobacco samples was carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) and multivariate analysis.Several adsorbing materials of SPE(C18,NH2,SAX and OASIS) were investigated.It was found that the C18 and OASIS cartridges can not only speed up the purification process,but also simplify the SPE operation.A UPLC/MS/MS was used for the determination of polyphenols ...     

Letters from China: A History of the Origins of the Chemical Analysis of Ceramics

This paper is an attempt to document the early history of the quantitative chemical analysis of ceramic materials in Europe, with a specific interest in the analysis of archaeological ceramics. This inevitably leads to a study of the attempts made in Europe to imitate the miraculous material—porcelain—imported from China from the fourteenth century onwards. It is clear that before the end of the eighteenth century progress was made in this endeavour by systematic but essentially trial-and-error firing of various raw materials, culminating in the successful production of European porcelain by Böttger and von Tschirnhaus in 1709. Shortly after this, letters describing the Chinese manufacture of porcelain, and, more importantly, samples of raw and fired material, began to arrive in Europe from French Jesuit missionaries, which were subjected to intense study. Following the perfection of gravimetric methods of chemical analysis in the late eighteenth century, these Chinese samples, and samples of porcelain from various European factories, were regularly analysed, particularly by Brongniart at Sèvres. Similar work was carried out on English porcelain by Simeon Shaw and Sir Arthur Church. The origins of the chemical analysis of archaeological ceramics are still somewhat obscure, but must date to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries, by the likes of Vauquelin and Chaptal.     

Novel and sensitive UPLC–MS/MS method for quantification of sofosbuvir in human plasma: application to a bioequivalence study

A novel and sensitive LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for determination of sofosbuvir (SF) using eplerenone as an internal standard. The Xevo TQD LC–MS/MS was operated under the multiple‐reaction monitoring mode using electrospray ionization. Extraction with tert‐butyl methyl ether was used in sample preparation. The prepared samples were chromatographed on Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) column by pumping 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile in an isocratic mode at a flow rate of 0.35 mL/min. Method validation was performed as per the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines and the standard curves were found to be linear in the range of 0.25–3500 ng/mL for SF. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision and accuracy results were within the acceptable limits. A very short run time of 1 min made it possible to analyze more than 500 human plasma samples per day. A very low quantification limit of SF allowed the applicability of the developed method for determination of SF in a bioequivalence study in human volunteers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

粮食中磺酰脲类除草剂的UPLC/MS/MS测定方法

建立了多类粮食作物中15种磺酰脲类除草剂的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱联用仪(UPLC/MS/MS)多离子监测(MRM)的多残留检测方法。样品经乙腈提取,乙腈饱和的正己烷液-液分配,石墨化碳氨基小柱净化,采用UPLC-MS/MS(ESI+)测定。方法中各种磺酰脲类除草剂在5～200μg/L浓度范围内线性良好,相关系数在0.9995～0.9999。在5～100μg/kg范围内,平均加标回收率在71.6%～115.3%之间,相对标准偏差不大于15%。各种药物的定量限(S/N≥10)均可达到5μg/kg。该方法可同时满足大豆、大米、玉米等多种粮食中磺酰脲类除草剂的检测需求。     

A novel LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of tenofovir and lamivudine in human plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

A new, rapid, sensitive and specific LC‐MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of tenofovir and lamivudine in human plasma using abacavir as an internal standard. An API‐4000 LC‐MS/MS with electrospray ionization was operated in multiple‐reaction monitoring mode for the analysis. The analytes were extracted from plasma by solid‐phase extraction technique using an Oasis HLB cartridge. The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a Chromolith ROD speed C₁₈ column using a mixture of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile (90:10 v/v) at a flow‐rate of 1 mL/min. The method was validated as per the FDA guidelines. The calibration curves were found to be linear in the range of 5–600 ng/mL for tenofovir and 25– 4000 ng/mL for lamivudine. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision and accuracy results were well within the acceptable limits. A run time of 2.8 min consumed for each sample made it possible to analyze more samples per day. The proposed assay method was found to be applicable to a pharmacokinetic study in human male volunteers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simultaneous determination method for 5‐fluorouracil and its metabolites in human plasma with linear range adjusted by in‐source collision‐induced dissociation using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry

We applied a new technique for quantitative linear range shift using in‐source collision‐induced dissociation (CID) to complex biological fluids to demonstrate its utility. The technique was used in a simultaneous quantitative determination method of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), an anticancer drug for various solid tumors, and its metabolites in human plasma by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS). To control adverse effects after administration of 5‐FU, it is important to monitor the plasma concentration of 5‐FU and its metabolites; however, no simultaneous determination method has yet been reported because of vastly different physical and chemical properties of compounds. We developed a new analytical method for simultaneously determining 5‐FU and its metabolites in human plasma by LC/ESI‐MS/MS coupled with the technique for quantitative linear range shift using in‐source CID. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography using a stationary phase with zwitterionic functional groups, phosphorylcholine, was suitable for separation of 5‐FU from its nucleoside and interfering endogenous materials. The addition of glycerin into acetonitrile‐rich eluent after LC separation improved the ESI‐MS response of high polar analytes. Based on the validation results, linear range shifts by in‐source CID is the reliable technique even with complex biological samples such as plasma. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Nanoscale proteomics

Efforts to develop a liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS) technology for ultra-sensitive proteomics studies (i.e., nanoscale proteomics) are described. The approach combines high-efficiency nanoscale LC (separation peak capacity of 10³; 15-m-i.d. packed capillaries with flow rates of 20 nL min^–1, the optimal separation linear velocity) with advanced MS, including high-sensitivity and high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS, to perform both single-stage MS and tandem MS (MS/MS) proteomic analyses. The technology enables broad protein identification from nanogram-size proteomics samples and allows the characterization of more abundant proteins from sub-picogram-size samples. Protein identification in such studies using MS is demonstrated from <75 zeptomole of a protein. The average proteome measurement throughput is ~50 proteins h^–1 using MS/MS during separations, presently requiring approximately 3 h sample^–1. Greater throughput (~300 proteins h^–1) and improved detection limits providing more comprehensive proteome coverage can be obtained by using the accurate mass and time tag approach developed in our laboratory. This approach provides a dynamic range of at least 10⁶ for protein relative abundances and an improved basis for quantitation. These capabilities lay the foundation for studies from single or limited numbers of cells.     

LC/MS/MS for identification of in vivo and in vitro metabolites of jatrorrhizine

The in vivo and in vitro metabolism of jatrorrhizine has been investigated using a specific and sensitive LC/MS/MS method. In vivo samples including rat feces, urine and plasma collected separately after dosing healthy rats with jatrorrhizine (34 mg/kg) orally, along with in vitro samples prepared by incubating jatrorrhizine with rat intestinal flora and liver microsome, respectively, were purified using a C(18) solid-phase extraction cartridge. The purified samples were then separated with a reversed-phase C(18) column with methanol-formic acid aqueous solution (70:30, v/v, pH3.5) as mobile phase and detected by on-line MS/MS. The structural elucidation of the metabolites was performed by comparing their molecular weights and product ions with those of the parent drug. As a result, seven new metabolites were found in rat urine, 13 metabolites were detected in rat feces, 11 metabolites were detected in rat plasma, 17 metabolites were identified in intestinal flora incubation solution and nine metabolites were detected in liver microsome incubation solution. The main biotransformation reactions of jatrorrhizine were the hydroxylation reaction, the methylation reaction, the demethylation reaction and the dehydrogenation reaction of parent drug and its relative metabolites. All the results were reported for the first time, except for some of the metabolites in rat urine.     

An analytical approach for on-site analysis of breath samples for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Increased acceptance of cannabis containing the psychoactive component, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), raises concerns about the potential for impaired drivers and increased highway accidents. In contrast to the “breathalyzer” test, which is generally accepted for determining the alcohol level in a driver, there is no currently accepted roadside test for THC in a motorist. There is a need for an easily collectible biological sample from a potentially impaired driver coupled with an accurate on-site test to measure the presence and quantity of THC in a driver. A novel breath collection device is described, which includes three separate sample collectors for collecting identical A, B, and C breath samples from a subject. A simple one-step ethanol extraction of the “A” breath collector sample can be analyzed by UHPLC/selected ion monitoring (SIM) liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) to provide qualitative and quantitative determination of THC in breath sample in less than 4 min for samples collected up to 6 h after smoking a cannabis cigarette. SIM LC/MS bioanalyses employed d3-THC as the stable isotope internal standard fortified in negative control breath samples for quantitation including replicates of six calibrator standards and three quality control (QC) samples. Subsequent confirmation of the same breath sample in the B collectors was then confirmed by a reference lab by LC/MS/MS analysis. Fit-for-purpose bioanalytical validation consistent with pharmaceutical regulated bioanalyses produced pharmacokinetic (PK) curves for the two volunteer cannabis smokers. These results produced PK curves, which showed a rapid increase of THC in the breath of the subjects in the first hour followed by reduced THC levels in the later time points. A simpler single-point calibration curve procedure with calibrators and QC prepared in ethanol provided similar results. Limitations to this approach include the higher cost and operator skill sets for the instrumentation employed and the inability to actually determine driver impairment.