Determination of migrated phthalic acid residues into edible oils using a green mode of air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector

In this study, for the first time, an organic solvent-free air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction method has been reported for the extraction and preconcentration of phthalic acids (o-phthalic acid, m-phthalic acid, and p-phthalic acid) from edible oil samples. The method is based on the repeated aspirating/injection of an alkaline aqueous solution and the oil sample mixture in a conical bottom centrifuge tube to form a cloudy solution. After phase separation by centrifuging, the sedimented phase is directly analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method showed low limits of detection and quantification between 0.11–0.29 and 0.28–0.91 ng mL^?1, respectively. Extraction recoveries and enrichment factors were from 81 to 97% and 406 to 489, respectively. The relative standard deviations for the analysis of 5 ng mL^?1 of each analyte were less than 5.9% for intraday (n = 6) and interday (n = 5) precisions. Finally, different oil samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and m-phthalic acid, and p-phthalic acid were determined in some of them at ng mL^?1 level.     

Surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction combined with magnetic solid-phase extraction for analysis of polyphenols in tobacco samples

A novel and simple two-step micro-extraction technique combining surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction and magnetic solid-phase extraction prior to high-performance liquid chromatography was established for analysis of polyphenols including chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and scopoletin in tobacco samples. In the developed system, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by a one-step chemical co-precipitation method and used to remove hydrophobic substances in tobacco samples by physical adsorption. Low-density solvent (1-heptanol) and cationic surfactant cethyltrimethyl ammonium bromide were employed as extraction solvent and disperser agent, respectively. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a good linearity of the method was obtained over the concentration range from 0.1 to 1000 ng mL^?1 for target analytes. The limits of detection (S/N?=?3) were 0.05 ng mL^?1 for CGA, 0.10 ng mL^?1 for CFA, and 0.12 ng mL^?1 for SP, respectively. Finally, the applicability of the developed method was evaluated by extraction and determination of these three phenolic compounds in tobacco samples and satisfactory average recoveries of spiked samples were between 96.6 and 102.7%.     

Simultaneous Determination of Paracetamol and Caffeine in Human Plasma by LC–ESI–MS

A rapid, selective and convenient liquid chromatography–mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous determination of paracetamol and caffeine in human plasma was developed and validated. Analytes and theophylline [internal standard (I.S.)] were extracted from plasma samples with diethyl ether-dichloromethane (3:2, v/v) and separated on a C₁₈ column (150 × 4.6 mm ID, 5 μm particle size, 100 Å pore size). The mobile phase consisted of 0.2% formic acid–methanol (60:40, v/v). The assay was linear in the concentration range between 0.05 and 25 μg mL^?1 for paracetamol and 10–5,000 ng mL^?1 for caffeine, with the lower limit of quantification of 0.05 μg mL^?1 and 10 ng mL^?1, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision for both drugs was less than 8.1%, and the accuracy was within ±6.5%. The single chromatographic analysis of plasma samples was achieved within 4.5 min. This validated method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of paracetamol and caffeine in human plasma.     

Diphenyl diselenide grafted onto a Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>-chitosan composite as a new nanosorbent for separation of metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive magnetic micro solid-phase extraction

Diphenyl diselenide was immobilized on chitosan loaded with magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles to give an efficient and cost-effective nanosorbent for the preconcentration of Pb(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions by using effervescent salt-assisted dispersive magnetic micro solid-phase extraction (EA-DM-μSPE). The metal ions were desorbed from the sorbent with 3M nitric acid and then quantified via microflame AAS. The main parameters affecting the extraction were optimized using a one-at-a-time method. Under optimum condition, the limits of detection, linear dynamic ranges, and relative standard deviations (for n?=?3) are as following: Pb(II): 2.0 ng·mL^?1; 6.3–900 ng·mL^?1; 1.5%. Cd(II): 0.15 ng·mL^?1; 0.7–85 ng·mL^?1, 3.2%; Ni(II): 1.6 ng·mL^?1,.6.0–600. ng·mL^?1, 4.1%; Cu(II): 1.2 ng·mL^?1, 3.0–300 ng·mL^?1, 2.2%. The nanosorbent can be reused at least 4 times.

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Graphical abstract Fe₃O₄-chitosan composite was modified with diphenyl diselenide as a sorbent for separation of metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive magnetic micro solid-phase extraction.

     

LC–MS/MS Determination of Antihypertension Drugs in Rat Plasma and Urine: Applications to Pharmacokinetics

A sensitive, rapid and reproducible LC–MS/MS method for the determination of olmesartan (OLM), amlodipine (ALM) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCZ) in rat plasma and urine has been developed and validated. Irbesartan (IRB) was used as an internal standard. The analytes were separated on a Waters XTerra-C₁₈ column using gradient elution with acetonitrile and 10 mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH 3.5, adjusted with acetic acid) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. The three analytes were ionized by positive ion electrospray using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to monitor precursor?→?product ion transitions m/z 447.31?→?234.97 for OLM, 408.87?→?238.18 for AML and 290.1?→?204.85 for HCZ. The specificity, matrix effect, recovery, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and stabilities were all validated over the concentration range 0.4–100 ng mL^?1 for AML, 0.2–100 ng mL^?1 for OLM, 0.1–100 ng mL^?1 for HCZ. The mean concentrations (C_max) are 10.32, 587, and 3.4 for OLM, ALM, and HCZ, respectively, by the oral administration of 15 mg kg^?1 of each analyte.     

Dissolved carbon dioxide flotation-assisted in-syringe dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with microsampling flame atomic absorption spectrometry for selective determination of palladium in water samples

Dissolved carbon dioxide flotation-assisted in-syringe dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DCF-IS-DLLME) followed by microsampling flame atomic absorption spectrometry was developed as a simple, inexpensive and fast method for extraction and determination of Pd(II). In the proposed approach, N,N′-bis (naphthylideneimino) diethylenetriamine (NAPdien) was utilized as a selective complexing reagent for Pd(II) ion. Several influential factors on the extraction efficiency including types and volumes of extraction and disperser solvents, pH of the sample solution, concentration of NAPdien and interfering ions were studied. By applying the optimal conditions, a preconcentration factor of 28.7 and limit of detection of 2.5 ng mL^?1 were provided by the proposed method. Linearity was in the range of 10–400 ng mL^?1 with a correlation coefficient (R ²) of 0.9968. Intra-day RSD% values for five repetitive measurements of the spiked solutions at the concentrations of 20 and 100 ng mL^?1 were 5.2 and 2.4%, respectively, whereas it was obtained within the range of 3.6–18.6% for the real samples. Inter-day RSD% values of the spiked solutions were found to be 9.6 and 8.7%, respectively. The results demonstrated that except for Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, no remarkable interfering effect was created by the other studied ions for determination of Pd(II) so that the tolerance limits (W _Ion/W _Pd(II)) of the major cations and anions were in the range of 1000–10,000. Finally, DCF-IS-DLLME was successfully applied for determination of Pd(II) in different water samples and the obtained relative recoveries in the range of 94.5–105% illustrated favorable accuracies for the proposed method.     

Synthesis,antifungal and insecticidal activity of novel [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>]pyridine derivatives containing a sulfide substructure

A series of [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine derivatives bearing a sulfide substructure was designed, synthesized and characterized via ¹H·NMR, ¹³C·NMR, IR and elemental analyses. Bioassay Results indicated some of the derivatives displayed good fungicidal activity on Rhizoctonia cerealis, moderated insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella and good insecticidal activity on Helicoverpa armigera. The inhibitory effects of compounds 4g and 4u against Rhizotonia cerealis were 70.9% at 50 μg mL^?1; the IC₅₀ values of compounds 4d and 4s against Plutella xylostella were 43.87 and 50.75 μg mL^?1, respectively. And the IC₅₀ values of compounds 4d, 4q, and 4s on Helicoverpa armigera were 58.3, 77.14 and 65.31 μg mL^?1, respectively, which were better than that of commercial chlorpyrifos (103.77 μg mL^?1).     

Heterologous Expression of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactococcus lactis</Emphasis> for Acetaldehyde Detoxification at Low pH

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.2.1.x) can catalyze detoxification of acetaldehydes. A novel acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (istALDH) from the non-Saccharomyces yeast Issatchenkia terricola strain XJ-2 has been previously characterized. In this work, Lactococcus lactis with the NIsin Controlled Expression (NICE) System was applied to express the aldehyde dehydrogenase gene (istALDH) in order to catalyze oxidation of acetaldehyde at low pH. A recombinant L. lactis NZ3900 was obtained and applied for the detoxification of acetaldehyde as whole-cell biocatalysts. The activity of IstALDH in L. lactis NZ3900 (pNZ8148-istALDH) reached 36.4 U mL^?1 when the recombinant cells were induced with 50 ng mL^?1 nisin at 20 °C for 2 h. The IstALDH activity of recombinant L. lactis cells showed higher stability at 37 °C and pH 4.0 compared with the crude enzyme. L. lactis NZ3900 (pNZ8148-istALDH) could convert acetaldehyde at pH 2.0 while the crude enzyme could not. Moreover, the resting cells of L. lactis NZ3900 (pNZ8148-istALDH) showed a 2.5-fold higher activity and better stability in catalyzing oxidation of acetaldehyde at pH 2.0 compared with that of Escherichia coli expressing the IstALDH. Taken together, the L. lactis cells expressing recombinant IstALDH are potential whole-cell biocatalysts that can be applied in the detoxification of aldehydes.     

Cetyltrimethylammonium-coated magnetic nanoparticles for the extraction of bromate,followed by its spectrophotometric determination

We report on a combination of magnetic solid-phase extraction and spectrophotometric determination of bromate. Cetyltrimethylammonium ion was adsorbed on the surface of phenyl-functionalized silica-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Ph-SiO₂@Fe₃O₄), and these materials served as the sorbent. The effects of surfactant and amount of sorbent, the composition of the desorption solution, the extraction time and temperature were optimized. Under optimized conditions, an enrichment factor of 12 was achieved, and the relative standard deviation is 2.9 % (for n?=?5). The calibration plot covers the 1–50 ng mL^?1 range with reasonable linearity (r ²?>?0.998); and the limit of detection is 0.5 ng mL^?1. The method is not interfered by ionic compounds commonly found in environmental water samples. It was successfully applied to the determination of bromate in spiked water samples.

Hollow fiber-based liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) of isradipine and its main metabolite followed by chiral HPLC analysis: application to an in vitro biotransformation study

An enantioselective liquid chromatographic method using two-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME-HPLC) was developed for the determination of isradipine (ISR) enantiomers and its main metabolite (pyridine derivative of isradipine, PDI) in microsomal fractions isolated from rat liver. The analytes were extracted from 1 mL of microsomal medium using a two-phase HF-LPME procedure with hexyl acetate as the acceptor phase, 30 min of extraction, and sample agitation at 1,500 rpm. For the first time, ISR enantiomers and PDI were resolved. For this separation, a Chiralpak® AD column with hexane/2-propanol/ethanol (94:04:02, v/v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL min^?1 was used. The column was kept at 23?±?2 °C. The drug and metabolite detection was performed at 325 nm and the internal standard oxybutynin was detected at 225 nm. The recoveries were 23% for PDI and 19% for each ISR enantiomer. The method presented quantification limits (LOQ) of 50 ng mL^?1 and was linear over the concentration range of 50–5,000 and 50–2,500 ng mL^?1 for PDI and each ISR enantiomer, respectively. The validated method was employed to an in vitro biotransformation study of ISR using rat liver microsomal fraction showing that (+)-(S)-ISR is preferentially biotransformed.     

A poly(4-nitroaniline)/poly(vinyl alcohol) electrospun nanofiber as an efficient nanosorbent for solid phase microextraction of diazinon and chlorpyrifos from water and juice samples

4-Nitroaniline was electropolymerized in a weakly alkaline medium, and the resulting poly(4-nitroaniline) (P4-NA)) was used to fabricate - by electrospinning - a nanofiber consisting of P4-NA and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The PVA fraction was then dissolved in hot water and this causes the porosity of electrospun nanofiber to be largely enhanced. The resulting nanofiber was utilized as a sorbent for solid phase microextraction of the model organophosphorus pesticides diazinon and chloropyrifos from aqueous media. The extracted analytes were then analyzed by corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry (CD-IMS). Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection (at S/N?=?3; for n?=?10) are 0.4 and 0.6 ng mL^?1 for diazinon and chloropyrifos, respectively. The relative standard deviations at the levels of 25, 50 and 100 ng mL^?1 (for n?=?3) ranged from 4.0–12.3% (both intra-day and inter-day). Eventually, the method was used to analyze different water samples, including spiked drinking water, sea water, lagoon water, and groundwater sample in the proximity of rice fields, and in two juice samples. Recoveries ranged between 82 and 102%.

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Graphical abstract An electrospun nanofiber consisting of highly porous poly(4-nitroaniline) was synthesized and used as a sorbent for solid phase microextraction of diazinon and chlorpyrifos from water and juice samples prior to quantitation by corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry.

     

Sensitive quantification of uranium using cloud point extraction coupled with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

This article reports the utilization of cloud point extraction as a preconcentration strategy prior to U(VI) determination by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Complexes of U(VI) with Cyanex-301 were preconcentrated into mixed-micellar medium using Triton X-100 and Cetylpyridinium bromide at ambient temperature. Optimal values of parameters impacting the extraction efficiency were determined. The proposed technique has linearity range of 5–200 ng mL^?1 with r = 0.99 and detection and quantification limits of 0.57 and 0.85 ng mL^?1, respectively. The method has good selectivity for U(VI) over various cations and was successfully applied to U(VI) determination in water samples with satisfactory results.     

Ultrasensitive direct determination of BTEX in polluted soils using a simple and novel pressure-controlled solid-phase microextraction setup

A pressure-controlled headspace solid-phase microextraction (PC-HS-SPME) setup was developed, by reconsidering the strengths and weaknesses points of the similar reported systems. The new setup was coupled with gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) for direct analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) in contaminated soils, without any sample preparation step. The important experimental factors, affecting the performance of the method, including volumes of extraction and vacuum vials, type of SPME fiber, extraction time and temperature, moisture content of the sample, and sonication time were studied and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, good linearity of the calibration curves (R² > 0.997) was obtained in the concentration range of 0.1–20,000 ng g^?1. The limits of detections were found to be 0.001–0.08 ng g^?1. The relative standard deviations, for six repetitive analyses of 100 ng g^?1 BTEX, were obtained to be 5.7–12.3%. The PC-HS-SPME–GC–FID procedure was successfully applied for the extraction and determination of BTEX in the polluted soil samples.     

Biodegradation of BTEX Aromatics by a Haloduric Microbial Consortium Enriched from a Sediment of Bohai Sea,China

This study focused on a haloduric BTEX-degrading microbial consortium EC20 enriched from Bohai Sea sediment. EC20 degraded 87% of BTEX at 435 mg L^?1 initial concentration (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in equal proportions) in the presence of 3.4% NaCl. 16S rRNA gene-based PCR-DGGE profiles revealed that the dominant bacteria in EC20 were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes at the phylum level, and Pseudomonas, Mesorhizobium, Achromobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Halomonas at the genus level. PCR detection of genes coding the key enzymes which participated in BTEX degradation pathways showed that the enriched consortium EC20 contained TOL pathway and TOD pathway to initiate biodegradation of BTEX.     

Preconcentration of trace cadmium ion using magnetic graphene nanoparticles as an efficient adsorbent

Graphene-based magnetic nanoparticles (G-Fe₃O₄) were prepared and used as an effective adsorbent for the solid-phase extraction of trace quantities of cadmium from water and vegetable samples. The method avoids some of the time-consuming steps associated with traditional solid phase extraction. The excellent sorption property of the G-Fe₃O₄ system is attributed to π - π stacking interaction and hydrophobic interactions between graphene and the Cd-PAN complex. The effects of pH, the amount of G–Fe₃O₄, extraction time, type and volume of eluent, desorption time and interfering ions on the extraction efficiency were optimized. The preconcentration factor is 200. Cd(II) was then quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with a detection limit of 0.32 ng mL^?1. The relative standard deviation (at 50 ng mL^?1; for n?=?10) is 2.45 %. The method has a linear analytical range from 1.1 to 150 ng mL^?1, and the recoveries in case of real samples are in the range between 93.1 % and 102.3 %.

Development and Validation of Stability-Indicating UPLC Method for 9-Desmethyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-dihydrotetrabenazine

A stability-indicating UPLC method was developed for quantitative determination of 9-desmethyl-α-dihydrotetrabenazine (9-DM-α-DTBZ), the precursor for preparing a widely used vesicular monoamine transporter 2 imaging agent ¹¹C-α-DTBZ. Compound 9-DM-α-DTBZ was subjected to various stress conditions consisting of acidic, alkaline, oxidative, thermal and photolytic forced degradation. The decomposition of 9-DM-α-DTBZ was observed under oxidative condition, whereas no obvious degradation was shown under the other stress conditions. For chromatographic separation of 9-DM-α-DTBZ and its degradation products, an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) and a mobile phase of 20:80 (v/v) methanol/ammonium acetate buffer (pH 4.5, 10 mM) were used. Quantitative determination of 9-DM-α-DTBZ was performed using a PDA detector at a flow rate of 0.30 mL min^?1. UPLC–MS analysis was further utilized to characterize the two degradation products. The proposed method was fully validated as per USP guidelines with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). The linear regression analysis showed a good linear relationship (r ²  = 0.9995) in the concentration range of 0.001–1.00 mg mL^?1 (n = 6). The assay method was found to have good precision (1.14–1.35% RSD) and recovery (98.91–101.23%). Additionally, the LOD and LOQ of 9-DM-α-DTBZ were 0.30 and 1.00 μg mL^?1, respectively. These results indicated that the present method could be used to evaluate the quality of regular production samples and also used in stability assays.     

Determination of methylisothiocyanate in soil and water by HS-SPME followed by GC–MS–MS with a triple quadrupole

Methylisothiocyanate (MITC) is the main degradation product of metam sodium, a soil disinfectant widely used in agriculture, and is responsible for its disinfectant properties. Because MITC is highly toxic and volatile, metam sodium has to be applied in a manner that tries to reduce atmospheric emissions but still maintains adequate concentration of MITC in soil to ensure its disinfectant effect. Thus, monitoring of MITC concentrations in soil is required, and to this end sensitive, fast, and reliable analytical methods must be developed. In this work, a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method was developed for MITC determination in water and soil samples using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS–MS) with a triple-quadrupole analyzer. Two MS–MS transitions were acquired to ensure the reliable quantification and confirmation of the analyte. The method had linear behavior in the range tested (0.026–2.6 ng mL^?1 in water, 1–100 ng g^?1 in soil) with r ² over 0.999. Detection limits were 0.017 ng mL^?1 and 0.1 ng g^?1 in water and soil, respectively. Recoveries for five replicates were in the range 76–92 %, and RSD was below 7 % at the two spiking levels tested for each matrix (0.1 and 1 ng mL^?1 for water, 4 and 40 ng g^?1 for soil). The potential of using multiple HS-SPME for analyzing soil samples was also investigated, and its feasibility for quantification of MITC evaluated. The developed HS-SPME method was applied to soil samples from experimental plots treated with metam sodium following good agriculture practices. Figure

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Micro-solid phase extraction of ochratoxin A, and its determination in urine using capillary electrophoresis

We describe a simple, environmentally friendly and selective technique for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in urine. It involves (a) the use of a molecularly imprinted polymer as a sorbent in micro-solid-phase extraction in which the sorbent is contained in a propylene membrane envelope, and (b) separation and detection by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Under optimized conditions, response is linear in the range between 50 and 300 ng mL^?1 (with a correlation coefficient of 0.9989), relative standard deviations range from 4 to 8 %, the detection limit for OTA in urine is 11.2 ng mL^?1 (with a quantification limits of 32.5 ng mL^?1) which is lower than those of previously reported methods for solid-phase extraction combined with CE. The recoveries of OTA from urine spiked at levels of 50, 150 and 300 ng mL^?1 ranged from 93 to 97 %.

Synthesis,biological evaluation,quantitative-SAR and docking studies of novel chalcone derivatives as antibacterial and antioxidant agents

In the present study, a series of chalcone derivatives including 17 new compounds were synthesised; their antibacterial activities against eleven bacteria, and their free radical-scavenging activities using DPPH were evaluated. All compounds showed significant antibacterial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In particular, compound IIIf strongly inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (JMC 2151) and Enterococcus faecalis (CARS 2011-012) with MIC values of 6.25 µg mL^?1 and 12.5 µg mL^?1, respectively, which are comparable to that of the standard antibiotic, nalidixic acid. Compound IIIg also inhibited S. aureus with a MIC value similar to that of nalidixic acid (6.25 µg mL^?1). Furthermore, like nalidixic acid (MIC value of 25 µg mL^?1), compounds IIIa, IIIc and IIId inhibited Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC 43256) with MIC values of 25 µg mL^?1, 12.5 µg mL^?1 and 25 µg mL^?1, respectively. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (Q-SAR) studies using physicochemical calculations indicated that the antibacterial activities of chalcone derivatives correlated well with predicted physicochemical parameters (logP and PSA). Docking simulation by positioning the most active compound IIIf in the active site of the penicillin-binding protein (PBP-1b) of S. aureus was performed to explore the feasible binding mode. Furthermore, most of the compounds synthesised exhibited significant DPPH radical-scavenging activity, although compounds IIc and IIIc exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 1.68 µM and 1.44 µM, respectively, comparable to that of the standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid (1.03 µM).