Development of microwave-assisted derivatization followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for fast determination of amino acids in neonatal blood samples

Analysis of amino acids in blood samples is an important tool for the diagnosis of neonatal amino acid metabolism disorders. In the work, a novel, rapid and sensitive method was developed for the determination of amino acids in neonatal blood samples, which was based on microwave-assisted silylation followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The amino acids were derivatized with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) under microwave irradiation. The controlled reaction was carried out employing BSTFA under conventional heating at 120 degrees C for 30 min. Experimental results show that microwave irradiation can accelerate the derivatization reaction of amino acids with BSFTA, and much shorten analysis time. The method validations (linear range, detection limit, precision and recovery) were studied. Finally, the method was tested by determination of amino acids in neonatal blood by the measurement of their trimethylsilyl derivatives by GC/MS in electron impact (EI) mode. Two biomarkers of L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine in phenylketonuria (PKU)-positive blood and control blood were quantitatively analyzed by the proposed method. The results demonstrated that microwave-assisted silylation followed by GC/MS is a rapid, simple and sensitive method for amino acid analysis and is also a potential tool for fast screening of neonatal aminoacidurias.     

A simple, rapid and sensitive method for determination of aldehydes in human blood by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization

Aldehydes are considered potential markers for enhanced oxidative stress and have been proposed as a diagnostic measure of cancer status. Do to their volatility and activity, it is very difficult to accurately measure aldehydes in human blood. In the present work, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with on-fiber derivatization was developed for determination of aldehydes in human blood. O-(2,3,4,5,6-Pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) in aqueous solution was first adsorbed by a SPME fiber, and then the aldehydes in blood samples were headspace extracted by the SPME fiber and rapidly derivatized with PFBHA on the SPME fiber. Finally, the oximes formed were desorbed and detected by GC/MS in electron ionization (EI) mode. Validation of the present method was carried out, and the method was applied to quantitative analysis of the aldehydes in lung cancer blood. The results demonstrated that GC/MS and SPME with on-fiber derivatization is a simple, rapid, sensitive and solvent-free method for the determination of aldehydes in human blood.     

GC-CI-MS-SIM方法诊断新生儿苯丙酮尿症

苯丙酮尿症 (PKU)的发病原因是患者苯丙氨酸羟化酶的缺陷 ,从而导致体内苯丙氨酸 (Phe)不能正常代谢为酪氨酸 (Tyr) ,前者在体内大量堆积并氧化为有害的苯丙酮酸 .PKU是目前筛查范围最广的氨基酸代谢遗传疾病 ,全世界每年约有一千万婴儿接受 PKU筛查 ;在中国 PKU也是卫生部要求重点筛查的病种[1] .目前常规筛查方法是细菌抑制法 (BIA) ,它的特点是费用低、速度慢、容易产生假阳性 ;Chace等 [2 ,3] 报道了 MS- MS方法筛查新生儿 PKU.曲峻等 [4 ] 发展了 Chace的方法 ,采用 HPLC与MS- MS联用方法 (LC- MS- MS)筛查新生儿 PK…     

Determination of Se4+ in drinkable water by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method was developed for the selective determination of Se4+ in drinkable water by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Se4+ was selectively derivatized to ethane, 1,1'-selenobis by reaction with sodium tetraethylborate, extracted by the SPME fiber, and determined by GC/MS. Both headspace (HS)-SPME and direct SPME were studied. The method requires only a few milliliters of sample and 20 min for completion. At 2.0 microg/L concentration, the relative standard deviation was 10.1% for HS-SPME and 9.1% for direct SPME. For HS-SPME, the theoretical detection limit was 81 ng/L and 166 ng/L for direct SPME. The recovery rate was 95%. The method was used to determine Se4+ in 10 tap water samples.     

Fast Diagnosis of Neonatal Phenylketonuria by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Following Microwave-Assisted Silylation

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a fairly common autosomal recessive disease. Phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) are the biomarkers of PKU, and it can be diagnosed by the measurement of Phe and Tyr in neonatal blood samples. A fast diagnostic procedure for neonatal PKU has been developed using microwave-assisted silylation followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Amino acids extracted from neonatal blood samples are rapidly derivatized with N, O-bis(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide under microwave irradiation; the derivatives are then analyzed by GC-MS. The silylation conditions have been optimized, and the method validated for linear range, detection limit, precision and recovery. The proposed method is linear from 20 to 800 µM, detection limit is less than 0.35 µM, relative standard deviation (RSD) is less than 9.0%, and recoveries of 87% and 83% were obtained for Phe and Tyr. The proposed method was tested by the determination of Phe and Tyr in blood spots from eight PKU-positive neonates and twelve control neonates. Microwave irradiation considerably accelerates the derivatization reaction of amino acid with BSFTA, and shortens the whole analysis time. Microwave-assisted silylation coupled to GC-MS is a powerful tool for fast screening of neonatal PKU.     

Quantification of trimethylsilyl derivatives of amino acid disease biomarkers in neonatal blood samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A novel analytical procedure was developed for the rapid determination of disease biomarkers of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD),L-valine,L-leucine,L-isoleucine, andL-phenylalanine in dried blood spots. Amino acids extracted from neonatal dried blood spots were rapidly derivatized with bis-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Derivatization conditions and the method validation were studied: optimal derivatization conditions were acetonitrile as reaction solvent, a temperature of 100°C, and a reaction time of 30 min. The proposed method provided a detection limit lower than 2.0 μM, recovery between 92% and 106%, and relative standard deviation less than 8.0%. The method was further tested in screening for neonatal MSUD by determination ofL-valine,L-leucineL-isoleucine, andL-phenylalanine in blood samples. The experimental results show that GC-MS following BSTFA derivatization is a rapid, simple, and sensitive method for the determination of amino acid disease biomarkers in blood samples, and is a potential tool for fast screening of MSUD. Figure     

固相微萃取/气相色谱/质谱联用测定水中的2,4-二硝基苯酚

研究了水中痕量2,4-二硝基苯酚的固相微萃取（SPME）方法,得到了2,4-二硝基苯酚的SPME最佳萃取条件：水溶液调pH2,并用NaCl他和,在室温下直接萃取30min,气相色谱／质谱分析时,纤维探针在270℃下脱附3min。所建立的方法适于快速、方便地测定水中2,4-二硝基苯酚,不需浓缩和预处理。     

Simple analysis of naphthalene, fluorene, and anthracene in whole blood by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after headspace-solid phase microextraction

A simple and sensitive method for the simultaneous analysis of naphthalene, fluorene, and anthracene in whole blood was developed using headspace-solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and GC/MS. A 0.5 g whole blood sample, 5 microL naphthalene, fluorene, and anthracene (50 microg/mL) as spiked standards, and 0.5 mL sodium hydroxide were placed into a 12 mL vial and sealed rapidly. The vial was immediately heated to 70 degrees C in an aluminium block heater, the needle of the SPME device was inserted through the septum of the vial, and the extraction fiber was exposed to the headspace for 15 min. Afterwards, the compounds extracted by the fiber were desorbed simultaneously by exposing the fiber in the gas chromatograph injection port. No interferences were found, and the time for analysis was about 30 min for one sample. This method was applied to a suicide case in which the victim ingested naphthalene, fluorene, and anthracene.     

Development of water-phase derivatization followed by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for fast determination of valproic acid in human plasma

In this study, a simple, rapid, and sensitive method was developed and validated for the quantification of valproic acid (VPA), an antiepileptic drug, in human plasma, which was based on water-phase derivatization followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In the proposed method, VPA in plasma was rapidly derivatized with a mixture of isobutyl chloroformate, ethanol and pyridine under mild conditions (room temperature, aqueous medium), and the VPA ethyl ester formed was headspace-extracted and simultaneously concentrated using the SPME technique. Finally, the analyte extracted on SPME fiber was analyzed by GC/MS. The experimental parameters and method validations were studied. The optimal conditions were obtained: PDMS fiber, stirring rate of 1100 rpm, sample temperature of 80 degrees C, extraction time of 20 min, NaCl concentration of 30%. The proposed method had a limit of quantification (0.3 microg/mL), good recovery (89-97%) and precision (RSD value less than 10%). Because the proposed method combined a rapid water-phase derivatization with a fast, simple and solvent-free sample extraction and concentration technique of SPME, the sample preparation time was less than 25 min. This much shortens the whole analysis time of VPA in plasma. The validated method has been successfully used to analyze VPA in human plasma samples for application in pharmacokinetic studies. All these results show that water-phase derivatization followed by HS-SPME and GC/MS is an alternative and powerful method for fast determination of VPA in biological fluids.     

GC-MS方法诊断新生儿苯丙酮尿症

用甲醇提取血样中的苯丙氨酸(Phe)、酪氨酸(Tyr),提取液离心去蛋白质,用正丁醇将其中的苯丙氨酸和酪氨酸丁酯比,再用三氟醋酸酐酰化后进行GC-MS分析,测定Phe,Tyr特征离子峰面积,用外标法计算出Phe和Tyr的摩尔浓度,根据Phe和Tyr摩尔浓度比值来诊断新生儿苯丙酮尿症(PKU)。     

High-throughput analysis of phthalate esters in human serum by direct immersion SPME followed by isotope dilution–fast GC/MS

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was applied to the determination of phthalate esters in human serum. The present method decreased the sample preparation time by a factor of 50 by using direct immersion SPME with an 85-m polyacrylate fiber to extract phthalate esters from the matrix. The use of fast GC/MS further improves total analysis time when compared to other techniques. Isotope dilution was successfully applied to improve the precision, reproducibility, and repeatability of the SPME method. The linear dynamic range spans several orders of magnitude from low ppb to ppm levels, and the LOD for the method is 15 pg L^–1 on average with RSDs less than 4% for the six phthalate esters included in this study.     

LC/MS/MS方法筛查新生儿苯丙酮尿症

苯丙酮尿症 [1～ 4 ] ( PKU )发病原因是患者基因缺陷使肝脏不能合成苯丙氨酸羟化酶而导致体内苯丙氨酸 ( Phe)不能正常代谢为酪氨酸 ( Tyr) ,前者在体内大量堆积并氧化为对人体有害的苯丙酮酸 . PKU是目前筛查范围最广的氨基酸代谢遗传疾病 ,在全世界每年 [5]约有一千万婴儿接受 PKU筛查 ;在我国 ,PKU也是卫生部要求重点筛查的病种 .Chace[5]等在 1 993年报道了 MS/ MS方法筛查新生儿PKU:直接使用 MS/ MS的中性碎片丢失扫描方式检测 Phe和 Tyr,通过氘代内标与待测氨基酸的质谱峰高比来定量 .MS/ MS方法速度快、准确性好、可以…     

Determination of phosphoric acid triesters in human plasma using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method for determination of phosphoric acid triesters at trace levels in human plasma sample is described. In this work, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is employed as a sample preparation procedure for extraction and pre-concentration of alkyl and aryl phosphates followed by gas chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS) for phosphorus-specific and very sensitive determination of these compounds in human plasma. The detection limits from blood plasma were 50 ngL(-1) (tripropyl phosphate), 17 ngL(-1) (tributyl phosphate), 240 ngL(-1) (tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate) and 24 ngL(-1) (triphenyl phosphate). Sample preparation involves plasma deproteinization followed by direct immersion SPME with 65 microm poly(dimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene) fiber. Extraction was performed at 40 degrees C for 30 min and at pH 7.0 in 10 mM sodium carbonate buffer. The reported method, to our knowledge, describes the first application of SPME with element-specific detection for analysis of phosphoric acid esters. Application of the method to the plasma samples, previously stored in poly(vinyl chloride) plasma bags revealed the presence of triphenyl phosphate, which was further confirmed by SPME GC time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry.     

Selective Determination of Se4+ and Se6+ Using SPME and GC/MS

A method for the selective determination of Se⁴⁺ and Se⁶⁺ using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and GC/MS analysis is presented. Se⁴⁺ is selectively derivatized by reaction with 4,5-dichloro-1,2-phenylenediamine to form the corresponding piazselenolo complex, extracted by the SPME fiber, and determined by GC/MS. The RSD at a 5 μg/L concentration was 9.88% and the theoretical detection limit 6 ng/L. The method was employed to test real matrices; tap and river water were analyzed before and after spiking giving a recovery rate of 102% in river water and 97% in tap water.     

Use of supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to obtain amino acid profiles from several genetically modified varieties of maize and soybean

A method using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for obtaining the amino acid profiles of genetically modified maize and soybean is proposed. SFE is carried out in a homemade modular system where amino acids are extracted with carbon dioxide modified with 35% of methanol, in conditions optimized by a central composite design. Once extracted, the amino acids are determined by GC/MS. The method has been applied to three samples of maize derived from MON810, other from NK 603 and a Roundup ready soybean sample. The profiles are compared with those obtained from their corresponding isogenic non-transgenic varieties. Although differences are directly observed in some cases by visual comparison of the chromatograms, the application of ANOVA shows more significant differences. In general terms, isogenic varieties seem to have higher content of several amino acids.     

Speciation of inorganic and tetramethyltin by headspace solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) method coupled to GC‐MS was developed in order to determine trace levels of tetramethyltin (TeMT) and inorganic tin (iSn) after ethylation to tetraethyltin (TeET) in various matrices. The derivatization of iSn and the extraction of both TeMT and iSn as TeET were performed in one step. Sodium tetraethylborate (NaBEt₄) was used as derivatization agent and the volatile derivatives were absorbed on a PDMS‐coated fused silica fiber. The conditions for the HS‐SPME procedure were optimized in order to gain in repeatability and sensitivity. Several critical parameters of GC‐MS were also studied. The detection of TeMT and iSn as TeET peaks was performed by the SIM mode. The precision of the proposed method is satisfactory providing RSD values below 10% for both tin species and good linearity up to 10 μg/L. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of tin species in several samples like canned fish, fish tissues, aquatic plants, canned mineral water and sea water. The proposed HS‐SPME‐GC‐MS method was proved suitable to monitor the concentration levels of toxic tin compounds in environmental and biological samples.     

An improved method for cyanide determination in blood using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A new method is described for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cyanide, a very short-acting and powerful toxic agent, in human whole blood. It involves the conversion of cyanide into hydrogen cyanide and its subsequent headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and detection by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Optimizing the conditions for the GC/MS (type of column, injection conditions, temperature program) and SPME (choice of SPME fiber, effect of salts, adsorption and desorption times, adsorption temperature) led to the choice of a 75-microm carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane SPME fiber, with D3-acetonitrile as internal standard, and a capillary GC column with a polar stationary phase. Method validation was carried out in terms of linearity, precision and accuracy in both aqueous solutions and blood. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were determined only in aqueous solutions. The assay is linear over three orders of magnitude (water 0.01-10, blood 0.05-10 microg/mL); and the LOD and LOQ in water were 0.006 and 0.01 microg/mL, respectively. Good intra- and inter-assay precision was obtained, always <8%. The method is simple, fast and sensitive enough for the rapid diagnosis of cyanide intoxication in clinical and forensic toxicology.     

Screening Method for the Determination at Parts Per Trillion Levels of Pesticide Residues in Vegetables Combining Solid‐Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography‐Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A new analytical method is proposed for determining residues of 70 pesticides of different chemical families at parts per trillion levels in fresh vegetables. For that, only 4 g of the vegetable samples were quickly extracted with 10 ml of ethyl acetate. The method is based on a vanguard/rearguard strategy that reduces the average time required per sample when the method is applied to a high number of vegetable samples in a quality control laboratory. At the beginning, an aliquot of the extract is evaporated and re‐dissolved in a mixture water:acetone (9∶1 v/v). For screening purposes, the pesticides were extracted for only 10 min by direct immersion of a solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) fiber (65 µm polydimethylsiloxane‐divinylbenzene, PDMS‐DVB). The SPME device was automated and on‐line coupled to a gas chromatograph with an ion trap mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) operated in full scan mode for screening in less than 18 min those samples that potentially contain pesticides above 0.01 mg kg^?1 (cut off value). After that, only those potentially non‐negative samples were reanalyzed by a sensitive quantifying/confirming method that re‐extract by SPME the pesticides in 55 min of absorption and determine them by GC with tandem MS (MS/MS). The method has been validated following EU guidelines and compared with a conventional extraction method based on the use of higher amounts of organic solvents. The limits of detection (LOD), confirmation (LOC) and quantitation (LOQ) as well as the calibration curves obtained allowed the determination of the target pesticides at concentrations clearly below the maximum residue levels (MRL) stated by EU being possible the determination of parts per trillion of the pesticides in ecological (green) vegetables. The method has been applied to the analysis of real samples and the results compared with those obtained by a conventional extraction method accredited by ENAC (Spanish Accreditation Body). The proposed method was also evaluated participating in a proficiency test with adequate results (z‐score among±2).     

Selective determination of alkylmercury compounds in solid matrices after subcritical water extraction,followed by solid‐phase microextraction and GC–MS

A method for the extraction and determination of methylmercury (MeHg) in solid matrices is presented. Combining the advantages of two extraction techniques—subcritical water extraction (subWE) and solid‐phase microextraction (SPME)—selective separation of MeHg from soils is possible. The procedure is based on extraction with subcritical water without using organic solvents, followed by in situ aqueous‐phase derivatization with sodium tetraethylborate and headspace SPME with a silica fiber coated with poly(dimethylsiloxane). The optimization of the extraction parameters is described. The identification and quantification of the extracted alkylmercury compounds from spiked soil samples is performed by GC–MS after thermal desorption. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.