HPLC with fluorescence detection of urinary phenol, cresols and xylenols using 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)benzoyl chloride as a fluorescence labeling reagent.

A simple and sensitive HPLC method for the determination of phenolic compounds, i.e., phenol (Phe), cresols (Cres) and xylenols (Xyls), was developed. After a pre-column fluorescence derivatization of these compounds with 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)benzoyl chloride (DIB-Cl) at 60 degrees C for 30 min, 11 DIB derivatives were successfully separated within 50 min with an ODS column using CH3CN-H2O-CH3OH (25 + 22 + 53, v/v) as the eluent. The detection limits of DIB derivatives at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 ranged from 0.15 to 1.09 microM (0.2-1.6 pmol per 20 microliters). The precision of the proposed method for both within- and between-day assays of free and total phenol related compounds was satisfactory (RSD < 9.5%). By the proposed method, Phe and p-Cre could be detected in normal urine samples, and the calculated concentrations of free Phe and p-Cre in unhydrolysed urine samples were 1.5 +/- 1.3 and 23.9 +/- 24.3 microM and those of total Phe and p-Cre in hydrolysed urine samples were 87.3 +/- 81.2 and 200.7 +/- 195.4 microM (n = 21), respectively.     

Simultaneous determination of myocardial creatine phosphate and adenine nucleotides by reversed-phase HPLC

An isocratic HPLC system has been developed which allows for the rapid (single run of 20 min) measurement of creatine phosphate (PCr) and adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP and AMP) in extracts from freeze-clamped and freeze-dried myocardial tissues. The separation was achieved at room temperature by using a RP18 column and a dual variable wavelength spectrophotometer, set at 210 and 254 nm. The solvent was 30 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 15 mM tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate, pH 6.7, 19% (v/v) acetonitrile. A distinct separation (confirmed with the retention time of standard sample) of these high energy compounds was achieved. Standard curves were linear. In isolated rat hearts the following values were obtained (mumol/g dry wt, mean +/- SEM): ATP 21.5 +/- 1.3, ADP 4.6 +/- 0.2, AMP 1.5 +/- 1.1 and PCr 32.5 +/- 1.3; which are consistent with previously published values for high energy compounds in this tissue.     

Determination of morphine 3-esters in rabbit plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the quantitation of the morphine 3-esters 1[3-(2, 2-dimethylvaleroyl)-morphine (A), 3-(2-phenylbenzoyl)-morphine (B) and 3-(2,2-diphenylpropionyl)-morphine (C)] in rabbit plasma is described. Sample preparation was based on reversed-phase solid-phase extraction. The compounds were separated on C(18) reversed-phase analytical columns and then determined by ultraviolet detection. The recovery from plasma was 78.7 +/- 7.4%, 69.1 +/- 6.9% and 75 +/- 7.2% (mean +/- SD) for A, B, and C, respectively. The present method enabled the detection limit of 0.2, 0.2 and 0.1 ng and quantification limit of 20, 10 and 10 ng/ml for A, B and C, respectively. The developed method was used for determination of the plasmakinetics of these morphine 3-esters in rabbits.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for identification and quantification of two isomeric coumarinolignoids-cleomiscosin A and cleomiscosin B-in extracts of Cleome viscosa

A simple, accurate and reproducible reverse-phase HPLC method has been developed for identification and quantification of two isomeric coumarinolignoids, cleomiscosin A and B in different extracts of the seeds of Cleome viscosa using photodiode array detection at 326 nm. Cleomiscosin A and B were separated on a Waters symmetry C(18) column (250 x 4.6 mm with 5.0 microm particle size) with an isocratic elution system composed of acetonitrile-methanol (1:2, v/v) and acetic acid-water (0.5:99.5, v/v) in the ratio of 40:60 (v/v). The calibration curves were linear (r(2) > 0.997) in the concentration ranges of 20-100 microg/mL for both compounds. The limits of detection and quantification were 15 and 20 microg/mL for both cleomiscosin A and B. The intra- and inter-day precisions were 3.68 and 2.22% for cleomiscosin A and 4.22 and 5.06% for cleomiscosin B. The recoveries measured at two different concentration levels varied from 98.03 to 110.06%. The method was used to identify and quantify cleomiscosins A and B in different extracts of Cleome viscosa seeds.     

RP-HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beverages and plant extracts using a CoulArray detector

Methods were developed for the analysis of natural antioxidants including phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beverages and plant extracts using gradient HPLC with multi-channel electrochemical coulometric detection. Suitability of various reversed-phase columns for this purpose was compared; pH and mobile phase gradients were optimized with respect to the separation selectivity and sensitivity of detection. Because of different target compounds in various sample types, the overlapping resolution maps and the normalized resolution product approaches described earlier were used to select optimum columns and gradients to suit the analysis of the individual sample types. The methods were applied to the analysis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beer, wine, tea, and yacon extracts. 32 phenolic compounds were identified and determined, including derivatives of benzoic and cinnamic acids, flavones, and a few related glycosides. Eight-channel CoulArray detection offers high selectivity and sensitivity with limits of detection in the low microg L(-1) range, at least an order of magnitude lower than single-channel coulometric detection using the Coulochem detector. No special sample pretreatment is necessary and, because of the compatibility of the CoulArray detector with gradient elution, phenolic antioxidants of different polarities can be determined in a single run. In addition to the retention times, the ratios of the areas of the pre-dominant and post-dominant peaks to the area of the dominant peak can be used for improved identification of natural antioxidants.     

Accuracy mass screening and identification of phenolic compounds from the five parts of Abutilon theophrasti Medic. by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupoles-time of flight-mass spectrometry

A rapid and resolutive reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupoles-time of flight-mass spectrometry method was established for the screening and identification of the phenolic compounds in the 70% ethanolic extracts from the five parts (roots, stems, leaves, seeds, and exocarps) of Abutilon theophrasti Medic.. Separation and detection conditions were optimized by using a 22 mixing standard, which included phenolic acids, flavonoids and a naphthalene compound. Optimum LC separation was achieved on a C(18) analytical column (250 mm x 4.6 mm id, 5 μm) by gradient elution with water containing 0.1% v/v formic acid (pH 2.4) and acetonitrile as mobile phases, at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The developed method was applied to the study on the constituents of A. theophrasti Medic., and 16 compounds were unequivocally identified with standards. Meanwhile, 37 constituents were tentatively identified by comparing with references. In addition, accurate molecular formulae were conjectured for unknown compounds. To our knowledge, little is known about how these compounds are distributed in A. theophrasti Medic.. Hence, it is clear that the comprehensive analysis of the phenolic compounds of A. theophrasti Medic. is helpful for the quality control and understanding the usage and function of the herb and its products.     

HPLC determination and pharmacokinetics of chlorogenic acid in rabbit plasma after an oral dose of Flos Lonicerae extract

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for the determination of chlorogenic acid (3-O-caffeoyl-D-quinic acid) in plasma and applied to its pharmacokinetic study in rabbits after administration of Flos Lonicerae extract. Plasma samples are extracted with methanol. HPLC analysis of the extracts is performed on a C(18) reversed-phase column using acetonitrile-0.2% phosphate buffer (11:89, v/v) as the mobile phase. The UV detector is set at 327 nm. The standard curves are linear in the range 0.0500-1.00 microg/mL (r = 0.9987). The mean extraction recovery of 85.1% is obtained for chlorogenic acid. The interday precision (relative standard deviation) ranges from 5.0% to 7.5%, and the intraday precision is better than 9.0%. The limit of quantitation is 0.0500 microg/mL. The plasma concentration of chlorogenic acid shows a C(max) of 0.839 +/- 0.35 microg/mL at 34.7 +/- 1.1 min and a second one of 0.367 +/- 0.16 microg/mL at 273.4 +/- 39.6 min.     

Analysis of selected stilbenes in Polygonum cuspidatum by HPLC coupled with CoulArray detection

The roots of three varieties of Polygonum cuspidatum were analyzed for resveratrol and its analogs. The powder of the dried roots was extracted with aqueous ethanol (60% v/v) and the extracts obtained were analyzed using RP HPLC with coulometric detection. A simple HPLC method with a multichannel CoulArray detector was developed for the determination of four stilbenes: resveratrol, its glucoside piceid, piceatannol, and its glucoside astringin. Analyses were carried out on a LiChrospher C18 (125 x 4.6 mm id, particle size 5 microm) column with a mobile phase of ammonium acetate (pH 3) and ACN in gradient mode. Four compounds were monitored by a CoulArray electrochemical detector. Potentials of eight electrochemical cells in series were set in the range of 200-900 mV. Optimization of the mobile phase pH was performed. Calibration curves showed good linearity with correlation coefficients (r(2))--more than 0.9975.     

Simultaneous determination of catechins, rutin, and gallic acid in Cistus species extracts by HPLC with diode array detection

A simple high-performance liquid chromatography method using a diode array detector (DAD) is developed for the simultaneous analysis of five major catechins: (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-gallocatechin (GCT), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and the phenolic plant metabolites gallic acid (GA) and rutin (RT) in lyophilized extracts of Cistus species. The optimal analytical conditions are investigated to obtain the best resolution and the highest UV sensitivity for the quantitative detection of catechins. The optimized conditions (acetonitrile-phosphate buffer 50mM, pH 2.5, gradient elution system on a C(18) reversed-phase column with a flow rate of 1 mL/min and UV absorbance at 210 nm) allowed a specific and repeatable separation of the studied analytes to be achieved. All compounds are successfully separated within 32 min. Calibration curves are linear in the 2-50 microg/mL range for GCT, C, and EGCG and in the 5-50 microg/mL range for GA, EGC, EC, and RT. The limit of detection values ranged from 0.24 to 0.74 microg/mL. The limit of quantitation limit values ranged from 0.77 to 1.94 microg/mL. The validated method is applied to the determination of the specific phytochemical markers GA, GCT, C, and RT in Cistus incanus and Cistus monspeliensis lyophilised extracts. The recovery values ranged between 78.7% and 98.2%. The described HPLC method appears suitable for the differentiation and determination of the most common catechins together with the glycoside rutin and the phenolic compound gallic acid and can be considered an effective and alternative procedure for the analyses of this important class of natural compounds.     

Rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) analysis for quality control of Rhodiola rosea roots and commercial standardized products

A simple, sensitive and reliable reversed phase Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography (RRLC) method was developed and validated for six biologically active compounds (salidroside, tyrosol, rosarin, rosavin, rosin and rosiridin) in Rhodiola rosea L. roots and powder extracts. The method uses a Phenomenex C18 (2)-HST column at 40 degrees C with a neutral gradient system mobile phase (H20 and acetonitrile), a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and UV detection wavelengths set at 205 and 254 nm, simultaneously. Baseline separation of the six active compounds was achieved within 8 minutes. The average percentages of rosavins (rosarin, rosavin, and rosin) in authentic R. rosea roots and root powder extracts were quantitatively determined and a characteristic R. rosea roots RRLC profile was established. The RRLC method is accurate and sensitive; in addition, it effectively increases the sample analysis throughput compared with conventional HPLC.     

Fractionation of polyphenols in hawthorn into polymeric procyanidins, phenolic acids and flavonoids prior to high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis

Polymeric procyanidins, phenolic carboxylic acids and flavonoids of hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) were fractionated prior to HPLC analysis using column chromatography and solid-phase extraction (SPE). The flavonoid fraction also contained (-)-epicatechin. The three groups of phenolics, each with clearly different UV spectra, were examined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) analysis. The average repeatability of the method (RSD) was in the range of 8-13% for chlorogenic acid, (-)-epicatechin and hyperoside. The polymeric procyanidins of hawthorn flowers consisted mainly of (-)-epicatechin subunits, and their mean degree of polymerization (DP) was 22.2. The HPLC methods developed can be used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of different phenolic compounds in hawthorn plant material and their extracts.     

Effects of different extraction methods and conditions on the phenolic composition of mate tea extracts

A simple and rapid HPLC method for determination of chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoylquinic acid) in mate tea extracts was developed and validated. The chromatography used isocratic elution with a mobile phase of aqueous 1.5% acetic acid-methanol (85:15, v/v). The flow rate was 0.8 mL/min and detection by UV at 325 nm. The method showed good selectivity, accuracy, repeatability and robustness, with detection limit of 0.26 mg/L and recovery of 97.76%. The developed method was applied for the determination of chlorogenic acid in mate tea extracts obtained by ethanol extraction and liquid carbon dioxide extraction with ethanol as co-solvent. Different ethanol concentrations were used (40, 50 and 60%, v/v) and liquid CO? extraction was performed at different pressures (50 and 100 bar) and constant temperature (27 ± 1 °C). Significant influence of extraction methods, conditions and solvent polarity on chlorogenic acid content, antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid content of mate tea extracts was established. The most efficient extraction solvent was liquid CO? with aqueous ethanol (40%) as co-solvent using an extraction pressure of 100 bar.     

Simultaneous quantification of seven bioactive components in Caulis Lonicerae Japonicae by high performance liquid chromatography

This study presents a new HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of seven major components, namely chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, loganin, sweroside, secoxyloganin, rutin and luteolin 7-O-glucoside in Caulis Lonicerae Japonicae, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb derived from the caulis of Lonicera japonica Thunb. These seven compounds, belonging to the chemical types of phenolic acids, iridoids and flavonoids, were separated on a C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5.0 microm) with the column temperature at 30 degrees C. The mobile phase was composed of (A) aqueous acetic acid (0.4%, v/v) and (B) acetonitrile using a gradient elution of 10% B at 0-12 min, 10-17% B at 12-25 min and 17% B at 25-35 min. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and detection wavelength was set at 245 nm. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) ranged from 0.10 to 0.23 microg/mL and the limit of quantification (S/N = 10) ranged from 0.69 to 3.56 microg/mL. All calibration curves showed good linear regression (r2 > 0.9990) within the test ranges. The intra- and inter-day precisions as determined from sample solutions were below 1.24 and 2.28%, respectively. The recoveries for seven compounds were found to range from 94.2 to 103.6%. This verified method has been successfully applied to evaluation of commercial samples of Caulis Lonicerae Japonicae from different markets in China.     

HPLC analysis and pharmacokinetics of icariin in rats

As a prerequisite to the determination of pharmacokinetic parameters of icariin in rats, an HPLC method using UV detection was developed and validated. Icariin and the internal standard, quercetin, were extracted from plasma samples using ethyl acetate after acidification with 0.05 mol/L NaH2PO4 solution (pH 5.0). Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent XDB Cls column (250 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microm) equipped with a Shim-pack GVP-ODS C18 guard column (10 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microm) using a mobile phase of ACN/water/acetic acid (31:69:0.4 v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/ min. Detection was at 277 nm. The calibration curve was linear from 0.05 to 100.0 microg/mL with 0.05 microg/mL as the lower LOQ (LLOQ) in plasma. The intra- and interday precisions in terms of RSD were lower than 5.7 and 7.8% in rat plasma, respectively. The accuracy in terms of relative error (RE) ranged from -1.6 to 3.2%. The extraction recoveries of icariin and quercetin were 87.6 and 80.1%, respectively. The main pharmacokinetic parameters for rats were determined after a single intravenous administration of 10 mg/kg icariin: t1/2, 0.562 +/- 0.200 h; AUC0-infinity, 8.73 +/- 2.23 microg x h/mL; CLToT, 20.10 +/- 5.80 L/kg x h; Vz, 1.037 +/- 0.631 L/kg; MRT0-infinity, 0.134 +/- 0.040 h; and Vss, 0.170 +/- 0.097 L/kg.     

Antioxidant activities, total phenolics and HPLC analyses of the phenolic compounds of extracts from common Mediterranean plants

In this study, the total phenolic amounts and antioxidant activities of plant extracts obtained from some common Mediterranean plant species collected from different places in Jordan were determined. The phenolic constituents of these extracts were also determined using HPLC. The total phenolic amounts ranged from 52.8 to 876.9 mg GAE per 100 g dry material. The antioxidant activities were evaluated according to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenger method. Sage (Salvia officinalis) showed the highest antioxidant activity (91%), while the lowest (11.3%) was seen in parsley (Petroselinum crispum). A strong correlation (r = 0.85) between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was found. The phenolic compounds identified by HPLC were gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, gentisic acid, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechin and benzoic acid. All the investigated plants contain gallic acid, whose phenolic content ranged from 0.4 to 37.8 mg per 100 g, catechin (0.3-339.9 mg per 100 g), protocatechuic acid (0.3-41.9 mg per 100 g) and gentisic acid (0.3-35.8 mg per 100 g), while caffeic acid (0.3-2.6 mg per 100 g) was detected in six species only. These natural plant phenolics could thus be a good source of antioxidants for applications in food.     

Benefits and Pitfalls of HPLC Coupled to Diode-Array,Charged Aerosol,and Coulometric Detections: Effect of Detection on Screening of Bioactive Compounds in Apples

The new screening method for rapid evaluation of major phenolic compounds in apples has been developed. Suitability of coupling HPLC/UHPLC separation with the diode-array detection and universal charged aerosol detection with respect to the presence of interfering substances was tested. Characteristics of both detection techniques were compared and method linearity, limits of detection and quantitation, and selectivity of them determined. Student t-test based on slopes of calibration plots was applied for the detailed comparison. The diode-array detection provided the best results regarding sensitivity and selectivity of the developed method in terms of evaluation of phenolics profiles. The response of the charged aerosol detector was negatively affected by co-eluting substances during rapid-screening analyses. Coulometric detection was used for advanced characterization of extracts in terms of antioxidant content and strength to obtain more complex information concerning sample composition. This detection also allowed evaluation of unidentified compounds with antioxidant activity. HPLC/UHPLC separation using a combination of diode-array and coulometric detectors thus represented the best approach enabling quick, yet complex characterization of bioactive compounds in apples.     

A validated chromatographic method for the determination of flavonoids in Copaifera langsdorffii by HPLC

Hydroethanolic extracts of C. langsdorffii leaves have therapeutic potential. This work reports a validated chromatographic method for the quantification of polar compounds in the hydroethanolic extract of C. langsdorffii leaves. A reliable HPLC method was developed using two monolithic columns linked in series (100 x 4.6 mm - C18), with nonlinear gradient elution, and UV detection set at 257 nm. A procedure for the extraction of flavonols was also developed, which involved the use of 70% aqueous ethanol and the addition of benzophenone as the internal standard. The developed method led to a good detection response as the values for linearity were between 10.3 and 1000 microg/mL, and those for recovery between 84.2 and 111.1%. The detection limit ranged from 0.02 to 1.70 microg/mL and the quantitation limit from 0.07 to 5.1 microg/mL, with a maximum RSD of 5.24%. Five compounds, rutin, quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, quercetin and kaempferol, were quantified. This method could, therefore, be used for the quality control of hydroethanolic extracts of Copaifera leaves and their cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.     

Simultaneous estimation of pantoprazole and domperidone in pure powder and a pharmaceutical formulation by high-perfomance liquid chromatography and high-performance thin-layer chromatography methods

This paper describes validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) methods for the simultaneous estimation of pantoprazole (PANT) and domperidone (DOM) in pure powder and capsule formulations. The HPLC separation was achieved on a Phenomenex C18 column (250 mm id, 4.6 mm, 5 pm) using 0.01 M, 6.5 pH ammonium acetate buffer-methanol-acetonitrile (30 + 40 + 30, v/v/v, pH 7.20) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min at ambient temperature. The HPTLC separation was achieved on an aluminum-backed layer of silica gel 60F254 using ethyl acetate-methanol (60 + 40, v/v) as the mobile phase. Quantification was achieved with ultraviolet (UV) detection at 287 nm over the concentration range 400-4000 and 300-3000 ng/mL with mean recovery of 99.35+/-0.80 and 99.08+/-0.57% for PANT and DOM, respectively (HPLC method). Quantification was achieved with UV detection at 287 nm over the concentration range 80-240 and 60-180 ng/spot with mean recovery of 98.40+/-0.67 and 98.75+/-0.71% for PANT and DOM, respectively (HPTLC method). These methods are simple, precise, and sensitive, and they are applicable for the simultaneous determination of PANT and DOM in pure powder and capsule formulations.     

Antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of buckwheat and barley by the data of spectrophotometry and HPLC

The antioxidant activity of buckwheat and barley extracts by reaction with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and the total of phenolic compounds have been determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. It has been found that water-ethanol extracts of buckwheat are characterized by higher antioxidant activity (6.2 ± 0.5 μM-eq. of Trolox/g) and concentration of phenolic compounds (4.41 ± 0.07 mg-eq. of rutin/g) compared to barley extracts (4.2 ± 0.3 μM-eq. of Trolox/g and 2.4 ± 0.1 mg-eq. of rutin/g, respectively). A series of phenolic compounds have been identified by HPLC with UV detection and mass spectrometric detection with electrospray ionization. The main phenolic compounds-antioxidants in buckwheat extracts are rutin, catechin and epicatechin, 1-O-caffeoyl-O-rutinoside (m/z 487), and epicatechin-O-3,4-dimethylgallate (m/z 469), and in the barley extract, catechin, prodelphinidin B3 (m/z 593), procyanidin B3 (m/z 577), and procyanidin C2 (m/z 865).     

Sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic assay using 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate for monitoring controlled-release lidocaine in plasma

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay using fluorescence detection for quantifying lidocaine levels in plasma (in the ng/ml range) was developed. This novel HPLC assay has made possible the simultaneous monitoring of lidocaine levels in coronary and peripheral plasma obtained after myocardial controlled-release matrix administration (0.92 mg/kg during 4 h) in the arrhythmic dog. The method employed extracts the drug from plasma using 1-chlorobutane and a subsequent derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate in acetonitrile at 110 degrees C. The derivative was chromatographed on a C18 reversed-phase column and measured with fluorescence detection (excitation 254 nm, emission 313 nm). N-Methylephedrine was found to be suitable as an internal standard, post-derivatization. The derivatization product of lidocaine was identified and characterized by mass spectral analysis. It was found to have a unique and reproducible dicarbamate structure, which was stable for at least three days at room temperature. The method was tested with human plasma as well as on dog plasma. Analytical recoveries were 88.6 +/- 3.6 and 77.4 +/- 3.0% (mean +/- S.E.), respectively, at levels ranging from 25 to 200 ng/ml. The lower detection limit was 1 ng/ml lidocaine. In conclusion, this rapid and convenient analysis was found to be suitable for the bioavailability pharmacokinetic assessment of lidocaine following low-dose regional drug administration.