Simultaneous Derivatization and Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction for Fatty Acid GC Determination in Water

Simultaneous derivatization and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction technique for gas chromatographic determination of fatty acids in water samples is presented. One hundred microlitre of ethanol:pyridine (4:1) were added to 4 mL aqueous sample. Then a solution containing 0.960 mL of acetone (disperser solvent), 10 μL of carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) and 30 μL of ethyl chloroformate (derivatization reagent) were rapidly injected into the aqueous sample. After centrifugation, 1 μL sedimented phase with the analytes was analyzed by gas chromatography. The effects of extraction solvent type, derivatization, extraction, and disperser solvents volume, extraction time were investigated. The calibration graphs were linear up to 10 mg L^?1 for azelaic acid (R ² = 0.998) and up to 1 mg L^?1 for palmitic and stearic acids (R ² = 0.997). The detection limits were 14.5, 0.67 and 1.06 μg L^?1 for azelaic, palmitic, and stearic acids, respectively. Repeatabilities of the results were acceptable with relative standard deviations (RSD) up to 13%. A possibility to apply the proposed method for fatty acids determination in tap, lake, sea, and river water was demonstrated.     

Simultaneous enantiomeric determination of MDMA and its phase I and phase II metabolites in urine by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry with chiral derivatization

A liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) procedure was developed for the simultaneous determination of enantiomers of the prevalent designer drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its phase I and phase II metabolites in urine with chiral derivatization. The analytes in urine were directly derivatized with chiral Marfey’s reagent, N ^α- (5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl)-d-leucinamide, without extraction. The diastereomers of the N ^α-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-d-leucinamide derivatives generated were determined by LC-MS/MS. Satisfactory chromatographic separation was achieved for the enantiomers of MDMA and its metabolites 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA), HMMA glucuronide, and HMMA sulfate on a semimicro octadecylsilane column using linear gradient elution. With use of multiple reaction monitoring mode, the limits of detection of these analytes ranged from 0.01 to 0.03?μg/mL. Linear calibration curves were obtained for all enantiomers from 0.1 to 20?μg/mL in urine. The method showed sufficient reproducibility and quantitative ability. This is the first report of a simple LC-MS/MS-based analytical procedure with direct chiral derivatization in aqueous media that allows simultaneous enantiomeric determination of drugs and their metabolites, including glucuronide and sulfate derivatives.     

Rapid determination of glyphosate, glufosinate, bialaphos, and their major metabolites in serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using hydrophilic interaction chromatography

We developed a simple and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of phosphorus-containing amino acid herbicides (glyphosate, glufosinate, bialaphos) and their major metabolites, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and 3-methylphosphinicopropionic acid (MPPA), in human serum. Serum samples were filtrated through an ultrafiltration membrane to remove proteins. The filtrate was then washed with chloroform, and injected into a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) column. Determination of the target herbicides and metabolites was successfully carried out without derivatization or solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge clean-up. The recoveries of these compounds, added to human serum at 0.2μg/mL, ranged from 94% to 108%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were within 5.9%. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.01μg/mL for MPPA, 0.02μg/mL for AMPA, 0.03μg/mL for both glyphosate and glufosinate, and 0.07μg/mL for bialaphos, respectively.     

Analysis of carbamazepine and its five metabolites in serum by large-volume sample stacking–sweeping capillary electrophoresis

This study establishes a method, using different buffer conductivities and large-volume sample stacking (LVSS)–sweeping capillary electrophoresis, for analysis of carbamazepine (CBZ) and its five metabolites in serum. The capillary (50/60 cm) was filled with a high concentration of background electrolyte (150 mM phosphate, pH?3.5, containing 15 % methanol), followed by a large volume of samples (10 psi, 20 s) with low-concentration buffers (5 mM phosphate, pH?3.5, with 5 % methanol). When high voltage was applied (?20 kV), the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) started to sweep the analytes to an outlet. Meanwhile, the analytes decelerated at the boundary between low- and high-conductivity buffers. Finally, a narrow sample zone was formed. The procedure of sweeping and separation was simultaneously carried out by a sweeping buffer (150 mM phosphate, pH?3.5) with 15 % methanol and 50 mM SDS added, and the detection was performed by UV at 214 nm. The method was validated for linearity (r?≧?0.997), precision, and accuracy. The calibration curves were established for CBZ and its five metabolites between 0.03–25 and 0.03–3 μg/mL. The limits of detection (S/N?=?3) were 0.01 μg/mL for each analyte. Compared with simple MEKC (0.5 psi, 5 s), this system can improve the sensitivity about 300-fold. Finally, this method was successfully applied to five patients, who had taken 200 mg CBZ daily, and CBZ levels were found to be from 3.72 to 5.82 μg/mL.

LC–MS–MS Separation and Simultaneous Determination of Tolterodine and its Active Metabolite, 5-Hydroxymethyl Tolterodine in Human Plasma

A selective, sensitive and high throughput LC–MS–MS method has been developed and validated for the chromatographic separation and quantitation of tolterodine (TOL) and its metabolite 5-hydroxymethyl TOL in human plasma. Sample clean-up concerned liquid–liquid extraction of the drug, metabolite and their respective labelled internal standards from 300 μL human plasma. Both the analytes were chromatographically separated on a Symmetry C18 (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size) analytical column using 10 mM ammonium formate (pH 5.0 ± 0.1, adjusted with formic acid) and acetonitrile (35:65, v/v) as the mobile phase with a resolution factor of 2.72. The method was validated over the concentration range of 0.025–10.0 ng mL^?1 for both analytes. The process efficiency found for TOL and its metabolite was 98.3 and 99.5%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to a pivotal bioequivalence study in 41 healthy human subjects after oral administration of a 2 mg tablet formulation under fasting conditions.     

Simultaneous determination of sulfonamides and metabolites in manure samples by one-step ultrasound/microwave-assisted solid–liquid–solid dispersive extraction and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

An in-line matrix cleanup method was used for the simultaneous extraction of 15 sulfonamides and two metabolites from manure samples. The ultrasound/microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE) combined with solid–liquid–solid dispersive extraction (SLSDE) procedure provides a simple sample preparation approach for the processing of manure samples, in which the extraction and cleanup are integrated into one step. Ultrasonic irradiation power, extraction temperature, extraction time, and extraction solvent, which could influence the UMAE efficiency, were investigated. C₁₈ was used as the adsorbent to reduce the effects of interfering components during the extraction procedure. The extracts were concentrated, and the analytes were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) without any further cleanup. The isotopically labeled compounds sulfamethoxazole-d ₄, sulfamethazine-d ₄, sulfamonomethoxine-d ₄, and sulfadimethoxine-d ₆ were selected as internal standards to minimize the matrix effect in this method. The recoveries of the antibiotics tested ranged from 71 to 118 % at the three spiking levels examined (20, 200, and 500 μg?·?kg^-1). The limits of detections were 1.2–3.6 μg?·?kg^-1 and the limits of quantification were 4.0–12.3 μg?·?kg^-1 for the sulfonamides and their metabolites. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analyzing 30 commercial manure samples. The results indicated that UMAE–SLSDE combined with LC–MS/MS is a simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly method for the analysis of sulfonamides and their metabolites in manure, and it could provide the basis for a risk assessment of the antibiotics in agricultural environments.     

Microwave Assisted Extraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and their Determination by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry: Validation of the Method and Application to Marine Sediments

Microwave-assisted extraction of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their gas chromatographic mass spectrometric detection are presented herein. An efficient extraction was achieved in 15 minutes using 10 mL of 1:1 n-hexane-acetone while a clean-up step was developed studying the elution curves on solid phase extraction silica cartridges. The analytical method was optimized and validated using a certified reference marine sediment; satisfactory figures of merit were obtained with limits of detection in the range 0.001–0.004 µg/g, precision within 6%, and good linearity (regression coefficients generally higher than 0.998, in the concentration range 0.010–1.000 µg/mL). The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in real marine sediments collected in two coastal areas of Italy exposed to different anthropic impact: three tourist sites of Liguria and the Venetian Lagoon. The total concentration of the analytes in the samples was in the range 1.027–3.827 µg/g and the use of common markers suggested their probable pyrolytic origin.     

Enhancement of Fluorescence Intensity of Tramadol and Its Main Metabolites in LC Using Pre-Column Derivatization with 9-Fluorenylmethyl Chloroformate

Tramadol was found to exhibit weak fluorescence with a maximum emission at 300 nm when excited at 200 nm. Also, fluorescence spectra of the drug and its two main metabolites, O-desmethyltramadol and N-desmethyltramadol are not practically identical. Thus low and different sensitivities have been reported for the drug and its metabolites in previously published work. In the present method using 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC-Cl) as labeling agent, equal and magnified fluorescence intensity were obtained for the analytes. The drug, its metabolites and an internal standard (oseltamivir phosphate) were extracted from serum by dichloromethane. Pre-column derivatization of the analytes was achieved using FMOC-Cl in the presence of borate buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.5). Liquid chromatography with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of 0.05 M phosphate buffer containing triethylamine (2 ml L^?1; pH = 3.0) and methanol (54:46; v/v) and a Shimpack CLC-ODS column were used for analytical separation of the analytes. The fluorescence of the column effluent was monitored at an excitation and emission wavelengths of 265 and 315 nm, respectively. The analytical method was linear over the concentration range of 1.0–1,280 ng mL^?1 of the parent drug and its metabolites and limit of quantification of 1.0 ng mL^?1 was obtained for the analytes using 10 μL injection. The method validation was studied and the validated method applied in a bioequivalence study of 2 different tramadol preparations in 24 healthy volunteers.     

MEKC-LIF for Sensitive Discrimination of Six Potential Risk Predictors for Auxiliary Diagnosis of Anesthesia Complications in Clinical Urine Fluids

Biochemical analysis of the abnormalities of urinary metabolites is a powerful auxiliary method for diagnosis of anesthesia complications (AC). It is a cost-effective, time-saving, and complementary diagnosis method that can quickly generate clinical examination results. The current study describes a rapid and sensitive assay for simultaneous determination of six naturally occurring marker metabolites, namely dopamine (DPM), epinephrine (EPR), kynurenine (KNR), anthranilic acid (ATRA), hydroxylproline (OHP), and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), in urine fluids of diverse AC patients. This novel assay was based on micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) coupled with highly sensitive laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection and high-throughput built-in 96-well microplate (96-μ) precolumn derivatization. 5-Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) was chosen as the fluorescence labeling reagent. After full optimization of the derivatization and separation conditions, the quantization of six target analyses was achieved with good linearity (R ² > 0.998) with a linear range of 0.01–5 μM. The limits of detection (LODs, at S/N > 3) and limits of quantitation (LOQs, at S/N > 10) were determined to be 0.14–1.25 and 0.58–3.61 nM, respectively. The precision data of migration time and peak area, evaluated as relative standard derivations (RSDs), were less than 2.8 and 3.2 % for intraday assay (n = 6), and less than 4.2 and 4.5 % for interday assay (n = 6), respectively, indicating that the proposed method was highly reproducible. Satisfactory recoveries obtained were in the range of 97–106 %, in addition to the good stability of the CFSE derivative products. The feasibility of the proposed method was fully validated by applying quantitative analysis of the target analytes in substantial urine fluids from diverse AC patients.

     

Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Glyoxal and Methylglyoxal from Serum of Diabetic Patients using Meso‐Stilbenediamine as Derivatizing Reagent

Abstract

Meso‐stilbenediamine has been used as derivatizing reagent for liquid chromatographic (LC) determination of glyoxal (Go), methylglyoxal (MGo), and dimethylglyoxal (DMGo) at pH 3. Liquid chromatographic elution and separation was carried out from the column Kromasil 100 C‐18, 5 µm (15×0.46 mm i.d.) with methanol: water:acetonitrile (59:40:1, v/v/v) with a flow rate of 1 mL/min and ultraviolet detection at 254 nm. The linear calibration curves were obtained for Go, MGo, and DMGo within 0.97–4.86 µg/mL, 1.52–7.6 µg/mL, and 1.41–7.08 µg/mL with detection limits of 48 ng/mL, 76 ng/mL, and 70.8 ng/mL, respectively. The method was applied for the determination of Go and MGo from serum of patients suffering from diabetes and ketosis. The amounts of Go and MGo found were 0.150–0.260 µg/mL and 0.160–0.270 µg/mL with coefficient of variation (C.V.) 2.6–4.7% and 2.5–4.6%, respectively. The results obtained were compared with normal subjects with Go and MGo contents of 0.025–0.065 µg/mL and 0.030–0.070 µg/mL with C.V 1.5–4.9% and 1.6–4.8% in the serum.     

Fast Analysis of Synthetic Pyrethroid Metabolites in Water Samples Using In-Syringe Derivatization Coupled Hollow Fiber Mediated Liquid Phase Microextraction with GC-ECD

A fast and efficient method has been demonstrated for the trace determination of six important metabolites of synthetic pyrethroids including cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (cis- and trans-Cl₂CA), cis-3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (cis-Br₂CA), 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4-F-3-PBA), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), and 2-phenoxybenzoic acid (2-PBA) in environmental water samples using hollow fiber (HF)-mediated liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) coupled with in-syringe derivatization (ISD) followed by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detector (ECD) analysis. This method utilizes a HF membrane segment impregnated with extraction solvent as the LPME sampling probe, which was connected to a microsyringe pre-filled with derivatizing agents, and it was immersed into sample solution for extraction. After extraction, the extracting solution was subjected to derivatization reaction that was performed inside the syringe barrel followed by GC-ECD analysis. Under optimal conditions, the best extraction efficiency was obtained using sampling probe (2.0 cm hollow fiber) impregnated with 1-octanol immersed into water sample (5.0 mL, adjusted pH below 1.0) and stirring (1,250 rpm) for 10 min at 70 °C and diisopropylcarbodiimide (2 μL) and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (1 μL) were the derivatizing agents used. The detection limits of 3 ng mL^?1 for cis- and trans-Cl₂CA, 2 ng mL^?1 for cis-Br₂CA, 6 ng mL^?1 for 4-F-3-PBA, and 0.6 ng mL^?1 for 3-PBA and 2-PBA. The method showed good linearity (R ² = 0.973?0.998), repeatability from 4.0 to 13 % (n = 5), recovery from 79.2 to 95.7 %, and enrichment factors ranged between 109 and 159 for target analytes spiked in water samples. The proposed method and conventional methods were compared. Results suggested that the proposed HF-LPME-ISD/GC-ECD method was a rapid, simple, inexpensive, and eco-friendly technique for the analysis of metabolites of pyrethroids.     

Simultaneous screening of homotaurine and taurine in marine macro-algae using liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection

Simultaneous analysis of homotaurine and its homologous, taurine, is a highly challenging issue, especially in matrices they exist simultaneously. A simple precolumn derivatization procedure combined with high-performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection was developed for simultaneous determination of homotaurine and taurine in marine macro-algae. The analytes were derivated with o-phthalaldehyde at an ambient temperature and alkaline medium. Calibration curves were linear in the ranges of 50–2500 µg L^?1 for homotaurine and 100–2500 µg L^?1 for taurine with the coefficients of determination higher than 0.998. Limits of detection of homotaurine and taurine were 15 and 30 µg L^?1, respectively. Intraday (n = 6) and inter-day (n = 4) precisions of the method were satisfactory with relative standard deviations less than 6.0%. Good recoveries (>94%) were acquired by the method for extraction of homotaurine and taurine from algae matrices. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was also used to confirm detection of the analytes in algae samples. The data suggest that the method was successfully applied to simultaneous determination of homotaurine and taurine in algae samples.     

Quantitative determination of metformin,glyburide and its metabolites in plasma and urine of pregnant patients by LC‐MS/MS

This report describes the development and validation of an LC‐MS/MS method for the quantitative determination of glyburide (GLB), its five metabolites (M1, M2a, M2b, M3 and M4) and metformin (MET) in plasma and urine of pregnant patients under treatment with a combination of the two medications. The extraction recovery of the analytes from plasma samples was 87–99%, and that from urine samples was 85–95%. The differences in retention times among the analytes and the wide range of the concentrations of the medications and their metabolites in plasma and urine patient samples required the development of three LC methods. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of the analytes in plasma samples was as follows: GLB, 1.02 ng/mL; its five metabolites, 0.100–0.113 ng/mL; and MET, 4.95 ng/mL. The LLOQ in urine samples was 0.0594 ng/mL for GLB, 0.984–1.02 ng/mL for its five metabolites and 30.0 µg/mL for MET. The relative deviation of this method was <14% for intra‐day and inter‐day assays in plasma and urine samples, and the accuracy was 86–114% in plasma, and 94–105% in urine. The method described in this report was successfully utilized for determining the concentrations of the two medications in patient plasma and urine. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chiral HPLC Method for the Novel Triazole Antitubercular Compound MSDRT 12

Cyclohex-3-enyl(5-phenyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)methanol (MSDRT 12) is a novel triazole-based antitubercular compound with two chiral centres. Evaluation of the enantio-specific antitubercular activity has established that the stereoisomer 3 of MSDRT12 (Isomer 3) was the most potent isomer with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.78 μg/mL. The other stereoisomers show negligible or no activity. A sensitive, simple, specific, precise and accurate chiral chromatographic method for the direct analysis of the four stereoisomers of MSDRT 12 and the active Isomer 3 has been developed and validated. The method has also been validated for analysing the stereoisomeric impurities Isomer 1, Isomer 2 and Isomer 4 in the active Isomer 3. The separation of the four stereoisomers of MSDRT 12 was achieved using an immobilized polysaccharide-based column, Chiralpak ID with amylose tris(3-chlorophenylcarbamate) as the chiral selector. The separation was performed using a mixture of n-hexane, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol and diethylamine (60:35:5:0.1 v/v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The method offers excellent separation of the four stereoisomers with resolution more than 1.5 and tailing factor <1.5. The standard curves were linear over the concentration range 5–500 μg/mL and 0.40–505 μg/mL for MSDRT 12 and Isomer 3, respectively. Excellent linearity in the range 0.4–5 μg/mL was obtained for Isomer 1, Isomer 2 and Isomer 4 and these stereoisomeric impurities could be accurately and precisely quantified at a level of 0.1 % of the active isomer.     

Direct aqueous determination of glyphosate and related compounds by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry using reversed-phase and weak anion-exchange mixed-mode column

Analysis of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate and its related compounds is quite challenging. Tedious and time-consuming derivatization is often required for these substances due to their high polarity, high water solubility, low volatility and molecular structure which lacks either a chromophore or fluorophore. A novel liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS–MS) method has been developed for the determination of glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and glufosinate using a reversed-phase and weak anion-exchange mixed-mode Acclaim^® WAX-1 column. Aqueous environmental samples are directly injected and analyzed in 12 min with no sample concentration or derivatization steps. Two multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) channels are monitored in the method for each target compound to achieve true positive identification, and ¹³C,¹⁵N-glyphosate is used as an internal standard to carry out isotope dilution mass spectrometric (IDMS) measurement for glyphosate. The instrument detection limits (IDLs) for glyphosate, AMPA and glufosinate are 1, 2 and 0.9 μg/L, respectively. Linearity of the detector response with a minimum coefficient of determination (R²) value (R² > 0.995) was demonstrated in the range of ∼10 to 10³ μg/L for each analytes. Spiked drinking water, surface water and groundwater samples were analyzed using this method and the average recoveries of analytes in three matrices ranged from 77.0 to 102%, 62.1 to 101%, 66.1 to 93.7% while relative standard deviation ranged from 6.3 to 10.2%, 2.7 to 14.8%, 2.9 to 10.7%, respectively. Factors that may affect method performance, such as metal ions, sample preservation, and storage time, are also discussed.     

A Rapid and Sensitive LC–MS Method for Determination of Ezetimibe Concentration in Human Plasma: Application to a Bioequivalence Study

A selective and highly sensitive high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method has been developed for determination of ezetimibe concentrations in human plasma. Ezetimibe was extracted from plasma with ethyl acetate followed by evaporation of the organic layer and, then, reconstitution of the residue in mobile phase before injection to chromatograph. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-ammonium acetate (10 mM, pH 3.0), 75:25 (v/v). An aliquot of 10 μL was chromatographically analyzed on a prepacked Zorbax XDB-ODS C₁₈ column (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 micron). Detection of analytes was achieved by mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface in the negative ion mode operated under the multiple-reaction monitoring mode (m/z transition: ezetimibe 408–271). Standard curves were linear (r = 0.998) over the wide ezetimibe concentration range of 0.05–30.0 ng mL^?1 with acceptable accuracy and precision. The limit of detection was 0.02 ng mL^?1. The validated LC–APCI–MS method has been used successfully throughout a bioequivalence study on an ezetimibe generic product in 24 healthy male volunteers.     

Simultaneous Determination of Tamsulosin and Dutasteride in Human Plasma by LC–MS–MS

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS–MS) method was developed for simultaneous identification and quantification of tamsulosin and dutasteride in human plasma, which was well applied to clinical study. The method was based on liquid–liquid extraction, followed by an LC procedure with a Gemini C-18, 50 mm × 2.0 mm (3 μm) column and using methanol:ammonium formate (97:3, v/v) as the mobile phase. Protonated ions formed by a turbo ionspray in positive mode were used to detect analytes and internal standard. MS–MS detection was by monitoring the fragmentation of 409.1 → 228.1 (m/z) for tamsulosin, 529.3 → 461.3 (m/z) for dutasteride and 373.2 → 305.3 (m/z) for finasteride (IS) on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The lower limit of quantification for both tamsulosin and dutasteride was 1 ng mL^?1. The proposed method enables the unambiguous identification and quantification of tamsulosin and dutasteride for clinical drug monitoring.     

Determination of Flavonoid Markers in Honey with SPE and LC using Experimental Design

Determination of flavonoid markers quercetin, hesperetin, and chrysin, found in north Iranian citrus honey samples, was carried out by solid phase extraction (SPE) and isocratic liquid chromatographic separation using central composite design. Optimum conditions for SPE were achieved using 10 mL methanol/water (13:87, v/v, pH = 7) as the washing solvent and 4 mL methanol for elution. Good clean-up and high recovery >90% were observed for all analytes. The use of water/ACN/THF/AcOH (54:36:5:5, v/v) was found to serve as the optimum mobile phase composition and allowed for the separation of analytes from endogenous compounds present in honey. SPE parameters, such as maximum loading capacity and breakthrough volume, were also determined for each analyte. Limit of detection, linear range, recovery, repeatability of retention times, and peak heights were 3.11 × 10^?8–4.44 × 10^?8 g g^?1, 0.50–50.0 μg mL^?1 (R ² > 0.99), 90.7–96.9%, 3.0–3.6%, and 1.0–2.6%, respectively. Precision of the overall analytical procedure, estimated by five replicate measurements for quercetin, hesperetin and chrysin in citrus honey, as well as the relative standard deviations were 4.3%, 3.8%, and 5.5%, respectively.     

Simultaneous LC–MS–MS Analysis of Danshensu, Salvianolic Acid B, and Hydroxysafflor Yellow A in Beagle Dog Plasma, and Application of the Method to a Pharmacokinetic Study of Danhong Lyophilized Powder for Injection

A reliable and sensitive liquid chromatographic–tandem mass spectrometric method, with rutin as internal standard, has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of danshensu, salvianolic acid B (SAB), and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) in beagle dog plasma. Plasma samples spiked with the analytes were extracted by solid-phase extraction and the analytes were separated on a 250 × 4.6 mm i.d., 5-μm particle, C₁₈ column with methanol–acetonitrile–0.5% formic acid 20:25:55 (v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL min^?1. LC–MS–MS analysis was performed with a Finnigan TSQ triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer operated in negative-ion selected-reaction-monitoring mode, using electrospray ionization. The accuracy and precision of the method were acceptable and linearity was good over the range 20–4,000 ng mL^?1 for danshensu, 50–10,000 ng mL^?1 for SAB, and 10–2,000 ng mL^?1 for HSYA. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of a traditional Chinese medicinal preparation, Danhong lyophilized powder for injection.     

High-throughput simultaneous analysis of buprenorphine, methadone, cocaine, opiates, nicotine, and metabolites in oral fluid by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A method for simultaneous determination of buprenorphine (BUP), norbuprenorphine (NBUP), methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME), anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), morphine, codeine, 6-acetylmorphine (6AM), heroin, 6-acetylcodeine (6AC), nicotine, cotinine, and trans-3′-hydroxycotinine (OH-cotinine) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in oral fluid (OF) was developed and extensively validated. Acetonitrile (800 μL) and OF (250 μL) were added to a 96-well Isolute-PPT+protein precipitation plate. Reverse-phase separation was achieved in 16 min and quantification was performed by multiple reaction monitoring. The assay was linear from 0.5 or 1 to 500 μg/L. Intraday, interday, and total imprecision were less than 13% (n?=?20), analytical recovery was 92–114% (n?=?20), extraction efficiencies were more than 77% (n?=?5), and process efficiencies were more than 45% (n?=?5). Although ion suppression was detected for EME, cocaine, morphine, 6AC, and heroin (less than 56%) and enhancement was detected for BE and nicotine (less than 316%), deuterated internal standards compensated for these effects. The method was sensitive (limit of detection 0.2–0.8 μg/L) and specific (no interferences) except that 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyamphetamine interfered with AEME. No carryover was detected, and all analytes were stable for 24 h at 22 °C, for 72 h at 4 °C, and after three freeze–thaw cycles, except cocaine, 6AC, and heroin (22–97% loss). The method was applied to 41 OF specimens collected throughout pregnancy with a Salivette® OF collection device from an opioid-dependent BUP-maintained pregnant woman. BUP ranged from 0 to 7,400 μg/L, NBUP from 0 to 71 μg/L, methadone from 0 to 3 μg/L, nicotine from 32 to 5,020 μg/L, cotinine from 125 to 508 μg/L, OH-cotinine from 11 to 51 μg/L, cocaine from 0 to 419 μg/L, BE from 0 to 351 μg/L, EME from 0 to 286 μg/L, AEME from 0 to 7 μg/L, morphine from 0 to 22 μg/L, codeine from 0 to 1 μg/L, 6AM from 0 to 4 μg/L, and heroin from 0 to 2 μg/L. All specimens tested negative for EDDP and 6AC. This method permits a fast and simultaneous quantification of 16 drugs and metabolites in OF, with good selectivity and sensitivity.