Simultaneous quantitative cassette analysis of drugs and detection of their metabolites by high performance liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

A method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (MS) for simultaneous quantification of multiple drugs and detection of their metabolites is described. The new approach offers a significant increase in analytical throughput and is illustrated with analysis of the in vitro metabolism of 19 alpha-1a receptor antagonists. The compounds were separated into four cassette groups by using a computer program as well as by manual examination. The samples from incubation with dog liver microsomes were pooled into the designed cassette groups and analyzed by HPLC/electrospray (ESI) ion trap MS in full-scan mode. The metabolic stability of the drugs was determined by comparing their signals after incubation for 0 and 60 min, respectively. The quantitative results from the cassette analysis procedure agreed well with those obtained from conventional discrete analysis. In addition, the technique allowed simultaneous detection of metabolites formed during the same incubation without having to reanalyze the samples. The metabolites were first characterized by nominal mass measurement of the corresponding protonated molecules. Subsequent multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n)) on the ion trap instrument allowed confirmation of the detected metabolites.     

Analysis of native and chemically modified oligonucleotides by tandem ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HPLC) was utilized in tandem with negative-ion electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOFMS) for the analysis of native and chemically modified oligonucleotides. Separation was performed on a 1.0 x 50 mm column packed with porous C(18) sorbent with a particle size of 2.5 microm and an average pore diameter of 140 A. A method was developed which maximizes both chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric sensitivity using an optimized buffer system containing triethylamine and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol with a methanol gradient. The ESI-TOFMS tuning parameters were also optimized in order to minimize in-source fragmentation and achieve the best sensitivity. Analyses of native, phosphorothioate, and guanine-rich oligonucleotides were performed by LC/MS. Detection limits were at sub-picomole levels with an average mass accuracy of 125 ppm. The described method allowed for the LC/MS analysis of oligonucleotides up to 110mer in length with little alkali cation adduction. Since sensitive detection of oligonucleotides was achieved with ultraviolet (UV) detection, we utilized a combination of UV-MS for quantitation (UV) and characterization (MS) of oligonucleotides and their failure sequence fragments/metabolites.     

Analysis of amphetamines and fentanyls by atmospheric pressure desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and its application to forensic analysis of drug seizures

The suitability of atmospheric pressure desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry (AP-DIOS-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (AP-MALDI-MS) for the identification of amphetamines and fentanyls in forensic samples was studied. With both ionization techniques, the mass spectra recorded showed abundant protonated molecules, and the background did not disturb the analysis. The use of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed unambiguous identification of the amphetamines and fentanyls. AP-DIOS-MS/MS and AP-MALDI-MS/MS were also successfully applied to the identification of authentic compounds from drug seizures. Common diluents and tablet materials did not disturb the analysis and compounds were unequivocally identified. The limits of detection (LODs) for amphetamines and fentanyls with AP-DIOS-MS/MS were 1-3 pmol, indicating excellent sensitivity of the method. The LODs with AP-MALDI-MS/MS were about 5-10 times higher.     

Identification of bioactive peptides in hypoallergenic infant milk formulas by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

In this study, we use capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) for the identification of bioactive peptides in hypoallergenic infant milk formulas (IF), which are complex bovine milk protein hydrolysates. A sample clean-up pretreatment with a citrate buffer containing dithiothreitol and urea followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) with different reversed-phase commercial cartridges was investigated to achieve optimum detection sensitivity in CE-MS. SPE with C18, StrataX and Oasis HLB cartridges allowed detection of the largest number of low molecular mass components, but combination of C18 and StrataX results was enough to achieve an excellent coverage of the studied IF. The monoisotopic molecular mass values of the low molecular mass components obtained by capillary electrophoresis ion-trap mass spectrometry (CE-IT-MS) allowed the tentative identification of nine bioactive sequences. Only the identification of five of them could be confirmed when accurate mass measurements were performed by capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF-MS), namely LKP, IPY, ALPM, PGPIHN and VAGTWY, which were reported to present angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and antimicrobial activity (only VAGTWY).     

Determination of anthocyanins in wine by direct injection liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry and classification of wines using discriminant analysis

A rapid HPLC-diode array detection (DAD) method was developed for the routine analysis of 16 anthocyanins in wine. Direct injection of filtered wine samples followed by selective detection at 520 nm allowed quantitation of these compounds in red wines. The method was linear for malvidin-3-glucoside over the range 5-250ppm, and the limit of detection for this compound was 0.18 ppm. A volatile mobile phase is used, which enables hyphenation to mass spectrometry (MS). With HPLC-MS, a total of 44 pigments could be identified in South African wines. Obtained mass spectra are discussed for a series of representative wine constituents and results are compared with literature references. An attempt was made to differentiate between different cultivars according to the anthocyanin content using stepwise forward linear discriminant analysis (LDA).     

Ganglioside analysis by thin-layer chromatography matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Metastable decomposition of ions generated in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometers complicates analysis of biological samples that have labile bonds. Recently, several academic laboratories and manufacturers of commercial instruments have designed instruments that introduce a cooling gas into the ion source during the MALDI event and have shown that the resulting vibrational cooling stabilizes these labile bonds. In this study, we compared stabilization and detection of desorbed gangliosides on a commercial orthogonal time-of-flight (oTOF) instrument with results we reported previously that had been obtained on a home-built Fourier transform mass spectrometer. Decoupling of the desorption/ionization from the detection steps resulted in an opportunity for desorbing thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-separated gangliosides directly from a TLC plate without compromising mass spectral accuracy and resolution of the ganglioside analysis, thus coupling TLC and oTOF mass spectrometry. The application of a declustering potential allowed control of the matrix cluster and matrix adduct formation, and, thus, enhanced the detection of the gangliosides.     

Highly sensitive and accurate profiling of carotenoids by supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

We attempted to establish a high‐speed and high‐resolution profiling method for a carotenoid mixture as a highly selective and highly sensitive detection method; the analysis was carried out by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). When an octadecyl‐bonded silica (ODS) particle‐packed column was used for separation, seven carotenoids including structural isomers were successfully separated within 15 min. This result indicated not only improved separation but also improved throughput compared to the separation and throughput in RP‐HPLC. The use of a monolithic ODS column resulted in additional improvement in both the resolution and the throughput; the analysis time was reduced to 4 min by increasing the flow rate. Furthermore, carotenoids in biological samples containing the complex matrices were separated effectively by using several monolithic columns whose back pressure was very low. The mass spectrometer allowed us to perform a more sensitive analysis than UV detection; the detection limit of each carotenoid was 50 pg or below. This is the first report of carotenoid analysis carried out by SFC‐MS. The profiling method developed in this study will be a powerful tool for carrying out accurate profiling of biological samples.     

Application of a new zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography column for determination of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins

A novel method for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins which is based on the chromatographic separation of the toxins using a zwitterionic (ZIC) hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) column is presented. Efficient retention of the polar PSP toxins on the ZIC-HILIC column allowed their selective and sensitive determination by the application of mass spectrometric (MS/MS) detection or as derivatives after oxidation prior to fluorescence detection (FD). Low buffer concentrations and the omission of ion-pair reagents decreased the limits of detection (LODs) by MS/MS analysis and showed a good linearity for both methods of detection. This method can be applied for the qualitative and quantitative determination of PSP toxins in various types of phytoplankton, and for the routine analysis of seafood.     

Reversed-phase ion-pairing liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry for the analysis of negatively charged,derivatized glycans

The significant complexity, similar polarity and lack of ionizable sites make the analysis of glycans an analytical challenge. These compounds are often derivatized and separated by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or capillary electrophoresis (CE) followed by UV or fluorescence detection. Due to widespread use of reversed-phase chromatography coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry as an analytical tool, our laboratory has developed this methodology for the analysis of glycans derivatized with a negatively charged tag, 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (ANTS). It is possible to exploit the ability of this negatively charged tag to interact with a mobile phase ion-pairing reagent, allowing retention on a reversed-phase C(18) column for subsequent on-line UV or MS analysis. ANTS-derivatized samples, including a maltooligosaccharide ladder and glycans released from bovine ribonuclease B, bovine fetuin, and chicken ovalbumin, were analyzed using this method. In addition to reversed-phase retention, ribonuclease B and ovalbumin derivatives displayed highly desirable isomeric separation. With the use of mass spectrometric detection for glycan identity, this allowed relative quantitation of individual components.     

Investigations on the migration behaviour of purines and pyrimidines in capillary electromigration techniques with UV detection and mass spectrometric detection

Different approaches for the separation of a set of nucleosides and nucleobases using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) are described. Several electrolyte compositions have been tested for this purpose. The addition of appropriate amounts of borate to the carrier electrolyte allowed manipulating migration orders in CZE and MEKC by selective complexation of the nucleosides. For detection either UV or two different modes of mass spectrometric (MS) detection were employed. The latter approach included a comparison of two ion sources namely electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) with respect to their potential in the detection of the selected compounds. Thereby it could be demonstrated that, in particular when it comes to the analysis of real samples, APPI-MS is the better choice if MS detection of purines and pyrimidines after separation by CZE is required.     

Gold nanoparticles bridging infra-red spectroscopy and laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for direct analysis of over-the-counter drug and botanical medicines

With a coating of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and Chinese herbal medicine granules in KBr pellets could be analyzed by Fourier Transform Infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Surface-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS). FT-IR spectroscopy allows fast detection of major active ingredient (e.g., acetaminophen) in OTC drugs in KBr pellets. Upon coating a thin layer of AuNPs on the KBr pellet, minor active ingredients (e.g., noscapine and loratadine) in OTC drugs, which were not revealed by FT-IR, could be detected unambiguously using AuNPs-assisted LDI-MS. Moreover, phytochemical markers of Coptidis Rhizoma (i.e. berberine, palmatine and coptisine) could be quantified in the concentrated Chinese medicine (CCM) granules by the SALDI-MS using standard addition method. The quantitative results matched with those determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Being strongly absorbing in UV yet transparent to IR, AuNPs successfully bridged FT-IR and SALDI-MS for direct analysis of active ingredients in the same solid sample. FT-IR allowed the fast analysis of major active ingredient in drugs, while SALDI-MS allowed the detection of minor active ingredient in the presence of excipient, and also quantitation of phytochemicals in herbal granules.     

Detection of low-abundance impurities in synthetic thyroid hormones by stationary phase optimized liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

The transfer of a gradient method to an isocratic or multistep gradient method employing stationary phase optimized liquid chromatography facilitated a reduction in analysis time by 50% and significantly improved the mass spectrometric detectability of impurities in synthetic thyroid hormones. Four column segments packed with different stationary phases were combined into a single chromatographic column, which allowed the separation and photometric as well as mass spectrometric detection of thyroid compounds in less than 30 min under isocratic- or step gradient elution conditions with 0.10% acetic acid/acetonitrile. Signal instability and baseline drift during detection by negative electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry were minimized by optimizing the spray parameters for each individual elution step. This resulted in improved detectabilities and higher mass spectral quality, especially for low-abundance components in the sample mixture. The method was applied to the separation and detection of the low-abundance impurities formed upon the thermal stressing of a sample of synthetic levothyroxine.     

Glass capillary gas chromatography with simultaneous flame ionization (FID) and Hall® element-specific (HECD) detection

Two glass capillary gas chromatographic systems were equipped with inert effluent splitters which allowed simultaneous data acquisition using nonspecific and element-specific detectors. Simultaneous detection was achieved using the nonspecific flame ionization detector (FID) and the Hall^® electrolytic conductivity detector (HECD) operated in either the sulfur-or the nitrogen-specific mode. Typical application of the simultaneous detection system as applied to analysis of petroleum residues is briefly described. The Hall electrolytic conductivity detector can be made element specific for halogen-, sulfur-, or nitrogen-containing compounds. Simultaneous detection enhances the information yield from a single sample injection and proves to be a powerful complementary technique when used with computerized gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.     

Detection of selenocompounds in a tryptic digest of yeast selenoprotein by MALDI time-of-flight MS prior to their structural analysis by electrospray ionization triple quadrupole MS

MALDI-TOFMS was proposed as a key technique to a novel generic approach for the speciation analysis of selenium in yeast supplements. Owing to a lower detection limit and superior matrix tolerance to electrospray MS it allowed a successful detection of selenocompounds in samples for which electrospray MS had failed. The analytical approach developed was applied to the identification of a previously unreported selenopentapeptide (m/z 596) in the tryptic digest of a water-soluble selenoprotein fraction isolated by size-exclusion chromatography. The information on the mass of the protonated molecular ion obtained from MALDI allowed the optimization of the conditions for collision induced dissociation MS using a triple quadrupole spectrometer that enabled the determination of the amino acid sequence SeMet-Asn-Ala-Gly-Arg of the selenopeptide.     

Quantitative analysis of the experimental cytotoxic drug cyclopentenyl cytosine and its metabolite in plasma with HPLC tandem mass spectrometry

The cytotoxic drug cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC) is currently being investigated in early clinical trials. Monitoring of plasma levels is required for pharmacokinetic analysis and management of toxicity. This paper describes the analysis of CPEC and cyclopentenyl uracil (CPEU) in plasma by HPLC-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The calibration curves for CPEC and the metabolite CPEU were linear up to 10 microm with correlation coefficients of 0.997 (SD = 0.002, n = 10) and 0.997 (SD = 0.004, n = 10), respectively. The detection limit for CPEC was 0.03 and 0.12 microM for CPEU. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation for CPEC and CPEU were less then 10%. The usefulness of the method was demonstrated by analyzing CPEC and CPEU in plasma of a patient treated with CPEC. HPLC with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry allowed rapid and sensitive determination of CPEC and CPEU levels in plasma.     

Qualitative mass spectrometric analysis of the volatile fraction of creosote-treated railway wood sleepers by using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

The volatile composition of 20-year-old out-of-service creosote-treated railway wood sleepers was studied. The emitted volatile fraction was collected by means of dynamic purge-and-trap concentration at ambient temperature, and analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) hyphenated with mass spectrometric detection systems, using quadrupole (GC x GC/qMS) and time-of-flight (GC x GC/ToF-MS) mass analyzers and selective nitrogen-phosphorus detection (GC x GC-NPD). The analysis of mass spectrometry data and GC x GC retention time allowed the tentative identification of about 300 compounds based on spectrometric data and positioning of each compound in the GC x GC plot. Major important headspace components are polyaromatic hydrocarbons, phenols and benzene derivatives, hydrocarbons and heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen, sulphur or oxygen atoms. Many of the reported compounds are listed as belonging to toxicological substance classes which have been related to harmful health effects. GC x GC provides greater speciation and evidence of composition heterogenicity of the sample than one-dimensional GC analysis, thus allowing to better demonstrate its potential toxicity. Data obtained by specific detection systems for N-heterocycles assisted mass data interpretation assignments. The enhanced separation power obtained after GC x GC compared to one-dimensional gas chromatography (1D-GC) together with spectral deconvolution and correlation with physical-chemical data, allowed the identification of complex isomer clusters, as demonstrated for alkylquinolines, and applied also to alkylphenols, alkylbenzenes and alkylnaphthalenes.     

Analysis of β-agonists by HPLC/ESI-MS(n) in horse doping control

A sensitive method using LC/ESI-MS(n) has been developed on a quadrupole linear ion trap mass analyser for the detection of nine β(2) agonists (cimaterol, clenbuterol, fenoterol, formoterol, mabuterol, terbutaline, ractopamine, salbutamol and salmeterol) in horse urine. The method consists of solid-phase extraction on CSDAU cartridges before analysis by LC/ESI-MS(n) . The efficiency of extraction combined with the sensitivity and the selectivity of MS(n) allowed the detection of these compounds at pg/mL levels. Administration studies of fenoterol and formoterol are reported and show their possible detection after inhalation. The method is applicable for screening and confirmatory analysis.     

Improved detection of phosphopeptides by negative ion matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using a proton sponge co-matrix

Analysis of phosphopeptides is an important task in proteomic studies. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is a technique very commonly used for such a purpose. Analysis of phosphopeptides by MALDI-MS is, however, still a challenging task due to the low ionization efficiency of phosphopeptides. In this study, we reported that by using a proton sponge 1,8-bis(dimethyl-amino)naphthalene (DMAN) as a co-matrix, detection of phosphopeptides by negative ion MALDI-MS could be greatly improved. Combination of DMAN with another matrix 6-aza-2-thiothymine (ATT) and additive diammonium hydrogen citrate (DHC) allowed much lower limit of detection, significantly reduced signal suppression effects and improved position-to-position reproducibility for detection of phosphopeptides by negative ion MALDI-MS. Potential applications of the matrix system in qualification of phosphopeptides and analysis of proteolytic digests of phosphorylated proteins were also demonstrated in this study.     

Combination of suppressed and non-suppressed ion chromatography with atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry for the determination of anions

Non-suppressed and suppressed ion chromatography in combination with atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry are compared with special respect to sensitivity for the analysis of low-molecular-mass anions. Iodate, bromate, bromide, sulfate, thiosulfate and bromide could be separated by non-suppressed ion chromatography using a low-capacity anion-exchange column and ammonium citrate as mobile phase. Absolute detection limits between 0.4 and 0.7 ng could be achieved; employing a column requiring a flow-rate of 1 ml/min for optimum performance, splitting was necessary so that only 120 μl/min entered the interface of the mass spectrometer resulting in detection limits between 0.03 and 0.06 mg/l. The same stationary phase (packed into a narrow-bore column which allowed operation without splitting) was suitable for the separation of oxyhalides in the suppressed mode with detection limits of 0.5 μg/l (50 pg) with sodium carbonate as eluent. The method was applied to the analysis of drinking water for oxyhalides. The sample pretreatment for the removal of matrix anions (sulfate, chloride and hydrogencarbonate) is described.     

Analysis of agrochemicals by capillary electrophoresis

An increasing amount of articles using capillary electrophoresis as an investigation tool for pesticides and environmental pollutants were found over the last few years in analytical chemistry oriented journals. This review covers a wide literature range of the 1990s and concentrates on the analysis of organic agrochemicals (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, etc.) with capillary electrophoresis (capillary zone electrophoresis, micellar electrokinetic chromatography with CE-UV-visible or laser-induced fluorescence detection) as well as with the on-coming hyphenated techniques like capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The principal preconcentration methods that allowed real sample analysis with CE are also briefly discussed. The pesticides, the separation methods, the used electrolytes, the detection types, the detection limits and the preconcentration methods were classified and presented in tabulated form as a rapid information tool.