Separation of gold nanoparticles with a monolithic silica capillary column in liquid chromatography

A separation system for gold nanoparticles was developed using monolithic silica capillary columns with 50 μm i.d., which were prepared via in-situ sol-gel processes. Gold nanoparticles with five different average sizes were synthesized via reduction of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl(4)) under different synthesis conditions, and were evaluated by UV-visible spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering as well as transmission electron microscopy before they were separated using the developed system. The results showed that all of the gold nanoparticles had a certain size distribution, and the mean sizes obtained were 13, 17, 33, 43 and 61 nm, with σ = 2.5, 2.7, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.6 nm, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the samples with mean sizes of 13 and 17 nm were almost spherical, while larger samples were slightly non-uniform. The agglomeration of gold nanoparticles as the sample could be prevented by using a sodium dodecyl sulfate aqueous solution as the mobile phase, and gold nanoparticles were retained by adsorption on the silica surface. Separation with 8 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate as the eluent and a 1000-mm column was successful, and the separation of gold nanoparticles with 61 and 17 nm or 61 and 13 nm was demonstrated. The separation results obtained using a nonporous silica packed column as well as monolithic silica columns with or without mesopore growth were compared. It was found that separation using the mesopore-less monolithic column achieved better resolution. Through the use of a 2000-mm separation column, the mixtures of 61, 43, 17 nm and 61, 33, 13 nm could be separated.     

Determination of vitamins A and E in serum and plasma using a simplified clarification method and high-performance liquid chromatography

A method of sample clarification and high-performance liquid chromatography specifically developed to permit precise and rapid determination of vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) in serum and plasma is reported. Serum proteins were denatured by the addition of acetonitrile containing alpha-tocopherol acetate, the internal standard; the vitamins were subsequently extracted into an organic matrix consisting of ethyl acetate-butanol (1:1); no solvent evaporation step was required. The three vitamins of interest were eluted from a reversed-phase C18 column with an isocratic mobile phase methanol-water (95:5); detection was accomplished by measuring ultraviolet absorption at 280 nm. Recoveries of retinol, alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate from spiked aqueous samples averaged 100.0, 100.0 and 98.8%, respectively. Recoveries of retinol, alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate from plasma and serum relative to water were 102.6, 96.9 and 96.5%, respectively. Retinol and alpha-tocopherol were stable in the extraction matrix for up to 3.5 h, and were stable in heparinized plasma stored at room temperature for two days. Oxalate, citrate and EDTA caused significant losses of retinol and alpha-tocopherol, while vitamin levels in serum and heparinized plasma were similar. Limits of detection for retinol and alpha-tocopherol were 60 ng/ml and 0.9 micrograms/ml, respectively. Each run required 12 min. Same-day coefficients of variation were 3.5 and 3.6% for retinol and alpha-tocopherol, respectively (n = 11). Between-day coefficients of variation for retinol and alpha-tocopherol were 4.8 and 5.5%, respectively (n = 5). This method permits simple, rapid, sensitive, selective and precise determination of retinol and alpha-tocopherol using 0.5 ml of serum or heparinized plasma.     

Simultaneous determination of retinol, alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene in serum by isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography.

A simultaneous determination of retinol, alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography is described. Total analysis time is 13 min. A reversed-phase (Ultrasphere ODS, 5 microns) column is used with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-dichloromethane (70:10:20, v/v/v) and a flow-rate of 1.2 ml/min. Retinol is monitored at 325 nm, alpha-tocopherol at 292 nm and beta-carotene at 450 nm. Serum is deproteinized with ethanol containing the internal standard (alpha-tocopherol acetate), then extracted with hexane. The evaporated organic layer is reconstituted with the mobile phase and injected. The choice of the eluent is discussed, as well as the choice of an internal standard and the need for an antioxidant during the extraction step. Sixteen different eluents are compared in terms of analysis time and selectivity. The linear concentration ranges (retinol 0.016-13.7 microM, alpha-tocopherol 0.18-91.8 microM, beta-carotene 0.05-5.75 microM), within-run coefficients of variation (retinol less than 7%; alpha-tocopherol less than 8%, beta-carotene less than 7%), between-run coefficients of variation (retinol less than 13%, alpha-tocopherol less than 9%, beta-carotene less than 8%) and recoveries (retinol greater than 95%, alpha-tocopherol greater than 91%, beta-carotene greater than 80%) are suitable for clinical investigations. Serum reference values were found to be 2.47 +/- 0.61 microM (retinol), 30.5 +/- 6.8 microM (alpha-tocopherol) and 0.91 +/- 0.55 microM (beta-carotene). A significant difference (p less than 0.001) between males and females was found for retinol.     

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous determination of alpha-tocopherol, retinol and retinyl esters in human serum using a monolithic column for the monitoring of anticancer therapy side effects

Among other side effects, administration of anticancer agents is accompanied by manifestations of gastrointestinal toxicity and disturbances of antioxidant balance. The monitoring of these toxic effects in clinical practice is impeded by a dearth of reliable laboratory methods. Therefore, a simple and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography procedure for selective and sensitive determination of retinol, a-tocopherol, and retinyl esters (retinyl-palmitate and retinyl-stearate) in blood serum has been developed and presented in this study. A Series 200 LC HPLC instrument from Perkin Elmer (Norwalk, USA) with diode-array detector (DAD) was used for the analysis. Separations of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, retinyl-palmitate, and retinyl-stearate were performed using a Chromolith Performance RP-18e, 100 x 4.6 mm monolithic column from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Gradient elution was used at a flow rate of 3 mL/min; the mobile phase was methanol-water (95:5, v/v) for 0-2.1 min and methanol-2-propanol (60:40, v/v) for 2.1-4.9 min. The total time of analysis was 6 min. The injection volume was 20 microL and the analysis was performed at ambient temperature. Detection of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and retinyl esters was carried out at 325, 295, and 330 nm, respectively. For practical assessment of the method, the vitamin A absorption test was performed on seven healthy controls as well as on six patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma or head and neck carcinoma previously treated by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, six patients with rectal carcinoma before chemoradiotherapy, four patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) before treatment with imatinib, and a breast cancer patient with chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. Present data demonstrate the feasibility of large scale HPLC determination of vitamin E, vitamin A, and retinyl esters in human serum using a silica monolithic column, and this method may represent a valuable aid in the laboratory monitoring of the toxicity of anticancer therapy.     

Simultaneous determination of five fat-soluble vitamins in feed by high-performance liquid chromatography following solid-phase extraction

A high-performance liquid chromatography method is developed for the simultaneous determination of menadione, retinyl acetate, cholecalciferol, alpha-tocopherol, and alpha-tocopherol acetate in feed. The present study uses an enzyme to destroy the coating film, ethanol to extract free vitamins, and Oasis HLB cartridges to purify. Vitamins are separated using an Atlantis dC18 column. The mobile phase is methanol-water (98:2 v/v). Detection is performed with a UV-vis detector at 230 and 265 nm. The linearity, accuracy, and repeatability of this method are all satisfactory. Application of the method is suitable for the determination of the fat-soluble vitamins in general feed.     

Miniaturisation of solid phase extraction method for determination of retinol,alpha- and gamma-tocopherol in human serum using new technologies

The aim of this study was to develop rapid and simple solid phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC methods for simultaneous determination of retinol, gamma- and alpha-tocopherol in human serum using a special auto sampler with micro titration plates.

Separation of vitamins was performed at ambient temperature using monolithic column on a HPLC containing rack changer for micro titration plates. As the mobile phase methanol with flow rate 2.5 mL min^?1 was used. The injection volume was 20 µL. Retinol was detected at 325 nm, gamma- and alpha-tocopherol were carried out at 295 nm, respectively. The total time of analysis was 1.8 minutes. Extraction method was developed using Spe-ed 96 C18, 100 mg/2 mL micro titration plates and SPE vacuum manifold. The consumption of the sample was 50 µL. Time of the analysis for 96 samples on one micro titration plate was 1.5 hour. In order to validate the developed method, precision, accuracy, linearity, detection and quantitation limits were evaluated. This method is suitable for rapid automated large-batch analysis of retinol, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol in small sample volumes of human serum.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of carotenoids and vitamins A and E in multivitamin tablets

Carotenoids and vitamins A and E in multivitamin tablets can be determined simultaneously by reversed-phased liquid chromatography (LC) with a programmable UV detector. Samples were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and then extracted with hexane. A portion was injected onto a Symmetry C18, 150 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microns column and chromatographed with a mobile phase of acetonitrile--0.25% ammonium acetate in methanol and 0.05% triethylamine in dichloromethane. A step gradient was used. The system was operated at 25 degrees C with a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. UV detection was at 325 nm for retinols, 285 nm for tocopherols, and 450 nm for carotenoids. Detection limits were less than 0.3 ng for retinol and retinyl acetate; 2 ng for alpha-tocopherol acid succinate; 10 ng for alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and alpha-tocopherol acetate; and 0.4 ng for alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. Intraday and interday coefficients of variation ranged from 1.40 to 5.20%. The sample preparation method and LC assay are practical for quality control and routine analysis of multivitamin tablets.     

新型亚微米亲水作用色谱的制备及其在加压毛细管电色谱中的应用

采用改良Stöber法合成580 nm亚微米单分散的二氧化硅微球，并以此为基质，通过"巯基-烯"点击化学反应将半胱氨酸成功键合到修饰有乙烯基团的二氧化硅微球表面，合成了一种新型亚微米亲水作用固定相（Cys-VTMS-SiO₂）。采用高压匀浆法制备了新型亚微米亲水色谱填充柱，通过不同乙腈比例、缓冲盐浓度和pH条件下对甲苯、丙烯酰胺和硫脲的分离分析揭示其亲水机理。依托加压毛细管电色谱平台，成功实现了对核苷、酚类、胺类及多肽等亲水性物质的快速有效分离，其有望应用于其他强极性和亲水性化合物的分离分析。     

硅胶基硝化苯硼酸亲和色谱材料的合成及应用

合成了硅胶基硝化苯硼酸亲和色谱材料,首先对间氨基苯硼酸进行硝基化,制得3-氨基-4-硝基苯硼酸功能基团,通过γ-缩水甘油醚氧丙基三甲氧基硅烷把功能基团键合到硅胶基体上,在20.7MPa压力下装成亲和色谱预柱(35mm×4.6mmi.d.)。用该预柱通过六通阀后接ODS分析柱(250mm×4.6mmi.d.),构成中心切割二维HPLC。该系统能对含有顺二羟基结构的化合物进行在线富集,实现生物复杂样品直接进样分离分析。使用该系统对尿中多种修饰核苷进行了分离分析,以pH值7.95的0.25mol/LNH4Ac碱性缓冲液把实际尿样(100μL)中核苷保留在预柱上,生物大分子无保留通过,再切换六通阀,以pH4.50的25mmol/LKH2PO4酸性洗脱液把保留在预柱上的核苷洗脱,进样到下一级ODS分析柱柱头上聚焦,然后用梯度洗脱法(pH4.50的25mmol/LKH2PO4缓冲液与体积比60∶40的甲醇-水梯度混合构成洗脱液)完成核苷在ODS分析柱上的分离(紫外检测260nm),11种目标核苷的分离分析取得了良好的定性定量结果。     

Determination of alpha-tocopherol in the Traditional Chinese Medicinal preparation Sea buckthorn oil capsule by non-aqueous reversed phase-HPLC

A non-aqueous reversed phase HPLC was developed for determining alpha-tocopherol in Sea buckthorn oil capsule without the need for saponification. A reversed phase column (Alltima C(18), 4.6 x 250 mm, 5 microm) was used with a mobile phase of methanol-acetonitrile (95 : 5, v/v) and flow rate of 1 ml/min. The contents in capsule were extracted with n-hexane. Detection wavelength was set at 292 nm. Each analysis requires no longer than 20 min. The linearity range for alpha-tocopherol was 9.4-47.0 microg/ml. The detection limit was 0.94 microg/ml. The mean recovery was 95.82 (RSD 2.3%). This method is suitable for quantitative analysis of alpha-tocopherol in Sea buckthorn oil or its Traditional Chinese Medicinal preparation.     

Simple reversed-phase liquid chromatography method for determination of tocopherols in edible plant oils

A simple and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for determination of alpha-, (beta + gamma), and delta-tocopherols in edible plant oils has been developed. Oils are diluted in 2-propanol and injected directly onto Symmetry C18 column. Methanol and acetonitrile (1:1) are used as a mobile phase. Tocopherols are detected using fluorescence detector set at excitation and emission wavelength 295 nm and 325 nm, respectively. The method is precise (R.S.D. not higher than 2.24%) and sensitive-detection limits (DL) are 8 ng/ml for gamma- and delta-tocopherols and 28 ng/ml for alpha-tocopherol; quantification limits (QL) were calculated as three times higher than DL.     

Hydrothermal preparation of hybrid carbon/silica monolithic capillary column for liquid chromatography

A simple, easy and economical approach for the preparation of a hybrid carbon/silica monolithic capillary column was described for the first time by using silica monolith as framework in combination with hydrothermal carbonization at 180°C. During the preparation process, formamide was introduced to the reaction solutions to reduce the dissolution rate of monolithic silica skeleton and its optimal concentration was 1.5 M. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry, and inverse size exclusion chromatography were carried out to characterize the as‐prepared column. The results demonstrated that carbon spheres ranging from 150 to 1000 nm were successfully attached to the surface of silica skeleton. The prepared hybrid carbon/silica column had a permeability of 4.4 × 10^?14 m². Chromatographic performance of the column was evaluated by separation of various compounds including alkylbenzenes, nucleosides and bases, and aromatic acids. The column exhibited an efficiency of 75 000 plates/m for butylbenzene at the optimal linear velocity of 0.23 mm/s. The successful separation of these compounds and the study on mechanism indicated that the column can be applied in mixed‐mode chromatography.     

Enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography of therapeutically relevant aminoalcohols as their fluorescent 1-naphthyl isocyanate derivatives

A method for determining the enantiomers of 10 therapeutically relevant aminoalcohols using HPLC and precolumn derivatization was developed. Naphthyl isocyanate reacted with racemic aminoalcohols to form urea derivatives which were separated isocratically on a cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) coated silica gel column, and detected fluorometrically in the lower ng mL(-1) range. The effluents can also be monitored at lower sensitivity, using an ultraviolet detector operated at 220 nm.     

纳米硅胶多孔层毛细管气相色谱柱的原位溶胶-凝胶法制备及其应用

采用原位溶胶-凝胶法在毛细管内壁上合成出均匀的纳米硅胶多孔层,对纳米硅胶颗粒进行了形貌表征,同时考察了不同反应条件下合成的纳米硅胶的比表面积、孔容和孔径的变化规律。先采用含氢硅油高温键合固化硅胶层,然后用无机盐淋洗钝化毛细管色谱柱,制备出纳米多孔层硅胶毛细管色谱柱。考察了所制备的纳米多孔层硅胶毛细管色谱柱对挥发性氟氯烃、水中氯代烃、含硫化合物以及低碳烃的分离特性。结果表明:所制备的纳米多孔层硅胶毛细管色谱柱具有良好的分离能力、一定的抗水性、稳定的色谱保留特性和良好的制柱重复性。     

Determination of melengestrol acetate in bovine tissues by automated coupled-column normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A method has been developed for the determination of melengestrol acetate in bovine tissues at lower levels than previously reported. Liquid-liquid extraction of tissue homogenates provided crude clean-up while final isolation, screening, and quantification was done on-line with an automated, normal-phase, coupled-column high-performance liquid chromatographic system. The chromatographic system included phenyl and silica analytical columns for the purposes of isolation and final separation, respectively. These columns provided a large difference in selectivity when operated under normal-phase conditions which allowed for the efficient isolation of melengestrol acetate from the complex tissue extracts. Mobile phases were composed of hexane and dichloromethane modified with methanol and water. Transfer and enrichment of the analyte from the primary phenyl column to the silica column was via a short (12 mm x 4 mm I.D.) silica column. Regeneration and equilibration of the phenyl column was performed after the injection of each tissue extract and was accomplished simultaneously while analytical separation occurred on the final silica column. Routing of the mobile phases and regeneration solvent was performed with automated switching valves. The total time required for each analysis was 12 min. Quantification is demonstrated using external standards with UV detection at 287 nm. The overall recovery of the method was 86% with a coefficient of variation of 9.84% at the 10 ppb [the American billion (10(9] is used in this article] level in bovine liver extracts.     

The application of functional silica nanoparticles to fulfill the rapid and improved enantioselective capillary electrophoresis separation of amino acid derivatives

In this study, diamino moiety functionalized silica nanoparticles with the size of 118 ± 12 nm were successfully synthesized and directly introduced into a chiral capillary electrophoresis system to improve the enantioseparation of 9‐fluorenyl methoxycarbonyl derivatized amino acids using norvancomycin as chiral selector. Under acidic background electrolyte conditions, functional silica nanoparticles can be readily adsorbed onto the inner surface of bare silica capillary column through electrostatic interaction to form a dynamic coating, resulting in a reversed anodic electro‐osmotic flow (i.e. from cathode to anode). As expected, chiral amino acid derivatives (usually negatively charged) can be rapidly separated under co‐electro‐osmotic flow conditions in the current separation system. Furthermore, the column performance and detection sensitivity for the enantioseparation were also obviously improved because the adsorption of chiral selector of norvancomycin to the capillary wall was greatly suppressed. Some important factors influencing the separation, such as the coating thickness, background electrolyte concentration, functional silica nanoparticles concentration, and the organic modifier were also investigated and the optimized separation conditions were obtained.     

Determination of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherylquinone in rat tissues and plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherylquinone in rat tissues and plasma were determined simultaneously by using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED) with dual electrodes in the series mode. Biological samples were saponified in the presence of a mixture of butylated hydroxytoluene, ascorbic acid, and pyrogallol and then extracted with hexane. The compounds were separated on a C18 column using a mobile phase containing 95% methanol and 0.05 M sodium perchlorate as the supporting electrolyte. After HPLC separation, alpha-tocopherylquinone was first reduced at an upstream electrode at -500 mV Both alpha-tocopherol and the reduction product of alpha-tocopherylquinone were then oxidized downstream at +600 mV. Only the downstream electrode current was monitored for the determination. Linearity of the standard curves was obtained over the range 5-30 pmol for alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherylquinone. Minimum detectable quantities (S/N of 3) were 0.25 pmol for alpha-tocopherol and 0.31 pmol for alpha-tocopherylquinone. The method was applied to analysis of the contents of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherylquinone in rat tissues and plasma. By hyperoxia, the content of alpha-tocopherol was decreased remarkably in lung, and in contrast, the contents of alpha-tocopherylquinone were increased in all tissues studied with the exception of plasma, though the content of alpha-tocopherylquinone in normal rats is quite small. The technique is particularly useful in the quantitation of the oxidation of alpha-tocopherol in biological samples.     

原子转移自由基聚合技术制备L-苯丙氨酸手性配体交换色谱固定相及其对手性化合物的拆分

在室温条件下,以甲基丙烯酸环氧丙酯(GMA)为单体,溴异丁酰溴为引发剂,CuCl/2,2′-联吡啶(Bpy)为催化剂,通过原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)反应,将甲基丙烯酸环氧丙酯聚合在硅胶表面。然后再将L-苯丙氨酸共价键合在硅胶表面的聚合物上,制备了新型手性配体交换色谱固定相,并用该固定相对DL-氨基酸进行分离。用元素分析对其进行了表征;详细考察了固定相的合成过程以及流动相pH值、流动相铜离子浓度、柱温等色谱条件对DL-氨基酸对映体拆分的影响。元素分析得出该固定相表面L-苯丙氨酸接枝密度达到4.32 mg/m2;在手性配体交换分离模式下,流动相为0.05 mol/L KH2PO4-0.1 mmol/L Cu(Ac)2水溶液、流速为1.0 mL/min、柱温为50 ℃和检测波长为223 nm条件下,该色谱固定相可以分离DL-天冬氨酸、DL-天冬酰胺等。同时,流动相pH值、铜离子浓度以及柱温对手性对映体的拆分有较大影响。与传统的在硅胶表面直接键合L-苯丙氨酸制得的固定相相比,所合成的固定相接枝密度高,分离效果好,对DL-天冬氨酸及DL-天冬酰胺实现了基线分离。结果表明,在手性配体交换分离模式下,固定相具有良好的拆分性能。     

Separation and simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of benzocaine and benzyl benzoate in a pharmaceutical preparation.

A simple reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method suitable for the simultaneous determination of benzocaine and benzyl benzoate in dermatological preparations is described. An internal standard method was employed, using C18 "bonded phase" silica column and a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile - water (40:60, v/v), with absorption of the column effluent monitored at 254 nm. No sources of interference were observed. The simultaneous determination of both compounds by the method described is rapid and accurate.     

Quantitative determination of alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherols in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as trimethylsilyl derivatives with a two-step sample preparation

Using a two-step sample preparation with Extrelut and silica gel extraction in Pasteur pipettes it is possible to quantify all tocopherols in human serum samples by means of normal-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection (lambda(ex) 295 nm, lambda(em) 330 nm) or by GC-MS of their trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives. The method has been used in pharmacoepidemiological studies concerning the exposition with vitamin E-containing drugs in Germany. The recovery for all tocopherols is 98% and the limit of detection is 50 pg for alpha-tocopherol in the HPLC and 40 pg for all TMS-tocopherols in the GC-MS method using the selected ion monitoring mode with a well-tuned GCQ system. Linearity of calibration is excellent for both methods over the full physiological relevant range. Due to the low sample amount needed, the method is suitable for epidemiological and paediatric research.