气相色谱-质谱和液相色谱-质谱联用方法用于口腔癌代谢组学分析

口腔癌的发病率占全身恶性肿瘤的第6位,正确区分正常状态与良性和恶性口腔肿瘤,是恰当选择治疗方案的关键所在。本研究中,首先利用液相色谱-质谱和气相色谱-质谱联用方法分别得到健康人、良性口腔肿瘤患者和恶性口腔肿瘤患者血浆、尿液和唾液的代谢轮廓,然后应用正交信号校正的偏最小二乘法进行多变量统计分析。结果表明健康人、良性肿瘤患者和恶性肿瘤患者在血浆、尿液和唾液等3种体液代谢中都可以被区分开,而且找到和鉴定出19个重要差异代谢物。相关代谢通路分析显示,与健康人相比,良性和恶性口腔肿瘤患者都存在能量代谢紊乱和脂类代谢失衡的现象,但恶性口腔肿瘤患者还表现出三羧酸循环和肌醇代谢异常,这为临床诊断及治疗提供了重要信息。     

Structure and electronic properties of amino acid ionic liquids

The interactions between eight amino acid based anions and four imidazolium-based cations have been investigated by density functional theory. The electronic and structural properties of the resulting amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) have been unveiled by means of the atoms in molecules framework. The calculated interaction energy was found to increase in magnitude with decreasing alkyl chain length at imidazolium ring. Moreover, AAILs composed of an amino acid with some functional group such as aromatic ring had decreased interaction energy. Finally, several correlative relationships between glass transition temperature and interaction energy as well as density at bond critical point have been checked for 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium based ILs. Although the obtained correlations do not show excellent fits, a preliminary estimation of the glass transition temperature of different AAILs can be achieved by use of their electronic properties.     

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

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

基于部分酸水解-亲水作用色谱-质谱的黄芪多糖结构表征

来自中药的水溶性多糖具有广谱治疗和低毒性特点,是天然药物及保健品研发中的重要组成部分。针对中药多糖结构复杂、难以表征的问题,本文以中药黄芪中的多糖为研究对象,采用"自下而上"法完成对黄芪多糖的表征。首先使用部分酸水解方法水解黄芪多糖,分别考察了水解时间、酸浓度和温度的影响。在适宜条件(4 h、1.5 mol/L三氟乙酸、80 ℃)下,黄芪多糖被水解为特征性的寡糖片段。接下来,采用亲水作用色谱与质谱联用对黄芪多糖部分酸水解产物进行分离和结构表征。结果表明,提取得到的黄芪多糖主要为1→4连接线性葡聚糖,水解得到聚合度4~11的葡寡糖。本研究对其他中药多糖的表征具有一定的示范作用。     

Amphotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour of glycolipids in amino acid ionic liquids

We examined lyotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour of glycolipids (GLs) with a normal alkyl chain or a diacetylene-functionalised alkyl chain in several amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs). It was found that the mixtures of GL and AAIL form various nanosegregated liquid-crystalline phases, such as smectic, bicontinuous cubic and hexagonal columnar phases, depending on the two-component ratio and AAIL species. The observed liquid-crystalline behaviours were summarised as phase diagrams. It is noteworthy that the employment of amino acid anions with superior hydrogen-bonding ability, such as aspartic and glutamic acid anions, gives a phase diagram with a wide liquid-crystalline region. Comparing with a phase diagram obtained for the GL/water mixtures, we gained insights on the similarity/dissimilarity between water and AAILs as self-organisation media of amphiphiles. For the diacetylene-functionalised molecule, UV irradiation was carried out to progress polymerisation. It is of interest that the polymerisation reaction progressed when the glycolipid formed a smectic phase in an AAIL while a reaction progress was not found when it formed a bicontinuous cubic phase in another AAIL. We believe that AAILs have a great potential to be a liquid media not only for amphiphiles but for various functional materials, such as polymers and colloids, to form novel assemblies.     

Supported absorption of CO2 by tetrabutylphosphonium amino acid ionic liquids

A new type of "task specific ionic liquid", tetrabutylphosphonium amino acid [P(C4)4][AA], was synthesized by the reaction of tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide [P(C4)4][OH] with amino acids, including glycine, L-alanine, L-beta-alanine, L-serine, and L-lysine. The liquids produced were characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopies, and elemental analysis, and their thermal decomposition temperature, glass transition temperature, electrical conductivity, density, and viscosity were recorded in detail. The [P(C4)4][AA] supported on porous silica gel effected fast and reversible CO2 absorption when compared with bubbling CO2 into the bulk of the ionic liquid. No changes in absorption capacity and kinetics were found after four cycles of absorption/desorption. The CO2 absorption capacity at equilibrium was 50 mol % of the ionic liquids. In the presence of water (1 wt %), the ionic liquids could absorb equimolar amounts of CO2. The CO2 absorption mechanisms of the ionic liquids with and without water were different.     

Quantification of small amounts of ionic liquids in solutions using CHN analysis

A method for the quantification of small amounts (0.01–0.03 mol L^–1) of ionic liquids (IL) [BMIM]Br, Bu₄NBr, and Bu₄NHSO₄ in solutions using CHN analysis was proposed. The sample preparation procedure is based on evaporating the volatile components from the solution and concentrating of IL in an inert porous material (SiO₂). Prior to preparation and analysis, the solid samples were heated at a temperature selected based on DTA data. This procedure can be used to determine the content of IL in solutions and catalytic mixtures.     

High throughput log D determination using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method has been developed which allows direct measurement of partition coefficients (log D, log P) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The high throughput, microtiter plate based protocol uses small quantities of 10 mM analyte in DMSO solution (5 microL) and is therefore amenable to standard archive and screening formats. Single Ion Monitoring (SIM) mass spectrometry is used to achieve optimal sensitivity. Experimental log D values for 34 known drugs have been determined, with partition coefficients ranging from -2 to 5, giving data very similar to literature values. In these analyses, deviations from known values average less than 0.3 log units. The sample handling and data processing have been significantly automated, and the protocol has been applied to over 800 in-house lead molecules to date. In its format, sensitivity, throughput, and amenability to automation, it represents significant progress in the direct measurement of partitioning behavior [1].     

Detection of Nepsilon-monomethyllysine using high-performance liquid chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Nepsilon-Monomethyllysine was identified in the serum, urine, brain, and liver samples of rats treated per os with L-deprenyl. The identification procedure included reaction with Fmoc chloride, clean-up, and analysis using HPLC-UV-MS. Oral administration of (-)-N-14C-methyl-N-propynyl(2-phenyl-1-methyl)ethylammonium hydrochloride L-deprenyl) to rats resulted in transfer of the radiolabelled methyl group to the Nepsilon-amino group of the endogenous lysine. The radiolabelled Nepsilon-monomethyllysine was urinary eliminated together with the other radiolabelled deprenyl metabolites, such as deprenyl-N-oxide and methamphetamine. The presence of Nepsilon-monomethyllysine has also been traced, and its concentrations were compared in the serum, liver and brain of rats subjected to L-deprenyl treatment. Methyl group transfer from the L-deprenyl to endogenous compounds; and the urinary elimination of their products may offer a vital way to eliminate or to decrease the degree of drug transmethylation to the lysine constituents of blood vessels' proteins.     

Structure elucidation of drug metabolites using thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been used to provide structural information both from in vitro and in vivo experiments. This paper will describe the more salient aspects of the technique that have emerged. The ability of the interface to handle gradients was essential for its successful application to metabolism studies, owing to the wide range of compound polarity involved. The examples discussed in this paper include the use of LC-MS in the analysis of in vitro incubations of drugs with hepatocyte cell cultures and the direct analysis of plasma samples from in vivo studies in the dog.     

Separation of substituted fullerenes using non-aqueous reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple non-aqueous reversed-phase separation HPLC-MS method has been developed to allow for the rapid screening and separation of fullerenes and substituted fullerenes. This procedure provides confirmation that the proposed substitution methodology for the fullerene is not only successful but that multiple substitution products are obtained. The methodology is being expanded to analyze other substituted fullerene product mixtures.     

Enhanced monitoring of biopharmaceutical product purity using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

LC-MS is a widely used technique for impurity detection and identification. It is very informative and generates huge amounts of data. However, the relevant chemical information may not be directly accessible from the raw data map, particularly in reference to applications where unknown impurities are to be detected. This study demonstrates that multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) based on principal component analysis (PCA) in conjunction with multiple testing is very powerful for comprehensive monitoring and detection of an unknown and co-eluting impurity measured with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). It is demonstrated how a spiked impurity present at low concentrations (0.05% (w/w)) is detected and further how the contribution plot provides clear diagnostics of the unknown impurity. This tool makes a fully automatic monitoring of LC-MS data possible, where only relevant areas in the LC-MS data are highlighted for further interpretation.     

Development of generic liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods using experimental design

Standard approaches to development of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods, either ion-pairing or reversed-phase liquid chromatography, have been through trial and error or intentional variation of experimental factors. These approaches to method optimization fail to take into account interactions between experimental factors and therefore the results may not be optimal for the combination of experimental factors. Another approach to optimization is through the use of chemometrics. Chemometric approaches can be more efficient than trial and error or intentional variation because chemometrics make use of multivariate designs; experimental factors are varied simultaneously at the various levels. Therefore chemometrics can take into account interactions between factors. The goal of this study was to develop a generic ion-pair LC-MS method for the analysis of acidic compounds using a chemometric approach called design of experiments (DOE). Four acidic compounds which cover three classes of acidic functional groups: 1-naphthyl phosphate (1), 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (2), 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid (3), and (1-naphthoxy)acetic acid (4) were used as model compounds to develop the generic method. This study illustrates that LC-MS conditions can be optimized efficiently with minimal amount of experimentation using a chemometric approach to experimental design.     

A force field for molecular simulation of tetrabutylphosphonium amino acid ionic liquids

An all-atom force field was set up for a new class of ionic liquids (ILs), tetrabutylphosphonium amino acid, on the basis of the AMBER force field with determining parameters related to the phosphorus atom and modifying several parameters. Ab initio quantum chemical calculations were employed to obtain molecular geometries, infrared frequencies, and torsion energy profiles. Atom partial charges were obtained by using the one-conformation, two-step restraint electrostatic potential approach. Molecular dynamics simulation was carried out in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble for 14 tetrabutylphosphonium amino acid ILs at two temperatures to validate the force field against the experimental densities and heat capacities at constant pressure. Computed thermodynamic properties are in good agreement with available experimental values. Moreover, radial distribution functions were investigated to depict the microscopic structures of these ILs.     

Design and synthesis of fused-ring chiral ionic liquids from amino acid derivatives

Six novel imidazolium salts, which contain a chiral moiety as well as a fused-ring system, have been designed, synthesized, and fully characterized. The synthesis of these ionic liquids is concise and practical due to the commercial availability of the starting materials. These imidazolium compounds were readily prepared from 1-methyl-2-imidazoliumcarboxaldehyde and chiral amino alcohols. Salts that contain the PF₆ anion were solids, but salts with the NTf₂ anion were liquids at room temperature. We envision that these new chiral imidazolium compounds can serve as effective reaction media as well as chiral catalysts for asymmetric reactions, which are presently being investigated in our lab.     

Functional amino acid ionic liquids as solvent and selector in chiral extraction

Amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) have received great attention due to their potentials in catalysis and separations. In this work, functional AAILs were used as solvent and selector in chiral liquid–liquid extraction for the first time. The AAILs have shown distinct enantioselectivity in amino acid extraction. Using these functional AAILs as acceptor phase and ethylacetate as donor phase, more L-enantiomer of amino acid was extracted into the ionic liquid phase than that of D-enantiomer. The influencing factors, including AAILs structure, copper ion concentration, organic phase and amino acid concentration, were investigated. We found that the enantioselective enrichment of racemic amino acids was achieved through a chiral ligand-exchange mechanism. The enantioselectivity of single-step extraction was up to enantiomeric excess value of 50.6%. Moreover, the functional AAILs were found to be efficient extraction solvents for amino acids. The logarithm of distribution coefficient for L-Phe was in the range of 3.4–3.6 in the ionic liquid–ethylacetate two-phase system. This liquid–liquid extraction approach may extend the application of ionic liquids in chiral separations.     

Study on the properties of amino acid ionic liquid EMIGly

In terms of standard addition method, the density and surface tension of an amino acid ionic liquid EMIGly(1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium aminoacetate) were measured under dry argon atmosphere in the temperature range of 288.15-343.15 K. The properties of volume and surface for pure EMIGly were discussed in terms of the interstice model and Glasser's theory. The thermal expansion coefficient alpha = 5.03 x 10(-4) K(-1) calculated using interstice model is in good agreement with alpha (experimental) = 5.20 x 10(-4) K(-1).     

Surface tension of ionic liquids and ionic liquid solutions

Some of the most active scientific research fronts of the past decade are centered on ionic liquids. These fluids present characteristic surface behavior and distinctive trends of their surface tension versus temperature. One way to explore and understand their unique nature is to study their surface properties. This critical review analyses most of the surface tension data reported between 2001 and 2010 (187 references).     

Electrospray mass spectrometry of undiluted ionic liquids

Ionic liquids have been analyzed in undiluted form using electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS); results indicate that signal-to-noise ratios for minor constituents are comparable to those observed in conventional, diluted ES-MS and that this approach could be readily applied for mass spectrometric analysis of ionic liquids and ionic impurities/additives dissolved therein, especially those that are solvent reactive.     

A simple ion chromatography-mass spectrometry method for amino acid analysis in beer

The amino acid footprint of different beer samples was analyzed using ion chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. A tailor-made polymer-based cation-exchange resin was operated with a mass spectrometry-compatible eluent under isocratic conditions on a standard high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to a single quadrupole mass spectrometer using formic acid as a volatile eluent ion source. The partially separated peaks of the isomeric pair isoleucine/leucine were processed according to their area response ratio using vertical peak splitting or Gaussian fit. Additionally, the chromatographic resolution of the isomers was optimized with an adjusted, solely aqueous mobile phase from 0.85 to 2.92. Ion suppression in the electrospray ion source was investigated for the derivatization-free method and found to be insignificant (recovery value 100 ± 15%) for 15 out of the 20 analytes. Quantitative results for various beer and mixed-beer beverages were found to be in high agreement with existing methods. Simultaneous photometric detection demonstrated the method's ability to successfully remove most of the interfering matrix compounds.