The use of supercritical fluid extraction for the determination of 4-deoxynivalenol in grains: The effect of the sample clean-up and analytical methods on quantitative results

Summary Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the trichothecene mycotoxins produced byFusarium molds in grains. Polar cosolvents in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) are needed to extract and isolate the polar DON moiety. This unfortunately results in the extraction of many interfering compounds from the grains into the extracts obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Analysis of DON by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using ultraviolet detection (UV) does not provide a specific detection method, although specific detection of DON can be enhanced by using purification steps after SFE. Alternatively, combining SFE with an immunoaffinity method can improve detection specificity and sample cleanup. In this study, SFE was employed to determine DON in grains and cereal products. The effectiveness of the SFE method was compared with two different solvent extraction methods. The extracted DON was quantitatively determined by HPLC-UV using external standardization or competitive enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In some cases, extracts were purified prior to quantitative analysis of the DON by using solvent partitioning, and/or solid phase extraction, or immunoaffinity columns. Therefore, this paper describes the analysis of DON in cereals using different extraction, cleanup and analysis methods. Names are necessary to report factually on available data: however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the products to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Fast sample preparation involving MASE and coupled column normal phase liquid chromatography for the rapid trace analysis of dioxins in air-dust samples from fire catastrophe emissions

A new approach has been developed and tested for the urgent analysis of dioxins in samples of air-dust filters originating from catastrophe emissions. The procedure consists of a fast extraction of the sample with microwave solvent extraction (MASE) and acetone as solvent followed by a fast cleanup of the extract with normal phase coupled column liquid chromatography (LC/LC).

The multi-dimensional LC/LC system employs a 50 mm×4.6 mm i.d. column packed with 3 μm silica and a 150 mm×4.6 mm i.d. column packed with 5 μm PYE as the first and second analytical column, respectively. Iso-hexane is used on both columns to perform cleanup and dichloromethane to perform efficient back-flush elution of the compounds from the second column. The obtained polarity-based separation in the first dimension and molecular-structure based separation in the second dimension provides a fast and powerful cleanup.

Validation was done by analysing samples of homemade RIVM air-dust with aged residues (n=8, spiking level about 15 pg mg⁻¹ per compound) of dioxins/furans and samples of reference Urban Dust SRM 1649a (n=4) with both the new approach and the existing conventional procedure and were instrumentally analyzed with capillary gas chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometric detection (GC/HRMS).

In comparison to the existing conventional procedure, the new approach reduces sample processing from several days to several hours per sample.

As regards the aged-residue air-dust samples, the new method shows a good accuracy, precision and high selectivity providing a performance in good agreement with the existing procedure. In SRM air-dust, the concentration of a few compounds obtained by the new method was below (10–50%) the certified value.     

The Role of Column Switching in Analysing Complex Samplest

Abstract

Our objective in using column switching is primarily to achieve the desired separation in the minimum analysis time. Complimentary to this aim is the need for sample and column cleanup followed by column re-equilibration. Finally, all operations should be capable of automation. Fundamental to column switching methodology is the concept of Zone cutting, where part of the chromatogram is transferred to another column. This forms the basis of sample cleanup and is a very versatile and powerful method. Multiple zone cutting is also possible to further increase the scope of cleanup or to minimise analysis time. Zone cutting is also complimentary to the techniques of trace enrichment and recycling. Examples will be given involving the use of these techniques in the analysis of complex matrices such as urine, plant extracts, wine and serum. The latter will be used to propose a novel approach to the quantitative analysis of anti-convulsants in serum using hexobarbital as internal standard.     

柱萃取法测定农作物中的残留农药和土样中的二噁英

经均质的固体样品，根据含水量的不同和被测定组分的差异，分别与硅藻土、硫酸钠、弗罗里硅土等吸附剂混匀成可流动的粉末，装填成柱，然后以不同极性溶剂淋洗。多数情况下，所得溶液不需要进一步净化即可进行色谱分析．用极性溶剂如乙酸乙酯淋洗，选用任一种分散剂均能有效测定作物中的农药残留．在最佳条件下，一些有机磷、有机氯、氨基甲酸酯、拟除虫菊酯农药在某些粮谷、水果和蔬菜中以及多氯二苯并二恶英（ＰＣＤＤｓ）在土样中的添加回收率均大于８０％．实践证明该方法具有省时、省试剂、省净化程序等优点．     

Improved cleanup method for the multiresidue analysis of N-methylcarbamates in grains,fruits and vegetables by means of HPLC with postcolumn reaction and fluorescence detection

Summary An improved and quick cleanup method has been developed for the liquid chromatographic determination of 21 N-methylcarbamate pesticides and 10 of their metabolites in grains, fruits and vegetables. Various types of solid phase extraction columns have been tested for the cleanup step in order to replace the time-consuming cleanup method found in the literature. Aminopropyl-bonded silica columns proved to be superior to unbonded silica or octyl, octadecyl, cyanopropyl and diol-bonded silica. For all 16 types of matrices tested, a single column cleanup step appeared to be satisfactory. The final determination was performed by separation of the N-methylcarbamates via high-performance liquid chromatography followed by postcolumn reaction, fluorogenic labelling of the hydrolytically formed methylamine with the orthophthalaldehyde/2-mercaptoethanol reagent, and fluorescence detection. Recovery data for 256 carbamate/commodity combinations will be given. The results of the routine analysis of real samples will also be presented. Finally, possibilities for confirming positive samples by an independent, second method will be discussed.     

On-capillary sample cleanup method for the electrophoretic determination of carbohydrates in juice samples

On many occasions, sample treatment is a critical step in electrophoretic analysis. As an alternative to batch procedures, in this work, a new strategy is presented with a view to develop an on-capillary sample cleanup method. This strategy is based on the partial filling of the capillary with carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotube (c-SWNT). The nanoparticles retain interferences from the matrix allowing the determination and quantification of carbohydrates (viz glucose, maltose and fructose). The precision of the method for the analysis of real samples ranged from 5.3 to 6.4%. The proposed method was compared with a method based on a batch filtration of the juice sample through diatomaceous earth and further electrophoretic determination. This method was also validated in this work. The RSD for this other method ranged from 5.1 to 6%. The results obtained by both methods were statistically comparable demonstrating the accuracy of the proposed methods and their effectiveness. Electrophoretic separation of carbohydrates was achieved using 200 mM borate solution as a buffer at pH 9.5 and applying 15 kV. During separation, the capillary temperature was kept constant at 40 degrees C. For the on-capillary cleanup method, a solution containing 50 mg/L of c-SWNTs prepared in 300 mM borate solution at pH 9.5 was introduced for 60 s into the capillary just before sample introduction. For the electrophoretic analysis of samples cleaned in batch with diatomaceous earth, it is also recommended to introduce into the capillary, just before the sample, a 300 mM borate solution as it enhances the sensitivity and electrophoretic resolution.     

Automated sample cleanup in HPLC using column-switching techniques

Sample pretreatment has often been the rate limiting step in analyses by HPLC. Multicolumn or column switching techniques now available have made efficient automated cleanup procedures possible, with high sample throughput and analytical precision.     

HPLC determination of Vitamin D(3) and its metabolite in human plasma with on-line sample cleanup

A HPLC method with automated column switching and UV-diode array detection is described for the simultaneous determination of Vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25-OH-D₃) in a sample of human plasma. The system uses a BioTrap precolumn for the on-line sample cleanup. A sample of 1 ml of human plasma was treated with 2 ml of a mixture of ethanol–acetonitrile (2:1 (v/v)). Following centrifugation, the supernatant was evaporated to dryness under a stream of dry and pure nitrogen. The residue was reconstituted in 250 μL of a solution of methanol 5 mmol l⁻¹ phosphate buffer, pH 6.5 (4:1 (v/v)), and a 200 μl aliquot of this solution was injected onto the BioTrap precolumn. After washing during 5 min with a mobile phase constituted by a solution of 6% acetonitrile in 5 mmol l⁻¹ phosphate buffer, pH 6.5 (extraction mobile phase), the retained analytes were then transferred to the analytical column in the backflush mode. The analytical separation was then performed by reverse-phase chromatography in the gradient elution mode with the solvents A and B (Solvent A: acetonitrile–phosphate buffer 5 mmol l⁻¹, pH 6.5; 20:80 (v/v); solvent B: methanol–acetonitrile–tetrahydrofuran, 65:20:15 (v/v)). The compounds of interest were detected at 265 nm. The method was linear in the range 3.0–32.0 ng ml⁻¹ with a limit of quantification of 3.0 ng ml⁻¹. Quantitative recoveries from spiked plasma samples were between 91.0 and 98.0%. In all cases, the coefficient of variation (CV) of the intra-day and inter-day-assay precision was ≤2.80%. The proposed method permitted the simultaneous determination of Vitamin D₃ and 25-OH-D₃ in 16 min, with an adequate precision and sensitivity. However, the overlap of the sample cleanup step with the analysis increases the sampling frequency to five samples h⁻¹. The method was successfully applied for the determination of Vitamin D₃ and 25-OH-D₃ in plasma from 46 female volunteers, ranging from 50 to 94 years old. Vitamin D₃ and 25-OH-D₃ concentrations in plasma were found from 4.30–40.70 ng ml⁻¹ (19.74 ± 9.48 ng ml⁻¹) and 3.1–36.52 ng ml⁻¹ (7.13 ± 7.80 ng ml⁻¹), respectively. These results were in good agreement with data published by other authors.     

Automated sample treatment with the injection of large sample volumes for the determination of contaminants and metabolites in urine

This work reports the development of a simple and automated method for the quantitative determination of several contaminants (triazine, phenylurea, and phenoxyacid herbicides; carbamate insecticides and industrial chemicals) and their metabolites in human urine with a simplified sample treatment. The method is based on the online coupling of an extraction column with RP LC separation–UV detection; this coupling enabled fast online cleanup of the urine samples, efficiently eliminating matrix components and providing appropriate selectivity for the determination of such compounds. The variables affecting the automated method were optimized: sorbent type, washing solvent and time, and the sample volume injected. The optimized sample treatment reported here allowed the direct injection of large volumes of urine (1500 μL) into the online system as a way to improve the sensitivity of the method; limits of detection in the 1–10 ng/mL range were achieved for an injected volume of 1500 μL of urine, precision being 10% or better at a concentration level of 20 ng/mL. The online configuration proposed has advantages such as automation (all the steps involved in the analysis – injection of the urine, sample cleanup, analyte enrichment, separation and detection – are carried out automatically) with high precision and sensitivity, reducing manual sample manipulation to freezing and sample filtration.     

Development and validation of a direct plasma injection LC-MS method for YM087 and YM440 and metabolites in human plasma

Summary A fully automated, direct plasma-injection technique using an LC coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometric detector with an on-line, sample clean-up procedure for two new pharmaceutical products, YM087 and YM440, has been developed. Plasma samples containing YM440 were mixed with internal standard or plasma containing YM087 and were injected into a chromatographic system based on two coupled columns. An extraction column packed with alkyl-diol-silica (ADS) was used for online sample cleanup. Using a back-flush technique analytes were subsequently transferred to an analytical column, for separation. Detection was based on tandem mass spectrometry either in electronspray or in APCI mode. Despite the relatively small volumes of plasma injected, reasonably low limits of quantitation were achieved. Validation of both assays was performed using guidelines concerning method validation. All parameters studied were within acceptance criteria. The methods were successfully applied to clinical pharmacokinetic studies.     

基于QuEChERS提取方法优化的液相色谱-串联质谱法测定蔬菜中51种氨基甲酸酯类农药残留

采用气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）全扫描结合NIST谱库检索方法分析6种蔬菜（番茄、青刀豆、大葱、青花菜、姜、胡萝卜）提取液中的基质干扰物,以蒸发残渣重量法探讨乙二胺N-丙基硅烷（PSA）、十八烷基硅烷（C18）及两者组合对6种蔬菜提取液基质干扰物的净化效果及吸附机理,考察了原创QuEChERS方法及AOAC 2007.01方法对蔬菜中51种氨基甲酸酯类农药提取的适用性,并建立了液相色谱-串联质谱法测定蔬菜中51种氨基甲酸酯类农药残留的方法。结果表明,C18与PSA组合进行分散固相萃取的净化效果最好;AOAC 2007.01方法适用于二氧威以外的50种农药残留的提取,而原创QuEChERS方法对二氧威残留的提取可获得满意结果。经电喷雾正离子电离及多反应监测模式来测定目标化合物,采用基质匹配标准溶液曲线法进行定量。结果表明：51种农药在6种基质中3个添加水平（10、20、100 μg/kg）的回收率为58.4%~126%,相对标准偏差为3.3%~26%;以信噪比（S/N）≥10计,久效威及杀螟丹的定量限（LOQ）为50 μg/kg,其他49种农药的LOQ为0.2~10 μg/kg。本文方法有效、灵敏,适用于不同蔬菜基质中51种氨基甲酸酯类农药残留的测定。     

A rapid sample preparation method for mass spectrometric characterization of N-linked glycans

A rapid method for analysis of glycans of glycoproteins is presented. This method comprised deglycosylation, sample cleanup and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) analysis of glycans. The enzymatic deglycosylation of N-linked glycoproteins was enhanced in terms of speed and reproducibility using an enzyme-friendly surfactant. The released glycans were desalted using a micro-scale solid phase extraction (SPE) device packed with a hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) sorbent. Hydrophilic glycans were well retained by SPE, while salts and surfactants were removed from the sample. The glycans were eluted using 25-50 microL of solvent and analyzed directly without derivatization using MALDI-MS. MALDI quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-Tof) instrumentation was utilized for glycan profiling and structure characterization by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The presented method allows sensitive analysis of glycans benefiting from optimized deglycosylation reactions and efficient sample cleanup.     

Evaluation of sample preparation techniques for mass measurements of PCR products using ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry

Elimination of PCR buffer components and alkali metal cations (i.e., Na+, K+) is of critical importance to allow for accurate mass measurements of PCR products for genotyping and sequencing applications. Ethanol precipitation followed by microdialysis has been repeatedly shown to efficiently desalt PCR products for analysis by mass spectrometry and is considered the gold standard. Alternative cleanup techniques that are compatible with automation are explored here with the intent of expanding the bottleneck that exists between the production of PCR products and analysis by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Numerous combinations of approaches were evaluated that included PCR purification kits and alcohol precipitations. The data shown here support alternative approaches to an ethanol precipitation followed by microdialysis that have comparable desalting efficiency and can be utilized for cleanup of PCR products generated from single reactions.     

固相萃取法与基质固相分散法在橙子中有机磷农药残留分析中的应用

建立了固相萃取(SPE)-反相高效液相色谱(RP-HPLC)同时测定橙子中痕量辛硫磷、二嗪农有机磷农药残留量的方法。样品经甲醇超声提取、C18固相萃取柱净化后,采用液相色谱柱分离,以乙腈-水(体积比为85∶15)为流动相等度洗脱,于254 nm下紫外检测。结果表明:在0.1～10.0 mg/L和0.4～10.0 mg/L范围内,辛硫磷、二嗪农的质量浓度与峰面积呈良好的线性关系;样品的加标平均回收率为87.3%～102.7%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.9%～4.9%。将该分析结果与用基质固相分散法(MSPD)处理样品所得的结果相比较,发现SPE对二嗪农的提取效果较好,而MSPD对辛硫磷的提取效果较好,但两种方法都能较好地净化样品,均能满足残留量的分析要求。     

A rapid method for the determination of methoprene in tobacco by high performance liquid chromatography

Summary A rapid sample preparation procedure combined with a short reversed-phase HPLC separation for the quantitation of methoprene residue in tobacco samples is described. A ground tobacco sample of 0.5 g is mixed with 3 mL of 2-propanol. The mixture is extracted for twelve minutes with the aid of sonication at an elevated temperature (45–55°C) and then filtered through a 0.45 m disposable filter prior to injection on HPLC. No sample cleanup or solvent evaporation step is required. Chromatographic analysis is performed on a C-18 column and the analysis time is 12.5 minutes. The detection limit for methoprene in tobacco samples is one part per million (g/g).     

Chemical fingerprinting of Gardenia jasminoides fruit using direct sample introduction and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection

A rapid, rugged, and inexpensive approach is described to develop chemical fingerprints of volatile and semivolatile fractions in herbal medicine. The method is based on the combination of direct sample introduction and gas chromatography (GC) analysis with mass spectrometry detection. In comparison with routine methods, the proposed approach provides the most informative fingerprint and does not demand time-consuming extraction, pretreatment, and cleanup procedures. The approach was applied to establish the GC fingerprint of gardenia fruit (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis), in which 39 components were identified. With the help of principal components analysis, the obtained fingerprint could reveal the variation in and within different herb samples as affected by season and developmental state (wild or cultivated). The results indicated that the proposed approach could serve as a rapid, simple, and effective technique for the quality control of herbal medicines.     

Cleanup of environmental sample extracts using Florisil solid-phase extraction cartridges

Disposable cartridges containing 1 g of Florisil are investigated for cleanup of extracts obtained from various environmental matrices. Elution patterns and recoveries are determined for 22 chlorinated hydrocarbons and 16 phthalate esters in the presence of interferents such as corn oil, diesel hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides, and chlorinated phenols. Hexane, hexane/diethyl ether (1:1), hexane/acetone (9:1), and various combinations of hexane/methylene chloride are used as eluants.     

Field-amplified online sample stacking capillary electrophoresis UV detection for plasma malondialdehyde measurement

Malondialdehyde (MDA) determination is the most widely used method for monitoring lipid peroxidation. Here, we describe an easy field-amplified sample injection (FASI) CE method with UV detection for the detection of free plasma MDA. MDA was detected within 8 min by using 200 mmol/L Tris phosphate pH 5.0 as running buffer. Plasma samples treated with ACN for protein elimination were directly injected on capillary without complex cleanup and/or sample derivatization procedures. Using electrokinetic injection, the detection limit in real sample was 3 nmol/L, thus improving of about 100-fold the LOD of the previous described methods based on CE. Precision tests indicate a good repeatability of our method both for migration times (CV = 1.11%) and for areas (CV = 2.05%). Moreover, a good reproducibility of intra- and inter-assay tests was obtained (CV = 2.55% and CV = 5.14%, respectively). Suitability of the method was tested by measuring MDA levels in 44 healthy volunteers.     

Immunofiltration as sample cleanup for the immunochemical detection of beta-agonists in urine

Despite the ban of the European Union on use of drugs to improve animal growth, occasionally beta-agonist drugs are still found in samples from cattle. Over time, the specified limits for the detection of these illegal drugs have been lowered. To improve the immunochemical screening of urine samples to detect lower levels of several beta-agonists, immunofiltration (IF) was applied for sample cleanup in combination with a beta-agonist-ELISA. In the applied IF format, free (non-immobilised) anti-salbutamol polyclonal antibodies were mixed with the urine sample in an ultra-filtration device (cut off 30 kDa) and the sample was removed by centrifugation. The antibody bound beta-agonists were freed from the antibodies by the addition of a mixture of methanol and 0.1 M acetic acid (1:1; v/v) and centrifugation. The filtrate, containing the free beta-agonists, was evaporated to dryness and the residue dissolved in buffer, an aliquot of which was analysed with the beta-agonist ELISA. Compared with the direct beta-agonist ELISA, this IF cleanup procedure resulted in a 30-times lower limit of detection (LOD) of 0.14 ng ml(-1) (salbutamol equivalents). The anti-salbutamol antibodies recognised several beta-agonists and the combination of IF with the beta-agonist ELISA was found suitable for the detection of at least ten beta-agonists in urine with comparable LODs.     

Estimation of sample processing uncertainty for chlorpyrifos residue in cucumber

Sample processing is a very important component of uncertainty in analytical results. In order to have reliable results, the laboratory sample should be properly processed to obtain statistically homogenous matrix—before the representative test portions are withdrawn for analysis. The use of ¹⁴C-labeled compound is preferable because the analyte can be quantified without cleanup. The method is based on surface treatment of cucumber with ¹⁴C-chlorpyrifos, determination of ¹⁴C-chlorpyrifos activity in the replicate test portions of different size, and determination of the uncertainty of sample processing.