Determination of biologically active low-molecular-mass thiols in human blood. I. Fast qualitative and quantitative, gradient and isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with photometric and fluorescence detection

The fast isocratic and gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic methods employing photometric and/or fluorescence detection are described for the precise reproducible simultaneous measurement of total homocysteine, cysteine, and glutathione in human blood. Sample preparation involves conversion of disulfides to free thiols with triphenylphosphine, precipitation of proteins with sulfosalicylic acid, and conjugation of thiols with monobromobimane. The aminothiol assay is optimized by reduction and derivatization step conditions (pH, temperature and time of reactions), as well as by chromatographic conditions to obtain reliable quantitative results within the concentration range corresponding to the levels of these thiols in human blood in norm and pathology. Its sensitivity allows the detection of aminothiol quantities >2 pmol.     

Determination of biologically active low-molecular-mass thiols in human blood. III. Highly sensitive narrow-bore isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

The fast isocratic narrow-bore reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method employing fluorescence detection is described for the precise reproducible simultaneous measurement of total homocysteine, cysteine and glutathione in human blood. Sample preparation involves conversion of disulfides to free thiols with triphenylphosphine, precipitation of proteins with sulfosalicylic acid, and conjugation of thiols with monobromobimane. Optimized sample preparation conditions as well as chromatographic conditions allowed to obtain reliable quantitative results within the concentration range corresponding to the levels of these thiols in human blood in norm and pathology. The detection limit was approximately 70 amol for all labeled aminothiols. The proposed method for these compounds analysis includes simple sample preparation, high selectivity, good linearity (r2>0.998), high reproducibility (within-run precision for derivatized aminothiol peaks area RSD<1.8% for three times consequently injected sample); high reliability and the small sample volume (1 microl) required for analysis make it suitable for clinical studies.     

Qualitative and quantitative determination of biologically active low-molecular-mass thiols in human blood by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with photometry and fluorescence detection

The reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method employing photometry and fluorescence detection is described for the precise reproducible simultaneous measurement of total homocysteine (tHcy), cysteine (Cys), and glutathione (GSH) in human blood. Sample preparation involves conversion of disulfides to free thiols with triphenylphosphine, precipitation of proteins with trichloroacetic acid, conjugation of the thiols with monobromobimane (mBrB). The aminothiol assay is optimized by reduction and derivatization step conditions (pH, temperature and time of reactions) to obtain reliable quantitative results within the concentration range corresponding to normal and pathological levels of these thiols in human blood.     

Determination of low-molecular-mass anions in coating samples by capillary electrophoresis with conductometric detection

A method for the rapid analysis of low-molecular-mass anions in electrodeposition coatings has been developed, employing capillary electrophoresis with a nonsuppressed end-capillary conductivity detector. After optimization of the carrier electrolyte, quantitative determination of all analytes of interest (including inorganic anions and organic acids) was possible in less than 11 min. The results obtained by capillary electrophoresis did not show any significant differences with the manufacturer's data originating from the more time-consuming ion-chromatographic analysis.     

Indirect photometric detection in capillary zone electrophoresis

An indirect photometric detection method is described which is based on the use of an absorbing co-ion as the principal component of the background electrolyte. The zones of non-absorbing ionic species are revealed by changes in light absorption due to charge displacement of the absorbing co-ion. Theoretical considerations are given for selecting a suitable absorbing co-ion to achieve a high sensitivity of detection.The role of electromigration dispersion is illustrated by experiments and the effects of the differences in the effective mobilities of sample ions and that of the absorbing co-ion are discussed. The highest sensitivity can be achieved for sample ions having an effective mobility close to the mobility of the absorbing co-ion. In such a case, the concentration of the sample component in its migrating zone can be high while electromigration dispersion is still negligible. The useful dynamic range of the detection is then limited by the linearity and noise of the detector, the former parameter being given mostly by the shape of the on-column detection cell. The best sensitivities can be obtained in low-concentration background electrolytes containing a co-ion with high absorption at a given detection wavelength.It is shown that indirect photometric detection can be useful for detecting substances that have no optical absorption in the UV and/or visible region, provided that the composition of the background electrolyte is selected correctly.     

Determination of bromate ion in drinking water by capillary zone electrophoresis with direct photometric detection

Bromate ion in drinking water was determined by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with direct photometric detection. Bromate ion in the sample solution was introduced and concentrated into the capillary by electrokinetic injection for 50s at -10 kV. Electrophoretic separation was made at an applied voltage of -25 kV and bromate ion was detected at wavelength 193 nm, at which the baseline was stabilized with less UV-absorbing acidic phosphate buffer. Bromate ion was detected within 5 min in the electropherogram. By increasing the electric conductivity in the migrating solution with 10 mM Na2SO4, a limit of detection (LOD) of 9 x 10(-10)M (0.1 microg/L BrO3-) was achieved. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of tap water and river water samples, but bromate ion was not detected. Because the practical samples contain relatively large amount of foreign ionic substances, the tap water sample was diluted to avoid the matrix ions. Bromate ion added in a tap water at the concentration of 8 x 10(-8)M was quantitatively recovered by diluting it 1/10.     

Optimization of conductivity detection of low-molecular-mass anions in capillary zone electrophoresis

The optimization of background electrolyte compositions for capillary zone electrophoresis in combination with conductivity detection focusing on maximal detector response is discussed. A theoretical approach pointing out the influence of the electrolyte co- and counter-ion mobilities on the detector signal has been developed. Using this model, running buffer compositions providing optimum S/N ratios for the selected analytes could be calculated. The results derived from these examinations have been verified by experimental investigations, namely the determination of inorganic and organic anionic solutes.     

Determination of active constituents in Lonicera confusa DC. by capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection

A method based on capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection has been developed for the determination of luteolin, chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and caffeic acid in the dried flower buds, leaves and stems (three medicinal parts) of Lonicera confusa DC., respectively. The effects of several important factors such as detection potential, the concentration of the running buffer, separation voltage and injection time were investigated to acquire the optimum conditions. The detection electrode was a 300 microm diameter carbon disc electrode at a working potential of + 0.90 V (vs saturated calomel electrode). The four analytes can be well separated within 10 min in a 40 cm-long fused silica capillary at a separation voltage of 12 kV in a 50 mM borate-25 mM phosphate buffer (pH 8.0). The relationship between peak current and analyte concentration was linear over about 3 orders of magnitude with detection limits (S/N = 3) ranging from 0.35 to 0.52 microM for all analytes. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the monitoring of bioactive constituents in the real plant samples with satisfactory assay results.     

Silica nanoparticles for separation of biologically active amines by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced native fluorescence detection

This paper describes the analysis of biologically active amines by capillary electrophoresis (CE) in conjunction with laser-induced native fluorescence detection. In order to simultaneously analyze amines and acids as well as to achieve high sensitivity, 10 mM formic acid solutions (pH < 4.0) containing silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) were chosen as the background electrolytes. With increasing SiNP concentration, the migration times for seven analytes decrease as a result of increase in electroosmotic flow (EOF) and decrease in their electrophoretic mobilities against EOF. A small EOF generated at pH 3.0 reveals adsorption of SiNPs on the deactivated capillary wall. The decreases in electrophoretic mobilities with increasing SiNP concentration up to 0.3x indicate the interactions between the analytes and the SiNPs. Having a great sensitivity (the limits of detection at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3 of 0.09 nM for tryptamine (TA)), high efficiency, and excellent reproducibility (less than 2.4% of the migration times), this developed method has been applied to the analysis of urinal samples with the concentrations of 0.50 +/- 0.02 microM, 0.49 +/- 0.04 microM, and 74 +/- 2 microM for TA, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and tryptophan, respectively. The successful examples demonstrated in this study open up a possibility of using functional nanoparticles for the separation of different analytes by CE.     

Determination of active ingredients of Rhododendron dauricum L. by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

High-performance capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection was employed to analyse active ingredients of Rhododendron dauricum L., an important crude herb frequently used in Chinese medicines. Farrerol, quercetin, syringic acid, vanillic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid are major important active ingredients. Operated in a wall-jet configuration, a 300-microm diameter carbon-disk electrode was used as the working electrode, which exhibits a good response at +950 mV (vs. saturated calomel electrodes) for six analytes. Under the optimum conditions, the analytes were baseline separated within 16 min in a borax buffer (pH 8.7). Notably, excellent linearity was obtained over two orders of magnitude with detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 9 x 10(-7) to 3.0 x 10(-6) M for all analytes. This method was successfully used in the analysis of Rhododendron dauricum L. with relatively simple extraction procedures, and the assay results were satisfactory.     

High-performance capillary electrophoresis of histones.

A high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) system was developed for the fractionation of histones. This system involves electroinjection of the sample and electrophoresis in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) in a 35 cm x 50 micron I.D. coated capillary. Electrophoresis was accomplished in 9 min, separating a whole histone preparation into its components in the following order of decreasing mobility: (MHP) H3, H1 (major variant), H1 (minor variant), (LHP) H3, (MHP) H2A (major variant), (LHP) H2A, H4, H2B and (MHP) H2A (minor variant), where MHP is the more hydrophobic component and LHP is the less hydrophobic component. This order of separation is very different from that found in acid-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and, thus, brings the histone biochemist a new dimension for the qualitative analysis of histone samples.     

毛细管电泳-化学发光法测定人血清中的异烟肼

基于碱性介质中异烟肼对laminol-K3Fe(CN)6化学发光体系的增敏作用,设计了一个经毛细管电泳(CE)分离,在线化学发光检测异烟肼的新方法.研究并优化了毛细管电泳分离及化学发光检测的条件.在优化的实验条件下,该方法测定异烟肼的线性范围为4.0×10-7～1.0×10-5g/mL(R2=0.9984),检出限(3σ)为1×10-8g/mL,对6.0×10-6g/mL的异烟肼进行6次平行测定,其相对标准偏差为4.0%.方法已用于血清中异烟肼的测定.     

Determination of norfloxacin in human urine by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemiluminescence detection

A fast and sensitive approach that can be used to detect norfloxacin in human urine using capillary electrophoresis with end-column electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection of is described. The separation column was a 75-μm i.d. capillary. The running buffer was 15 mmol L⁻¹ sodium phosphate (pH 8.2). The solution in the detection cell was 50 mmol L⁻¹ sodium phosphate (pH 8.0) and 5 mmol L⁻¹ The ECL intensity varied linearly with norfloxacin concentration from 0.05 to 10 μmol L⁻¹. The detection limit (S/N=3) was 0.0048 μmol L⁻¹, and the relative standard deviations of the ECL intensity and the migration time for eleven consecutive injections of 1.0 μmol L⁻¹ norfloxacin (n=11) were 2.6% and 0.8%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of norfloxacin spiked in human urine without sample pretreatment. The recoveries were 92.7–97.9%.      

Determination of the active ingredients in Gastrodia rhizoma by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

A simple, reliable and reproducible method, based on capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical detection (ED), for the determination of five active ingredients and three carbohydrates in extracts of Gastrodia rhizoma is described in this work. The main active ingredients are gastrodin, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, vanillyl alcohol, 4-hydroxybenzylaldehyde and vanillin. Operated in a wall-jet configuration, a 300 microm diameter carbon disc electrode was used as a working electrode, with a good response at +1000 mV (vs. SCE) for 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, vanillyl alcohol, 4-hydroxybenzylaldehyde and vanillin; a 300 microm diameter copper disc electrode exhibits a good response at +650 mV (vs. SCE) for gastrodin, sucrose, glucose and fructose. Under optimum conditions, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, vanillyl alcohol, 4-hydroxybenzylaldehyde and vanillin in 100 mmol l(-1) borate buffer (pH 9.2) and gastrodin, sucrose, glucose and fructose in 50 mmol l(-1) sodium hydroxide buffer were baseline separated within 18 min. The response was linear over two orders of magnitude with a detection limit (S/N = 3) in the range 3 x 10(-7)-1.8 x 10(-6) mol l(-1) for all eight analytes. This method was successfully used in the analysis of traditional Chinese medicine, and the assay results were satisfactory.     

Determination of metoprolol in rabbit blood using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

This work described a sensitive method for determination of metoprolol in rabbit plasma.The method involved purification by ultrafiltration,derivatization with fluorescein isothiocyanate,determination by capillary electrophoresis(CE) coupled with laser-induced fluorescence(LIF) detector.Other components in plasma including a variety of amino acids and proteins did not interfere with the determination of metoprolol in experimental condition.The assay had a wide range(2.0-500 ng/mL) of linearity and a detection limit of 0.8 ng/mL.The intra- and inter-day precisions were satisfactory with relative standard deviation(RSD) less than 10.0%and accuracy within 10.0%.This method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study of metoprolol in rabbit blood.     

Determination of low-molecular-mass quaternary ammonium compounds by capillary electrophoresis and hyphenation with mass spectrometry

The determination of quaternary ammonium ions by capillary electrophoresis (CE) is reviewed. The analytes include tetraalkylammonium and alkylbenzyldimethylammonium compounds frequently used as antiseptic and antibacterial agents as well as in various household products, several plant growth regulators and herbicides, by-products in bile acid sequestrants, and a range of anticholinergic drugs. Besides direct and indirect UV detection, hyphenation with electrospray mass spectrometry is particularly suited for quaternary ammonium ions and may lower the detection limits by two orders of magnitude. In comparison with established liquid chromatographic techniques, CE may exhibits superior separation efficiency. Applications in routine analysis have demonstrated that CE is reliable and robust enough to represent a real alternative to chromatography.     

Determination of tobramycin in human serum by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection

A study on the determination of the antibiotic tobramycin by CE with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection is presented. This method enabled the direct quantification of the non-UV-absorbing species without incurring the disadvantages of the indirect approaches which would be needed for optical detection. The separation of tobramycin from inorganic cations present in serum samples was achieved by optimizing the composition of the acetic acid buffer. Field-amplified sample stacking was employed to enhance the sensitivity of the method and a detection limit of 50 microg/L (S/N = 3) was reached. The RSDs obtained for migration time and peak area using kanamycin B as internal standard were typically 0.12 and 4%, respectively. The newly developed method was validated by measuring the concentration of tobramycin in serum standards containing typical therapeutic concentrations of 2 and 10 mg/L. The recoveries were 96 and 97% for the two concentrations, respectively.     

Determination of idarubicin in human urine by capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection

A simple, reliable and reproducible method, based on capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection, has been developed for the determination of idarubicin in human urine. A carbon disk electrode was used as working electrode. The optimal conditions of separation and detection were pH 5.6 phosphate buffer (0.20 mol/L), 22 kV for the separation voltage and 1.00 V (vs. Ag/AgCl, 3 mol/L KCl) for the detection potential. The linear range was from 4.0 x 10(-7) to 2.0 x 10(-5) mol/L with a regression coefficient of 0.9986, and the detection limit was 8.0 x 10(-8) mol/L. The method was directly applied to the determination of idarubicin in spiked human urine without any other sample pretreatment except filtration, and the assay results were satisfactory.     

Indirect photometric detection of polyamines in biological samples separated by high-performance capillary electrophoresis.

A rapid separation of polyamines and some related amino acids in cultured tumor cells by high-performance capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect photometric detection is demonstrated. 60 cm x 75 microns I.D. fused-silica capillary was used for the separation and quinine sulfate was used as a background electrolyte (BGE). Several polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine), amino acids (lysine, arginine, histidine) and simple cations (K+, Na+) were easily separated in less than 10 min. Using the indirect photometric detection method, femtomole amounts of polyamines extracted from the tumor cells were detected from nanoliter injection volumes, and the signal response was linear over two orders of magnitude.     

Determination of active ingredients in hawthorn and hawthorn piece by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

Capillary-zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection has been used for the separation and determination of (-)-epicatechin, rutin, hyperin, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin in hawthorn and hawthorn piece. The effects of several important factors, including the running buffer acidity, the separation voltage, and the working electrode potential, were evaluated to acquire the optimum analytical conditions. The working electrode was a 300-μm carbon-disk electrode at a working potential of +0.95 V (vs. SCE). Under the optimum conditions, the analytes can be well separated within 16 min in a 75-cm-long fused-silica capillary. The current response was linear over two orders of magnitude with detection limits (S/N = 3) ranging from 6.00 × 10⁻⁸ to 3.75 × 10⁻⁷ g/mL for all analytes. The method was successfully used in the analysis of hawthorn and hawthorn piece and the assay results were satisfactory. The text was submitted by the authors in English.