Separation of xanthones and a biphenyl fromKielmeyera coriacea by centrifugal partition chromatography

Summary Eight xanthones and a biphenyl have been isolated from the dichloromethane extract ofKielmeyera coriacea (Guttiferae) stem bark by a combination of centrifugal partition chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex LH-20, with HPLC-UV monitoring of fractions. The structures of the isolated compounds (Figure 1) were established by spectroscopic methods (UV, EI-MS, D/CI-MS,¹H NMR,¹³C NMR).     

Development of hybrid elution systems for efficient purification of stilbenoids using centrifugal partition chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

The phytochemical study of the root extract of the stilbenoid-rich Vitis riparia × Vitis berlandieri grapevine was carried out by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). For this reason, we developed a new elution mode we named back-step, which allowed us to obtain cleaner fractions and a more efficient separation process when used in conjunction with a classical elution approach. Three hydroxystilbenes: (E)-resveratrol, (E)-?-viniferin and (E)-vitisin C, with greater than 90% purity were thus obtained through such process, with minimal sample handling and purification steps. Online coupling of CPC to ESI mass spectrometry was used for optimization of the separation parameters and to facilitate the characterization of the stilbenoids. This study details the first phytochemical investigation of stilbenoids from the hybrid species together with a new elution mode able to widen the range of ARIZONA biphasic systems.     

Per-O-methylation of neutral carbohydrates directly from aqueous samples for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis

Per-O-methylation of neutral carbohydrates in one step by adding dimethyl sulfoxide, powdered sodium hydroxide, and methyl iodide directly to aqueous sample is described. The influence of the water on the methylation reaction is investigated. Solid powdered sodium hydroxide is very hygroscopic and can scavenge the water from sample if an additional excess of sodium hydroxide is added. The degree of per-O-methylation of carbohydrates is checked by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of mono- and disaccharides from grape juice is presented.     

Rapid authentication of Gastrodiae rhizoma by direct ionization mass spectrometry

In this study, direct ionization mass spectrometry (DI-MS) for rapid authentication of Gastrodiae rhizoma (known as Tianma in Chinese), a popular herbal medicine, has been developed. This method is rapid, simple and allows direct generation of characteristic mass spectra from the raw herbal medicines with the application of some solvents and a high voltage. The acquired DI-MS spectra showed that gastrodin, parishin B/parishin C and parishin, the major active components of Gastrodiae rhizoma, could be found only in genuine Gastrodiae rhizoma samples, but not in counterfeit samples, thus allowing rapid authentication of Gastrodiae rhizoma. Moreover, wild and cultivated Gastrodiae rhizoma could be classified and Gastrodiae rhizoma from different geographical locations could be differentiated based on their different intensity ratios of characteristic ions or principal component analysis (PCA). This method is simple, rapid, reproducible, and can be extended to analyze other herbal medicines.     

Phloroglucinols, depsidones and xanthones from the twigs of Garcinia parvifolia

Seven phloroglucinols, named parvifoliols A-G (1-7), two depsidones, named parvifolidones A, B (8, 9), and three xanthones, named parvifolixanthones A-C (10-12), were isolated from the twigs of Garcinia parvifolia along with seven known compounds: garcidepsidone B, mangostinone, rubraxanthone, dulxanthone D, 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone, norathyriol, and (2E,6E,10E)-(+)-4β-hydroxy-3-methyl-5β-(3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,6,10,14-tetraenyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one. Their structures were proposed on the basis of spectroscopic data. The antibacterial and antioxidation activities were evaluated.     

Screening and identification of multi-component in Qingkailing injection using combination of liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

An approach for screening and identification of multi-component in complex traditional Chinese medicine systems with a combinative LC/MS (MSⁿ) technique was described in this paper. The chemical profile of Qingkailing injection, a well-known traditional Chinese formula in China, was studied using the established method as for an application. Benefit from combining the accurate mass measurement of LC/TOF-MS to generate elemental compositions and the complementary multilevel structural information provided by LC/ion trap MSⁿ, 33 components in Qingkailing injection were identified in all. The three isomers of chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid and neochlorogenic acid which are derived from Flos Lonicerae, one of the medicinal materials in Qingkailing, were differentiated by verifying their MS³ fragmentation data. All the components identified were surveyed and classified according to their medicinal materials derivation. This study is expected to provide an effective and reliable pattern for comprehensive and systematic characterization of the complex traditional Chinese medicine systems.     

Sequential determination of fat- and water-soluble vitamins in Rhodiola imbricata root from trans-Himalaya with rapid resolution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid method was developed to determine both types of vitamins in Rhodiola imbricata root for the accurate quantification of free vitamin forms. Rapid resolution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC–MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) source operating in multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode was optimized for the sequential analysis of nine water-soluble vitamins (B₁, B₂, two B₃ vitamins, B₅, B₆, B₇, B₉, and B₁₂) and six fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D₂, D₃, K₁, and K₂). Both types of vitamins were separated by ion-suppression reversed-phase liquid chromatography with gradient elution within 30 min and detected in positive ion mode. Deviations in the intra- and inter-day precision were always below 0.6% and 0.3% for recoveries and retention time. Intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) values of retention time for water- and fat-soluble vitamin were ranged between 0.02–0.20% and 0.01–0.15%, respectively. The mean recoveries were ranged between 88.95 and 107.07%. Sensitivity and specificity of this method allowed the limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) of the analytes at ppb levels. The linear range was achieved for fat- and water-soluble vitamins at 100–1000 ppb and 10–100 ppb. Vitamin B-complex and vitamin E were detected as the principle vitamins in the root of this adaptogen which would be of great interest to develop novel foods from the Indian trans-Himalaya.     

A quantitative liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for metabolomic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum lipid related metabolites

Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of malaria, a deadly infectious disease for which treatments are scarce and drug-resistant parasites are now increasingly found. A comprehensive method of identifying and quantifying metabolites of this intracellular parasite could expand the arsenal of tools to understand its biology, and be used to develop new treatments against the disease. Here, we present two methods based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for reliable measurement of water-soluble metabolites involved in phospholipid biosynthesis, as well as several other metabolites that reflect the metabolic status of the parasite including amino acids, carboxylic acids, energy-related carbohydrates, and nucleotides. A total of 35 compounds was quantified. In the first method, polar compounds were retained by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (amino column) and detected in negative mode using succinic acid-¹³C₄ and fluorovaline as internal standards. In the second method, separations were carried out using reverse phase (C18) ion-pair liquid chromatography, with heptafluorobutyric acid as a volatile ion pairing reagent in positive detection mode, using d₉-choline and 4-aminobutanol as internal standards. Standard curves were performed in P. falciparum-infected and uninfected red blood cells using standard addition method (r² > 0.99). The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision as well as the extraction recovery of each compound were determined. The lower limit of quantitation varied from 50 pmol to 100 fmol/3 × 10⁷ cells. These methods were validated and successfully applied to determine intracellular concentrations of metabolites from uninfected host RBCs and isolated Plasmodium parasites.     

Liquid chromatography fractionation with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and preparative gas chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of selected nonylphenol polyethoxylates

Commercial nonylphenol polyethoxylates, designated as NPnEOs, where n is the number of ethoxy groups, comprise a range of ethoxylate groups. According to the starting material nonylphenol, they may also be composed of a complex mix of isomeric nonyl substituents. In order to study more fully the heterogeneity arising from both the ethoxylate and nonyl groups, a mixture of NPnEOs is first fractionated by normal phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) into separate fractions comprising individual ethoxymers, n. Preparative collection of each early elution ethoxymer fraction allows further separation of different isomeric nonyl group components by using analytical gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The nonyl isomers are not resolved in the NPLC method. The distribution of the isomeric nonyl side chain of different ethoxymers bears close resemblance with each other, and also with the original nonylphenol starting material, although separation efficiency of the nonyl isomers for each ethoxymer decreases with increasing ethoxymer number. Mass spectrometry of the separated isomers display close similarity for presumed equivalent isomers in each fraction, based on elution order of the nonyl isomers. This suggests that each corresponding peak has the same isomer structure. Mass spectra are interpreted based on branching within the nonyl side chain. Preparative GC coupled with MS and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy elucidated the molecular structure of one of the resolved isomers as 4-(1,3-dimethyl-1-propyl-butyl)-phenol diethoxylate.     

A new A431/cell membrane chromatography and online high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for screening epidermal growth factor receptor antagonists from Radix sophorae flavescentis

The intracellular kinase domains of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in some tumor cells such as human epidermal squamous cells (A₄₃₁ cells) are an important target for drug discovery. We have developed a new A₄₃₁/cell membrane chromatography (A₄₃₁/CMC)-online–high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) method for screening EGFR antagonists from medicinal herbs such as traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). In this study, A₄₃₁ cells with high EGFR expression levels were used to prepare cell membrane stationary phase (CMSP) in an A₄₃₁/CMC model. The retention fractions eluted from the CMSP column were enriched onto an ODS pre-column and then switched into an HPLC/MS system by combining a 10 port columns switching valve. The screening results found that oxymatrine and matrine from Radix sophorae flavescentis (RSF) were the targeted components which could act on EGFR in similar manner of gefitinib as a control drug. There was a good relationship of their inhibiting effects on EGFR secretion and A₄₃₁ cell growth in vitro. This new A₄₃₁/CMC-online-HPLC/MS method can be applied for screening EGFR antagonists from TCMs such as RSF. It will be a useful method for drug discovery with natural medicinal herbs as a leading compound resource.     

On-line coupling of electrokinetic chromatography and mass spectrometry

The use of pseudostationary phases (PSPs) in capillary electrophoresis provides powerful separation systems of high efficiency, selectivity and flexibility. Such electrokinetic chromatographic (EKC) systems are particularly useful for chiral analysis or for the analysis of samples containing a broad range of compounds. As the availability of mass and/or structural data on (unknown) sample constituents is increasingly important, the on-line coupling of EKC and mass spectrometry (MS) has gained attention. However, commonly used PSPs, such as micelles and cyclodextrines, may strongly interfere with electrospray ionization (ESI), making on-line EKC–MS quite a challenging task. This review covers the various approaches that have been proposed and developed to combine EKC and MS. A distinction is made between methodologies that prevent the PSP from entering the MS system, and methodologies that allow introduction of PSPs into the ion source. Various approaches such as partial filling of the separation capillary with PSP, use of reverse-migrating PSPs, employment of volatile PSPs, and alternative ionization modes, are outlined. Specific applications are described and overview tables are provided. It is concluded that there is no general solution for EKC–MS available yet, but new ionization techniques like atmospheric pressure photoionization may offer attractive perspectives for achieving full compatibility.     

Preparative separation of major xanthones from mangosteen pericarp using high‐performance centrifugal partition chromatography

Mangosteen fruit pericarp (MFP) is a rich source of xanthones, which has shown remarkable pharmacological activities. To isolate xanthones, previous methods included labor intensive and time‐consuming solid‐phase extractions (Sephadex LH20, silica gel) and sequential solvent extraction. In this study, major xanthones (α‐ and γ‐mangostins) in MFP were isolated at high purity in one step utilizing high‐performance centrifugal partition chromatography with solvent system composed of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and water (10:5:5:1). In one run, 200 mg crude extract of MFP was injected and 55.4 mg α‐mangostin and 12.4 mg γ‐mangostin were obtained with the purity of 93.6 and 98.4%, respectively. The yields of them were 86.3 and 76.3%, respectively. As α‐ and γ‐mangostins are reported to show potent antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anticancer activities, this method can be used for the large‐scale production of them for future in vitro and in vivo biological studies.     

Isolation of isomangiferin from honeybush (Cyclopia subternata) using high-speed counter-current chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography

Isomangiferin was isolated from Cyclopia subternata using a multi-step process including extraction, liquid–liquid partitioning, high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and semi-preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Enrichment of phenolic compounds in a methanol extract of C. subternata leaves was conducted using liquid–liquid partitioning with ethyl acetate–methanol–water (1:1:2, v/v). The enriched fraction was further fractionated using HSCCC with a ternary solvent system consisting of tert-butyl methyl ether–n-butanol–acetonitrile–water (3:1:1:5, v/v). Isomangiferin was isolated by semi-preparative reversed-phase HPLC from a fraction containing mostly mangiferin and isomangiferin. The chemical structure of isomangiferin was confirmed by LC–high-resolution electrospray ionization MS, as well as one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.     

Determination of senkirkine and senecionine in Tussilago farfara using microwave-assisted extraction and pressurized hot water extraction with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Tussilago farfara (Kuan Donghua) is an important Chinese herbal medicine which has been shown to contain many bioactive compounds and widely used to relieve cough and resolve phlegm. However, besides therapeutic bioactive compounds, this herb has been found to contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), mainly senkirkine and traces of senecionine. In this report, conditions for microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) were optimized for the extraction of the PAs. The results were compared against heating under reflux. It was found that the binary mixture of MeOH:H₂O (1:1) acidified using HCl to pH 2-3 was the optimal solvent for the extraction of the PAs in the plant materials. Liquid chromatography (LC) with ultra-violet (UV) detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in the positive mode was used for the determination and quantitation of senkirkine and senecionine in the botanical extract. The proposed extraction methods with LC/MS allow for the rapid detection of the major and the minor alkaloids in T. farfara in the presence of co-eluting peaks. With LC/MS, the quantitative analysis of PAs in the extract was done using internal standard calibration and the precision was found to vary from 0.6% to 5.4% on different days. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) for MAE and PHWE were found to vary from 0.26 μg/g to 1.04 μg/g and 1.32 μg/g to 5.29 μg/g, respectively. The method precision of MAE and PHWE were found to vary from 3.7% to 10.4% on different days. The results showed that major and minor alkaloids extracted using MAE and PHWE were comparable to that by heating under reflux. Our data also showed that significant ion suppression was not observed in the analysis of senkirkine and senecionine in the botanical extracts with co-eluting peaks.     

Analysis of palytoxin-like in Ostreopsis cultures by liquid chromatography with precolumn derivatization and fluorescence detection

A rapid liquid-chromatography (LC) method is presented which uses fluorescence detection (FLD) for palytoxin analogues analysis in benthic dinoflagellates of the genus Ostreopsis. The amino-acidic reagent 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxisuccinimidyl carbamate (AccQ) was used for fluorescence labelling followed by LC-FLD.The efficacy of the method is exemplified by comparison of the results of the quantification obtained by LC-FLD and the hemolytic assay performed for palytoxins for which a highly significant linear correlation was achieved (r² = 0.9118). The derivatized palytoxin analogues were determined in the range of 0.75-25 ng.The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination and quantification of palytoxin analogues in 14 samples from different strains of Ostreopsis from different locations (Western Mediterranean Sea, Canary Islands, Madeira Islands and Southern coasts of Brazil). To confirm the chemical structure of the toxins, samples were also analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with a system that has a poorer sensitivity when compared with LC-FLD detection and the hemolytic assay. The successful use of this method with dinoflagellates is a good indicator of suitability for other types of marine samples.     

Rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of yonkenafil and its major metabolites in rat plasma

Yonkenafil is a promising drug for treatment of male erectile dysfunction. Previous studies showed that the piperazine‐N,N’‐deethylation metabolite, piperazine‐N‐deethylation metabolite, and piperazine‐N‐deethylation‐N,N’‐deethylation metabolite were the major metabolites of yonkenafil after extensive metabolism. We developed a sensitive and selective method for the simultaneous quantification of yonkenafil and its major metabolites using high‐throughput liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Analytes and internal standard were extracted from a small quantity of plasma (50 μL) using liquid–liquid extraction with diethyl ether/dichloromethane (60:40, v/v), and the baseline separation was achieved on Zorbax SB‐C₁₈ column using ammonia/water/methanol (0.2:20:80, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The assay was performed with an electrospray positive ionization mass spectrometry through the multiple‐reaction monitoring mode within 2 min. Calibration curve of the method was linear within the range of 1.00–1000 ng/mL for all the analytes with the intra‐ and interday precisions of 4.0–5.2 and 4.0–5.3% for yonkenafil, 3.1–4.9 and 3.1–5.2% for the piperazine‐N,N’‐deethylation metabolite, 4.8–6.8 and 4.8–7.3% for the piperazine‐N‐deethylation metabolite, and 2.9–6.1 and 5.4–6.3% for the piperazine‐N‐deethylation‐N,N’‐deethylation metabolite, respectively. The recoveries were above 90% with low matrix effects. The validated assay was successfully applied to support a preclinical pharmacokinetic study in six rats using a single oral dose of yonkenafil (8 mg/kg).     

Selective enrichment of glycopeptides for mass spectrometry analysis using C18 fractionation and titanium dioxide chromatography

Comprehensive glycoprotein characterization based on mass spectrometry (MS) is challenging because of low concentration of glycopeptides and suppression effect of abundant non-glycosylated peptides in MS. Therefore, it is vital to enrich glycopeptides before MS analysis. A new method was developed to selectively enrich glycopeptides from complex sample by coupling C18 fractionation with titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) enrichment. The new method allows to selectively enrich N-linked glycopeptides with various glycan forms and different sequence lengths. Compared with single TiO(2) method, the established method demonstrated higher glycopeptide selectivity and higher glycosylation heterogeneity coverage. Further application of this method to mixture of non-glycosylated protein and glycoprotein digests at different levels reveals the feasibility of enrichment of tryptic glycopeptides from simple proteomics samples.     

Solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry integrated with chemometrics for detection of Salmonella typhimurium contamination in a packaged fresh vegetable

A rapid method for detection of Salmonella typhimurium contamination in packaged alfalfa sprouts using solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME/GC/MS) integrated with chemometrics was investigated. Alfalfa sprouts were inoculated with S. typhimurium, packed into commercial LDPE bags and stored at 10 + 2 °C for 0, 1, 2 and 3 days. Uninoculated sprouts were used as control samples. A SPME device was used to collect the volatiles from the headspace above the samples and the volatiles were identified using GC/MS. Chemometric techniques including linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and artificial neural network (ANN) were used as data processing tools. Numbers of Salmonella were followed using a colony counting method. From LDA, it was able to differentiate control samples from sprouts contaminated with S. typhimurium. The potential to predict the number of contaminated S. typhimurium from the SPME/GC/MS data was investigated using multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network with back propagation training. The MLP comprised an input layer, one hidden layer, and an output layer, with a hyperbolic tangent sigmoidal transfer function in the hidden layer and a linear transfer function in the output layer. The MLP neural network with a back propagation algorithm could predict number of S. typhimurium in unknown samples using the volatile fingerprints. Good prediction was found as measured by a regression coefficient (R² = 0.99) between actual and predicted data.     

Recent advances in supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A summary of the recent advances in SFC/MS is included in this review. Interface designs are described as well as the key control variables. Finally, future developments in SFC/MS are predicted.