Investigating the effects of conductivity on zone overlap with EMMA: computer simulation and experiment

In this paper, we demonstrate, using both experiment and simulation, how sample zone conductivity can affect plug-plug mixing in small molecule applications of electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA). The effectiveness of in-line mixing, which is driven by potential, can vary widely with experimental conditions. Using two small molecule systems, the effects of local conductivity differences between analyte plugs, reagent plugs and the BGE on EMMA analyses are examined. Simul 5.0, a dynamic simulation program for CE systems, is used to understand the ionic boundaries and profiles that give rise to the experimentally obtained data for EMMA analyses for (i) creatinine determination via the Jaffe reaction, a reaction involving a neutral and an anion, and (ii) the redox reaction between gallate and 2,6-dichloroindophenol, two anions. Low sample conductivity, which is widely used in CE analyses, can be detrimental for in-line reactions involving a neutral reactant, as rapid migration of the ionic component across a low conductivity neutral zone results in poor reagent plug overlap and low reaction efficiency. Conversely, with two similarly charged reagents, a low conductivity sample plug is advantageous, as it allows field-amplified stacking of the reagents into a tight reaction zone. In addition, the complexity of simultaneously overlapping three reagent zones is considered, and experimental results validate the predictions made by the simulation. The simulations, however, do not appear to predict all of the observed experimental behavior. Overall, by combining experiment with simulation, an enhanced appreciation for the local field effects in EMMA is realized, and general guidelines for an advantageous sample matrix can be established for categories of EMMA analyses.     

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis with small molecules: the Jaffé method for creatinine carried out in a capillary tube

An eletrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) approach, used to perform online chemistry between two small molecules, has been characterized and optimized. The "plug-plug" type EMMA method involved electrophoretic mixing and subsequent reaction of nanoliter plugs of creatinine-containing samples and alkaline picrate (Jaffe reaction) within the confines of the capillary column, which acts as a microreactor. Analyses were performed by pressure injecting a plug of picrate followed by a plug of the creatinine-containing sample. A potential was then applied to electrophoretically mix the two reactants, and an incubation time of up to 6 min allowed the reaction to proceed prior to the application of a 27 kV separation potential with absorbance detection at 485 nm. The use of a 50 microm inner diameter(ID) extended light path capillary (150 microm pathlength) was found to be adequate for determining elevated levels of creatinine in human blood sera, but could not be used to quantify normal levels. Quantification of both normal and elevated levels of creatinine in sera was possible with a 75 microm ID high-sensitivity cell (1200 microm pathlength). Calibration plots using the latter for creatinine in human blood sera spanned the expected clinical range and were linear between 40 microM and 1.2 mM (r2 = 0.996) with an estimated limit of detection of 17 microM (signal-to-noise ratio S/N = 3). A quantitative comparison of results obtained with the reported EMMA method and accepted clinical methodology correlated very well (slope = 1.001).     

Original paper application of cyclodextrins as modifiers in electrophoretic separation of metalloporphyrins

Several metallocomplexes of tetrakis-carboxyphenylporphyrin (TCPP) were separated on fused-silica capillary using CZE with UV-VIS detection. Metalloporphyrins of Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) were formed directly in TCPP solution with addition of Cd(II) to increase the formation reaction rate. The composition of BGE, its concentration, and pH were optimized to ensure the stability of complexes and proper resolution. In particular, the problem of signals' shape was investigated and discussed. The presence of beta-CD in borate buffer significantly improved separation efficiency and signal shapes due to formation of inclusion complexes. Under the best separation conditions (50 mM borate running buffer at pH 9 with addition of 2 mM beta-CD, 30 kV applied voltage) a separation of metal complexes with TCPP was accomplished in 16 min.     

Sensitivity enhancement for the analysis of naproxen in tap water by solid-phase extraction coupled in-line to capillary electrophoresis

SPE coupled in-line to CE, as the strategy to enhance the concentration sensitivity in CE, has been used to enrich naproxen in tap water samples. In this study, a microcartridge containing an octadecyl silica (C18) sorbent was placed near the inlet within the separation capillary column. The optimum conditions were obtained when naproxen in an acidic aqueous solution (pH 3.5) was loaded into the capillary at 930 mbar for 30 min, and 20 mM ammonium acetate in methanol/water (70:30 v/v) was used as both an elution solution and a separation BGE. Under these conditions, the sensitivity was enhanced 1820-fold with respect to normal hydrodynamic injection, and the LOD achieved was 0.2 microg/L. To show the capability of the in-line SPE-CE method, tap water samples were analysed after a pretreatment consisting in an off-line C18-SPE procedure. The recovery of this procedure was higher than 80%. Under these conditions, naproxen could be detected at a concentration of 10 ng/L; so the potential of the procedure for the sensitive analysis of this type of drugs in water samples was demonstrated. Afterwards, these results were compared with those previously obtained for naproxen in water samples using different sample stacking techniques.     

Advances in capillary electrophoretically mediated microanalysis: an update

This review, as a continuation of an earlier report, gives an overview of recent developments, over the period from 2003 until now, in the use of capillary electrophoretic techniques for the in-line study of enzymatic reactions, derivatization, and chemical reactions. The article is divided into two parts: (i) in-line enzymatic reactions and (ii) in-line derivatization and chemical reactions. The first part introduces electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) and discusses and illustrates the different modes of EMMA. A literature overview on enzymatic reactions is provided. The second part starts with an introduction of the procedures and the nomenclature used in the area of in-line derivatization and chemical reactions based on EMMA. Reported derivatization and chemical reaction procedures are discussed and summarized.     

Coupling of sequential injection analysis and capillary electrophoresis - Laser-induced fluorescence via a valve interface for on-line derivatization and analysis of amino acids and peptides

The on-line coupling of sequential injection analysis (SIA) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) via an in-line injection valve is presented. The SIA system is used for automated derivatization of amino acids and peptides. Dichlorotriazinylaminofluorescein serves as the derivatization agent, thus enabling sensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection of the derivatized analytes. The SIA procedure includes the following steps: (a) introduction of reagent and sample zones in a holding coil, (b) sample and reagent mixing in a reaction coil, (c) stop-flow step for increase of the reaction time, and (d) delivery of derivatized sample into the loop of the micro-valve interface. A small portion of the analyte zone is introduced electrokinetically in the separation capillary via the valve interface and CE analysis is performed. Factors affecting the CE separation, such as pH, the borate and sodium dodecyl sulphate concentration of the background electrolyte have been optimized. The derivatization conditions have been studied to obtain a high reaction yield in a relative short time. The transfer of a part of the reaction plug into the loop of the valve interface has been optimized. Using des-Tyr(1)-[Met]-enkephalinamide as test compound, it is demonstrated that after automated derivatization, on-line electrophoretic analysis could be achieved. Glycine has been selected as the internal standard in order to correct for variations in reaction time and filling of the injection loop. For the enkephalin, good reproducibility (RSD<4.5% calculated by the ratio of the peak areas) and linearity (0.5-5 microg mL(-1), R(2)>or=0.994) are obtained with a detection limit of 30 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3).     

Rapid screening of aminopeptidase N inhibitors by capillary electrophoresis with electrophoretically mediated microanalysis

In this work, an electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) method with a partial‐filling technique was setup to evaluate the inhibitory potency of novel compounds toward aminopeptidase N (APN). It was necessary to optimize the electrophoretic conditions with respect to the kinetic constraints and for attaining high sensitivity. In our setup, a part of the capillary was filled with the incubation buffer for the enzyme reaction, whereas the rest was filled with a suitable BGE for the separation of substrates and products. To monitor the performance of the newly developed method, the kinetic constants (K_m and V_max) for the catalyzed dissociation of l ‐Leucine‐p‐nitroanilide in the presence of APN as well as the inhibition constant (IC₅₀) of a known competitive inhibitor, that is bestatin, were determined and these results were compared with those obtained by a classical spectrophotometric assay. The developed EMMA method was subsequently applied to the screening of 30 APN inhibitors. Whereas the inhibition potency of these inhibitors (expressed in IC₅₀ values) were significantly underestimated by the EMMA method, the order of the inhibitory potential of these various compounds was found in agreement with the literature.     

Application of carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis for enantiomer separation of selected neurotransmitters

The aim of this work was to optimize conditions for capillary electrophoresis separation of different neurotransmitters (serotonin, phenylalanine, dopamine, adrenaline, ephedrine, propranolol and DOPA) in a single run, including separation of existing enantiomers. As chiral selectors added to the borate background, electrolyte unsubstituted alpha-, beta- and -gamma-cyclodextrins (CDs), methyl-, dimethyl-, and trimethyl-substituted beta-CDs, and hydroxypropyl-substituted alpha-, beta- and gamma-CDs were examined. Also carboxymethyl-beta-CD and succinyl-beta-CD were used for this purpose. In addition to the kind and concentration of chiral selector, some other experimental factors also have been optimized, such as concentration of borate buffer, content of methanol, pH of electrolyte, method of sample introduction into the capillary and washing procedure between consecutive runs. The best results were obtained using 20 mM carboxymethyl-beta-CD in borate buffer of pH 7.5 as running electrolyte and hydrostatic injection. The obtained sensitivity of response (peak height) varied from 0.4 for adrenalines to 2.3 mAU mM(-1) for propranolols. The concentration detection limits (S/N=3) were in the range from 0.04 mM for propranolols to 0.2 mM for adrenalines. The resolution obtained in optimized conditions in a single run was from 0.75 for adrenalins and 1.0 for propranolols up to 2.0 for ephedrines. The developed method was employed for determination of these analytes in brain tissue extracts.     

Sodium maleopimaric acid as pseudostationary phase for chiral separations of amino acid derivatives by capillary micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A new type of chiral surfactant, sodium maleopimaric acid (SMA), was synthesized, and employed for the enantioselective micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (MEKC) separation of amino acid enantiomers derivatized with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA-D/L-AAs). The effect of the surfactant concentration, type and concentration of the BGE, and buffer pH on the resolution was studied, and optimized conditions were used to evaluate the ability of this new surfactant to perform chiral separations toward NDA-D/L-AAs by MEKC. Enantiomeric separations of NDA-D/L-AAs were achieved with a running buffer consisting of 100 mM borate (pH 9.5) and 20 mM SMA in a 58.5 cm length x 50 microm id capillary. Under the conditions selected, two pairs of tested amino acid enantiomers including NDA-D/L-trptophan (Trp) and NDA-D/L-kynurenine (Kyn) were resolved.     

Enantioselective separation of chiral vicinal diols in capillary electrophoresis using a mono‐6A‐aminoethylamino‐β‐cyclodextrin as a chiral selector

This paper describes an improved access to mono‐6^A‐aminoethylamino‐β‐CD (β‐CDen), a very efficient cationic chiral selector for CZE in the separation of eight chiral aromatic vicinal diols. The β‐CDen concentration has a strong influence on the efficiency of enantioseparation. The effects of the pH and concentration of the BGE, the capillary temperature, and the applied voltage on the resolution and separation selectivity have been studied. Excellent chiral resolution was achieved under the optimal conditions of β‐CDen 10 mM, pH 10, 200 mM borate buffer at 15 kV and 20°C within 20 min. Moreover, the developed method was successfully applied to the determination of the enantiomeric purity of the catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) reaction products.     

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis

This review describes the existing developments in the use of the capillary electrophoretic microanalytical technique for the in-line study of enzyme reaction, electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA). The article is divided into a number of parts. After an introduction, the different modes, basic principle, procedure, and some mathematical treatments of EMMA methodology are discussed and illustrated. The applications of EMMA for enzyme assay and for non-enzymatic determination are summarized into two tables. In addition to classical capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument EMMA, special emphasis is given to a relatively new technique: EMMA on CE microchip. Finally, conclusions are drawn.     

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis assay for sirtuin enzymes

An electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) assay for the human sirtuin SIRT1 has been developed using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-labeled peptides, i.e. Fmoc-KK(Ac)-NH(2), Fmoc-KK(Ac)L-NH(2) and Fmoc-RHKK(Ac)-NH(2), as substrates. The partial filling mode was applied due to the incompatibility between the incubation buffer, pH 8.0, and the BGE that had a pH of 2.7 or 2.3 depending on the analytes. Incubation and subsequent analyte separation were carried out in a 37/30 cm, 50 μm id fused-silica capillary at 37°C. An injection sequence of incubation buffer, enzyme, substrate, enzyme and incubation buffer was selected because the electrophoretic mobility of SIRT1 was not known. The assay was optimized with regard to the length of the injected plugs, the mixing voltage and mixing time as well as the activity (concentration) of SIRT1. The EMMA assay was subsequently applied to the determination of the Michaelis-Menten constants, K(m), and the maximum velocity, V(max), as well as the determination of the inhibitory constants, IC(50), of inhibitors. Data obtained with the in-capillary assay were in accordance with the literature data or an offline SIRT1 assay.     

Capillary electrophoretic analysis of anions in a multi-anion background electrolyte: Interference of system peaks

Summary This study deals with the simultaneous analysis of UV-transparent anions by capillary electrophoresis with indirect UV-detection. With a background electrolyte (BGE) based on UV-absorbing chromate and UV-transparent borate, the interference of system peaks with those of sample anions (chloride, sulfate, citrate, phosphate) is shown. The existence of such system peaks, and their position in relation to the peaks of the sample anions, are explained on the basis of the eigenpeak theory proposed by Poppe [1]. With this BGE the system peaks were manifested as a negative peak followed by a positive peak. Their shapes depended on the relative mobilities of the analyte and BGE anions and their areas depended on the amount of sample. The mobility of the system peak depends on the borate/boric acid mobility, which was adjusted by slight variation of the pH close to its pK _a-pH is the key factor governing system-peak mobility. When the locations of the system peaks are optimized, the quantification of citrate can be achieved; this was successfully used for determination of anions in milk.     

A capillary zone electrophoresis for determination of thiolic peptides in biological samples

A new method to improve the analyses of thiolic peptides (cysteine, γGlu-Cys, glutathione, phytochelatins and desglycyl-phytochelatins) derivatized with monobromobimane (mBrB) in complex biological samples by CZE is described. The method involves a SPE using Sep-Pak Light C18 Cartridges after derivatization and a later CZE analysis. Elution of mBrB-thiols was achieved with 10 mM HCl + 70% methanol v/v in deionised water. Electrophoretic parameters, such as BGE pH and concentration, different organic additives (methanol and trifluoroethanol), applied voltage and capillary length were studied in order to establish suitable analytical conditions. Optimum separation of the mBrB-thiolic peptides was obtained with 100 mM sodium borate buffer at pH 7.60. The electrophoretic conditions were +15 kV, capillary length of 90 cm from inlet to detector (98 cm total length, 50 μm ID), samples were loaded into the capillary by hydrodynamic injection (50 mbar, 20 s) and detection was performed at 390 nm. The improved method showed good reproducibility, linearity and sensitivity. The LODs and LOQs estimated using a standard of GSH were 1.41 and 4.69 μM respectively.     

Complementary on-line preconcentration strategies for steroids by capillary electrophoresis

Complementary on-line preconcentration strategies are needed when analyzing different classes of solutes in real samples by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV detection. The performance of three different on-line preconcentration (focusing) techniques under alkaline conditions was examined in terms of their selectivity and sensitivity enhancement for a group of steroids, including classes of androgens, corticosteroids and estrogens. Electrokinetic focusing of large sample injection plugs (up to 28% of effective capillary length or 22.1 cm) directly on-capillary can be tuned for specific classes of steroids based on changes in their mobility (velocity) using a multi-section electrolyte system in CE. A dynamic pH junction was applied for the selective resolution and focusing of weakly acidic estrogens using borate, pH 11.0 and pH 8.0 in the background electrolyte and the sample, respectively. Sweeping, using an anionic bile acid surfactant and neutral gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) under alkaline conditions (pH 8), resulted in focusing and separation of the moderately hydrophobic (non-ionic) classes of steroids, such as androgen and corticosteroids. Optimal focusing and resolution of all test steroids under a single buffer condition was realized by a dynamic pH junction-sweeping format using borate, pH 11.0 and bile acid surfactant with gamma-CD in the BGE, whereas the sample is devoid of surfactant at pH 8.0. The design of selective on-line focusing strategies in CE is highlighted by the analysis of microgram amounts of ethynyl estradiol derived from a female contraceptive pill extract using the dynamic pH junction method, which resulted in over a 100-fold enhancement in concentration sensitivity.     

A continuous two-phase reaction system coupled on-line with capillary chromatography for the determination of polar solutes in water

Gas chromatographic procedures are described for the determination of carboxylic acids and chlorinated anilines in water samples. Propionic acid and 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid in aqueous solution have been simultaneously alkylated and extracted by means of a continuous two-phase reaction system, and then quantitated by on-line coupled capillary gas chromatography; tetrahexyl-ammonium hydrogen sulfate was used as phase transfer catalyst and pentafluorobenzyl bromide as reagent. A factorial design approach was used to optimize on-line derivatization of aqueous propionic acid with regard to pH and concentration of phase transfer catalyst. Alkylation and extraction, under optimized conditions, followed by quantitation of the pentafluorobenzyl ester by flame ionization detection furnished a linear calibration for concentrations between 0.1 and 10 μg/ml. The relative standard deviation was 9–15 %. The continuous two-phase reaction system was also used to determine (chlorinated) anilines present in water at concentrations of 0.1–1 μg/ml; pentafluorobenzoyl chloride was used as reagent and analysis was performed by capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization or electron capture detection. The on-line acylation of p-chloroaniline was optimized with regard to pH, reagent concentration, and reaction time. The on-line reaction system worked satisfactorily for both applications, although excess reagent caused some problems with the chromatography.     

Multivariate optimization of a capillary zone electrophoresis assay method for simultaneous quantification of metformin and vildagliptin from a formulation

A rapid, accurate, precise, and optimized capillary zone electrophoresis assay was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of metformin and vildagliptin in tablets. The electrophoretic separation was achieved on an untreated bonded silica capillary with a background electrolyte comprising 25 mM of borate buffer at pH 7.5 at 207 nm. The concentration of the buffer and the pH of BGE were optimized using the multivariate optimization method for determining the retention time and peak area. Furthermore, the sample injection time, capillary oven temperature, and applied voltage were optimized. The capillary zone electrophoresis technique was validated for all required parameters as per the International Conference on Harmonization recommendations. The linearity ranged in the concentrations of 5–500 µg/mL and 5–100 µg/mL with the limit of detections of 0.22 µg/mL and 0.40 µg/mL for metformin and vildagliptin, respectively. In addition, the percent relative standard error for repeatability and inter-day precision was within the acceptable range. The mean recoveries determined by the capillary zone electrophoresis method were 99.2% and 100.4% for metformin and vildagliptin, respectively. Finally, the capillary zone electrophoresis process was effectively used for the assays of metformin and vildagliptin in their solid dosage form, and statistical outcomes were in agreement with the outcomes of the previously validated RP-HPLC method.     

Fast in-line bottom-up analysis of monoclonal antibodies: Toward an electrophoretic fingerprinting approach

For their characterization and quality control, monoclonal antibodies are frequently analyzed at the bottom-up level to generate specific fingerprints that can be used to tackle post-translational modifications or ensure production consistency between lots. To circumvent time-consuming and labor-intensive off-line sample preparation steps, the implementation of integrated methodologies from sample preparation to separation and detection is highly valuable. In this perspective, capillary zone electrophoresis appears as a choice technique since the capillary can subsequently be used as a vessel for sample preparation and electrophoretic discrimination/detection of the reaction products. Here, a fast in-line methodology for the routine quality control of mAbs at the bottom-up level is reported. Simultaneous denaturation and reduction (pretreatment step) were conducted with RapiGest® surfactant and dithiothreitol before in-line tryptic digestion. Reactant mixing was realized by transverse diffusion of laminar flow profile under controlled temperature. In-line digestion was carried out with a resistant trypsin to autolysis. The main parameters affecting the digestion efficiency (trypsin concentration and incubation conditions) were optimized to generate mAb electrophoretic profiles free from trypsin interferences. An acidic MS-compatible BGE was used to obtain high resolution separation of released peptides and in-line surfactant cleavage. The whole methodology was performed in less than two hours with good repeatability of migration times (RSD = 0.91%, n = 5) and corrected peak areas (RSD = 9.6%, n = 5). CE-fingerprints were successfully established for different mAbs and an antibody-drug conjugate.     

An insight into the phenomena involved in a multiple-function stationary phase for the capillary electrochromatographic separation of 2'-, 3'-, and 5'-monophosphorylated nucleoside isomers

The electrochromatographic separations of 2'-, 3'- and 5'-monophosphates of adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, and uridine were carried out with an open-tubular capillary column which was wall-coated with a highly selective reagent, 28-membered macrocyclic polyamine, 4, 8, 12, 18, 22, 26-hexaaza-1,15-dioxacyclooctaeicosane ([28]ane-N6O2). The effects of pH, composition and concentration of background electrolyte (BGE), applied voltage, column length, and the additive of the BGE, such as metal ions, borate, beta-cyclodextrin and organic solvent on the separation of these monophosphorylated nucleotide isomers were investigated. The results suggested that the interactions between analytes and the bonded groups on the wall predominantly comprise anion coordination and anion exchange in addition to the electrophoresis. A well-resolved electrochromatogram was obtained with the capillary column of 100 cm (75 cm effective length) x 75 microm inside diameter (ID), citrate buffer (20 mM, pH 3.99), applied voltage of -22 kV and detection at 254 nm. Column efficiency was found with the average theoretical plate numbers of 119,500/m and a low detection limit of 0.01 microM level could be achieved for the separation of these isomers.     

毛细管电泳发光二极管诱导荧光对免疫球蛋白G的检测

采用自行设计、组装的毛细管电泳光导纤维发光二极管诱导荧光检测装置,建立了一种直接测定免疫球蛋白G(IgG)的方法。以蓝色发光二极管(LED)为荧光检测器的激发光源,荧光素异硫氰酸酯(FITC)为柱前衍生试剂,采用毛细管区带电泳,以20 mmol/L硼砂缓冲溶液(pH9.2)为背景电解液进行分离检测。通过对衍生反应条件和电泳分离条件进行优化,确定了最佳实验条件,在该条件下,IgG的线性范围为4.5×10-8~1.2×10-6g/L,检出限为2.0×10-8g/L。该方法简单、高效、选择性好,无需前处理,可用于人血清中IgG含量的测定。