Distribution of free amino acids,polyphenols and sugars of Ziziphus jujuba pulps harvested from plants grown in Tunisia

Ziziphus jujuba pulps are very much appreciated by the inhabitants and have been recently exported. This article reports on the chemical composition (amino acids, polyphenols and sugars) of the pulps of four Z. jujuba ecotypes (Choutrana, Mahdia, Mahres and Sfax). The major amino acids identified were proline, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Among these, proline was the most abundant amino acid (17.4 mol). Considerable differences in total phenolic contents (15.85 mg/L) were found. Predominant phenols identified by using HPLC were rutin (1.09 mg/L) and chlorogenic acid (2.57 mg/100 g). Sugars isolated from Ziziphus pulps were found at a rate of 43.52%. Using HPLC method, three sugars from the pulp extract were identified: glucose, galactose and sucrose. The Mahdia ecotype was the richest in these sugars with 0.45, 136.51 and 113.28 mg/L, respectively.     

Monitoring of circulating amino acids in patients with pancreatic cancer and cancer cachexia using capillary electrophoresis and contactless conductivity detection

Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), alanine and glutamine are determined in human plasma by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection (CE/C⁴D). The baseline separation of five amino acids from other plasma components is achieved on the short capillary effective length of 18 cm in 3.2 mol/L acetic acid with addition of 13% v/v methanol as background electrolyte. Migration times range from 2.01 min for valine to 2.84 min for glutamine, and LODs for untreated plasma are in the interval 0.7–0.9 μmol/L. Sample treatment is based on the addition of acetonitrile to only 15 μL of plasma and supernatant is directly subjected to CE/C⁴D. Circulating amino acids are measured in patients with pancreatic cancer and cancer cachexia during oral glucose tolerance test. It is shown that patients with pancreatic cancer and cancer cachexia syndrome exhibit low basal circulating BCAAs and glutamine levels and loss of their insulin-dependent suppression.     

Synthesis of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Sensitive Penicillin Determination in Milk

Abstract

Penicillin G (PG) in milk is unsafe for human and is a big problem for the foods industry. Hence, the better analytical and eliminative techniques are demanded. We investigated a PG molecular imprinted polymer (MIP), which can sensitively detect and extract the PG from milk and other samples. The MIP synthesis involved a β-lactam antibiotics PG, methacrylic acid (MAA) and dimethyl formamide (DMF). Its properties were analyzed with Scatchard plot, which showed that there were two affinity sites of the PG polymer. The first equilibrium dissociation constant of the high-affinity binding sites Kd₁ was 1.14 × 10^?4 mol/L and the binding capacity Q_max1 was 46.01 µmol/g; the second equilibrium dissociation constant of the low-affinity binding sites Kd₂ was 1.35 × 10^?3 mol/L and the binding capacity Q_max2 was 72.55 µmol/g. Furthermore, two PG determination methods using the polymer were developed. The first was carried out quantitatively with a spectrophotometer and the detection limit was 1 ppm. The other one was the combination of the MIP particles with milk fermentation for PG analysis and the sensitivity was 10 ppb.     

Determination of Cryptotanshinone,Tanshinone I,and Tanshinone IIA in Salvia Miltiorrhiza by Micro HPLC with Amperometric Detection

A highly sensitive and simple method for determining cryptotanshinone (Cry), tanshinone I (Tan I), and tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) in Salvia miltiorrhiza was developed using micro HPLC with electrochemical detection (µHPLC-ED). The tanshinones were extracted using an ultrasonic method, with methanol as the extractant. The separation was carried out on a C18 (150 mm × 1.0 mm i.d., 3 µm particle size) analytical column. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-water-formic acid mixture (52:48:0.6, v/v/v) solution. The flow rate and the temperature of the column were set at 30 µL/min and 35°C. The applied potential was set at ?0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The peak heights for Cry, Tan I, and Tan IIA were found to be linearly related to the amounts injected, ranging from 0.145 µmol/L to 3.88 µmol/L, 0.226 µmol/L to 3.01 µmol/L, and 0.149 µmol/L to 3.98 µmol/L, respectively. The RSD values of intra-day precision and repeatability were not more than 3.0%, and the recovery of three analytes were ranged from 96.7% to 97.5%. The results of the method validation indicated that this method had good precision and accuracy. As such, the method was applied to analyze crude materials and decoction pieces of Salvia miltiorrhiza.     

Characterization of Bioactive Compounds of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Seeds from Spanish Cultivars

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. is the Cactaceae plant with the greatest economic relevance in the world. It can be used for medicinal purposes, animal nutrition, production of biofuels and phytoremediation of soils. Due to its high content of bioactive compounds, the prickly pear has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. The aim of this study was to determine the polyphenolic, fatty acid and amino acid profile and characterize the antioxidant capacity of seeds of seven Spanish prickly pear cultivars. A total of 21 metabolites, mainly phenolic acids and flavonols, were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography photodiode detector quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS). Significant differences were found in the phenolic concentrations of the investigated varieties. The highest amount of phenolic compounds (266.67 mg/kg dry matter) were found in the “Nopal espinoso” variety, while the “Fresa” variety was characterized by the lowest content (34.07 mg/kg DM) of these compounds. In vitro antioxidant capacity was positively correlated with the amount of polyphenols. The amino acid composition of protein contained in prickly pear seeds was influenced by the variety. Glutamic acid was the predominant amino acid followed by arginine, aspartic acid and leucine, independent of prickly pear variety. Overall, 13 different fatty acids were identified and assessed in prickly pear seeds. The dominant fatty acid was linoleic acid, with content varying between 57.72% “Nopal ovalado” and 63.11% “Nopal espinoso”.     

Effect of addition sesame seeds powder with different ratio on microstructural and some properties of low fat Labneh

Sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum L.) are probably the most ancient oil seed crops used in functional Labneh preperation. The goal of the present study was to explore the quality of Labneh made from skim milk fortified with 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% sesame seeds powder (SSP) as alternative to fat. Control Labneh made from whole milk and their treatments with SSP were stored for 21 days at 5 ± 1 °C. The physiochemical, microbiological, and organoleptic properties were determined in fresh and stored Labneh (for 7, 14, and 21 days) as well as amino acids and microstructures were measured in fresh Labneh. The results showed that sesame seed contains up to 58.9% oil, 15.81% protein, 6.83% fiber, 11.03% carbohydrates, 14.84% antioxidant activity and 32.71 mg/100 g sesamol. The data presented that total solid, fat and acidity were increased while protein and ash contents were decreased in control Labneh compared with Labneh treatments. These all values increased with increasing the amount of SSP, except the acidity value decreased with increasing the amount of SSP. In various fresh Labneh samples, the major essential amino acid was Leucine and non-essential amino acid was Glutamic than the other amino acids. Microbiological examination of Labneh revealed that the total bacterial counts increased throughout the storage period. However moulds and yeasts were not detected at the first week then slightly detected and increased at the end of storage period. Coliform bacteria and spore-forming bacteria didn't observe in all Labneh treatments as storage progressed. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the control Labneh samples had more compact structure and fusion into big aggregates without voids. Labneh made from skim milk had numerous open, loose and less dense protein networks with spaces. No major differences were observed in the Labneh made from skim milk using 2% and 4% sesame seeds . Labneh made from skim milk using 6% sesame seeds was more intensive and thicker casein matrix than the other Labneh treatments. Organoleptic scores revealed that Labneh fortified with 4% sesame seeds powder have the highest acceptability properties.     

Determination of Free and Total Underivatized Amino Acids Including L-Canavanine in Bitter Vetch Seeds Using Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography

A new hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography method coupled with diode-array detector was developed for the determination of 17 underivatized amino acids including L-canavanine in bitter vetch [Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.] seeds. Amino acids were extracted as free as well as total extracts after acid hydrolysis, followed by chromatographic separation on a Zorbax Rx-SIL column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/potassium phosphate buffer (12.5?mM; pH 3.0) using gradient elution and detection at 190?nm. The method is characterized by a wide linear range (0.01–200?µg/mL, r?>?0.9987), sufficient accuracy (relative error 86.3–109.1%), and suitable precision for the results (relative standard deviation <4.9% in the case of intra-day and <9.8% in the case of inter-day precision). The limits of detection and quantification for free amino acids ranged from 0.01 to 0.24?mg/g and 0.03 to 0.72?mg/g, respectively, whereas the total amino acids ranged from 0.02 to 0.47?mg/g and 0.07 to 1.43?mg/g, respectively. The mean recoveries of free and total amino acids in spiked samples exceeded 70.3% for most amino acids. The mean total content of free and total amino acids in bitter vetch seeds was 1.71 and 14.88?g/100?g seed, whereas the corresponding values for canavanine were 0.07 and 0.19?g/100?g seed, respectively.     

Speciation of Selenium in Enriched Garlic Sprouts by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Selenium species in enriched garlic (Allium Sativum L) sprouts were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). The garlic was grown in a 10 mg/L selenite nutrient solution, and the total selenium accumulated by the sprouts was 250 µg/g. Three mobile phase systems were investigated and a buffer of 20 mmol/L ammonium acetate/5% methanol was chosen for subsequent analysis. Comparative experiments were performed to determine the selenium species in the garlic sprouts with four extraction solutions: 0.1 mol/L HCl, 0.1 mol/L NaOH, 20 mmol/L ammonium acetate/5% methanol and protease XIV. The most suitable results were obtained using 0.1 mol/L HCl as the extracting solution. Validation was performed; all selenium compounds had recoveries of 102.5% to total selenium, with good linearity and precision. The major compound accumulated in the garlic sprouts was methylselenocysteine, which accounted for 65.01% of the selenium.     

Determination of amino acid neurotransmitters in rat hippocampi by HPLC‐UV using NBD‐F as a derivative

A simple, rapid and accurate high‐performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet–visible detection was developed for the determination of five amino acid neurotransmitters – aspartate, glutamic acid, glycine, taurine and γ‐aminobutyric acid – in rat hippocampi with pre‐column derivatization with 4‐fluoro‐7‐nitrobenzofurazan. Several conditions which influenced derivatization and separation, such as pH, temperature, acetonitrile percentage mobile phase and flow rate, were optimized to obtain a suitable protocol for amino acids quantification in samples. The separation of the five neurotransmitter derivatives was performed on a C₁₈ column using a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer (0.02 mol/L, pH 6.0)–acetonitrile (84:16, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with the column temperature at 30°C. The detection wavelength was 472 nm. Without gradient elution, the five neurotransmitter derivatives were completely separated within 15 min. The linear relation was good in the range from 0.50 to 500 µmol/L, and the correlation coefficients were ≥0.999. Intra‐day precision was between 1.8 and 3.2%, and inter‐day precision was between 2.4 and 4.7%. The limits of detection (signal‐to‐noise ratio 3) were from 0.02 to 0.15 µmol/L. The established method was used to determine amino acid neurotransmitters in rat hippocampi with satisfactory recoveries varying from 94.9 to 105.2%. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of the enantiomers of α‐hydroxy‐ and α‐amino acids in capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection

The enantiomers of the anions of five α‐hydroxy acids, namely lactic acid, α‐hydroxybutyric acid, 2‐hydroxycaproic acid, 2‐hydroxyoctanoic acid and 2‐hydroxydecanoic acid, as well as the two α‐amino acids aspartic acid and glutamic acid, were baseline separated and detected by CE with contactless conductivity detection. Vancomycin was employed as chiral selector and could be used with conductivity detection without having to resort to a partial filling protocol as needed when this reagent is used with UV absorbance measurements. The procedure was successfully applied to the determination of the lactic acid enantiomers in samples of milk and yogurt. Linearity was achieved in the concentration range of 10–500 μmol/L with good correlation coefficients (0.9993 and 0.9990 for L ‐ and D ‐lactic acid, respectively). The LODs (3 S/N) for L ‐ and D ‐lactic acid were determined as 2.8 and 2.4 μmol/L, respectively.     

A rapid,sensitive, and widely applicable method for quantitative analysis of underivatized amino acids in different biological matrices by UHPLC‐MS/MS

A rapid, sensitive, and widely applicable method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of 20 underivatized amino acids in different biological matrices, including serum, plasma, and tissue homogenates, using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. Only 4 µL of serum, plasma, or tissue homogenate was extracted with 996 µL of solution (1.7 mM ammonium formate in 85% acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid) containing 100 ng/mL phenylalanine‐d5 as an internal standard without any further derivatization step. In addition, the matrix effects were small because a large volume of extraction solution was used. The total run time including reequilibration was 13 min. The results of linearity, accuracy, repeatability, precision, limits of detection, limits of quantification, and sample stability were sufficient to allow the measurement of the amino acids in different biological matrices. We conclude that our method is rapid, sensitive, and widely applicable and represents an improvement over other currently available technologies.     

Pork Heart Tissue‐Based Chemiluminescence Biosensor for Pyruvic Acid

Abstract

A novel chemiluminescence (CL) animal tissue‐based sensor for pyruvic acid is presented in this paper. Pork heart tissue was chopped into small pieces and packed into a mini‐glass column as the recognition element. When pyruvic acid passed through the column, hydrogen peroxide was produced under the catalytic oxidation of oxygen by pyruvic acid oxidase present in the pork heart tissue. This produced hydrogen peroxide could react with luminol in alkaline solution to produce chemiluminescence in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate(III). The developed sensor system promises simplicity, fastness, stability, and sensitivity. Under the optimum conditions, CL intensities are proportional to the concentration of pyruvic acid in the range of 0.02–12 µmol/L, with a detection limit of 0.004 µmol/L (3σ). RSD is 2.3% for 0.5 µmol/L pyruvic acid (n=11). The sensor could be stable for 150 min by more than 100 times determination. The proposed method has been applied successfully to the analysis of pyruvic acid in biological samples. The results obtained by the proposed method are consistent with those obtained by spectrophotometry.     

Determination of Free D‐Amino Acids in Mammalia by Chiral Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Quantities of D‐amino acids were determined in body fluids (urine, blood plasma and blood serum, milk) of mammals (hamster, horse, bovine, sheep, pig, and dog). Amino acids were isolated using a cation exchanger and converted into their N(O)‐pentafluoropropionyl (or trifluoroacetyl) amino acid 2‐propyl esters. Enantiomers were separated and quantified on a Chirasil‐L‐Val capillary column with mass spectrometric detection using selected ion monitoring. D‐Enantiomers of most protein L‐amino acids were detected. Largest absolute and relative amounts in most cases were determined for D‐Ser and D‐Ala in urine. Stereoisomers of 2,6‐diaminopimelic acid were also measured in bovine, ovine, and porcine urine. Since D‐amino acids were detected in all representative classes of the major orders of Mammalia, namely Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Rodentia, and Carnivora, and taking reports in the literature into account, it is postulated that D‐amino acids occur in all mammals.     

不同生长期中菘蓝多糖和氨基酸含量变化规律研究

分别采用苯酚-硫酸法、茚三酮比色法测定菘蓝中总多糖和游离总氨基酸含量.分析结果表明,在不同的生长季节,根中游离氨基酸、总多糖含量逐月上升,均在11月份含量最高;叶中游离氨基酸含量先上升,后下降,以8月份和10月份含量较高,总多糖含量逐月上升,在十一月份含量最高.菘蓝生长过程中,根和叶中的总多糖和游离总氨基酸含量随着发育进程而发生变化.这一变化规律为中药的规范化种植(GAP)提供了实验依据.     

Determination of Biogenic Amines in Digesta by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Precolumn Dansylation

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of nine biogenic amines in digesta sample from pig cecum and colon was developed using a simple direct derivatization with dansyl chloride. After precipitation with trichloroacetic acid and extraction by n-hexane, the amines were separated on a C₁₈ column using a water–acetonitrile gradient elution program. The calibration curve for each amine was linear over the range of 50 to 250 µmol/L, and the relative standard deviation for intra-assay precision was below 0.5%. The recovery ranged from 86.79% to 117.62% while the limit of detection was 0.1 µmol/L for the amines except for spermine with a value of 0.03 µmol/L. This procedure was successfully applied to identify and quantify biogenic amines in the hindgut digesta of the pig.     

Use of an Optimum Wavelength to Detect Glutamic Acid and its Metabolites in Human Serum by Reversed-Phase HPLC

Abstract

Dansylated glutamic acid, glutamine and γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) show maximum absorption at 221 nm. Using this wavelength, the detection limits for dansylated amino acids studied by reversed-phase HPLC are similar to those reported by fluorescence. This technique was used to look foe the presence of glutamic acid and its metabolites in human serum. Glutamic acid and glutamine were present in significant amounts and their levels were 2.5 and 6.1 nmoles/ml respetively, while GABA was present in trace amounts, less than 0.3 nmoles/ml.     

The Free-Amino-Acid Content in Six Potatoes Cultivars through Storage

Potatoes of six cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) with red, purple, and yellow flesh were stored at 2 and 5 °C for 3 and 6 months, and the influence of these factors on the content of free amino acids was determined. The potato cultivar and storage time had the greatest impact on the free amino acid content. The tubers of red-fleshed (Rote Emma) and purple-fleshed (Blue Congo) potatoes contained over 28 mg/g DM of free amino acids, and the Blaue Annelise cultivar with purple flesh had over 18 mg/g DM. After 6 months, the highest increase in their content (by 36%) was recorded in tubers of the Fresco cultivar (yellow-fleshed). In the analysed potatoes, the content of alanine, proline, serine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and α-aminoadipic acid increased, while that of asparagine, aspartic acid, and glutamine decreased. Asparagine decreased to the greatest extent in “Blaue Annelise” potatoes (by 24%) and that of glutamine in tubers of Rote Emma and Vineta by 18%.     

Rapid Determination of Free Amino Acids in Milk by Microchip Electrophoresis Coupled with Laser‐induced Fluorescence Detection

A simple and sensitive method for determination of free amino acids in milk by microchip electrophoresis (MCE) coupled with laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed. Seven kinds of standard amino acids were derivated with sulfoindocyanine succinimidyl ester (Cy5) and then perfectly measured by MCE‐LIF within 150 s. The parameters of MCE separation were carefully investigated to obtain the optimal conditions: 100 mmol·L^?1 sodium borate solution (pH 10.0) as running buffer solution, 0.8 kV as injection voltage, 2.2 kV as separation voltage etc. The linear range of the detection of amino acids was from 0.01 µmol·L^?1 to 1.0 µmol·L^?1 and the detection limit was as low as about 1.0 nmol·L^?1. This MCE‐LIF method was applied to the measurements of free amino acids in actual milk samples and satisfactory experimental results were achieved.     

Quantification of recombinant human erythropoietin by amino acid analysis using isotope dilution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Herein, we describe an accurate method for protein quantification based on conventional acid hydrolysis and an isotope dilution-ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method. The analyte protein, recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), was effectively hydrolyzed by incubation with 8 mol/L hydrochloric acid at 130 °C for 48 h, in which at least 1 μmol/kg of rhEPO was treated to avoid possible degradation of released amino acids during hydrolysis. Prior to hydrolysis, sample solution was subjected to ultrafiltration to eliminate potential interfering substances. In a reversed-phase column, the analytes (phenylalanine, proline, and valine) were separated within 3 min using gradient elution comprising 20 % (v/v) acetonitrile and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate, both containing 0.3 % (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid. The optimized hydrolysis and analytical conditions in our study were strictly validated in terms of accuracy and precision, and were suitable for the accurate quantification of rhEPO. Certified rhEPO was analyzed using a conventional biochemical assay kit as an additional working calibrant for the quantification of EPO and improved the accuracy. The optimized protocol is suitable for the accurate quantification of rhEPO and satisfactorily serves as a reference analytical procedure for the certification of rhEPO and similar proteins.

A Study of Preparation and Performance of a Dichlorvos Electrochemical Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Technique

A new dichlorvos molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor was prepared. The sensitive membrane sensor was fabricated by electro-polymerizing on an Au electrode surface using o-aminophenol as a monomer and dichlorvos as a template. The 5 mmol/L K₃[Fe(CN)₆] containing 0.1 mol/L KCl was used as the test background solution, while cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to study the properties of the senor. The changes of oxidation peak current versus dichlorvos concentration showed linearity in the range of 0.12–0.42 µmol/L (R ² = 0.9432) and 0.45–15 µmol/L (R ² = 0.9516) with a detection limit of 0.06 µmol/L (S/N = 3). Moreover, the selectivity and repeatability properties of the dichlorvos electrochemical sensor were examined. Results showed that the senor had excellent repeatability (RSD = 3.92%, n = 5), good selectivity to the dichlorvos in detection, and only a ten minute response time. Organophosphorus insecticides have some response signals in the detections.