Development and application of a UHPLC‐MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of 17 steroidal hormones in equine serum

A new, fast and simple analytical method that is able to identify and quantify simultaneously 17 steroid hormones and metabolites (pregnenolone, 17‐OH‐pregnenolone, progesterone, 17‐OH‐progesterone, androsterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, 11‐deoxycortisol, 11‐deoxycorticosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone and estradiol) has been developed in equine serum using the ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry technique. A total of 400 µl of sample was deproteinized with 1000 µl of acetonitrile, evaporated, restored with 50 µl of a solution of 25% methanol and injected in ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry triple quadrupole. The recovery percentage obtained by spiking the matrix at two different concentrations with a standard mixture of steroid hormones was in all cases higher than 85.60% and with the percentage of coefficient of variation lower than 8.37%. The range of the correlation coefficients of the calibration curves of the analyzed compounds was 0.9922–0.9986, and the limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.002–2 and 0.0055–5.5 ng ml⁻¹, respectively. The detected limit of quantification for testosterone (i.e. 50 pg ml⁻¹) is twofold lower with respect to its threshold admitted in geldings plasma (100 pg ml⁻¹ free testosterone). The high sensitivity and the quantitative aspect of the method permitted to detect most of the steroids in equine serum. Once validated, the method was used to quantify 17 steroid hormones in mare, stallion and gelding serum samples. The main steroids detected were corticosterone (range 37.25–51.26 ng ml⁻¹) and cortisol (range 32.57–52.24 ng ml⁻¹), followed by 17‐OH‐pregnenolone, dihydrotestosterone and pregnenolone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous Determination of Cortisol,Cortisone, and 6β-Hydroxycortisol in Human Urine by UPLC with UV Detector and Application to Determine Diurnal Variations

In the present studies, a simple rapid ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method with UV detection for the simultaneous determination of cortisol, cortisone and 6β-hydroxycortisol in human urine was developed. The three analytes and the internal standard dexamethasone were separated on a Waters Acquity UPLC-Tunable UV system with an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm ID, 1.7 μm) using a gradient elution of methanol and water (containing 0.01% formic acid) with a run time of 7 min. The method was accurate and precise, over the ranges of 5–200 ng mL⁻¹ for cortisol, and 10–1,000 ng mL⁻¹ for both cortisone and 6β-hydroxycortisol, and showed good linearity (r ² > 0.999). This method was applied for the measurement of cortisol, cortisone and 6β-hydroxycortisol in samples collected over different periods as a tool to assess the activity of CYP3A and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 enzymes.

     

Determination of hormones in human urine by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/triple‐quadrupole mass spectrometry

Steroid hormones play a critical role in maintaining the homeostasis of human metabolism. Urine as a noninvasive sample has been extensively used in clinical diagnosis for hormones homeostasis. In this study, the simultaneous characterization of fourteen hormones in urine was performed based on ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPHLC/ESI(+)‐MS/MS) with multiple reaction monitoring in the positive ionization mode. The target hormones were cortisone, cortisol, 11‐deoxycortisol, aldosterone, corticosterone, 11‐deoxycorticosterone, progesterone, 17‐OH‐progesterone, pregnenolone, estrone, estradiol, estriol, testosterone and dehydreopiandrosterone. β‐Glucuronidase/sulfatase deconjugation and liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) were conducted for the determination of urinary hormones (free + conjugated forms). The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.2 ng/mL (11‐deoxycortisol and testosterone) to 1 ng/mL (cortisone). The extraction recovery of the targeted compounds ranged from 87% to 127%, indicating sufficient extraction efficiency for the LLE process. Intraday precision was below 10% and the accuracy ranged from 84% to 122%. The profiling analysis of hormones in urine samples helps to understand the metabolic state of biological systems and can be employed as a diagnostic tool in diseases developed by endocrine‐disrupted systems.     

Combination of Solid‐Phase Micro‐Extraction and Direct Analysis in Real Time‐Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry for Sensitive and Rapid Analysis of 15 Phthalate Plasticizers in Beverages

A method for rapid identification and quantification of phthalate plasticizers in beverages was developed. A number of 15 phthalate plasticizers which covered all the phthalates concerned in the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), European Union legislations and Chinese national standards (GB) were analyzed. By a combined solid‐phase micro‐extraction (SPME) and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART‐MS) approach, phthalates at sub‐ng·mL^?1 levels can be qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in a short time. The use of ultrahigh‐resolving power and the accurate mass measurement capacity naturally provided by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS) minimizes the matrix interferences and thus enables the evaluation of phthalates in a complex matrix without extensive sample handlings or preparations. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were estimated to be at 0.3–5.0 ng·mL^?1, lower than the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) regulated by the European Union legislations (2007/19/EC) in foods, beverages, food packaging and toys (0.3–30 ng·mL^?1). This rapid and easy‐to‐use SPME‐DART‐FT‐ICR‐MS method provided a relatively high‐throughput and powerful analytical approach for quick testing and screening phthalates in beverages and water samples to ensure food safety.     

Micro determination of cortisol and cortisone in umbilical cord blood by chemiluminescent high‐performance liquid chromatography

A simple, sensitive and specific chemiluminescent high‐performance liquid chromatography method, based on the luminol reaction, for determination of serum cortisol and cortisone, was established. In infants, placental 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 enzyme (11β‐HSD2) activity may affect adrenal function early after birth. The cortisol–cortisone ratio of serum concentrations in umbilical cord blood is an indicator of placental 11β‐HSD2 activity. The optimum conditions for the luminol reaction were determined to be 1.5 mM luminol, 0.6 M sodium hydroxide, 0.15 mm potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) and 200 mM potassium hexacyanoferrate (II). The calibration curves for cortisol and cortisone exhibited good linearity. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves were 0.996. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were in the ranges: cortisol 7.0–12.2 and 4.4–9.2%, cortisone 5.3–7.0 and 6.2–9.9%. The recoveries of these steroids were in the ranges: cortisol 97–105%, cortisone 94–102%. The limits of detection were as follows: cortisol, 0.17 μg/dl; cortisone 0.15 μg/dl. This assay could be successfully applied to determination of the cortisol–cortiosone ratio of serum concentrations in umbilical cord bloods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of steroids in biological samples by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

The possibility of determining eight adrenocorticotropic steroid hormones (cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, 11-dehydrocorticosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, and progesterone) by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) using urea as an organic additive to the working electrolyte (a 25 mM phosphoric acid solution and 10 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate) was demonstrated. The use of online preconcentration (stacking and sweeping) allowed us to lower the detection limit for steroids to ～3 ng/mL. The total analysis time was 15 min.     

Chromatographic characterization of a molecular imprinted polymer binding cortisol

A cortisol-binding polymer was prepared by utilising a non-covalent molecular imprinting polymerisation technique. The obtained polymer was packed in a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column; the selectivity was studied by liquid chromatography, eluting cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, progesterone, 11-ketoprogesterone, 11alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, cortisol 21-hemisuccinate, and cortisol 21-acetate with chloroform, containing 0.5% (v/v) acetic acid, as mobile phase. The mechanism of molecular imprinting was confirmed and a good selectivity for cortisol, with limited recognition for cortisone and 11alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, was found.     

Rapid determination of corticosterone in mouse plasma by ultra fast liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

Major depressive disorder is a severe, life‐threatening and highly prevalent psychiatric disorder. A high percentage of people suffering from depression are characterized by hyperactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, resulting in plasma glucocorticoid (cortisol in human and corticosterone in rodent) elevations. Glucocorticoid is a critical molecule in the onset of pathology of depression. A simple, highly sensitive and specific method based on ultra‐fast liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed for the quantitation of corticosterone in mouse plasma for the first time, which provides technical support for the high‐throughput measurement for clinical determination of corticosterone in biological samples. Samples were spiked with methanol to precipitate the protein, and then chromatographed on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C₁₈ (100 × 2.1 mm,1.8 µm) column by linear gradient elution with methanol and 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase within 5 min. The detection of corticosterone was performed on ultra‐fast liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry in the positive ion. The ions [M + H]⁺ m/z 347.2 → m/z 311.1 for corticosterone and [M + H]⁺ m/z 363.2 → m/z 327.2 for hydrocortisone (internal standard) were used for quantitative determination. The lower quantification limit for corticosterone was 1 ng/mL. The validated method was successfully applied to the quantitation of corticosterone in mouse plasma. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of an isocratic reversed phase liquid chromatographic system for the separation of fourteen steroids using factorial design and computer simulation

An optimization strategy for an isocratic reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic system (RP-HPLC) is described. Factorial design and a computer program are used to predict the retention time and resolution of fourteen steroids. An optimized rapid (less than 25 min) isocratic RP-HPLC system for the satisfactory separation of cortisone, cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, estrone, estradiol, estriol, prednisone acetate and dexamethasone acetate has been developed using this strategy through eight experiments.     

Quantification of Thiram in Honeybees: Development of a Chemiluminescent ELISA

Abstract

A Chemiluminescence Enzyme‐Linked Immuno‐Sorbent Assay (CL‐ELISA) for determination and quantification of the fungicide thiram in honeybees was developed in an indirect competitive format. The assay was optimized by determining: the optimal coating conjugate concentration and anti‐thiram antiserum dilution, the effect of the incubation time on the competitive step, the tolerance to organic solvents. The IC₅₀ and the limit of detection (LOD) values were 60 ng mL^?1 and 9 ng mL^?1, respectively, similar to those of colorimetric ELISA with a calibration range of 9–15,000 ng mL^?1. Cross reactivity of some related compounds such as some dithiocarbamates, a thiocarbamate, the ethylenethiourea and the tetramethylthiourea were tested. The assay was then applied to honeybees sample extracts obtained by using the liquid‐liquid extraction or the graphitized carbon‐based solid phase extraction.

The calibration curves in honeybee extracts from liquid‐liquid procedure gave an IC₅₀ of 141 ng mL^?1 and a LOD of 17 ng mL^?1. In case of extracts obtained by SPE these values were 139 ng mL^?1 and 15 ng mL^?1, respectively. The average recovery value from honeybee extracts spiked with 75 ng mL^?1 of thiram was 72% for SPE, higher than for liquid‐liquid extraction (60%). On the opposite, when the honeybees were directly spiked with 2 and 10 ppm the average recovery was higher for liquid‐liquid extraction (54%), than for SPE (31%). Finally, the assay was applied to honeybee samples collected during monitoring activities in Italy and Russia.     

Comparison of the use of anionic and cationic surfactants for the separation of steroids based on MEKC and sweeping-MEKC modes

In attempts to improve the selectivity and sensitivity of steroid separation and to determine their migration order, a comparison of the use of anionic and cationic surfactants based on the MEKC and sweeping-MEKC modes was made. A mixture of six steroids (progesterone, 17-hydroxy progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, corticosterone, cortisone, and cortisol) could be separated and detected by means of the CE/UV-absorption method. The order of migration time for these steroids was compared under various conditions, including acidic/alkaline buffers, anionic/cationic surfactants, and positive/negative applied voltage, causing the direction of the EOF and the migration of micelles to change. The major rules for generally predicting the migration order of steroids are summarized. The detection limits were significantly improved when the sweeping-MEKC mode was applied.     

Study on the Interaction between a Novel Ionic Liquid Probe and Anionic Surfactants Using Resonance Light Scattering Spectra and Its Analytical Application

The interaction between anionic surfactants (AS) and 1‐hexadecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide [C₁₆mim]Br was studied by using resonance light scattering (RLS) technique, UV‐Vis spectrophotometry and fluorometric methods. In Britton Robinson (BR) buffer (pH 6.0), [C₁₆mim]Br reacted with AS to form supermolecular complex which resulted in enhancement in RLS intensity. Their maximum RLS wavelengths were all at 390 nm. Some important interacting experimental variables, such as the solution acidity, [C₁₆mim]Br concentration, salt effect and addition order of the reagents, were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, quantitative determination ranges were 0.001–7 μg·mL^?1 for dodecyl sodium sulfate (SDS), 0.001–6 μg·mL^?1 for sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and 0.005–7 μg·mL^?1 for sodium lauryl sulfonate (SLS), respectively, while the detection limits were 1.3 ng·mL^?1 for SDS, 1.0 ng·mL^?1 for SDBS and 5.1 ng·mL^?1 for SLS, respectively. Based on the ion‐association reaction, a highly sensitive, simple and rapid method has been established for the determination of AS.     

LC–MS/MS Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Free Urinary Steroids

Cortisol homeostasis is implicated in hypertension and metabolic syndrome. Two enzymes modulate cortisol availability; 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) preferentially converts inactive cortisone to cortisol, whereas 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) converts cortisol to cortisone. In contrast, 5α and 5β reductases inactivate cortisol by conversion to its tetrahydrometabolites: tetrahydrocortisol, allo-tetrahydrocortisol and tetrahydrocortisone. A subtle local increase in cortisol can be detected by measuring 24-h urine metabolites, LC–MS/MS being the reference method. The 11β-HSD2 activity is assessed based on the cortisol/cortisone ratio, and the 11β-HSD1 activity on the (tetrahydrocortisol + allo-tetrahydrocortisol)/tetrahydrocortisone ratio. To better understand hypertension and/or metabolic syndrome pathogenesis a method for simultaneous determination of cortisol, cortisone, tetrahydrocortisol, allo-tetrahydrocortisol and tetrahydrocortisone was developed and validated in an LC coupled with the new detector AB Sciex QTrap^® 4500 tandem mass spectrometer. The steroids were extracted from 1 mL urine, using cortisol-D4 as internal standard. The quantification range was 0.1–120 ng/mL for cortisol and cortisone, and 1–120 ng/mL for tetrahydrometabolites, with >89 % recovery for all analytes. The coefficient of variation and accuracy was <10 %, and 85–105 %, respectively. Our LC–MS/MS method is accurate and reproducible in accordance with Food and Drug Administration guidelines, showing good sensitivity and recovery. This method allows the assessment of 11β-HSD2 and 11β-HSD1 activities in a single analytical run providing an innovative tool to explain etiology of misclassified essential hypertension and/or metabolic syndrome.     

Sensitive Spectrofluorimetric Method of Analysis for Gabapentin in Pure and Pharmaceutical Preparations

Highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed and validated for the determination of gabapentin in pure and pharmaceutical preparations. The method was based on nucleophilic substitution reaction of gabapentin with 4‐fluoro‐7‐nitrobenzofurazan (NBD‐F) in an alkaline medium (pH 9.5) to form a highly fluorescent derivative that was measured at 521 nm after excitation at 458 nm. The factors affecting the reaction was carefully studied and optimized. The method was successfully validated for linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, robustness and specificity. Under the optimized conditions, linear relationship with good correlation coefficient (0.9998) was found between the relative fluorescence intensity and gabapentin concentration in the range of 10–100 ng·mL^?1. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.43 and 1.30 ng·mL^?1, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of gabapentin in its pharmaceutical capsules. The results obtained by the proposed method were comparable with those obtained by the official method. Statistical comparison by t‐ and F‐ tests revealed that there was no significant difference between the results of the two methods with respect to mean values and standard deviations at the 95% confidence level.     

Determination of Ferulic Acid in Rat Plasma by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method: Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

Abstract

A rapid, sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS/MS) method has been developed for quantification of ferulic acid in rat plasma. The analyte and docetaxel (internal standard) were extracted from plasma samples with diethyl ether and analyzed on a C₁₈ column. The chromatographic separation was achieved within 3.5 min by using acetonitrile-water as the mobile phase and the flow rate was 0.2 mL · min^?1. The method was linear within the range of 0.5 ? 800 ng · mL^?1. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.5 ng · mL^?1. Finally, the method is successfully applied for the pharmacokinetic study of ferulic acid in rats following intravenous administration.     

A highly efficient and sensitive LC‐MS/MS method for the determination of afatinib in human plasma: application to a metabolic stability study

Afatinib (AFT) is a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer. In the present study, a simple, specific, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass‐spectrometric method for the quantification of AFT in human plasma, was developed and validated. Chromatographic separation of the analytes was accomplished on a reversed‐phase Luna^®‐PFP 100 Å column (50 × 2.0 mm; 3.0 μm) maintained at ambient temperature. Isocratic elution was carried out using acetonitrile–water (40:60, v/v) containing 10 mm ammonium formate buffer (pH 4.5) adjusted with formic acid at a flow rate of 0.4 mL min^?1. The analytes were monitored by electrospray ionization in positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method yields a linear calibration plot (r² = 0.9997) from a quantification range of 0.5–500 ng mL^?1 with the lower limit of quantification and lower limit of detection of 1.29 and 0.42 ng mL^?1, respectively. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision and accuracy were estimated and found to be in the ranges of 1.53–4.11% for precision and ?2.80–0.38% for accuracy. Finally, quantification of afatinib in a metabolic stability study in rat liver microsomes was achieved through the proposed method. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Accurate Assay for Simultaneous Determination of Irinotecan and Its Active Metabolite SN-38 in Rat Plasma by LC with Fluorescence Detection

An accurate LC method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of irinotecan (CPT-11) and its active metabolite SN-38 in rat plasma. Plasma samples were pretreated with 0.4 g mL^?1 sodium dodecyl sulfate to inactive the carboxylesterase and avoid the conversion of CPT-11 to SN-38. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Diamaonsil C₁₈ column using acetonitrile–50 mM phosphate buffered solution (30:70, v/v) at pH 4.0 as the mobile phase with the flow rate of 1 mL min^?1. The linear quantitation ranges for CPT-11 and SN-38 were 5.05–3,030 and 3.15–315 ng mL^?1 with r ² > 0.99, respectively. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 2.33 ng mL^?1 for CPT-11 and 0.26 ng mL^?1 for SN-38 with intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation of <12% and the accuracy values of >90%. The method was proved to be accurate and sensitive enough and was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of CPT-11 in rats.     

Development of Immunoaffinity Sample-Purification for GC–MS Analysis of Ractopamine in Swine Tissue

A method combining immunoaffinity chromatography with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been established for determination of ractopamine residues in swine liver and urine. After clean-up on an immunoaffinity chromatography column, GC–MS analysis revealed recovery from blank swine liver and urine fortified at 2.5–20 ng g^?1 (ng mL^?1 for urine), respectively, was 68.2–78.6 and 76.2–83.1%. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.5 ng g^?1 (or ng mL^?1) and 2.0 ng g^?1 (or ng mL^?1), respectively. The procedure was used for analysis of ractopamine residues in samples of swine liver and urine in which the levels were unknown. The amounts detected were 9–216 ng g^?1 (ng mL^?1).     

Evaluation of Two Techniques for Extraction of Cortisol from Human Saliva

The aim of the study was to compare two kinds of extraction of cortisol from human saliva. The first was made with dichloromethane and the second by solid-phase extraction. Saliva was sampled in the evening into plastic tubes then cortisol was extracted and analyzed by LC with detection at 240 nm. The limit of detection was 1 ng mL^?1 for extraction with dichloromethane and 3 ng mL^?1 for SPE extraction. Both methods of extraction were applied to the analysis of saliva samples without any interference peaks.