Determination of reference interval values for inorganic elements in whole blood samples of humans and laboratory animals by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Inorganic elements are responsible for essential bodily functions, such as osmotic regulation, cardiac frequency and contractibility, blood clotting and neuromuscular excitability. The determination of inorganic elements in corporeal fluids such as blood, serum, plasma and urine is used as a monitor for a part or the whole organism; their values, then, are compared with reference interval values. In this study, the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF), applying the Fundamental Parameters method, for the determination of inorganic elements in whole blood samples from humans and laboratory animals, was used. Peripheral blood samples were collected and, before coagulation, 100 μL of sample were deposited onto Whatman No. 41 filter paper and dried, using infrared spotlight. The reference interval values for healthy Brazilian population of Na were found to be 1,788–1,826 μg g^?1, of Mg 63–75 μg g^?1, of P 602–676 μg g^?1, of S 1,519–1,718 μg g^?1, of Cl 2,743–2,867 μg g^?1, of K 1,508–1,630 μg g^?1, of Ca 214–228 μg g^?1, of Fe 170–184 μg g^?1, of Cu 4–6 μg g^?1 and of Zn 1–3 μg g^?1. The reference interval values for golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) of Na were found to be 1,714–1,819 μg g^?1, Mg 51–79 μg g^?1, P 970–1,080 μg g^?1, S 1,231–1,739 μg g^?1, Cl 2,775–2,865 μg g^?1, of K 1,968–2,248 μg g^?1, of Ca 209–257 μg g^?1, of Fe 145–267 μg g^?1, of Cu 4–6 μg g^?1 and of Zn 3–5 μg g^?1. A comparative study between EDXRF and instrumental neutron activation analysis data was carried out and the results for both techniques are statistically equal (α = 0.05). The results contribute for the establishment of reference interval values for Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cu and Zn in the healthy Brazilian population and the referred laboratory animal species.     

SPE–LC Multi-Residue Analysis of Mebendazole and its Metabolites in Grass Carp and Shrimp

An analytical method was developed to detect the residue of mebendazole and its metabolites (hydroxymebendazole and aminomebendazole) in the muscle of grass carp and shrimp by LC–UV detection. Mebendazole and its metabolites were extracted with water and ethyl acetate, defatted with hexane, and purified with MCX solid phase extraction column. The intra- and inter-batch precision (measured by CV%) was <9.0%. The accuracy (measured by relative error, %) was <12%. The LODs were 2.5 μg kg^?1 for mebendazole and hydroxymebendazole, 5 μg kg^?1 for aminomebendazole; the LOQs were 5 μg kg^?1 for mebendazole and hydroxymebendazole, 10 μg kg^?1 for aminomebendazole. The mean recoveries of mebendazole and its metabolites from grass carp and shrimp muscle at a concentration range of 5.0–500.0 μg kg^?1 were 90.7–97.0% with relative standard deviations below 10%.     

SPE then RP-LC for Simultaneous Analysis of Cyromazine and its Metabolite Melamine in Liquid Milk and Egg

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) have been used for simple, sensitive simultaneous analysis of cyromazine and melamine residues in liquid milk and eggs. The conditions used for SPE and LC were investigated and optimized. A combined cation-exchange–reversed-phase cartridge was used for clean-up, and an ODS (C₁₈) column (150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5-μm particles) with 62:38 (v/v) 5 mm sodium lauryl sulfate (pH 3.4)–acetonitrile as mobile phase was used for RP-LC. Under the optimum conditions the method limit of detection (LOD) for both cyromazine and melamine was 6.2 μg kg^?1 for liquid milk samples, and 11.5 μg kg^?1 for egg samples. Average recovery of cyromazine and melamine from milk samples was 90.3%, RSD 4.6–5.6%, and 99.6%, RSD 3.2–4.7%, respectively. Average recovery of cyromazine and melamine from egg samples was 85.3%, RSD 1.0–4.7%, and 89.6%, RSD 3.1–5.0%, respectively. The method enables detection of melamine and cyromazine at levels as low as 20.7 μg kg^?1 in liquid milk and 38.3 μg kg^?1 in egg.     

Evaluation of INAA–anticoincidence counting for measuring nanogram levels of vanadium in relatively high-salt nutritional reference materials

An instrumental neutron activation analysis method in conjunction with anticoincidence counting (INAA–AC) gamma-ray spectrometry was developed for the determination of ppb levels of V in biological, mostly nutritional, reference materials containing varying amounts of salt. The method involved irradiation in the Dalhousie University SLOWPOKE-2 reactor facility at a fission neutron flux of 5 × 10¹¹ cm^?2 s^?1 for 1 min, decay for 1 min, and counting for 10 min. In order to fully investigate the extent of improvement that can possibly be obtained for V determination by INAA–AC, a theoretical term called the analytical figure of merit was developed and applied to 16 National Institute of Standards and Technology and International Atomic Energy Agency reference materials. The overall background around the 1,434.1-keV photopeak of ⁵²V was reduced by a factor of 5–10 for several materials in the anticoincidence counting mode. The detection limits were lowered by factors of 3–5 in INAA–AC (0.61–9.4 μg kg^?1) compared to conventional INAA (1.9–79 μg kg^?1) in samples with varying ratios of Na/V (0.24–1,000), Cl/V (0.12–1,827), Al/V (7.45–115) and Mn/V (1.84–66.9) making rapid and reliable V measurements possible at sub-ppb levels without any chemical separation.     

LC Determination of Chloramphenicol in Honey Using Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction

A novel method, dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with liquid chromatography-variable wavelength detector (LC-VWD), has been developed for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) in honey. A mixture of extraction solvent (30 μL 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane) and dispersive solvent (1.00 mL acetonitrile) were rapidly injected by syringe into a 5.0 mL real sample for the formation of cloudy solution, the analyte in the sample was extracted into the fine droplets of C₂H₂Cl₄. After extraction, phase separation was performed by centrifugation and the enriched analyte in the sedimented phase was determined by LC-VWD. Some important parameters, such as the kind and volume of extraction solvent and dispersive solvent, extraction time, sample solution pH, sample volume and salt effect were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum extraction condition, the method yields a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 3 to 2,000 μg kg^?1 for target analyte. The enrichment factor for CAP was 68.2, and the limit of detection (S/N = 3) were 0.6 μg kg^?1. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for the extraction of 10 μg kg^?1 of CAP was 4.3% (n = 6). The main advantages of method are high speed, high enrichment factor, high recovery, good repeatability and extraction solvent volume at μL level. Honey samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method.     

Multiresidue Analysis of Pesticides in Vegetables and Citrus Fruits by LC–MS–MS

In this work, an analytical multiresidue method using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) with triple quadrupole in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode for the simultaneous determination of 54 pesticides in vegetables (pepper and tomato) and citrus fruits (orange and lemon) has been developed. The procedure involves initial single phase extraction of sample with acetonitrile by agitation, followed by liquid–liquid partition aided by “salting out” process using NaCl. The average recovery by the LC–MS–MS method obtained for these compounds varied from 65.5 to 114.5% with a relative standard deviation between 2.3 and 8.3%. The method presents good linearity over the range assayed 10–500 μg L^?1 (except famoxadone 50–1,000 μg L^?1) and the detection limits for the pesticides studied varied from 0.03 to 14.9 μg kg^?1. The proposed method was used to determine pesticide levels in vegetables and citrus fruit samples from different experimental orchards and greenhouses from the Region of Murcia.     

Determination of Pyrethroid Residues in Pork Muscle by Immunoaffinity Cleanup and GC-ECD

A method was developed to determine six pyrethroids (tau-fluvalinate, fenpropathrin, λ-cyhalothrin, cyfluthrin, α-cypermethrin and deltamethrin) in pork muscle by immunoaffinity column cleanup and gas chromatography-electron capture detection. Spiked pork muscle samples at 5, 20, 50 μg kg^?1 were extracted with petroleum spirit-diethyl ether (1:1, v/v). Fat was eliminated by liquid–liquid partition between acetonitrile and petroleum spirit. An immunoaffinity column (IAC) was used for further cleanup. The IAC column was prepared by coupling the polyclonal antibodies to the protein A sepharose gel and the resulting affinity gel columns were sufficiently stable for multiple reuse. Target compounds were adsorbed at pH 7.4 and after extensive washing, eluted with 3 mL methanol. Recoveries of the six pyrethroids were typically >70%. The detection limit was 2 μg kg^?1 for λ-cyhalothrin and α-cypermethrin and 5 μg kg^?1 for cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, fenpropathrin and tau-fluvalinate. Repeat analyses of pork muscle samples showed good repeatability. The method was applied to detect residues in meat samples.     

Simultaneous Determination of Fluoroquinolones, Tetracyclines and Sulfonamides in Chicken Muscle by UPLC–MS–MS

A rapid and sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous determination of four fluoroquinolones, four tetracyclines and six sulfonamides in chicken muscle using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS–MS) has been developed and validated. Samples were extracted with McIlvaine buffer-acetonitrile, defatted with n-hexane, and analyzed by UPLC–MS–MS. Solvent delay technique was applied in the analysis to remove the non-volatile phosphate and carry out farther on-line SPE clean-up. Satisfactory recoveries (55–110%) of all the veterinary drugs were demonstrated in 1, 10 and 20 μg kg^?1 spiked levels with the overall RSD for intra- and inter-day of 14 analytes less than 18%. The LOD and LOQ were 0.3 and 1.0 μg kg^?1, respectively. Quantitative results of 103 real samples indicated that the present method was suitable for the quantitative analysis of real samples.     

Selective determination of selenium(IV) from environmental samples by UV-visible spectrophotometry using O-methoxyphenyl thiourea as a chelating ligand

A selective extraction–spectrophotometric method has been developed for determination of selenium(IV) using O-methoxyphenyl thiourea (OMePT) as a chelating agent. The basis of the proposed method is the spectrophotometric determination of selenium(IV)–OMePT complex obtained after extraction of selenium(IV) from 3.5 M hydrochloric acid media using OMePT in chloroform solvent. The complex shows maximum absorbance at 350 nm against the reagent blank. The Beer’s law was obeyed over the concentration range 5–60 µg mL^?1 of selenium(IV). The optimum concentration range was 20–50 µg mL^?1 as evaluated from Ringbom’s plot. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity of the selenium(IV)–OMePT complex in chloroform were 3.312 × 10² L mol^?1cm^?1 and 0.2384 µg cm^?2, respectively. The composition of selenium(IV)–OMePT complex was 1:2 established from slope ratio method, mole ratio method and Job’s continuous variation method. The complex was stable for more than 72 h. The interfering effect of various foreign ions was studied and suitable masking agents were used wherever necessary to enhance the selectivity of the developed method. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of selenium(IV) from real samples, viz. pharmaceutical formulations, shampoo, vegetable sample, synthetic mixtures and environmental samples. Repetition of the method was checked by finding the relative standard deviation (RSD) for 10 determinations which was 0.35%.     

Fast and Selective Pressurized Liquid Extraction with Simultaneous In-Cell Cleanup for the Analysis of Ethyl Carbamate in Fermented Solid Foods

A novel analytical methodology that could be used to identify ethyl carbamate (EC) in fermented solid foods was developed and validated. The method was based on selective pressurized liquid extraction with a simultaneous in-cell cleanup combined with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The final method was performed at 50 °C for 2 × 5 min using ethyl acetate. Florisil was placed inside the extraction cell downstream of the sample to remove interfering compounds. The proposed method showed a limit of detection of 0.3 μg kg^?1 and a limit of quantitation of 1.0 μg kg^?1. The recoveries ranged from 98 to 107 % with relative standard deviations of <7 %. The validated method was successfully applied for the determination of EC in French bread, sauerkraut and fermented bead curd samples.     

Development of an Analytical Method Based on Accelerated Solvent Extraction, Solid-Phase Extraction Clean-Up, then GC–ECD for Analysis of Fourteen Organochlorine Pesticides in Cereal Crops

A method has been developed for analysis of 14 organochlorine pesticide residues in cereals. After accelerated solvent extraction and solid-phase extraction clean-up on graphitized carbon black/primary–secondary amine (GCB/PSA), to reduce co-extraction of interferences, pesticide residues were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. When the method was validated, recoveries were in the range 78–116%, relative standard deviations were in the range 1.1–16.3%, and limits of detection and quantification were from 1.5 to 4.2 μg kg^?1 and from 4.6 to 12.5 μg kg^?1, respectively.     

Analysis of 7 Dinitroaniline Residues in Complex Food Matrices by GC–NCI/MS

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe sample preparation method combined with gas chromatography–negative chemical ionization–mass spectrometry (GC–NCI/MS) has been developed for the determination of 7 dinitroaniline herbicide residues in complex matrices (garlic, olive oil, scallion, leek and chili). Dinitroaniline residues were extracted with hexane-saturated acetonitrile. After the cleanup with the dispersive solid-phase extraction, the extract was analyzed by GC–NCI/MS in selected ion monitoring mode. Two isotope internal standards (trifluralin-d ₁₄ and pendimethalin-d ₅) were employed for quantification. Compared with electron ionization (EI) mode, the superiorities of NCI in sensitivity and selectivity were investigated. Limits of the detection of 7 dinitroanilines were in the range of 0.014–0.096 μg kg^?1, and there were no interfering peaks (unlike in EI) in the complex matrices. Recoveries of 7 dinitroanilines in five matrices at three spiked levels (10, 20 and 40 μg kg^?1) ranged from 61 to 126 % and the relative standard deviations were all below 12 %.     

Epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis in conjunction with anti-coincidence gamma-ray spectrometry for investigating iodine levels in Canadian foods

In order to reduce interferences from high activities of ²⁴Na, ⁵⁶Mn, ⁸²Br, and ³⁸Cl as well as to improve detection limits, precision, and accuracy of measuring iodine levels in biological materials, foods and diets in particular, an epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (EINAA) method in conjunction with anti-coincidence (EINAA-AC) gamma-ray spectrometry was employed. The Compton scattering background in the region of the 442.9-keV photopeak of ¹²⁸I was significantly suppressed by anti-coincidence counting. In order to validate the EINAA-AC method as well as to evaluate its broad applicability to diverse types of biological material, 17 NIST and IAEA reference materials containing very low to high levels of iodine as well as interfering elements were analyzed by the EINAA-AC method. The samples were irradiated in the cadmium-lined pneumatic site at a neutron flux of 2 × 10¹¹ cm^?2 s^?1 of the Dalhousie University SLOWPOKE-2 Reactor (DUSR) facility for 10 or 20 min followed by 1-min decay and 30-min counting. The detection limit for iodine by EINAA-AC was improved by a factor of 2–5 compared to EINAA depending on the sample matrix and other factors, and a limit of 3–5 μg kg^?1 was achieved for low-salt foods. We found the RSD to be about ±5 % above 200, increasing to ±10 % at 20, and then to greater than ±30 % at about 5 μg kg^?1 iodine levels.     

An electrochemical magneto immunosensor (EMIS) for the determination of paraquat residues in potato samples

An electrochemical magneto immunosensor for the detection of low concentrations of paraquat (PQ) in food samples has been developed and its performance evaluated in a complex sample such as potato extracts. The immunosensor presented uses immunoreagents specifically developed for the recognition of paraquat, a magnetic graphite–epoxy composite (m-GEC) electrode and biofunctionalized magnetic micro-particles (PQ1-BSAMP) that allow reduction of the potential interferences caused by the matrix components. The amperometric signal is provided by an enzymatic probe prepared by covalently linking an enzyme to the specific antibodies (Ab198-cc-HRP). The use of hydroquinone, as mediator, allows recording of the signal at a low potential, which also contributes to reducing the background noise potentially caused by the sample matrix. The immunocomplexes formed on top of the modified MP are easily captured by the m-GEC, which acts simultaneously as transducer. PQ can be detected at concentrations as low as 0.18?±?0.09 μg L^?1. Combined with an efficient extraction procedure, PQ residues can be directly detected and accurately quantified in potato extracts without additional clean-up or purification steps, with a limit of detection (90 % of the maximum signal) of 2.18?±?2.08 μg kg^?1, far below the maximum residue level (20 μg kg^?1) established by the EC. The immunosensor presented here is suitable for on-site analysis. Combined with the use of magnetic racks, multiple samples can be run simultaneously in a reasonable time.     

Anticoincidence counting further improves detection limits of short-lived products by pseudo-cyclic instrumental neutron activation analysis

A systematic investigation was carried out on the merits and limitations of anticoincidence counting for short-lived radionuclides (t _1/2 < 75 s) used in instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and pseudo-cyclic INAA (PC-INAA) methods for single as well as simultaneous multielement determinations in botanical and nutritional reference materials. The list of radionuclides of interest included: ¹⁰⁸Ag, ¹¹⁰Ag, ^165mDy, ²⁰F, ^75mGe, ^179mHf, ^86mRb, ^46mSc, ^77mSe, and ^177mYb. Precision and accuracy of measurements were good, and detection limits were of the order of µg kg^?1.     

Analysis of Deoxynivalenol,Nivalenol, Zearalenone in Food by LC–APCI–MS

The detection of mycotoxins is an important task for analytical analysis, as they are a source of contaminants in foods today. The very small amounts of toxic mycotoxins (zearalenone, deoxynivalenol) make it important to determine the most reliable analytical methods. There are several options for the detection of mycotoxins, LC–API–MS techniques being the most common ones. The aim of the present determination is to give an overview on the application of LC–(API)-MS in the analysis of frequently occurring and highly toxic mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and zearalenone, in organic foods. The limits of these three toxins in foods are very low: deoxynivalenol 1,250 μg kg^?1, nivalenol 0.9 μg kg^?1 of body weight, zearalenone 100 μg kg^?1.     

Simultaneous Determination of Five Major Compounds in Polygonum cuspidatum by HPLC

An RP-HPLC method was developed for the first time to simultaneously determine five major compounds in Polygonum cuspidatum, namely resveratrol, polydatin, anthraglycoside B, emodin and physcion with UV detection at 306 nm. The column was an Agilent Zorbax SB-C₁₈ (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm). The separation was carried out with a gradient program. The mobile phase was acetonitrile–water (containing 0.1% formic acid) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. The standard curve was rectilinear in the range of 2.04–62.96 μg mL^?1 (r = 0.9998) for resveratrol, 20.13–239.7 μg mL^?1 (r = 0.9998) for polydatin, 7.19–71.92 μg mL^?1 (r = 1.0000) for anthraglycoside B, 2.68–83.68 μg mL^?1 (r = 0.9998) for emodin and 0.60–14.37 μg mL^?1 (r = 0.9997) for physcion. The recoveries of the markers were 96.0, 106.5, 97.8, 97.9 and 98.1%, respectively. The relative standard deviation of intra-day and inter-day were less than 5.0 and 2.3%. This method was simple, accurate and reproducible. The developed method was successfully applied to analyze five compounds in P. cuspidatum of 20 commercial brands.     

Determination of Nateglinide in Human Plasma by LC-ESI-MS and Its Application to Bioequivalence Study

To evaluate the bioequivalence of nateglinide, a rapid and specific liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric method was developed and validated to determine nateglinide for human plasma samples. The analyte was detected using electrospray positive ionization mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode. Tinidazole was used as the internal standard. A good linear relationship obtained in the concentration ranged from 0.05 to 16 μg mL^?1 (r ² = 0.9993). Lower limit of quantification was 0.05 μg mL^?1 using 100 μL of plasma sample. Intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were 2.1–7.5 and 4.7–8.9%, respectively. Among the pharmacokinetic data obtained, T _max was 2.09 ± 1.06 h for reference formulation and 2.40 ± 0.97 h for test formulation. C _max was 4.17 ± 1.31 μg mL^?1 for reference formulation and 4.37 ± 1.53 μg mL^?1 for test formulation. The half-life (t _½) was 1.93 ± 0.44 h for reference formulation and 1.92 ± 0.29 h for test formulation. AUC_0–10h was 13.67 ± 4.36 μg h mL^?1 for reference formulation and 13.21 ± 4.09 μg h mL^?1 for test formulation. This method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study in human plasma samples.     

Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating LC Method for Simultaneous Analysis of Aceclofenac and Paracetamol in Conventional Tablets and in Microsphere Formulations

A stability-indicating reversed-phase LC method for analysis of aceclofenac and paracetamol in tablets and in microsphere formulations has been developed and validated. The mobile phase was 80:20 (v/v) methanol–phosphate buffer (10 mM at pH 2.5 ± 0.02). UV detection was at 276 nm. The method was linear over the concentration ranges 16–24 and 80–120 μg mL^?1 for aceclofenac and paracetamol, respectively, with recovery in the range 100.9–102.22%. The limits of detection and quantitation for ACF were 0.0369 and 0.1120 μg mL^?1, respectively; those for PCM were 0.0631 and 0.1911 μg mL^?1, respectively.     

Determination of Five Polyphenols by HPLC/DAD and Discrimination of Apple Varieties

The objective of this study was to set up a method to detect five compounds in fresh smashed apples by HPLC/DAD simultaneously. Different methods have been tested to control browning and ascorbic acid with ultrasonication was adopted. Methanol–water–acetic acid (30:69:1, v/v) containing 2.0 g of ascorbic acid L^?1 was chosen as the extract solvent. The method effectively simplified the sample treatment compared with the traditional ways. And primarily, the results were used to identify between different varieties. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Atlantis C18 (250 mm × 4.5 mm, particle size 5 μm) with a gradient elution program using a mixture of acetonitrile and 2% aqueous acetic acid (v/v) as mobile phase within 20 min at 270 nm wavelength. The variation of the content of five compounds was gallic acid (ND ~1.81 μg g^?1), protocatechuic acid (ND ~1.79 μg g^?1), chlorogenic acid (13.81–189.4 μg g^?1), caffeic acid (6.82–45.02 μg g^?1) and rutin (0.96–18.55 μg g^?1). The results could successfully be used to discriminate between different apple varieties (Gala, Fuji, Delicious, 8th Apple US, Golden Apple, Green Apple and Red Rose); chlorogenic acid and rutin being the polyphenols that contribute most to the differentiation.