Determination of flurbiprofen in pharmaceutical preparations by GC–MS

This article describes a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method for the determination of flurbiprofen in pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based on the derivatization of flurbiprofen with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA). For GC–MS, electron ionization mode (EI = 70 eV) and selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode were used for quantitative analysis (m/z 180 for flurbiprofen). Calibration curve was linear between the concentration range of 0.25–5.0 μg/mL. Intra- and inter-day precision values for flurbiprofen were less than 3.64, and accuracy (relative error) was better than 2.67%. The mean recovery of flurbiprofen was 99.4% for pharmaceutical preparations. The limits of detection and quantification of flurbiprofen were 0.05 and 0.15 μg/mL, respectively. No interference was found from tablet excipients at the selected assay conditions. Also, the method was applied for the quality control of five commercial flurbiprofen dosage forms to quantify the drug and to check the formulation content uniformity.     

Determination of steroid hormones in blood by GC–MS/MS

This paper presents the development, optimization and validation of a methodology to determine nine key steroid hormones (viz. pregnenolone, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone, 17α-estradiol and 17β-estradiol) expressed in the steroidogenesis in biological fluids. The analytical method allows for the determination of steroid hormones in blood plasma and serum down to 0.08–0.16 ng/mL for estrogens, 0.20–0.36 ng/mL for androgens and 0.36–0.43 ng/mL for progestagens. These limits of detection were obtainable using a two-step solid-phase clean-up for fractionation and elimination of interfering lipids (fatty acids, phospholipids, glycerides and sterols) from the steroid hormones. The accuracy of the method was 50–112% in the range 0.10 to 2.00 ng/mL.     

Determination of Pentachloronitrobenzene and Its Metabolites in Ginseng by Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion and GC–MS–MS

A rapid method was developed for the determination of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) and its metabolites pentachloroaniline, pentachlorothioanisole residues in ginseng. Extraction and clean-up were carried out in a single step and analysis was accomplished by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring. The main parameters affecting extraction yield and selectivity, such as type and amount of dispersant material, clean-up co-sorbent and extraction solvent were evaluated. The best results were obtained using 1 g ginseng, 2 g florisil as dispersant sorbent, 0.5 g neutral alumina as clean-up co-sorbent, and subsequent extraction with 10 mL acetone–n-hexane (5:5, v/v) with assisted sonication and repeated with another 5 mL of the same solvent mixture. The method was validated by analysis of ginseng samples fortified at different concentration levels (0.01–0.10 mg kg^?1). Average recoveries (n = 5) ranged from 85 to 95% with relative standard deviation between 2.5 and 11.2%. Spiked blank samples were used as standards to counteract the matrix effect observed in the chromatographic determination. The detection limits ranged from 0.2 to 0.9 µg kg^?1 in ginseng. The method was applied to the analysis of PCNB and its metabolite residues in commercial ginseng samples.     

Determination of Estragole in Fennel Herbal Teas by HS-SPME and GC–MS

Estragole, a volatile phenylpropanoid contained in a variety of edible herbs, has been demonstrated to be genotoxic and carcinogenic, and its addition as a flavoring substance to foodstuffs has been banned by the regulatory bodies of the European Union. Fast and accurate analytical methods for its determination in herbs are thus necessary to assess the dietary exposure of this substance in humans and, in particular, to sensitive groups. In the present study, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was applied for determination of estragole in infusions from different widely used commercial herbal teas based on Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) seeds. The optimized HS-SPME extraction conditions involved the use of a polydimethylsiloxane fiber exposed to the herbal infusion for 20 min at 50°C followed by GC–MS analysis. The method was fully validated for linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision and applied to real samples; the level of estragole in infusions of commercial fennel seed teas was found to be within 50–250 µ`^?1.     

Residue Analysis and Determination of IMI Herbicides in Sunflower and Soil by GC–MS

Sunflower agriculture is an important subsector that plays a key role in the economy of Turkey, contributing 1.38 million tonnes. The aim of this study is to investigate the levels of imidazolinone (IMI) group herbicides in Thrace Region, Turkey. In particular, we aimed to determine the residue levels of imazamox, a herbicide used in sunflower production in Thrace Region, in soil, different parts of plant, and seed. Five herbicides were identified in sunflower samples using solid–liquid extraction with gas chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (GC–EI–MS) on single-quadruple instruments in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The optimized conditions were found to be mobile-phase flow rate of 1 mL min^?1 and injection volume of 3 μL in programmed temperature vaporization (PTV) solvent vent mode. The recovery of imazamox, imazaquin, imazethapyr, imazapyr, and imazapic from sunflower plant and soil was 89 and 99, 104 and 105, 92 and 93, 96 and 92, and 99 and 96%, respectively.     

Determination of methylisothiocyanate in soil and water by HS-SPME followed by GC–MS–MS with a triple quadrupole

Methylisothiocyanate (MITC) is the main degradation product of metam sodium, a soil disinfectant widely used in agriculture, and is responsible for its disinfectant properties. Because MITC is highly toxic and volatile, metam sodium has to be applied in a manner that tries to reduce atmospheric emissions but still maintains adequate concentration of MITC in soil to ensure its disinfectant effect. Thus, monitoring of MITC concentrations in soil is required, and to this end sensitive, fast, and reliable analytical methods must be developed. In this work, a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method was developed for MITC determination in water and soil samples using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS–MS) with a triple-quadrupole analyzer. Two MS–MS transitions were acquired to ensure the reliable quantification and confirmation of the analyte. The method had linear behavior in the range tested (0.026–2.6 ng mL^?1 in water, 1–100 ng g^?1 in soil) with r ² over 0.999. Detection limits were 0.017 ng mL^?1 and 0.1 ng g^?1 in water and soil, respectively. Recoveries for five replicates were in the range 76–92 %, and RSD was below 7 % at the two spiking levels tested for each matrix (0.1 and 1 ng mL^?1 for water, 4 and 40 ng g^?1 for soil). The potential of using multiple HS-SPME for analyzing soil samples was also investigated, and its feasibility for quantification of MITC evaluated. The developed HS-SPME method was applied to soil samples from experimental plots treated with metam sodium following good agriculture practices. Figure

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Determination of Antioxidants and Preservatives in Cosmetics by SPME Combined with GC–MS

A rapid and simple procedure for the determination of antioxidants and preservatives in cosmetics has been developed utilizing solid-phase microextraction combined with GC–MS. A silica fiber coated with polyacrylate provided the highest extraction efficiency. Detection limits in the range from 0.4 to 8.5 ng mL⁻¹ were obtained. Linearity is over a wide range from 1 to 2,000 ng mL⁻¹ with a relative standard deviation under 16%. Cosmetic from a local supermarket were analysed for antioxidants and preservatives to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The concentration of antioxidants and preservatives determined was 20–1,218 μg g⁻¹ for methylparaben and 5–3,779 μg g⁻¹ for propylparaben.     

Determination of Nicotine in Dried Mushrooms by Using a Modified QuEChERS Approach and GC–MS–MS

Levels of nicotine higher than the maximum residue level were detected in edible mushrooms. Analyses of self-collected and purchased dried mushrooms were performed with a QuEChERS approach. A small amount (2.5 g) of dried sample matrix was mixed with 5 mL sodium hydroxide solution, 2.5 g of sodium sulfate/sodium chloride mixture (4:1) and 5 mL ethyl acetate. The organic phase was cleaned by using dispersive solid-phase extraction and analysed by GC–MS–MS. The linear range of the method was 0.01–10.00 mg kg^?1 and the limit of detection 0.006 mg kg^?1 on dry weight basis by using EURACHEM method.     

Determination of Pesticides Adsorbed on Arthropods and Gastropods by a Micro-QuEChERS Approach and GC–MS/MS

A miniaturized QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Save) approach combined with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) has been developed for the simultaneous determination of nine pesticides (Cyflufenamide, Difenoconazole, Dimethomorph, Fluopicolide, Fluopyram, Metrafenone, Myclobutanil, Quinoxyfen, and Tebuconazole) in insects, snails, and spiders. In contrast to the original QuEChERS approach, only 500 mg of dried and homogenized sample matrix, mixed with 1.0 mL ethyl acetate and 250 mg MgSO₄:NaCl (4:1), is required for this novel “micro-QuEChERS” protocol. The organic phase was cleaned using dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) with 75 mg MgSO₄:PSA sorbent (4:1). The method was validated according to SANCO/12571/2013 and applied to real samples (n = 7). Fluopicolide was the only detectable pesticide in real samples from vineyards. In two samples, the Fluopicolide levels were between the determined LOD and LOQ (0.15–1.00 mg kg^?1), and in one sample a concentration of 1.68 mg kg^?1 was detected.     

GC–MS Determination of Sucralose in Splenda

Sucralose (1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-β-d-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside) is a high-intensity non-nutritive sweetener derived from sucrose. Determination of sucralose in food is important to ensure consistent product quality. The authors have developed a new method for determination of sucralose. The sucralose was converted into its trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether and qualitative and quantitative analysis were achieved by GC–MS and GC–FID, respectively, using myo-inositol ester as the internal standard. A good linear relationship between response and amount of sucralose TMS ether was obtained in the range 0.005–0.06 mg mL^?1 (r = 0.9994). The detection limit was 0.25 ng.     

Determination of Six Resorcylic Acid Lactones in Feed by GC–MS

A method was developed to simultaneously detect six resorcylic acid lactones in feed by GC–MS. Samples were extracted with methanol followed by a two step liquid–liquid extraction and an HLB SPE clean-up. The samples were derivatized with BSTFA + TMCS (99/1; v/v) and determined by GC–MS. For all analytes, the ranges of recoveries were 81.2–98.2%, with RSDs of 3.2–15.2%, and the LODs were 0.2–0.6 μg kg⁻¹.

     

Determination and Pharmacokinetic Study of Methyl Nonyl Ketone in Rat Plasma by GC–MS

A rapid and sensitive method for determination of methyl nonyl ketone in rat plasma was developed based on GC–MS. The analyte and internal standard, propyl p-hydroxybenaoate, were extracted from plasma with methyl tert-butyl ether and then separated by an HP-5MS capillary analytical column (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm) and determined by a quadrupole mass spectrometer detector operated under EI ionization and selected ion monitoring mode. Excellent linearity was found to be from 5.0 to 1,000 ng mL^?1 with a lower limit of quantitation of 5.0 ng mL^?1. The accuracy was between 96.0 and 106.3%, and the intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy values were found to be within the assay variability criteria limits according to the FDA guidelines. The developed method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of methyl nonyl ketone, a typical component in the traditional Chinese medicine Houttuynia cordata injection, in rats after a single oral dose of 100 mg kg^?1 and peritoneal injection dose of 5 mg kg^?1, respectively.     

Determination of butyltin compounds in environmental samples by isotope-dilution GC–ICP–MS

Isotope-dilution analysis in combination with GC-ICP-MS detection has been applied to the determination of butyltin species in environmental samples. Different spikes containing the isotopically labeled butyltin species have been synthesized in the laboratory after optimization of the reaction conditions. The isotopic compositions of the tin species in the different spike solutions were determined by GC-ICP-MS after derivatization by aqueous ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate. Reverse isotope-dilution analysis was used for quantitation of the spike solutions by means of natural MBT, DBT, and TBT standards. The mixed spikes were used for simultaneous analysis of MBT, DBT and TBT in the certified reference materials, PACS-2, CRM 462, and CRM 646, with satisfactory results. The excellent agreement of the different speciation results obtained by use of the different spikes is a good indicator of the precision, accuracy, and reliability which can be achieved by using isotope-dilution analysis for trace metal speciation.Application of a double spike containing (119)Sn-enriched MBT (79.7 At%), (118)Sn-enriched DBT (86.7 At%), and (119)Sn-enriched TBT (83.1 At%) also enabled evaluation of the conditions resulting in quantitative extraction of the species from the solid matrix, in combination with possible alterations depending on the different extraction procedures used (mechanical shaking, ultrasounds, and microwaves). Mathematical equations used for this purpose computed the correct species concentrations directly and, additionally, the decomposition factors (from TBT to DBT and from DBT to MBT) after precise measurement of the (119)Sn/(120)Sn and (118)Sn/(120)Sn ratios for all butyltin species by GC-ICP-MS.     

Determination of multiclass pesticides in food commodities by pressurized liquid extraction using GC–MS/MS and LC–MS/MS

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was applied to the simultaneous extraction of a wide range of pesticides from food commodities. Extractions were performed by mixing 4 g of sample with 4 g of Hydromatrix and (after optimization) a mixture of ethyl acetate:acetone (3:1, v/v) as extraction solvent, a temperature of 100°C, a pressure of 1000 psi and a static extraction time of 5 min. After extraction, the more polar compounds were analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC), and the apolar and semipolar pesticides by gas chromatography (GC); in both cases LC and GC were coupled with mass spectrometry in tandem (MS/MS) mode. The overall method (including the PLE step) was validated in GC and LC according to the criteria of the SANCO Document of the European Commission. The average extraction recoveries (at two concentration levels) for most of the analytes were in the range 70–80%, with precision values usually lower than 15%. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were low enough to determine the pesticide residues at concentrations below or equal to the maximum residue levels (MRL) specified by legislation. In order to assess its applicability to the analysis of real samples, aliquots of 15 vegetable samples were processed using a conventional extraction method with dichloromethane, and the results obtained were compared with the proposed PLE method; differences lower than 0.01 mg kg⁻¹ were found.     

Simultaneous Determination of 42 Pesticides and Herbicides in Chicken Eggs by UHPLC–MS/MS and GC–MS Using a QuEChERS-Based Procedure

A quick, easy, cheap, rugged, effective, and safe (QuEChERS)-based method has been validated for the extraction of 42 pesticides and herbicides including organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), carbamate pesticides (CBs), herbicides (HBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) from chicken eggs. The QuEChERS-based extraction procedure was followed by cleanup steps using C18 and primary secondary amine sorbents. The supernatant was analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The OPPs, CBs, and HBs were quantified by UHPLC–MS/MS, while the OCPs and PYRs were detected by GC–MS. The limits of quantification ranged from 0.01 to 8.5 μg kg⁻¹, and the analyte recoveries were in the range of 64.9–123.2 %. Furthermore, the repeatabilities (intra-day and inter-day) were good, and linear matrix-matched calibration curves were obtained. Acetochlor was identified in concentrations ranging from 0.27 to 0.44 μg kg⁻¹ in four samples from 80 chicken eggs. The method was successfully demonstrated for the fast and reliable analysis of pesticides and herbicides in chicken egg samples.

     

Detection and Confirmation of Ginsenosides in Horse Urine by GC–MS and LC–MS

Ginseng has been used by the Chinese as a traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. In view of the growing popularity in the use of ginseng preparations as natural remedies and food supplements worldwide, there is an increasing concern for their abuse in both human and animal sports. Ginsenosides are considered the major constituents of ginseng responsible for its pharmacological properties. In this study, a method was developed for the detection and confirmation of a number of ginsenosides in horse urine. The intact ginsenosides were detected and confirmed at 5–100 ng mL^?1 by LC–MS², and two deglycosylation metabolites, namely protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol, could both be detected and confirmed at 2 ng mL^?1 by GC–MS² after trimethylsilylation. The above GC–MS and LC–MS methods were then applied to study the in vitro metabolism of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 and the in vivo urinary metabolites after oral administration of Rg1 to horses. Results obtained reveal the very first evidence for the existence of the metabolites, Rg1 and protopanaxatriol, as glucuronides in urine.     

Identification and Determination of Nicorandil and its Degradation Products by HPLC and GC/MS

Nicorandil [N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-nicotinamide nitrate NIC] is a novel kind of compound in the treatment of angina pectoris. NIC can be degraded easily in storage. The degradation products include N-(2-hydroxyethy) nicotinamide (HN), nitrate ion (NI), and ni…     

Simultaneous Determination of Tamsulosin and Dutasteride in Human Plasma by LC–MS–MS

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS–MS) method was developed for simultaneous identification and quantification of tamsulosin and dutasteride in human plasma, which was well applied to clinical study. The method was based on liquid–liquid extraction, followed by an LC procedure with a Gemini C-18, 50 mm × 2.0 mm (3 μm) column and using methanol:ammonium formate (97:3, v/v) as the mobile phase. Protonated ions formed by a turbo ionspray in positive mode were used to detect analytes and internal standard. MS–MS detection was by monitoring the fragmentation of 409.1 → 228.1 (m/z) for tamsulosin, 529.3 → 461.3 (m/z) for dutasteride and 373.2 → 305.3 (m/z) for finasteride (IS) on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The lower limit of quantification for both tamsulosin and dutasteride was 1 ng mL^?1. The proposed method enables the unambiguous identification and quantification of tamsulosin and dutasteride for clinical drug monitoring.