Peroxidase-catalysed rupture of the CF bond as and indicator reaction for enzyme immunoassay : Kinetic determination of human immunoglobulin G, α-fetoprotein and placental lactogen

A fluoride ion-selective electrode is utilized as a sensor for the kinetic determination of peroxidase label in enzyme immunoassays. The method is based on a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, the peroxidase-catalysed rupture of the covalent CF bond in 4-fluorophenol and the subsequent release of fluoride ions. The determination of human immunoglobulin G (lgG), human α-fetoprotein (AFP) and human placental lactogen (HPL) was investigated. The potentiometric measurement of the rate of release of fluoride ion within 5 min provided a direct correlation with the concentration of analyte present in the sample. The concentration ranges investigated for the analytes were IgG 30 μg l^?1–10mg l^?1, AFP 5–500 μg l^?1 and HPL 60 ng l^?1–1 mg l^?1. Under the given experimental conditions, the detection limits were IgG 30, AFP 12.8 and HPL 1 μg l^?1. Replacing the rate method with the fixed-time mode (15–30 min) did not improve the detection limits. The performance of the present method was found to be comparable to that of the spectrophotometric detection technique.     

Determination of Fluoride in Water by Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography using F−-La3+-Alizarin Complexone Ternary Complex

A method for the determination of fluoride by reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) is described. Fluoride, La³⁺ and alizarin complexone form F-La³⁺-alizarin complexone ternary complex, which is separated from the matrix on a RP, Ultrasphere C₁₈ column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using methanol-water (19:81, v/v) mobile phase at 1.00 mL min^?1; detection at 568 nm. The calibration graph was linear from 1.0–150 ng mL^?1 for fluoride with a correlation coefficient: 0.9993 (n=6). The detection limit was 0.2 ng mL^?1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of fluoride in river and tap water. Recovery was: 94–102%, RSD in the range: 1.9 –3.6%.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of glucose in blood plasma with bindschedler's green leuco base as color reagent

The hydrogen peroxide produces in the oxidation of glucos in an immobilized glucose oxidase reactor is determined by using Bindschedler's green (leuco base) as color reagent with iron(II) as catalyst; the increase in the absorbance at 725 nm is measured. For 100-μl samples, calibration was almost linear in the range 0–2.5 mg l^?1 glucose; the relative standard deviation for 1 mg l^?1 glucose was 0.6% (n=10) and the detection limit (S/N= 2) was 0.02 mg l^?1. The injection rate was 20 h^?1. Glucose was determined satisfactorily in control sera and in real blood sera.     

Application of the iron(III)/3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde 4-nitrophenylhydrazone complex for the analysis of sulphide/fluoride/phosphate mixtures by spectrophotometry or atomic absorption spectrometry

3,4-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde 4-nitrophenylhydrazone reacts with iron(III) to form a red complex extractable into methyl isobutyl ketone. Sulphide, fluoride and phosphate inhibit the formation of the complex. Sulphide and fluoride are masked with Cu(II) and Al(III), respectively. These properties are used to determine sulphide (0.15–4 mg l^?1), fluoride (0.3–9 mg l^?1) and phosphate (0.3–8 mg l^?1) in mixtures by spectrophotometry or atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Comparison of four chromogenic reagents for the flow-injection determination of aluminum in water

Pyrocatechol violet (PCV), aluminon, eriochrome cyanine R (ECR) and eriochrome cyanine R with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (ECR/CTA) are compared as chromogenic reagents for the flow-injection determination of aluminium in water. The detection limit of the ECR/CTA method is 1 μg Al 1^?1. The detection limits of the PCV and ECR methods are 5 μg Al 1^?1. The aluminon method is the least sensitive, with a detection limit of 50 μg Al l^?1. Interference from iron, fluoride, phosphate and the acidity of the sample were investigated. The interference from iron is suppressed by hydroxylammonium chloride/1,10-phenanthroline in the PCV and ECR/CTA methods at concentrations less than 5 mg Fe l^?1. In the ECR and aluminon methods, iron <5 mg l^?1) is masked by ascorbic acid. Fluoride at <0.2 mg l^?1 can be tolerated in all methods. The aluminon method can tolerate up to about 500 mg l^?1 in the three other methods. All methods are sensitive to changes in acidity of the samples; the acidity should be 0.08–0.12 M HCl.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of fluoride by using the zirconium/alizarin red S complex

A spectrophotometric flow-injection procedure is described for fluoride in aqueous samples. The method is based on the decrease in absorbance of the zirconium/alizarin red S complex at 520 nm; linear response is obtained for the range 0.1–10 mg l^?1 fluoride at a sampling rate of 100 h^?1. Aluminum(III), iron(III) and phosphate interfere.     

Gas-diffusion flow injection assay for the selective determination of chlorine dioxide based on the fluorescence quenching of chromotropic acid

The present work reports the first spectrofluorimetric gas-diffusion flow injection (GD-FI) assay for the determination of chlorine dioxide in water samples (tap, mineral and soda water). The method is based on the fluorescence quenching of chromotropic acid (CA) (λ_ex. = 347 nm, λ_em. = 371 nm) caused by the analyte. The chemical and instrumental variables of the system were studied in terms of maximum sensitivity. The gas-diffusion cell was thermostated at 40 °C to enhance the vaporization of chlorine dioxide and thus the sensitivity of the method. The quenching effect of chlorine dioxide on CA was linear in the range 0.09-3.41 mg l^− 1, while the precisions either close to the quantitation limit or near to the middle of the linear section of the calibration graph were satisfactory in both cases (s_r = 2.6% and 1.5% (n = 10) at 0.17 and 1.71 mg l^− 1 level, respectively). The developed method proved to be adequately selective and sensitive with 3σ limit of detection equal to c_L = 0.03 mg l^− 1. The application of the assay to spiked tap, mineral and soda water samples yielded accurate results with recovery values in the range 94.1-105.9%.     

Enantioselective Separation and Determination of Carnosine in Rat Plasma by Fluorescence LC for Stereoselective Pharmacokinetic Studies

A sensitive fluorescence liquid chromatographic analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of carnosine enantiomers in rat plasma. The method was applied to pharmacokinetic studies. Chiral separation of carnosine enantiomers was achieved by pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde and the thiol N-acety-l-cysteine as derivating reagents. They were separated on an ODS column and detected by fluorescence detection (λ_ex = 350 nm, λ_em = 450 nm). γ-Aminobutyric acid was used as internal standard. The method was linear up to 6,000 ng mL^?1 for l-carnosine, 4,000 ng mL^?1 for d-carnosine. Low limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 40 ng mL^?1 for each isomer. The relative standard deviations obtained for intra- and inter-day precision were lower than 12% and the recoveries were higher than 75% for both enantiomers. The method was applied to a stereoselective study on the pharmacokinetics of carnosine after oral administration with a single dose (carnosine, 75 mg kg^?1 for each isomer) to a rat. The initial data indicated that l-carnosine had a larger value of the highest plasma concentration than d-carnosine (C _max 5,344 vs. 1,914 ng mL^?1), and that of l-carnosine had a lower value of AUC_(0?∞) and t _1/2(h) (AUC_(0?∞) 5,306 vs. 6,321 ng h mL^?1, t _1/2 1.43 vs. 3.37 h). Our results indicated that the pharmacokinetic of l-carnosine and d-carnosine revealed enantioselective properties significantly.     

Field determination of fluoride in drinking water using a polymeric aluminium complex of 5-(2-carboxyphenylazo)-8-hydroxyquinoline impregnated paper

A simple field method which allows the determination of fluoride in drinking water with a small handheld instrument called Arsenator was developed. Arsenator is a commercially available instrument which was used successfully for reliable determination of arsenic. In the proposed method the functionality of the Arsenator which is based on a photometric measurement of a spot on the reagent paper is expanded to analyse fluoride. A polymeric aluminium complex of 5-(2-carboxyphenylazo)-8-hydroxyquinoline (LH₂) has been prepared as a new specific reagent for fluoride. Job's method of continuous variation was adopted for the determination of the composition of the coloured complex, which was further characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopic studies. The molar absorptivity of the complex formation is 8.48?×?10³?L?mol^?1?cm^?1 at 410?nm. The coloured complex reacts with fluoride on an impregnated paper where its colour changes are dependent on the concentration of fluoride in water samples. The change in the colour was measured using the Arsenator. The method allows a reliable determination of fluoride in the range 0.3 to 2.0?mg?L^?1. Further spectophotometric determinations of fluoride in drinking water were also studied. The determination is based on the reaction of aluminium complex with fluoride in the examined samples. Beer's law is obeyed in the range 0.3 to 2.0?mg?L^?1 of fluoride at 495?nm. Sensitivity, detection limit and quantitation limit of the method were found to be 0.251?±?0.007?µg^?1?mL, 0.1?mg?L^?1 and 0.3?mg?L^?1, respectively. The optimum reaction conditions and other analytical conditions were evaluated. The effect of interfering ions on the determination is described. There is no interference by nitrate or chloride. Sulphate interfered only at high concentrations which are not expected in drinking water.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of Copper(II) as the Azide Complexes,in the Presence of Iron(III) Cations

Abstract

A method for the spectrophotometrio determination of copper(II), in the presence of iron(III) cations (excess), was stablished. The masking of iron is made with sodium fluoride salt in 50 % (v/v) water/acetone medium. In the recommended conditions, absorbances for cupric complexes are measured at 435 nm where molar absorptivity is 6.00 × 10³ 1 mol^?1 cm^?1.

The stable ayetern obeys Beer's law and is suitable for the copper determination in concentration range from 2.0 to 9.0 mg 1^?l. The iron(III) ion interference (until ca. 600 mg 1^?l) can be completely suppressed. The influence of diverse ions and several others factore were studied.

The results show that copper(II) can be accurately determined by azide apectrophotometric method, if the samples were suitablely treated by the recommended procedure.     

Continuous-flow extraction of organophosphorus pesticides coupled on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography

A continuous-flow extraction system coupled on-line with a high-performance liquid chromatograph with an ultraviolet detector is used to study the extraction of three organophosphorus pesticides (fenthion, azinphos methyl and diazinon) from aqueous samples with n-heptane as the organic solvent. Diazinon was not extracted significantly. The influence on the extraction of different parameters (coil length, flow rate and phase volume ratio) were studied. The calibration graphs are linear for 0.5–7 mg l^?1 and 8–20 mg l^?1 foor azinphos methyl where the percentage extraction (E%) is 90% and 70%, respectively, and up to 4 mg l^?1 for fenthion, where the E% is 33%. The detection limits and the relative standard deviations are 0.04 and 0.09 mg l^?1, and 3.4 and 5.3%, for azinphos methyl fenthion, respectively. Other pesticides and related compounds were found not to interfere. The sample throughput of this method was 15 h^?1.     

Spectrophotometric determination of traces of bromide based on its catalysis of the pyrocatechol violet/hydrogen peroxide reaction

A kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the determination of bromide (0.004–0.3 mg l^?1) based on its catalysis of the oxidation of pyrocatechol violet by hydrogen peroxide in HCl/H₂SO₄ is described. The effect of bromide is greatly increased in the presence of large amounts of chloride. The relative standard deviations are 6.4 and 13% for 0.034 and 0.010 mg l^?1 bromide, respectively (n = 10). Most ions commonly occurring in natural waters do not interfere except for iodide.     

An Improved and Validated LC Method for Resolution of Panthenol

An improved LC method was developed and validated for determination of enantiomeric purity of panthenol in bulk drugs. The method is based on derivatization of panthenol with 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl chloride. Baseline separation with resolution >2.7 was achieved within 20 min on Kromasil CHI-DMB (250 × 4.6 mm) column using n-hexane:ethanol (95:5 v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL min^?1. The analytes were detected by their UV absorbance at 265 nm. The effects of ethanol, 2-propanol and temperature on enantioselectivity and resolution of enantiomers were evaluated. The method was extensively validated and proved to be robust. The recoveries were between 98.3 and 101.4% with <1.6% relative standard deviation. The regression equations for the derivatives of d-panthenol and l-panthenol were y ₁ = 18.01x ₁ ? 32.56 (r ₁ ²  = 0.9984) and y ₂ = 17.855x ₂ ? 28.16 (r ₂ ²  = 0.9990), respectively. The LOD and LOQ for the derivative of d-panthenol were 10.6 and 37.4 μg mL^?1 and for the derivative of l-panthenol were 12.1 and 40 μg mL^?1, respectively. The improved method was found to be simple, rapid, and sensitive for the determination of enantiomeric purity of panthenol in bulk drugs.     

Use of Styrene as Sole Carbon Source by the Fungus Exophiala oligosperma: Optimization and Modeling of Biodegradation, Pathway Elucidation, and Cell Membrane Composition

Biodegradation of styrene by Exophiala sp. was tested at different initial concentrations (19.3?C170.6?mg?l^?1), pH (2.8?C8.7), and temperatures (19.8?C45.1?°C), for 120?h according to a 2³ full-factorial central composite design. The specific growth rate (SGR, per hour) and specific styrene utilization rate (SUR, milligrams of styrene per milligram of biomass per hour) values were used as the response variables for optimization purposes. The interactions between concentration and temperature (P?=?0.022), and pH and temperature (P?=?0.010) for SGR, and interactions between concentration and temperature (P?=?0.012) for SUR were found to be statistically significant. The optimal values for achieving high SGR (0.15?h^?1) and SUR (0.3622?mg styrene mg^?1 biomass h^?1) were calculated from the regression model equation. Those values are C _o ?=?89.1?mg?l^?1, pH?=?5.4, and T?=?31.5?°C for SGR and C _o ?=?69.2?mg?l^?1, pH?=?5.5, and T?=?32.4?°C for SUR. It was also observed that the Exophiala strain degrades styrene via phenylacetic acid, involving initial oxidation of the vinyl side chain. Besides, in the presence of styrene, changes in the fatty acids profile were also observed. It is hypothesized that an increasing amount of linoleic acid (18:2) may be involved in the protection of the fungus against toxic substrate.     

High-Pressure Solubility of l-Methionine in Water

The solubility (m _S) of l-methionine in water was measured at 298.2 K and pressures up to 200 MPa. The data were fitted to the equation ln(m _S/mol·kg^?1) = ?4.62 × 10^?6 (p/MPa)² + 2.65 × 10^?3 (p/MPa) ? 0.970 with a standard deviation of σ(ln m _S) = 0.002. The pressure coefficient of the logarithm of solubility (?ln m _S/?p) _T was thermodynamically estimated to be (2.62 ± 0.34) × 10^?3 MPa^?1 at 0.10 MPa using several parameters such as partial molar volume and activity coefficient of l-methionine in water and molar volume of solid l-methionine. The resulting value agrees well with the second term on the right-hand side of the fitted equation above, indicating the reliability of the high-pressure solubility measurements. The value of (?ln m _S/?p) _T also was compared with those of other amino acids.     

Determination of total phosphorus in waters with amperometric detection by coupling of flow-injection analysis with continuous microwave oven digestion

For the determination of total phosphorus in waters by flow-injection analysis, a continuous microwave oven decomposition with subsequent amperometric detection of orthophosphate is proposed. The percentage digestion was examined for two different decomposition reagents and by varying the pH of the carrier and the length and diameter of the digestion coil. With potassium peroxodisulphate decomposition the recoveries of phosphorus vary from 91 to 100% for organic phosphorus compounds, and with perchloric acid decomposition the recoveries vary from 60 to 70% for inorganic polyphosphates. Calibration graphs are linear for up to 30 mg P l^?1, the determination limit is 0.1 mg P l^?1 and the precision of the method is 3% (relative standard deviation) (n = 5) at 5 mg P l^?1. The sampling rate is 20 h^?1. Good recoveries of phosphorus after addition to domestic waste water sample are obtained.     

Spectrophotometric determination of fluoride with lanthanum/alizarin complexone by flow injection analysis

Lanthanum/alizarin complexone (1:1) in 70% acetone is used in conjunction with a 500-cm reaction coil at 60°C to determine 0.03–1.2 mg l^?1 fluoride at 24 samples per h. The method is applied to tap-water samples.     

Square‐Wave Voltammetry Determination of Aspartame in Dietary Products Using a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

Abstract

The use of square‐wave voltammetry in conjunction with a cathodically pretreated boron‐doped diamond electrode for the analytical determination of aspartame in dietary products is described. In this determination, the samples were analyzed without previous treatment in a 0.5 mol l^?1 H₂SO₄ solution. A single oxidation peak at a potential of 1.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl (3.0 mol l^?1 KCl) with the characteristics of an irreversible reaction was obtained. The analytical curve was linear in the aspartame concentration range 9.9×10^?6 to 5.2×10^?5 mol l^?1 with a detection limit of 2.3×10^?7 mol l^?1. The relative standard deviation (n=5) obtained was smaller than 0.2% for the 1.0×10^?4 mol l^?1 aspartame solution. The proposed method was applied with success to the determination of aspartame in several dietary products and the results were similar to those obtained using an HPLC method at 95% confidence level.     

Electrochemical determination of norepinephrine on the membrane of silver nanoparticles doped poly-glycine eliminating the interference of ascorbic acid

The silver nanoparticles doped poly-glycine composite membrane was prepared by cyclic voltammetry on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The morphology and electrochemical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively, and in detail, the electrochemical behaviors of the norepinephrine (NE) on this membrane were studied. The results showed that the membrane had good catalytic properties for the oxidative–reductive reaction of NE. NE had a couple of sensitive oxidative-reductive current peaks. The reductive peak currents were linearly with its concentration in the range of 1.90?×?10^?7 to 7.00?×?10^?6 and 7.00?×?10^?6 to 1.00?×?10^?4?mol l^?1, and the linear regressive equations were i _pc (A)?=?3.73?×?10^?6?+?0.70C (mol l^?1), i _pc (A)?=?9.83?×?10^?5?+?0.12C (mol l^?1), respectively, with the relate coefficient (r) of 0.9926 and 0.9944. The detection limit was 1.2?×?10^?7?mol l^?1 (S/N?=?3), which could be used to determine the content of NE and at the same time, eliminate the interference of the ascorbic acid (AA). The proposed method had high sensitivity, good selectivity and stability.     

Determination of Total Nitrogen in Environmental Samples: Validation by Comparison of Techniques and Intralaboratory Studies

Abstract

A rapid, microwave-based extraction method was employed to oxidize all forms of nitrogen to nitrate in environmental samples using persulfate. The digest was then analyzed spectrophotometrically after an offline reduction of nitrate to nitrite using a cadmium reductor column was completed. The precision of the method was tested at the 0.5 mg l^?1 level and was 5.2% (N = 10). The detection limit based on S/N = 3 was calculated to be 0.15 mg l^?1. The method was thoroughly validated by comparison of analytical techniques and intralaboratory comparison studies.