Improved high performance liquid chromatographic determination of amanitins with electrochemical detection

Summary The determination of amanitins, the main toxins of the poisonous fungus Amanita Phalloides, through an improved HPLC method with electrochemical detection is presented. It uses an improved reverse phase separation on a wide pore butyl column and amperometric detection in oxidizing mode at + 0.6 V. Compared to the previously reported methods employing narrow pore C18 packings and UV detectors, the described method gives a much lower detection limit (40, 80 and 70 pg ca. for alpha-, beta- and gamma-amanitin, respectively), and a better chromatographic efficiency. Coupled with a sample preparation procedure using disposable cartridges packed with C18 and underivatized silica (recovery of alpha-amanitin =65 %, RSD 4.1 at 20 ng/ml), the method permits the quantitative determination of alphaamanitin in serum at low concentrations (10–20 ng/ml). A tentative immuno-extraction of urine samples, by means of a solid phase antiserum, bound to nylon nets, allowing the detection of few nanograms of toxin per milliliter is also briefly described.     

Determination of bisaramil and its metabolite in plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A column liquid chromatographic method using electrochemical detection has been developed for determination of an antiarrhythmic agent, bisaramil, and its metabolite in plasma. The plasma was fractionated by extraction with chloroform and chloroform-ethanol, and each fraction was dried and dissolved in ethyl acetate. After back-extraction into an acidic buffer, bisaramil was chromatographed on a reversed-phase column, and the metabolite, which has a higher polarity, was analysed by ion-pairing chromatography. Calibration curves were linear over the concentration range 2-200 ng/ml with coefficients of variation, within-day or day-to-day, not exceeding 5% at any level. The limits of detection of bisaramil and its metabolite were 0.5 and 1 ng/ml, respectively, using 0.5 ml of plasma. The dual-electrode detector was operated in the screening mode of oxidation (electrode 1, +0.55 V; electrode 2, +0.8 V), providing a greater specificity and reducing the background noise. This procedure was applied to a large number of samples in a pharmacokinetic study at the therapeutic dose.     

Determination of tocopherols by reverse-phase liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection at a surface-oxide modified platinum microelectrode, without added electrolyte

The reverse-phase separation and electrochemical detection of alpha-, gg-, and delta-tocopherol at a potential of +0.90 V vs. a gold pseudo-reference electrode is possible down to 10(-7)M concentrations, with surface-modified platinum microdisc electrodes in a methanol/water (95:5) solvent mixture. The use of microclectrodes with radii of 10-70 mum, rather than electrodes of conventional size, minimizes problems associated with iR drop and obviates the need for deliberately added electrolyte. These features simplify the analytical procedure. The background response of an untreated platinum microelectrode in the methanol/water (95:5) system at positive potentials is characterized by processes arising from adsorption/oxidation of methanol and formation of surface oxides. Amperometric detection is of little use under these conditions. However, preoxidation of the electrode surface in 2M nitric acid inhibits the methanol adsorption/oxidation reaction but not the tocopherol response and therefore allows highly sensitive amperometric detection.     

Operational parameters of voltammetric high-performance liquid chromatographic detectors with copper electrodes and application to a determination of some fodder biofactors

Two versions of an amperometric detector with a copper working electrode have been constructed and tested for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The performance of the detectors was studied using selected amino acids. The dependence of the detector response on the mobile phase flow-rate was studied in the range common in both macro- and microcolumn HPLC (5 microliter/min to 1.0 ml/min). It has been found that the detection sensitivity generally increases with decreasing flow-rate, i.e., the detector response is governed by the rate of the complexation reaction between the cupric ions and the solutes. This fact makes amperometric detection with a copper electrode especially useful for microcolumn separations. For all 20 amino acids studied, calibration curve parameters and detection limits have been determined; the latter vary from 0.4 to 18 ng in the injected volume. The amino acids can also be sensitively detected in a medium of 0.1-1.0 M ammonia, which is promising for the use of strong anion exchangers in amino acid separations. Choline can also be detected at a copper electrode, with a detection limit of 40 ng. An HPLC method with amperometric detection at a copper electrode has been developed for the determination of lysine, methionine and choline in fodder biofactors.     

Determination of 2,3-dihydro-6-[3-(2-hydroxymethyl)phenyl-2-propenyl]-5-benzofuranol in plasma using liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A reversed-phase column liquid chromatographic (LC) method with electrochemical detection (ED) is described for the quantification of 2,3-dihydro-6-[3-(2-hydroxymethyl)phenyl-2-propenyl]-5-benzofuranol (compound 1), a new locally active dual inhibitor of leukotriene and prostaglandin synthesis, in plasma. After a single liquid-liquid extraction of the biological specimen, the extract was analyzed using a liquid chromatograph with an amperometric detector set at an oxidation potential of +0.55 V. The resulting chromatograms are free from endogenous interference and the limit of detection is 0.2 ng/ml. Several other analogous dihydrobenzofuranols were shown to be electrochemically active, permitting their determination using LC with ED. The described analytical method has been fully validated in the concentration range 0.5-20 ng/ml of plasma and utilized in the analysis of plasma samples from human clinical studies. The analytical methodology has also been adapted for analysis of compound 1 in human skin blister fluid after topical administration of 1.     

Simultaneous determination of allopurinol and oxypurinol by liquid chromatography using immobilized xanthine oxidase with electrochemical detection

A novel liquid chromatographic method using an immobilized xanthine oxidase reactor and an electrochemical detector was developed for the simultaneous determination of allopurinol and oxypurinol in rat plasma, intestinal wash and bile. Xanthine oxidase was immobilized on 5-microns aldehyde silica (prepacked into a 2 mm x 10 mm cartridge) in a simple procedure. Allopurinol eluted from an analytical column was converted to oxypurinol in the enzyme reactor with the eluent as the reaction medium and detected with high selectivity using an amperometric detector with a glassy carbon electrode at the applied potential of +0.85 V. High specificity of the enzymatic reaction combined with selectivity of the electrochemical detection eliminated the need for an extensive sample preparation. The assay was linear in the range 15-500 ng/ml of rat plasma, intestinal wash and bile with a low limit of detection of 10 pg on-column (signal-to-noise ratio = 4) for both allopurinol and oxypurinol.     

Determination of nalbuphine by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection: application to clinical samples from postoperative patients

A rapid, selective and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with electrochemical detection was developed for the determination of nalbuphine in human plasma. The method involves extraction with chloroform-isopropanol at pH 9.4, back-extraction into dilute phosphoric acid and reversed-phase chromatography on a microBondapak phenyl column. The recovery of nalbuphine and naltrexone (internal standard) was greater than 90%. Calibration curves were linear over a concentration range of 3-36 ng/ml with coefficients of variation, within-day or between-day, not exceeding 8% at any level. Although the limit of detection was 0.3 ng/ml based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, the reliable limit of quantitation was 1 ng/ml (coefficient of variation 12%) using 1 ml of plasma. The dual-electrode detector was operated in the screening mode of oxidation (electrode 1, 0.3 V and electrode 2, 0.6 V), providing a greater specificity and reducing background noise. This procedure was applied to a large number of clinical samples in an intravenous dose-range pharmacokinetic study in patients.     

Electrosorptive detection based on double-layer capacitance for selective anion monitoring in ion chromatography : Part 1. Mercury Electrodes

A novel scheme is presented for the detection of selected anions in ion chromatography, based on changes in differential double-layer capacitance, ΔC_d, for a metal electrode at a suitable electrode potential induced by specific anion adsorption. The detector in this liquid chromatography/double-layer capacitance (LC/DLC) arrangement is a hanging or dropping mercury electrode in a large-volume wall-jet configuration. The anions observed to be detected readily by this approach include chloride, bromide, iodide, azide, thiocyanate, and thiosulfate. The relationship between ΔC_d and the analyte concentration can be arranged to be approximately linear at least over the range 1–100 mg l^?1. An attractive feature of the technique is its insensitivity to ionic concentration gradients in the flowing stream. Another virtue of LC/DLC is its selectivity, although it is less sensitive for the detection of complexing anions than amperometric detection based on mercury oxidation. Dual detection schemes are also devised, involving monitoring double-layer capacitance at two potentials or combined with amperometric detection.     

The Direct Electrochemical Detection of Amino Acids at a Platinum Electrode in an Alkaline Chromatographic Effluent

Abstract

It is the general experience that most organic compounds including amino acids do not produce reversible or even quasi-reversible anodic waves at a Pt electrode under conditions of conventional cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, amperometric detection of these compounds at a constant electrode potential is not successful because of the accumulation of adsorbed reaction products and/or an oxide film at the electrode surface. However, it is observed that a Pt electrode surface is cleaned quite effectively of adsorbed organic molecles and radicals simultanaeously with the anodic formation of the oxide layer. This oxidation of adsorbed organic species is concluded to be electrocatalyzed by PtOH formed as the first step in the production of the oxide layer (PtO). A pulsed-potential waveform applied at a frequency of ca. 1 Hz is demonstrated to provide direct amperometric detection of adsorbed amino acids at a Pt electrode. Satisfactory analytical precision (i.e., < 3% rel. std. dev.) results because the waveform reproducibly generates the catalytically active surface state at the Pt electrode. Both primary and secondary amino acids are determined with satisfactory detection limits: e.g., ca. 13 ng for glycine, 7 ng for phenylamine and 23 ng for hydroxyproline in 50-μL samples. Analytical response is concluded to depend on the adsorption isotherm of the amino acid being detected. Hence, the calibration plot of I/I_peak vs. 1/C^D is linear for low surface coverages. Results are shown for amperometric detection of a synthetic mixture of amino acids by anion-exchange chromatography using NaOH as the eluent and supporting electrolyte.     

Hand-held amperometric sensor for saliva and other oral fluid-based diagnostics

A new hand-held amperometric sensor for monitoring of saliva and other oral fluid-based components is described. The amperometric sensor includes a flow through amperometric detector coupled with a micropipette, and an electronic block which consists of an amplifier, peak detector, microprocessor and display. All operations, such as sample injection, electrochemical detection and data processing are accomplished using only one action, by pressing the plunger of the micropipette. The instrument has been applied for assay of salivary peroxidase, human luteinizing hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin. The low detection limit of peroxidase is 0.5 ng/ml (defined as the concentration which gives a signal with S/N>2). The response time of the sensor is 1-3 s. The linear dynamic range of the hormones is from 1.0 to 80 mUI/ml. The life time of the hand-held amperometric device without regeneration of the electrode surface is 12 months. The sensor has the potential as a tool for noninvasive physiological studies and diagnostic strategies.     

Determination of trichlormethiazide in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary This paper describes a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay method for the determination of trichlormethiazide (TCM) in human plasma and urine. After extraction and separation on an ODS column TCM from plasma was detected by oxidation in an electrochemical detector (ECD) by a porous graphite electrode. The sensitivity was better than HPLC with UV detection, enabling the determination of 2 ng ml^–1 TCM in human plasma. This method also allows determination of TCM at higher concentrations by exchanging the UV for the electrochemical detector. To study the pharmacokinetics, TCM in plasma and urine was assayed with coefficients of variation in the range 2–3%. The method has the advantages of high sensitivity for plasma assay and high precision with a simple procedure for both plasma and urine samples. Small samples of 0.5 ml plasma per assay also reduced the total volume of plasma needed.     

Electrocatalysis and amperometric detection of aliphatic aldehydes at platinum-palladium alloy coated glassy carbon electrode

Aliphatic aldehydes undergo an electrocatalytic oxidation at a platinum-palladium (Pt-Pd) alloy coated glassy carbon electrode. The alloy modification offers a highly sensitive and stable, constant (+0.35 V) potential detection of simple aldehydes. The drastically enhanced catalytic response of the alloy deposit, compared to the single component metals, is attributed to synergistic effect associated with changes in the adsorption features of the surface. The influence of the alloy deposition conditions upon the amperometric response is assessed. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and elemental distribution mapping offer useful insights into the microstructure and composition of the alloy deposit. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde were detected in flow-injection analysis at levels as low as 0.9, 6.4 and 6.5 ng (30, 160 and 120 pmol), respectively. Such operation offers lower operating potentials and detection limits compared to the recently developed mixed-valent ruthenium coated detector for aldehydes [2].     

High-performance liquid chromatography with amperometric detection applied to the screening of 1,4-dihydropyridines in human plasma

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with electrochemical detection has been developed for the determination of six 1,4-dihydropyridines: nifedipine, nimodipine, nisoldipine, nicardipine, felodipine and lacidipine. The chromatographic separation was performed using a Supelcosil LC-ABZ+Plus C₁₈ column. A mobile phase of methanol–water (70:30), containing 2 mM CH₃COOH–CH₃COONa at a flow-rate of 1 ml/min and a pH of 5.0, was used. The temperature was optimized at 30±0.2°C. The amperometric detector, equipped with a glassy carbon electrode, was operated at 1000 mV versus Ag/AgCl in the direct current mode. The method was applied to the determination of these compounds at ng/ml concentrations, obtaining intra-day reproducibilities of lower than 5.0% in terms of relative standard deviations and detection limits ranging from 16 to 44 ng/ml. The method was applied to the screening of 1,4-dihydropyridines in spiked plasma samples, with a total elution time of lower than 18 min, obtaining the best recoveries for nimodipine and felodipine (91 and 88%, respectively). These recoveries together with the low detection limits achieved allow its application to the analysis of these drugs in human plasma.     

Detection of oxilofrine in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection and comparison with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with electrochemical detection for the determination of oxilofrine [1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-methylaminopropanol] in human plasma and urine (before and after cleavage of the metabolic conjugates) is described. Isolation from biological fluids is performed batchwise by weak acid cation exchange. Separation of plasma and urine components is achieved on a reversed-phase C18 column as an ion pair with heptanesulphonic acid. For amperometric detection the potential of the electrode was set at 0.95 V versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The detection limit for oxilofrine in plasma is 1 ng/ml and in urine 12.5 ng/ml at a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.0 using 1.0 ml of plasma and 0.02 ml of urine. The method was compared with a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method and showed a good concordance for plasma (r = 0.996) and urine (r = 0.994). With the HPLC method it is also possible to determine related sympathomimetic drugs, e.g., etilefrine, norefenefrine or octopamine, after a slight modification of the mobile phase.     

Microdrop analysis of a bead-based immunoassay

The progress to electrochemical detection of a microbead-based immunoassay in small volumes has led to a reduced assay time and lower detection limits. Three electrochemical techniques are described for an immunoassay with detection in a microdrop. The techniques are amperometric detection with a rotating disk electrode (RDE), a microelectrode, and an interdigitated array (IDA) electrode. An enzyme-labeled sandwich immunoassay with mouse IgG as the model analyte is used to demonstrate the three techniques. The microbead assay is carried out in a test tube using a magnet to control bead collection. Once the immunocomplex is formed on the microbead, the beads are transferred to a microdrop where the enzyme, either alkaline phosphatase or β-galactosidase, generates 4-aminophenol (PAP). PAP is oxidized at the electrode with an applied potential of +290 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. For all three techniques, the upper limit of the dynamic range was 1000 ng/ml mouse IgG, and the detection limits were: 50 ng/ml for the RDE, 40 ng/ml for the microelectrode, and 26 ng/ml for the IDA electrode.     

Determination of free nitrilotriacetic acid in environmental water samples by ion chromatography with potentiometric and amperometric detection with a copper electrode

An ion-chromatographic method is described for the analysis of free nitrilotriacetic acid in water samples. Separations are achieved on a polymer-based anion-exchange column with 6 mM nitric acid as eluent. Both potentiometric and amperometric detection have been applied using metallic copper as the indicator electrode. Detection limits are at about 500 ng injected in the potentiometric mode and 100 ng in the amperometric mode. On-line sample preconcentration is possible for volumes up to 2 ml of river water samples. The response of the detector to other aminopolycarboxylic and aminopolyphosphonic acids has been investigated.     

A Label-Free Electrochemical Immunosensor for Clostridium Difficile Toxin B Based on One-Step Immobilization of Thionine in a Silica Matrix

A label-free amperometric immunosensor was fabricated to test clostridium difficile toxin B. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were modified on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode by electrodeposition. A sol-gel method was developed to encapsulate thionine in an electrochemically induced three-dimensional porous silica matrix by a one-step process. Gold nanoparticle layers were constructed by covalent bonds and electrostatic adsorption with thionine. The clostridium difficile toxin B antibody was immobilized on the gold nanoparticles to construct the immunosensor. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry demonstrated that the formation of antibody-antigen complexes decreased the peak current of thionine. The morphologies of the nanocomposites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectrometry. The electrode was shown to be sensitive and specific to detect clostridium difficile toxin B from 1.0 to 80.0 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 0.3 ng/mL.     

A Novel Amperometric Immunosensor for Phytohormone Abscisic Acid Based on In Situ Chemical Reductive Growth of Gold Nanoparticles on Glassy Carbon Electrode

Abstract

An amperometric immunosensor for phytohormone abscisic acid was developed based on in situ chemical reductive growth of gold nanoparticles on glassy carbon electrode. First, an approximate 10 nm gold layer was sputtered uniformly onto the electrode surface, and then gold nanoparticles were grown directly on the gold layer for antibody adsorption by immersing the electrode into the H₂AuCl₄ solution. Determination was based on an enzyme-linked competitive immunoreaction between free and enzyme-labeled abscisic acid to bind on immobilized antibody on electrode. The linear response was from 10 ng/ml to 10 µg/ml with a detection limit of 5 ng/ml.     

Integrated pulsed amperometric detection of glufosinate, bialaphos and glyphosate at gold electrodes in anion-exchange chromatography.

A rapid and practical method for direct detection of the herbicides (glufosinate, bialaphos and glyphosate) in anion-exchange chromatography has been developed with integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IPAD). The electrochemical behavior of these herbicides showed catalytic currents based on the oxidation of amines in their structures. Waveform in IPAD was similar to that for amino acids, which exhibited adsorption/desorption catalytic features at gold electrode surface in alkaline solution. Under optimized conditions, detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for glufosinate, bialaphos and glyphosate were 20, 65 and 50 ng ml(-1), respectively, with correlation coefficients of 0.995, 0.997 and 0.996 over concentration ranges of 0.1-45, 0.3-32 and 0.1-50 microg ml(-1), respectively. The relative standard deviations (n=5) were 1.7-3.0%. The present method was successfully applied to the determination of glyphosate in urine and serum.     

Gas chromatographic assay with pharmacokinetic applications for monitoring T-2 and HT-2 toxins in plasma

A gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) method for monitoring T-2 and HT-2 toxins in plasma was developed. The procedure involved extraction of the toxins with ethyl acetate, chromatography on a C18 reversed-phase column and derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA). The T-2 and HT-2 HFBA derivatives were chromatographed on OV-17 at various temperatures and measured with an electron-capture detector. Iso-T-2 toxin and iso-HT-2 toxin were used as internal standards. Recoveries averaged 95.1 +/- 8.6% for T-2 toxin and 102.1 +/- 5.2% for HT-2 toxin at levels ranging from 40 to 120 ng/ml. The limits of detection were 30 and 5 ng/ml of T-2 and HT-2 toxin, respectively. The range of the assay covers plasma concentrations at which toxicity becomes manifest. The pharmacokinetic application of this GLC method is illustrated by simultaneous monitoring of T-2 and HT-2 toxins levels in plasma obtained after intravenous administration of T-2 toxin to a dog.