Analysis of selected stilbenes in Polygonum cuspidatum by HPLC coupled with CoulArray detection

The roots of three varieties of Polygonum cuspidatum were analyzed for resveratrol and its analogs. The powder of the dried roots was extracted with aqueous ethanol (60% v/v) and the extracts obtained were analyzed using RP HPLC with coulometric detection. A simple HPLC method with a multichannel CoulArray detector was developed for the determination of four stilbenes: resveratrol, its glucoside piceid, piceatannol, and its glucoside astringin. Analyses were carried out on a LiChrospher C18 (125 x 4.6 mm id, particle size 5 microm) column with a mobile phase of ammonium acetate (pH 3) and ACN in gradient mode. Four compounds were monitored by a CoulArray electrochemical detector. Potentials of eight electrochemical cells in series were set in the range of 200-900 mV. Optimization of the mobile phase pH was performed. Calibration curves showed good linearity with correlation coefficients (r(2))--more than 0.9975.     

New approach to the simultaneous analysis of catecholamines and tyrosines in biological fluids

New high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods with amperometric-CoulArray detection were developed for simultaneous analyses of norepinephrine, epinephrine, L-DOPA, dopamine, 3-nitrotyrosine, m-, o-, and p-tyrosines. Overall, detection limit was in the low pmol range with amperometry, and in the low fmol range for the CoulArray method. Linear (r2 = 0.99) detector performances were observed in the ranges of 2-200 pmol with amperometry, and 0.2-20 pmol for the CoulArray method. Analytical precision values were better than 80 and 95% for HPLC-amperometry and HPLC-CoulArray method, respectively. These methods offer sensitivity, specificity, minimal sample requirement, and especially the HPLC-CoulArray method allows simultaneous assessment of various similar biomolecules.     

RP-HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beverages and plant extracts using a CoulArray detector

Methods were developed for the analysis of natural antioxidants including phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beverages and plant extracts using gradient HPLC with multi-channel electrochemical coulometric detection. Suitability of various reversed-phase columns for this purpose was compared; pH and mobile phase gradients were optimized with respect to the separation selectivity and sensitivity of detection. Because of different target compounds in various sample types, the overlapping resolution maps and the normalized resolution product approaches described earlier were used to select optimum columns and gradients to suit the analysis of the individual sample types. The methods were applied to the analysis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beer, wine, tea, and yacon extracts. 32 phenolic compounds were identified and determined, including derivatives of benzoic and cinnamic acids, flavones, and a few related glycosides. Eight-channel CoulArray detection offers high selectivity and sensitivity with limits of detection in the low microg L(-1) range, at least an order of magnitude lower than single-channel coulometric detection using the Coulochem detector. No special sample pretreatment is necessary and, because of the compatibility of the CoulArray detector with gradient elution, phenolic antioxidants of different polarities can be determined in a single run. In addition to the retention times, the ratios of the areas of the pre-dominant and post-dominant peaks to the area of the dominant peak can be used for improved identification of natural antioxidants.     

Capsaicinoids in Chili Habanero by Flow Injection with Coulometric Array Detection

This study presents a sensitive electroanalytical method for the determination of capsaicinoids in chili extracts using flow injection with coulometric array detector. Flow injection method was developed based on the coulometric signal of capsaicinoids obtained by high performance liquid chromatography with coulometric detector (HPLC‐ECD). Capsaicinoids concentration in 18 chili samples from Yucatán México cultivated in different types of soils was quantified using UHPLC‐DAD and HPLC‐ECD and expressed in Scoville units. The plants were cultivated in a greenhouse on three types of limestone soils, namely, red, black and brown. Chili peppers were harvested in two stages of maturity: immature (green), and mature (orange). HPLC‐ECD method showed ten times higher sensitivity compared to the UHPLC‐DAD. Capsaicinoid content in 18 chili samples was measured by flow injection method. The best correlation with the Scoville units was obtained by the analysis of the current signal of the sensor poised at +450 mV (R²=94). ANOVA analysis showed that the soil type and the harvest date were significant for the capsaicinoid content. Chili plants cultivated in red soil had higher capsaicinoid content. In addition, the capsaicinoid content was increasing at later harvest dates. In summary, the suggested flow injection method with coulometric array detector decreased the time of analysis from 15 min to 30 s. Therefore it can be successfully applied for the routine capsaicinoid analysis in chili.     

Characterization of constituents in Sini decoction and rat plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode‐array detection coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/DAD/TOFMS) method was established to clarify the chemical composition of Sini decoction (SND) and rat plasma after oral administration of SND. With dynamic adjustment of fragmentor voltage in TOFMS, an efficient transmission of the ions was achieved to obtain the best sensitivity for providing the molecular formula for each analyte and abundant fragment ions for structural information. By accurate mass measurements within 5 ppm error for each molecular ion and subsequent fragment ions, 53 compounds including diterpenoid alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids and gingerol‐related compounds were identified in SND. Major compounds identified from SND were further assigned in the three individual herbs. After oral administration of SND, 33 compounds and five metabolites in rat plasma were detected and identified by comparing and contrasting the compounds measured in SND with those in the plasma samples by HPLC/DAD/TOFMS. The results provided helpful chemical information for further pharmacology and active mechanism research on SND. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimisation of gradient HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in beer using a coularray detector

A method was developed for simultaneous analysis of natural antioxidants in beer using multichannel electrochemical detection with a CoulArray detector, which enables selective and sensitive antioxidant detection in gradient HPLC and facilitates the identification of analytes based on the ratios of signals recorded at different potentials applied to the detection cells arranged in series. The separation conditions were optimised for 27 phenolic compounds including derivatives of benzoic and cinnamic acids, flavones, and a few related glycosides identified in beer samples. Separation selectivities of 11 columns with different stationary phase chemistries were compared, and the pH and gradient programs were optimised for the individual columns to provide best resolution and high number of resolved peaks, using the window-diagram approach. The effects of pH on the sensitivity of electrochemical coulometric detection were considered in the optimisation approach. The optimised conditions were applied to the analysis of real beer samples.     

A Novel Impedimetric Biosensor for Detection of Lead (II) with Low‐cost Interdigitated Electrodes Made on PCB

A novel, low‐cost, label‐free impedance biosensor based on gold interdigitated electrodes (GIE) was developed for detection of lead. This sensor was developed by immobilizing GR‐5 DNAzymes onto the GIE surface through Au‐S bonding. In the presence of lead, the substrate strand was cleaved into two parts at the RNA site (rA) and caused changes in the interfacial properties of the GIE, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the impedance magnitude. Thus, by measuring the decrease, the concentration of lead ion can be determined. And coupled the GIE with GR‐5 DNAzyme recognition, our proposed lead biosensor exhibited a high sensitivity with a detection limit of 6.61 nM, which is much lower than the 72 nM defined as the maximum contamination level (MCL) of lead ions in drinking water by The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at the same time, with a linear range from 10–100 nM and a prominent selectivity against other heavy metal ions. What's more, different from the traditional way, the GIE are made on printed circuit board (PCB), this makes the biosensor has the advantages of simplicity, low cost and easy mass production, and it can easily be widely used.     

Quantitative determination of n-alkanethiols in air and in a blended gas mixture of methane with air by gas chromatography/differential mobility spectrometry

Mixtures of n-alkanethiols, in solution with equi-molar amounts from 0.5 to 360 ng per compound, were determined using gas chromatography (GC) with a differential mobility spectrometer, operated with a flow of air at ambient pressure, as the GC detector. A homologous series of n-alkanethiols with carbon number from two to six showed baseline resolution in the GC separation and positive and negative ion chromatograms were produced simultaneously for the alkanethiols. Differential mobility spectra showed compensation voltages characteristic of each alkanethiol and plots of ion intensity, retention time, and compensation voltage yield contour plots illustrating the second dimension of analytical selectivity provided by the detector. Another yet undeveloped dimension of analytical information was found in the dependence of mobility coefficients on electric field. Mass-analysis of ions from thiols showed a hydrogen abstracted ion, protonated monomers, and proton bound dimers. Linear ranges were narrow and the minimum detectable limits were ~1 ng. Response in positive polarity provided a ten-fold improvement in detection limits though spectra were more complex than for negative ions. In a methane-rich air atmosphere, intended to simulate ambient air or the detection of leaks from natural gas pipelines, the response to thiols with negative ions was not degraded by the methane up to 50% v/v, the highest level tested.     

Headspace solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatographic analysis of low‐molecular‐weight sulfur volatiles with pulsed flame photometric detection and quantification by a stable isotope dilution assay

Low‐molecular‐weight volatile sulfur compounds such as thiols, sulfides, disulfides as well as thioacetates cause a sulfidic off‐flavor in wines even at low concentration levels. The proposed analytical method for quantification of these compounds in wine is based on headspace solid‐phase microextraction, followed by gas chromatographic analysis with sulfur‐specific detection using a pulsed flame photometric detector. Robust quantification was achieved via a stable isotope dilution assay using commercial and synthesized deuterated isotopic standards. The necessary chromatographic separation of analytes and isotopic standards benefits from the inverse isotope effect realized on an apolar polydimethylsiloxane stationary phase of increased film thickness. Interferences with sulfur‐specific detection in wine caused by sulfur dioxide were minimized by addition of propanal. The method provides adequate validation data, with good repeatability and limits of detection and quantification. It suits the requirements of wine quality management, allowing the control of oenological treatments to counteract an eventual formation of excessively high concentration of such malodorous compounds.     

Zero‐valent Iron Nanoparticles Modified Screen‐printed Electrode for FIA or HPLC Amperometric Detection of Metronidazole in Pharmaceutical Formulations

A zero‐valent iron nanoparticles modified electrode was employed as an amperometric detector in flow conditions to determine metronidazole and 2‐methyl‐5‐nitroimidazole in pharmaceutical formulations. Flow injection analysis at ?0.6 V (vs. Ag) achieved limits of detection of 2 and 6 μM for metronidazole and 2‐methyl‐5‐nitroimidazole, respectively, but the analysis was not discriminative between the two compounds. When reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography was applied previous to the electrochemical detection both analytes could be analysed simultaneously. However, the limits of detection slightly increased (10 μM) as a consequence of the use of an organic solvent and a lower sample volume. The relative standard deviation of analytical repeatability was <4.0 % in both techniques. The methods were validated by comparing the results obtained from the analysis of commercial samples with those provided by HPLC‐DAD and no significant differences were detected. Results probed that the modified electrode was a successful tool in the FIA and HPLC analysis of nitro compounds.     

Contactless Conductivity Detection in Capillary Electrophoresis Employing Capillaries with Very Low Inner Diameters

The behaviour of a contactless conductivity detector was studied in its application to capillary electrophoresis employing quartz capillaries with inner diameters (i.d.) of 10 to 75 µm. The detector output signal was measured using KCl as the test electrolyte, within a KCl concentration range from 0 to 100 mmol/L, corresponding to specific conductivities from 0 to 1295 mS/m. When using capillaries with high inner diameters, then the signal‐to‐noise ratio is high in electrolytes of low conductivity. On the other hand, the use of capillaries with low i.d. values is useful in separations employing solutions of high conductivities. The advantages of capillaries with small i.d. values, combined with contactless conductivity detection, are demonstrated on separations of mixtures of inorganic ions and on separations of neutral mono‐ and disaccharides.     

Comparison of gas and high performance liquid chromatography with selective detection for determination of triazine herbicides and their degradation products extracted ultrasonically from soil

GC and HPLC with selective detectors were compared for simultaneous determination of triazine herbicides simazine, atrazine, propazine, terbuthylazine, cyanazine, ametryn, prometryn, and atraton, and of their dealkylated degradation products in soil. The compounds were ultrasonically extracted from spiked agricultural soil samples (organic matter content < 5%) with a 2:1 acetone:n‐hexane mixture. High efficiency of GC capillary column and high selectivity of the thermionic sensitive detector (TSD) and ion trap detector (ITD) made it possible to directly analyse uncleaned soil extracts and determine all 12 compounds in one run. In reversed‐phase HPLC with diode‐array detector (DAD), the co‐elution of soil matrix components interfered with the determination of methylthiotriazines and terbuthylazine. The recovery of triazine compounds, determined by GC‐TSD, from a silty sand soil (organic matter content 1.82%, pH 6.22) spiked at levels of 15–600 ng g^–1, were 70–90% (RSD 9–19%), except for deisopropylatraton (38%). GC‐TSD analysis with detection limits of 5–15 ng g^–1 for chloro‐ and methylthiotriazines and 30 ng g^–1 for methoxytriazines was more sensitive than GC‐MS(ITD). GC analysis with electron capture detection was sensitive for some chlorotriazines, but a reliable compound quantification in complex chromatograms of uncleaned soil of extracts was not possible. For all compounds save didealkylatrazine, HPLC‐DAD was at least two times less sensitive than GC‐TSD. Soil/sediment organic matter, clay and silt content, and pH were identified as matrix characteristics which might affect ultrasonic extraction recovery of a particular compound.     

高效液相色谱-蒸发光散射检测法直接检测20种未衍生基本氨基酸

应用国产蒸发光散射检测器(ELSD),建立了一种采用反相高效液相色谱-蒸发光散射检测器(RHPLC-ELSD)直接测定20种未衍生基本氨基酸的分析方法,并将其用于氨基酸注射液中氨基酸含量的测定。采用BISCHOFFTM　C18 AQ PLUS色谱柱(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm)分离,以甲醇-0.2%七氟丁酸溶液(含0.1%三氟乙酸)为流动相进行梯度洗脱,流速0.8 mL/min,ELSD飘移管温度40 ℃,载气流量2.5 L/min,对20种基本氨基酸进行分离检测。氨基酸的质量浓度在30～300 mg/L范围内,其峰面积的对数值与进样质量的对数值呈良好的线性关系;氨基酸的检出限(信噪比(S/N)＞3)介于24 ～100 ng之间,样品加标回收率为90.6%～106.0%。结果表明,该系统及方法操作简便快速、准确可靠,无需依靠专门的氨基酸分析仪或衍生处理氨基酸即可直接测定氨基酸注射液中氨基酸含量,为药品、食品及化工生产等领域混合氨基酸样品的直接检测提供了参考。     

Electrochemical determination of Ag-ions in environment waters and their action on plant embryos

We utilized liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detector (HPLC-ED) for analyzing of silver ions. The optimization of basic chromatographic parameters has been done. The detection limit (3 S/N) obtained were 20 nmol/dm(3). Influence of different interferences (anions and cations) on current response of silver ions has been described. Moreover, we used HPLC-ED to analyze waters of different purity including photographic emulsion, which naturally contained silver ions. We found out that content of silver ions in the emulsion was 1.57 x 0.03 mmol/dm(3). Moreover, we investigated influence of silver ions on early somatic embryos of Blue Spruce. We were interested in the issue how much silver ions can embryos uptake during four days long treatment. For this purpose, we used optimized HPLC-ED technique. The content increased with increasing treatment time and applied concentration. We also studied how silver ions can influence thiols content in the treated embryos. For these purposes we used adsorptive transfer stripping voltammetry in connection with differential pulse voltammetry--Brdicka reaction. It clearly follows from the obtained results that content of thiols increased with increasing treatment time and applied concentration.     

Effective length calibration method for processing the fluorescence signal detected by charge‐coupled device in capillary electrophoresis

A novel method named effective length calibration method has been developed to process the fluorescence signal detected by charge‐coupled device during capillary electrophoresis. The new method treated each pixel as an individual point detector, and effectively binned a large number of pixels into a final electropherogram without losing the narrow detection window defined by a single pixel. Capillary electrophoresis separations of DNA were carried out and detected by charge‐coupled device and conventional detector (photomultiplier tube). Detection properties including signal‐to‐noise ratio, peak width, detection frequency, and tilt of detector were investigated. It was found that the new method achieved much higher signal‐to‐noise ratio and smaller peak width than the conventional detector did. A Detection width of 0.5 μm was easily achieved.     

电场耦合法芯片电泳柱上电导检测特性研究

通过电场耦合作用对毛细管电泳柱上直流电导检测原理进行了分析, 利用带有双T结构检测池的玻璃和聚合物芯片对其特性进行了研究. 在电泳分离过程中, 电泳高电场通过检测通道耦合到出口的检测电极上并产生可被检测的电势差. 当导电性与支持电解质不同的组分谱带通过分离通道上的检测池时造成该电位差的变化, 该变化与溶液电导率、检测池长度和电场强度直接相关. 检测信号与基线相除得到的信号只和检测池中溶液的物理特征参数(电导率及电阻)有关. 用自制高阻抗信号转换系统可使芯片电泳电场强度提高到450 V/cm以上, 以1 mmol/L Tris-HCl为支持电解质, 在12 s内实现了K＋和Na＋的高重现性分离检测, 检出限达到5 μmol/L, 线性范围达两个数量级(10 μmol/L~2 mmol/L).     

Development of Miniaturized Electrochemiluminescence Instrument using Multi‐pixel Photon Counter as the Optical Detector

We developed a miniaturized electrochemiluminescence (ECL) instrument coupled with a light‐emitting diode‐based bipolar electrochemical sensor (LED‐BPES). This instrument composes of a microcontroller circuit, a power supply circuit, a potentiostat, an optical detecting circuit, and a communication circuit. The multi‐pixel photon counter (MPPC), which is low‐cost, small‐size, and wide‐range in optical measurements, is chosen as the optical detector. The LED‐BPES composes of a disposable screen‐printed carbon electrode (SPCE) and a surface‐mount red LED. Depended on the closed bipolar electrode (C‐BPE) structure, the LED‐BPES not only avoids the employment of unstable and complex ECL reactions but also offers a cost‐effective alternative for the over‐priced ECL reagents by using a mini‐size commercial LED as the luminescent producer. The combination of MPPC and LED‐BPES helps to set up the simplified and downsized instrument system with low price and high efficiency. The presented instrument coupled with LED‐BPES works excellent in electroactive molecules detection and has great potential in the application of heavy metal ions detection.     

Determination of the volatiles from tobacco by capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection and mass spectrometry

A new gas chromatograph‐atomic emission detector (GC‐AED) coupled with Deans switching technique for analyzing volatiles from tobaccos were developed. The detector operating parameters (reagent gas pressure and make‐up gas flow rate) were optimized. The detection limits for the elements carbon (193 nm), hydrogen (486 nm) and oxygen (171 nm) ranged 0.05–0.2, 0.05–0.3 and 1–11 ng, respectively, depending on the compound. The sensitivity and linearity for the elements carbon (193 nm), hydrogen (486 nm) and oxygen (171 nm) decreased in the order O>H>C. Calibration curves were obtained by plotting peak area versus concentration, and the correlation coefficients relating to linearity were at least 0.9359. Elemental response factors measured on these channels, relative to the carbon 193‐nm channel, were hydrogen, 0.38–0.48 (mean %RSD=5.64), and oxygen, 0.085–0.128 (mean %RSD=14.9). The evaluation was also done for the new technique and for an established GC‐MS technique for the same real samples. The results of GC‐AED and GC‐MS showed that there was a relatively good agreement between the two sets of data.     

Determination of Diethylstilbestrol in Aquatic Products by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection

A sensitive method for the determination of diethylstilbestrol (DES) in aquatic products by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a fluorescence detector (FLD) was developed. By means of sulfonation in concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrolysis, DES was converted into a reaction product that can emit fluorescence and determined by HPLC. For the first time, HPLC with FLD was applied to the determination of DES and sensitivity comparable to that of LC‐MS gained. The limit of detection was 0.1 µg·kg^?1, and the recoveries were above 86% with relative standard deviations less than 6.2%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of DES in aquatic products.     

Determination of catechins and catechin gallates in biological fluids by HPLC with coulometric array detection and solid phase extraction

Tea polyphenols are well known for their beneficial health effects that involve their anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic, anti-pathogenic and anti-oxidative properties. The main polyphenols of green tea are favan-3-ols (catechins) and their corresponding gallate compounds, which constitute about one-third of the dry weight of tea leaves. Their main ingredients are (+)-catechin (C), (−)-epicatechin (EC), (−)-gallocatechin (GC), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (−)-catechin gallate (CG), (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), (−)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) and (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Each has slightly different biological properties. We have developed a method to simultaneously analyze all these compounds in plasma and urine. The samples were first incubated with β-d-glucuronidase and sulfatase to release the catechin residues from their corresponding conjugates for subsequent extraction by selective solid phase column, Waters Oasis HLB extraction cartridges. The extracted molecules were resolved by reversed phase HPLC and monitored by coulometric chemical detection on a CoulArray detector. All eight catechin compounds were analyzed in a single chromatogram within 25 min. For plasma and urine analyses, good linearity (>0.9950) was validated in the range 10-2000 and 10-5000 ng/ml, respectively. The coefficients of variance (CV) were less than 5%. Absolute recovery was greater than 85% and detection limit was 5 ng/ml. The chromatogram exhibited minimal interference as a result of the highly selective solid phase extraction and CoulArray detection.