Determination of proanthocyanidins in fresh grapes and grape products using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

Fresh grapes and grape products, such as grape wine and grape juice, were analyzed for proanthocyanidins (PACs) using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (MS) detection. PACs were successfully separated and analyzed on the basis of their protonated molecules, allowing the identification of PACs in different degrees of polymerization from monomers to oligomers (up to 7 units), and in various isomeric forms. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with MS detection, the PAC monomers, (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-catechin gallate (CG), and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), were successfully quantified using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Standard curves were fitted for each PAC ranging from 43.8 to 5600 ng/mL for C, from 42.2 to 5400 ng/mL for EC, from 36.7 to 4700 ng/mL for CG, and from 39.8 to 5100 ng/mL for ECG. Good linearity (r2>0.999) was achieved for each analyte. The accuracy and precision (RSD) were within 10% (n=8) at the limit of detection. This method allows direct quantification of monomeric PACs in fresh grapes and grape-derived products. Additionally, flow injection analysis (FIA) was applied to estimate the concentration levels of PAC oligomers by comparing their FIA-MS peak areas, which were well correlated (r2=0.936) to the total concentrations of PAC monomers.     

Chemometric data analysis of pollutants in wastewater—a case study

In this study, chemometric techniques such as cluster analysis (CA), discriminant analysis (DA), principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) were used to analyse the wastewater dataset to identify the factors which affect the composition of sewage of domestic origin, spatial and temporal variations, similarity/dissimilarity among the wastewater characteristics of cis- and trans-drains and discriminating variables. Samples collected from 24 wastewater drains in Lucknow city and from three sites on Gomti river in the month of January/February, May, August and November during the period of 5 years (1994-1999) were characterized for 32 parameters. The multivariate techniques successfully described the similarities/dissimilarities among the sewage drains on the basis of their wastewater characteristics and sources signifying the effect of routine domestic/commercial activities in respective drainage areas. Spatial and seasonal variations in wastewater composition were also determined successfully. CA generated six groups of drains on the basis of similar wastewater characteristic. PCA provided information on seasonal influence and compositional differences in sewage generated by domestic and industrial waste dominated drains and showed that drains influenced by mixed industrial effluents have high organic pollution load. DA rendered six variables (TDS, alkalinity, F, TKN, Cd and Cr) discriminating between cis- and trans-drains. PLS-DA showed dominance of Cd, Cr, NO₃, PO₄ and F in cis-drains wastewater. The results suggest that biological-process based STPs could treat wastewater both from the cis- as well as trans-drains, however, prior removal of toxic metals will be required from the cis-drains sewage. Further, seasonal variations in wastewater composition and pollution load could be the guiding factor for determining the STPs design parameters. The information generated would be useful in selection of process type and in designing of the proposed sewage treatment plants (STPs) for safe disposal of wastewater.     

Determination of proanthocyanidin A2 content in phenolic polymer isolates by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

This article summarizes the development of an analytical method for the determination of proanthocyanidin (PAC) A2 in phenolic polymer isolates following acid-catalyzed degradation in the presence of excess phloroglucinol. Isolates from concentrated cranberry juice (CCJ) were extensively characterized and molar extinction coefficients were determined for the terminal A2 and phloroglucinol adduct of the extension A2 unit. Peanuts were also found to contain both extension and terminal A-type PACs and therefore a total peanut system (TPS) was chosen to test the effectiveness of the HPLC method that was developed with the CCJ system. Kinetic studies were conducted and reaction conditions were optimized for the A2 units in both CCJ and TPS. The optimized method provides quantitative and reproducible information on the A2 content of proanthocyanidin isolates.     

Determination of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the liquid and solid phases of activated sludge by solid phase extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

The highly complex matrix of activated sludge in sewage treatment plants (STPs) makes it difficult to detect endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which are usually present at low concentration levels. To date, no literature has reported the concentrations of steroid estrogens in activated sludge in China and very limited data are available worldwide. In this work, a highly selective and sensitive analytical method was developed for simultaneous determination of two classes of EDCs, including estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), 4-nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA), in the liquid and solid phases of activated sludge. The procedures for sample preparation, extracts derivatization, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) quantification were all optimized to effectively determine target EDCs while minimizing matrix interference. The developed method showed good calibration linearity, recovery, precision, and a low limit of quantification (LOQ) for all selected EDCs in both liquid and solid phases of activated sludge. It was successfully applied to determine the concentrations of EDCs in activated sludge samples from two STPs located in Beijing and Shanghai of China, respectively.     

Proangiogenic cells enhanced persistent and physiologic neovascularization compared with macrophages

Proangiogenic cells (PACs) display surface markers and secrete angiogenic factors similar to those used by myelomonocytic cells, but, unlike myelomonocytic cells, PACs enhance neovascularization activity in experimental ischemic diseases. This study was performed to reveal the differential neovascularization activities of PACs compared with those of myelomonocytic cells. We cultured PACs and CD14⁺-derived macrophages (Macs) for 7 days. Most of the surface markers and cytokines in the two cell types were alike; the exceptions were KDR, β8 integrin, interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1. Unlike Macs, PACs significantly enhanced mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transmigration. PACs and Macs increased neovascularization activity in an in vitro co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and MSCs and in an in vivo cotransplantation in Matrigel. However, the use of Macs resulted in inappropriately dilated and leaky vessels, whereas the use of PACs did not. We induced critical hindlimb ischemia in nude mice, and then transplanted PACs, Macs or vehicle into the mice. We obtained laser Doppler perfusion images weekly. At 2 weeks, mice treated with PACs showed significantly enhanced perfusion recovery in contrast to those treated with Macs. After day 7, when cells were depleted using a suicidal gene, viral thymidine kinase, to induce apoptosis of the cells in vivo by ganciclovir administration, we found that the improved perfusion was significantly abrogated in the PAC-treated group, whereas perfusion was not changed in the Mac-treated group. PACs caused an increase in healthy new vessels in in vitro and in vivo models of angiogenesis and enhanced long-term functional neovascularization activity in the hindlimb ischemia model, whereas Macs did not. Nevertheless, the angiogenic potential and long-term functional results for a specific cell type should be validated to confirm effectiveness and safety of the cell type for use in therapeutic angiogenesis procedures.     

Analysis of coumarin and angelica lactones in smokeless tobacco products

Differences in health risks between different styles of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) have prompted interest in their relative levels of toxic chemicals. We report here the development of methods for the analysis of STPs for coumarin and for α-angelica lactone (α-AL), both of which have been included in various published lists of tobacco toxicants. We have also determined the concentrations of these lactones in commercial STPs from the US and Sweden, representing 80–90% of the 2010 market share for all the major STP categories in these two countries: 65 products (plus two reference products) for coumarin and 66 commercial products for α-AL. For coumarin, methanol extracts of the STPs were analysed by HPLC/MS/MS. The lower limit of quantification (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) were, respectively, 100 and 30 ng coumarin/g of STP on a wet weight basis (WWB). Alpha-AL was determined via direct headspace GC/MS. The LOQ and LOD were 65 and 30 ng/g WWB respectively. Coumarin was detected In 3/33 Swedish snus, 5/13 US chewing tobaccos, 16/16 moist snuffs and 5/6 dry snuffs. Concentrations in those samples with quantifiable coumarin contents ranged from 186 to 1656 ng/g WWB. Concentrations of coumarin measured in this study were consistent with levels naturally found in tobacco. None of the STPs analysed would significantly contribute to coumarin exposure in consumers compared with dietary sources, and estimated exposure levels were 1000× lower than the European Food Safety Authority Tolerable Daily Intake. Hence the relevance of coumarin to the toxicity of STPs and its inclusion in the FDA’s list of harmful and potentially harmful compounds list is questionable. Measurements of α-AL in these STPs found that the majority did not have quantifiable contents, however, for three STPs concentrations of α-AL were above the LOQ (116–140 ng/g WWB) and for four other STPs concentrations of α-AL could be estimated between the LOD and LOQ. Beta-angelica lactone was tentatively identified in three of the STPs but the levels could not be reliably quantified. The levels of α-AL in tobacco products are reported here for the first time, but the relevance of α-AL to the toxicity of STPs is also highly questionable given that it has GRAS status as a permitted food additive.     

Profiles analysis of proanthocyanidins in the argun nut (Medemia argun—an ancient Egyptian palm) by LC–ESI–MS/MS

Medemia argun is an ancient palm rich in proanthocyanidins (PACs). These polyphenolic compounds are widely distributed in plants and are an integral part of the human diet. A sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–MS) method in the negative ion mode for sequencing these ubiquitous and highly beneficial antioxidants is described in order to profile different PACs in M. argun nuts. The analytical protocol based on tandem mass spectrometry was used to sequence dimers, trimers, tetramers and pentamers with different A‐type, B‐type and A/B‐type linkages. Diagnostic ions resulting from heterocyclic ring fission and retro‐Diels–Alder reaction of flavan‐3‐ol provided information on the hydroxylation pattern and the type of interflavan bond. The sequences were discovered through ions derived from quinone methide cleavage of the interflavan bond. The identification of PACs linkages through LC–MSⁿ eliminates a number of tedious separation steps. The method was successfully applied to give a view of PAC profile in M. argun nuts. M. argun nuts contained 636.88 mg/g PACs (as equivalent of (þ)‐catechin). The data obtained in our research show that M. argun is a rich source of hydrolyzable PACs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolation and fingerprinting of some high-molecular-weight polynuclear aromatic compounds

The high-molecular-weight polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAC) fraction of a carbon black extract was isolated with a backflush technique, and applied to an amino-bonded stationary phase for HPLC. This fraction was further separated into 44 sub-fractions by means of reversed-phase HPLC, on an ODS column. Low-temperature fluorescence, utilizing the Shpol'skii effect, was then applied to each fraction. By this method, quasilinear spectra were recorded from mostly peri- condensed PACs with molecular weights up to 400 daltons. Nine compounds with molecular weights exceeding 300 daltons were identified.     

Full-scale evaluation of reversed A2/O process for removal of multiple pollutants in sewage

This study evaluated the removal of multiple pollutants,i.e.,polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs),novel halogenated flame retardants(HFRs),sulfonamide antibiotics(SAs),and heavy metals(HMs),by a fullscale reversed A²/O process in a sewage treatment plant(STP) in Guangzhou,China.The reversed A²/O process demonstrated high removal efficiencies(REs) for total PBDEs(60.5% ± 4.3%),novel HFRs(98.4% ±2.8%) and HMs(70.1% ±1.2%),and a relatively low RE for SAs(25.0% ± 2.3%).BDE 209...     

Spectrophotometric investigations of the assay of physiologically active catecholamines in pharmaceutical formulations

Two simple, sensitive, and accurate spectrophotometric methods are proposed for the determination of levodopa (LD), methyldopa (MD), dopamine hydrochloride (DP), and pyrocatechol (PC) in pure and pharmaceutical preparations. The methods are based on measurement of the absorbances of tris(o-phenanthroline)iron(II) (method A) and tris(bipyridyl)iron(II) (method B) obtained by the oxidation of the catecholamines by iron(III) in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridyl at 510 and 522 nm, respectively. The absorbances were found to increase linearly with increases in the concentrations of the catecholamines, results which were corroborated by the calculated correlation coefficients (0.9990-0.9996). Beer's law was valid over the concentration ranges of 0.04-0.6, 0.06-0.75, 0.06-0.65, and 0.05-0.70 microg/mL in method A and 0.02-1.0, 0.04-1.3, 0.05-1.0, and 0.06-1.1 microg/mL in method B for PC, MD, LD, and DP, respectively. The common excipients and additives did not interfere in their determinations. The proposed methods were successfully applied to the assay of LD, MD, and DP in various dosage forms. The results were validated by statistical analysis.     

Enantioselective simultaneous analysis of selected pharmaceuticals in environmental samples by ultrahigh performance supercritical fluid based chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

In order to assess the true impact of each single enantiomer of pharmacologically active compounds (PACs) in the environment, highly efficient, fast and sensitive analytical methods are needed. For the first time this paper focuses on the use of ultrahigh performance supercritical fluid based chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer to develop multi-residue enantioselective methods for chiral PACs in environmental matrices. This technique exploits the advantages of supercritical fluid chromatography, ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Two coated modified 2.5 μm-polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases were investigated: an amylose tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate column and a cellulose tris-3-chloro-4-methylphenylcarbamate column. The effect of different chromatographic variables on chiral recognition is highlighted. This novel approach resulted in the baseline resolution of 13 enantiomers PACs (aminorex, carprofen, chloramphenicol, 3-N-dechloroethylifosfamide, flurbiprofen, 2-hydroxyibuprofen, ifosfamide, imazalil, naproxen, ofloxacin, omeprazole, praziquantel and tetramisole) and partial resolution of 2 enantiomers PACs (ibuprofen and indoprofen) under fast-gradient conditions (<10 min analysis time).     

Dechlorane Plus in eggs of two gull species (Larus michahellis and Larus audouinii) from the southwestern Mediterranean Sea

Dechlorane Plus (DP) and some of its possible degradation products were measured in eggs from the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and Audouin's gull (Larus audouinii) from a protected area in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea. Statistically significant differences were found between both gull species, with yellow-legged gull eggs showing the highest average total DP concentration (209?pg/g wet weight). According to stable nitrogen and carbon isotope values, variations in DP concentrations in the gull species studied are explained by foraging behavior and diet rather than by the trophic position. Both DP stereoisomers were quantified in all the samples studied, and a slight enrichment of the anti-DP could have occurred in both species. The quantification of anti-[DP-1Cl] only in ～58?% of yellow-legged gulls support the hypothesis of a species-dependent factor influencing the bioaccumulation and/or biotransformation of Dechlorane-related compounds. This study reports on the first measurements of Dechlorane-related compounds in biota from the North African continent, contributing to the knowledge about DP environmental fate and distribution. In the light of our results, more research on differences in species-dependent bioaccumulation and biotransformation capabilities as well as ecological effects is encouraged in future Dechlorane-related compound studies.     

Synthesis of Nitrogen‐Containing Polyaromatics by Aza‐Annulative π‐Extension of Unfunctionalized Aromatics

Nitrogen‐containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (N‐PACs) are an important class of compounds in materials science. Reported here is a new aza‐annulative π‐extension (aza‐APEX) reaction that allows rapid access to a range of N‐PACs in 11–84 % yields from readily available unfunctionalized aromatics and imidoyl chlorides. In the presence of silver hexafluorophosphate, arenes and imidoyl chlorides couple in a regioselective fashion. The follow‐up oxidative treatment with p‐chloranil affords structurally diverse N‐PACs, which are very difficult to synthesize. DFT calculations reveal that the aza‐APEX reaction proceeds through the formal [4+2] cycloaddition of an arene and an in situ generated diarylnitrilium salt, with sequential aromatizations having relatively low activation energies. Transformation of N‐PACs into nitrogen‐doped nanographenes and their photophysical properties are also described.     

Mechanical properties of diboron-porphyrin sheet under strain: A density functional theory study

The mechanical properties of a new two-dimensional semiconductor material named diboron-porphyrin (DP) are studied based on density functional theory. The behavior of DP monolayer under uniaxial and biaxial loadings as well as shear stress is investigated. The in-plane stiffness, Poisson's ratio, bulk and shear moduli of the DP monolayer are found to be close to those of a graphene sheet. It can be concluded that the DP monolayer has stiffness close to the graphene sheet. The difference in magnitude of in-plane stiffness and Poisson's ratio along x- and y-directions shows slightly anisotropic mechanical properties of DP monolayer. It is also observed that DP monolayers can bear high tensile strains before failure. The high stability and hardly deformable structure of DP monolayer are due to its high planar packing density which is comparable with graphene sheet. The fantastic mechanical properties of DP show these materials are desirable for application in nanomechanical devices.     

凝胶渗透色谱结合气相色谱-负化学源质谱法分析鱼肉及鱼油中的多溴联苯醚和得克隆阻燃剂

建立了凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)结合气相色谱-负化学源质谱(GC-NCI/MS)检测鱼肉及鱼油中8种多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)同系物及2种得克隆阻燃剂(DP)的分析方法。试样中加入内标物BDE-77和13C12-BDE-209后进行索氏提取,提取液经自动GPC系统除脂,多层硅胶层析柱净化后,在15 m长的毛细管气相色谱柱上分离,NCI/MS以选择离子监测方式检测目标化合物。以鱼肉样品为基质,当PBDEs的加标水平为0.2 ng/g和2 ng/g、BDE-209和DP的加标水平相应提高10倍时,其平均加标回收率为71.1%～121.4%,相对标准偏差为2.96%～13.31%(n=5);以信噪比(S/N)为3计算方法的检出限(LOD)为2.2～39.8 ng/kg。用该方法检测市售鱼肉及鱼油样品,其中多溴联苯醚总含量为2.18～15.93 ng/g,以BDE-209、BDE-47为主,两种DP均未检出。该方法准确、灵敏度高,能够满足富含脂质的动物性样品中痕量DP和PBDEs残留的分析要求。     

The effect of halogen hetero-atoms on the vapor pressures and thermodynamics of polycyclic aromatic compounds measured via the Knudsen effusion technique

Knowledge of vapor pressures of high molar mass organics is essential to predicting their behavior in combustion systems as well as their fate and transport within the environment. This study involved polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) containing halogen hetero-atoms, including bromine and chlorine. The vapor pressures of eight PACs, ranging in molar mass from (212 to 336) g · mol^?1, were measured using the isothermal Knudsen effusion technique over the temperature range of (296 to 408) K. These compounds included those with few or no data available in the literature, namely: 1,4-dibromonaphthalene, 5-bromoacenaphthene, 9-bromoanthracene, 1,5-dibromoanthracene, 9,10-dibromoanthracene, 2-chloroanthracene, 9,10-dichloroanthracene, and 1-bromopyrene. Enthalpies of sublimation of these compounds were determined via application of the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. An analysis is presented on the effects of the addition of halogen hetero-atoms to pure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using these data as well as available literature data. As expected, the addition of halogens onto these PACs increases their enthalpies of sublimation and decreases their vapor pressures as compared to the parent compounds.     

High extraction efficiency for polar aromatic compounds in natural water samples using multiwalled carbon nanotubes/Nafion solid-phase microextraction coating

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Nafion was developed and applied for the extraction of polar aromatic compounds (PACs) in natural water samples. The characteristics and the application of this fiber were investigated. Electron microscope photographs indicated that the MWCNTs/Nafion coating with average thickness of 12.5 μm was homogeneous and porous. The MWCNTs/Nafion coated fiber exhibited higher extraction efficiency towards polar aromatic compounds compared to an 85 μm commercial PA fiber. SPME experimental conditions, such as fiber coating, extraction time, stirring rate, desorption temperature and desorption time, were optimized in order to improve the extraction efficiency. The calibration curves were linear from 0.01 to 10 μg mL⁻¹ for five PACs studied except p-nitroaniline (from 0.005 to 10 μg mL⁻¹) and m-cresol (from 0.001 to 10 μg mL⁻¹), and detection limits were within the range of 0.03–0.57 ng mL⁻¹. Single fiber and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility were less than 7.5 (n = 7) and 10.0% (n = 5), respectively. The recovery of the PACs spiked in natural water samples at 1 μg mL⁻¹ ranged from 83.3 to 106.0%.     

Highly specific purification of N-glycans using phosphate-based derivatization as an affinity tag in combination with Ti-SPE enrichment for mass spectrometric analysis

N-linked protein glycosylation is involved in regulation of a wide variety of cellular processes and associated with numerous diseases. Highly specific identification of N-glycome remains a challenge while its biological significance is acknowledged. The relatively low abundance of glycan in complex biological mixtures, lack of basic sites for protonation, and suppression by other highly abundant proteins/peptides lead to the particularly poor detection sensitivity of N-glycans in the MS analysis. Therefore, the highly specific purification procedure becomes a crucial step prior to MS analysis of the N-glycome. Herein, a novel N-glycans enrichment approach based on phosphate derivatization combined with Ti⁴⁺-SPE (solid phase extraction) was developed. Briefly, in this strategy, N-glycans were chemically labeled with a phospho-group at their reducing ends, such that the Ti⁴⁺-SPE microspheres were able to capture the phospho-containing glycans. The enrichment method was developed and optimized using model oligosaccharides (maltoheptaose DP7 and sialylated glycan A1) and also glycans from a standard glycoprotein (asialofetuin, ASF). This method experimentally showed high derivatization efficiency (almost 100%), excellent selectivity (analyzing DP7 in the digests of bovine serum albumin at a mass ratio of 1:100), high enriching recovery (90%), good reproducibility (CV<15%) as well as high sensitivity (LOD at fmol level). At last, the proposed method was successfully applied in the profiling of N-glycome in human serum, in which a total of 31 N-glycan masses were identified.     

Microwave-assisted extraction of polycyclic aromatic compounds from coal

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) from coal is shown to give the same pattern of compounds as Soxhlet extraction. MAE requires only 10 mL solvent and 10 min extraction time whereas Soxhlet uses 200 mL and takes 24 h. Although the yields were lower, dichloromethane (DCM) was preferred to pyridine, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and NMP with CS₂ because the pattern of the PACs is shown to be independent of solvent and DCM is a much more convenient solvent to work with.     

Determination of Natural and Synthetic Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in Sewage Based on SPE and MEKC with Amperometric Detection

An integrated analytical method to monitor five environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs): 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), 4-tert-butylphenol (BP), bisphenol A (BPA), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and 4-n-nonylphenol (NP), was developed for the first time, based on a solid-phase extraction and miniaturized micellar electrokinetic chromatography with amperometric detection. In order to get the optimum conditions of their separation and detection, several parameters including pH and concentration of running buffer, concentration of micelle, separation voltage and injection time were studied and optimized. The five EDCs were well separated under the optimum conditions within 12 min. This method was successfully applied for the determination of these five EDCs in sewage influent sample. Satisfactory extraction performances from sewage sample was obtained by solid-phase extraction, using a C₁₈ cartridge. Quantitative analysis showed that DCP, BP, and BPA existed at μg L^?1 level in the selected sample, while EE2 and NP were not detected.