Simultaneous analysis of serotonin, melatonin, piceid and resveratrol in fruits using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

An analytical method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of serotonin, melatonin, trans- and cis-piceid, and trans- and cis-resveratrol using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) in both positive and negative ionization modes. HPLC optimal analytical separation was achieved using a mixture of acetonitrile and water with 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase in linear gradient elution. The mass spectrometry parameters were optimized for reliable quantification and the enhanced selectivity and sensitivity selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM) was applied. For extraction, the direct analysis of initial methanol extracts was compared with further ethyl acetate extraction. In order to demonstrate the applicability of this analytical method, serotonin, melatonin, trans- and cis-piceid, and trans- and cis-resveratrol from 24 kinds of commonly consumed fruits were quantified. The highest serotonin content was found in plantain, while orange bell peppers had the highest melatonin content. Grape samples possessed higher trans- and cis-piceid, and trans- and cis-resveratrol contents than the other fruits. The results indicate that the combination of HPLC-MS detection and simple sample preparation allows the rapid and accurate quantification of serotonin, melatonin, trans- and cis-piceid, and trans- and cis-resveratrol in fruits.     

Simultaneous determination of chromones and coumarins in Radix Saposhnikoviae by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array and tandem mass detectors

Methods using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) were developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 5 chromones and 6 coumarins: prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (1), cimifugin (2), nodakenin (3), 4'-O-β-d-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol (4), sec-O-glucosylhamaudol (5), psoralen (6), bergapten (7), imperatorin (8), phellopterin (9), 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol (10) and anomalin (11), in Radix Saposhnikoviae. The separation conditions for HPLC-DAD were optimized using an Ascentis Express C18 (4.6 mm×100 mm, 2.7 μm particle size) fused-core column. The mobile phase was composed of 10% aqueous acetonitrile (A) and 90% acetonitrile (B) and the elution was performed under a gradient mode at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 300 nm. The HPLC-DAD method yielded a base line separation of the 11 components in 50% methanol extract of Radix Saposhnikoviae with no interfering peaks detected. The HPLC-DAD method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy and precision (intra- and inter-day), limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery, and robustness. Specific determination of the 11 components was also accomplished by a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. This HPLC-MS/MS method was also validated by determining the linearity, limit of quantification, accuracy, and precision. Quantification of the 11 components in 51 commercial Radix Saposhnikoviae samples was successfully performed using the developed HPLC-DAD method. The identity, batch-to-batch consistency, and authenticity of Radix Saposhnikoviae were successfully monitored by the proposed HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS/MS methods.     

Phytochemical analysis of traditional Chinese medicine using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly considered to operate due to the synergistic effects of all the major and minor components in the medicines. Hence sensitive and comprehensive analytical techniques are needed to acquire a better understanding of the pharmacological basis of the herb and to enhance the product quality control. The present review mainly focuses on the phytochemical analysis of TCMs using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) are the two commonly used ion sources. Triple quadrupole, ion trap (IT), Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) and time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers are used as on-line analyzer. The relationship between structural features and fragmentation patterns should be investigated as thoroughly as possible and hence be applied in the on-line analysis to deduce the structures of detected peaks. Characteristic fragmentation behaviors of the reference standards, as well as information regarding polarity obtained from retention time data, on-line UV spectra, data from the literature and bio-sources of the compounds allowed the identification of the phytochemical constituents in the crude extracts. Although a mass spectrometer is not a universal detector, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with multistage mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS(n)) technique was still proved to be a rapid and sensitive method to analyze the majority of the many constituents in herbal medicines, particularly for the detection of those present in minor or trace amounts. The methods established using HPLC-MS techniques facilitate the convenient and rapid quality control of traditional medicines and their pharmaceutical preparations. However, the quantitative analysis is not the topic of this review.     

Optimization and validation of a new approach based on CE-HRMS for the screening analysis of novel psychoactive substances (cathinones,phenethylamines, and tryptamines) in urine

The continuous introduction in the market of new psychoactive drugs (NPS) represents a well-known international emergency. Indeed, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime are paying great attention to the spread of NPS. In addition to the traditional analytical approaches based on GC-MS and HPLC-MS, also CE coupled with MS has proved to be a precious tool for the toxicological screening of biosamples. On these grounds, the aim of the present work was to test the application of CE-HRMS as a new screening tool for the rapid detection of these novel drugs in urine. Separations were performed in an uncoated fused-silica capillary with id of 75 μm with a total length of 100 cm, by applying a constant voltage of 15 kV. The QTOF-MS was implemented with an electrospray ion source operating in positive ionization full scan mode in the range of 100–1000 m/z. Under these conditions, different NPS has been tested, including eight cathinones, five phenethylamine, and seven tryptamines. The method was validated after optimization of the following analytical parameters: BGE composition and pH, separation voltage, sheath liquid composition, and flow rate and ESI source settings. The applicability of the method was successfully tested by analyzing a series of real urine samples obtained from drug users.     

基于捕集柱阵列的制备型二维液相色谱纯化烟草中的4个组分

二维液相色谱(2D-LC)因具有较高的峰容量,在复杂样品的分离分析中获得了广泛的关注。然而,制备型2D-LC以纯化高纯单体为目标,在方法开发和设备构成等方面与分析型2D-LC有较大的不同,目前尚未得到充分的开发,在大规模的制备纯化中应用较少。本文以一套制备液相色谱模块为分离系统,以稀释泵、切换阀和捕集柱阵列为接口,构建了新型的制备型2D-LC系统,旨在规模化纯化多个活性成分。以烟叶中可以用作医药原料的烟碱、绿原酸、芦丁和茄尼醇等组分为目标物,考察了不同类型填料对样品的捕集效率、过载条件下的色谱保留行为等,优化了制备色谱条件。进而利用在线2D-LC系统实现了烟叶提取物的纯化,通过一次运行获得了4个高纯化合物。该系统具有中压色谱纯化成本低、系统在线运行自动化程度高、稳定性好及容易放大等优点。烟叶中活性化学成分的回收利用对促进烟草行业的发展及带动地方农业经济开发具有重大的意义。     

High-throughput preparative process utilizing three complementary chromatographic purification technologies

A high-throughput process was developed in which wells in plates generated from parallel synthesis are automatically channeled to an appropriate purification technique using analytical data as a guide. Samples are directed to either of three fundamentally different preparative techniques: HPLC with UV-triggered fraction collection, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with UV-triggered fraction collection, or HPLC with MS-triggered fraction collection. Automated analysis of the analytical data identifies the product compound mass and creates work lists based on chromatographic properties exhibited in the data so that each preparative instrument cherry picks the appropriate list of samples to purify when a preparative-scale plate is loaded.     

Characterization of N-acetyltryptophan degradation products in concentrated human serum albumin solutions and development of an automated high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method for their quantitation

N-acetyltryptophan (NAT) has long been used as a stabilizer in some protein solutions, such as human serum albumin, to prevent oxidative protein degradation. However, the fate of NAT has not been discussed in literature. Two NAT degradation products have been observed in concentrated albumin solutions (20% and 25%) and identified as 1-acetyl-3a-hydroxy-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-2-carboxylic acid and 1-acetyl-3a,8a-dihydroxy-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-2-carboxylic acid. To monitor the levels of these two previously unidentified NAT degradation products in concentrated albumin solutions, a fully automated method, incorporating online size exclusion chromatography (SEC) trapping and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis, has been developed and validated for their quantitative analysis. The method does not require an internal standard. The only sample manipulation is to obtain an albumin concentration of 4% in all standards and test HPLC samples. A limit of quantitation (LOQ) as low as 20 ng/mL has been achieved for both compounds. This method can readily be adopted for the quantitative determination of other small molecules in concentrated protein solutions.     

酪蛋白多肽的制备和色谱分离方法

为了得到低成本的多肽,本文利用胰蛋白酶对酪蛋白进行了充分的酶解。采用分析级反相高效液相色谱-电喷雾质谱联用技术(RP-HPLC/ESI-MS)分析了酶解产物各组分的组成,并通过改变流动相的梯度洗脱程序,优化了分析级色谱条件以充分分离相对含量较高的多肽组分;将优化的分析级色谱条件直接放大到制备级RP-HPLC中,在程序控制下通过紫外吸收信号结合ESI-MS信号共同引导实现了多肽的全自动化分离和收集。整个过程方便快捷,经过这样一个单一的分离步骤,得到了多个纯度较高的多肽。除此之外,本文还考察了流动相的酸碱性、柱上样量等因素对该体系制备级分离的影响,并对一次分离中分辨率不好的亲水性多肽混合物进行了二次分离,得到了多个新的多肽。本文建立的多肽制备方法为多肽和多肽材料的广泛应用提供了一种选择。     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法检测花生中的黄曲霉毒素B_1

应用高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联四极杆质谱联用系统(HPLC-MS/MS),在多反应离子检测方式(MRM)下,对花生中的黄曲霉毒素B1进行检测.对花生中黄曲霉毒素B1的提取、净化、液相分离及串联质谱等相关检测参数进行了优化研究.用V(甲醇):V(水)=6:4提取,OASIS HLB SPE小柱净化,定容过滤.采用V(甲醇):V(水)(含体积分数0.1%甲酸)=7:3为流动相,前级离子313.0,二级离子241.1、269.1,ESI正离子方式检测,在3.3 min出峰.结果表明,在ESI正离子模式下,黄曲霉毒素B1在其线性定量范围0.1～50μg/kg内,相关系数达到0.9999,检出限为0.03μg/kg,最低定量限为0.1μg/kg.低、中、高浓度添加回收率范围为93%～105%.     

高效液相色谱-质谱分析指导下制备黄芩中系列黄酮成分对照品

在高效液相色谱-质谱分析指导下,针对性地分离制备了黄芩药材中系列黄酮成分对照品。首先对黄芩药材乙醇提取物进行液相色谱-质谱分析,获得各色谱峰的保留时间、紫外光谱和质谱特征。经波谱数据解析结合文献对比,鉴定了黄芩药材中的19种黄酮类成分。然后根据液相色谱-质谱分析结果和文献,设计了目标成分对照品的制备流程,采用低压制备柱色谱法依次制备了黄芩苷、汉黄芩苷、黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A共5种黄酮类成分的对照品。结果表明这5种黄酮类成分对照品的纯度均大于98%。该方法可用于针对性地快速分离制备中药中的化学成分。     

Oligomeric oxidation products of the flavonoid quercetin

Some of the main oxidation products of quercetin were shown to be compounds formed by oligomerization of the starting flavonoid. Conditions for the preparative synthesis of these compounds were developed. Their structures were established using HPLC-MS and NMR methods. Quercetin oligomers in the natural sample, outer leaves of modified runners of Allium cepa L., were found using chromatographic procedures. The use of quercetin oligomers as indicators of its oxidation was proposed. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 344–347, July–August, 2008.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定黄瓜、草莓中乙嘧酚和二甲嘧酚

建立了黄瓜、草莓中高效液相色谱-串联质谱同时检测乙嘧酚和二甲嘧酚残留的方法。样品加入乙腈高速匀浆,提取液中加入无水MgSO4和NaCl,振荡离心后,取上清液经分散固相萃取净化,液相色谱-串联质谱电喷雾正离子扫描同时分析乙嘧酚和二甲嘧酚。以黄瓜、草莓为基质进行3档添加水平和5次重复性实验,结果表明,添加量为0.01～1 mg/kg,乙嘧酚和二甲嘧酚的平均回收率为77.6%～99.3%,RSD为1.1%～6.8%,乙嘧酚和二甲嘧酚的方法检测限均为2.0μg/kg,定量限分别为6.0和5.0μg/kg。     

In vivo metabolism study of rhubarb decoction in rat using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV photodiode-array and mass-spectrometric detection: a strategy for systematic analysis of metabolites from traditional Chinese medicines in biological samples

High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used for separation and identification of metabolites in rat urine, bile and plasma after oral administration of rhubarb decoction. Based on the proposed strategy, 91 of the 113 potential metabolites were tentatively identified or characterized. Besides anthraquinones metabolites, gallic acid, (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin metabolites were also detected and characterized in these biological samples. Our results indicated that glucuronidation and sulfation were the main metabolic pathways of anthraquinones, while methylation, glucuronidation and sulfation were the main metabolic pathways of gallic acid, (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin. Phase I reactions (e.g., hydroxylation and reduction) played a relatively minor role compared to phase II reactions in metabolism of phenolic compounds of rhubarb decoction. The identification and structure elucidation of these metabolites provided essential data for further pharmacological and clinical studies of rhubarb and related preparations. Moreover, the results of the present investigations clearly indicated the relevance and usefulness of the combination of chromatographic, spectrophotometric, and mass-spectrometric analysis to detect and identify metabolites.     

Axially chiral analogues of 4-(Dimethylamino)pyridine: novel catalysts for nonenzymatic enantioselective acylations

A concise seven-step synthesis of atropisomeric 3-aryl analogues of DMAP from 4-pyridone 8 has been developed. A representative compound of this class, biaryl (+/-)-15, has been resolved using CSP HPLC and shown to be an efficient nucleophilic catalyst for kinetic resolution of a series of secondary alcohols on both an analytical and preparative scale (stereoselectivity factors, s = 8.9-29).     

Improved selectivity for the analysis of maternal serum and cord serum for polyfluoroalkyl chemicals

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid, two of the most widely studied polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), can cross the placenta. Therefore, data on the exposure to PFCs of the very young are needed to evaluate the potential health effects associated with such exposure. Human serum, especially serum collected from pregnant women and cord serum, may contain endogenous components that can interfere in the separation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of PFOS and another PFC of interest, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), from other serum biomolecules. The presence of such interferences may prevent the adequate quantification of PFOS and PFHxS in cord serum or serum collected from pregnant women, and potentially hinder the assessment of gestational exposure to these important PFCs using biomonitoring. We have modified our on-line solid phase extraction-HPLC-isotope dilution-tandem mass spectrometry analytical method for measuring PFCs in serum and developed an approach that allows for the elimination of these potential interferences without compromising analytical sensitivity and throughput. The combination of acetonitrile as the HPLC mobile phase organic solvent and a Betasil C8 HPLC column provided the best separation of PFOS and PFHxS from interferent peaks. In addition to eliminating these interferences, the acetonitrile method has a shorter runtime and is more sensitive for most PFCs (limits of detection were 0.1 ng/mL except for PFOS (0.2 ng/mL)) than our previous method that used methanol for the HPLC separation. The present method should improve the precise and selective analysis of maternal and cord serum for PFCs.     

Screening and characterization of natural antioxidants in four Glycyrrhiza species by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

Licorice, derived from the dried roots and rhizomes of several species of genus Glycyrrhiza L. (Leguminosae family), has been traditionally used in herbal medicine for over 4000 years. In recent years, the interest in antioxidative constituents in licorice has greatly increased. In this work, a new method based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) spiking test combined with HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS/MS) analysis was developed to screen and identify the antioxidants in licorice. The results of the method validation indicated that the developed method was reliable and repeatable. Compared with DPPH on-line method, the HPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS method combined with DPPH spiking test offered much higher sensitivity and resolution. Using this method, 35 radical scavengers were screened from four Glycyrrhiza species (G. inflata, G. glabra, G. pallidiflora and G. uralensis), and 21 of them were unambiguously or tentatively identified by HPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS. Among the 21 identified flavonoids, 10 compounds had been reported to possess antioxidative activities in the previous studies, and the radical scavenging activities of the other 11 compounds were reported for the first time. The effects of six purified flavonoids on DPPH radical and lipid peroxidation were evaluated for validation of the developed method. The results indicated that HPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS coupled with DPPH treatment is an efficient and powerful method to discover the potential antioxidative compounds from the complex natural product mixtures. In this study, the identified components with free radical scavenging activity, would help to explain the therapeutic benefit of licorice in the treatment of human disease associated with oxidative stress.     

高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测法及高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱法测定植物源性蛋白中残留的三聚氰胺

建立了高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测器(HPLC-DAD)及HPLC-电喷雾串联质谱(ESI-MS/MS)测定植物源性蛋白中残留的三聚氰胺的方法。利用HPLC-DAD进行样品中三聚氰胺的初筛,利用HPLC-MS/MS进行确证。采用三氯乙酸溶液沉淀样品中的蛋白,同时提取目标分析物,质谱检测时样品再经强阳离子固相萃取柱富集净化。HPLC-DAD的检测低限为10 mg/kg,HPLC-MS/MS的检测低限为0.5 mg/kg;HPLC-DA的添加回收率为76%～88%,HPLC-MS/MS的添加回收率为72%～82%(基质匹配曲线校正),两种方法的添加回收率的相对标准偏差(RSD)为3.4%～6.4%。     

Thiamin-diphosphate-dependent enzymes: new aspects of asymmetric C-C bond formation

Starting from a thorough investigation of mechanistic aspects of ThDP-dependent (ThDP = thiamin diphosphate) enzymes in combination with mutagenesis studies and a detailed substrate screening, new general synthetic methods have been developed based on Umpolung reactions by thiamin catalysis. A selective donor-acceptor concept was established leading to the first asymmetric cross-benzoin condensation, and a kinetic racemic resolution through C-C bond cleavage was developed. With these tools and in combination with protein engineering, we approached the synthesis of new chiral building blocks on a preparative scale. An outlook is given with respect to the potential of other ThDP-dependent enzymes as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定卷烟中的儿茶酚

建立了一种高效液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)测定卷烟中儿茶酚的分析方法。样品经2.5 mol/L硫酸加热回流后用水蒸气蒸馏提取,C₁₈固相萃取柱富集净化后进行HPLC-MS/MS分析,采用甲醇-0.2%(v/v)的甲酸水溶液作为流动相进行梯度洗脱,以电喷雾负离子(ESI^-)扫描和多反应监测(MRM)模式对目标物进行定性和定量分析。目标物儿茶酚的含量在0.5~200 μg/kg时与峰面积呈良好的线性关系(r²=0.9989);在样品中添加高、中、低3个水平的标准品,其加标回收率在83.1%~98.6%之间,相对标准偏差(RSD)在1.9%~5.8%之间。应用本方法对6种市售卷烟样品进行了测试,结果从6种市售卷烟中均检出了儿茶酚。该方法操作简单、快速、灵敏度高,适用于卷烟中儿茶酚的检测。     

5,7-Dihydropyrrolo[3,4-<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis>][1,2]diazepin-1(2<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-ones. Synthesis and transformations

A preparative procedure has been developed for the synthesis of substituted 5,7-dihydropyrrolo-[3,4-d][1,2]diazepines by recyclization of 6-phenylpyrano[3,4-c]pyrrol-4(2H)-one with hydrazine hydrate. The stability of the seven-membered ring in the products under acidic conditions, alkylation, and heteroring fusion to the diazepine ring have been studied.