Preparation of an ionic liquid-mediated carbon nanotube-poly(dimethylsiloxane) fiber by sol–gel technique for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urine samples using head-space solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography

A novel ‘ionic liquid-mediated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)’ hybrid coating was prepared by the covalent functionalization of MWCNTs with hydroxyl-terminated PDMS using the sol–gel technique. The prepared fiber was successfully used for the separation and determination of trace amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs) in four urine samples using head-space solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. The proposed fiber has high thermal stability and long durability and it can be used more than 210 times without any significant change in its sorption properties. The effects of important parameters such as the exposure time, sampling temperature, sample ionic strength and stirring rate on the extraction efficiency have been studied and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the method detection limits (S/N = 3) were in the range of 0.0005–0.004 ng mL^?1 and the limits of quantification (S/N = 10) between 0.002 and 0.01 ng mL^?1. The relative standard deviations for one fiber (repeatability, n = 5) were 4.9–7.5 % and for the fibers obtained from different batches (reproducibility, n = 3), 6.1–8.9 %. The developed method was successfully applied to determine trace levels of PAHs in real urine samples. The obtained relative recoveries for the spiked samples with 0.05 ng mL^?1 of each of the PAH compounds were 89.3–107.2 %.     

An Effective High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic–Mass Spectrometric Assay for Catecholamines, as the N(O,S)-Ethoxycarbonyl Ethyl Esters, in Human Urine

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and accurate analytical method for determination of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine in urine. The method involves liquid–liquid extraction then liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Alkyl chloroformate derivatives were prepared, as the N(O,S)-alkoxycarbonyl alkyl esters of the analytes, in the aqueous samples. The optimum derivatizing reagent for preparation of the N(O,S)-alkoxycarbonyl alkyl esters was chosen by comparing the efficiency of LC of the derivatized analytes after liquid–liquid extraction. The optimum conditions for liquid–liquid extraction from the aqueous matrix were pH 3.0, no salt, and diethyl ether as extraction solvent. Limits of detection (LOD) were 0.5 ng mL^?1 for dopamine and epinephrine and 0.1 ng mL^?1 for norepinephrine. Limits of quantification (LOQ) for urine samples were 1.0 ng mL^?1 for all three compounds. The precision of intra- and inter-day assays was 1.65–581 and 7.17–9.73% (relative standard deviation, RSD), respectively. The range of inaccuracy for intra- and inter-day assays was ?6.47 to 11.9% and ?7.5 to 7.76% (bias) at concentrations of 5 and 50 ng mL^?1, respectively.     

In-line sequential injection-based hollow-fiber sorptive microextraction as a front-end to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry: a novel fully automatic sample processing technique for residue analysis

A novel and affordable analytical setup is herein reported for automatic flow-through sorptive microextraction of organic contaminants, exploiting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a front-end to gas chromatography-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry. The analytical procedure involves a short single-strand PDMS hollow fiber integrated in a sequential injection (SI) network for automatic fluidic handling by programmable flow. The target species are in-line extracted from 10 mL of sample containing 20 % (v/v) methanol followed by elution with a metered volume of organic solvent, which is whereupon quantitatively transferred into the programmed temperature vaporization (PTV) injector of the GC. Diffusional resistance to mass transfer was overcome by effecting the overall concentration and stripping steps at a single PDMS tubing interface. The proof of concept of the novel hyphenated system was demonstrated for extraction and determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), namely, heptachlor, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan, p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, and endrin ketone, taken as model analytes, in environmental and industrial waters. Four organic solvents with a broad spectrum of polarity were investigated as eluents in the SI-based assembly, namely, ethyl acetate, methyl tert-butyl ether, hexane, and chloroform. Chloroform was proven the most suitable solvent for expedient elution and fast evaporation in the PTV injector. Under the selected experimental variables, limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio (S/N)?=?3) within the range of 0.3–1.1 ng L^?1, limits of quantification (S/N?=?10) of 1.0–3.6 ng L^?1, and method repeatabilities spanning from 1.7 to 4.7 % were obtained for the suite of OCPs. The hyphenated flow analyzer was harnessed to the analysis of samples of varying matrix complexity with good relative recoveries (86–112 %) in drinking water, surface water, and influent and effluent wastewaters, with quantification limits far below those endorsed by WHO and EU drinking water directives setting maximum allowed concentrations at ≤100 ng L^?1 OCPs.     

Effect of hydrolysis on identifying prenatal cannabis exposure

Identification of prenatal cannabis exposure is important due to potential cognitive and behavioral consequences. A two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for cannabinol, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC), 8β,11-dihydroxy-THC, and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH) quantification in human meconium was developed and validated. Alkaline, enzymatic, and enzyme–alkaline tandem hydrolysis conditions were optimized with THC- and THCCOOH-glucuronide reference standards. Limits of quantification ranged from 10 to 15 ng/g, and calibration curves were linear to 500 ng/g. Bias and intra-day and inter-day imprecision were <12.3%. Hydrolysis efficiencies were analyte-dependent; THC-glucuronide was effectively cleaved by enzyme, but not base. Conversely, THCCOOH-glucuronide was most sensitive to alkaline hydrolysis. Enzyme–alkaline tandem hydrolysis maximized efficiency for both glucuronides. Identification of cannabinoid-positive meconium specimens nearly doubled following alkaline and enzyme–alkaline hydrolysis. Although no 11-OH-THC glucuronide standard is available, enzymatic hydrolysis improved 11-OH-THC detection in authentic specimens. Maximal identification of cannabis-exposed neonates and the widest range of cannabis biomarkers are achieved with enzyme–alkaline tandem hydrolysis.     

Determination of Racemic Ketorolac,Ketorolac Enantiomers and Their Metabolites in Human Plasma and Urine by LC–UV,Applied in Clinical Study During and After Pregnancy

In order to enhance the sensitivity and to develop a faster direct method for plasma and urine quantification of racemic ketorolac, its metabolites (p-hydroxy-ketorolac and ketorolac glucuronides) and ketorolac enantiomers, we developed an extraction procedure based on solid-phase extraction combined with specific and fast chromatographic separation. Extraction and chromatography resulted in cleaner chromatograms without interfering compounds. In both plasma and urine, linearity of the standard curves for racemic ketorolac and p-hydroxy-ketorolac was validated in the concentration range 0.025–10 mg L^?1, while for ketorolac enantiomers in the concentration range 0.025–5 mg L^?1. The lower limit of quantification was two times lower than in earlier described methods. The developed method was suitable for direct quantification of racemic ketorolac, p-hydroxy-ketorolac and ketorolac enantiomers in plasma and urine samples in women at delivery and in postpartum, enabling us to document significant intra-individual differences in pharmacokinetics between these physiological states.     

A Sensitive LC–ESI–MS–MS Method for the Determination of Huperzine A in Human Plasma: Method and Clinical Applications

A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the quantification of huperzine A in human plasma. After the addition of trimetazidine, the internal standard (IS) and sodium hydroxide, plasma samples were extracted using 5 mL ethyl acetate. The compounds were separated on an Agilent Zorbax SB C₁₈ column (100 mm × 2.1 mm ID, dp 3.5 μm) using an elution system of 10 mM ammonium acetate solution–methanol–formic acid (18:82:0.1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The quantification of target compounds was obtained by using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions: m/z 243.1, 210.1 and 267.2, 166.0 were measured in positive mode for huperzine A and IS. Linearity was established for the range of concentrations 0.01–4.0 ng mL^?1 with a coefficient of correlation (r) of 0.9991. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was identifiable and reproducible at 0.01 ng mL^?1. The method has been successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of huperzine A in healthy male Chinese volunteers.     

Simultaneous determination of sulfonamides and metabolites in manure samples by one-step ultrasound/microwave-assisted solid–liquid–solid dispersive extraction and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

An in-line matrix cleanup method was used for the simultaneous extraction of 15 sulfonamides and two metabolites from manure samples. The ultrasound/microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE) combined with solid–liquid–solid dispersive extraction (SLSDE) procedure provides a simple sample preparation approach for the processing of manure samples, in which the extraction and cleanup are integrated into one step. Ultrasonic irradiation power, extraction temperature, extraction time, and extraction solvent, which could influence the UMAE efficiency, were investigated. C₁₈ was used as the adsorbent to reduce the effects of interfering components during the extraction procedure. The extracts were concentrated, and the analytes were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) without any further cleanup. The isotopically labeled compounds sulfamethoxazole-d ₄, sulfamethazine-d ₄, sulfamonomethoxine-d ₄, and sulfadimethoxine-d ₆ were selected as internal standards to minimize the matrix effect in this method. The recoveries of the antibiotics tested ranged from 71 to 118 % at the three spiking levels examined (20, 200, and 500 μg?·?kg^-1). The limits of detections were 1.2–3.6 μg?·?kg^-1 and the limits of quantification were 4.0–12.3 μg?·?kg^-1 for the sulfonamides and their metabolites. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analyzing 30 commercial manure samples. The results indicated that UMAE–SLSDE combined with LC–MS/MS is a simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly method for the analysis of sulfonamides and their metabolites in manure, and it could provide the basis for a risk assessment of the antibiotics in agricultural environments.     

Simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A,and sterigmatocystin in traditional Chinese medicines by LC–MS–MS

In this paper we describe a rapid, simple, and cost-effective liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS–MS) method for simultaneous analysis of aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂, ochratoxin A, and sterigmatocystin in 25 traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The method is based on single extraction with 84:16 (v/v) acetonitrile–water then analysis of the diluted crude extract without further clean-up. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C₁₈ column, with a mobile phase gradient prepared from aqueous 4 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate–0.1 % formic acid and methanol. Quantification of the analytes was by selective reaction monitoring (SRM) on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in positive-ionization mode. Special focus was on investigating and reducing matrix effects to improve accuracy. The established method was validated by determination of linearity (r?>?0.995), sensitivity (limits of quantification 1.6–25.0 ng L^?1), apparent recovery (84.8–110.6 %), extraction recovery (83.6–106.1 %), and precision (relative standard deviation ≤9.9 %) for two representative TCMs, Semen Armeniacae Amarae and Radix Pseudostellariae. The applicability of the method to TCMs other than these was further investigated, and 23 other TCMs with acceptable matrix effects (80.2–118.6 %) were screened. The validated method was finally used to assess mycotoxin contamination of 244 samples of 25 TCMs collected from local hospitals and TCM pharmacies. Aflatoxin B₁ and ochratoxin A were detected in 5.3 % of the samples. Sterigmatocystin, the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminant, was present in 26.2 % of the samples tested; this has not been reported previously. The results of this work imply greater attention should be devoted to evaluation of the potential hazard caused by sterigmatocystin in TCMs.     

A Reliable LC Method with Fluorescence Detection for Quantification of (Fluoro)quinolone Residues in Chicken Muscle

A simple multiresidue method, HPLC with programmable fluorescence detection and gradient elution, has been developed for analysis of nine (fluoro)quinolones (FQs)—norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin, difloxacin, oxolinic acid, and flumequine in chicken muscle. The samples were extracted with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, 0.01 mol L^?1, pH 7.0) and cleaned by SPE. Cleaned extracts reconstituted in different solvents were tested to determine which gave the maximum fluorescence response for each drug. PBS (0.01 mol L^?1, pH 7.0) was used as reconstitution solvent, because the sensitivity for FQs dissolved in PBS was 1.8–3.2 times greater than when dissolved in the mobile phase. Under the optimum conditions excellent linearity was obtained, with satisfactory correlation coefficients (r > 0.9994) for PBS. The “matrix effect” was eliminated. Limits of quantification for each drug were in the range 0.3–1.0 ng g^?1. In fortification studies recoveries of the analytes were in the range 71.8–102.1% for 1–100 ng g^?1 concentrations. Inter- and intra-day coefficients of variation were from 0.5 to 5.2% and from 1.7 to 9.0%, respectively. Short-term stability in PBS was also determined.     

Simultaneous Determination of Ebastine and Its Active Metabolite (Carebastine) in Human Plasma Using LC–MS–MS

A sensitive and rapid LC–MS–MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of ebastine and carebastine in human plasma. Solid-phase extraction was used to isolate the compounds from the biological matrix followed by separation on a Symmetry C18 column under isocratic conditions. The mobile phase was 10 mM ammonium formate in water/acetonitrile (40:60, v/v). Detection was carried out using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was fully validated over the concentration range of 0.1–10 ng mL^?1 for ebastine and 0.2–200 ng mL^?1 for carebastine in human plasma, respectively. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.1 ng mL^?1 for ebastine and 0.2 ng mL^?1 for carebastine. For ebastine and carebastine inter- and intra-day precision (CV%) and accuracy values were all within ±15% and 85–115%, respectively. The extraction recovery was on average 60.0% for ebastine and 60.3% for carebastine.     

Simultaneous Analysis of Herbicide Metribuzin and Quizalofop-p-ethyl Residues in Potato and Soil by GC-ECD

A robust and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of metribuzin and quizalofop-p-ethyl residues in potato and soil, based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Residues of two herbicides were extracted from potato and soil with acetone and methanol–water, followed by SPE to remove coextractives, before analysis by GC-ECD. SPE procedures were performed on Florisil cartridges (500 mg, 3 mL), the analytes from potato and soil matrix were eluted with petroleum ether-acetic ether (9:1 v/v, 5 mL) and petroleum ether-acetic ether (8:2 v/v, 2 mL), respectively. Limits of quantification of the method were 0.01 mg kg^?1, and the mean recoveries ranged from 72.9 to 109.5% with relative standard deviation ranging from 0.7 to 9.2% at the three spike levels (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 mg kg^?1). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of metribuzin and quizalofop-p-ethyl residues in potato and soil samples from an experimental field. Direct confirmation of the analytes in real samples was achieved by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS).     

Optimization of the Extraction Conditions and Simultaneous Quantification of Six Flavonoid Glycosides in Flos Chrysanthemi by RP-LC

A sensitive, accurate and reliable reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method coupled with DAD (278 nm) was established for simultaneous quantification of six compounds in 20 cultivars of Flos Chrysanthemi. The method was carried out by using a Kromasil 100-5 C₁₈ column with methanol–acetonitrile—1.414 × 10^?2 mol L^?1 aqueous phosphoric acid as a gradient mobile phase. The contents of the six flavonoid glycosides in Flos Chrysanthemi could be determined within 120 min. The linear calibration ranges for these were 0.42–126.00, 11.44–220.00, 0.53–530.00, 4.80–195.00, 11.00–220.00, and 0.12–200.00 μg mL^?1. Their recoveries were 95.33–105.33% with RSDs from 0.10 to 2.00%. Their lower limits of quantification were 0.420, 1.144, 0.250, 0.480, 0.242, and 0.120 μg mL^–1. The method can be used for analysis of the six flavonoid glycosides in Flos Chrysanthemi.     

Quantification of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in meconium from newborns for detection of alcohol abuse in a maternal health evaluation study

Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) were determined in 602 meconium samples in a maternal health evaluation study for detection of gestational alcohol consumption. A validated headspace solid phase microextraction method in combination with GC-MS was used for FAEE and the cumulative concentration of ethyl palmitate, ethyl linoleate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl stearate with a cut-off of 500 ng/g was applied for interpretation. A new and simple method was developed and validated for quantification of EtG from 10–20 mg meconium with D ₅-EtG as internal standard consisting of 30 min. extraction with methanol/water (1:1, v/v), evaporation of methanol, filtration of the aqueous solution through a cellulose filter and injection into LC-MS-MS. The limits of detection and quantification for EtG were 10 and 30 ng/g, the recovery 86.6 to 106.4% and the standard deviation of the concentrations ranged from 13% at 37 ng/g to 5% at 46,700 ng/g (N?=?6). FAEE above the cut-off were found in 43 cases (7.1%) with cumulative concentrations between 507 and 22,580 ng/g and with one outlier of about 150,000 ng/g (EtG not detected). EtG was detected in 97 cases (16.3%) and concentrations between LOD and 10,200 ng/g with another outlier of 82,000 ng/g (FAEE 10,500 ng/g). Optimal agreement between the two markers was obtained with a cut-off for EtG of 274 ng/g and 547 cases with both FAEE- and EtG-negative, 33 cases with both FAEE- and EtG-positive, nine cases with FAEE-positive and EtG-negative, and seven cases with FAEE-negative and EtG-positive. Differences in physical, chemical, and biochemical properties and in the pharmacokinetic behavior are discussed as reasons for the deviating cases. In none of the 602 cases, serious alcohol consumption was reported by the mothers and no evidence for gestational ethanol exposure was observed in the medical investigation of the newborns. It is concluded that the combined use of FAEE and EtG in meconium as markers for fetal alcohol exposure essentially increases the accuracy of the interpretation and helps to avoid false positive and false-negative results.     

Preparation of a Carbon-Coated SPME Fiber and Application to the Analysis of BTEX and Halocarbons in Water

A carbon-coated fiber for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has been prepared from powdered activated carbon (PAC) and a fused-silica fiber. Scanning electron microscopy of the coating revealed the carbon particles were uniformly distributed on the surface of the fiber substrate. Efficient extraction of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, and o-xylene) and halocarbons (chloroform, trichloroethylene, and carbon tetrachloride), with short extraction and desorption times, was achieved by use of the coated fiber. The maximum working temperature of the coated fiber was 300 °C and the lifetime was over 140 desorption operations at 260 °C. Limits of quantification (LOQ) of the SPME method for the eight analytes ranged from 0.01 to 0.94 μg L⁻¹, and relative standard deviations (RSD) were below 7.2% (n=6). Recoveries were 87.9–113.4% when the method was applied to the analysis of BTEX and the halocarbons in real aqueous samples. An erratum to this article is available at .     

LC–MS Determination and Pharmacokinetic Study of Salidroside in Rat Plasma after Oral Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Preparation Rhodiola crenulata Extract

A simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method was developed for the quantification of salidroside in rat plasma and the study of its pharmacokinetics after oral administration of 15 g kg^?1 Rhodiola crenulata extract to Wistar rats. A 200 μL plasma sample was extracted by acetonitrile and performed on Kromasil C₁₈ column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile–water (11:89) within a run time of 8 min. The analyte was monitored with electrospray ionization (ESI) by selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The target ions were m/z 299.20 for salidroside and m/z 150.00 for internal standard (IS) paracetamol. A good linear relationship was obtained over the range of 100–20,000 ng mL^?1 and the lower limit of quantification was 100 ng mL^?1. The validated method was successfully applied for the pharmacokinetic study of salidroside in rat. After oral administration of Rhodiola crenulata extract, the main pharmacokinetic parameters T _max, T _1/2, C _max, AUC _0?t and AUC _0?∞ were 0.56 ± 0.21 h, 7.91 ± 4.42 h, 3,386 ± 2,138 ng mL^?1, 16,146 ± 6,558 ng h mL^?1 and 18,599 ± 6,529 ng h mL^?1, respectively.     

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method using solid-phase extraction and bead-beating-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion to quantify the fungicide tebuconazole in controlled frog exposure study: analysis of water and animal tissue

This paper presents the development, optimization, and validation of a LC-MS/MS methodology to determine the concentration of the antifungal drug and fungicide tebuconazole in a controlled exposure study of African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). The method is validated on animal tank water and on tissue from exposed and non-exposed adult X. laevis. Using solid-phase extraction (SPE), the analytical method allows for quantification of tebuconazole at concentrations as low as 3.89 pg mL^?1 in 10 mL water samples. Using bead-beating-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), it was possible to quantify tebuconazole down to 0.63 pg mg^?1 wet weight liver using 150 mg tissue. The deuterated analogue of tebuconazole was used as internal standard, and ensured method accuracy in the range 80.6–99.7 % for water and 68.1–109 % for tissue samples. The developed method was successfully applied in a 4-week X. laevis repeated-exposure study, revealing high levels of tebuconazole residues in adipose and liver tissue, and with experimental bioconcentration factors up to 18,244 L kg^?1.     

Simple Determination of 4-Methylimidazole in Soft Drinks by Headspace SPME GC–MS

A simple method to detect 4-methylimidazole in soft drinks is described. This method is based on headspace solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME GC–MS). The HS-SPME parameters (selection of fiber, extraction temperature, heating time, and pH) were optimized and selected. Under the established condition, the detection and the quantification limit were 1.9 and 6.0 μg L^?1 using 4 mL of the liquid sample, respectively. The relative standard deviation for five independent determinations at 100.0 and 500.0 μg L^?1 was less than 8 %. The calibration curve was y = 0.6027x–0.0033 with a linearity of r ² = 0.997. Using the proposed method, the levels of 4-MEI were detected in a range from 94.0 to 324.8 μg L^?1. The comparison of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) with the proposed method was performed and the agreement with LC–MS/MS for all samples was acceptable.     

Extraction and TLC Desitometric Determination of Triterpenoid Acids (Arjungenin, Arjunolic Acid) from Terminalia arjuna Stem Bark Without Interference of Tannins

The stem bark of Terminalia arjuna Linn. (fam: Combretaceae), commonly known as Arjuna in Indian systems of medicine, is a reputed drug used for various cardiac disorders. T. arjuna stem bark is reported to contain different groups of chemical constituents including phenolics, tannins, saponins and triterpenoid acids. From our earlier experience with tannin containing herbal drugs, we are aware that tannins interfere in the extraction of certain compounds and hence in their quantification. In the present experiment, we report a sample preparation method to overcome the interference of the tannins by adsorbing them with carboxy methyl cellulose, which facilitates the efficient extraction of the triterpenoid acids. Further we established TLC densitometric methods for the quantification of two of the triterpenoid acids of T. arjuna stem bark viz., arjungenin and arjunolic acid using HPTLC. The methods were validated in terms of accuracy, precision and repeatability. The calibration curve showed linearity in the range of 160–480 ng spot^?1 and 160–560 ng spot^?1 for arjungenin and arjunolic acid respectively. The percentage of arjungenin and arjunolic acid were found to be 0.324% w/w and 0.524% w/w in the stem bark by this modified method of extraction, which was many times higher than when compared to that using the extraction method without CMC (0.018% and 0.049% respectively). The study reiterates the importance of sample preparation in the quantification of non polar phytochemicals from herbal raw materials, such that the compounds of interest are extracted efficiently, overcoming the interference of other compounds like tannins in the matrix of plant material.     

LC Method for Quantification of Lutein in Rat Plasma: Validation, and Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

A reversed-phase LC method has been developed for quantitative analysis of lutein in rat plasma and applied to a study of the pharmacokinetics of lutein in rats. From a variety of compounds and solvents tested, astaxanthin was selected as the internal standard. n-Hexane was found to be the best solvent for extracting lutein from plasma. LC analysis of the extracts was performed on a C₁₈ column equipped with a guard pre-column. Linearity was good (r > 0.99) over the range 10–100 ng mL^?1. Recovery from plasma was 82.7–92.9% the intra-day and inter-day precision were always better than 3%. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 2.5 and 8.3 ng mL^?1, respectively. The LC method was used to quantify lutein and zeaxanthin in rat plasma in a 36-h pharmacokinetic study in which experimental rats received a single oral dose of lutein (20 mg kg^?1). The results are presented.     

A sensitive and accurate quantitative method to determine N-arachidonoyldopamine and N-oleoyldopamine in the mouse striatum using column-switching LC–MS–MS: use of a surrogate matrix to quantify endogenous compounds

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel, a nonselective Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ channel, is a molecular transducer of nociceptive stimuli. N-Arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) and N-oleoyldopamine (OLDA), two unsaturated N-acyldopamines, are major activating endogenous TRPV1 ligands and their presence in mammalian brain tissue has been reported. However, the biological significance of NADA and OLDA remains unknown. To investigate their biological function in the nervous system, a sensitive and accurate quantitative method for determining endogenous NADA and OLDA in the brain is necessary. Thus, a column-switching liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) method was developed to quantify NADA and OLDA in mouse striatum. Mouse cerebellum tissue in which neither NADA nor OLDA were detected was used as a surrogate matrix to prepare calibrators. NADA and OLDA were extracted from mouse brain tissue by solid-phase extraction and then filtered and analyzed by LC–MS–MS with electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode. The selectivity results and comparison of calibration curves prepared with mouse cerebellum and striatum established that the former was acceptable as the surrogate matrix of the latter for analyzing NADA and OLDA. The validation results of the matrix effect, linearity, precision, accuracy, and stability were satisfactory. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were 0.125 pg mg^?1 for both analytes. This method was sensitive and accurate enough to determine endogenous concentrations of these compounds in mouse striatum and will be very useful for further study of the biological functions of NADA and OLDA and other related factors in vivo.