An improved method for isolation and purification of sedimentary porphyrins by high-performance liquid chromatography for compound-specific isotopic analysis

We describe an improved method for purification of sedimentary vanadyl and nickel porphyrins (i.e., naturally occurring metalloalkylporphyrins). For the purpose of compound-specific isotopic analyses, various sedimentary porphyrins were purified from the complex natural mixtures by the dual-step high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The high-sample-capacity reversed-phase HPLCs by adding N,N-dimethylformamide to the mobile phase allow an efficient collection of fractions containing the target compounds even using analytical-scale columns. Furthermore, this method achieved improved chromatographic resolutions but significantly reduced the overall retention time down to 60% compared with the previous work. The target compounds were then isolated with the normal-phase HPLC with the baseline-resolution, which is necessary to avoid chromatographic isotopic fractionation. One of the advantages of this method is that it requires neither derivatization nor demetallation. The purity of these isolated compounds was demonstrated by various HPLC online detection methods utilizing a photodiode-array detector, a mass selective detector. The overall recoveries of Ni porphyrin, VO porphyrin, and porphyrin-free base, respectively, were estimated to be approximately 50-60%, 65%, and 85%.     

Application of optimization procedures for the separation of anabolic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple systematic approach is presented for optimizing high-performance liquid chromatographic separations of anabolics with multi-component isocratic mobile phases. A computer program was obtained and adjusted for use with an IBM-compatible XT personal computer. The program requires experimental retention data with three quaternary solvent mixtures to calculate the optimum solvent composition using a geometric model of a prism. For each possible composition of the mobile phase the set of retention data can be calculated. Applications are shown for mixtures of anabolic compounds using a mobile phase composed of methanol, tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile. The predicted retention data agreed very well with the experimental data.     

Computer-assisted transposition of conditions in high-performance thin-layer chromatography to high-performance liquid chromatography for the separation of pesticides

Summary A computer-assisted method is presented for mobile phase selection for the optimal separation of pesticides by HPTLC and HPLC. The system is based on a plot of solute retention value and separation criterion vs. binary mobile phase composition for graphic optimization. The result of HPTLC can be transposed to HPLC for optimal separation. The transposition equation is given.     

Sub-nanogram analysis of yohimbine and related compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography

A sensitive (50 pg/ml) method is described for the analysis of yohimbine in blood by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The chromatographic behaviour of eserine (employed as internal standard), reserpine, corynanthine, yohimbinic acid, and yohimbine are examined on a series of reversed-phase and normal-phase chromatographic columns with methanol-water mobile phases.     

Instrumental method for automated on-line fraction analysis and peak deconvolution in multicomponent-overloaded high-performance liquid chromatography

A bi-dimensional (non-orthogonal) chromatographic system made of two columns of different length (longer along the first direction and shorter on the second) but packed with identical (or similar) materials has been employed to perform automated on-line fraction analysis and peak deconvolution of multicomponent overloaded band profiles. Multicomponent overloaded peaks, eluted from the first column, are sampled through a remotely-controlled switching valve and fractions are injected, under analytical conditions, directly into the second direction. This set-up serves a twofold purpose. First of all, it has been possible to use linear calibration curves for detector calibration (DC). Secondly, since single component peaks were resolved on the second direction, individual concentration profiles have been obtained beneath the envelop of overlapping bands. All the information necessary to operate the bi-dimensional system can be achieved by analyzing the chromatographic behavior of the mixture on the shorter column under linear conditions. Therefore, solutions of unknown concentration can be prepared and their composition reconstructed with a simple chromatographic run. Two- and three-component overloaded mixtures have been employed to validate the system.     

Simultaneous determination of the quantity and isotopic signature of dissolved organic matter from soil water using high-performance liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

We assessed the accuracy and utility of a modified high-performance liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC/IRMS) system for measuring the amount and stable carbon isotope signature of dissolved organic matter (DOM) <1 μm. Using a range of standard compounds as well as soil solutions sampled in the field, we compared the results of the HPLC/IRMS analysis with those from other methods for determining carbon and (13)C content. The conversion efficiency of the in-line wet oxidation of the HPLC/IRMS averaged 99.3% for a range of standard compounds. The agreement between HPLC/IRMS and other methods in the amount and isotopic signature of both standard compounds and soil water samples was excellent. For DOM concentrations below 10 mg C L(-1) (250 ng C total) pre-concentration or large volume injections are recommended in order to prevent background interferences. We were able to detect large differences in the (13)C signatures of soil solution DOM sampled in 10 cm depth of plots with either C3 or C4 vegetation and in two different parent materials. These measurements also demonstrated changes in the (13)C signature that demonstrate rapid loss of plant-derived C with depth. Overall the modified HLPC/IRMS system has the advantages of rapid sample preparation, small required sample volume and high sample throughput, while showing comparable performance with other methods for measuring the amount and isotopic signature of DOM.     

An anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled to total organic carbon determination for the analysis of water-soluble organic aerosols

The chemical composition of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in atmospheric aerosol particles is largely unexplored, due to the myriad of individual compounds, which has hampered attempts to attain a full characterization at the molecular level. An alternative approach, focusing on the analysis of a few main chemical classes, allowed the quantitative fractionation of WSOC into neutral compounds (NC), mono- and di-acids (MDA) and polyacids (PA) through an anion-exchange liquid chromatographic method. Previous attempts to quantify NC, MDA and PA relied on a low-pressure chromatographic technique using a volatile buffer, followed by total organic carbon (TOC) analysis of the fractions, or alternatively on a faster HPLC-UV method which provided a quantification of the fractions based on empirical relationships between UV signal and TOC concentration. Here, we report an upgraded anion-exchange HPLC technique, allowing direct TOC analysis of the eluted fractions, without any pre-treatment, thus permitting a great simplification of quantitative analysis and preventing sample losses. The new HPLC-TOC methodology, employing completely inorganic eluents shows the same efficiency of the former HPLC-UV method employing organic additives, with the exception of phenolic compounds, which are retained on the column by secondary interactions, and low-molecular weight tricarboxylic acids, which are recovered among MDA. The new anion-exchange liquid chromatographic method can recover a substantial amount (86-100%) of water-soluble organic carbon from atmospheric aerosol extracts, thus allowing a higher retention and fractionation capacity with respect to alternative techniques, like solid phase extraction.     

Comparison of separation modes of high-performance liquid chromatography for the analysis of glycoprotein- and proteoglycan-derived oligosaccharides

Porous graphitised carbon (PGC) has been explored for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of mono- and di-saccharides released from proteoglycans and of fluorescently labelled oligosaccharide derivatives for high-sensitivity detection. Sulphated oligosaccharides show good retention and separation behaviour on PGC-HPLC, and compared to anion-exchange or reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography the chromatography is carried out in the absence of salt. Due to their poor retention on PGC-HPLC the analysis of single uronic acids has been optimised with high pH anion-exchange chromatography. Fluorescent labelled derivatives formed by reductive amination of neutral oligosaccharides with 2-aminobenzamide have been chromatographed on PGC-HPLC and by BioGel P4 gel filtration.     

中药物质基础的高效液相色谱分离分析方法研究

高效液相色谱方法已成为中药物质基础研究的重要手段．在中药质量控制、中药标准品制备、活性化合物发现等方面发挥着不可替代的作用．然而我们的实验数据表明,一个中药材可能包含上万个化合物．中药物质基础的复杂性对高效液相色谱方法提出了巨大挑战．本文针对液相色谱方法在中药物质基础分离分析中存在的问题与难点,结合红花、黄连、姜黄三味药材样品,从亲水色谱分离模式、新型色谱固定相、二维液相色谱分离系统和液相色谱质谱联用技术等方面讨论了液相色谱的分离分析方法和发展方向．结果表明,高效液相色谱新技术新方法在中药复杂体系的分离分析中具有很大的发展潜力和应用前景．     

Salt-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction with water-miscible organic solvents for the determination of carbonyl compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and rapid method has been reported for the determination of carbonyl compounds involving reaction with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and extraction of hydrazones with water-miscible organic solvent acetonitrile when the phase separation occurs by addition of ammonium sulphate, a process called salt-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction. The extract was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 360 nm. The procedure has been optimized with respect to solvent suitable for extraction, salt for phase separation between water and organic solvent, reaction temperature and reaction time. The method has been validated when a linear dynamic range was obtained between the amount of analyte and peak area of hydrazones in the range 7 μg-15 mg L⁻¹, the correlation coefficient over 0.9964-0.9991, and the limit of detection in the range 0.58-3.2 μg L⁻¹. Spiked water samples have been analyzed with adequate accuracy, and application of the method has been demonstrated in the analysis of benzaldehyde formed as oxidation product in pharmaceutical preparation where benzyl alcohol is used as preservative, and for a keto drug dexketoprofen.     

A new approach to determine method detection limits for compound-specific isotope analysis of volatile organic compounds

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) has been established as a useful tool in the field of environmental science, in particular in the assessment of contaminated sites. What limits the use of gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) is the low sensitivity of the method compared with GC/MS analysis; however, the development of suitable extraction and enrichment techniques for important groundwater contaminants will extend the fields of application for GC/IRMS. So far, purge and trap (P&T) is the most effective, known preconcentration technique for on-line CSIA with the lowest reported method detection limits (MDLs in the low microg/L range). With the goal of improving the sensitivity of a fully automated GC/IRMS analysis method, a commercially available P&T system was modified. The method was evaluated for ten monoaromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, para-xylene, ethylbenzene, propylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, fluorobenzene) and ten halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (dichloromethane, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethene, tetrachlorethene, 1,2-dibromoethane, bromoform). The influence of method parameters, including purge gas flow rates and purge times, on delta13C values of target compounds was evaluated. The P&T method showed good reproducibility, high linearity and small isotopic fractionation. MDLs were determined by consecutive calculation of the delta13C mean values. The last concentration for which the delta13C value was within this iterative interval and for which the standard deviation was lower than +/-0.5 per thousand for triplicate measurements was defined as the MDL. MDLs for monoaromatic compounds between 0.07 and 0.35 microg/L are the lowest values reported so far for continuous-flow isotope ratio measurements using an automated system. MDLs for halogenated hydrocarbons were between 0.76 and 27 microg/L. The environmental applicability of the P&T-GC/IRMS method in the low-microg/L range was demonstrated in a case study on groundwater samples from a former military air field contaminated with VOCs.     

Modifying conventional high-performance liquid chromatography systems to achieve fast separations with Fused-Core columns: a case study

The theoretical increase in performance from the use of high efficiency columns with conventional HPLC equipment is generally not observed due to the design limitations of such equipment, particularly with respect to extra-column dispersion (ECD). This study examines the impact of ECD from a Waters Alliance 2695 system on the performance of 2.7 μm HALO C(18) Fused-Core superficially porous particle columns of various dimensions. The Alliance system was re-configured in different ways to reduce extra-column volume (ECV) and the ECD determined in each case as a function of flow rate up to a maximum of 2 mL/min. The results obtained showed a progressive decrease in ECD as the ECV was reduced, irrespective of the flow rate employed. However, this decrease in ECD was less than theoretically expected for the lower ECV configurations. The inability to reduce the actual extra-column dispersion further was attributed to additional dispersion associated with the design/volume of the auto-injector. This was confirmed by making sample injections with a low dispersion manual injection valve, instead of auto-injection, for the two lowest ECV configurations studied. In each case, the measured and predicted ECD values were in good agreement. The auto-injector module is an integral part of the Alliance 2695 instrument and cannot be easily modified. However, even with autosampler injection, for a 3mm ID × 100 mm Fused-Core column approximately 70% of the maximum plate count (～84% of the resolution or more) could still be obtained in isocratic separations for solutes with k ≥ ～4.5 when using the lowest ECV configuration. This study also highlights some of the problems inherent in trying to measure accurately the true extra-column dispersion of a chromatographic system and compares the results obtained to those theoretically predicted. Using this same lowest volume instrument configuration, two real-world pharmaceutical methods were scaled to separations that are ～3-3.5-fold faster, while still maintaining comparable data quality (resolution and signal-to-noise ratios).     

New approaches to coupling flow-injection analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography

An overview of the advantages gained in coupling a flow-injection manifold to a liquid chromatograph is presented. Improvements in the analytical features arising from this association and the peculiar pre- and postcolumn arrangements are discussed, as are the promising prospects of arrangements to be developed for avoiding the preliminary steps of the analytical process.     

A simple high-performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of glucose, glycerol, and methanol in a bioprocess

A reliable high-performance liquid chromatography-refractive index detection method for the simultaneous analysis of glucose, methanol, and glycerol in a bioprocess fermentation media using direct injection is presented. The validation studies show a satisfactory selectivity, linearity, accuracy, and recovery of the method. The lowest concentration detectable for glucose and methanol is 3.5 and 6.7 mg/100 mL, respectively. This method could be an attractive choice for the analysis of these compounds not only in fermentation media but also in biomedical and environmental samples.     

Rapid separation of carrier-free inorganic and organic compounds of radioiodine and astatine by high-pressure liquid chromatography

The radioisotopes¹²³I (T=13.3 h) and, potentially,²¹¹At(T=7.2 h) find increasing interest for radiopharmaceutical applications in diagnosis and therapy. They were produced via the¹²²Te(α, 3n)¹³Xe(α⁺)¹³I and the²⁰⁹Bi(α, 2n)²¹¹At processes. Fast and efficient separations of carrier-free species obtained from target processing, as well as from classical or decay-induced synthesis were archieved by means of high-pressure ion-exchange and partition chromatography. Inorganic forms (X⁻, XO ₃ ⁻ , At⁺) could be identified and separated on pretreated Aminex A 27 and A 7 resins, and biomolecules such as 5-halodeoxyuridines and-uracils on Aminex A 25 resins and Merckosorb Si 60 silica. The chromatographic methods can also be used for stability tests of radiopharmaceuticals in biochemical mixtures, notably physiological fluids.     

A novel method of prediction and optimization for preparative high-performance liquid chromatography separation

The preparation of components from a complex sample is a difficult task. The optimization of the separation and subsequent scale-up is usually carried out by trial and error. In this study, the relationship between retention parameters a and c for analytical and preparative separations was developed when the same solid adsorbent and mobile phase were used. The prediction and optimization of the preparative separation of a complex sample could be achieved by direct and simple conversion of the experimentally determined data from an analytical level. The novel method was successfully applied to optimize the separation of target compounds in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).     

Simultaneous separation of 17 inorganic and organic arsenic compounds in marine biota by means of high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method using high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS) has been developed to determine inorganic arsenic (arsenite, arsenate) along with organic arsenic compounds (monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, trimethylarsine oxide, tetramethylarsonium ion and several arsenosugars) in fish, mussel, oyster and marine algae samples. The species were extracted by means of a methanol/water mixture and a dispersion unit in 2 min, with extraction efficiencies ranging from 83 to 107% in the different organisms. Up to 17 different species were determined within 15 min on an anion-exchange column, using a nitric acid gradient and an ion-pairing reagent. As all species are shown in one chromatogram, a clear overview of arsenic distribution patterns in different marine organisms is given. Arsenobetaine is the major compound in marine animals whereas arsenosugars and arsenate are dominant in marine algae. The method was validated with CRM DORM-2 (dogfish muscle). Concentrations were within the certified limits and low detection limits of 8 ng g(-1) (arsenite) to 50 ng g(-1) (arsenate) were obtained.     

Evaluation of a simple plasma catecholamine extraction procedure prior to high-performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection

The modified extraction method for catecholamines described in this study is reproducible, simple, rapid, economical and relatively hazard-free. This method is based on the principle that plasma catecholamines are selectively adsorbed on acid-washed alumina at pH 8.6 and then eluted at a pH between 1.0 and 2.0. No statistically significant differences were obtained by using either 0.5 or 1.0 ml of plasma with 0.5 or 1.0 ml of Tris buffer. A 15-min mixing time during the adsorption and desorption steps was found to be practical, but any standardized time up to 1 h can be used. If the washing step was omitted, the catecholamines could not be eluted from the acid-washed alumina. To prevent dilution, the alumina had to be centrifuged and not aspirated to dryness after the washing step. An amount of 50 mg of WA-4 alumina was found to be the most practical in this study. Extracted or unextracted plasma as well as catecholamine standards were stable for four months at -20 degrees C.     

Determination of organic and inorganic mercury compounds by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography after extraction of the compounds as their dithizonates

A sensitive and selective method is described for the simultaneous determination of inorganic and organic mercury compounds. The mercury compounds are extracted into toluene or chloroform with dithizone, and the dithizonates are separated by liquid chromatography on an ODS column. Complete resolution was obtained between methylethyl-, phenyl- and inorganic mercury with a mobile phase of THF/methanol (2:1) with 0.05 M acetate buffer pH 4 (62 + 38), containing 50 μM EDTA. The mercury chelates were detected spectrophotometrically at 475 nm. The detection limits were at the subnanogram level. The method is applicable to human urine, tap water and tomatoes.     

Development of a simple in-vial liquid-phase microextraction device for drug analysis compatible with capillary gas chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple, inexpensive and disposable device for liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) is presented for use in combination with capillary gas chromatography (GC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 1-4 ml samples of human urine or plasma were filled into conventional 4-ml vials, whereafter 15-25 microl of the extraction medium (acceptor solution) was filled into a short piece of a porous hollow fiber and placed into the sample vial. The drugs of interest were extracted from the sample solutions and into the small volumes of acceptor solution based on high partition coefficients and were preconcentrated by a factor of 30-125. For LPME in combination with GC, the porous hollow fiber was filled with 15 microl n-octanol as the acceptor solution. Following 30 min of extraction, the organic acceptor solution was injected directly into the GC system. For LPME in combination with CE and HPLC, n-octanol was immobilized within the pores of the hollow fiber, while the internal volume of the fiber was filled with either 25 microl of 0.1 M HCl (for extraction of basic compounds) or 25 microl 0.02 M NaOH (for acidic compounds). Following 45 min extraction, the aqueous acceptor solution was injected directly into the CE or HPLC system. Owing to the low cost, the extraction devices were disposed after a single extraction which eliminated the possibility of carry over effects. In addition, because no expensive instrumentation was required for LPME, 10-30 samples were extracted in parallel to provide a high number of samples per unit time capacity.