Method for on-line derivatization and separation of aspartic acid enantiomer in pharmaceuticals application by the coupling of flow injection with micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A novel, easy and accurate capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with flow injection (FI) method for the separation and determination of aspartic acid (Asp) enantiomers by on-line derivatization had been developed, and it had been applied to the real sample for the first time. The derivatization reagents were o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and mercaptoethanol (ME), which were obtained easily, the chiral selector was beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), the micellar chemical was sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the modifier was methanol. By on-line derivatization, aspartic acid enantiomers were automatically and reproducibly converted to the ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing diastereoisomer derivates, which were separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). According to the factors affecting the separation and sensitivity of aspartic acid enantiomer and other amino acids in the real sample, the pH value and concentration of the buffer, the concentration of beta-CD and SDS, the volume percentage of the methanol (v/v) in the buffer, the applied voltage and the conversion time were selected as the investigating variates. Under the investigated separation conditions, D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) and other four amino acids achieved the baseline separation in not only the standard mixture of amino acids but also the real sample (Compound Amino Acid Injection (6AA)). The repeatability (defined as relative standard deviation (RSD), n = 5) was 4.0% and 4.0% with peak area evaluation, and 4.2% and 3.7% with peak height evaluation for D-Asp and L-Asp in the real sample. Recovery at added standard levels of 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mM was 92%, 104% and 109%, respectively.     

Continuous on-line derivatization and determination of amino acids by a microfluidic capillary electrophoresis system with a continuous sample introduction interface

An automatic, rapid and continuous on-line derivatization system coupled to microfluidic capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the determination of amino acids using o-phthaldialdehyde/N-acetyl-l-cysteine (OPA/NAC) as the derivative agents has been developed. By on-line derivatization, amino acids were automatically and reproducibly converted to the UV-absorbing derivatives, which were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Optimization of derivatization and separation condition was carried out to achieve both good sensitivity and separation efficiency. The separation could be achieved within 4 min and sample throughput rate can reach up to 16 h⁻¹. The repeatability (defined as relative standard deviation, R.S.D.) was 2.56, 2.85, 3.24 and 3.60% with peak area evaluation and 2.93, 3.12, 4.20 and 4.91% with peak height evaluation for arginine (Arg), phenylalanine (Phe), serine (Ser) and glycine (Gly), respectively. The limits of detection (S/N=3) were 10.46, 13.14, 34.39 and 44.79 μmol/l for Arg, Phe, Ser and Gly, respectively. Major advantages of the proposed method include improved precision and efficient automation of the derivatization by the FI system and the enhanced sampling frequencies by the combined FI-CE system.     

Application of stepwise discriminant analysis to classify commercial orange juices using chiral micellar electrokinetic chromatography-laser induced fluorescence data of amino acids

The use of chiral amino acids content and stepwise discriminant analysis to classify three types of commercial orange juices (i.e., nectars, orange juices reconstituted from concentrates, and pasteurized orange juices not from concentrates) is presented. Micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence (MEKC-LIF) and beta-cyclodextrins are used to determine L- and D-amino acids previously derivatized with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). This chiral MEKC-LIF procedure is easy to implement and provides information about the main amino acids content in orange juices (i.e., L-proline; L-aspartic acid, D-Asp, L-serine, L-asparagine, L-glutamic acid, D-Glu, L-alanine, L-.arginine, D-Arg, and the non-chiral gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA), i.e., gamma-aminobutyric acid). From these results, it is clearly demonstrated that some D-amino acids occur naturally in orange juices. Application of stepwise discriminant analysis to 26 standard samples showed that the amino acids L-Arg, L-Asp and GABA were the most important variables to differentiate the three groups of samples. With these three selected amino acids a 100% correct classification of the samples was obtained either by standard or by leave-one-out cross-validation procedures. These classification functions based on the content in L-Arg, L-Asp and GABA were also applied to nine test samples and provided an adequate classification and/or interesting information on these samples. It is concluded that chiral MEKC-LIF analysis of amino acids and stepwise discriminant analysis can be used as a consistent procedure to classify commercial orange juices providing useful information about their quality and processing. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the combined use of chiral capillary electrophoresis and discriminant techniques to classify foods.     

Chiral capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry of amino acids in foods

In this work, the development of a new chiral capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) method to separate D- and L-amino acids is shown. On-line coupling between CE and MS is established through an electrospray-coaxial sheath flow interface. Enantiomer separation is achieved by using a cheap, nonvolatile, chiral selector as beta-cyclodextrin in the background electrolyte (BGE) together with a physically coated capillary that is aimed to prevent contamination of the electrospray. The capillary coating is simple and easy to obtain as it only requires flushing of the capillary with a polymer aqueous solution for 3 min. Optimization of CE parameters (pH of BGE, type and concentration of chiral selector, and capillary inner diameter) and electrospray-MS parameters (nature and flow rate of the sheath liquid, nebulizer pressure) is carried out. Two different derivatization protocols of amino acids using dansyl chloride (DNS) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) are compared in terms of MS sensitivity and chiral resolution. Under optimum CE-MS conditions it is observed that the MS sensitivity obtained for FITC- and DNS-amino acids is similar (with limit of detection (LOD) in the microM range, corresponding to amounts injected in the fmol range) while chiral resolution is better for FITC-amino acids. The optimized method is demonstrated to provide the simultaneous analysis of 15 selected amino acids (i.e., FITC-D/L-Asp, -Glu, -Ser, -Asn, -Ala, -Pro, -Arg, and FITC-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in a single chiral CE-MS run, corresponding to the main amino acids that can be found in orange. Moreover, as a result of the high resolution achieved, it is possible to detect down to 2% of D-Asp in the presence of 98% of L-Asp. The good possibilities of chiral CE-MS in food analysis are corroborated through the detection of the main amino acids in a commercial orange juice (i.e., FITC-L-Asp, -Glu, -Ser, -Asn, -Pro, -Arg, and the nonchiral FITC-GABA) as well as the determination of the fraudulent addition of synthetic amino acids (containing D- and L-forms) to a fresh orange juice.     

Enantioselective micro-2D-HPLC determination of aspartic acid in the pineal glands of rodents with various melatonin contents

Enantioselective determination of aspartic acid (Asp) in the pineal gland of rodents with various melatonin contents was performed using a highly sensitive and selective two-dimensional HPLC system. After derivatization of the amino group with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), NBD-Asp was separated using a capillary monolithic ODS column in the first dimension. The fraction of NBD-Asp was automatically collected and transferred to the second dimension, and the D- and L-Asp were separated and determined using a narrowbore enantioselective column. Large amounts of D-Asp were observed in the pineal gland of the rats and specific strains of mice (C3H and CBA) possessing a high concentration of melatonin in their pineal gland. On the other hand, the amounts of D-Asp were small in the pineal gland of mice possessing a trace or no melatonin in their pineal gland (ddY, ICR, C57BL and BALB/c). In other tissues and physiological fluids, no significant strain-dependent changes of the D-Asp amounts were observed. These results indicate that large amounts of D-Asp are present only in the pineal gland containing large amounts of melatonin, and special care should be taken when selecting mouse strains for the investigation of D-Asp.     

Microchip capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detector for fast measurements of aromatic amino acids

A method based on microchip capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection was developed for the rapid separation and direct detection of oxidizable aromatic amino acids (without prior derivatization). The working electrode was a thick-film carbon strip electrode positioned opposite the outlet of the separation channel. Factors influencing the separation and detection processes were examined and optimized. The five aromatic amino acids, tyrosine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan, p-aminobenzoic acid, and m-aminobenzoic acid, can be well separated within 5 min using a separation voltage of 2000 V and a 25 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) run buffer containing 50 mM sodium dodecylsulfate. Most favorable amperometric detection was obtained at +0.95 V. Linear calibration plots are observed for micromolar concentrations of the oxidizable amino acids. The new protocol offers good stability and for reproducibility, with relative S.D. of less than 5% for both migration times and peak currents (n=8). It should be useful for the analysis of aromatic amino acids, as desired for life sciences.     

Capillary electrophoresis of nonprotein and protein amino acids without derivatization

An efficient separation of eleven nonprotein amino acids (NPAAs) and three protein amino acids containing aromatic moieties was achieved by capillary electrophoresis without derivatization. The fourteen amino acids were well separated with a 100 mM sodium phosphate run buffer (pH 2.0) using a 57 cm fused-silica capillary (50 microm ID, 50 cm effective length) at 20 degrees C. With an electric field of 351 V/cm, the time needed for the separation was less than 20 min. Under optimum conditions, excellent linear responses were obtained in the concentration range of 5-100 microM, with the linear correlation coefficient ranging from 0.9785 or greater. The relative standard deviations of the migration times and the corrected peak areas were found to be 1.5-3.9% and 8.0-11.5%, respectively. In order to improve the limit of detection (LOD), simple stacking and large volume stacking using an EOF pump (LVSEP) methods were used. Improved LODs were about 300 nM in stacking and below 15 nM for five small NPAAs in LVSEP.     

Performance of throughout in-capillary derivatization capillary electrophoresis employing an on-line sample and run buffer loading device

We report on the effect on performance of varying the length of the capillary during throughout in-capillary derivatization (TICD) capillary electrophoresis (CE). Performance was evaluated by on-line coupling with a sample and CE runbuffer loading device that was newly introduced for this study. The device was assembled with a low cost using two 5 mm inner diameter (ID) disposable polyethylene syringes. First, a sequence was manually formed consisting of a 200 microL run buffer solution plug, a 100 microL sample plug and another 200 microL run buffer solution plug. Each plug was separated from its neighbor by a 100 microL air plug. When each plug reached the injection point where both a platinum-wire anode and the end of the separation capillary tube were located, 340 V/cm separation voltage (electrophoresis voltage) and 34 V/cm injection voltage were applied to the capillary for 3 s. Then the analytes were derivatized during migration in 50 microm ID capillaries filled with 2 mM o-phthalaldehyde (OPA)/N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in a 20 mM phosphate-borate buffer (pH 10), followed by separating and detecting of OPA derivatives by absorbance of 340 nm. Derivatization, separation, and detection were performed systematically using capillaries which varied in length from 5 to 80 cm. In the case of TICD-CE of a mixture containing 1 mM aspartic acid (Asp) and 20 mM m-nitorophenol (MNP) as a test solution, it was determined that peak area and peak width ratios of Asp to MNP did not depend on capillary length. Enantiomeric separations of DL-alanine (Ala) and Asp were examined using a run buffer consisting of a 45 microM beta-cyclodextrin (CD)-2 mM OPA/NAC-20 mM phosphate-borate buffer (pH 10). Even though the resolution of these enantiomeric pairs decreased with decreasing capillary length, as expected, the peaks corresponding to both enantiomeric amino acids were identified even when a 5 cm capillary was used. An 8-component amino acid mixture was also tested with 5 cm and 10 cm capillaries.     

Continuous flow derivatization system coupled to capillary electrophoresis for the determination of amino acids

A derivatization system coupled to capillary electrophoresis for the determination of amino acids using 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate as a labeling agent is described. In this system, amino acids are derivatized on-line in a three-channel flow manifold for sample, reagent and buffer solutions. The reaction takes place in a PTFE coil heated at 80 degrees C. The resulting solution, which contains the amino acid derivatives, is introduced into the electrophoretic system by means of an appropriate interface. Subsequently, amino acid derivatives are separated at 25 kV using a 40 mM sodium tetraborate aqueous solution with 30% (v/v) isopropanol solution as a running buffer. The electropherograms are monitored spectrophotometrically at 230 nm. The method has been applied to the determination of amino acids in feed samples and pharmaceutical preparations. A good concordance of the predicted values with those given by a standard amino acid analyzer is shown.     

氨基酸衍生物在毛细管区带电泳下的分离研究

采用新合成的荧光试剂咔唑-9-乙基氯甲酸酯作为柱前衍生试剂,利用毛细管区带电泳法对衍生氨基酸进行分离,考察了该试剂用于毛细管区带电泳法进行氨基酸分离的关键条件,实现了12种氨基酸的快速基线分离.     

Confirmation of peak assignments in capillary electrophoresis using immunoprecipitation. Application to D-aspartate measurements in neurons

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection is a powerful tool for analysis of samples ranging from tissue extracts to single cells. However, accurate peak identification in electropherograms is challenging when complex biological samples are analyzed, as often matching a migration time between an analyte and corresponding standard may be insufficient to confirm the peak's identity. A method which combines single-step immunoprecipitation and CE-LIF analysis for investigation of the chiral amino acids in single cells and small tissue samples is demonstrated. D-Aspartate (D-Asp) has been reported in the central nervous system of the invertebrate neurobiological model Aplysia californica. In order to confirm the identity of D-Asp signal in the complex electropherograms of nerve tissue extracts and individual neurons, anti-D-Asp serum, preincubated with L-Asp conjugate, is added to the sample. This selectively binds the free D-Asp, creating an antibody-antigen complex with a migration time similar to that of antibody alone, but not that of D-Asp. The complete disappearance of the putative D-Asp peak confirms its identity and validates that there are no other detectable analytes co-migrating with D-Asp in the electropherogram.     

Determination of free intracellular amino acids in single mouse peritoneal macrophages after naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde derivatization by capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection.

A method is described for the direct identification and quantification of amino acids in individual mouse peritoneal macrophages by capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection after on-column derivatization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA) and CN-. In this method, individual macrophages and then the lysing/ derivatizing buffer are injected into the front end of the separation capillary by electromigration with the aid of an inverted microscope. The front end of the separation capillary is used as a chamber to lyse the macrophage and derivatize its contents, which minimizes dilution of amino acids of a single macrophage during derivatization. Six amino acids (serine, alanine, taurine, glycine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid) in single mouse peritoneal macrophages have been identified. Quantitation has been accomplished through the use of calibration curves, where the concentration ratios of these standard amino acids are similar to the concentration ratios of amino acids in macrophages. Cellular levels of the amino acids in these cells range from 0.27 +/- 0.20 fmol/ cell for alanine to 6.4 +/- 4.6 fmol/cell for taurine.     

In vivo simultaneous monitoring of gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, and L-aspartate using brain microdialysis and capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection: Analytical developments and in vitro/in vivo validations

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), and L-aspartate (L-Asp) are three major amino acid neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. In this work, a method for the separation of these three neurotransmitters in brain microdialysis samples using a commercially available capillary electrophoresis (CE) system has been developed. Molecules were tagged on their primary amine function with the fluorogene agent naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA), and, after separation by micellar electrokinetic chromatography, were detected by laser-induced fluorescence using a 442 nm helium-cadmium laser. The separation conditions for the analysis of derivatized neurotransmitters in standard solutions and microdialysates have been optimized, and this method has been validated on both pharmacological and analytical basis. The separation of GABA, Glu, and L-Asp takes less than 10 min by using a 75 mmol/L borate buffer, pH 9.2, containing 70 mmol/L SDS and 10 mmol/L hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin and + 25 kV voltage. The detection limits were 3, 15 nmol/L and, 5 nmol/L for GABA, Glu, and L-Asp, respectively. Moreover, submicroliter samples can be analyzed. This method allows a simple, rapid and accurate measurement of the three amino acid neurotransmitters for the in vivo brain monitoring using microdialysis sampling.     

Coupling of sequential injection analysis and capillary electrophoresis - Laser-induced fluorescence via a valve interface for on-line derivatization and analysis of amino acids and peptides

The on-line coupling of sequential injection analysis (SIA) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) via an in-line injection valve is presented. The SIA system is used for automated derivatization of amino acids and peptides. Dichlorotriazinylaminofluorescein serves as the derivatization agent, thus enabling sensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection of the derivatized analytes. The SIA procedure includes the following steps: (a) introduction of reagent and sample zones in a holding coil, (b) sample and reagent mixing in a reaction coil, (c) stop-flow step for increase of the reaction time, and (d) delivery of derivatized sample into the loop of the micro-valve interface. A small portion of the analyte zone is introduced electrokinetically in the separation capillary via the valve interface and CE analysis is performed. Factors affecting the CE separation, such as pH, the borate and sodium dodecyl sulphate concentration of the background electrolyte have been optimized. The derivatization conditions have been studied to obtain a high reaction yield in a relative short time. The transfer of a part of the reaction plug into the loop of the valve interface has been optimized. Using des-Tyr(1)-[Met]-enkephalinamide as test compound, it is demonstrated that after automated derivatization, on-line electrophoretic analysis could be achieved. Glycine has been selected as the internal standard in order to correct for variations in reaction time and filling of the injection loop. For the enkephalin, good reproducibility (RSD<4.5% calculated by the ratio of the peak areas) and linearity (0.5-5 microg mL(-1), R(2)>or=0.994) are obtained with a detection limit of 30 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3).     

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection: as tested with amino acid derivatives

Over a decade ago, microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography was introduced as a novel mode of capillary electrophoresis. However, there has not been publication on the combination of microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection. In this paper, a preliminary method using microemulsion eletrokinetic chromatography combined with laser-induced fluorescence detection and second derivative electrophoregram was established as a sensitive and selective assay for separation and determination of nine amino acids after derivatization with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol. The derivatization and separation conditions were optimized. In the investigated concentration ranges correlation coefficients were better than 0.995. The relative standard deviation (n = 5) of the migration times and peak heights were 0.56-0.76 and 2.21-7.15%, respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) were at a neaomolar level (0.32-2.20 nM). The method was applied for the analysis of compound amino acid injection and a Chinese traditional herbal medicine. The recoveries were 95.9-107.9%.     

采用分子表面印迹技术构建手性空穴实现对天冬氨酸对映体的识别拆分

在溶液聚合体系中,采用"接出"法("graft from"method)将功能单体4-乙烯基吡啶(4VP)接枝聚合于微米级硅胶表面,制得了功能接枝微粒P4VP/SiO2,采用本课题组建立的新型分子表面印迹技术,以天冬氨酸(Asp)的一种对映体L-Asp为模板分子,二溴己烷为交联剂,对接枝在硅胶表面的大分子P4VP实施了分子印迹,制备了L-Asp分子表面印迹材料MIP-P4VP/SiO2.以天冬氨酸另一种对映体D-Asp为对比物,采用静态与动态两种方法深入研究了MIP-P4VP/SiO2对L-Asp分子的识别性能,重点探索了采用MIP-P4VP/SiO2对天冬氨酸两种对映体进行拆分的可行性.实验结果表明,印迹材料MIP-P4VP/SiO2对模板分子L-Asp具有良好的识别选择性与结合亲和性,相对于D-Asp,识别选择性系数为3.85,对天冬氨酸的外消旋体具有良好的拆分性能.印迹材料MIP-P4VP/SiO2也具有良好的解吸性能,以稀NaOH水溶液作为洗脱液,12个床体积内解吸率即可达到98.52%.     

Amino acids determination using capillary electrophoresis with on-capillary derivatization and laser-induced fluorescence detection

Free amino acids have been derivatized on-capillary with 3-(2-furoyl)quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (FQ) and analyzed using a laboratory-made capillary electrophoresis apparatus with laser-induced fluorescence detection. Several parameters that control on-capillary derivatization of amino acids, including pH, mixing time, reaction time, concentration of the derivatization reagents (potassium cyanide and FQ) and solvent of FQ, as well as the temperature of mixing and reaction were optimized. Repeatabilities better than 1.8% for migration time and 7.8% for peak height were obtained. Assay detection limits for the different amino acids ranged from 23 nM for glycine to 50 nM for lysine and glutamic acid. The methods developed were applied to the analysis of several amino acids in pharmaceutical preparations and plasma samples. Results showed a good agreement with those obtained using an amino acid autoanalyzer for the same samples.     

Sensitivity enhancement by on-line preconcentration and in-capillary derivatization for the electrophoretic determination of amino acids

This study describes an application of on-line preconcentration by large-volume stacking in combination with in-capillary derivatization for enhancing spectrophotometric detection sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis. The method is illustrated by an example dealing with the determination of amino acids with 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate as a labelling agent. Samples are dissolved in water in order to create a stacking process based on differences in the conductivity between this medium and a concentrated running buffer. The in-capillary derivatization is accomplished following a sandwich procedure in which the sample is inserted between two segments of reagent. Amino acid derivatives are obtained and separated in a fused-silica capillary with a sodium borate electrolyte buffer using 2-propanol as an organic modifier. The method is applied to the analysis of amino acids in pharmaceutical and feed samples. A good concordance between the predicted values and those obtained with the standard method is observed, with overall quantification error below 5%. The proposed procedure allows the detection limits sensitivity to be enhanced in 1000-fold with respect to conventional precapillary derivatization.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of phosphoamino acids in phosvitin by N-hydroxysuccinimidyl fluorescein-O-acetate derivatization and capillary zone electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A method was developed for the determination of phosphoamino acids by capillary zone electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence detection (argon ion laser, excitation at 488 nm and emission at 520 nm) using derivatization with N-hydroxysuccinimidyl fluorescein-O-acetate (SIFA). Different variables affecting the derivatization (SIFA concentration, derivatization pH, reaction temperature and reaction time) and the separation (type, pH and concentration of buffer, applied voltage and injection mode) were investigated in detail. The optimized separation conditions were 40 mM boric acid buffer (pH 9.2) for background electrolyte, 25 kV for the separation voltage, 25 degrees C for the capillary temperature and 5 s at 0.5 psi for the sample injection. Under the optimal conditions, the SIFA-labeled phosphoamino acids were fully separated within 7 min. The detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 nM, which are the lowest values reported for capillary electrophoresis (CE) methods. The proposed methodology allowed the rapid, sensitive and selective determination of phosphoamino acids in hen egg yolk phosvitin by the standard addition method. The recovery of these compounds in real sample was 94.0-103.5%. The developed method surpasses previously published CE methods in terms of detection limit, separation time, stability and simplicity of the electrophoretic procedure.     

Analysis of amino acids in individual human erythrocytes by capillary electrophoresis with electroporation for intracellular derivatization and laser-induced fluorescence detection

A method for monitoring amino acids in single erythrocytes is described. For intracellular derivatization, reagent fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was introduced into living cells by electroporation. For an 8 microm erythrocyte, the analytes were diluted by a factor of only 1.6. After completion of the derivatization reaction, a single cell was injected into the separation capillary tip and lysed there. The derivatized amino acids were separated by capillary electrophoresis, followed by laser-induced fluorescence detection. Nine amino acids were quantitatively determined, with amounts of amino acids ranging from 3.8-32 amol/single cell.