Capillary electrophoresis of baclofen with argon-ion laser-induced fluorescence detection

A capillary electrophoretic method with laser-induced fluorescence detection for baclofen (4-amino-3-p-chlorophenylbutyric acid) has been developed. 6-Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester was used for precolumn derivatization of the non-fluorescent drug. Optimal separation and detection were obtained with an electrophoretic buffer of 50 mM sodium borate (pH 9.5) and an air-cooled argon-ion laser (excitation at 488 nm, emission at 520 nm). Linearity (r > or = 0.99) over three orders of magnitude was generally obtained and the lowest derivatizable concentration limit for baclofen in aqueous solution was 10 nM (2 ng baclofen/ml). Coupled with a simple clean up procedure, the method can be applied to the analysis of baclofen in human plasma at micromolar level. Recovery of spiked baclofen in plasma was 95%. The relative standard deviation values on peak size (0.5 microM level) and migration time were 8.2 and 1.0% (n=7), respectively. The limit of detection of baclofen in plasma was 0.1 microM (21 ng/ml).     

Silver-coated gold nanoparticles as concentrating probes and matrices for surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis of aminoglycosides

A novel method for the determination of aminoglycosides by surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI MS) with the aid of silver-coated gold nanoparticles (Au@AgNPs) has been developed. The Au@AgNPs with surface capped by anionic citrate were used as concentrating probes as well as matrices in SALDI MS. Adsorption of aminoglycosides onto the nanoparticles was mainly through electrostatic attraction. The aminoglycoside-adsorbed nanoparticles were directly characterized by SALDI MS after a simple washing. Using Au@AgNPs to preconcentrate the aminoglycosides from 500 μL buffer solution, the limits of detection (LODs) at signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 3, 25, 15, 30, and 38 nM for paromomycin, kanamycin A, neomycin, gentamicin, and apramycin, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the determination of aminoglycosides in human plasma samples. The LODs of aminoglycosides in plasma samples were 9, 130, 81, and 180 nM for paromomycin, kanamycin A, neomycin, and gentamicin, respectively. Recoveries of aminoglycosides in plasma samples were about 80%.     

Analysis of baclofen by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A new analytical method for baclofen (4-amino-3-p-chlorophenylbutyric acid) based on capillary electrophoretic separation and laser-induced fluorescence detection has been developed. Naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde was used for precolumn derivatization of the non-fluorescent drug. Optimal separation and detection were obtained with an electrophoretic buffer of 50 mM sodium borate (pH 9.5) and a He-Cd laser (excitation at 442 nm, emission at 500 nm). Linearity (r > or = 0.99) over three orders of magnitude was generally obtained and the concentration limit of detection was in the nanomolar level. Coupled with a simple cleanup procedure, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of baclofen in human plasma. Recovery of spiked baclofen in plasma was 98%. The relative standard deviation values on peak size and migration time were 7.9% and 0.4%, respectively. The limit of detection of baclofen in plasma was 10 ng/ml.     

Post-column fluorescence derivatization of proteins and peptides in capillary electrophoresis with a sheath flow reactor and 488 nm argon ion laser excitation

We report the use of a sheath flow reactor for post-column fluorescence derivatization of proteins. The derivatization reaction employed naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA) and beta-mercaptoethanol, which were added in the sheath buffer. The labeled proteins were detected by laser-induced fluorescence with an argon-ion laser beam at 488 nm. The performance of this detection scheme was evaluated by separation of some protein standards. A column efficiency of 450,000 plates/m was obtained without stacking. The limits of detection for those standard proteins were determined to be from 8 to 32 nM. Excellent linear relationship was obtained with correlation coefficient of 0.9998 for alpha-lactalbumin concentration ranging from 3.91 x 10(-7) to 1.25 x 10(-5) M. Separation of protein standards at low pH was also demonstrated by reversing the electroosmotic flow (EOF) with addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to the running buffer. Different separation selectivity was achieved, but the sensitivity is poorer than that at high pH. This post-column derivatization detection system was applied successfully to analyze the protein extract from HT29 human colon cancer cells as well as tryptic peptides.     

Determination of catechin isomers in human plasma subsequent to green tea ingestion using chiral capillary electrophoresis with a high-sensitivity cell

A simple and reliable analytical electrophoretic method using chiral capillary electrophoresis (CCE) with a high-sensitivity cell of special design has been established for simultaneous determination of (+)-catechin (C) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) in aqueous and human plasma media. The application of a capillary with high-sensitivity cell has led to an improvement of 10-fold and 5-fold time-corrected peak area over a standard cell and a capillary with bubble cell, respectively. Analysis has involved the electrophoretic separation of C and EC in less than 4.0 min at 210 nm. The running buffer consist of 50.0 mmol L(-1) borate buffer with 1.0 mmol L(-1) beta-cyclodextrin at pH 8.5. CCE system has been proved for its intended use by applying procedure starting from calibration of CE instrument into validation of all experimental parameters. The resolution between catechin isomers under optimal conditions has been found to be more than 3.0. The detection limits of C and EC have been calculated to be 3.2 and 1.0 ng mL(-1), respectively. Good linearity has been obtained with correlation coefficient (r(2)) ranging between 0.995 and 0.996 at 99% confidence level (CL). Application of the proposed method to human plasma after ingestion of green tea has successfully been achieved and has statistically been proved. The unchanged amounts of C and EC in plasma were about 17.4 and 1.8% of the administered dose after 2 h of starting tea ingestion. The detection limits of C and EC in human plasma at 210 nm were 4.1 and 1.5 ng mL(-1), respectively.     

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.     

Determination of thiosulfate, thiocyanate and polythionates in a mixture by ion-pair chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection

A sensitive ion chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of mixtures of thiosulfate, thiocyanate and polythionates (tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexathionate). The proposed method is based on the separation of the sulfur anions on an octadecylsilica (ODS) column with an acetonitrile-water mobile phase containing tetrapropylammonium salt (TPA) as an ion-pairing reagent and the ultraviolet absorption detection of the sulfur anions. When an acetonitrile-water (20:80, v/v) solution (pH 5.0) containing 6 mM TPA was used as a mobile phase at flow-rate of 0.6 ml min(-1), the sulfur anions were resolved within 22 min. The detection limits defined at S/N=3 and 230 nm were very low for all anions, except trithionate: 30 nM for thiosulfate, 60 nM for thiocyanate, 20 nM for tetrathionate, 15 nM for pentathionate and 18 nM for hexathionate. The proposed method gave recoveries ranging from 95.0 to 105.0% when applied to the determination of polythionates added to hot spring waters.     

Determination of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in rat plasma by HPLC with pre-column derivatization and fluorescence detection

Both fluoxetine (FLX) and its N-demethylated metabolite, norfluoxetine (NFLX), have been reported to be potent serotonin-reuptake inhibitors. A sensitive and reliable method that allows simultaneous quantification of their plasma levels would be valuable and was developed in this work. The procedure included extraction of FLX and NFLX from plasma, fluorescence derivatization with 4-(N-chloroformylmethyl-N-methyl) amino-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-COCl), separation of the derivatives on an octadecylsilica column with acetonitrile-water (55:45,v/v) as mobile phase and fluorescence detection with emission at 537 nm and excitation at 478 nm. The calibration curves were linear for FLX and NFLX concentration over the range of 10-1000 nM (r = 0.9992 and r = 0.9997) and the limits of quantitation were 10 nM in 100 micro L of plasma. Precision of intra- and inter-day RSD of less than 12% and accuracy of intra- and inter-day RE within -6.0-13% were achieved. The method described was applied to analysis of the plasma samples from rats treated with FLX hydrochloride and to the pharmacokinetic study.     

Analysis of Phenylpropanolamine by Micellar Electroknetic Chromatography with Laser‐induced Fluorescence Detection

A new analytical method for phenylpropanolamine based on micellar electrokinetic chromatographic separation and laser‐induced fluorescence detection has been developed. Naphthalene‐2,3‐dicarboxaldehyde was used for precolumn derivatization of the nonfluorescent drug. Optimal separation and detection were obtained with an electrophoretic buffer of 50 mM sodium borate (pH 9.5) containing 15 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and a He‐Cd laser (Δ_ex: 442 nm, Δ_em: 500 nm). Linearity (r ≥ 0.99) of two orders of magnitude was generally obtained and the concentration limit of detection was in the ng/mL level. Coupled with a simple cleanup procedure, the method can be applied to the analysis of phenylpropanolamine in human plasma, with a limit of detection at 15 ng/mL. Recovery of phenylpropanolamine from plasma samples was about 90%.     

An integrated electrophoretic mobility control device with split design for signal improvement in liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis of aminoglycosides using a heptafluorobutyric acid containing mobile phase

Electrophoretic mobility control (EMC) was used to alleviate the adverse effect of the ion-pairing agent heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) in the liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) analysis of aminoglycosides. Aminoglycosides separated by LC were directed to a connecting column before their detection via ESI. Applying an electric field across the connecting column caused the positively charged aminoglycosides to migrate toward the mass spectrometer whereas the HFBA anions remained in the junction reservoir, thus alleviating the ion suppression caused by HFBA. To accommodate the flow rate of a narrow-bore column, minimize the effect of electrophoretic mobility on separation, and facilitate the operation, an integrated EMC device with a split design was fabricated. With the proposed EMC device, the signals of aminoglycosides were enhanced by a factor of 5–85 without affecting the separation efficiency or elution order. For the analysis of aminoglycosides in bovine milk, the proposed approach demonstrates a sensitivity that is at least 10 times below the maximum residue limits set by most countries.     

Trace analysis of haloperidol and its chiral metabolite in plasma by capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary zone electrophoresis was developed for the simultaneous determination of haloperidol (HP) and its chiral metabolites [(+)- and (-)- reduced haloperidol, (+)- and (-)-RHP] in human plasma. The method involved the presence of an internal standard and liquid-liquid extraction from plasma. After concentration, the residue from the organic extract was dissolved in aqueous acid for capillary electrophoretic analysis. The background electrolyte was Tris-phosphate buffer with dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin and PEG 6000. In spiked plasma the quantitative ranges were 40-400 nM for HP and 50-500 nM for (+)-RHP or (-)-RHP. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (n = 3) were all < 20% for each substance. The detection limits were found to be 15 ng/ml for HP and 30 ng/ml for both enantiomers of RHP (S/N = 3, injection 20 s). All recoveries were > 70%. We investigated the in vivo metabolism of HP in Chinese schizophrenia patients. The results show that (-)-RHP seems to be the only chiral metabolite from these two HP-dosed patients.     

LC Determination of Thiols Derivatized with 4-(Aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole after SPE

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography?Cfluorescence detection (LC?CFL) was developed for the determination of three thiol compounds including glutathione, cysteine and acetylcysteine. 4-(Aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole was used for derivatization of thiols. Factors affecting derivatization and extraction efficiency were optimized. Sample solution (2?mL) was extracted on a SPE column for 2?min and then eluted with 400???L methanol. The analytes were injected onto the LC system for separation on a C₁₈ column, and eluted with methanol?Cacetate buffer. The analytes were detected by fluorescence at an emission wavelength of 515?nm with excitation at 385?nm. The linearity of the method was in the range of 0.1?C60???M, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9979 to 0.9990. The detection limits of the method were in the range of 5?C20?nM. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of human plasma samples with recoveries of 86?C112.9%.     

Laser-Induced fluorescence detection in conventional-size liquid chromatography with a frequency-doubled argon-ion laser

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection in conventional-size column liquid chromatography is achieved at 257 nm with a frequency-doubled argon-ion laser. Short-wavelength excitation offers two important advantages: firstly, a wide variety of analytes can be excited, and secondly, the Raman scatter of the eluent does not interfere with the fluorescence of the analytes. A standard mixture of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons was studied, both with LIF detection and with a commercially available sensitive conventional fluorescence detector. The improvement in the detection limits ranges from about a factory of 4 to 30; the LIF detection limits are typically at the 50 ng l^?1 level, which corresponds to an injected amount of 0.5 pg.     

Rapid analysis of antimicrobial metabolites monoacetylphloroglucinol and 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol using capillary zone electrophoresis

A rapid capillary electrophoretic (CE) method was developed for the determination of phloroglucinol compounds, monoacetylphloroglucinol (MAPG) and 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), in microbial supernatants of Pseudomonas fluorescens F113 over a 24-h growth cycle. Prior to electrophoretic separation, solid-phase extraction of supernatant samples on octadecylsilica for the purpose of sample cleanup is recommended. The optimum electrophoretic conditions were found to be 25 mM sodium tetraborate running buffer at pH 9.3, temperature at 25 degrees C with an applied voltage of 25 kV. The capillary was an Agilent fused-silica capillary of total length 33 cm x 50 microm inner diameter, 375 microm outer diameter, with effective length 24.5 cm. While MAPG and DAPG were monitored at selected wavelengths in the range of 214-320 nm, analysis at 214 nm was used and a CE separation time of less than 2 min was achieved. A partial method validation study was performed in accordance with European Agency for Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) guidelines. The method displayed linearity over the investigated range of 10-200 microg/mL, with limits of detection of 1.2 microg/mL for MAPG and 1.3 microg/mL for DAPG.     

Utility of nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis for the determination of lidocaine and its metabolites in human plasma: a comparison of ultraviolet and mass spectrometric detection

A nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis/electrospray mass spectrometry method for the separation of lidocaine (LID) and two of its metabolites, monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) and glycinexylidide (GX), has been developed. The separation medium was: 70 mM ammonium formate and 2.0 M formic acid in acetonitrile/methanol (60:40 v/v). With a sheath liquid of methanol/water (80:20 v/v) containing 2% formic acid and positive ion detection, reproducible determinations (8-11% relative standard deviation (RSD)) of lidocaine and its metabolites were performed in spiked human plasma. The limits of detection (LODs) were between 69.1 and 337 nM. The influences of sheath liquid composition, nebulizing gas pressure and drying gas temperature on the separation were examined.     

A sensitive and rapid immunoassay for quantification of testosterone by microchip electrophoresis with enhanced chemiluminescence detection

A sensitive and rapid approach to perform testosterone (T) competitive immunoassay by microchip electrophoresis (MCE) with chemiluminescence (CL) detection was developed. The assay is based on the competitive immunoreactions between T and N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol-labeled T (ABEI-T) with a limited amount of antibody (Ab), and the rapid electrophoretic separation of an equilibrated mixture of ABEI-T-Ab complex and free ABEI-T, followed by CL detection using horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed ABEI-H(2)O(2) system. Free ABEI-T and the ABEI-T-Ab complex are well separated within 30 s under the assay conditions. The developed method could be used to determine T with good precision and a detection limit lower than 1.0 nM. This method was applied for the quantification of T in human serum. The results demonstrated that the current MCE-CL-based competitive immunoassay maybe served as an alternative tool for clinical analysis.     

CZE Determination of Quinolinic Acid in Rat Brain Tissue and Plasma

In this paper, a capillary zone electrophoretic method for the determination of the excitotoxic quinolinic acid in rat brain tissue (cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus, striatum) and plasma samples is described. Optimum separation of the excitotoxic quinolinic acid was achieved with a 14.4 mM boric acid/5.6 mM sodium tetraborate electrolyte solution at pH 8.84. The applied voltage was 30 kV and the capillary temperature was kept constant at 25 °C. The regression equations revealed a good linear correlation between the peak area and the concentration. The method was linear over the concentration range of 0.50 to 600 nM. All correlation coefficients were higher or equal to 0.9998. To optimize the analysis conditions, the effects of electrolyte solution pH, the concentration, and the use of methanol as an organic modifier were systematically studied. The amount of quinolinic acid in the rat brain tissue and plasma under control conditions were found to be: cerebellum 30.2 ± 1.7 nM (mean ± standard deviation); cortex 5.6 ± 0.7 nM; hippocampus 64.2 ± 9.4 nM; striatum 4.3 ± 0.6 nM, and plasma 40.1 ± 2.3 nM. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.47 nM (signal/noise = 3) and 1.58 nM, respectively. The method was successfully applied to quantify quinolinic acid in the rat brain striata under two neurotoxicity models with good repeatability (RSD < 10%) and recovery (98–102%). The proposed analytical method could be useful to clarify the role of quinolinic acid in neurodegenerative entities such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases.     

Determination of kanamycin by electrophoretically mediated microanalysis with in-capillary derivatization and UV detection

An electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) approach, used to perform on-line chemistry between two small molecules, has been characterized and optimized. The plug-plug type EMMA method involved electrophoretic mixing and subsequent reaction of nanoliter plugs of kanamycin-containing samples and 1,2-phthalic dicarboxaldehyde and mercaptoacetic acid within the confines of the capillary column, which acts as a microreactor. Analyses were performed by pressure-injecting a plug of kanamycin sandwiched in two reagent plugs. A potential of 375 Vcm(-1) was then applied to electrophoretically mix the two reactants, and an incubation time of up to 5 min allowed the reaction to proceed prior to the application of a separation potential of 588 Vcm(-1). UV detection was at 335 nm. The background electrolyte was 30 mM sodium tetraborate at pH 10.0, containing 16% of methanol. The method was validated in terms of linearity, limits of quantitation and detection, and precision. The method allows determination of kanamycin in bulk samples as a fully automated procedure.     

Separation of perfluorocarboxylic acids using capillary electrophoresis with UV detection

A capillary electrophoretic method with UV detection for separation and quantitation of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) from C6-PFCA to C12-PFCA has been developed. The optimization of measurement conditions included the choice of the most appropriate type and concentration of buffer in the background electrolyte (BGE), as well as the type and the content of an organic modifier. The optimal separation of investigated PFCAs was achieved with 50 mM phosphate buffer and 40% isopropanol in the BGE using direct UV detection. The optimum wavelength for direct UV detection was optimized at 190 nm. For indirect detection, several chromophores were studied. Five mM 3,5-Dinitrobenzoic acid (3,5-DNBA) in 20 mM phosphate buffer BGE and indirect UV detection at 280 nm gave the optimal detection and separation performance for the investigated PFCAs. The possibility of on-line preconcentration of solutes by stacking has been examined for indirect detection. The detection limits (LODs) determined for direct UV detection ranged from 2 microg/mL for C6-PFCA to 33 microg/mL for C12-PFCA. The LODs obtained for indirect UV detection were comparable to those obtained for direct UV detection.     

Trace analysis of zotepine and its active metabolite in plasma by capillary electrophoresis with solid phase extraction and head-column field-amplified sample stacking

A sensitive high-performance capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with head-column field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) in binary system has been developed for the simultaneous determination of zotepine and its active metabolite, norzotepine, in human plasma. The separation of zotepine and norzotepine was performed using a background electrolyte consisting of 50% ethylene glycol-borate buffer (20mM, pH 8.0) solution with 20% methanol as the running buffer and on-column detection at 200 nm. Under the optimal FASS-CZE condition, good separation with high efficiency and short analysis time is achieved. Several parameters affecting the separation and sensitivity of the drug were studied, including sample matrix, pH and concentrations of the borate buffer, ethylene glycol and methanol. Using clozapine as an internal standard, the linear ranges of the method for the determination of zotepine and norzotepine in human plasma were over 3-100 ng/mL; the detection limits of zotepine and norzotepine in plasma were 2 and 1 ng/mL, respectively. A sample pretreatment by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) with subsequent quantitation by FASS-CZE was used. The application of the proposed method for determination of zotepine and norzotepine in plasma collected after oral administration of 125 mg zotepine in one schizophrenic patient was demonstrated.