Determination of ternary mixtures of penicillin G, benzathine and procaine by liquid chromatography and factorial design study

In the present work, a rapid and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of penicillin G (PG), benzathine (BE) and procaine (PR) in drug and serum media is introduced. The polar hydro-organic (55/45) mobile phases containing an aqueous solution adjusted to pH = 3.7 and an organic solvent (MeOH) including triethylamine (TEA) and trifluroacetic acid (TFA) are used. The flow rate of 1 ml min⁻¹, a C₈ column (150 mm × 46 mm) with 5 μm i.d. and wavelength at 215 nm are selected for optimal separation condition. The limit of detection (LOD), linear concentration range and relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of this method for the PG are 1.1 μg ml⁻¹, 10-2400 μg ml⁻¹ and 1.7% and for the BE are 1.2 μg ml⁻¹, 12-2100 μg ml⁻¹ and 1.8% and for the PR are 1.5 μg ml⁻¹, 20-2000 μg ml⁻¹ and 2%, respectively. The factorial design is used for the determination of main and interaction effects of pH, flow rate and concentration of MeOH, TEA and TFA in the separation at two levels. Also, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) table is obtained. The results show that TFA and TEA have higher effect than concentration of MeOH, pH and flow rate factors.     

Analysis of perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate and iodide in human amniotic fluid using ion chromatography and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Because of health concerns surrounding in utero exposure to perchlorate, we developed a sensitive and selective method for quantifying iodide, as well as perchlorate and other sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) inhibitors in human amniotic fluid using ion chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Iodide and NIS inhibitors were quantified using a stable isotope-labeled internal standards (Cl¹⁸O₄⁻, S¹³CN⁻ and ¹⁵NO₃⁻ with excellent assay accuracy of 100%, 98%, 99%, 95% for perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate and iodide, respectively, in triplicate analysis of spiked amniotic fluid sample). Excellent analytical precision (<5.2% RSD for all analytes) was found when amniotic fluid quality control pools were repetitively analyzed for iodide and NIS-inhibitors. Selective chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry reduced the need for sample cleanup, resulting in a rugged and rapid method capable of routinely analyzing 75 samples/day. Analytical response was linear across the physiologically relevant concentration range for the analytes. Analysis of a set of 48 amniotic fluid samples identified the range and median levels for perchlorate (0.057-0.71, 0.18 μg/L), thiocyanate (<10-5860, 89 μg/L), nitrate (650-8900, 1620 μg/L) and iodide (1.7-170, 8.1 μg/L). This selective, sensitive, and rapid method will help assess exposure of the developing fetus to low levels of NIS-inhibitors and their potential to inhibit thyroid function.     

Simultaneous Separation and Determination of Seven Quinolones Using HPLC: Analysis of Levofloxacin and Moxifloxacin in Plasma and Amniotic Fluid

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of seven quinolones in plasma and amniotic fluid. Experimental designs have been applied for the optimization of the method in order to determine the experimental conditions for maximized resolution and minimized retention time. A total desirability function D that weights the responses together was used to optimize the two different responses simultaneously. The experimental responses were fitted into a second order polynomia. The optimum assay conditions were: 15 mM citrate buffer, pH 3.2, 9% MeCN, 5% MeOH, 5 mM TMAB, 1.5 mL min⁻¹ flow rate and 40 °C column temperature. A simple and efficient solid phase extraction has been applied for preparation of samples. The recovery of quinolones is >95%. The optimized assay condition was validated according to Federal Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines to confirm specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. The method developed has been applied to quantification of levofloxacin and moxifloxacin in amniotic fluid and plasma.

     

MultiSimplex and experimental design as chemometric tools to optimize a SPE-HPLC-UV method for the determination of eprosartan in human plasma samples

A chemometric approach was applied for the optimization of the extraction and separation of the antihypertensive drug eprosartan from human plasma samples. MultiSimplex program was used to optimize the HPLC-UV method due to the number of experimental and response variables to be studied. The measured responses were the corrected area, the separation of eprosartan chromatographic peak from plasma interferences peaks and the retention time of the analyte.The use of an Atlantis dC18, 100 mm × 3.9 mm i.d. chromatographic column with a 0.026% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the organic phase and 0.031% TFA in the aqueous phase, an initial composition of 80% aqueous phase in the mobile phase, a stepness of acetonitrile of 3% during the gradient elution mode with a flow rate of 1.25 mL/min and a column temperature of 35 ± 0.2 °C allowed the separation of eprosartan and irbesartan used as internal standard from plasma endogenous compounds. In the solid phase extraction procedure, experimental design was used in order to achieve a maximum recovery percentage. Firstly, the significant variables were chosen by way of fractional factorial design; then, a central composite design was run to obtain the more adequate values of the significant variables. Thus, the extraction procedure for spiked human plasma samples was carried out using C8 cartridges, phosphate buffer pH 2 as conditioning agent, a drying step of 10 min, a washing step with methanol-phosphate buffer (20:80, v/v) and methanol as eluent liquid. The SPE-HPLC-UV developed method allowed the separation and quantitation of eprosartan from human plasma samples with an adequate resolution and a total analysis time of 1 h.     

Multivariate optimization by exploratory analysis applied to the determination of microelements in fruit juice by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

A method for the direct determination (without sample pre-digestion) of microelements in fruit juice by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry has been developed. The method has been optimized by a 2³ factorial design, which evaluated the plasma conditions (nebulization gas flow rate, applied power, and sample flow rate). A 1:1 diluted juice sample with 2% HNO₃ (Tetra Packed, peach flavor) and spiked with 0.5 mg L^− 1 of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn was employed in the optimization. The results of the factorial design were evaluated by exploratory analysis (Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, HCA, and Principal Component Analysis, PCA) to determine the optimum analytical conditions for all elements. Central point condition differentiation (0.75 L min^− 1, 1.3 kW, and 1.25 mL min^− 1) was observed for both methods, Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, with higher analytical signal values, suggesting that these are the optimal analytical conditions. F and t-student tests were used to compare the slopes of the calibration curves for aqueous and matrix-matched standards. No significant differences were observed at 95% confidence level. The correlation coefficient was higher than 0.99 for all the elements evaluated. The limits of quantification were: Al 253, Cu 3.6, Fe 84, Mn 0.4, Zn 71, Ni 67, Cd 69, Pb 129, Sn 206, Cr 79, Co 24, and Ba 2.1 µg L^− 1. The spiking experiments with fruit juice samples resulted in recoveries between 80 and 120%, except for Co and Sn. Al, Cd, Pb, Sn and Cr could not be quantified in any of the samples investigated. The method was applied to the determination of several elements in fruit juice samples commercialized in Brazil.     

Using subcritical/supercritical fluid chromatography to separate acidic,basic, and neutral compounds over an ionic liquid-functionalized stationary phase

We packed an ionic liquid (IL)-functionalized stationary phase – based on 1-octyl-3-propylimidazolium chloride covalently bounded to silica gel – into a 3.2 mm × 250 mm column for the simultaneous separation of acidic, basic, and neutral compounds using carbon dioxide subcritical/supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and examined the effects of the pressure, temperature, co-solvents, and additives on the retention behavior of the analytes. The model compounds tested for SFC separation are acetaminophen, metoprolol, fenoprofen, ibuprofen, naphthalene, and testosterone. The data indicate that hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions between the analytes and the IL-modified stationary phase seem to involve in the separation process. Simultaneous separation of acidic, basic, and neutral compounds via SFC was successful at a co-solvent content of 20% MeOH, a pressure of 110 bar, and a column temperature of 35 °C. The relative standard deviations of the retention times and peak areas at 50 ppm were all less than 4 and 8% (n = 6), respectively.     

Factorial design for multivariate optimization of an on-line preconcentration system for platinum determination by ultrasonic nebulization coupled to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

A system for on-line preconcentration and determination of platinum by ultrasonic nebulization (USN) coupled to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was studied. It is based on the chemical sorption of platinum on a column packed with polyurethane foam loaded with thiocyanate reagent. The optimization step was carried out using two level full factorial design. Three variables (pH, loading flow rate (LFR) and eluent concentration) were regarded as factors in the optimization. Results of the two level factorial design 2³ with three replicates of the central point for platinum preconcentration, based on the variance analysis (ANOVA), demonstrated that the factors and their interactions are not statistically significant. The proposed procedure allowed the determination of platinum with a detection limit of 0.28 μg l⁻¹. The precision for 10 replicate determinations at 10.0 μg l⁻¹ Pt level was 3.8% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.), calculated from the peak heights obtained. A total enhancement factor of 100 was obtained with respect to ICP-OES using pneumatic nebulization (10 for USN and 10 for preconcentration). A sampling frequency of 50 samples per hour was obtained. The effect of other ions in concentrations agreeing with water samples was studied. The addition/recovery experiments in the samples analyzed demonstrated the accuracy and applicability of the system developed for platinum determination in spiked water samples.     

Hyphenated technique for the extraction and determination of isoflavones in algae: Ultrasound-assisted supercritical fluid extraction followed by fast chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

New hyphenated technique for the extraction and determination of isoflavones in sea and freshwater algae and cyanobacteria was developed. The method consists of sonication sample pretreatment, extraction by supercritical CO₂ modified by 3% (v/v) of MeOH/H₂O mixture (9:1, v/v) at 35 MPa and 40 °C for 60 min, fast chromatography analysis by the means of Agilent 1200 Series Rapid Resolution and MS/MS determination. Agilent 1200 Series RRLC was used with Zorbax SB-CN chromatographic column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, particle size 3.5 μm), 3 μl injection volume, mobile phase consisting of 0.2% (v/v) acetic acid in water (solvent A) and acetonitrile (solvent B) and used with linear gradient (30% B at 0 min, from 0 min to 3 min up to 50% B, from 3 to 6 min up to 80% B and from 6 to 10 min down to 30% B). The flow-rate was 0.4 mL/min, column oven temperature 35 °C. MS detector Agilent Technologies 6460 Triple quadrupole LC/MS with Agilent Jet Stream was used in a negative ESI mode under following conditions: gas temperature 350 °C, gas flow 13 L/min, nebulizer gas pressure 50 psi, sheath gas temperature 400 °C, sheath gas flow 12 L/min, capillary voltage was 4 kV. Samples were analysed in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Eight isoflavone compounds were found for the first time in seven real samples of sea algae and in three control samples of freshwater algae and cyanobacteria. Usual optimisation study of extraction parameters was performed. Pressure and temperature optima for algae matrix are different from those obtained sooner for other matrices for most of the analytes, but the results of modifier optimisation study are in good accordance with those obtained sooner for spiked samples and red clover matrix. It seems that matrix has very small or no effect on the modifier selection. Two different approaches of sonication pretreatment were tested: sonication bath and the thorn instrument. In longer extraction time experiments, thorn sonication was more efficient and recovery of following supercritical fluid extraction was higher.     

Determination of seven arsenic species in seafood by ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry following microwave assisted extraction: method validation and occurrence data

The determination of seven arsenic species in seafood was performed using ion exchange chromatography on an IonPac AS7 column with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection after microwave assisted extraction. The effect of five parameters on arsenic extraction recoveries was evaluated in certified reference materials. The recoveries of total arsenic and of arsenic species with the two best extraction media (100% H₂O and 80% aqueous MeOH) were generally similar in the five seafood certified reference materials considered. However, because MeOH co-elutes with arsenite, which would result in a positively biased arsenite concentration, the 100% H₂O extraction conditions were selected for validation of the method. Figures of merit (linearity, LOQs (0.019-0.075 mg As kg⁻¹), specificity, trueness (with recoveries between 82% (As(III)) and 104% (As(V) based on spikes or certified concentrations), repeatability (3-14%), and intermediate precision reproducibility (9-16%) of the proposed method were satisfactory for the determination of arsenite, monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenate, arsenobetaine and arsenocholine in fish and shellfish. The performance criteria for trimethylarsine oxide, however, were less satisfactory. The method was then applied to 65 different seafood samples. Arsenobetaine was the main species in all samples. The percentage of inorganic arsenic varied between 0.4-15.8% in shellfish and 0.5-1.9% at the utmost in fish. The main advantage of this method that uses only H₂O as an extractant and nitric acid as gradient eluent is its great compatibility with the long-term stability of both IEC separation and ICP-MS detection.     

Approaches for application of sub and supercritical fluid extraction for quantification of orbifloxacin from plasma and milk: Application to disposition kinetics

Since its extensive development in the early 1980s, SFE has attracted considerable attention as a sample-preparation procedure. However, other different sample preparation procedures, including precipitation, liquid- and/or solid-phase extraction in biological fluids, also remain in use. In this investigation, SFE was introduced to isolate and identify orbifloxacin from plasma and milk. Four parameters, including the temperature and the pressure of supercritical fluid, modifier ratios, and dynamic extraction time, were evaluated and optimized to obtain the best yield of the analyte from the biological fluids. Determinations of the orbifloxacin (OBFX) in the extracts were carried out using HPLC-FLD. The optimum conditions of the extraction process that yielded the maximum analyte extraction efficiencies were 150 °C vs. 60 °C, 250 kg cm⁻², 30% vs. 35% methanol, and 40 min vs. 20 min, for plasma and milk, respectively. The linearity of the calibration curves as well as the instrument LODs/LOQs were evaluated. Good linearity (at least r² ≥ 0.999) of the calibration curves was obtained over the range from 0.2 to 0.01 μg mL⁻¹. The method showed a good recovery rate (74.2-127.73%) and precision (RSDs: 1.64-20%). The instrumental LOD and LOQ values were 0.004 μg mL⁻¹ vs. 0.01 μg mL⁻¹ or 0.006 μg mL⁻¹ vs. 0.02 μg mL⁻¹, for plasma and milk, respectively. The method was successfully applied to estimate the pharmacokinetic variables of orbifloxacin in lactating does. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that SFE has been applied to isolate an antimicrobial agent from biological fluids. This method is promising for clinical applications and for pharmacokinetic studies of various pharmaceuticals in biological fluids.     

Simultaneous determination of angiotensins II and 1-7 by capillary zone electrophoresis in plasma and urine from hypertensive rats

We describe the procedure developed for the simultaneous detection and quantification of angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7), by capillary zone electrophoresis with UV detection by photodiode-array, at a wavelength of 200 nm, in the plasma and urine from hypertensive rats. Optimal separation was achieved with a 100 mM boric acid + 3 mM tartaric acid + 10 fM gold (III) chloride electrolyte solution at pH 9.80. The applied voltage was 30 kV and the capillary temperature was kept constant at 20 °C. The method was over the concentration range of 0.01-500 pmol/mL. All determination coefficients were higher or equal to 0.9985. Limits of detection and quantification for angiotensin II were 0.0110 pmol/mL (S/N = 3) and 0.0195 pmol/mL (S/N = 5), respectively. While for angiotensin-(1-7), the limits were 0.0112 pmol/mL (S/N = 3) and 0.0193 pmol/mL (S/N = 5), respectively. The present method offers a time-saving way to simultaneous determination of angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7), since it can be completed in 10 min, compared to other methodologies reported in the literature for capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography, which require more than 1 h for analysis of complex matrices, such as plasma and urine. The procedure is illustrated by experiments that quantify simultaneously angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7) in plasma and urine from hypertensive and normotensive rats, with and without antihypertensive treatment. The levels of angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7) detected in the experimental model, resulted in a recovery of 99.00-106.01% and a reproducibility of less than 10%. The proposed analytical method is a use full tool for the simultaneous detection of angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7) implicated in vascular remodeling in pathologies such as hypertension.     

Optimization of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry with the aid of experimental design for simultaneous determination of heavy metals in natural waters

In this study, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) combined with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was developed for simultaneous preconcentration and trace determination of chromium, copper, nickel and zinc in water samples. Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (Na-DDTC), carbon tetrachloride and methanol were used as chelating agent, extraction solvent and disperser solvent, respectively. The effective parameters of DLLME such as volume of extraction and disperser solvents, pH, concentration of salt and concentration of the chelating agent were studied by a (2^f−1) fractional factorial design to identify the most important parameters and their interactions. The results showed that concentration of salt and volume of disperser solvent had no effect on the extraction efficiency. In the next step, central composite design was used to obtain optimum levels of effective parameters. The optimal conditions were: volume of extraction solvent, 113 μL; concentration of the chelating agent, 540 mg L⁻¹; and pH, 6.70. The linear dynamic range for Cu, Ni and Zn was 1-1000 μg L⁻¹ and for Cr was 1-750 μg L⁻¹. The correlation coefficient (R²) was higher than 0.993. The limits of detection were 0.23-0.55 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviations (RSDs, C = 200 μg L⁻¹, n = 7) were in the range of 2.1-3.8%. The method was successfully applied to determination of Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn in the real water samples and satisfactory relative recoveries (90-99%) were achieved.     

Microwave assisted extraction of soy isoflavones

A fast and reliable analytical method using microwave assisted extraction has been developed. Several extraction solvents (methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH), 30-70% in water and water), temperatures (50-150 °C), extraction solvent volume, as well as the sample size (1.0-0.1 g) and extraction time (5-30 min) were studied for the optimization of the extraction protocol. The optimized extraction conditions for quantitative recoveries were: 0.5 g of sample, 50 °C, 20 min and 50% ethanol as extracting solvent. No degradation of the isoflavones was observed using the developed extraction protocol and a high reproducibility was achieved (>95%).     

On-line solid phase extraction coupled to capillary LC-ESI-MS for determination of fluoxetine in human blood plasma

An instrumental setup including on-line solid phased extraction coupled to capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (SPE-capLC-ESI-MS) has been constructed to improve the sensitivity for quantification of fluoxetine hydrochloride in human plasma. Prior to injection, 0.5 mL of plasma spiked with metronidazole (internal standard) was mixed with ammonium formate buffer for effective chloroform liquid-liquid extraction. The method was validated in the range 5-60 ng mL⁻¹ fluoxetine, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.999 (r²). The within-assay and between-assay precisions were between (8.5 and 11%) and (6.6 and 7.5%), respectively. The method was used to determine the amount of fluoxetine in a healthy male 14 h after an intake of one capsule of the antidepressant and anorectic Flutin^®, which contains 20 mg fluoxetine per each capsule. Fluoxetine was detected, and the concentration was calculated to 9.0 ng mL⁻¹ plasma. In the preliminary experiments, conventional LC-UV instrumentation was employed. However, it was found that employing a capillary column with an inner diameter of (0.3 mm I.D. × 50 mm, Zorbax C₁₈) increased the sensitivity by a factor of ∼100, when injecting the same mass of analyte. Incorporating an easily automated C₁₈ reversed phase column switching system with SPE (1.0 mm I.D. × 5.0 mm, 5 μm) made it possible to inject up to 100 μL of solution, and the total analysis time was 5.5 min.     

Supramolecular interaction of cucurbit[n]urils and coptisine by spectrofluorimetry and its analytical application

The supramolecular interaction of a homologous series of cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n], n = 5, 6, 7, 8) hosts and coptisine (COP) was studied by spectrofluorimetry. All of the CB[n]s were found to react with COP to form 1:1 host-guest stable complexes and the fluorescence intensity of the complexes was greatly enhanced. The apparent association constants of the complexes were 1.44 × 10⁴, 1.28 × 10⁴, 1.86 × 10⁴ and 1.26 × 10⁴ L mol⁻¹ for CB[5], CB[6], CB[7] and CB[8], respectively. In addition, CB[5] and CB[7] exhibited a higher fluorescence signal than CB[6] and CB[8]. The fluorescence intensity of the complex with CB[7] was enhanced 70-fold compared to that of the studied drug itself. Based on the significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity of supramolecular complex, a simple, rapid, highly sensitive, and selective spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of COP in aqueous solution in the presence of CB[7]. At the optimum reaction conditions, a linear relationship was obtained in the range from 0.05 to 1700 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.012 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of the drug in urine and serum samples.     

A new HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and aminothiols in human plasma and erythrocytes using electrochemical detection

A new, simple, economical and validated high-performance liquid chromatography linked with electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) method has been developed and optimized for different experimental parameters to analyze the most common monothiols and disulfide (cystine, cysteine, homocysteine, methionine, reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG)) and ascorbic acid present in human plasma and erythrocytes using dopamine as internal standard (IS). Complete separation of all the targets analytes and IS at 35 °C on Discovery HS C18 RP column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) was achieved using 0.05% TFA:methanol (97:3, v/v) as a mobile phase pumped at the rate of 0.6 ml min⁻¹ using electrochemical detector in DC mode at the detector potential of 900 mV. The limits of detection (3 S/N) and limits of quantification (10 S/N) of the studied compounds were evaluated using dilution method. The proposed method was validated according to standard guidelines and optimization of various experimental parameters and chromatographic conditions was carried out. The optimized and validated HPLC-ECD method was successfully applied for the determination of the abovementioned compounds in human plasma and erythrocytes. The method will be quite suitable for the determination of plasma and erythrocyte profile of ascorbic acid and aminothiols in oxidative stress and other basic research studies.     

Development, validation and application of a SDME/GC-FID methodology for the multiresidue determination of organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides in water

A single-drop microextraction (SDME) procedure was developed for the analysis of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticides in water by gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The significant parameters that affect SDME performance, such as the selection of microextraction solvent, solvent volume, extraction time, and stirring rate, were studied and optimized using a tool screening factorial design. The limits of detection (LODs) in water for the four investigated compounds were between 0.3 and 3.0 μg L⁻¹, with relative standard deviations ranging from 7.7 to 18.8%. Linear response data were obtained in the concentration range of 0.9-6.0 μg L⁻¹ (λ-cyhalothrin), 3.0-60.0 μg L⁻¹ (methyl parathion), 9.0-60.0 μg L⁻¹ (ethion), and 9.0-30.0 μg L⁻¹ (permethrin), with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9337 to 0.9977. The relative recoveries for the spiked water ranged from 73.0 to 104%. Environmental water samples (n = 26) were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and methyl parathion presented concentration up to 2.74 μg L⁻¹. The SDME method, coupled with GC-FID analysis, provided good precision, accuracy, and reproducibility over a wide linear range. Other highlights of the method include its ease of use and its requirement of only small volumes of both organic solvent and sample.     

Rapid analysis of captopril in human plasma and pharmaceutical preparations by headspace solid phase microextraction based on polypyrrole film coupled to ion mobility spectrometry

A rapid, simple, and sensitive headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to ion mobility spectrometry (HS-SPME-IMS) method is presented for analysis of the highly specific angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, captopril (CAP). Positive ion mobility spectra of CAP were acquired with an ion mobility spectrometer equipped with a corona discharge ionization source. Mass-to-mobility correlation equation was used to identify product ions. A dodecylsulfate-doped polypyrrole (PPy-DS) coating was used as a fiber for SPME. The results showed that PPy-DS based SPME fiber was suitable for successfully extracting CAP from human blood plasma and pharmaceutical samples. The HS-SPME-IMS method provided good repeatability (R.S.D.s < 4%) for aqueous and spiked plasma samples. The calibration graphs were linear in the range of 10-300 ng mL⁻¹ (R² > 0.99) and detection limits were 7.5 ng mL⁻¹ for aqueous and 6.3 ng mL⁻¹ for plasma blank samples. Finally, a standard addition calibration method was applied to HS-SPME-IMS technique for the analysis of blood plasma samples and tablets. Purpose method seemed to be suitable for the analysis of CAP in plasma samples as it is not time consuming (state total time from sample preparation to analysis), it required only small quantities of the sample, and no derivatization was required.     

Determination of PAHs in airborne particles by accelerated solvent extraction and large-volume injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A sensitive and automated method is presented for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in airborne particulate matter. The procedure includes extraction of PM10-bound PAHs by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) followed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) clean-up, and large-volume programmable temperature vaporizer (PTV-LV) injection coupled to GC-MS. The limit of detection (LOD) of the whole method, based on a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3:1, ranged from 0.26 pg m⁻³ to 3 pg m⁻³ when air volumes of 760 m³ are collected.The hexane-acetone mixture (1:1, v/v) gave the best recoveries when ASE parameters were fixed at 125 °C, 1500 psi, and a total time of 10 min. The recoveries for all PAHs tested ranged from 96% to 103%, rates similar to those obtained by the Soxhlet reference method.To improve the sensitivity, 70 μL were injected. The PTV-LV injection settings were optimized using a statistical design of experiments, including a screening 2⁴ full factorial design and a further central composite design. A sensitivity increase from 10 to 50 times was achieved as compared with the conventional 2 μL splitless injection.The method was validated with the standard reference material SRM 1649a and applied to real PM10 samples from the monitoring network of the Regional Valencia Government (Spain).The analytical performance of the method shows that it is appropriate to monitor PAHs levels in ambient air according to European Union Directives. In addition, the method can be used when a high sensitivity is required.     

Multivariate calibration applied to the time-resolved chemiluminescence for the simultaneous determination of morphine and its antagonist naloxone

A novel alternative for the simultaneous determination of compounds with similar structure is described, using the whole chemiluminescence-time profiles, acquired by the stopped-flow technique, in combination with mathematical treatments of multivariate calibration. The proposed method is based on the chemiluminescent oxidation of morphine and naloxone by their reaction with potassium permanganate in an acidic medium, using formaldehyde as co-factor. The whole chemiluminescence-time profiles, acquired using the stopped-flow technique in a continuous-flow system, allowed the use of the time-resolved chemiluminescence (CL) data in combination with multivariate calibration techniques, as partial least squares (PLS), for the quantitative determination of both opiate narcotics in binary mixtures.In order to achieve overcoat the additivity of the CL profiles and beside to obtain CL profiles for each drug the most separated as possible in the time, the optimum chemical conditions for the CL emission were investigated. The effect of common emission enhancers on the CL emission obtained in the oxidation reaction of these compounds in different acidic media was studied. The parameters selected were sulphuric acid 1.0 mol L⁻¹, permanganate 0.2 mmol L⁻¹ and formaldehyde 0.8 mol L⁻¹. A calibration set of standard samples was designed by combination of a factorial design, with three levels for each factor and a central composite design. Finally, with the aim of validating the chemometric proposed method, a prediction set of binary samples was prepared. Using the multivariate calibration method proposed, the analytes were determined in synthetic samples, obtaining recoveries of 97-109%.