Establishment of a Fingerprint of Raspberries by LC

To monitor the quality of raspberries, a simple, practicable, and feasible method, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode-array detection, has been developed both for fingerprinting analysis and for quantitative analysis of hyperoside and tiliroside. Compounds were separated on a 4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5-μm particle, C₁₈ column with a mobile phase gradient prepared from acetonitrile and 0.5% (v/v) aqueous glacial acetic acid. The mobile phase flow rate was 1.0 mL min^?1, the temperature 30 °C, the injection volume 10 μL, and the detection wavelength 340 nm. Under the optimum conditions the two compounds could be well separated with good linear relationships between response and amount in the range 0.024–2.380 μg for hyperoside and 0.026–2.570 μg for tiliroside. Recovery of hyperoside and tiliroside was 99.3 and 106.0%, respectively. The standardized chromatographic fingerprint and the similarity of samples were calculated by use of software. Principal-components analysis was used to differentiate and classify 14 samples on the basis of the area of seven common peaks. Combination of chemical fingerprinting and the quantitative method with principal-component analysis may provide a firm basis for further research on quality control of raspberries.     

Green chromatography separation of analytes of greatly differing properties using a polyethylene glycol stationary phase and a low-toxic water-based mobile phase

A simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly HPLC method was developed and validated for the separation of four compounds (4-aminophenol, caffeine, paracetamol, and propyphenazone) with different chemical properties. A “green” mobile phase, employing water as the major eluent, was proposed and applied to the separation of analytes with different polarity on polyethylene glycol (PEG) stationary phase. The chromatography separation of all compounds and internal standard benzoic acid was performed using isocratic elution with a low-toxicity mobile phase consisting of 0.04 % (v/v) triethylamine and water. HPLC separation was carried out using a PEG reversed-phase stationary phase Supelco Discovery HS PEG column (15?×?4 mm; particle size 3 μm) at a temperature of 30 °C and flow rate at 1.0 mL min^?1. The UV detector was set at 210 nm. In this study, a PEG stationary phase was shown to be suitable for the efficient isocratic separation of compounds that differ widely in hydrophobicity and acid–base properties, particularly 4-aminophenol (log P, 0.30), caffeine (log P, ?0.25), and propyphenazone (log P, 2.27). A polar PEG stationary phase provided specific selectivity which allowed traditional chromatographic problems related to the separation of analytes with different polarities to be solved. The retention properties of the group of structurally similar substances (aromatic amines, phenolic compounds, and xanthine derivatives) were tested with different mobile phases. The proposed green chromatography method was successfully applied to the analysis of active substances and one degradation impurity (4-aminophenol) in commercial preparation. Under the optimum chromatographic conditions, standard calibration was carried out with good linearity correlation coefficients for all compounds in the range (0.99914–0.99997, n?=?6) between the peak areas and concentration of compounds. Recovery of the sample preparation was in the range 100?±?5 % for all compounds. The intraday method precision was determined as RSD, and the values were lower than 1.00 %.

Orthogonal Design-Directed Optimization of an LC Method for Fingerprinting Mai-Luo-Ning Injection, and Validation of the Method

A novel hierarchical chromatographic response function (HCRF)-directed orthogonal design procedure has been used for optimization of an high-performance liquid chromatography method for fingerprinting Mai-Luo-Ning (MLN) injection. The method was then successfully validated. Five major controllable chromatographic conditions at four levels were included in the orthogonal design. A total of 16 chromatographic runs resulted in the optimum chromatographic conditions-a 250 × 4.6 mm i.d., 4-μm particle, C₁₈ column, a mixture of methanol and 0.025% aqueous formic acid in water as mobile phase, flow rate 0.8 mL min^?1, column temperature 35 °C, and detection wavelength 240 nm. The mobile phase gradient was then further optimized step by step by observation of the chromatographic profiles obtained. Fingerprints of MLN injection and its constituent single herb injections were separately acquired by use of the optimized method. Attribution of the 18 largest peaks observed in the MLN fingerprint indicated that Flos Lonicerae was the main ingredient. Validation of the method for precision, repeatability, and stability proved it was highly reproducible. This chromatography fingerprint method could be very useful for quality control of MLN injection. The original HCRF-directed orthogonal design approach proposed should be generally useful for developing chromatographic fingerprinting methods.     

A rapid and selective method for simultaneous determination of six toxic phenolic compounds in mainstream cigarette smoke using single-drop microextraction followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Cigarette smoke contains several toxic phenolic compounds, measurements of which are essential from a public health standpoint. This article describes a simple and selective analytical method for quantitative determination of six toxic phenolic compounds (phenol, catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, o-cresol, and p-cresol) from mainstream cigarette smoke using single-drop microextraction in combination with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Single-drop microextraction was applied prior to analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the extraction and preconcentration of target phenolic compounds from raw cigarette smoke extract. The effects of the extraction solvent, sampling time, solution pH, salt addition, sample agitation rate, and temperature on the extraction efficiency were examined and optimized. The identification of each analyte was established by chromatographic retention times, analyte-specific fragmentation patterns, and relative peak area ratios of two product/precursor ion pairs. Analytical parameters such as the detection limit, relative recovery, reproducibility, linearity, and enrichment factor were evaluated under the optimized experimental conditions. 1-Decanol was selected as the extraction solvent and the limits of detection were found to be in the range of 0.05-0.3 ng mL^-1 using an extraction time of 12 min. Gradient chromatographic conditions were optimized for the separation of the six phenolic compounds in a run time of 10 min including reequilibration of the column. The present method for determination of phenolic compounds from mainstream cigarette smoke is simple and specific and shows good reproducibility, with relative standard deviations less than 10 % for all targeted phenolics.

Simultaneous chemical fingerprint and quantitative analysis of Ginkgo biloba extract by HPLC–DAD

A reverse-phase liquid chromatography method with diode array detection was developed to evaluate the quality of Ginkgo biloba extract through establishing chromatographic fingerprint and simultaneous determination of eight flavonoid compounds, namely rutin, myricetin, quercitrin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, apigenin, and isorhamnetin. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent SB-C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5.0 μm) with a gradient elution program using a mixture of methanol and 0.1% formic acid (v/v) as mobile phase within 55 min at 360-nm wavelength. The correlation coefficients of similarity for different batches of G. biloba extract from the same manufacturer and G. biloba extract from different manufacturers were determined from the LC fingerprints, and they shared a close similarity. The eight flavonoid compounds showed good regression (R ² > 0.9995) within test ranges, and the recovery of the method was in the range of 94.1–101.4%. In addition, the content of those eight flavonoid compounds in G. biloba extract prepared by different manufacturers of China was determined to establish the effectiveness of the method. The results indicated that the developed method by having a combination of chromatographic fingerprint and quantification analysis could be readily utilized as a quality control method for G. biloba extract and its related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations.     

A Validated LC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Phenolic, Coumarin and Phthalide Compounds in the Ethanolic Extract of Angelica tenuissima

In this study, an LC method for the simultaneous determination of six bioactive compounds from Angelica tenuissima, namely chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, Z-ligustilide, nodakenin, decursin and decursinol angelate was developed and validated. Chromatographic analysis was carried out on a C₁₈ column with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid, methanol and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min^?1 and the effluent from the column was monitored by UV detector at 325 nm. The excellent linear behavior was observed over the investigated concentration range for reported compounds. The intra- and inter-day precision over the concentration range of compounds were lower than 1.7% (as relative standard deviation), and accuracy was between 97.2 and 106.0%. These results showed that the developed method is accurate, reproducible, and consequently applicable for the quantitation of bioactive components from the ethanolic extract of Angelica tenuissima Nakai.     

Novel Data on the Effect of Tetrahydrofuran as an Organic Co-Modifier in RP-HPLC

The aim of the study was to characterise the unique chromatographic properties of tetrahydrofuran (THF) based on hydrogen-bonding interactions with weakly acidic compounds (pK _a = 7.4–12.48) including steroids with phenolic hydroxyl groups, their substituted derivatives and heterocyclic amides having different polar functional groups (log P = 1.15–4.78). The results suggested that the organic modifier does not simply affect retention by changing the hydrophobicity of eluent, but rather specifically modifies the nature of the analyte–stationary phase interaction. In the water/isopropanol (IPA)/THF eluent mixture THF forms a hydrogen-bonded complex with the phenolic steroid compounds. The apparent formation of the THF–analyte complex depended on the proportion of components in the ternary mobile phase employed (from 70:30:0 to 70:0:30 v/v/v). The weakly acidic model compounds showed an increasing retention time with increasing THF concentration. This effect of THF was found to be a solvent-specific interaction, which was only observed in the presence of IPA. The systematic modification of the phase ratio of organic modifiers exerts a great influence on retention time and changes the separation processes over a wide range. In the case of other protic solvents (methanol, ethanol) we could not observe this selective chromatographic behaviour. From the point of view of chromatographic practice, the use of THF–IPA co-modifiers may increase the selectivity and provide excellent possibilities for separation of weakly acidic compounds including the large family of phenolic compounds.     

LC with Electrochemical Detection for Analysis of Caffeic Acid and Caffeic Acid Phenyl Ester in Propolis

A simple, sensitive, and accurate liquid chromatographic method with electrochemical detection (ECD) has been developed for analysis of caffeic acid and caffeic acid phenyl ester in propolis. ECD is more sensitive than diode-array detection for analysis of the two phenolic compounds. The calibration plots show linearity is good (r ≥ 0.9995) in the ranges tested. Recovery was from 93.5 to 97.4%.     

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

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

Simultaneous Quantification of Two Major Classes of Constituents in Erigeron breviscapus and Its Extract Injection by RP-HPLC

The objective of this research was to establish a simple, practical and efficient method for routine quantitative analysis of Erigeron breviscapus and its extract injection to control their qualities. The reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was adopted to determine simultaneously the contents of two major classes of constituents namely phenolic acids and flavonoids, which were usually ignored in previous studies of E. breviscapus. Under the optimum conditions, three flavonoids including scutellarin, scutellarein and apigenin and four phenolic acids including caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid were successfully separated on a Zorbax SB-C₁₈ column (250 × 4.6 mm I.D., 5.0 μm particle size) at 25 °C. Of the three flavonoids, scutellatin is a flavone glucuronide. The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile and 1.0% (v/v) aqueous acetic acid employing gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1 and the detection wavelength was set at 330 nm. Regression equations revealed good linear relationship between the peak areas of the analytes and their concentrations (r ² > 0.9990). The relative standard deviations of retention time and peak area were less than 0.33 and 1.45%. The intra- and inter-day precisions as determined from sample solutions were below 1.66 and 2.35%. And the recoveries ranged from 96.5 to 101.8%. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the simultaneous quantification of two major classes of constituents in E. breviscapus and its extract injection for the first time.     

Simultaneous Chromatographic Fingerprinting and Quantitative Analysis of Flemingia philippinensis by LC–DAD

To evaluate the quality of Flemingia philippinensis, a validated reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method with diode-array detection has been developed for chromatographic fingerprint analysis and for quantification of genistin, genistein, and 5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-6,8-diprenylisoflavone, the three main bioactive isoflavones. In the fingerprint analysis, 21 chromatographic peaks were selected as characteristic peaks; among these 14 flavonoids were identified on the basis of their retention times and UV spectra. In quantitative analysis, the recovery of the method was in the range 94.5–107.7%, and good linearity (r ² > 0.9990) was observed for all the compounds over a relatively wide range of concentrations. The relative standard deviation of the method was less than 2.5% for intra-day and inter-day assays. The assay was successfully applied to analysis of the three active isoflavones in 19 samples. The results indicated the assay is reproducible and precise and could be used for convenient assessment of the quality of F. philippinensis.     

LC–DAD–MS Determination of the Major Constituents in Radix Angelicae sinensis

Column liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometric detection was developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major constituents in Radix Angelicae sinensis. Sixteen compounds including phthalic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, guaiacol, Z-6,7-epoxyligustilide, senkyunolide F, carvacrol, Z-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide, E-6,7-dihydroxydihydroligustilide, senkyunolide I or senkyunolide H, coniferyl ferulate, sendanelolide, butylphthalide, E-ligustilide, E-butylidenephthalide except guaiacol and carvacrol were identified using online ESI–MS in comparisons with literature data and standard compounds. Nine compounds were quantified by LC–DAD simultaneously. For chromatographic analysis, a Merck C₁₈ column (5 μm, 250 mm × 4.6 mm) with a compatible guard column (C₁₈, 5 μm, 7.5 mm × 4.6 mm) was used. The mobile phase consisted of (A) 0.1% aqueous formic acid and (B) acetonitrile. Ten microliters of each sample solution were injected and eluted at a flow rate of 1 mL min^-1. The column temperature was maintained at 30 °C. The validation of this method proved good linear regression (r ² > 0.9992) within the test ranges, desirable repeatability with overall intra- and inter-day variations of less than 4.91% and well acceptable recoveries varied between 90.91 and 96.73% while the RSDs were below 3.23% (n = 3). The proposed method was successfully applied to the quantification of the nine components in sixteen samples from different localities in China. This assay provides a valid and an overall quality control of Radix Angelicae sinensis.     

LC Analysis of Hexafluorophosphate on a Monolithic Column: Application to the Analysis of Ionic Liquids

A silica-based monolithic column with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide–phthalic acid–acetonitrile as mobile phase has been used for LC analysis of hexafluorophosphate with direct conductivity detection. The effects of mobile phase composition, column temperature, and flow rate on retention of hexafluorophosphate were investigated and the optimum chromatographic conditions were selected. Common anions and tetrafluoroborate did not interfere with analysis of hexafluorophosphate. The detection limit (S/N = 3) for hexafluorophosphate was 6.2 mg L^?1. Relative standard deviation (n = 5) for peak area was 0.1%. The method was successfully used for analysis of hexafluorophosphate in ionic liquids.     

Quality assessment of Panax notoginseng flowers based on fingerprinting using high-performance liquid chromatography–PDA

An HPLC–PDA fingerprint method has been developed for quality control of Panax notoginseng flowers. HPLC separation was performed at 35 °C on a Hypersil ODS column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm); the mobile phase was an acetonitrile–water gradient at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Satisfactory separation of 19 common peaks was achieved within 60 min. Similarity evaluation was performed by use of the professional software “Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine”, and the similarity among 12 batches of samples was no less than 0.93. Results of similarity evaluation confirmed that the quality of P. notoginseng flowers was stable, and that fingerprint analysis enabled precise and efficient quality control of P. notoginseng flowers.     

Study on chemical constituents and fingerprints of Phellodendron amurense Rupr. based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole–time-of-flight–mass spectrometry

The chemical constituents from Phellodendron amurense Rupr. were characterized systematically by ultra-performance liquid chromatography—quadrupole–time-of-flight–mass spectrometry method for collecting mass spectrometry data, and the fingerprints method was established, providing reference for its quality control. The chromatographic column was ACQUITY UPLC BEH-C₁₈ (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm). The mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and the compounds from P. amurense Rupr. were identified by Qualitative Analysis 10.0 software, reference substance, retention time, mass spectrometry fragmentation pattern and database retrieval. Meanwhile, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry fingerprint methods of P. amurense Rupr. and Phellodendron chinense Schneid. were established by using the similarity evaluation system of chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (2012 edition), and the differences were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis methods. A total of 105 compounds were identified, including 102 alkaloids, two phenolic acids, and one lactone compound. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry fingerprint method was established with ideal precision, stability and repeatability, and 12 quality differential markers were recognized between the above two herbs. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method can be used for qualitative analysis of the constituents of Phellodendron amurense Rupr., providing reference for clarifying the material basis and promoting the clinical precision medication and quality evaluation of P. amurense Rupr.     

Simultaneous Determination of Four Active Components in Tobacco Wastes by LC

A liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of four major active components in tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum L.) wastes. Samples were extracted with 70% v/v aqueous methanol, four compounds including chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were identified and determined by using LC coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and LC–UV method, respectively. Separation in LC–UV was on an Alltima C₁₈ column (250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.; 5 μm) with a mobile phase consisting acetonitrile: ammonium acetate buffer (pH 4.5) (5:95 v/v), at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹, detected at 327 nm. Four regression equations showed good linear relationships (r ² > 0.999) between the peak area of each marker and concentration. The method has good repeatability and precision, the intra-day and inter-day RSD for both retention time and peak area was less than 1.0%. The recoveries, measured at three concentration levels, varied from 96.33 to 101.10%. The LOD (S/N = 3) and LOQ (S/N = 6) were less than 0.010 and 0.795 μg·mL⁻¹, respectively. This assay was successfully applied to the determination of four active compounds in ten samples. The results indicated that the developed assay method was rapid, accurate, reliable and could be readily utilized as a quantitative analysis method for various of tobacco wastes.

     

Chiral Separation of Tenatoprazole and Several Related Benzimidazoles by Normal Phase LC Using Amylose-Based Stationary Phase

Simple and efficient analytical LC methods using amylose-based stationary phase Chiralpak AS-H were developed for direct enantioseparation of tenatoprazole and several related benzimidazoles. The chromatographic experiments were performed in the normal phase mode with n-hexane–ethanol–triethylamine (TEA) as mobile phase. The effects of the mobile phase additive, concentration of organic modifiers and column temperature were studied for the enantioseparation. The thermodynamic parameters were also calculated from the van’t Hoff plots. It was found that the enantioseparations were all enthalpy driven. The enantiomers of all compounds were resolved (R _s  > 3.3) within 14 min using n-hexane–ethanol–TEA (20:80:0.1%, v/v/v) as mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.4 mL min^?1 at 40 °C. The optimized method was validated for determination of the enantiomers of tenatoprazole in terms of linearity, precision and accuracy according to ICH guidelines and applied to the assay of tenantoprazole bulk drugs. The proposed method was shown to be accurate and suitable for the quantitative determination of tenatoprazole enantiomers.     

Quantitative Analysis of Phenolic Acids in Extracts Obtained from the Fruits of Peucedanum alsaticum L. and Peucedanum cervaria (L.) Lap

Peucedanum alsaticum L. and Peucedanum cervaria (L.) Lap. are, in common with all species belonging to the Apiaceae family, rich in coumarins and essential oils. Phenolic acids also present in the plant are very important pharmacologically, because of their broad spectrum of biological activity. A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for separation and quantitative analysis of the major phenolic acids in extracts obtained from the fruits of P. alsaticum and P. cervaria. Soxhlet extraction, ultrasound extraction, and accelerated solvent extraction under different conditions were used to find the most efficient extraction conditions. Optimum chromatographic performance was obtained with a C₁₈ column and acetonitrile—1% (v/v) aqueous acetic acid as mobile phase. Ferulic, p-coumaric, caffeic, vanillic, syringic, p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic, chlorogenic, and gallic acids were investigated in the fruits of the plants. For all calibration plots linearity was good (R ² > 0.9991) in the ranges tested. The highest yields of most of the phenolic acids were achieved by use of accelerated solvent extraction. The predominant phenolic acid in the fruits of both plants was chlorogenic acid. The amounts, which depended on the method of extraction, were approximately 146 ± 1.616 and 109.92 ± 3.405 mg per 100 g dry weight for P. cervaria and P. alsaticum, respectively.     

A New LC Method for Determination of Some Aminoglycoside Antibiotics in Dosage Forms and Human Plasma Using 7-Fluoro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole as a Fluorogenic Pre-Column Label

A validated, selective and sensitive pre-column derivatization chromatographic method for determination of some aminoglycoside antibiotics, namely, amikacin (AMK), gentamicin and neomycin sulphates, has been developed. Determination was obtained by pre-column reaction of the samples with 7-fluoro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and separating the corresponding derivatives on a reversed phase LC column (ultrasphere C₁₈, 250 × 4.6 mm) and fluorescence detection (λ _ex 465 nm, λ _em 531 nm). Linear quantitative response curve was generated over a concentration range of 0.05–10 μg mL^?1 with a correlation coefficient of more than 0.999 with all studied compounds. The accuracy and precisions were satisfactory for determination of all drugs in dosage forms within- and between-run assay. Furthermore, the method was extended to the determination of AMK in spiked human plasma. The method is specific for the intact drugs, and can be adopted in the presence of co-formulated drugs.     

Rapid RP-LC Method with Fluorescence Detection for Analysis of Fexofenadine in Human Plasma

A rapid and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for analysis of fexofenadine in human plasma has been developed and optimized. The analytes were extracted from biological samples by solid-phase extraction on hydrophilic–lipophilic balance cartridges. LC separation was performed on a C₁₈ analytical column (125 mm × 4 mm i.d., 5-μm particles) with 42:58 (v/v) acetonitrile–water adjusted to pH 2.7 with 85% orthophosphoric acid as mobile phase. Fluorescence detection was performed with excitation at 230 nm and emission at 290 nm. The total time for chromatographic separation was 7 min. The method was validated in accordance with EU guidelines by analysis of plasma samples fortified with fexofenadine at concentrations between 0.05 and 800 ng mL^?1. Calibration plots were linear in this range. Mean recovery was typically 94.03% and the detection limit was 0.05 ng mL^?1. The time required for quantitative analysis is shorter than that required by other methods.