聚丙烯微孔膜表面肝素化及其对低密度脂蛋白的吸附特性

为了赋予聚丙烯微孔膜(PPMM)选择性吸附低密度脂蛋白(LDL)的能力,发展了一种有效的PPMM表面共价固定肝素的方法.基于紫外引发丙烯酸的接枝聚合,通过碳二亚胺活化,以乙二胺为间隔臂,将肝素共价固定于PPMM表面,获得表面肝素化的PPMM.ATR-FTIR和XPS分析确证了修饰过程中膜表面基团及化学成分的变化.采用静...     

Synthesis and application of boronic acid‐functionalized magnetic adsorbent for sensitive analysis of salbutamol residues in pig tissues

Salbutamol (SAL) is the most widely used β₂‐agonist drug for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary patients, but it is also often abused as feed additive. In recent years, the abuse of SAL has led to a large number of food safety incidents. Therefore, the monitoring of SAL residues in animal products is very important. A highly selective boronate affinity magnetic adsorbent was synthesized and developed for detection of trace levels of SAL residues in pig tissue samples. The obtained Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@FPBA(4‐formylphenylboronic acid) magnetic adsorbent showed good adsorption ability to catechol and SAL, and then it was successfully applied as special magnetic solid‐phase phase extraction adsorbent coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for simultaneous isolation and determination of cis‐diol compounds. The binding capacity of catechol and SAL reached 96 and 50 µmol/g, respectively. The method was successfully established for the detection of trace levels of SAL in pig tissue samples. The linear range extended from 0.32 to 800 µg/kg (R² = 0.9994). The limit of detection of SAL was 0.19 µg/kg. The recoveries were satisfactory (89.5–108.0%) at three spiked levels with RSD between 2.1 and 11.3%. These results indicated that the method has potential for enrichment and detection of trace levels of SAL residual in animal food products. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and adsorption properties of PAA-grafted cellulose adsorbent for low-density lipoprotein from human plasma

A new low-density lipoprotein (LDL) adsorbent with good adsorption performance has been obtained by use of a simple preparation procedure. Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) on to macroporous cellulose beads was performed with cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) as a redox initiator. The effects of initiator concentration, monomer concentration, and reaction time on grafting were examined. In adsorption tests, several factors affecting adsorption of lipoproteins were investigated in detail. In-vitro study showed that this adsorbent could remove total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) at levels of 5.55, 4.46, and 2.48 mg g⁻¹, respectively, from human plasma without substantially affecting high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and total proteins (TP). The adsorbent prepared in this work might be further studied for potential clinical application.     

LC/MS/MS analysis of α‐tocopherol and coenzyme Q10 content in lyophilized royal jelly,beebread and drone homogenate

This study shows the results of application liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for assay of the content of α‐tocopherol and coenzyme Q₁₀ in bee products of animal origin, i.e. royal jelly, beebread and drone homogenate. The biological matrix was removed using extraction with n‐hexane. It was found that drone homogenate is a rich source of coenzyme Q₁₀. It contains only 8 ± 1 µg/g of α‐tocopherol and 20 ± 2 µg/g of coenzyme Q₁₀. The contents of assayed compounds in royal jelly were 16 ± 3 and 8 ± 0.2 µg/g of α‐tocopherol and coenzyme Q₁₀, respectively. Beebread appeared to be the richest of α‐tocopherol. Its level was 80 ± 30 µg/g, while the level of coenzyme Q₁₀ was only 11.5 ± 0.3 µg/g. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Amoxicillin removal from aqueous matrices by sorption with almond shell ashes

The adsorption of the antibiotic amoxicillin at low concentration levels (µg?L^?1 order) from aqueous solution on almond shell ashes has been investigated, either by kinetic or equilibrium assays. The effect of the adsorbent amount, initial concentration of the antibiotic, particle diameter (d_p) and temperature were considered to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. The results showed that amoxicillin sorption is dependent on these four factors. The adsorption process was relatively fast and equilibrium was established in about 12 hours. The optimum parameters for an initial concentration of 450?µg?L^?1 were 50?mg of adsorbent, 303?K and d_p?<?600?µm. A comparison of kinetic models showed that pseudo-second order kinetics provides the best correlation of the experimental data. Isotherm data adjusted better to Langmuir equation, with an adsorption capacity of 2.5?±?0.1?mg?g^?1 at 303?K. The desorption process was also evaluated (maximum efficiency of 5%). Thermodynamic parameters were calculated and the negative value of ΔH⁰ and ΔG⁰ showed that adsorption was exothermic and a spontaneous process.     

Determination of sulfadimethoxine in milk with aptamer‐functionalized Fe3O4/graphene oxide as magnetic solid‐phase extraction adsorbent prior to HPLC

An aptamer (Apt) functionalized magnetic material was prepared by covalently link Apt to Fe₃O₄/graphene oxide (Fe₃O₄/GO) composite by 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N‐hydroxysuccinimide, and then characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and vibration sample magnetometry. The obtained composite of Fe₃O₄/GO/Apt was employed as magnetic solid‐phase extraction adsorbent for the selective preconcentration of sulfadimethoxine prior to analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Under the optimal conditions (sample pH of 4.0, sorbent dosage of 20 mg, extraction time of 3 h, and methanol‐5% acetic acid solution as eluent), a good linear relationship was obtained between the peak area and concentration of sulfadimethoxine in the range of 5.0 to 1500.0 µg/L with correlation coefficient of 0.9997. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) was 3.3 µg/L. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of sulfadimethoxine in milk with recoveries in the range of 75.9‐92.3% and relative standard deviations less than 8.1%. The adsorption mechanism of Fe₃O₄/GO/Apt toward sulfadimethoxine was studied through the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms, and the results show that the adsorption process fits well with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and the adsorbate on Fe₃O₄/GO/Apt is multilayer and heterogeneous.     

Azido chelating fiber: synthesis,characterization and adsorption performances towards Hg2+ and Pb2+ from water

Herein, we report the synthesis and adsorption property of a novel chelating fiber containing azido group. Firstly, the brominated fiber (PP‐St‐DVB‐Br) was obtained via the reaction of polypropylene‐(g)‐styrene‐divinylbenzene fiber (PP‐St‐DVB) with bromine in CH₂Cl₂ solution. Then, azido chelating fiber (PP‐St‐DVB‐N₃) was prepared by azidation of PP‐St‐DVB‐Br fiber. Its structure and properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and chemical titration, respectively. The micromophology and functional group distribution in fibrous matrix were investigated by scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results show that the chelating fiber has high functional group contents (2.11 mmol/g for PP‐St‐DVB‐N₃) and uniform distribution. Different from granulate chelating resin, the novel fibrous adsorbent possesses excellent adsorption ability for Hg(II) and Pb(II) ions (408.9 mg/g for Hg²⁺ and 334.4 mg/g for Pb²⁺), and the adsorption capacity of the fiber has no loss until five cycles. The novel absorbent material shows the potential application prospect in the treatment of heavy metal wastewater. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of mesoporous silica for adsorption of chlordiazepoxide and its determination by HPLC: Experimental design

In this work, mesoporous silica (SBA‐15‐NH₂) was used as an efficient adsorbent for extraction of chlordiazepoxide from different samples based on dispersive nanomaterial‐ultrasound assisted microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The prepared sorbent was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, low‐angle X‐ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and N₂ adsorption‐desorption surface area measurement. Several variables affecting the extraction efficiency of the chlordiazepoxide, including the amounts of adsorbent, time of adsorption, pH and volume of desorption solvent were optimized by central composite design combined with desirability function. The values of variables were set as 10 mg of SBA‐15‐NH₂, 15 min adsorption time, pH = 7.3 and 1 mL methanol. The linear response (0.998) was obtained in the range of 0.006–10 µgmL^?1 with detection limit 0.0014 µg/mL and extraction recovery was in the range of 91–96% with relative standard deviation < 6%.     

Hierarchical structure microspheres of PCL block copolymers via electrospraying as coatings for fabric with mechanical durability and self‐cleaning ability

The various morphology and structure microspheres were fabricated via one‐step single‐solvent electrospraying of hydrophilic and hydrophobic block modified copolymer of polycaprolactone (PCL). A honeycomb‐like hierarchical structure microspheres of PCL‐b‐PTFOA(4h) and abundant nanometer pores of PCL‐b‐PEG400 microspheres were obtained due to the solvent evaporation, thermally and polymer diffusion‐induced phase separation effect. Furthermore, a superhydrophobic coatings and robust superhydrophobic‐coated cotton woven fabric surfaces were prepared by using PCL‐b‐PTFOA(4h) microspheres with hierarchical structure and low surface energy. The contact angle (CA) and sliding angle (SA) of PCL‐b‐PTFOA(4h) microspheres‐coated cotton woven fabric surfaces reached 164.4 ± 5.5° and 6.8 ± 0.5°, respectively, which allows for self‐cleaning. The self‐cleaning test demonstrated that the coated superhydrophobic surface could shed aqueous dyes and dust without any trace. The superhydrophobic‐coated fabric shows good soaping fastness against mechanical abrasion without significant reduction of CA. This electrospraying coating of block copolymers can provide a simple, facile, and promising technique for producing multifunctional textiles.     

Facile preparation of boronic acid‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with a high capacity and their use in the enrichment of cis‐diol‐containing compounds from plasma

The use of bronate affinity adsorbents is a new separation method that appeared recently with great potential for specific extraction of cis‐diol‐containing compounds. In this work,a new strategy for the facile construction of boronic acid‐functionalized Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@FPBA MNPs) with a high capacity was described. The extraction capacity of the Fe₃O₄@FPBA MNPs was determined to be 66.0 ± 2.7 µmol/g for catechol and 80.6 ± 2.0 µmol/g for dopamine, being higher than that for the reported methods. The Fe₃O₄@FPBA MNPs were used to extract four cis‐diol drugs: caffeic acid isopropyl ester, caffic acid bornyl ester, isopropyl 3‐(3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl)‐2‐hydroxypropanoate and 3‐(3, 4‐dihydroxyphenyl)‐2‐hydroxylpropionic acid – from the spiked rabbit plasma, and the recoveries of four drugs were between 87.29 and104.37% with relative standard deviations ranging from 1.34 to 8.81%. Under the most favorable conditions, the solid‐phase extraction combined with HPLC‐UV for the analysis of four drugs in plasma could eliminate interferences from endogenous components of the biological fluids and exhibited sufficient precision and accuracy. These results showed that the prepared Fe₃O₄@FPBA MNPs were qualified for efficiently enriching and determining the trace cis‐diol substances from biological samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of hierarchically structured PCL superhydrophobic membrane via alternate electrospinning/electrospraying techniques

Superhydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL) membranes with hierarchical structure were fabricated via alternate electrospinning/electrospraying techniques. Electrospun PCL/methyl silicone oil (PCL/MSO) nanofibers were employed as substrate. PCL/MSO‐PCL microspheres (PCL/MSO‐PCL_MS) hierarchical membrane was prepared via electrosprayed PCL_MS as an additional layer on the substrate. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed the formation of hierarchical PCL/MSO‐PCL_MS membranes. Compared to pure PCL fibers substrate (120 ± 1.3°), the water contact angle (WCA) of MSO‐modified PCL membrane was 142 ± 0.7°. The most interesting observation was that the WCA of PCL_MS without any modification could be achieved to 146 ± 2.8°. On this basis, PCL/MSO‐PCL_MS hierarchical membrane possessed superhydrophobic surface with 150 ± 0.6° of WCA. The excellent surface roughness and air‐pocket capacity of hierarchical membranes would make the membranes more hydrophobic. The maximum oil (n‐hexane) adsorption capacity of PCL/MSO‐PCL_MS membrane was 32.53 g g^?1. Oil–water separation efficiencies of the superhydrophobic membranes were all higher than 99.93% after 10 cycles. The hierarchically structured PCL superhydrophobic membranes indicate the potential applications of environmentally friendly biopolymers as separation membranes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 421–430     

Quartz crystal microbalance, a valuable tool for elucidation of interactions between apoB-100 peptides and extracellular matrix components

Atherosclerosis has received wide attention as a primary cause of premature death in developed countries. The retention of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles in the intima, the inner layer of the capillaries, has been imputed as the main cause of the development of atherosclerotic plaques. The entrapment of LDL is mainly due to the specific interaction between the lysine-rich site on apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100), a major apolipoprotein of LDL, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as collagen, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Although valuable techniques already exist for studies on apoB-100 and ECM interactions, there is continued need for miniaturized tools that can complement the tools already available and even provide totally new data. This work explores the applicability of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for interaction studies between apoB-100 peptide fragments and various components of the ECM. Two positive peptide fragments, PP and PP₂, and two components of the ECM, collagen I and a selected GAG, chondroitin 6-sulfate (C6S), were immobilized on polystyrene and carboxyl sensor chips. C6S was injected as analyte for PP- and PP₂-coated surfaces, while PP was the analyte for collagen I and C₆S surfaces. The estimated dissociation constant (K _D) indicates that the interactions occur via the positive residues, lysine and arginine, of apoB-100. The continuous-flow QCM system employed in this study is shown to be an excellent tool for the elucidation of interactions between these types of biomolecules.

Electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐based composites using synthesized β‐tricalcium phosphate

Non‐woven hybrid membranes based on poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and as‐synthesized β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) were obtained by the electrospinning technique. A wide range of composition was investigated, the filler content spanning between 2 and 60 wt%. The synthesis of the β‐TCP powder was accomplished by titration of calcium hydroxide with phosphoric acid followed by calcination of the resulting precipitate at 1100°C. The as‐dried calcium phosphate was characterized by Inductive Coupled Plasma (AES‐ICP), thermal analysis (TG‐DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and high temperature X‐ray diffraction analysis (HT‐XRD). The specific surface area (SSA) was evaluated by N₂ adsorption. Microstructure of PCL/TCP membranes was investigated by SEM, energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), XRD analysis, and SSA measurements. The average fiber diameter ranged between 1 and 2 µm, the porosity was 80–90%, and the SSA 16 m²/g. Mechanical properties were determined by uniaxial tensile test. A remarkable enhancement of the tensile modulus was observed for composites containing up to 4 wt% β‐TCP. The ultimate tensile strength ranged between 2 and 3 MPa for samples loaded up to 8 wt%. For most of the samples, the elongation at break was in the range 100–150%. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a liquid chromatography assay for the determination of opicapone and BIA 9–1079 in rat matrices

Opicapone is a novel potent, reversible and purely peripheral third generation catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibitor, currently under clinical trials as an adjunct to levodopa therapy for Parkinson's disease. To support additional nonclinical pharmacokinetic studies, a novel high‐performance liquid chromatographic method coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC‐DAD) to quantify opicapone and its active metabolite (BIA 9–1079) in rat plasma and tissues (liver and kidney) is herein reported. The analytes were extracted from rat samples through a deproteinization followed by liquid‐liquid extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved in less than 10 min on a reversed‐phase C₁₈ column, applying a gradient elution program with 0.05 M monosodium phosphate solution (pH 2.45 ± 0.05) and acetonitrile. Calibration curves were linear (r² ≥ 0.994) within the ranges of 0.04‐6.0 µg/mL for both analytes in plasma, 0.04‐4.0 µg/mL for opicapone in liver and kidney homogenates, and 0.07‐4.0 µg/mL and 0.06‐4.0 µg/mL for BIA 9–1079 in liver and kidney homogenates, respectively. The overall intra‐ and inter‐day accuracy ranged from ?12.68% to 7.70% and the imprecision values did not exceed 11.95%. This new HPLC‐DAD assay was also successfully applied to quantify opicapone and BIA 9–1079 in a preliminary pharmacokinetic study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly efficient removal of toxic lead ions from aqueous solutions using a new magnetic metal‐organic framework nanocomposite

A magnetic metal‐organic framework (MOF) nanocomposite was successfully prepared by a new and green strategy through reasonable design. Magnetic MOF of Fe₃O₄‐NHSO₃H@HKUST‐1 nanocomposite use for removal of lead ions as an environmental pollutant. The experimental results indicated that the nano adsorbent of Fe₃O₄‐NHSO₃H@HKUST‐1 can removed lead ions under optimum operational conditions. The dosage of the nanocomposite, pH of the sample solution, and contact time were obtained to be 10 mg, 7.0, and 90 min, respectively, while the initial concentration of Pb(II) ions of 400 mg/L was used. A kinetic study indicated that a pseudo‐second‐order model agreed well with the experimental data. The isotherm experiments revealed that the Langmuir model attained better fits to the equilibrium data than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for the removal of lead under the optimum operational conditions of pH 7.0 and temperature 25°C was found to be 384.6 mg/g. The thermodynamic parameters indicate that the adsorption of lead is spontaneous and endothermic. The magnetic MOF nanocomposite could be recovered easily and reused many times without significant loss of its nano‐adsorbent activity. The proposed method is simple, eco‐friendly, low cost, and efficient in the removal of lead ions from aqueous solutions.     

Synthetic and antimicrobial studies on new gold(I) complexes of imidazolidin‐2‐ylidenes

Six new 1,3‐diorganylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene (NHC) gold(I) complexes of the type [Au(NHC)₂]⁺ (1–6), were synthesized by reacting [AuCl(PPh)₃] with 1,3‐dimesitylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene or bis(1,3‐dialkylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene). The complexes 1–6 were fully characterized by elemental analyses and spectroscopic data. The placement of mesityl or para‐substituted benzyl groups on the nitrogen atoms of the ring of the complexes leads to the particularly active antibacterial agents evaluated in this work. It is worth noting that the p‐methoxybenzyl derivative (2) inhibited the growth of Pseudomona aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 3.12 µg ml^?1, 6.25 µg ml^?1, 3.12 µg ml^?1 and 3.12 µg ml^?1 respectively. In contrast, the analogous p‐dimethylaminobenzyl derivative (3) is effective only against Escherichia coli (MIC = 3.12 µg ml^?1). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polypyrrole as an adsorbent for solid‐phase extraction of warfarin from human plasma and urine

The aim of this work was to develop a method for the clean‐up and preconcentration of warfarin from biological sample employing a new molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as a selective adsorbent for solid‐phase extraction (SPE). This MIP was synthesized using warfarin as a template, pyrrole as a functional monomer and vinyl triethoxysilane as a cross‐linker. The molar ratio of 1:4:20 (template–functional monomer–cross‐linker) showed the best results. Nonimprinted polymers (NIPs) were prepared and treated with the same method, but in the absence of warfarin. The prepared polymer was characterized by Fourier transmission infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. An adsorption process (SPE) for the removal of warfarin using the fabricated MIPs and NIPs was evaluated under various conditions. Effective parameters on warfarin extraction, for example, type and volume of elution solvent, pH of sample solution, breakthrough volume and maximum loading capacity, were studied. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.0035–0.0050 µg mL^?1. Linearity of the method was determined in the range of 0.0165–10.0000 µg mL^?1 for plasma and 0.0115–10.0000 µg mL^?1 for urine with coefficients of determination (R²) ranging from 0.9975 to 0.9985. The recoveries for plasma and urine samples were >95%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel adsorptive materials by adenosine 5ʹ‐triphosphate imprinted‐polymer over the surface of polystyrene nanospheres for selective separation of adenosine 5ʹ‐triphosphate biomarker from urine

In this study, we have developed a method to assess adenosine 5?‐triphosphate by adsorptive extraction using surface adenosine 5′‐triphosphate‐imprinted polymer over polystyrene nanoparticles (412 ± 16 nm) for selective recognition/separation from urine. Molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized by emulsion copolymerization reaction using adenosine 5′‐triphosphate as a template, functional monomers (methacrylic acid, N‐isopropyl acrylamide, and dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate) and a crosslinker, methylenebisacrylamide. The binding capacities of imprinted and non‐imprinted polymers were measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection with a detection limit of 1.6 ± 0.02 µM of adenosine 5′‐triphosphate in the urine. High binding affinity (Q_MIP, 42.65 µmol/g), and high selectivity and specificity to adenosine 5′‐triphosphate compared to other competitive nucleotides including adenosine 5?‐diphosphate, adenosine 5?‐monophosphate, and analogs such as adenosine, adenine, uridine, uric acid, and creatinine were observed. The imprinting efficiency of imprinted polymer is 2.11 for urine (Q_MIP, 100.3 µmol/g) and 2.51 for synthetic urine (Q_MIP, 48.5 µmol/g). The extraction protocol was successfully applied to the direct extraction of adenosine 5′‐triphosphate from spiked human urine indicating that this synthesized molecularly imprinted polymer allowed adenosine 5′‐triphosphate to be preconcentrated while simultaneously interfering compounds were removed from the matrix. These submicron imprinted polymers over nano polystyrene spheres have a potential in the pharmaceutical industries and clinical analysis applications.     

Determination of Anagliptin in Serum by Mixed-Hemimicelle Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction with Surfactant-Coated Iron(II,III) Nanocomposites and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Magnetic solid-phase extraction based on the adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was used to isolate the new hypoglycemic drug anagliptin in human and mouse serum before determination by high-performance liquid chromatography. The magnetic adsorbent was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the zeta potential. The factors affecting the extraction performance such as the type of surfactant, the amount of adsorbent and sodium dodecyl sulfate, pH of solution, time and temperature of adsorption and elution, and eluent type were examined. Under the optimized conditions, the adsorbent could be reused for six times and the efficiency of extraction or elution was over 95.0%. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.050–4.00?µg?mL^?1, with detection limits of 0.021 and 0.023?µg?mL^?1 for human and mouse serum, respectively. The recovery values of 92.0–99.1% (human serum) or 94.8–105.7% (mouse serum) illustrated the accuracy of the proposed method. Moreover, it may be the first time that this extraction method has been used to determine anagliptin in biological liquids.     

Malva sylvestris L. extract suppresses desferrioxamine‐induced PGE2 and PGD2 release in differentiated U937 cells: the development and validation of an LC‐MS/MS method for prostaglandin quantification

Malva sylvestris is a species used worldwide as an alternative to anti‐inflammatory therapies; however, its mechanism of action remains unknown. In this paper, the anti‐inflammatory effects of M. sylvestris alcoholic extracts were evaluated by measuring the pro‐inflammatory mediators PGE₂ and PGD₂ in desferrioxamine‐stimulated phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate‐differentiated U937 cells. An HPLC‐DAD fingerprint of the M. sylvestris extract was performed and caffeic acid, ferulic acid and scopoletin were identified and quantified. An HPLC‐MS/MS method was developed and validated to separate and measure the prostaglandins. The lower limits of detection (~0.5 ng/mL for PGE₂ and PGD₂) and quantification (1.0 ng/mL for PGE₂ and PGD₂) indicated that the method is highly sensitive. The calibration curves showed excellent coefficients of correlation (r > 0.99) over the range of 1.0–500.0 ng/mL, and at different levels, the accuracy ranged from 96.4 to 106.4% with an RSD < 10.0% for the precision study. This method was successfully applied using U937‐d cells. A significant dose‐dependent reduction of PGE₂ and PGD₂ levels occurred using 10 µg/mL (10.74 ± 2.86 and 9.60 ± 6.89%) and 50 µg/mL of extract (48.37 ± 3.24 and 53.06 ± 6.15%), suggesting that the anti‐inflammatory mechanisms evoked by M. sylvestris may be related to modulation of these mediators. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.