Separation of phospholipid classes by hydrophilic interaction chromatography detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A new isocratic separation method was developed for separation of phospholipid (PL) classes based on a silica hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) column with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometric detection. Although HILIC is typically used for polar compounds, also amphiphilic molecules like phospholipids can be separated very well. Compared to normal-phase (NP) chromatography, which is usually used for PL class separation, HILIC has the advantage to use on-line ESI-MS detection because its eluents are ESI compatible. Furthermore, this HILIC method is isocratic and hence less time consuming than most (gradient) NP HPLC methods. A chromatographic baseline separation of a standard mixture containing phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) was achieved within a total run time of 17 min using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, methanol and ammonium acetate 10 mM. The new method was subsequently tested on phospholipid fractions of a body fluid (human blood plasma) and a tissue extract (swine brain) whereby it achieved nearly the same baseline separation of the PL classes. The detected classes in both cases were PE, PC, SM and LPC.     

Anion separations for liquid chromatography using propylpyridinium silica as the stationary phase

This work describes the characterization and potential applications of a silica-based anion-exchange phase prepared by a two-step modification process that incorporates a propylpyridinium group. The effects of pH and eluent concentration on anion separation were examined using 150 mm × 3.9 mm HPLC columns packed with the new phase. The mobile phase pH values ranged from 3.8 to 6.6 using phthalic acid/Tris solutions. The best separation was achieved using 2.5 mmol L⁻¹ phthalate/2.4 mmol L⁻¹ Tris solution at pH 4.2 as mobile phase with non-suppressed conductivity detection. The new stationary phase was used for the separation of some inorganic and organic anions showing good resolution. The stability of the silica-based anion exchange phase was also evaluated.Analytical curves, for concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 10 mg L⁻¹ for the inorganic anions chloride, nitrite, bromide and nitrate, showed good linear correlations (r > 0.998). The method was tested with certified rainwater samples. The measured and certified values were in good agreement, indicating that the new phase holds significant promise for the analysis of these anions in environmental samples.     

Simultaneous determination of amounts of major phospholipid classes and their fatty acid composition in erythrocyte membranes using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography.

A method for the simultaneous determination of amounts of major phospholipid classes and their fatty acid composition in erythrocyte membranes is described. The method consists in extraction of phospholipids from erythrocyte membranes, separation of phospholipid classes by high-performance liquid chromatography, methylation of phospholipids and determination of phospholipid-bound fatty acids by capillary gas chromatography. The amounts of phospholipid classes are calculated from the total weight of phospholipid-bound fatty acids and their average molecular weights. The method was applied to erythrocytes from rats. The results show that the method is reproducible and is useful for the determination of amounts of phospholipid classes and their fatty acid composition in small blood samples.     

A new device for magnetic stirring-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of UV filters in environmental water samples

A new method based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for the analysis of UV filters. A specially designed flask, which has two narrow open necks with one of them having a capillary tip, was employed to facilitate the DLLME process. By adopting such a device, the extraction and subsequent phase separation were conveniently achieved. A binary solvent system of water sample and low-density extraction solvent (1-octanol) was used for the DLLME and no disperser solvent was involved. The extraction was accelerated by magnetic agitation of the two phases. After extraction, phase separation of the extraction solvent from the aqueous sample was easily achieved by leaving the extraction system statically for a while. No centrifugation step involving in classical DLLME was necessary. The analyte-enriched phase, floating above the sample solution, was elevated and concentrated into the narrow open tip of the flask by adding pure water into it via the other port, which was withdrawn with a microsyringe for the subsequent HPLC analysis. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection for the analytes were in range of 0.2-0.8 ng mL⁻¹ .The linearity ranges were 8-20,000 ng mL⁻¹ for HB, 7-20,000 ng mL⁻¹ for DB, 8-10,000 ng mL⁻¹ for BP and 5-20,000 ng mL⁻¹ for HMB, respectively. Enrichment factors ranging from 59 to 107 folders were obtained for the analytes. The relative standard deviations (n = 3) at a spiked level of 80 ng mL⁻¹ were between 1.4 and 4.8%. The proposed magnetic stirring-assisted DLLME method was successfully applied to the analysis of lake water samples.     

Fast separation of antiviral nucleoside phosphoramidate and H-phosphonate diastereoisomers by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The nucleoside-based antiviral phosphoramidates and H-phosphonates were synthesized and separated using reversed-phase liquid chromatography on bridged ethane hybrid (BEH) C₁₈ column packed with 1.7 μm particles of non-chiral stationary phase. The influences of the composition of mobile phase and column temperature have been investigated to optimize the diastereoisomeric separation. Complete separations of the phosphoramidate and H-phosphonate prodrugs with good resolution (R_S = 1.99–2.77) were achieved within a short time (5–9 min). The validation study of the optimized method including linearity, accuracy, repeatability and detection limit has revealed it is better performance versus conventional HPLC method. In addition, HPLC was combined with high resolution electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF MS), which enabled the exact mass measurement and high sensitivity. Using MS as detection, the limits of detection and limits of quantification of the studied pronucleotide diastereoisomers were determined in the range of several nmol L⁻¹ level.     

Efficient method for (lyso)phospholipid class separation by high-performance liquid chromatography using an evaporative light-scattering detector

A simple high-performance liquid chromatography method with evaporative light-scattering detection has been devised in order to separate and quantify the major phospholipid and lysophospholipid classes. HPLC analyses were performed with a diol-silica column and ternary gradient elution. Standard curves were drawn up for each of the (lyso)phospholipids involved.     

Separation and quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography with light scattering detection of the main wheat flour phospholipids during dough mixing in the presence of phospholipase

Phospholipids (PL) are minor components of wheat flour involved in baking quality and exogenous phospholipids are used as emulsifiers giving better loaf volume and crumb grain. Few biochemical data are available on the phospholipid evolution during mixing, probably because of the time-consuming methods proposed for their extraction, separation and quantification. In the present study, the extraction, separation and quantification of the main wheat flour phospholipids were carried out. Total lipids (2% dry mass of wheat flour) were extracted from flour or dough by a mixture of chloroform-methanol-water (1:1:1 (v/v)). The phospholipids were separated from the lipid extract on silica cartridge by solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure under a 1.5-4 mmHg vacuum, at a 0.8 mL min(-1) flow rate (1 mmHg = 133.322 Pa). The recovery of the lipid extract was 100%, whereas the SPE yield for the PLs was 50%. The resulting fraction was then submitted to HPLC with evaporative light scattering detection on a Diol stationary phase allowing the separation and quantification of each class of phospholipids, in less than 16 min. The developed method allowed to quantify the phospholipid amounts from eight wheat flours as well as their evolution during mixing in the presence of phospholipase.     

An Improved Method for the Separation and Quantification of Major Phospholipid Classes by LC-ELSD

An improved HPLC procedure for the separation of phospholipids is described. The method described utilizes a solvent mixture of acetonitrile-methanol–water-trifluoroacetic acid (100:25:1.7:2.5, v/v) as the mobile phase, which is more compatible with the pump than mobile phases containing inorganic acids. Separation was by isocratic elution on a Hypersil silica column coupled to an evaporative light scattering detector. Complete separation of phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) was achieved in less than 20 min. The detection limits for PS, PE, PC and SM were 50, 50, 80 and 150 ng (S/N = 3), respectively. Human, bovine and porcine erythrocyte ghost membranes and animal tissues have been successfully analyzed for their phospholipid contents.     

Determination of sibiromycin and its natural derivatives using new analytical and structural approaches

A new separation and quantification method using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with UV detection was developed for the detection of sibiromycin in fermentation broth of Streptosporangium sibiricum. The solid phase extraction method based on cation-exchange was employed to pre-concentrate and purify fermentation broth containing sibiromycin prior to UHPLC analysis. The whole assay was validated and showed a linear range of detector response for the quantification of sibiromycin in a concentration from 3.9 to 250.0 μg mL⁻¹, with correlation coefficient of 0.999 and recoveries ranging from 71.66 ± 3.55% to 74.76 ± 5.18%. Method limit of quantification of the assay was determined as 0.18 μg mL⁻¹ and was verified with resulting RSD of 9.6% and accuracy of 97.6%. The developed assay was used to determine the sibiromycin production in 12 different fermentation broths. Moreover, several natural sibiromycin analogues/derivatives were described with pilot characterization using off-line mass spectrometry: the previously described dihydro-sibiromycin (DH-sibiromycin) and tentative bis-glycosyl forms of sibiromycin and its dihydro-analogue.     

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography profiles of human high-density lipoprotein phospholipids

A simple and fast micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was developed to investigate phospholipids isolated from human high-density lipoproteins (HDL). To optimize the MEKC conditions, several factors including bile salt concentration and organic modifier concentration in the separation buffer as well as temperature have been examined. The optimal separation buffer chosen was a mixture of 50 mM bile salts, 30% v/v 1-propanol and 10 mM sodium phosphate (pH 8.5). The applied voltage and temperature selected were 25 kV and 40°C, respectively. Meanwhile, high-salt stacking has been performed for sample pre-concentration to enhance peak sensitivity. Several factors including organic modifier concentration and salt concentration in the sample matrix as well as sample injection time have been optimized. The optimal sample buffer selected was a mixture of 100 mM NaCl and 20% 1-propanol, and the optimal sample injection time selected was 32 s under a pressure of 0.5 psi. Several phospholipid standards including lysophosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl choline (PC), sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidic acid have been studied using the optimal MEKC method. The MEKC profile of the mixed phospholipid standards showed good separation and reproducibility. The linear ranges for PC and sphingomyelin were 0.025-1.2 and 0.025-2.0 mg/mL, respectively. The concentration limits of detection of PC and sphingomyelin were 0.0156 and 0.0199 mg/mL, respectively. Using phosphatidic acid as an internal standard, precision and accuracy have been measured for PC and sphingomyelin. The intraday and interday quantitative analysis showed good results. The new MEKC method has been used to characterize native, in vitro oxidized and glycated human HDL phospholipids within 16 min. At absorbance 200 nm, two similar peaks were observed for native and oxidized HDL phospholipids, but three peaks were observed for glycated HDL phospholipids. Interestingly, at absorbance 234 nm, distinctively different MEKC profiles were observed for the three HDL phospholipids.     

Determination of phospholipids in dairy products by SPE/HPLC/ELSD

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of different methods for both milk lipid extraction and phospholipids separation. As far as the lipid extraction procedure is concerned, the Folch method showed a higher phospholipid recovery with respect to the Rose-Gottlieb method. Different SPE cartridges and solvent phases were tested to carry out the separation of phospholipids from fat. The yield of extraction was evaluated by isolating phospholipids from both milk fat and synthetic fat; Standard Addition Method was applied as well. The isolation of the phospholipids by SPE silica column and subsequent analysis by HPLC/ELSD was shown to be an accurate and reproducible analytical method for the determination of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin in milk fat extracted by Folch method.     

Development and validation of a ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-UV method for the detection and quantification of erectile dysfunction drugs and some of their analogues found in counterfeit medicines

Pharmaceutical counterfeiting is a permanently growing problem. Control laboratories are constantly analysing counterfeit medicines. In industrialised countries, one of the main counterfeited class of medicines are erectile dysfunction drugs. This paper describes the development and validation of a fast method to detect and quantify the three authorised phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and five analogues. The method is based on the use of a sub-2 microns polar-embedded column with a gradient using acetonitrile as organic modifier and 10 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH 3.5) as aqueous component of the mobile phase. The separation was achieved in less than 4.5 min. The method has also been compared to the registered HPLC method for the assay of Viagra^® which was considered as the reference method. The method is also compatible with on-line coupling mass spectrometry and will significantly reduce analysis times and solvent consumption.     

Fast cation-exchange separation of proteins in a plastic microcapillary disc

A novel disposable adsorbent material for fast cation-exchange separation of proteins was developed based on plastic microcapillary films (MCFs). A MCF containing 19 parallel microcapillaries, each with a mean internal diameter of 142 μm, was prepared using a melt extrusion process from an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). The MCF was surface functionalised to produce a cation-exchange adsorbent (herein referred as MCF-EVOH-SP). The dynamic binding capacity of the new MCF-EVOH-SP material was experimentally determined by frontal analysis using pure protein solutions in a standard liquid chromatography instrument for a range of superficial flow velocities, u_LS = 5.5–27.7 cm s⁻¹. The mean dynamic binding capacity for hen-egg lysozyme was found to be approximately 100 μg for a 5 m length film, giving a ligand binding density of 413 ng cm⁻². The dynamic binding capacity did not vary significantly over the range of u_LS tested. The application of this novel material to subtractive chromatography was demonstrated for anionic BSA and cationic lysozyme at pH 7.2. The chromatographic separation of two cationic proteins, lysozyme and cytochrome-c, was also performed with a view to applying this technology to the analysis or purification of proteins. Future applications might include separation based on anion exchange and other modes of adsorption.     

An improved SPE method for fractionation and identification of phospholipids

This work reports an efficient and universal SPE method developed for separation and identification of phospholipids derived from complex biological samples. For the separation step, sequential combination of silica gel‐aminopropyl‐silica gel SPE cartridges is applied. This setup enables separation of phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, cardiolipin, and sphingomyelin into four fractions according to the polarity of their headgroups. Sample acquisition of the SPE fractions is performed by a high‐resolution LC‐MS system consisting of a hybrid linear IT Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer coupled to RP‐HPLC. The unequivocal advantage of our SPE sample preparation setup is avoidance of analyte peak overlapping in the determination step done by RP‐HPLC. Overlapping phospholipid signals would otherwise exert adverse ion suppression effects. An additional benefit of this method is the elimination of polar and nonpolar (e.g. neutral lipids) contaminants from the phospholipid fractions, which highly reduces contamination of the LC‐MS system. The method was validated with fermentation samples of organic waste, where 78 distinct phospholipid and sphingomyelin species belonging to six lipid classes were successfully identified.     

The use of a new,modified Dittmer–Lester spray reagent for phospholipid determination by the TLC image analysis technique

A new phospholipid‐specific spray reagent is described. A new phospholipid‐specific spray reagent, which is a modification of the Dittmer–Lester reagent, is described in authors' studies. The difference between these two reagents is in the addition of tin (II) chloride to the proposed spray reagent. The use of the described spray reagent together with an image analysis technique allows not only for qualitative, but also for quantitative, determination of major phospholipid classes. Separation of phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) was conducted on an HPTLC plate with a mixture of chloroform, methanol and 25% ammonia solution in a volume ratio of 65:25:4 as mobile phase. The calibration curves were linear in the ranges of 5.0–25.0, 1.5–15.0 and 1.0–20.0 µg/spot for PC, PS and PE, respectively. The use of the new spray reagent resulted also in lower limits of detection than the standard molybdenum method for the investigated phospholipids. The proposed method was used to determine the amount of PS in the dietary supplement ‘Session’, and of PS, PE and PC in biological samples, with good results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cost effective,robust, and reliable coupled separation techniques for the identification and quantification of phospholipids in complex biological matrices: Application to insects

The quantification of phospholipid classes and the determination of their molecular structures are crucial in physiological and medical studies. This paper's target analytes are cell membrane phospholipids, which play an important role in the seasonal acclimation processes of poikilothermic organisms. We introduce a set of simple and cost‐effective analytical methods that enable efficient characterization and quantification of particular phospholipid classes and the identification and relative distribution of the individual phospholipid species. The analytical approach involves solid‐phase extraction and high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography, which facilitate the separation of particular lipid classes. The obtained fractions are further transesterified to fatty acid methyl esters and subjected to gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detection, which enables the determination of the position of double bonds. Phospholipid species separation is achieved by high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, which gives information about the headgroup moiety and attached fatty acids. The total content of each phospholipids class is assessed by phosphorus determination by UV spectrophotometry. The simultaneous analysis of phosphorus, fatty acid residues, and phospholipid species provides detailed information about phospholipid composition. Evaluation of these coupled methods was achieved by application to an insect model, Pyrrhocoris apterus. High correlation was observed between fatty acid compositions as determined by gas chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis.     

A modified supported bilayer/diblock polymer--working towards a tunable coating for capillary electrophoresis

A surfactant bilayer/diblock polymer coating was previously developed for the separation of proteins. The coating consisted of a mixture of the cationic surfactant dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) and the neutral polymer poly-oxyethylene (POE) 40 stearate (Journal of Chromatography A 1130 (2006) 265–271). Herein an improved method of generating DODAB/POE stearate coatings is demonstrated, which yields more predictable EOF, more stable coatings, greater average efficiencies and easier method development. In this sequential preparation method the DODAB is first flowed through the capillary, followed by a flow of the POE stearate (sequential method). A tunable EOF (−2.40 to −0.17 × 10⁻⁴ cm²/Vs) is achieved by varying the POE chain length (8, 40 and 100 oxyethylene units). Mixtures of POE 8 and POE 40 stearate enabled continuous variation in EOF from −2.44 to −0.42 × 10⁻⁴ cm²/Vs. Separations of basic proteins yielded efficiencies of 760 000–940 000 plates/m. Coatings formed using the sequential method were more stable over a larger number of runs (%RSD for migration times: 0.7–1.0% over 30 runs) than those formed using the original mixed method (%RSD: 2.4–4.6% over 14 runs). The ability to tune the EOF is important in maximizing the resolution of analytes with similar electrophoretic mobilities. Histone proteins are separated on a sequentially coated capillary with resolution of nine possible subtypes. Acidic proteins are separated on a sequentially coated capillary at pH 6.4.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis for U(VI) and short chain carboxylic acid sorption studies on silica and rutile

Capillary zone electrophoresis was used to study the uranyl and short chain carboxylic acid sorption on silica and rutile. The separation and the simultaneous determination (in a single run) of a number of short chain carboxylic acids (oxalic, formic, acetic and propionic) and U(VI) with direct UV detection is developed for the analysis of solutions after the sorption experiments. The reverse polarity mode is used (the injection is performed at the negative end). The matrix effect of Si(IV) (possible silica dissolution product) and perchlorate (added for constant ionic strength in sorption experiments) on the separation of U(VI) and organic acids is investigated. The influence of methanol addition in carrier electrolyte on the separation selectivity of given analytes is also studied. Under the chosen conditions (carbonate buffer (ionic strength of 0.1 M), pH 9.8, 0.15 mM of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, 25% (v/v) of methanol) the calibration curves are plotted. They are linear in two ranges of concentration from ∼1 × 10⁻⁵ to ∼1 × 10⁻³ M for oxalate, acetate, propionate, U(VI) and ∼1 × 10⁻⁴ to ∼1 × 10⁻³ for formate. The accuracy of the procedure is checked by the “added-found” method in simulation solutions. The relative standard deviations of the concentrations found are within the range of 1-10% and the recovery is in the range of 90-115%. This method is applied for the analysis of aqueous samples issued from sorption experiments on silica and rutile. The obtained results indicate that the given organic acids decrease uranium sorption both on silica and rutile. These experiments demonstrate that short chain carboxylic acids can influence the mobility and the chemistry of U(VI) in the environment.     

Fesoterodine stress degradation behavior by liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In the present study, a rapid validated stability-indicating LC method was established and comprehensive stress testing of fesoterodine was carried out according to ICH guidelines. Fesoterodine was subjected to stress conditions of acid and basic hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal decomposition. The degradation products formed under stress conditions were investigated by LC-UV and LC-ESI-MS. Successful separation of the drug from its degradation products was achieved on a monolithic C₁₈ column (100 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) maintained at 45 °C using acetonitrile-methanol-0.03 mol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate (pH 3.8) (30:15:55, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 2.4 mL min⁻¹ and the detection wavelength was 208 nm. Validation parameters such as specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness were evaluated. Chromatographic separation was obtained within 2.5 min and it was suitable for high-throughput analysis. Fragmentation patterns of degradation products formed under different stress conditions were studied and characterized through LC-ESI-MS fragmentation. Based on the results, a drug degradation pathway was proposed, and the validated LC method was successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of fesoterodine in tablet dosage forms, helping to improve quality control and to assure therapeutic efficacy.     

Kinetic catalytic determination of trace levels of iodide based on the oxidation of basic dyes with hydrogen peroxide monitored potentiometrically using simple PVC electrodes

Four sensitive catalytic potentiometric methods have been developed for trace levels determination of iodide based on its catalytic effects on the oxidation of four dyes: viz. variamine blue (VB), rhodamine B (RB), methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG), with H₂O₂ in H₃PO₄ medium at 25 ± 0.5 °C. The catalyzed reaction rates were estimated potentiometrically by monitoring the potential of the corresponding dye-PVC ion selective electrodes. To select the optimized reaction conditions offering the highest sensitivity of the method, parallel studies were carried out on each dye catalyzed reaction including: the effect of reactant concentration, reaction medium and temperature. The working calibration curves were linear over the concentration range from 0.32 to 2.54 mg L⁻¹ iodide for VB method and from 3.2 to 12.7 mg L⁻¹ for other ones. The tolerance limits of more than 20 interfering species were listed indicating the high selectivity of the method. Trace iodide in edible salt and pharmaceutical samples was determined without the need for separation or preconcentration procedures.