Determination of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in clinical samples using capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection

A method for the determination of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in urine and serum samples with capillary electrophoresis using capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-C(4)D) was developed. The optimized separation buffer consisting of 20 mM of arginine, 10 mM of maleic acid and 30 microM of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) contained 5 mM vancomycin to facilitate the separation of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid from beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), which is also present in clinical samples. The detection limits in the clinical samples were found to be about 2 microg/ml, which is well below the required sensitivity for the recognition of overdosage and adequate for the determination of endogenous concentrations in urine. The determination of GHB in both types of samples was carried out directly after a fourfold dilution without requiring any derivatization or extraction procedures.     

Determination of benzylsuccinic acid in gasoline-contaminated groundwater by solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Benzylsuccinic acid (BSA) and methylbenzylsuccinic acid (methyl-BSA) are unambiguous biotransformation products resulting from anaerobic toluene and xylene biodegradation, respectively. A solid-phase extraction method based on polystyrene-divinylbenzene sorbent was developed for the quantitative BSA determination in groundwater samples as an alternative to liquid-liquid extraction. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used for separation and detection. The recovery from spiked 11 groundwater samples was 88 to 100%. The precision of the method, indicated by the relative standard deviation, was +/- 4% and the method detection limit was 0.2 microg/l. The concentration of BSA and methyl-BSA in groundwater samples from anaerobic BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes)-contaminated sites ranged from below the detection limit (3 microg/l) to 155 microg/l.     

Study of catecholamines in patient urine samples by capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary zone electrophoresis with photodiode array detection at 220 nm was used for analysis of catechol compounds in human urine. The method was optimized with reference compounds 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, normetanephrine, dopamine, dopac (homogensitic acid), methanephrine, vanillyl-mandelic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid and 3-methoxytyramic acid at pH 4.0 and 8.0 for their electrophoretic separation. The UV spectra of the catechols were detected at a concentration of 20 microM. Repeatability of the method calculated using the absolute migration times of the catechols was below 1.5% and using the peak areas below 5%. The patient samples were hydrolyzed by 0.5 M acid or base solutions. In the studies, a few patient samples were analyzed using 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine as an internal standard. In the hydrolysis steps needed for their detection in urine, all the other catecholamines, except 5-HIAA, did not decompose to detectable species at 220 or 254 nm. The concentrations of the catecholamines observed in real samples were at nM levels.     

Simultaneous determination of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, caffeine, theobromine and theophylline in food and pharmaceutical preparations by ion chromatography.

A novel ion chromatographic method was proposed for the simultaneous determination of artificial sweeteners (sodium saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K), preservatives (benzoic acid, sorbic acid), caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. The separation was performed on an anion-exchange analytical column operated at 40 degrees C within 45 min by an isocratic elution with 5 mM aqueous NaH2PO4 (pH 8.20) solution containing 4% (v/v) acetonitrile as eluent, and the determination by wavelength-switching ultraviolet absorbance detection. The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio 3:1) for all analytes were below the sub-microg/ml level. Under the experimental conditions, several organic acids, including citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and ascorbic acid, did not interfere with the determination. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of various food and pharmaceutical preparations, and the average recoveries for real samples ranged from 85 to 104%. The levels of all analytes determined by this method were in good agreement with those obtained by the high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure. The results also indicated that ion chromatography would be possibly a beneficial alternative to conventional high-performance liquid chromatography for the separation and determination of these compounds.     

Rapid method for determination of radiostrontium in emergency milk samples

A new rapid separation method for radiostrontium in emergency milk samples was developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Environmental Bioassay Laboratory (Aiken, SC, USA) that will allow rapid separation and measurement of radiostrontium within 8 hours. The new method uses calcium phosphate precipitation, nitric acid dissolution of the precipitate to coagulate residual fat/proteins and a rapid strontium separation using Sr Resin (Eichrom Technologies, Darien, IL, USA) with vacuum-assisted flow rates. The method is much faster than the previous method that use calcination or cation-exchange pretreatment, has excellent chemical recovery, and effectively removes beta-interferences. When a 100 mL sample aliquot is used with a 20 minute count time, the method has a detection limit of 0.5 Bq·L⁻¹, well below generic emergency action levels.     

高效液相色谱法同时测定多种食品添加剂

 采用反相高效液相色谱法 ,一次进样、同时测定食品中的人工合成甜味剂 (糖精钠、安赛蜜、甜味素 )、防腐剂(苯甲酸、山梨酸 )、咖啡因、可可碱和茶碱。以AlltechEconosphereC18柱 (15 0mm× 4 6mmi.d .,3μm)为分离柱 ,10mmol/LNaH2 PO4 (pH 4 0 0 ) 乙腈 (体积比为 90∶10 )为流动相 ,采用二极管阵列检测器进行检测。整个分离过程在 2 3min内完成。样品平均加标回收率为 78 5 %～ 10 7 2 %。     

高效液相色谱电生Mn(Ⅲ)化学发光法检测人体血清和尿样中的卡托普利

设计了一个HPLC在线电生Mn(Ⅲ)化学发光检测器, 实现在线电化学反应, 从而产生反应活性很高的初生态氧化剂Mn(Ⅲ), 并与色谱柱后CP混合产生化学发光. 同时还能够根据需要调节电极反应和发光反应两者的介质, 满足柱后发光反应的最佳环境. 在优化流动相和化学发光检测条件的基础上, 将该检测器应用于人体血清和尿液中CP的测定.     

Quantification of D/L-aspartic acids in Aplysia californica central nervous system by beta-cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

In presence of an organic modifier (e.g. methanol), separation of amino acid enantiomers tagged with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde by beta-cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography was dramatically improved. Coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection, the method was well suited for analysis of D/L-amino acid enantiomers present in mass/volume-limited biological samples such as cell clusters. The five major ganglia dissected from the central nervous system of Aplysia californica, a widely used neuronal model, were analyzed to determine D- and L-aspartic acid enantiomers both free and bound in proteins/tissue matrix. The analyses revealed high levels of free D-aspartic acid ranging from 0.13 to 0.82 micromol/g wet tissue (or 6.0-21.2% of the total free aspartic acid) in all of the five ganglia. However, no D-aspartic acid was detected bound in protein/tissue matrix. The content of free D-aspartic acid in the liver tissue was also found below the detection limit of the method, which was 1 x 10(-8) M.     

Selective separation and determination of primidone in pharmaceutical and human serum samples using molecular imprinted polymer-electrospray ionization ion mobility spectrometry (MIP-ESI-IMS)

Application of electrospray ionization ion mobility spectrometry (ESI-IMS) as the detection technique for separation method based on molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) was investigated and evaluated. The method is exhaustively validated, including sensitivity, selectivity, recovery, reproducibility, and column capacity. The linear dynamic range of 0.02-2.00 μg mL⁻¹ was obtained for primidone analysis with ESI-IMS. The recovery of drug analyzed was calculated to be above 90% and the relative standard deviation (RSD), was below 3% for all experiments. Various real samples were analyzed with the coupled techniques, and the results obtained revealed the efficient clean-up of the samples using MIP separation before the analysis by ESI-IMS as a detection technique.     

Determination of acrylamide and methacrylamide by normal phase high performance liquid chromatography and UV detection

A method using normal phase high performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) with UV detection was developed for the analysis of acrylamide and methacrylamide. The method relies on the chromatographic separation of these analytes on a polar HPLC column designed for the separation of organic acids. Identification of acrylamide and methacrylamide is approached dually, that is directly in their protonated forms and as their hydrolysis products acrylic and methacrylic acid respectively, for confirmation. Detection and quantification is performed at 200 nm. The method is simple allowing for clear resolution of the target peaks from any interfering substances. Detection limits of 10 microg L(-1) were obtained for both analytes with the inter- and intra-day RSD for standard analysis lying below 1.0%. Use of acetonitrile in the elution solvent lowers detection limits and retention times, without impairing resolution of peaks. The method was applied for the determination of acrylamide and methacrylamide in spiked food samples without native acrylamide yielding recoveries between 95 and 103%. Finally, commercial samples of french and roasted fries, cookies, cocoa and coffee were analyzed to assess applicability of the method towards acrylamide, giving results similar with those reported in the literature.     

Determination of chlormequat in fruit samples by liquid chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry.

An ion-pair liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of chlormequat in fruit samples. A solid-phase extraction cleanup procedure with C18 cartridges was used. Sample preparation was simple and the achieved detection limit (0.03 mg/kg) and quantitation limit (0.08 mg/kg) were below the maximum residue levels legislated by the European Union. The chromatographic separation was performed by using a C8 column and heptafluorobutyric acid as ion pair reagent. The detection was conducted with an electrospray source and an ion trap as a mass analyzer. The reproducibility of the method gave good run-to-run (8-9%) and day-to-day (9-13%) precision values, and its applicability to the determination of chlormequat in pears and grapes, purées, and pear, apple, and grape juices was demonstrated.     

Optimization of the experimental conditions for macrolide antibiotics in high performance liquid chromatography by using response surface methodology and determination of tylosin in milk samples

The simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatographic separation of five macrolides (tilmicosin, erythromycin, tylosin, roxithromycin and josamycin) widely used in food producing animals was developed. Response surface methodology was used as an optimization method of mobile phase, column temperature and pH to provide the best resolution of these analytes. The separation was performed by using an end-capped X-Terra RP-18 column (250 × 4.6 mm I.D × 5 m) with an isocratic system of 15 mM hydrochloric acid (pH 2.5)-acetonitrile as the mobile phase at a temperature of 30°C and flow-rate of 1.0 mL/min. The suitability of the method for multi-residue determination of the macrolides is demonstrated by the analysis of milk samples spiked with tylosin. Roxithromycin was used as internal standard. The recovery of tylosin was quite good as 90.8%. The limit of quantification and detection limit were 0.024 and 0.007 μg/mL, respectively. The method was successfully applied to determination of macrolides at levels below the maximum concentration legally allowed in milk samples.     

Determination of pharmaceuticals classified as emerging pollutants using capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection

A study on the simultaneous separation of 13 pharmaceutical products by capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection was presented. The parameters of the background electrolyte, such as pH, organic additives as well as types and concentrations of cyclodextrins (CD) were studied. The optimal separation conditions were achieved with a background electrolyte consisting of 9 mM Tris/5 mM lactic acid at pH 8.0, containing 5% n-propanol, 0.025% gamma-CD, 0.075% hydroxyl-beta-CD and 0.15% dimethyl-beta-CD. Limits of detections ranged from 61 to 1676 microg/L (S/N=3) and the relative standard deviations for migration time and peak area were below 2 and 6%, respectively. This demonstrated the potential of the capillary electrophoresis-capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection method for biomedical and environmental analysis, as shown in the determination of pharmaceuticals identified as emerging pollutants in water samples.     

Determination of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples by Micellar liquid chromatography

A method for the separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by high-performance liquid chromatography using a hybrid micellar mobile phase is described. The detection of PAHs was carried out using the fluorescence method with programmable excitation and emission wavelength. The method is applied to the analysis of several environmental samples (sea water, sediments, limpets, sea worms) and several of these compounds are quantitated at concentration below 70 ng L⁻¹(kg⁻¹) in the original samples.     

Determination and quantification of astragalosides in Radix Astragali and its medicinal products using LC–MS

In the present study, a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the separation and simultaneous quantification of astragalosides I–IV in samples of Radix Astragali and a medicinal product thereof (Jinqi Jiangtang tablets). Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse XDB (ODS)‐C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.05% formic acid aqueous solution by use of an efficient 17‐min program. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in positive ionization mode with multiple reaction monitoring for the detection of four astragalosides. The saponin ginsenoside Rg1 (similar structure to astralagosides) was used as an internal standard. All calibration curves showed excellent linear regressions (r² ? 0.9912) within the range of tested concentrations. The intra‐ and inter‐day variations were below 4.57% in terms of RSD. The recoveries were 94.38–103.53% with RSD of 1.39–3.58% for spiked Radix Astragali samples. The method was successfully used for the analysis of samples of Radix Astragali and Jinqi Jiangtang tablets. In conclusion, we have developed a rapid, efficient, and accurate LC–MS/MS method for the detection of astragalosides, which can be applied for quality control of Radix Astragali and related medicinal products.     

Highly sensitive and accurate profiling of carotenoids by supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

We attempted to establish a high‐speed and high‐resolution profiling method for a carotenoid mixture as a highly selective and highly sensitive detection method; the analysis was carried out by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). When an octadecyl‐bonded silica (ODS) particle‐packed column was used for separation, seven carotenoids including structural isomers were successfully separated within 15 min. This result indicated not only improved separation but also improved throughput compared to the separation and throughput in RP‐HPLC. The use of a monolithic ODS column resulted in additional improvement in both the resolution and the throughput; the analysis time was reduced to 4 min by increasing the flow rate. Furthermore, carotenoids in biological samples containing the complex matrices were separated effectively by using several monolithic columns whose back pressure was very low. The mass spectrometer allowed us to perform a more sensitive analysis than UV detection; the detection limit of each carotenoid was 50 pg or below. This is the first report of carotenoid analysis carried out by SFC‐MS. The profiling method developed in this study will be a powerful tool for carrying out accurate profiling of biological samples.     

Screening of seized cocaine samples using electrophoresis microchips with integrated contactless conductivity detection

This study describes the development of a new analytical method for the separation and detection of cocaine (COC) and its adulterants, or cutting agents, using microchip electrophoresis (ME) devices coupled with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C⁴D). All the experiments were carried out using a glass commercial ME device containing two pairs of integrated sensing electrodes. The running buffer composed of 20 mmol/L amino‐2‐(hydroxymethyl) propane‐1,3‐diol and 10 mmol/L 3,4‐dimethoxycinnamic acid provided the best separation conditions for COC and its adulterants with baseline resolution (R > 1.6), separation efficiencies ranging from (2.9 ± 0.1) to (3.2 ± 0.2) × 10⁵ plates/m, and estimated LOD values between 40 and 150 μmol/L. The quantification of COC was successfully performed in four samples seized by the Brazilian Federal Police Department and all predicted values agree with values estimated by the reference method. Some other interfering species were detected in the seized samples during the screening procedure on ME–C⁴D devices. While lidocaine was detected in sample 3, the presence of levamisole was observed in samples 2 and 4. However, their concentrations were estimated to be below the LOQ. ME–C⁴D devices have proved to be quite efficient for the identification and quantification of COC with errors lower than 10% when compared to the data obtained by a reference method. The approach herein reported offers great potential to be used for on‐site COC screening in seized samples.     

Determination of caffeine and associated compounds in food, beverages, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

A method is described for quantitating caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, paracetamol, propyphenazone, acetylsalicylic acid, salicylic acid, and codeine phosphate in corresponding real samples of food, beverages, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic preparations by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. The separation is carried out at 25 degrees C and 25 kV, using a 20mM phosphate buffer (pH 9.0), 80mM sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 7.5% (v/v) acetonitrile. UV detection is at 210 nm. The method is shown to be specific, accurate (recoveries over the range 98.9-101.2%), linear over the tested range (correlation coefficients >/= 0.9993), and precise (relative standard deviation below 2.1%). The method is applied for the quantitative analysis of these compounds in different foods, beverages, natural products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic products.     

Automated capillary liquid chromatography for simultaneous determination of neuroactive amines and amino acids

A method for the separation and quantitative determination of neuroactive amino acids (aspartate, glutamate, citrulline, arginine, glycine, taurine, gamma-aminobutyric acid) and neuroactive amines (noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin) in a single chromatographic analysis is presented. The method is based on pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde and tert.-butyl thiol, on-column preconcentration and separation using 50 microns I.D. packed capillary columns, and detection by amperometry. Mass limits of detection are 80-900 amol for all neurotransmitters with RSDs of 0.71 and 4.6% or better for retention time and peak area, respectively. The method was demonstrated by application to the determination of neurotransmitters in microdialysis samples collected from striatum of live rats and tissue samples extracted from butterfly brains.     

Enantiomeric reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography resolution of D-/L-penicillamine after spirocyclization with ninhydrin and by using copper(II)-L-proline complex as a chiral selector in the mobile phase

A new HPLC method by fluorescence or UV/vis absorbance detection has been developed for the separation and quantification of penicillamine stereoisomers after their spirocyclization with ninhydrin. The separation was performed on an achiral C18 column by isocratic elution with a copper(II)-l-proline complex as a chiral selector in the mobile phase. The method was able to detect traces of l-penicillamine in samples of d-penicillamine below 0.1% in fairly short times (about 16min) with a good resolution (R(s)=1.31). On the whole, the method was found to be stable and useful in the quality control of the bulk material and formulations.