A pre-enrichment procedure using diethyldithiocarbamate-modified TiO2 nanoparticles for the analysis of biological and natural water samples by ICP-AES

In this article, a new method that utilizes a diethyldithiocarbamate-modified nanometre TiO₂ (TiO₂–DDTC) as solid-phase extractant has been developed for simultaneous preconcentration of trace Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) prior to measurement by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The separation/preconcentration conditions of analytes, which include the effects of pH, sample flow rate and volume, elution conditions, and interfering ions on the recovery of the analytes, were investigated. At pH 5, the adsorption capacity of modified nanometre TiO₂–DDTC was found to be 6.2, 19, 4.7, and 6.0?mg/g for Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II), respectively. According to the definition of IUPAC, the detection limits (3σ) of this method for Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) were 0.41, 1.7, 0.39, and 0.52?ng/mL, respectively. The proposed method achieved satisfied results when applied to the determinations of trace Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) in biological and natural water samples.     

Tripodal chelating ligand-based sensor for selective determination of Zn(II) in biological and environmental samples

Potassium hydrotris(N-tert-butyl-2-thioimidazolyl)borate [KTt^t-Bu] and potassium hydrotris(3-tert-butyl-5-isopropyl-l-pyrazolyl)borate [KTp^t-Bu,i-Pr] have been synthesized and evaluated as ionophores for preparation of a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane sensor for Zn(II) ions. The effect of different plasticizers, viz. benzyl acetate (BA), dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), tributyl phosphate (TBP), and o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (o-NPOE), and the anion excluders sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB), potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl)borate (KTpClPB), and oleic acid (OA) were studied to improve the performance of the membrane sensor. The best performance was obtained from a sensor with a of [KTt^t-Bu] membrane of composition (mg): [KTt^t-Bu] (15), PVC (150), DBP (275), and NaTPB (4). This sensor had a Nernstian response (slope, 29.4 ± 0.2 mV decade of activity) for Zn²⁺ ions over a wide concentration range (1.4 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻¹ mol L⁻¹) with a limit of detection of 9.5 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹. It had a relatively fast response time (12 s) and could be used for 3 months without substantial change of the potential. The membrane sensor had very good selectivity for Zn²⁺ ions over a wide variety of other cations and could be used in a working pH range of 3.5–7.8. The sensor was also found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media and could be successfully used for estimation of zinc at trace levels in biological and environmental samples. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A routine method for the analysis of mononitro-PAH in immission and emission samples

Summary A routine method for the identification and quantification of mononitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples has been developed. Micro-scale liquid-liquid partition between dimethylformamide and cyclohexane and HPLC on normal-phase silica gel columns are used for clean-up of samples. This preconcentration scheme is time-saving and uses a minimal amount of solvents. Identification and quantification are performed by GC/ECD and GC/MS in the selected ion monitoring mode. The analytical scheme has been optimized under use of standard substances by variation of several parameters in different steps of the analysis. The method was applied to the NBS Reference Material SRM 1649 Urban Dust, to urban air samples from the city of Vienna as well as to combustion emissions.

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Eine Routinemethode zur Immissions- und Emissionsmessung von Mononitro-PAH

Zusammenfassung Es wurde eine Routinemethode zur Identifizierung und Quantifizierung von mononitrierten polycyclischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen in Umweltproben entwickelt. Zur Vortrennung der Proben wurde eine Flüssig-flüssig-Verteilung im Mikromaßstab zwischen Dimethylformamid und Cyclohexan und eine HPLC-Auftrennung an Silicagel-Säulen angewandt. Diese Aufarbeitungsmethode erwies sich gleichzeitig als zeit- und lösungsmittelsparend. Die Identifizierung und Quantifizierung der Nitro-PAHs erfolgt mittels GC/ECD und GC/MS im selected ion monitoring-Modus. Der Analysenvorgang wurde unter Verwendung von Standardsubstanzen durch Änderung der verschiedensten Parameter in den einzelnen Analysenschritten optimiert. Praktisch angewandt wurde die vorliegende Methode schließlich zur Untersuchung von Proben des Standardstaubs NBS Standard Reference Material SRM 1649 Urban Dust, von Stadtluft an einer verkehrsreichen Kreuzung in Wien und von Emissionen verschiedener Holzverbrennungsanlagen.

     

A study of sample mineralization methods for arsenic analysis of blood and urine by hydride generation and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Mineralization procedures for blood and urine suitable for the determination of arsenic by Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HGAAS) are studied on model samples, and the results are utilized in biological monitoring investigations. The objective of this work is to obtain good total As recoveries for both matrices regardless of added As species (As(III), As(V), DMA, MMA, AsB, or AsC). Prior to the HGAAS analyses, preparation procedures were controlled under optimised conditions by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Two preparation procedures for urine give As recoveries close to 100% by HGAAS: a) dry ashing at 420°C with Mg(NO₃)₂ on a hot plate, and b) microwave oven decomposition with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈. For blood samples, As recoveries by HGAAS range between 95 and 108% for all species when using dry ashing after a pretreatment of samples with HNO₃ and H₂O₂ in a microwave oven. Wet digestion with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ in a microwave oven gives recoveries very near 100% for As _inorg. and MMA. For other As species in spiked blood samples, recoveries of less than 20% As are found. Precision and detection limits obtained by both techniques are evaluated as well. For arsenic concentrations of 20 μg dm⁻³ or more in blood and urine, a chemical modifier is recommended for GFAAS analysis; it may or may not be proceeded by a mineralization step. For low As levels encountered in the unexposed population, the HGAAS technique provides reliable results only if a very complete mineralization procedure is used.     

A direct quantitative analysis method for monitoring biogenic volatile organic compounds released from leaves of Pelargonium hortorum in situ

A direct quantitative method is presented that is based upon the use of multiple headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) to monitor biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) released from a living leaf of Pelargonium hortorum in situ. Seventeen BVOCs were detected by GC-MS after a single SPME extraction using a CAR/DVB/PDMS fibre. An internal standard was employed to determine the absolute amounts of seven terpenoid compounds released from a P. hortorum leaf. The quantitative analysis was performed over two days, with extraction preformed for 20 min every 3 h. The amount of volatiles extracted varied with the time of day, with two maxima recorded at 14:00 (day 1) and 17:00 (day 2), corresponding to 236 and 277 ng of the seven terpenoids recorded, respectively. These results indicate that multiple HS-SPME in combination with an internal standard is a simple, quick, and quantitative technique for analysising BVOC emissions from a live plant sample.     

A comprehensive chemoselective and enantioselective 2D-HPLC set-up for fast enantiomer analysis of a multicomponent mixture of derivatized amino acids

A feasibility study on the fast enantioselective two-dimensional HPLC separation of racemic amino acid derivatives is presented. The method involves the on-line coupling of a narrow-bore C18 RP column in the first dimension to a short enantioselective column based on nonporous 1.5 μm particles modified with quinidine carbamate as chiral selector in the second dimension. Conceptually, the system was designed to enable both time-controlled repeated transfer of fractions of the eluate and detector-controlled transfer of selected fractions from column 1 to column 2. To avoid volume overloading of the second chiral column, a narrow-bore reversed phase column was installed in the first dimension. Due to the fast (less than 1.5 minutes) enantiomer separation that occurs in the second dimension, the overall analysis time for the two-dimensional separation of a mixture of nine racemic 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl amino acids was optimized at 16 minutes.     

A new triterpenoid saponin from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L.

One new triterpenoid saponin,quinquenoside L_(17)(1),was isolated from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L.,and its structure was elucidated as 20-O-[(β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-6)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)]-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-dammar-24-ene- 3,6,12,20-tetraol,by the combination analysis of one-dimensional NMR and two-dimensional NMR,mass spectrometry,CD spectrum and chemical evidences.     

A quantitative liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for metabolomic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum lipid related metabolites

Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of malaria, a deadly infectious disease for which treatments are scarce and drug-resistant parasites are now increasingly found. A comprehensive method of identifying and quantifying metabolites of this intracellular parasite could expand the arsenal of tools to understand its biology, and be used to develop new treatments against the disease. Here, we present two methods based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for reliable measurement of water-soluble metabolites involved in phospholipid biosynthesis, as well as several other metabolites that reflect the metabolic status of the parasite including amino acids, carboxylic acids, energy-related carbohydrates, and nucleotides. A total of 35 compounds was quantified. In the first method, polar compounds were retained by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (amino column) and detected in negative mode using succinic acid-¹³C₄ and fluorovaline as internal standards. In the second method, separations were carried out using reverse phase (C18) ion-pair liquid chromatography, with heptafluorobutyric acid as a volatile ion pairing reagent in positive detection mode, using d₉-choline and 4-aminobutanol as internal standards. Standard curves were performed in P. falciparum-infected and uninfected red blood cells using standard addition method (r² > 0.99). The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision as well as the extraction recovery of each compound were determined. The lower limit of quantitation varied from 50 pmol to 100 fmol/3 × 10⁷ cells. These methods were validated and successfully applied to determine intracellular concentrations of metabolites from uninfected host RBCs and isolated Plasmodium parasites.     

Simultaneous enzyme immunoassay for the screening of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A in chili samples

Membrane-based immunoassay has been developed for simultaneous estimation of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and ochratoxin A (OA) in chili samples. The combined estimation of both the mycotoxins is more economical in respect of time, work and materials than two separate assays. The method uses a low cost test device consisting of a membrane with immobilized anti-AFB₁ and anti-OA antibodies and a filter paper attached to a polyethylene card below the membrane. It allows direct analysis of sample extracts containing substantial amount (40%) of methanol. This permits the use of two-fold diluted sample extracts resulting in minimum dilution error. The limit of quantitation obtained was 2 and 10 μg kg⁻¹ for AFB₁ and OA, respectively. The tolerance of 40% methanol was found to be due to the application of small size (0.8 mm diameter) spots on membranes, as the tolerance decreases to 20% with gradual increase in spot size. The combined method is capable of producing acceptable results to analyze AFB₁ and OA in chili with accuracy and precision. The AFB₁ and OA values obtained for spiked and naturally contaminated chili samples by the simultaneous method were in good correlation with those measured by individual ELISA. The method offers a simple, rapid and cost-effective screening tool to meet the requirements of the rapidly evolving EU legislation.     

Triterpene Glycosides from Cussonia paniculata. I. Isolation and Structure Determination of Glycosides A, B1, B2, C, D, G2, H1, and H2 from Leaves of Cussonia paniculata

The 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside of β-sitosterol (1) and the known triterpene glycosides 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosides of oleanolic (2a) and ursolic (2b) acids and hederagenin (3), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranosideofoleanolic acid (4), 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-β-D-glucopyranosides of oleanolic (5a) and ursolic (5b) acids and the newglycoside 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside of 23-hydroxyursolic acid (6) were isolated from leaves of Cussonia paniculata (Araliaceae). Their structures were established using chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy.__________Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 160–163, March–April, 2005.     

A study of trace element contamination in river sediments in Serbia using microwave-assisted aqua regia digestion and multivariate statistical analysis

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the trace element contamination level in sediments of the most important rivers in Serbia and their tributaries. The determination of the aqua regia soluble contents of 12 micro- and macro-elements (Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, Zn, Be and V) in sediments was developed by the microwave digestion technique combined with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis distinguishes factors of lithogenic and anthropogenic origins. The Fe, Mn, Be and V contents are controlled by a regional lithogenic high background factor, while Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn and Cu are recognized as tracer of pollution. For Co, mixed sources from both lithogenic and anthropogenic inputs were evidenced.The investigated sediment of the major rivers and their tributaries in Serbia showed high concentrations of metals, especially of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn, which may cause serious environmental impacts. Rivers which flow into the Danube from its entrance into Serbia significantly influence the chemical load of the water and sediments.The experimental study was conducted using two BCR standard reference materials. The calculated accuracy and precision confirmed the good performance of the adopted procedures.     

Development of an oxidative dehydrogenation-based fluorescent probe for Cu and its biological imaging in living cells

Based on a boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivative containing an N, O and S tridentate ligand, a Cu²⁺ fluorescent probe BTCu was developed. The detection mechanism was verified as Cu²⁺-promoted oxidative dehydrogenation of an amine moiety, leading to a formation of a fluorescent Cu⁺-Schiff base complex. Free BTCu exhibited a maximum absorption wavelength at 496 nm, and a very weak maximum emission at 511 nm. Upon addition of various metals ions, it showed large fluorescence enhancement toward Cu²⁺ (417-fold in MeCN and 103-fold in MeCN/HEPES solution, respectively) with high selectivity. The detection limits are as low as 1.74 × 10⁻⁸ M and 4.96 × 10⁻⁸ M in the two different solutions, respectively. And BTCu could work in a wide pH range with an extraordinary low pK_a of 1.21 ± 0.06. Using fluorescence microscopy, the probe was shown to be capable of penetrating into living cells and imaging intracellular Cu²⁺ changes.     

Liquid Chromatography for Separation and Quantitative Determination of Adrenergic Amines and Flavonoids from Poncirus trifoliatus Raf. Fruits at Different Stages of Growth

The fruits of Poncirus trifoliatus Raf. (Rutaceae) have been used against allergic diseases for generations and still occupy an important place in traditional oriental medicine. They have also been used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers. Chemical analysis of extracts of Poncirus trifoliatus Raf. fruit at different stages of maturation revealed variations in the concentrations of flavonoids present. Fourteen flavonoids (neoeriocitrin, narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, neoponcirin, poncirin, naringenin, hesperetin, sinensetin, nobiletin, heptamethoxyflavone, 5-O-demethylnobiletin, and tangeretin) and five amines (synephrine, octopamine, N-methyltyramine, hordenine, and tyramine) in extracts from the fruit of Poncirus trifoliatus Raf. were analyzed by HPLC with a C₁₈ reversed-phase column. The concentrations of the four flavonoids naringin, poncirin, narirutin, and neoponcirin was maximum during the first stage of growth and gradually decreased until the fruits were fully developed. The paper also discusses the anatomical variations observed at different stages of development of the fruit.     

Selective solid-phase extraction of trace Fe(III) from biological and natural water samples using nanometer SiO2 modified with acetylsalicylic acid

A new method using acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) modified SiO₂ nanoparticles (nanometer SiO₂-aspirin) as a solid-phase extractant (SPE) has been developed for the preconcentration of trace amounts of Fe(III) prior to their determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The preconcentration conditions of analytes were investigated, including the pH value, the shaking time, the mass of sorbent, the sample flow rate and volume, the elution condition and the interfering ions. At pH 4, the sorption capacity of nanometer SiO₂-aspirin was found to be 1.28 mmol g⁻¹. The preconcentration factor is 50. The detection limit (3σ) for Fe(III) was 0.49 ng mL⁻¹. The method was validated by analyzing two certified reference materials (GBW 08301, river sediment and GBW 08303, polluted farming soil), and the results obtained are in good agreement with standard values. The method was also applied to the determination of trace Fe(III) in biological and water samples with satisfactory results. Correspondence: Xiangbing Zhu, Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P.R. China     

一例简单的席夫碱探针对次氯酸根的荧光开启识别及生物成像应用

通过缩合反应制备了一例简单的席夫碱探针苯并色烯-2-甲醛缩二氨基马来腈(1),使用核磁共振氢谱/碳谱、质谱和单晶X射线衍射等手段表征了探针的结构。荧光测试表明,探针1自身无荧光,而次氯酸根(ClO^-)能够特异性打开探针1在530 nm处的强荧光发射。探针1对ClO^-响应灵敏且在数秒内完成。通过质谱和理论计算手段研究了ClO^-介导的探针1的分解反应机理。此外,该探针还可用于活细胞、斑马鱼和拟南芥中ClO^-的荧光成像。     

Strategies for quantifying C(60) fullerenes in environmental and biological samples and implications for studies in environmental health and ecotoxicology

Fullerenes are sphere-like molecules with unique physico-chemical properties, which render them of particular interest in biomedical research, consumer products and industrial applications. Human and environmental exposure to fullerenes is not a new phenomenon, due to a long history of hydrocarbon-combustion sources, and will only increase in the future, as incorporation of fullerenes into consumer products becomes more widespread for use as anti-aging, anti-bacterial or anti-apoptotic agents.An essential step in the determination of biological effects of fullerenes (and their surface-functionalized derivatives) is establishment of exposure-assessment techniques. However, in ecotoxicological studies, quantification of fullerenes is performed infrequently because robust, uniformly applicable analytical approaches have yet to be identified, due to the wide variety of sample types. Moreover, the unique physico-chemistry of fullerenes in aqueous matrices requires reassessment of conventional analytical approaches, especially in more complex biological matrices (e.g., urine, blood, plasma, milk, and tissue).Here, we present a review of current analytical approaches for the quantification of fullerenes and propose a consensus approach for determination of these nanomaterials in a variety of environmental and biological matrices.     

Complanadine B, obscurumines A and B, new alkaloids from two species of Lycopodium

A new dimer of C₁₆N₂ type alkaloid, complanadine B (1), and two new C₁₆N type alkaloids, obscurumines A (2) and B (3), have been isolated from the club moss Lycopodium complanatum and L. obscurum, respectively. The structures and stereochemistry of 1-3 were elucidated by combination of 2D NMR spectra and chemical transformation. Complanadine A (4) isolated together with 1 induced secretion of neurotrophic factors from human astrocytoma cells.     

Nanometer SiO2 modified with 5-sulfosalicylic acid as selective solid-phase extractant for Fe(III) determination by ICP-AES from biological and natural water samples

A new modified nanometer SiO₂ using 5-sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) as a solid-phase extractant was used for separation, preconcentration and determination of Fe(III) in aqueous solutions by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Its adsorption and preconcentration behaviour for Fe(III) in aqueous solutions was investigated using static procedures in detail. The optimum pH value for the separation of Fe(III) on the newly designed sorbent was 3.5. Complete elution of the adsorbed Fe(III) from the nanometer SiO₂-SSA was carried out using 2.0 mL of 0.01 mol L^− 1 of HCl. The time of 90% sorption was less than 2 min for Fe(III) at pH 3.5. Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation and determination of Fe(III) at pH 3.5. The maximum static adsorption capacity of the sorbent at optimum conditions was found to be 44.01 mg of Fe(III) per gram of sorbent. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the method under optimum conditions was 3% (n = 5). The procedure was validated by analyzing three certified reference materials (GBW 08301, GBW 08504, GBW 08511), the results obtained were in good agreement with standard values. The nanometer SiO₂-SSA was successfully employed in the separation and preconcentration of the investigated Fe(III) from the biological and natural water samples yielding 100-folds concentration factor.     

Development of a method for comprehensive and quantitative analysis of plant hormones by highly sensitive nanoflow liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-ion trap mass spectrometry

In recent plant hormone research, there is an increased demand for a highly sensitive and comprehensive analytical approach to elucidate the hormonal signaling networks, functions, and dynamics. We have demonstrated the high sensitivity of a comprehensive and quantitative analytical method developed with nanoflow liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS) under multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) in plant hormone profiling. Unlabeled and deuterium-labeled isotopomers of four classes of plant hormones and their derivatives, auxins, cytokinins (CK), abscisic acid (ABA), and gibberellins (GA), were analyzed by this method. The optimized nanoflow-LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS method showed ca. 5-10-fold greater sensitivity than capillary-LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS, and the detection limits (S/N = 3) of several plant hormones were in the sub-fmol range. The results showed excellent linearity (R² values of 0.9937-1.0000) and reproducibility of elution times (relative standard deviations, RSDs, <1.1%) and peak areas (RSDs, <10.7%) for all target compounds. Further, sample purification using Oasis HLB and Oasis MCX cartridges significantly decreased the ion-suppressing effects of biological matrix as compared to the purification using only Oasis HLB cartridge. The optimized nanoflow-LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS method was successfully used to analyze endogenous plant hormones in Arabidopsis and tobacco samples. The samples used in this analysis were extracted from only 17 tobacco dry seeds (1 mg DW), indicating that the efficiency of analysis of endogenous plant hormones strongly depends on the detection sensitivity of the method. Our analytical approach will be useful for in-depth studies on complex plant hormonal metabolism.     

A rapid microwave-assisted acid extraction method based on the use of diluted HNO3-H2O2 followed by ICP-MS analysis for simultaneous determination of trace elements in coal samples

Before coal processing such as pyrolysis, liquefaction, gasification and combustion, it is very crucial to monitor the trace element concentration levels as that determines the coal quality. Therefore, the current study describes the development of microwave-assisted acid extraction (MW-AAE) method for extraction of 15 trace elements in coal samples prior to their determination using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Diluted HNO₃-H₂O₂ was used in order to reduce reagents amount used, eliminate matrix interferences caused by concentrated acids and to decrease waste produced in analytical laboratories. The optimisation of the proposed extraction method was carried out by using a full factorial design (2⁴) involving four factors; that is, temperature, extraction time, HNO₃ and H₂O₂ concentrations. The optimum conditions for the MW-AAE procedure were found to be 200°C, 5 min, 5 mol L^?1 and 2 mol L^?1 for temperature, extraction time, HNO₃ and H₂O₂ concentrations, respectively. Under optimum conditions, the accuracy of the MW-AAE method was examined by analysing three coal certified reference materials (SARM 18, 19 and 20) and recoveries of 80–115% were achieved for V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Sr, Zr, Cs, Ba, Pb and U, except for Ti (10–25%) and Hf (27–70%). In addition, the precision of the proposed method, expressed in terms of relative standard deviation (SD) (n = 15), was within the accepted range (≤3.5%). The method detection limits of 0.001–0.57 µg g^?1 for all trace elements under the investigation were similar to the literature reported work, except for Ti (4.00 µg g^?1).