Determination of thiosemicarbazide alone and in its metal complexes with arylhalosulfonamides

The behavior of 10 arylhalosulfonamides as oxidimetric analytical reagents toward thiosemicarbazide (TSC) alone or in its metal complexes has been critically examined and general procedures for its estimation have been developed. The proposed analytical techniques are simple and reproducible. These procedures are also useful for computing the number of TSC ligands present in the complexes. The oxidation involves twelve-electron change per TSC molecule with all the oxidants. The complexes have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses and IR spectra.     

Modern analytical chemistry education in Europe at university level

Stimulated by the rapid growth of analytical chemistry in research and development, a discussion on the past, present and future role of analytical chemistry as part of the chemistry curricula at European universities is presented in this article. The present status of analytical chemistry curricula is described, based on a recent investigation of the Working Party on Analytical Chemistry (WPAC) of the Federation of European Chemical Societies (FECS) at 229 European universities. The evaluation of the questionnaires has been done for all institutions together, as well as for the 119 institutions with a separate chair or department of analytical chemistry and the 110 institutions without such a separate chair. The distribution of teaching hours between the classical and modern fields is generally significantly better and more flexible to new developments (like chemometrics, environmental and material sciences) at institutions with an own chair of analytical chemistry. This survey is also a key to earlier reviews on education in analytical chemistry stimulated and published by WPAC-members.     

体液中铝形态的HPLC分析

体液中铝浓度的升高能够导致严重的神经性疾病如阿尔茨海默症和帕金森氏症等。铝的毒性及生物效应与其存在形式有关,因此迫切需要建立可靠的分析体液中实际铝形态的方法。近十年来各种分离模式的HPLC在这方面使用最多。实验证明,血清中的铝主要与转铁蛋白(Tf)以AlN-Tf和AlN-Tf-Fec的方式结合,而余下的部分则与柠檬酸(Citrate)、磷酸(Phosphate)形成Al-citrate,Al-phosphate和Al-citrate-phosphate。     

Recent advances in miniaturisation--the role of microchip electrophoresis in clinical analysis

This review aims to highlight the current role of microchip CE (MCE) in clinical analysis to date, and also its future potential in this important area. One of the most notable advancements in separation science, which has accelerated in the last decade, has been the use of plastic and glass microchips to achieve high-speed electrophoresis separations in seconds, requiring only pico or nanolitre sample volumes. So far, in the clinical laboratory, MCE has lent itself to the resolution of very complex challenging analytes such as DNA, RNA, protein analysis, cellular components and other disease biomarkers. At present, most basic clinical laboratories rely heavily upon various kinds of enzymatic immunoassays as these methods offer speed, specificity, reliability and are well established analytical methods. However, this is not always the case, as with all analytical methods there are limitations, and sometimes enzymatic-based assays can be challenged by low-level concentration of target analytes present in samples resulting in high RSD values and results that cannot be interpreted. In some cases, this difficulty can be exasperated when complex sample matrices are presented for analysis, and interfering components result in highly exaggerated results from unwanted extra enzymatic binding. MCE may have a role in providing alternative highly sophisticated automated clinical analysis using state-of-the-art methodologies.     

香米特征香味成分2-乙酰基-1-吡咯啉提取及检测方法研究进展

2-乙酰基-1-吡咯啉（2-AP）是目前已经探明的香米特征性香味成分，其含量的高低直接影响香米的品质与价格，但由于该成分在天然香米中的含量通常低至微克每千克，在采用现代分析检测方法测定时，还可能受到样品基质干扰、色谱分离共流出等问题的影响，因此，如何从稻米样品中高效提取该化合物并结合适当的检测方法进行精确测定具有一定的挑战性。该文综述了对稻米中2-AP进行测定时常用的样品前处理方法及仪器分析方法。样品前处理方法主要有蒸馏法、萃取法及顶空富集法等；仪器分析方法主要包括气相色谱及气相色谱-质谱法、气相色谱-嗅觉测试法，以及最新被开发出来的衍生化-高效液相色谱-串联质谱法。该综述将为食品贸易领域香米中2-AP的测定、农业领域香米的遗传育种及水肥管理、食品加工领域米香类稳定风味成分的开发等提供参考依据。     

Molecularly imprinted polymers for sample preparation: A review

In spite of the huge development of analytical instrumentation during last two decades, sample preparation is still nowadays considered the bottleneck of the whole analytical process. In this regard, efforts have been conducted towards the improvement of the selectivity during extraction and/or subsequent clean-up of sample extracts. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are stable polymers with molecular recognition abilities, provided by the presence of a template during their synthesis and thus are excellent materials to provide selectivity to sample preparation. In the present review, the use of MIPs in solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction as well as its recent incorporation to other extraction techniques such as matrix-solid phase dispersion and stir bar sorptive extraction, among others, is described. The advantages and drawbacks of each methodology as well as the future expected trends are discussed.     

基于分子印迹与表面增强拉曼散射的蛋白质疾病标志物检测研究进展

异常的蛋白质表达与疾病的发生与发展密切相关,因此蛋白质已作为疾病标志物广泛应用于疾病的早期诊断、治疗监测和预后评估.然而,临床样本中的蛋白质疾病标志物通常含量极低,并存在高丰度的基质干扰,对检测方法的特异性和灵敏度提出挑战.目前,蛋白质疾病标志物的检测方法主要是免疫分析.但是,免疫分析主要依赖抗体进行特异性识别,而抗体...     

Multivariate data analysis of quality parameters in drinking water

The quality of water destined for human consumption has been treated as a multivariate property. Since most of the quality parameters are obtained by applying analytical methods, the routine analytical laboratory (responsible for the accuracy of analytical data) has been treated as a process system for water quality estimation. Multivariate tools, based on principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression, are used in the present paper to: (i) study the main factors of the latent data structure and (ii) characterize the water samples and the analytical methods in terms of multivariate quality control (MQC). Such tools could warn of both possible health risks related to anomalous sample composition and failures in the analytical methods.     

Stability-indicating determination of meropenem in presence of its degradation product

Stability-indicative determination of meropenem (MERM) in the presence of its open-ring degradation product, the metabolite, is investigated. The degradation product has been isolated, via acid-degradation, characterized and confirmed. Selective quantification of MERM, singly in bulk form, pharmaceutical formulations and/or in the presence of its major degradate is demonstrated. The indication of stability has been undertaken under conditions likely to be expected at normal storage. Among the analytical techniques adopted for quantification are spectrophotometry [first-derivative (¹D), first-derivative of ratio spectra (¹DD) and bivariate analysis], as well as chromatography [coupled TLC-densitometry and HPLC].     

Chemical Derivatization in Flow Analysis

Chemical derivatization for improving selectivity and/or sensitivity is a common practice in analytical chemistry. It is particularly attractive in flow analysis in view of its highly reproducible reagent addition(s) and controlled timing. Then, measurements without attaining the steady state, kinetic discrimination, exploitation of unstable reagents and/or products, as well as strategies compliant with Green Analytical Chemistry, have been efficiently exploited. Flow-based chemical derivatization has been accomplished by different approaches, most involving flow and manifold programming. Solid-phase reagents, novel strategies for sample insertion and reagent addition, as well as to increase sample residence time have been also exploited. However, the required alterations in flow rates and/or manifold geometry may lead to spurious signals (e.g., Schlieren effect) resulting in distorted peaks and a noisy/drifty baseline. These anomalies can be circumvented by a proper flow system design. In this review, these aspects are critically discussed mostly in relation to spectrophotometric and luminometric detection.     

Determination of uranium, thorium and rare-earth elements in zircon samples using ICP-MS

Zircon is an accessory mineral, which occurs at low concentrations in a wide variety of rocks and is a host for hafnium, rare-earth elements (REE) and radio active elements like uranium and thorium. The presence of uranium in zircon has led to its increased use in the age determination of rocks. Zirconium is also considered as a strategic, hi-tech element because of its various applications, especially in the manufacturing, nuclear and aerospace industries. Analysis of zircon constitutes one of the tough tasks in analytical chemistry as it is a highly resistant mineral and it is extremely difficult to achieve its complete decomposition. In the present work, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has been applied to the determination of hafnium, REE, uranium and thorium in zircon samples using two different sample dissolution procedures, one employing sodium peroxide fusion and another using a fusion mixture of KHF₂ and NaF in 3:1 ratio. Some selected zircon samples originating from different places on the eastern coast of India have been analysed by both the methods and values obtained by both methods were found to be in good agreement with each other. Though a number of international zircon reference materials are available, certified or even proposed values are available only for a very few elements in them. Two zircon reference materials have also been analysed by both methods and usable values have been proposed in this paper. The values obtained by both methods were found to compare well with each other and as well with those reported in literature. The % RSD for all the estimated elements varied from 1.0 to 12.0% at different concentration levels.     

Application of pyrolysis–mass spectrometry and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with electron-ionization or resonance-enhanced-multi-photon ionization for characterization of crude oils

A novel analytical system for gas-chromatographic investigation of complex samples has been developed, that combines the advantages of several analytical principles to enhance the analytical information. Decomposition of high molecular weight structures is achieved by pyrolysis and a high separation capacity due to the chromatographic step provides both an universal as well as a selective and sensitive substance detection. The latter is achieved by simultaneously applying electron ionization quadrupole mass spectrometry (EI-QMS) for structural elucidation and [1 + 1]-resonance-enhanced-multi-photon ionization (REMPI) combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ToFMS). The system has been evaluated and tested with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) standards. It was applied to crude oil samples for the first time. In such highly complex samples several thousands of compounds are present and the identification especially of low concentrated chemical species such as PAH or their polycyclic aromatic sulfur containing heterocyclic (PASH) derivatives is often difficult. Detection of unalkylated and alkylated PAH together with PASH is considerably enhanced by REMPI–ToFMS, at times revealing aromatic structures which are not observable by EI-QMS due to their low abundance. On the other hand, the databased structure proposals of the EI-QMS analysis are needed to confirm structural information and isomers distinction. The technique allows a complex structure analysis as well as selective assessment of aromatic substances in one measurement. Information about the content of sulfur containing compounds plays a significant role for the increase of efficiency in the processing of petroleum.     

Analytical procedures for the determination of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant citalopram and its metabolites

The antidepressant citalopram (CIT) is a potent and highly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which has been introduced in therapy as a racemic drug. CIT has been used to treat central nervous system affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, various phobias, borderline personality disorders, bipolar disorders as well as indications wherein inhibition of serotonin reuptake is desired. CIT is demethylated to demethylcitalopram (DCIT) and didemethylcitalopram (DDCIT), which retain considerable activity as SSRIs. Therefore, in recent years, the monitoring of the levels of these analytes in biological fluids for toxicological and therapeutic purposes has been a target worthy of interest. In addition, the differences in activity between CIT enantiomers established the need to assess its behaviour in the field of pharmacological research. It is also necessary to develop analytical methodologies that make it possible to determine the levels of enantiomer concentrations. This review includes most of the published analytical methods for achiral assay of racemic CIT and its metabolites based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV, fluorescence and mass spectrometry detectors, capillary electrophoresis and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detectors among others. With regard to the monitoring of enantiomers of CIT and of its metabolites, stereoselective methods based on chiral chromatographic columns, chiral additives in mobile phases and on the derivatization with a chiral reagent are also collected. In addition, different procedures of extraction are mentioned as well as liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, solid-phase microextraction, automated online extraction or liquid-phase microextraction in different biological and environmental samples.     

Analytical determination of polyphenols in olive oils

The increasing popularity of olive oil is mainly attributed to its high content of oleic acid, which may affect the plasma lipid/lipoprotein profiles, and its richness in phenolic compounds, which act as natural antioxidants and may contribute to the prevention of human disease. An overview of analytical methods for the measurement of polyphenols in olive oil is presented. In principle, the analytical procedure for the determination of individual phenolic compounds in virgin olive oil involves three basic steps: extraction from the oil sample, analytical separation, and quantification. A great number of procedures for the isolation of the polar phenolic fraction of virgin olive oil, utilizing two basic extraction techniques, LLE or SPE, have been included. The reviewed techniques are those based on spectrophotometric methods, as well as analytical separation (gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE)). Many reports in the literature determine the total amount of phenolic compounds in olive oils by spectrophometric analysis and characterize their phenolic patterns by capillary gas chromatography (CGC) and, mainly, by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC); however, CE has recently been applied to the analysis of phenolic compound of olive oil and has opened up great expectations, especially because of the higher resolution, reduced sample volume, and analysis duration. CE might represent a good compromise between analysis time and satisfactory characterization for some classes of phenolic compounds of virgin olive oils.     

The role of alternative specimens in toxicological analysis

The use of alternative specimens in the field of toxicology was first described in 1979, when hair analysis was used to document chronic drug exposure. Since then, the use of these 'alternative' samples has gained tremendous importance in forensic toxicology, as well as in clinic toxicology, doping control and workplace drug testing. It is not surprising, therefore, that a large number of papers dealing with the determination of several classes of drugs in saliva, sweat, meconium and hair have been published ever since, owing to the fact that chromatographic equipment is becoming more and more sensitive, mass spectrometry (and tandem mass spectrometry) being the most widely used analytical tool, combined with gas or liquid chromatography. 'Alternative' specimens present a number of advantages over the 'traditional' samples normally used in toxicology (e.g. blood, urine and tissues), namely the fact that their collection is not invasive, their adulteration is difficult, and they may allow increased windows of detection for certain drugs. The main disadvantage of this kind of samples is that drugs are present in very low concentrations, and therefore high-sensitivity techniques are required to accomplish the analysis. This paper reviews a series of publications on the use of alternative specimens, with special focus on the main analytical and chromatographic problems that these samples present, as well on their advantages and disadvantages over traditional samples in documenting drug exposure.     

Novel microwell-based spectrophotometric assay for determination of atorvastatin calcium in its pharmaceutical formulations

The formation of a colored charge-transfer (CT) complex between atorvastatin calcium (ATR-Ca) as a n-electron donor and 2, 3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as a π-electron acceptor was investigated, for the first time. The spectral characteristics of the CT complex have been described, and the reaction mechanism has been proved by computational molecular modeling. The reaction was employed in the development of a novel microwell-based spectrophotometric assay for determination of ATR-Ca in its pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed assay was carried out in 96-microwell plates. The absorbance of the colored-CT complex was measured at 460 nm by microwell-plate absorbance reader. The optimum conditions of the reaction and the analytical procedures of the assay were established. Under the optimum conditions, linear relationship with good correlation coefficient (0.9995) was found between the absorbance and the concentration of ATR-Ca in the range of 10-150 μg/well. The limits of detection and quantitation were 5.3 and 15.8 μg/well, respectively. No interference was observed from the additives that are present in the pharmaceutical formulation or from the drugs that are co-formulated with ATR-Ca in its combined formulations. The assay was successfully applied to the analysis of ATR-Ca in its pharmaceutical dosage forms with good accuracy and precision. The assay described herein has great practical value in the routine analysis of ATR-Ca in quality control laboratories, as it has high throughput property, consumes minimum volume of organic solvent thus it offers the reduction in the exposures of the analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, and reduction in the analysis cost by 50-fold. Although the proposed assay was validated for ATR-Ca, however, the same methodology could be used for any electron-donating analyte for which a CT reaction can be performed.     

Spiking structure of amplitude characteristics for ion trajectories in hyperboloidal mass spectrometers: the theory

We present a theory that describes a 'spiking' structure of the amplitude characteristics for trajectories of ions within a hyperboloidal mass spectrometer (HMS) discovered and reported recently. This effect, as well as modulation parametric resonance, relates directly to a fine structure of the stability diagram for a HMS. A method of extremum characteristic solutions of the Hill equation (developed in our laboratory earlier) has been used in this work. Simple expressions determined the shape of narrow dips (or reversed peaks) in the amplitude of ion oscillation versus stability parameter curves and conditions of their appearance are presented. The results that were calculated from analytical expressions are compared with those obtained from direct computations of ion trajectories in a HMS. This effect with respect to a nature of 'black holes' or 'black canyons' observed earlier in investigations of trapping efficiency and ion trapping within ion traps is discussed.     

Simultaneous monitoring of seven phenolic metabolites of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) in human urine using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A gas chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (GC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of the three well-known endocrine disruptors, bisphenol A, daidzein and genistein, as well as of four human pesticide metabolites which are supposed to have proper endocrine activity or which are metabolites of endocrine-disrupting compounds, viz., 1- and 2-naphthol, 2-isopropoxyphenol and 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol, has been developed and validated. The method involves enzymatic cleavage of the conjugates using β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase followed by solid-phase extraction and derivatisation with N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide. Isotopically labelled internal standards were used for all analytes, to achieve best analytical error correction. The method proved to be both sensitive and reliable in human urine with detection limits ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 μg/L for all analytes. Precision and repeatability was determined to range from 1 to 15 %. Compared with other published analytical procedures, the present method enables the simultaneous determination of a couple of phenolic agents with competitive or improved analytical reliability. Thus, the present method is suitable for a combined monitoring of the exposure to prominent xenobiotics with effects on the human endocrine system (bisphenol A, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, naphthalene, propoxur, triclopyr) and phytoestrogens (daidzein, genistein) in population studies.     

光纤荧光免疫分析系统的研制及应用

将光纤传感技术、荧光分析与免疫分析技术结合,自行设计了Y型分叉光纤、光强可调的光纤固定架及性能优良的荧光测定池,建立了新型光纤荧光免疫系统。系统性能可靠,操作简便,既可进行普通的荧光分析,又可进行光纤荧光免疫分析。将系统用于临床血清标本中肺炎支原体抗体的测试,结果与荧光显微镜法和ELISA法结果一致。该新型光纤荧光免疫系统在临床、环保等领域有广泛的应用前景。     

An evaluation of the spectral noise distribution in analytical flames

The spectral distribution of noises (total, shot and flicker) in a variety of flames has been measured using a computer-controlled spectrometer system. Emission spectra and fluorescence spectra (excited by an Eimac xenon arc lamp) are presented for air/acetylene, nitrous oxide/acetylene, nitrous oxide/propane, air/hydrogen, and an iso-octane liquid fuel flame. Conclusions concerning the predominant type of noise and its cause in each flame are discussed as well as the implications for the analytical flame spectroscopist.