Simultaneous determination of eight components in Angelica sinensis based on UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS method for quality evaluation

A method employing ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) for determination of eight components including ferulic acid, senkyunolide A, butylphthalide, ligustilide, butylidenephalide, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H and levistolide A in Angelica sinensis was established. The separation was carried out using a Waters ACQUITY UHPLC BEH C₁₈ column with gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid aqueous and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Good linearity was attained with R² of 0.9983–0.9998 in wide concentration ranges. The method had limit of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) in the range of 0.42–6.98 ng/mL and 1.39–23.28 ng/mL, respectively. Intra‐ and inter‐day precisions varied with relative standard deviations (RSDs) from 0.33% to 0.88% and 0.37% to 1.04%, respectively. Moreover, the average recoveries were in a satisfactory range of 92.7%–102.1% with RSDs of less than 3.60%. Finally, the method was successfully applied to analyze 19 batches of A. sinensis samples grown in Min County, Gansu province, China, as well as that collected in other regions. The findings indicated that the established method is reliable and may thus be applied as a powerful tool for qualitative and quantitative analysis of components in A. sinensis, which has its implications in quality control of A. sinensis.     

Screening the anti‐allergic components in Saposhnikoviae Radix using high‐expression Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 cell membrane chromatography online coupled with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

Saposhnikoviae Radix, the dried root of Saposhnikoviae divaricata, is commonly used in the traditional Chinese anti‐allergic preparations, like Bofutsusho‐san and Yupingfeng granules. A high‐expression Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 cell membrane chromatography coupled online with high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with an ion trap time‐of‐flight multistage mass spectrometry system was established and used for screening and identifying the anti‐allergic components in Saposhnikoviae Radix. The system was validated for excellent specificity and suitability using the appropriate standards. Two retained fractions were obtained on the cell membrane chromatography column, and three main components were identified as prim‐O‐glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, and 4′‐O‐β‐d ‐glucosyl‐5‐O‐methylvisamminol. Next, the molecular docking study was conducted, which confirmed that these three components could effectively bind to MRGPRX2 through hydrogen bonds with its amino acid residues. Finally, histamine release assay was performed to investigate the bioactivities of prim‐O‐glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, and 4′‐O‐β‐d ‐glucosyl‐5‐O‐methylvisamminol. Results showed that these three components could exert anti‐allergic effects by inhibiting the histamine release in a dose‐dependent manner (from 10 to 100 µM). In conclusion, the high‐expression Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 cell membrane chromatography is an effective tool for discovering the anti‐allergic components in Saposhnikoviae Radix.     

The human mast cell line‐1 cell membrane chromatography coupled with HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS method for screening potentical anaphylactic components from chuanxinlian injection

Chuanxinlian injection is a traditional Chinese medicine injection widely used in China to treat sore throat, cough and dysentery, although a high occurrence of severe adverse reactions has been reported in clinical practice in recent years. In the present study, a human mast cell line‐1 cell membrane chromatography coupled with HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS method was established to screen and identify potentical anaphylactic components in chuanxinlian injection, and the dehydroandrographolide was identified as a potential anaphylactic component. In vitro anaphylactic assay showed that intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration clearly increased under dehydroandrographolide (100 μm ) treatment. β ‐Hexosaminidase and histamine release in human mast cell line‐1 cells were both markedly enhanced with increased concentrations of dehydroandrographolide, confirming the anaphylactic activity of dehydroandrographolide. The application for chuanxinlian injection in this study suggested that the developed human mast cell line‐1 cell membrane chromatography coupled with HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS system may be effective and rapid for screening the potentical anaphylactic components from complex samples.     

Cell membrane chromatography coupled online with LC‐MS to screen anti‐anaphylactoid components from Magnolia biondii Pamp. targeting on Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2

Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 was a mast cell–specific receptor mediating anaphylactoid reactions by activating mast cells degranulation, and it was also identified as a target for modulating mast cell–mediated anaphylactoid and inflammatory diseases. The anti‐anaphylactoid drugs used clinically disturb the partial effect of partial mediators released by mast cells. The small molecule of Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 specific antagonists may provide therapeutic action for the anaphylactoid and inflammatory diseases in the early stage. In this study, the Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 high expression cell membrane chromatography was coupled online with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry and successfully used to screen anti‐anaphylactoid components from Magnolia biondii Pamp. Fargesin and pinoresinol dimethyl ether were identified as potential anti‐anaphylactoid components. Bioactivity of these two components were investigated by β hexosaminidase and histamine release assays on mast cells, and it was found that these two components could inhibit β hexosaminidase and histamine release in a concentration‐dependent manner. This Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 high expression cell membrane chromatography coupled online with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry system could be applied for screening potential anti‐anaphylactoid components from natural medicinal herbs. This study also provided a powerful system for drug discovery in natural medicinal herbs.     

An online coupled peritoneal macrophage/cell membrane chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method to screen for anti‐inflammatory components from the Chinese traditional medicine Chloranthus multistachys Pei

Cell membrane chromatography (CMC) is a chromatographic biological affinity method that uses specific cell membranes as the stationary phase. In this study, a novel peritoneal macrophage/cell membrane chromatography (PM/CMC)–online‐high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) method was established to screen for the anti‐inflammatory components from traditional Chinese medicines using hydrocortisone and dexamethasone as standards. The stationary phase of the CMC employed mouse peritoneal macrophage cell membranes. This method was applied to the purification and identification of components in extracts of Chloranthus multistachys Pei. The major component retained by CMC was identified as isofraxidin by HPLC/MS. In vitro experiments revealed that IF was able to inhibit the production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor‐α in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated mice and peritoneal macrophages in a dose‐dependent manner. The results demonstrated that the PM/CMC‐online‐HPLC/MS is an effective screening system for the rapid detection, enrichment, and identification of target components from complex samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Screening anaphylactic components of MaiLuoNing injection by using rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cell membrane chromatography coupled with HPLC–ESI‐TOF‐MS

MaiLuoNing injection is a traditional Chinese medicine that used clinically since the 1950s in China. However, anaphylactic reactions, through the potentiation of mast cell degranulation, have been reported. In the present study, a rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cell membrane chromatography coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization‐ion trap‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry method was established for screening, analyzing, and identifying the potential anaphylactic components of MaiLuoNing injection. Harpagoside, a potential degranulator of rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cells, was retained in rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cell membrane chromatography. We aimed to evaluate the retained components to determine which of those were capable of inducing degranulation of basophilic leukemia cells. A β‐hexosaminidase assay revealed that harpagoside can induce rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cell degranulation in a dose‐dependent manner. BLBA/c mice also exhibit passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in response to harpagoside. These results indicate that rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cell membrane chromatography coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry is effective in screening for the anaphylactic components of MaiLuoNing injection.     

Identification of the absorbed components and metabolites of modified Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan in rat plasma by UHPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS/MS

To reveal the material basis of Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan (HLXLD), a sensitive and selective ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS) method was developed to identify the absorbed components and metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of HLXLD. The plasma samples were pretreated by liquid–liquid extraction and separated on a Shim‐pack XR‐ODS C₁₈ column (75 × 3.0 mm, 2.2 μm) using a gradient elution program. With the optimized conditions and single sample injection of each positive or negative ion mode, a total of 109 compounds, including 78 prototype compounds and 31 metabolites, were identified or tentatively characterized. The fragmentation patterns of representative compounds were illustrated as well. The results indicated that aromatization and hydration were the main metabolic pathways of lactones and tanshinone‐related metabolites; demethylation and oxidation were the major metabolic pathways of alkaloid‐related compounds; methylation and sulfation were the main metabolic pathways of phenolic acid‐related metabolites. It is concluded the developed UHPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS method with high sensitivity and resolution is suitable for identifying and characterizing the absorbed components and metabolites of HLXLD, and the results will provide essential data for further studying the relationship between the chemical components and pharmacological activity of HLXLD.     

Simultaneous identification of three pseudoallergic components in Danshen injection by using high‐expression Mas‐related G protein coupled receptor X2 cell membrane chromatography coupled online to HPLC–ESI‐MS/MS

Adverse drug reactions of Danshen injection mainly manifested as pseudoallergic reactions. In the present study, salvianolic acid A and a pair of geometric isomers (isosalvianolic acid C and salvianolic acid C) were identified as pseudoallergic components in Danshen injection by a high‐expression Mas‐related G protein coupled receptor X2 cell membrane chromatography coupled online with high‐performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Their pseudoallergic activities were evaluated by in vitro assay, which were consistent with the retention times on the cell membrane chromatography column. Salvianolic acid C, the most outstanding compound, was further found to induce pseudoallergic reaction through Mas‐related G protein coupled receptor X2. All the results above indicated that the system developed in this study is an effective method for simultaneously analyzing pseudoallergic components, even those with similar structures and the microcomponents in complex samples (salvianolic acid C in Danshen injection).     

Relative tissue distribution and excretion studies of gastrodin and parishin from powder and extract of Gastrodiae Rhizoma in rat by UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS

New research has indicated that Gastrodiae Rhizome (GR) has potential anti‐diabetic and anti‐asthmatic effects in mouse models. On the basis of our previous study of the relative bioavailability of gastrodin (GAS) and parishin (PA) from extract and powder of GR, we performed further research on the tissue distribution and excretion of the two analytes. A reliable bioanalytical method for the quantification of GAS and PA in rat tissues and excretion is required. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile–water with 0.1% formic acid. Calibration curves (1/x ² weighted) offered satisfactory linearity (r ² > 0.9835) within 100–3000 ng mL⁻¹ for GAS and (r ² > 0.9862) within 10–1000 ng mL⁻¹ for PA. The relative standard deviations of the intra‐day and inter‐day precision were all <14.98%, whilst the relative errors of the intra‐day and inter‐day accuracy were all within ±14.71%. The matrix effect and recovery values were satisfactory in all of the biological matrices examination. The data of relative differences in tissue distribution and excretion of GAS and PA from powder and extract of GR indicated that higher bioavailabilities for GAS and PA were obtained when a dosage of 4 g kg⁻¹ GR powder was used.     

Identification and quantification of thymol metabolites in plasma,liver and duodenal wall of broiler chickens using UHPLC‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS

In the present study, we aimed to develop a method for thymol sulfate and thymol glucuronide determination in plasma, liver and duodenal wall of broiler chickens after feeding with a Thymus vulgaris essential oil at the different concentrations (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1% w /w). UHPLC coupled with accurate‐mass QTOF‐MS was used for identification and quantification of thymol metabolites. Novel Waters Oasis Prime HLB solid‐phase extraction cartridges were applied to sample clean‐up with extraction recoveries ranged from 85 to 92%. The presence of thymol glucuronide was confirmed by MS software according to molecular formula, score, mass error and double bond equivalent. In terms of validation, calibration curves of thymol sulfate were constructed in matrix samples with linearity from 3.91 to 250.0 ng/mL and correlation coefficients were within the range of 0.9979–0.9995. Limits of detection were 0.97, 0.29 and 0.63 ng/mL and limits of quantification were 3.23, 0.97 and 2.09 ng/mL for plasma, liver and duodenal wall, respectively. Intra‐day and inter‐day precision expressed as relative standard deviation were <4.35%. To highlight, thymol metabolites were directly detected for the first time in liver and duodenal wall and this method was shown to be successfully applicable for investigation of thymol metabolism in chickens after thyme essential oil ingestion.     

Separation and fragmentation study of isocoproporphyrin derivatives by UHPLC‐ESI‐exact mass MS/MS and identification of a new isocoproporphyrin sulfonic acid metabolite

Isocoproporphyrin and its derivatives are commonly used as biomarkers of porphyria cutanea tarda, heavy metal toxicity and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) intoxication in humans and animals. However, most are isobaric with other porphyrins and reference materials are unavailable commercially. The structural characterisation of these porphyrins is important but very little data is available. We report here the separation and characterisation of isocoproporphyrin, deethylisocoproporphyrin, hydroxyisocoproporphyrin and ketoisocoproporphyrin, isolated in the faeces of rats fed with a diet containing HCB, by ultra high performance liquid chromatography‐exact mass tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS). Furthermore, we report the identification and characterisation of a previously unreported porphyrin metabolite, isocoproporphyrin sulfonic acid isolated in the rat faeces. The measured mass‐to‐charge ratio (m/z) of the precursor ion was m/z 735.2338, corresponding to a molecular formula of C₃₆H₃₉N₄O₁₁S with an error of 0.3 ppm from the calculated m/z 735.2336. The MS/MS data was consistent with an isocoproporphyrin sulfonic acid structure, derived from dehydroisocoproporphyrinogen by sulfonation of the vinyl group. The metabolite was present in a greater abundance than other isocoproporphyrin derivatives and may be a more useful biomarker for HCB intoxication. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast quantification of cyclophosfamide and its N‐dechloroethylated metabolite 2‐dechloroethylcyclophosphamide in human plasma by UHPLC‐MS/MS

A rapid, novel and reliable UHPLC‐MS/MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of cyclophosphamide (CP) and its dechloroethylated metabolite, 2‐dechloroethylcyclosphamide (2‐DCECP) in human plasma. The plasma samples were conducted by protein precipitation with 3‐fold acetonitrile, containing 0.1% formic acid. Mass spectrometric detection was performed using electrospray positive ionization with multiple reaction monitoring mode, using tinidazole as internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent poroshell 120 SB‐C₁₈ column (2.1 × 75 mm, 2.7 µm) using gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min, the total run time was 2.5 min. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 20 ng/mL for both CP and 2‐DCECP. Accuracies and precisions were <15% at LOQ and below 10% at quality control concentration levels. This UHPLC‐MS/MS method was successfully applied for the estimation of CP and 2‐DCECP in human plasma, which was also useful for clinical toxicology studies and therapeutic drug monitoring of CP. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of five coumarins in Angelicae dahuricae Radix by HPLC/UV and LC‐ESI‐MS/MS

Rapid, simple and reliable HPLC/UV and LC‐ESI‐MS/MS methods for the simultaneous determination of five active coumarins of Angelicae dahuricae Radix, byakangelicol (1), oxypeucedanin (2), imperatorin (3), phellopterin (4) and isoimperatorin (5) were developed and validated. The separation condition for HPLC/UV was optimized using a Develosil RPAQUEOUS C₃₀ column using 70% acetonitrile in water as the mobile phase. This HPLC/UV method was successful for providing the baseline separation of the five coumarins with no interfering peaks detected in the 70% ethanol extract of Angelicae dahuricae Radix. The specific determination of the five coumarins was also accomplished by a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS). Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in the positive mode was used to enhance the selectivity of detection. The LC‐ESI‐MS/MS methods were successfully applied for the determination of the five major coumarins in Angelicae dahuricae Radix. These HPLC/UV and LC‐ESI‐MS/MS methods were validated in terms of recovery, linearity, accuracy and precision (intra‐ and inter‐day validation). Taken together, the shorter analysis time involved makes these HPLC/UV and LC‐ESI‐MS/MS methods valuable for the commercial quality control of Angelicae dahuricae Radix extracts and its pharmaceutical preparations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous analysis of 11 main active components in Cirsium setosum based on HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS and combined with statistical methods

A novel method based on high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for simultaneous determination of the 11 major active components including ten flavonoids and one phenolic acid in Cirsium setosum. Separation was performed on a reversed‐phase C₁₈ column with gradient elution of methanol and 0.1‰ acetic acid (v/v). The identification and quantification of the analytes were achieved on a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Multiple‐reaction monitoring scanning was employed for quantification with switching electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes in a single run. Full validation of the assay was carried out including linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, limits of detection and quantification. The results demonstrated that the method developed was reliable, rapid, and specific. The 25 batches of C. setosum samples from different sources were first determined using the developed method and the total contents of 11 analytes ranged from 1717.460 to 23028.258 μg/g. Among them, the content of linarin was highest, and its mean value was 7340.967 μg/g. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were performed to differentiate and classify the samples, which is helpful for comprehensive evaluation of the quality of C. setosum.     

Novel UHPLC‐MS/MS method for the determination of rotigotine in the plasma of patients with Parkinson's disease

A novel ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of the dopamine receptor agonist rotigotine in human plasma. Following liquid–liquid extraction with tert‐ butyl methyl ether from 500 μL plasma, the chromatographic analysis was performed on a Gemini NX3 column using 5 mm pH 5.0 ammonium acetate–5 mm ammonium acetate in methanol as binary gradient mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The MS/MS ion transitions were 316.00 → 147.00 for rotigotine and 256.10 → 211.00 for the internal standard (lamotrigine). The lower limit of quantitation was 50 pg/mL and the linearity was determined from 50 to 2500 pg/mL. The mean recovery was 96.9%. Both intra‐ and interassay imprecision and inaccuracy were ≤15% at all quality control concentrations. The method was successfully applied to measure morning trough plasma rotigotine concentrations in a series of patients with Parkinson's disease on chronic treatment. The present study describes the first fully validated method for rotigotine determination in human plasma.     

Comprehensive two‐dimensional PC‐3 prostate cancer cell membrane chromatography for screening anti‐tumor components from Radix Sophorae flavescentis

Radix Sophorae flavescentis is generally used for the treatment of different stages of prostate cancer in China. It has ideal effects when combined with surgical treatment and chemotherapy. However, its active components are still ambiguous. We devised a comprehensive two‐dimensional PC‐3 prostate cancer cell membrane chromatography system for screening anti‐prostate cancer components in Radix Sophorae flavescentis . Gefitinib and dexamethasone were chosen as positive and negative drugs respectively for validation and optimization the selectivity and suitability of the comprehensive two‐dimensional chromatographic system. Five compounds, sophocarpine, matrine, oxymatrine, oxysophocarpine, and xanthohumol were found to have significant retention behaviors on the PC‐3 cell membrane chromatography and were unambiguously identified by time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Cell proliferation and apoptosis assays confirmed that all five compounds had anti‐prostate cancer effects. Matrine and xanthohumol had good inhibitory effects, with half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 0.893 and 0.137 mg/mL, respectively. Our comprehensive two‐dimensional PC‐3 prostate cancer cell membrane chromatographic system promotes the efficient recognition and rapid analysis of drug candidates, and it will be practical for the discovery of prostate cancer drugs from complex traditional Chinese medicines.     

Synthesis of benzofurazan derivatization reagents for short chain carboxylic acids in liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS)

Benzofurazan derivatization reagents, 4‐[2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)ethylaminosulfonyl]‐7‐(2‐aminopentylamino)‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole (DAABD‐AP) and 4‐[2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino) ethylaminosulfonyl]‐7‐(2‐aminobutylamino)‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole (DAABD‐AB), for short‐chain carboxylic acids in liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS) were synthesized. These reagents reacted with short chain carboxylic acids in the presence of the condensation reagents at 60°C for 60 min. The generated derivatives were separated on the reversed‐phase column and detected by ESI‐MS/MS with the detection limits of 0.1–0.12 pmol on column. Upon collision‐induced dissociation, a single and intense product ion at m/z 151 was observed. These results indicated that DAABD‐AP and DAABD‐AB are suitable as the derivatization reagents in LC/ESI‐MS/MS analysis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of spiramycin and neospiramycin antibiotic residues in raw milk using LC/ESI‐MS/MS and solid‐phase extraction

A simple confirmatory method for the determination of spiramycin and its metabolite neospiramycin in raw milk using LC ESI MS/MS is presented. Macrolide residues in raw milk were extracted by ACN, and sample extracts were further cleaned up and concentrated using SPE cartridges. Both spiramycin and neospiramycin were protonated in electrospray positive ion mode to form singly and/or doubly charged pseudomolecular ions. Data acquisition was achieved using multiple reaction monitoring, i.e., two transitions, for quantification and confirmation. Matrix‐matched standard calibration curves were utilized to achieve the best accuracy for the method. The method performance was evaluated according to both a conventional validation procedure and a designed experimental result. The measurement uncertainty arising from accuracy and precision was estimated. The method accuracy, expressed as a percentage of an overall recovery, was from 82.1 to 108.8%, and its intermediate precision was less than 20%. LC/ESI‐MS/MS method LODs (S/N ? 3:1) of spiramycin and neospiramycin were less than 1.0 μg/kg.     

Metabolomics revealed the toxicity of cationic liposomes in HepG2 cells using UHPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS and multivariate data analysis

Cationic liposomes (CLs) are novel nonviral vectors widely used for delivering drugs or genes. However, applications of CLs are largely hampered by their cytotoxicity, partly because the potential mechanism underlying the cytotoxicity of CLs remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to explore the underlying mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by CLs on HepG2 cells. Differential metabolites were identified and quantified using ultra‐liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS). The toxicity of CLs on HepG2 cells was evaluated by multivariate data analysis and statistics. Additionally, CCK‐8 assay, heatmap, pathway and co‐expression network were carried out to explore the relations between the metabolites and the pathways. The results showed a dose‐dependent toxic effect of CLs on HepG2 cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 119.9 μg/mL. Multivariate statistical analysis identified 42 potential metabolites between CLs exposure and control groups. Pathway analysis showed significant changes in pathways involving amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in the CLs exposure group vs the control group. Metabolites related to the above‐mentioned pathways included phenylalanine, methionine, creatine, oxalacetic acid, glutathione, oxidized glutathione, choline phosphate and several unsaturated fatty acids, indicating that cells were disturbed in amino acid metabolism, energy and lipid supply when CLs exposure‐induced injury occurred. It is concluded that CLs may induce cytotoxicity by enhancing reactive oxygen species in vitro , affect the normal process of energy metabolism, disturb several vital signaling pathways and finally induce cell death.     

Analysis of hydroxyl radical‐induced oxidation process of glucagon by reversed‐phase HPLC and ESI‐MS/MS

Structural modification of a polypeptide hormone, glucagon, by a hydroxyl radical in vitro was investigated by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC), and the oxidized site of glucagon was detected by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS). It was shown that ²⁷methionine (Met) was oxidized to ²⁷Met sulfoxide by hydroxyl radical, and the production rate of ²⁷Met sulfoxide was faster than that by hydrogen peroxide. In addition, production of ²⁷Met sulfoxide enantiomer was confirmed by RP‐HPLC analysis. cAMP production in a HepG2 cell induced by ²⁷Met sulfoxide glucagon was reduced to approximately 75% as compared with that induced by the native form of glucagon. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.