Identification of isomeric flavonoid glucuronides in urine and plasma by metal complexation and LC-ESI-MS/MS

Noncovalent complexes were used for structural determination and isomer differentiation of flavonoid glucuronides. Several flavonoid glucuronides including naringenin-7-O-glucuronide, synthesized here for the first time, were used as test compounds. Electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry with collision-induced dissociation (CID) was used to analyze complexes of the form [Co(II) (L-H) (Aux)]+ and [Co(II) (L-H) (Aux)2]+, in which L is the flavonoid glucuronide and Aux is a phenanthroline-based ligand. These complexes yielded characteristic fragmentation patterns that facilitated assignment of the substitution position of the glucuronides. The methods were adapted to liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with postcolumn cobalt complexation and were tested on extracts from biological fluids. The metabolites naringenin-7-O-glucuronide and naringenin-4'-O-glucuronide were detected in human urine following the consumption of grapefruit juice. Isomeric quercetin glucuronides were identified and differentiated after spiking rat plasma at the 1 microM level, proving that the new methods are effective at biologically relevant concentrations.     

Identification of tamoxifen and metabolites in human male urine by GC/MS

Tamoxifen is an antiestrogenic drug which is used in the treatment of breast cancer and nonmalignant breast disorders. It also has a stimulating effect on the secretion of hypofisar gonadotropic hormones and is generally used in the treatment of infertility. In males, tamoxifen causes an increase of endogenous production of androgenic steroids, and therefore is used by athletes. A method for identification of tamoxifen and metabolites in urine, using the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry system (GC/MS) is described. This study also reports the extraction methodology of tamoxifen and metabolites in urine samples of healthy male volunteers and the GC/MS conditions used to identify tamoxifen and its metabolites.     

Determination of Camptothecin and 10-Hydroxycamptothecin in Camptotheca acuminata by LC-ESI-MS/MS

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with multiple reaction monitoring was developed for the simultaneous determination of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin in Camptotheca acuminata. The separation of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin was performed on an Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 column with a mixture of methanol and water (1:1, v/v) containing 0.2% formic acid as a mobile phase. The limits of detection of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin were 4.0 ng/mL and 7.0 ng/mL (S/N = 3), respectively. Analysis took 10 minutes, making the method suitable for rapid determination of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin in C. acuminata.     

Identification of free and conjugated metabolites of mesocarb in human urine by LC-MS/MS

The objective of the present study was to investigate mesocarb metabolism in humans. Samples obtained after administration of mesocarb to healthy volunteers were studied. The samples were extracted at alkaline pH using ethyl acetate and salting-out effect to recover metabolites excreted free and conjugated with sulfate. A complementary procedure was applied to recover conjugates with glucuronic acid or with sulfate consisting of the extraction of the urines with XAD-2 columns previously conditioned with methanol and deionized water; the columns were then washed with water and finally eluted with methanol. In both cases, the dried extracts were reconstituted and analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic separation was carried out using a C₁₈ column (100 mm × 2.1 mm i.d., 1.7 μm particle size) and a mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile with 0.01% formic acid with gradient elution. The chromatographic system was coupled to a mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization source working in positive mode. Metabolic experiments were performed in multiple-reaction monitoring mode by monitoring one transition for each potential mesocarb metabolite. Mesocarb and 19 metabolites were identified in human urine, including mono-, di-, and trihydroxylated metabolites excreted free as well as conjugated with sulfate or glucuronic acid. All metabolites were detected up to 48 h after administration. The structures of most metabolites were proposed based on data from reference standards available and molecular mass and product ion mass spectra of the peaks detected. The direct detection of mesocarb metabolites conjugated with sulfate and glucuronic acid without previous hydrolysis has been described for the first time. Finally, a screening method to detect the administration of mesocarb in routine antidoping control analyses was proposed and validated based on the detection of the main mesocarb metabolites in human urine (p-hydroxymesocarb and p-hydroxymesocarb sulfate). After analysis of several blank urines, the method demonstrated to be specific. Extraction recoveries of 100.3 ± 0.8 and 105.9 ± 10.8 (n = 4), and limits of detection of 0.5 and 0.1 ng mL⁻¹ were obtained for p-hydroxymesocarb sulfate and p-hydroxymesocarb, respectively. The intra- and inter-assay precisions were estimated at two concentration levels, 50 and 250 ng mL⁻¹, and relative standard deviations were lower than 15% in all cases (n = 4).     

Rapid screening and determination of nerve agent metabolites in human urine by LC-MS/MS

Qualitative screening procedures have been developed for the rapid detection and identification of the metabolites of nerve agents in the urine samples and extracts using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The combination of negative electrospray ionization (ESI) using a C₁₈ column and water-methanol mobile phase modified with ammonium formate provides a rapid screening procedure for nerve agent degradation products with limit of detection of 1 ng/mL in the precursor-ion analysis. Also, determination of the alkyl methylphosphonic acids was carried out by the SRM scan mode with the limit of detection of 0.1 ng/mL. These procedures will be applicable to the trace analysis of metabolites of nerve agents in human urine matrices in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) proficiency test.     

Quantitative estimation of riluzole in human plasma by LC-ESI-MS/MS and its application to a bioequivalence study

A novel simple, sensitive, selective, and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantification of riluzole in human plasma. The chromatography was performed by using a Zorbax-SB-C18 (4.6 × 75 mm, 3.5 μm) column , isocratic mobile phase 0.1% formic acid/acetonitrile (10:90 v/v), and an isotope-labeled internal standard (IS), [¹³C,¹⁵N₂]riluzole. The extraction of drug and internal standard was performed by liquid–liquid extraction and analyzed by MS in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using the respective [M+H]⁺ ions, m/z 235.0/165.9 for riluzole and m/z 238.1/169.0 for the IS. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.5–500.0 ng/ml for riluzole in human plasma. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was demonstrated at 0.5 ng/ml. The within-batch and between-batch precision were 0.6–2.3% and 1.4–5.7%, and accuracy was 97.1–101.1% and 98.8–101.2% for riluzole respectively. Drug and IS were eluted within 3.0 min. The validated method was successfully applied in a bioequivalence study of riluzole in human plasma.     

Mass spectrometric determination of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in human urine for doping control purposes by means of LC-ESI-MS/MS

The decapeptide gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is endogenously produced in the hypothalamus and secreted into the microcirculation between hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Here, the bioactive hormone is responsible for the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) into the systemic circulation. Because an intermittent application of exogenous GnRH in young males increases the testosterone plasma level by stimulation of the Leydig cells, the potential misuse of the administered substance offers a reasonable relevancy for doping controls and is prohibited in accordance to the list of banned substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The presented method provides a mass spectrometric approach to determine the nondegraded hormone in regular doping control samples by utilizing a sample preparation procedure with solid phase extraction, immunoaffinity purification and a subsequent separation by liquid chromatography with ESI-MS/MS detection. For liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry two alternative instrumental equipments were tested: the first consisted of an Agilent 1100 liquid chromatograph coupled to an Applied Biosystem Q Trap 4000 mass spectrometer, the second equipment was assembled by a Waters Aquity nano-UPLC coupled to a Thermo LTQ Orbitrap high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometer. In urine specimens provided from healthy volunteers GnRH was not detected in accordance to the recent literature, but in postadministration samples urinary concentrations between 20 to 100 pg/ml of the intact peptide were determined. The method offered good validation results considering the parameter specificity, linearity (5-300 pg/ml), limit of detection (LOD, approx. 5 pg/ml), precision (inter/intraday, < 20%) and accuracy (105%) using Des-pGlu(1)-GnRH as internal standard to control each sample preparation step.     

Screening flavonoid metabolites of naringin and narirutin in urine after human consumption of grapefruit juice by LC-MS and LC-MS/MS

The main flavonoids in grapefruit juice, naringin and narirutin, were quantified by LC-MS with structural differentiation by LC-MS/MS. After human consumption of grapefruit juice, urine samples were collected for 24 hours and screened for flavonoid metabolites by LC-MS. The metabolite structures (glucuronides, sulfates, and glucuronide sulfates) were then confirmed via their unique fragmentation patterns by LC-MS/MS. To further verify the identity of the common aglycon (naringenin) shared by the metabolites, enzymatic hydrolysis was performed and the resulting products were analyzed. This work demonstrates that LC-MS and LC-MS/MS techniques can be used for fast metabolite screening without extensive sample preparation.     

Determination of chlortetracycline in swine plasma by LC-ESI/MS/MS

A rapid, selective and sensitive method has been developed for the determination of chlortetracycline in swine plasma by LC-ESI/MS/MS. The method consists of a protein precipitation extraction for sample preparation and liquid chromatography ionspray tandem mass spectrometry for analysis. The plasma samples were extracted with acetonitrile and the supernatants were analyzed using an LC-ESI/MS/MS instrument. Separation was achieved using a C(8) analytical column and an isocratic mobile phase composed of 70:30 acetonitrile:0.5% formic acid in water at a flow rate of 500 microL/min. A linear (weighted 1/concentration) relationship was used to perform the calibration over an analytical range 20--2000 ppb (ng/mL). The intra-batch precision and accuracy at LLOQ, medium and high concentrations were 9.0, 11.3 and 9.9% and 97.7, 100.3 and 98.4%, respectively, and the inter-batch precision and accuracy at LLOQ, medium and high concentrations were 9.1, 8.4 and 7.4% and 95.1, 102.1 and 97.1%, respectively. This LC-ESI/MS/MS method for the determination of chlortetracycline in swine plasma has been proven to be within generally accepted criteria used for bioanalytical assay.     

Determination of malotilate and its metabolites in plasma and urine

A method for the determination of malotilate (I), the corresponding monocarboxylic acid (II) and its decarboxylated product (III) in plasma is described. Plasma was extracted with chloroform spiked with internal standard. The residue, dissolved in methanol, was chromatographed on a reversed-phase column with a mobile phase of 60% acetonitrile and 1% acetic acid in water. The sensitivity limit for I, II and III was 50, 25 and 100 ng/ml of plasma, respectively. Compound I in the same plasma extract was also analysed by gas chromatography--electron-impact mass spectrometry. The base peaks m/z 160 for I and m/z 162 for internal standard (IV) were monitored; the sensitivity limit for I was 2.5 ng/ml of plasma. The determination of the metabolites of I, II and its conjugate (V), and isopropyl-hydrogen malonate (VI) in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography is also described. The limit of quantification for VI was 2.0 micrograms/ml, and the overall coefficient of variation of VI was 4.7%. The limit of quantification for II in urine was 0.5 micrograms/ml and that for V was 1.0 micrograms/ml as total II (II + V). The overall precision of the method was satisfactory. The method was used to determine plasma and urine concentrations in four dogs orally dosed with 100, 200 or 400 mg of malotilate.     

Determination of carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere by DNPH derivatization and LC-ESI-MS/MS detection

A method of determination of 32 carbonyl compounds by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) after derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) was developed and successfully applied to the atmosphere sample of a residential area of Liwan District (S1) and a research institute of Tianhe District (S2) in Guangzhou, China. Some operation conditions of ESI-MS/MS in the negative ion mode including selection of parent and daughter ions, declustering potential (DP), entrance potential (EP), collision energy (CE), collision cell exit potential (CXP) and effect of buffer in ESI-MS/MS process were optimized. The regression coefficient of the calibration curves (R²), recovery, reproducibility (R.S.D., n = 5) and limit of detection (LOD) were in the range of 0.9938-0.9999, 90-104%, 1.7-11% and 0.4-9.4 ng/m³, respectively. Among most of the samples, acetone was the most abundant carbonyl in two sampling sites and formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and butyraldehyde/2-butanone were also abundant carbonyls. In contrast to LC-UV method, the LOD, the separation of some co-eluting compounds and the precision (mainly to higher molecular weight carbonyls) are all improved by LC-ESI-MS/MS.     

Determination of dextromethorphan and metabolites in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Sensitive methods were developed for the analysis of dextromethorphan (I) and two metabolites, (+)-17-methyl-morphinan-3-ol (II) and (+)-morphinan-3-ol (III), in plasma as well as dextromethorphan and three metabolites II, III and (+)-3-methoxymorphinan (IV) in urine using high-performance liquid chromatography followed by detection with a fluorometer. Dextromethorphan and its metabolites were extracted from plasma and urine and separated in the reversed-phase mode. The practical lower limits of determination for I, II, and III in plasma were 0.5, 5, and 5 ng/ml, respectively; for I, II, III, and IV in urine, the limits were 20 ng/ml, 0.6 microgram/ml, 0.5 microgram/ml, and 15 ng/ml, respectively. The linearity of the calibration graphs was excellent (r varied from 0.9994 to 0.9999) over concentration ranges of two orders of magnitude.     

Excretion patterns of arsenic and its metabolites in human saliva and urine after ingestion of Chinese seaweed

There are no reports in scientific literature on arsenic species in human saliva after seaweed exposure. The present article reports for the first time the regular excretion patterns of arsenic in the saliva of volunteers with one-time ingestion of Chinese seaweed. Total arsenic and speciation analyses were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). Results show that the excretion time of total arsenic in saliva is a trifle earlier than that in urine, total arsenic in human saliva also shows a regular excretion pattern like that in urine within 72 h after exposure to seaweed. For speciation analysis, four species, including the major dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) species, were detected in urine prior to seaweed intake. Six species were detected in urine after seaweed ingestion, including DMA, methylarsonic acid (MMA), oxo-dimethylarsinoylethanol (oxo-DMAE), thio-dimethlyarsenoacetate (thio-DMAA), arsenite (As^III) and arsenate (As^V). In saliva samples, three species were found before seaweed ingestion, with the major peak identified as As^III. After consumption, the kinds of arsenic metabolites in saliva were less than those in urine. The major species was inorganic arsenic (iAs As^III+As^V), followed by DMA, MMA and a trace amount of oxo-DMAE. Taken together, the present study suggests that saliva assay can be used as a potential tool for understanding the regular excretion pattern of total arsenic after seaweed ingestion. Whether or not it’s an efficient tool for assessing arsenic metabolites in humans exposed to seaweed requires further investigation.     

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS/MS) methods for the quantification of captan and folpet phthalimide metabolites in human plasma and urine

Captan and folpet are fungicides largely used in agriculture. They have similar chemical structures, except that folpet has an aromatic ring unlike captan. Their half-lives in blood are very short, given that they are readily broken down to tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI) and phthalimide (PI), respectively. Few authors measured these biomarkers in plasma or urine, and analysis was conducted either by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography with UV detection. The objective of this study was thus to develop simple, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS/MS) methods to quantify both THPI and PI in human plasma and urine. Briefly, deuterated THPI was added as an internal standard and purification was performed by solid-phase extraction followed by LC/APCI-MS/MS analysis in negative ion mode for both compounds. Validation of the methods was conducted using spiked blank plasma and urine samples at concentrations ranging from 1 to 250 μg/L and 1 to 50 μg/L, respectively, along with samples of volunteers and workers exposed to captan or folpet. The methods showed a good linearity (R ² > 0.99), recovery (on average 90% for THPI and 75% for PI), intra- and inter-day precision (RSD, <15%) and accuracy (<20%), and stability. The limit of detection was 0.58 μg/L in urine and 1.47 μg/L in plasma for THPI and 1.14 and 2.17 μg/L, respectively, for PI. The described methods proved to be accurate and suitable to determine the toxicokinetics of both metabolites in human plasma and urine.     

Rapid, simple and highly sensitive LC-ESI-MS/MS method for the quantification of tamsulosin in human plasma

A simple, rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantification of tamsulosin (I), a highly selective alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist used for the treatment of patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. The analyte and internal standard, mosapride (II) were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether-dichloromethane (70:30, v/v) using a Glas-Col Multi-Pulse Vortexer. The chromatographic separation was performed on a reverse phase Waters symmetry C18 column with a mobile phase of 0.03% formic acid-acetonitrile (30:70, v/v). The protonated analyte was quantitated in positive ionization by multiple reaction monitoring with a mass spectrometer. The mass transitions m/z 409.1 solidus in circle 228.1 and m/z 422.3 solidus in circle 198.3 were used to measure I and II, respectively. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.1-50.0 ng/mL for tamsulosin in human plasma. The lower limit of quantitation was 100 pg/mL with a relative standard deviation of less than 10%. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve ranges. A run time of 2.0 min for each sample made it possible to analyze a throughput of more than 400 human plasma samples per day. The validated method has been successfully used to analyze human plasma samples for application in pharmacokinetic, bioavailability or bioequivalence studies.     

Determination of tauromustine and its demethylated metabolites in plasma and urine

A sensitive, selective and precise high-performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of tauromustine and its demethylated metabolites in plasma and urine has been developed. It is based on solid-phase extraction on C18 sorbent and separation on a semipolar column. The analytical procedure is described in detail. The method has been validated with respect to linearity, recovery, selectivity, precision and detection limit. The stability of the determined substances in various media has also been studied.     

Determination of sulfinpyrazone and two of its metabolites in human plasma and urine by gas chromatography and selective detection

A selective and sensitive gas chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of sulfinpyrazone and two of its metabolites (the para-hydroxylated metabolite and the sulfone metabolite) in biological fluids using alkali flame ionization detection (AFID), electron capture detection (ECD) and mass fragmentographic detection is described. The compounds are extracted from the samples, methylated and separated on 2% OV-17 or 3% OV-225 columns. Phenylbutazone is used as internal standard. Standard curves are linear. The coefficient of variation at 10 microgram/ml of sulfinpyrazone in plasma was shown to be 1.8% (AFID), and the detection limits were 0.1 microgram/ml (AFID) and 10 ng/ml (ECD). Mass spectra of the methylated compounds are shown and serum concentration curves after oral administration of 100 mg sulfinpyrazone to two persons are determined together with the excreted amounts of drug and metabolites.     

Determination of Chlorzoxazone in Rat Plasma by LC-ESI-MS/MS and Its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

A sensitive LC-ESI-MS/MS method for determination of chlorzoxazone in rat plasma has been developed. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax SB-C₁₈ column, with 45:55 (v/v) acetonitrile–water as the mobile phase. A LC-ESI-MS/MS was performed in a multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode using target ions m/z 167.5→131.6 for chlorzoxazone and m/z 230.7→185.6 for phenobarbital (internal standard). The calibration plots were linear over the range of 10.0–2,000 ng/mL. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were better than 5.1% and 6.8%, respectively. The validated method was successfully used to analyze the drug in samples of rat plasma for pharmacokinetic study.