Application of centrifugal precipitation chromatography and high-speed counter-current chromatography equipped with a spiral tubing support rotor for the isolation and partial characterization of carotenoid cleavage-like enzymes in Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Nees

Centrifugal precipitation chromatography and a high-speed counter-current chromatography system equipped with a spiral tubing support rotor (spHSCCC) were successfully applied for the identification and isolation of carotenoid cleavage-like enzymes from Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Nees. This is the first study separating active enzymes from a complex natural matrix by spHSCCC. The target enzymes were identified after fractionation of the proteins in an acetone Tris-buffer gradient by centrifugal precipitation chromatography. Also, an aqueous two-phase solvent system consisting of PEG 1000 and mono- and dibasic potassium phosphate was used for the isolation of the enzymes by spHSCCC. The purified fractions contained two proteins of 65 and 72 kDa, respectively. The enzymes could cleave β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal to produce β-ionone.     

Separation of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid fragments by centrifugal precipitation chromatography

Centrifugal precipitation chromatography (CPC) was applied for the first time to the separation of fragments of chondroitin sulfate (ChS) and hyaluronic acid (HA). The separation was performed using a gradient elution system between ethanol and water since solubility of these biopolymers highly depends on the concentration of ethanol in aqueous solution. ChS and HA were each eluted into several peaks through a flow-through UV detector at 275 nm, despite they have almost no absorbance at this wavelength in an aqueous solution. The separation was also confirmed by redissolving the dried fraction in water and measuring the absorbance at 210 nm. These results suggest that the CPC system can detect small precipitates of these biopolymers by light scattering at 275 nm. The separated fragments of biopolymers are not easily characterized because no suitable analytical method is available for identification of these compounds. However, the overall results demonstrate that CPC may be a useful separation of biopolymers such as glycosaminoglycans which quantitatively produce precipitates in an organic solvent mixture.     

Separation of proteins by hydrophobic interaction chromatography at low salt concentration

We investigated protein separation by hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) at low salt concentration on the supports of various hydrophobicities. Hydrophobic proteins could be successfully separated with more than 90% recovery by gradient elution of ammonium sulfate from 0.3-0.5 M to 0 in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) by using supports whose hydrophobicities were properly adjusted individually for each protein. Satisfactory results were also obtained by isocratic elution without ammonium sulfate and gradient elution of ethanol from 0 to 10%. HIC at low salt concentration was compatible with other modes of liquid chromatography like ion-exchange chromatography. On the other hand, it was not successful to separate hydrophilic proteins at low salt concentration. Recoveries of hydrophilic proteins decreased before they were retained enough as support hydrophobicity increased. Therefore, it is inevitable to use a higher concentration of salt, e.g., 1-2 M ammonium sulfate, on hydrophilic or moderately hydrophobic support in order to retain hydrophilic proteins without decrease in recovery.     

Preparation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-grafted polymer monolith for hydrophobic interaction chromatography of proteins

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-grafted polymer monolith has been achieved using a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization grafting polymerization within the pores of poly(chloromethylstyrene-divinylbenzene) macroporous monolith contained in a 100 mm × 4.6 mm I.D. stainless steel column. The grafted-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) on the surface of the grafted monolith that was used as chromatographic stationary phase showed a response to the variation of temperatures and/or salt concentrations. This study focus on its salt concentration responsive property and it has been revealed that the hydrophobicity of the grafted monolith can be adjusted by changing salt concentrations in the range of 0.05-2.0 mol/L. A variety of salts including sodium sulfate, ammonium sulfate and sodium chloride exhibited different effects on the alteration of hydrophobicity of the grafted monolith, and the effect of the salts was in the order of sodium sulfate > ammonium sulfate > sodium chloride. Based on this response to salt concentrations, the grafted monolith was applied in hydrophobic interaction chromatography of proteins, and the base-line separation of a six proteins mixture consisting of cytochrome c, myoglobin, ribonuclease A, bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin and thyroglobulin bovine was achieved by a salt gradient elution.     

正交设计试验优化高速逆流色谱分离制备玛咖中芥子油苷的条件

基于高速逆流色谱（HSCCC）技术从玛咖中分离制备出两种芥子油苷,苄基芥子油苷（glucotropaeolin, GTL）和甲氧基苄基芥子油苷（glucolimnanthin, GLI）。使用正交设计试验对分离条件进行优化,采用高分辨质谱对制备的组分进行鉴定,采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）对组分进行定量分析。确定了两个组分GTL与GLI的HSCCC最佳分离条件：溶剂系统为正丁醇-乙腈-200 g/L硫酸铵溶液（1:0.5:2.4, v/v/v）,上相为固定相,下相为流动相,流动相流速2 mL/min,主机转速900 r/min,从玛咖根粗提物中一次性分离得到157.72 mg/kg纯度为97.9%的苄基芥子油苷和31.93 mg/kg的甲氧基苄基芥子油苷,固定相保留率达57.6%。该方法成本低,简便易行,样品损失量小,可大量循环进样制备。     

Purification of antibody heteropolymers using hydrophobic interaction chromatography

A heteropolymer (HP) is a unique dual antibody conjugate composed of specific, chemically cross-linked monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In this study we have demonstrated that HPs can be purified using hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). Two propyl HIC resins; [PolyPropyl A and EMD Fractogel Propyl (S)] were evaluated in this study. Phosphate buffers, pH 6.5 containing ammonium sulfate or sodium sulfate were used to bind the HP to the column. A descending sulfate gradient or step gradient was used to elute the bound HP species from the column. The HP reaction mixture typically contains multiple conjugated HP species, as well as unreacted monomer mAbs. Conjugated HP product was successfully separated from unreacted antibody monomers with both propyl resins using buffers with ammonium sulfate. There was no monomer separation from HP using buffers with sodium sulfate. The purification processes, presented in this study allows the non-cross-linked antibodies to pass through the column without being bound to the resin, while the cross-linked antibodies (the HP product) bound to the column were subsequently eluted by decreasing the ammonium sulfate concentration in the running buffer. HP product was efficiently separated from free mAbs using Propyl HIC resins at both analytical and preparative scales.     

Bacteriocin PJ4 Active Against Enteric Pathogen Produced by Lactobacillus helveticus PJ4 Isolated from Gut Microflora of Wistar Rat (Rattus norvegicus): Partial Purification and Characterization of Bacteriocin

The increase of multidrug-resistant pathogens and the restriction on the use antibiotics due to its side effects have drawn attention to the search for possible alternatives. Bacteriocins are small antimicrobial peptides produced by numerous bacteria. Much interest has been focused on bacteriocins because they exhibit inhibitory activity against pathogens. Lactic acid bacteria possess the ability to synthesize antimicrobial compounds (like bacteriocin) during their growth. In this study, an antibacterial substance (bacteriocin PJ4) produced by Lactobacillus helveticus PJ4, isolated from rat gut microflora, was identified as bacteriocin. It was effective against wide assay of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria involved in various diseases, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The antimicrobial peptide was relatively heat-resistant and also active over a wide pH range of 2–10. It has been partially purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulfate precipitation and size exclusion chromatography and checked on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of bacteriocin PJ4 purified through size exclusion chromatography resolved ~6.5 kDa protein with bacteriocin activity. The peptide is inactivated by proteolytic enzymes, trypsin, and lipase but not when treated with catalase, α-amylase, and pepsin. It showed a bactericidal mode of action against the indicator strains E. coli MTCC443, Lactobacillus casei MTCC1423, and E. faecalis DT48. Such characteristics indicate that this bacteriocin may be a potential candidate for alternative agents to control important pathogens.     

Development of an ion chromatographic gradient retention model from isocratic elution experiments

When facing separation problems in ion chromatography, chromatographers often lack guidelines to decide a priori if isocratic elution will give enough separation in a reasonable analysis time or a gradient elution will be required. This situation may be solved by the prediction of retention in gradient elution mode by using isocratic experimental data. This work describes the development of an ion chromatographic gradient elution retention model for fluoride, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, sulfate and phosphate by using isocratic experimental data. The isocratic elution retention model was developed by applying a polynomial relation between the logarithm of the retention factor and logarithm of the concentration of competing ions; the gradient elution retention model was based on the stepwise numerical integration of the corresponding differential equation. It was shown that the developed gradient elution retention model was not significantly affected by transferring data form isocratic experiment. The root mean squared prediction error for gradient elution retention model was between 0.0863 for fluoride and 0.7027 for bromide proving a very good predictive ability of developed gradient elution retention model.     

Separation of proanthocyanidins isolated from tea leaves using high-speed counter-current chromatography

The proanthocyanidin extract from tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves was purified for the further study of the biological role of proanthocyanidins in blister blight leaf disease of tea, which is caused by the fungus Exobasidium vexans. An aqueous acetone extract of proanthocyanidins prepared from healthy tea leaves was partially purified using Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. The crude proanthocyanidin extract obtained was fractionated with high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) using the solvent system n-hexane–EtOAc–MeOH–water (1:5:1:5). The purity of the each isolated fraction after a single HSCCC run was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Seven fractions of high purity were isolated. The identity of the compound present in each fraction isolated was established using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Five proanthocyanidins and two flavanol digallates, (−)-epigallocatechin digallate (EGCDG) and (−)-epicatechin digallate (ECDG) were isolated. Comparison of spectral data of the proanthocyanidins isolated with those previously reported indicated that all five were known B-type proanthocyanidins with 2,3-cis stereochemistry in both the upper (u-unit) and the terminal (t-unit) units, and 4R configuration of the C-ring in the u-unit. The proanthocyanidins were established to be dimers composed of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (−)-epiafzelechin gallate (EAG) units with the following structures: EGCG-(4β → 6)-EGCG, ECG-(4β → 6)-EGCG, EGCG-(4β → 6)-ECG, EAG-(4β → 6)-EGCG, ECG-(4β → 6)-ECG by analysis of spectral data. Therefore HSCCC offers a powerful method for the separation of a group of closely related naturally occurring compounds.     

Partial purification and characterization of protease enzyme from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus

The aim of this experimental study was to isolate and partially purify protease enzyme from Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis. Protease enzyme is obtained by inducing spore genesis of bacteria from Bacillus species in suitable nutrient plates. The partial purification was realized by applying, respectively, ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography to the supernatant that was produced later. Optimum pH, optimum temperature, pH stability, and temperature stability were determined, as well as the effects of pH, temperature, substrate concentration, reaction time, and inhibitors and activators on enzyme activity. In addition, the molecular mass of the obtained enzyme was investigated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The specific activity of partially purified enzyme from B. subtilis was determined to be 84 U/mg. The final enzyme preparation was eight-fold more pure than the crude homogenate. The molecular mass of the partially purified enzyme was found to be 45 kDa by using SDS-PAGE. The protease enzyme that was partially purified from B. cereus was purified 1.2-fold after ammonium sulfate precipitation. The molecular mass of the partially purified enzyme was determined to be 37 kDa by using SDS-PAGE.     

Production, Purification, and Characterization of Exoglucanase by Aspergillus fumigatus

Fungi are considered good producers of industrially valuable enzymes with higher enzymatic activities. Among these cellulases are group of extracellular enzymes commonly employed in many industries for the hydrolysis of cellulolytic material. Aspergillus fumigatus produced exoglucanase having high enzymatic activity (83 U/gds) during the solid-state fermentation of wheat straw under optimum physical and nutritional conditions. Maximum production was obtained after 72 h of fermentation, at 55 °C temperature, pH 5.5, 80 % moisture level, and 2 mL fungal inoculum. Production was further increased by the addition of fructose (0.3 %) as additional carbon source, peptone (0.4 %) as nitrogen source, Tween-80 (0.3 %) as surfactant, and ammonium sulfate (0.2 %) in media. Exoglucanase was 2.30-folds purified by adding 40 % ammonium sulfate with volumetric activity 95.4 U/gds and specific activity 14.74 U/mg. Further, it was 5.18-folds purified by gel filtration chromatography with volumetric activity 115.2 U/gds and specific activity 33.10 U/mg. Purified exoglucanase has maximum activity at 55 °C and pH 4.8 using 1 % Avicel aqueous solution as substrate. The K _m and V _max were 4.34 mM and 7.29 μM/min, respectively. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc ions have positive effect on exoglucanase activity.     

Centrifugal partition chromatography directly interfaced with mass spectrometry for the fast screening and fractionation of major xanthones in Garcina mangostana

Xanthones are well known for their interesting phytochemical properties, which make them attractive to the pharmaceutical and medicinal industry. We have therefore developed a method to analyse the major xanthones in Garcina mangostana. The xanthones were extracted by pressurized liquid extraction with ethanol and separated at the semi-preparative scale by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) with a biphasic solvent system consisting of heptane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (2:1:2:1, v/v/v/v). A CPC-electrospray ionisation MS coupling was performed and used to simultaneously separate and identify the compounds. Thanks to a variable flow splitter and an additional stream of ethanol/1 mol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate (95:5, v/v), all the compounds were ionised, detected and monitored whatever the solvents used in mobile phase for the CPC separation. The dual mode or elution–extrusion which are less solvent-consuming and faster than the elution mode were used without loss of ionisation and detection.     

离线pH梯度-强阳离子交换色谱法分离肽段混合物

复杂肽段混合物的有效分离是高覆盖率地鉴定蛋白质混合物的前提。Shotgun蛋白质组学研究通常采用二维液相色谱(强阳离子交换色谱-反相色谱)分离后接串联质谱检测的方法。但由于离子交换色谱体系中含有高浓度的盐,使得在线分析的难度较大;而在离线分析时,也常因需要对高盐组分进行脱盐处理而易引起样品损失。因此,该文尝试用pH梯度替代盐梯度,实现pH梯度-强阳离子交换色谱方法应用于复杂肽段混合物的分离。通过对缓冲体系pH值的计算,优化了乙酸-乙酸铵体系线性pH梯度配合盐梯度的离子交换色谱方法,以及柠檬酸-氨水体系线性pH梯度的离子交换色谱方法。将这两种方法应用于牛血清白蛋白酶切产物的分离取得了与常规强阳离子交换色谱相似的分离效果。乙酸-乙酸铵体系采用的是低浓度的可挥发性铵盐,采用真空冻干的方法可以有效除盐,基质辅助激光解吸质谱靶上自然挥发也可以达到较好的脱盐效果,简化了常规方法繁琐费时的脱盐步骤及避免了由此造成的样品损失。柠檬酸-氨水体系采用pH梯度洗脱替代盐梯度洗脱,大大降低了体系中的盐浓度。这两种方法在复杂体系蛋白质组研究的样本预分离中具有较好的应用前景。     

Phase equilibria for salt-induced lysozyme precipitation: Effect of salt type and temperature

The salt-induced precipitation of lysozyme from aqueous solutions was studied through precipitation assays in which the equilibrium compositions of the coexisting phases were determined. Lysozyme precipitation experiments were carried out at 5, 15 and 25 °C and pH 7.0 with ammonium sulfate, sodium sulfate and sodium chloride as precipitating agents. In these experiments a complete separation of the coexisting phases (liquid and solid) could not be achieved. Nevertheless it was possible to determine the composition of the precipitate. The enzymatic activity of lysozyme in the supernatant phase as well as in the precipitate phase was also determined. The activity balance suggests that there is a relationship between the composition of the true precipitate and the total activity recovery.     

A sensitive,high‐throughput,and ecofriendly method for the determination of lumefantrine,artemether, and its active metabolite dihydroartemisinin by supercritical fluid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

A quick and sensitive supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of lumefantrine, artemether, and its active metabolite dihydroartemisinin in rat plasma was developed and validated. The chromatographic separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPC²™ BEH 2‐EP column within 2.5 min by gradient elution using compressed CO₂ and methanol containing 2 mM ammonium acetate as the mobile phases. Detection was achieved by multiple reaction monitoring using electrospray ionization in the positive ionization mode. For sample preparation, 50 μL of the sample was processed by modified high‐throughput, one‐step protein precipitation using hydrogen peroxide as a stabilizer to protect the endoperoxide‐containing artemisinin derivatives from degradation. The calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 2.0–1000 ng/mL for both artemether and dihydroartemisinin, and 1.0–5000 ng/mL for lumefantrine. The values of selectivity, lower limit of quantification, linearity, accuracy, precision, matrix effects, stability, and recovery met the acceptable range according to the Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The developed method enables high resolution and speed as well as low cost, low solvent consumption, and short time and was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies through the intravenous administration of an artemether–lumefantrine lipid emulsion in rats.     

离子交换色谱-基质辅助激光解吸电离串联飞行时间质谱分离鉴定中国人乳中的β-酪蛋白

以新鲜中国人乳为研究对象,在酸性条件下加氯化钙分离酪蛋白,用十二烷基磺酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)法测定分离效果。从pH值、离心力和CaCl2浓度等3个方面对分离效果进行评价。结果表明:当pH=4.3,离心力为10 400 g,CaCl2溶液浓度为60 mmol/L时,分离得到的酪蛋白组分纯度最高。对所得酪蛋白沉淀进行DEAE阴离子交换色谱分离,得到3个洗脱液。对其中第3个峰进行Western-Blot法及基质辅助激光解吸电离串联飞行时间质谱法(MALDI-TOF/TOF MS)鉴定,证明该峰能与人β-酪蛋白抗体特异性结合,确认其为人乳β-酪蛋白;将质谱结果在Mascot数据库中进行数据检索,序列覆盖率为50%,进一步确定其为人乳β-酪蛋白。综上所述,我们建立了能够得到符合蛋白质组学研究要求的人乳β-酪蛋白的方法。     

来源于类芽孢杆菌属碱性甲壳素酶的分离纯化及其性质

甲壳素,又名几丁质(chitin),是自然界中含量仅次于纤维素的第二大天然多糖,有第六生命要素之美称.其主要存在于甲壳类动物的外壳、真菌细胞的细胞壁以及一些昆虫的外壳中,每年自然界中约有100多亿吨甲壳素生成.甲壳素是由2-乙酰氨基-2-脱氧-D-吡喃葡萄糖和2-氨基-2-脱氧-D-吡喃葡萄糖通过β-1,4糖苷键连接而成的二元线性聚合物,分子链中分布许多羟基、氨基及乙酰氨基,形成大量分子间及分子内氢键,致使其结晶度较高,化学性质十分稳定,直接利用较为困难.甲壳素不溶于稀酸、稀碱以及一般有机溶剂,工业上常用强酸强碱法处理甲壳素,以制备壳寡糖类产品,但该方法具有产品结构不单一,环境污染较为严重等缺点.甲壳素酶可特异性水解甲壳素链中β-1,4糖苷键,得到甲壳寡糖和N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖.酶解法降解甲壳素工艺简单、反应条件温和、环境友好,有很好的应用前景.我们以Paenibacillus pasadenensis CS0611为出发菌株,以蟹壳粉末为培养基唯一碳源及氮源,在适宜条件下培养48 h.发酵液经离心、硫酸铵(80％饱和度)盐析、透析除盐后得到粗酶液.再利用HiTrap DEAE FF离子交换层析和HiLoad 26/600Superdex 200 pg凝胶过滤层析对该粗酶液进行分离纯化,以得到电泳纯甲壳素酶.所制备甲壳素酶比活力为10.28 U/mg,最终纯化倍数为5.3,酶活得率为15.7％.SDS-PAGE结果表明,该甲壳素酶相对分子质量约为69 kDa.后经MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定,该酶部分肽段和来源于另一株Paenibacillus pasadenenss的甲壳素酶(accession No:gi655151624)具有较高的同源性,进一步证实所纯化蛋白为甲壳素酶.对上述纯化的甲壳素酶的酶学性质进行研究,结果发现:其最适反应温度为50℃,在20-35℃内有较好的稳定性,50℃及以上热稳定性较差;最适pH为5.0,在pH4.0-11.0间具有较高稳定性,表明该酶具有很好的耐碱性;金属离子对该酶催化活性没有明显的激活作用,表明该甲壳素酶是非金属酶.同时,对该酶的底物特异性进行研究,发现该酶对胶体甲壳素和甲壳素水解能力较强,对淀粉和纤维素无水解能力,对不同脱乙酰度的壳聚糖的水解程度随脱乙酰度不同而变化,表明该酶只能特异性识别并降解GlcNAc-GlcNAc之间的糖苷键;以胶体甲壳素为底物时,米氏常数Km为4.41 mg/mL,最大反应初速度为1.08 mg/min.利用薄板层析和高效液相色谱对酶解产物进行分析,结果表明该甲壳素酶对胶体甲壳素的降解产物主要是(GlcNAc)2.综上所述,本研究所涉甲壳素酶在甲壳二糖的酶法制备方面具有较好的应用前景.     

Easy separation of optically active products by enzymatic hydrolysis of soluble polymer-supported substrates

The easy separation of optically active compounds from enzymatic kinetic resolution products by simple precipitation using poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)-supported carbonates is disclosed. The water-soluble substrate was prepared by the immobilization of (±)-1-phenylethanol onto a middle-molecular weight (av M_w 5000) monomethoxy PEG (MPEG) through a carbonate linker. The enantioselective hydrolysis using Lipase from porcine pancreas (PPL; Type II, Sigma) in a mixed solvent (hexane/buffer = 9:1) proceeded to afford the corresponding optically active compounds. In this system, the separation of the products was achieved by a simple procedure without laborious column chromatography. A hydrophobic spacer between the MPEG moiety and the carbonate linker affected both the reactivity and enantioselectivity, and the substrate with a phenylethyl spacer was hydrolyzed with the highest enantioselectivity (E value = 270).     

Electrophoretic separation of tea flavanoids in the modes of capillary (zone) electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Conditions for electrophoretic separation of tea phenolic enantiomers, (+)-catechin and (?)-epicatechin, by capillary (zone) electrophoresis using β-cyclodextrin as a component of the working electrolyte are developed. Optimization is made of the conditions for separating a multicomponent mixture of ionic and neutral polyphenols from various tea samples in the mode of micellar electrophoretic chromatography using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a micelle-forming agent and urea as an additive to the phosphate buffer.     

Ni speciation in tea infusions by monolithic chromatography—ICP-MS and Q-TOF-MS

For humans, Ni is not considered to be an essential trace element. Its compounds, at levels present in foodstuffs and drinks, are generally considered to be safe for consumption, but for individuals who already suffer from contact allergy to Ni and may be subject to develop systemic reactions from its dietary ingestion, dietary exposure to Ni must be kept under control. Being the second most popular beverage, tea is a potential source of dietary Ni. Present knowledge on its speciation in tea infusions is poor. Therefore, complete speciation analysis, consisting of separation by liquid chromatography using a weak CIM DEAE-1 monolithic column, “on-line” detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and “off-line” identification of ligands by hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS), was implemented for the first time to study Ni speciation in tea infusions. Total concentrations of Ni in dry leaves of white, green, oolong and black tea (Camellia sinensis) and flowers of herbal chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) tea were determined after microwave digestion by ICP-MS. They lay between 1.21 and 14.4 mg?kg^?1. Good agreement between the determined and the certified values of the Ni content in the standard reference material SRM 1573a tomato leaves confirmed the accuracy of the total Ni determination. During the infusion process, up to 85 % of Ni was extracted from tea leaves or flowers. Separation of Ni species was completed in 10 min by applying aqueous linear gradient elution with 0.6 mol?L^?1 NH₄NO₃. Ni was found to be present in the chromatographic fraction in which quinic acid was identified by Q-TOF in all the tea infusions analysed, which had pH values between 5.6 and 6.0. The only exception was the infusion of hibiscus tea with a pH of 2.7, where results of speciation analysis showed that Ni is present in its divalent ionic form.