HPLC-MS/MS multiclass determination of steroid hormones in environmental waters after preconcentration on the carbonaceous sorbent HA-C@silica

In this study, a sensitive and multiclass method has been developed for analysis of three families of steroid hormones, i.e. progestins, oestrogens, androgens, by SPE-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The extraction efficiency of thermally condensed humic acids onto silica sorbent (HA-C@silica), here for the first time studied for multiclass enrichment of these sex hormones, was tested in different environmental waters (tap and river water, urban wastewater treatment plant effluent) spiked at the nanograms per litre levels (5–1000 ng L⁻¹). Quantitative adsorption was achieved using 200 mg sorbent for preconcentration of 250–1000 mL sample, at the native pH (pH = 6.5–7.7). Elution was performed by two sequential fractions (methanol followed by acetonitrile), obtaining in all the matrices investigated satisfactory recoveries (71% to 124% for river waters and 71–113% for urban wastewater treatment plant effluent) and RSDs below 15% (n = 3). The high enrichment factors (up to 4000) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry quantification (MRM mode) provided low limits of detection and quantification (a few ng L⁻¹), that are suitable for environmental monitoring. Most of the analytes were detected in river water and in wastewater effluent samples (in the ng L⁻¹ concentration range), attesting their environmental diffusion. The proposed method was extended to a fourth class, Glucocorticoids, achieving good results in river samples, by the same SPE cartridge and chromatographic run.     

Determination of Celecoxib, Rofecoxib, Sodium Diclofenac and Niflumic Acid in Human Serum Samples by HPLC with DAD Detection

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the separation and simultaneous determination of two COX-2 inhibitors, celecoxib and rofecoxib, in addition to two well-known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), sodium diclofenac and niflumic acid in human serum samples. Good chromatographic separation was achieved using a C18 bonded silica column applying a gradient with acetronitrile and water, from 15 to 60% acetonitrile. The mobile phase contained 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid as an organic modifier. Detection was made using a diode array detector (DAD) and the analytical parameters were established at the wavelength maximum in the UV spectrum of each drug. Linearity was studied up to 100.0 mg L⁻¹. Calibration functions, quantification and detection limits, intra- and inter-day reproducibility and accuracy were estimated for each drug. Solid phase extraction was needed to separate and concentrate the drugs from human serum samples. The method was successfully applied to determine the drugs in human serum samples at levels of 1.0 mg L⁻¹.     

Simple LC–MS Determination of Citric and Malic Acids in Fruits and Vegetables

A rapid, reliable and sensitive method has been developed to determine malic and citric acid in fruits and vegetables. The methodology is based on simple extraction with an aqueous solution of ethanol (80% v/v) and subsequent chromatographic analysis by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Electrospray ionization in negative mode was used. The best response for citric and malic acid was provided by molecular ions [M?H]^? at m/z 191 and 133 respectively. These ions were used for quantification, whereas other fragments were used as confirmation ions. Different variables involved in the separation and detection process, such as mobile phase, gradient profile and flow rate have been optimised. Linearity, repeatability, recovery and limits of quantification were evaluated. Good linearity was obtained up to 5,000 mg kg^?1. Recovery ranged from 90.0 to 104.6%, repeatability (expressed as RSD) was <8% for tested matrices, and limits of quantification were equal or lower than 65 mg kg^?1. Finally, the method was applied to the analysis of samples of orange, tomato and pepper.     

Simultaneous determination of eight antibiotics from distinct classes in surface and wastewater samples by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

A reliable multiclass method has been developed and validated for the determination of eight antibiotics from distinct classes (sulfonamides, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, cephalosporins and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors) in wastewater – influent and effluent – and surface water from Porto Alegre, Brazil. The pre-concentration and clean-up was conducted with a simple and fast protocol using solid-phase extraction allowing a 100-fold concentration factor. The proposed method was validated by using spiked blank wastewater samples in terms of linearity, repeatability, reproducibility, recovery, matrix effects and limits of detection and quantification. Recovery was obtained in the range of 66–149%. Method limit of quantification ranged between 1.6 and 61.7 ng L^?1. Samples (n = 16) were taken from January to August 2011 in one wastewater treatment plant, which uses conventional biological treatment. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim show higher concentration, ranging from >10 to <6500 ng L^?1, whereas erythromycin presented the lower amount. Differences between influent and effluent profiles were discussed. Surface water samples (n = 8) were collected in Arroio Diluvio, in four sampling points, in February 2012. From the eight antibiotics analysed, five were detected: sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azythromicyn, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, in a concentration range of 376–572 ng L^?1, 27–94 ng L^?1, 24–40 ng L^?1, 16–66ng L^?1 and 30–54 ng L^?1, respectively.     

Development of a Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatographic Assay for the Quantification of Total Persipeptides in Fermentation Broth

The emergence and prevalence of multi-drug-resistant bacterial strains increase the potential for outbreaks of incurable infections. The discovery of novel antibiotics and pharmacological preparations requires the identification of novel bioactive small molecules. A specific, sensitive, and reliable quantification method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection was developed for the determination of total persipeptides (A and B), which are cyclic pentapeptides found in the fermentation broth of Streptomyces zagrosensis UTMC 1154 that exhibit bioactivity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A simple liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) method using butanol was employed to extract persipeptides from the fermentation broth prior to HPLC analysis. The chromatographic separation of persipeptides and the internal standard, virginiamycin, was achieved with a gradient of acetonitrile and water on a C18 reversed-phase analytical column in a 25-min analytical run utilizing a flow rate of 0.8 mL min⁻¹ and detection at 210 nm. The whole assay was validated, and the method presented a linear response range with a regression coefficient of determination R ² of 0.9996 for the quantification of persipeptides in the concentration range of 3.9–250.0 µg mL⁻¹, as well as extraction recoveries ranging from 54.78 ± 9.83 % to 56.45 ± 16.33 %. The bias and the precision of the proposed method were <10 %. The detection and quantification limits for the persipeptides were 27 and 83 µg L⁻¹, respectively.

     

Simultaneous determination of thirteen main components and identification of eight major metabolites in Xuebijing Injection by UPLC/Q-TOF

An ultra performance liquid chromatographic method was used for the simultaneous identification and quantification of thirteen main components in Xuebijing Injection, including uridine, gallic acid, guanosine, danshensu, protocatechualdehyde, oxypaeoniflorin, hydroxysafflor yellow A, paeoniflorin, ferulic acid, safflor yellow A, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H and salvianolic acid B. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ column (1.7-μm, 2.1 × 100 mm, i.d.) with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.2% acetic acid at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The method was validated for linearity (r ² > 0.9990), intra- and inter-day precision (RSD < 1.94%), accuracy (91.8–99.7%), recovery (96.8–103.8%), limits of detection (0.16–8.0 ng), and limits of quantification (0.54–26.8 ng). At least eight metabolites in prototype were found in rat plasma and urine after intravenous injection of 4 mL/kg doses of Xuebijing Injection. The proposed method could be utilized to qualify and control Xuebijing Injection to ensure its safety and efficacy in application.     

Simultaneous Analysis of a Mixture of Iridoids in Water Extracts of Plantago asiatica L. by LC

A simple liquid chromatographic method using an ultraviolet detector was developed for the simultaneous quantification of a mixture of iridoid glycosides, catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid. By adding a minute amount of trifluoroacetic acid into the conventional aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase, the unstable resolution arising from the tautomeric rearrangements in the carboxylic group at the 11 position of geniposidic acid could be solved, resulting in a clear separation profile of the catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid peaks. We were able to quantify the contents of catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid contained in the leaves and seeds of P. asiatica.

     

A Simple and Sensitive LC Method for Quantification of Cefteram in Human Plasma

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatographic method was developed for quantification of cefteram in human plasma. Amoxicillin was used as an internal standard. The present method used protein precipitation for extraction of cefteram from human plasma. Separation was carried out on a reversed-phase C₁₈ column. The column effluent was monitored by UV detection at 262 nm. The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol and water containing 0.3% v/v triethylamine and 0.6% v/v glacial acetic acid (35:65:0.3:0.6 v/v) at a flow rate of 0.30 mL min^?1. The column temperature was 20 °C. This method was linear over the range of 47.5–4,750.0 ng mL^?1 with determination coefficient greater than 0.99. The mean extraction recovery of cefteram and IS was ≥76.82 and ≥76.49%, respectively, and the method was found to be precise, accurate, and specific during the study. The method was successfully applied for a pharmacokinetic study of cefteram in human.     

Simultaneous Analysis of a Mixture of Iridoids in Water Extracts of Plantago asiatica L. by LC

A simple liquid chromatographic method using an ultraviolet detector was developed for the simultaneous quantification of a mixture of iridoid glycosides, catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid. By adding a minute amount of trifluoroacetic acid into the conventional aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase, the unstable resolution arising from the tautomeric rearrangements in the carboxylic group at the 11 position of geniposidic acid could be solved, resulting in a clear separation profile of the catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid peaks. We were able to quantify the contents of catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid contained in the leaves and seeds of P. asiatica.     

Improvements in analytical methodology for the determination of frequently consumed illicit drugs in urban wastewater

Rapid and sensitive analytical methodology based on ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry has been developed for the determination of widely consumed drugs of abuse (amphetamines, MDMA, cocaine, opioids, cannabis and ketamine) and their major metabolites in urban wastewaters. Sample clean-up and pre-concentration was performed by a generic off-line SPE procedure using Oasis HLB. Special effort was made to incorporate amphetamine, which was found highly problematic in the wastewater samples tested, including an additional clean-up with Oasis MCX SPE and dispersive primary secondary amine. Correction for possible SPE losses or degradation during storage was made by the use of isotope-labelled internal standards (ILIS), available for all compounds, which were added to the samples as surrogates. Although ILIS were also efficient for matrix effects correction, the strong ionization suppression observed was not eliminated; therefore, a four-fold dilution prior to SPE was applied to influent wastewaters and a low injection volume was selected (3 μL), in order to reach a compromise between matrix effects, chromatographic performance and sensitivity. The method was validated at 25 and 200 ng L^?1 (effluent), and 100 and 800 ng L^?1 (influent), obtaining limits of quantification (i.e. the lowest level that the compound can be quantified and also confirmed with at least two MS/MS transitions) between 0.4–25 ng L^?1 (effluent) and 2–100 ng L^?1 (influent). The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analysis of 14 influent and 14 effluent wastewater samples collected over 2 weeks in Castellón (Spain) within a European collaborative study.     

Simultaneous Chromatographic Fingerprinting and Quantitative Analysis of Flemingia philippinensis by LC–DAD

To evaluate the quality of Flemingia philippinensis, a validated reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method with diode-array detection has been developed for chromatographic fingerprint analysis and for quantification of genistin, genistein, and 5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-6,8-diprenylisoflavone, the three main bioactive isoflavones. In the fingerprint analysis, 21 chromatographic peaks were selected as characteristic peaks; among these 14 flavonoids were identified on the basis of their retention times and UV spectra. In quantitative analysis, the recovery of the method was in the range 94.5–107.7%, and good linearity (r ² > 0.9990) was observed for all the compounds over a relatively wide range of concentrations. The relative standard deviation of the method was less than 2.5% for intra-day and inter-day assays. The assay was successfully applied to analysis of the three active isoflavones in 19 samples. The results indicated the assay is reproducible and precise and could be used for convenient assessment of the quality of F. philippinensis.     

Simultaneous Gas Chromatographic Determination of Nitrobenzene and 2,4-Dinitrophenol in Nitrobenzene Manufacturing Plant Wastewater

Abstract

A simple and rapid gas chromatographic procedure is described for the identification and quantification of pollutants in the nitrobenzene manufacturing plant wastewater. The samples were extracted with methylene chloride and subsequently nitrobenzene and 2,4-dinitrophenol were analysed by GC using FID. The method was found to be precise and accurate and applicable for monitoring the effluent treatment system at ppm levels.     

Direct injection horse urine analysis for the quantification and identification of threshold substances for doping control. III. Determination of salicylic acid by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In equine sport, salicylic acid is prohibited with a threshold level of 750 μg mL⁻¹ in urine; hence, doping control laboratories have to establish quantitative and qualitative methods for its determination. A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for the quantification and identification of salicylic acid. Urine samples after 900-fold dilution and addition of the internal standard (4-methylsalicylic acid) were directly injected to the liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry system. Electrospray ionization in negative mode with full scan acquisition mode and product ion scan mode were chosen for the quantification and identification of salicylic acid, respectively. Run time was 2.0 min. The tested linear range was 2.5–50 μg mL⁻¹ (after 100-fold sample dilution). The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-assay analysis of salicylic acid in horse urine were lower than 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively. Overall accuracy (relative percentage error) was less than 3.3%. Method was applied to two real samples found to be positive for salicylic acid, demonstrating simplicity, accuracy, and selectivity.     

Development of high performance liquid chromatography method for lacidipine in rabbit serum: Application to pharmacokinetic study

A simple and sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for quantification of lacidipine (LCDP) in rabbit serum was developed and validated. LCDP and internal standard (IS), felodipine were extracted into n-hexane and dichloromethane (70:30) solvent system and separated using an isocratic mobile phase, on an Inertsil C18 column. The effluent was monitored by UV detector at 240 nm and at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. The linearity range of proposed method was 1-500 ng mL⁻¹. The intra-day and inter-day coefficient of variation and percent error values of the assay method were less than 15% and mean recovery was more than 94 and 95% for LCDP and IS, respectively and the method was found to be precise, accurate, and specific during the study. The method was successfully applied for pharmacokinetic study of lacidipine after application of LCDP microemulsion gel in rabbits.     

Stochastic resonance algorithm applied to quantitative analysis for weak liquid chromatographic signal of pyrene in water samples

The phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR), which was discovered in recent years, rendered an entirely new way for the detection of weak signals, and it has been widely studied in many different science fields. This phenomenon is manifest in nonlinear systems whereby a weak signal can be amplified when the noise, signal and nonlinear system attain the proper cooperation. The introduced algorithm was employed to detect pyrene in drinking water samples with solid-phase extraction–liquid chromatography. The weak chromatographic peak of the analyte was amplified significantly, and the profiles of the peaks were also satisfactory. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were improved from 0.022?ng?mL^?1 and 0.08?ng?mL^?1 to 0.004?ng?mL^?1 and 0.01?ng?mL^?1, respectively. The results showed an excellent quantitative relationship between concentrations and chromatographic responses. It is expected that the SR will be an effective tool to detect weak chromatographic peaks quantitatively in trace analysis.     

Fast gradient high performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection for simultaneous determination of seven angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors together with hydrochlorothiazide in pharmaceutical dosage forms and spiked human plasma and urine

The development of a reversed phase liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of seven angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors; five drugs namely benazepril HCl (BZL), enalapril maleate (ENL), fosinopril sodium (FSP), lisinopril (LSP) and ramipril (RMP) and two metabolites captopril disulfide (CPD) and enalaprilat (ENT) together with hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) is described. The method can serve as a substitute for many published papers for the analysis of the targeted compounds with or without hydrochloothiazide in pharmaceutical formulations as well as in spiked human plasma and urine samples. The method utilizes a simple gradient procedure for the separation in a 11 min run time using acetonitrile aqueous ammonia buffer (pH 9) solution and an Extend RP-C18 (25 μm particle size, 4.6 mm × 250 mm, Agilent) HPLC column. The effluent was monitored on a UV detector at 215 nm. The effect of pH, solvent strength and analysis time on the peak shape and quantification were carefully studied in order to optimize the method. Adopting the proposed procedure, the analytes produce well-shaped peaks with good linear relationship over the investigated concentration ranges. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) from standard drug solutions lie in the range of 17-64 and 56-212 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Correlation coefficient values (r) higher than 0.997 were obtained for all the studied drugs in spiked human plasma and urine samples. The intra-day and inter-day precision of the method was evaluated with relative standard deviation values being satisfactory for their purposed analysis. The method was validated with respect to specificity, recovery, accuracy, precision and linearity.     

Simultaneous Analysis of a Mixture of Iridoids in Water Extracts of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago asiatica</Emphasis> L. by LC

A simple liquid chromatographic method using an ultraviolet detector was developed for the simultaneous quantification of a mixture of iridoid glycosides, catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid. By adding a minute amount of trifluoroacetic acid into the conventional aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase, the unstable resolution arising from the tautomeric rearrangements in the carboxylic group at the 11 position of geniposidic acid could be solved, resulting in a clear separation profile of the catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid peaks. We were able to quantify the contents of catalpol, aucubin, and geniposidic acid contained in the leaves and seeds of P. asiatica.     

Development of the HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Lidocaine Hydrochloride and Tribenoside Along with Their Impurities Supported by the QSRR Approach

A new liquid chromatographic (LC) method for simultaneous determination of lidocaine hydrochloride (LH) and tribenoside (TR) along with their related compounds in pharmaceutical preparations is described. Satisfactory LC separation of all analytes after the liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) procedure with ethanol was performed on a C₁₈ column using a gradient elution of a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 % orthophosphoric acid as the mobile phase. The procedure was validated according to the ICH guidelines. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 4.36 and 13.21 μg mL^?1 for LH, 7.60 and 23.04 μg mL^?1 for TR, and below 0.11 and 0.33 μg mL^?1 for their impurities, respectively. Intra- and inter-day precision was below 1.97 %, whereas accuracy for all analytes ranged from 98.17 to 101.94 %. The proposed method was sensitive, robust, and specific allowing reliable simultaneous quantification of all mentioned compounds. Moreover, a comparative study of the RP-LC column classification based on the quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) and column selectivity obtained in real pharmaceutical analysis was innovatively applied using factor analysis (FA). In the column performance test, the analysis of LH and TR in the presence of their impurities was carried out according to the developed method with the use of 12 RP-LC stationary phases previously tested under the QSRR conditions. The obtained results confirmed that the classes of the stationary phases selected in accordance with the QSRR models provided comparable separation for LH, TR, and their impurities. Hence, it was concluded that the proposed QSRR approach could be considered a supportive tool in the selection of the suitable column for the pharmaceutical analysis.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of moprolol (SD 1601) in human plasma and urine

1-(o-methoxyphenoxy)-3-isopropylamino-2-propanol hydrochloride (moprolol, Omeral^R), is a new β-adrenergic blocking agent. A gas chromatographic method for determining unchanged moprolol in human biological fluids has been developed. After solvent extraction, a bis-trifluoroacetyl derivative was formed and measured by an electron capture detector. The quantification was checked by using an internal standard (pronethalol), which was added to all samples. The electron capture response was linear between 10 and 500 ng/ml. To avoid contamination of the peaks, careful extraction was imperative. The main advantages offered by the described method are: specificity, high sensitivity (10 ng.ml^?1) and the small amount of biological fluids (1 ml plasma a. e.) required.     

Linear Modulated Stochastic Resonance Algorithm Applied to Determination of Thidiazuron Residue in Water Using Stochastic Resonance

Abstract

The newly proposed linear modulated stochastic resonance algorithm (LSRA) was used to amplify and detect the weak chromatographic peaks of thidiazuron. The output chromatographic peak is often distorted when using the traditional stochastic resonance algorithm because of the existence of strong noise. In LSRA, the distortion of the output peak can be corrected by introducing a linear force into the nonlinear system. A two‐step optimization method was proposed to give attention to both the signal‐to‐noise ratio and the peak shape of output signal. The weak chromatographic peaks of thidiazuron can be amplified significantly and the distortion of the output peaks can be corrected using LSRA. The algorithm was used to detect thidiazuron residue in water with solid phase extraction‐high performance liquid chromatography. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were improved to 2.5 ng/l and 10 ng/l, respectively.