Capillary electrophoresis of aminoglycosides with argon-ion laser-induced fluorescence detection

A new analytical method for aminoglycosides (kanamycin, bekanamycin, paromomycin and tobramycin) based on capillary electrophoretic separation and argon-ion laser-induced fluorescence detection has been developed. 6-Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) was used for precolumn derivatization of the non-fluorescent aminoglycosides. Optimal separation and detection were obtained with an electrophoretic buffer of 30 mM sodium borate (pH 9.0) and an air-cooled argon-ion laser (excitation at 488 nm, emission at 520 nm). The concentration limits of detection in aqueous solution were 3.9-8.2 nM. Combined with a simple cleanup procedure, this method can be applied to the determination of aminoglycosides in human plasma. A calibration curve ranging from 0.15 to 30 microM was shown to be linear. The limits of detection of aminoglycosides in human plasma were between 14.4 and 24.0 nM. Recoveries of spiked aminoglycosides in human plasma were between 92 and 105%.     

Determination of Macrolide Antibiotics Using Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Followed by Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A novel method for the determination of macrolide antibiotics using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled to surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric detection was developed. Acetone and dichloromethane were used as the disperser solvent and extraction solvent, respectively. A mixture of extraction solvent and disperser solvent were rapidly injected into a 1.0 mL aqueous sample to form a cloudy solution. After the extraction, macrolide antibiotics were detected using surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI/MS) with colloidal silver as the matrix. Under optimum conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 2, 3, 3, and 2 nM for erythromycin (ERY), spiramycin (SPI), tilmicosin (TILM), and tylosin (TYL), respectively. This developed method was successfully applied to the determination of macrolide antibiotics in human urine samples.     

Detection of aminothiols through surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using mixed gold nanoparticles

We have employed mixtures of two differently sized (average diameters: 3.5 and 14 nm) gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as selective probes and matrices for the determination of aminothiols using surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI‐MS). When using 38 and 150 pM solutions of the 3.5‐ and 14‐nm Au NPs, respectively, as the probe and matrix, SALDI‐MS provided limits of detection (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 3) of 2, 20, and 44 nM for 1.0 mL solutions of glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), and homocysteine, respectively. The signal intensities of these analytes varied by less than 20% for SALDI‐MS analyses recorded over 50 sample spots; in contrast, they varied by as much as 60% when using a conventional matrix (2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid). We validated the practicality of this approach – with its advantages of sensitivity, reproducibility, rapidity, and simplicity – through the analysis of GSH in MCF‐7 cell lysates and Cys in plasma. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ionic liquid‐based microwave‐assisted surfactant‐improved dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and derivatization of aminoglycosides in milk samples

A green and simple method, ionic liquid‐based microwave‐assisted surfactant‐improved dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and derivatization was developed for the determination of aminoglycosides in milk samples. Nonionic surfactant Triton X‐100 and ionic liquid 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate were used as the disperser and extraction solvent, respectively. Extraction, preconcentration, and derivatization of aminoglycosides were carried out in a single step. Several experimental parameters, including type and volume of extraction solvent, type and concentration of surfactant, microwave power and irradiation time, concentration of derivatization reagent, and pH value and volume of buffer were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the linearities for determining the analytes were in the range 0.4–10.0 ng/mL for tobramycin, 1.0–25.0 ng/mL for neomycin, and 2.0–50.0 ng/mL for gentamicin, with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9991 to 0.9998. The LODs for the analytes were between 0.11 and 0.50 ng/mL. The present method was applied to the analysis of different milk samples, and the recoveries of aminoglycosides obtained were in the range 96.4–105.4% with the RSDs lower than 5.5%. The results showed that the present method was a rapid, convenient, and environmentally friendly method for the determination of aminoglycosides in milk samples.     

Determination of aminoglycoside residues in kidney and honey samples by hydrophilic interaction chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

Two methods based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry were developed for the determination of ten aminoglycosides (streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, spectinomycin, apramycin, paromomycin, kanamycin A, gentamycin C1, gentamycin C2/C2a, gentamycin C1a, and neomycin B) in kidney samples from food‐producing animals and in honey samples. The methods involved extraction with an aqueous solution (for the kidney samples) or sample dissolution in water (for the honey samples), solid‐phase extraction with a weak cation exchange cartridge and injection of the eluate into a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry system. A zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography column was used for separation of aminoglycosides and a triple quadrupole mass analyzer was used for detection. The methods were validated according to Decision 2002/657/EC. The limits of quantitation ranged from 2 to 125 μg/kg in honey and 25 to 264 μg/kg in the kidney samples. Interday precision (RSD%) ranged from 6 to 26% in honey and 2 to 21% in kidney. Trueness, expressed as the percentage of error, ranged from 7 to 20% in honey and 1 to 11% in kidney.     

Exploring the interactions between gold nanoparticles and analytes through surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI‐MS) is applied to provide strong evidence for the chemical reactions of functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with analytes – Hg²⁺ ions induced MPA?Au NPs aggregation in the presence of 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDCA) and H₂O₂ induced fluorescence quenching of 11‐MUA?Au NDs. PDCA‐Hg²⁺‐MPA coordination is responsible for Au NPs aggregation, while the formation of 11‐MUA disulfide compounds that release into the bulk solution is responsible for H₂O₂‐induced fluorescence quenching. In addition to providing information about the chemical structures, SALDI‐MS is also selective and sensitive for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions and H₂O₂. The limits of detection (LODs) for Hg²⁺ ions and H₂O₂ by SALDI‐MS were 300 nM and 250 µM, respectively. The spot‐to‐spot variations in the two studies were both less than 18% (50 sample spots). Our results reveal that SALDI‐MS can be used to study analyte‐induced changes in the surface properties of nanoparticles. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of melamine in infant formula and grain powder by surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

We have developed a method for the determination of melamine (MEL), ammeline (AMN), and ammelide (AMD) by surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI‐MS) using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The major peaks for MEL, AMN, and AMD at m/z 127.07, 128.05, and 129.04 are assigned to the [MEL + H]⁺, [AMN + H]⁺, and [AMD + H]⁺ ions. Because the three tested compounds adsorb weakly onto the surfaces of the Au NPs through Au–N bonding, they can be easily concentrated from complex samples by applying a simple trapping/centrifugation process. The SALDI‐MS method provides limits of detection of 5, 10, and 300 nM for MEL, AMN, and AMD, respectively, at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3. The signal variation for 150‐shot average spectra of the three analytes within the same spot was 15%, and the batch‐to‐batch variation was 20%. We have validated the practicality of this approach by the analysis of these three analytes in infant formula and grain powder. This simple and rapid SALDI‐MS approach holds great potential for screening of MEL in foods. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Application of Trichloroacetic Acid as an Ion Pairing Reagent in LC–MS–MS Method Development for Highly Polar Aminoglycoside Compounds

A simple, sensitive and robust liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for highly polar aminoglycoside compounds gentamicin, kanamycin and apramycin. The effect of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) concentration on plasma protein precipitation and sample recovery was studied and an optimized concentration of 25–30% TCA were determined that gives the best sample recovery for aminoglycosides from rat plasma. The effect of TCA concentration on the chromatographic behavior of gentamicin and tobramycin was studied on a Synergy Max RP-column using a mobile phase with a pH of 2.78. Other than protein precipitation, TCA also acted as ion pairing reagent and was only present in the samples but not in the mobile phases. The data demonstrated that by increasing the TCA concentration, the analyte retention and sensitivity were improved. The absence of TCA in mobile phase helped to reduce the ion source contamination and to achieve good reproducibility. The plasma method was linearly calibrated from 1–5,000, 20–10,000, 10–10,000 ng mL^?1 with precisions of 2.6–4.1, 3.3–5.0, 1.5–9.9%, and accuracies of 94.7–103.7, 87.9–104.9, 91.3–103.6% for gentamicin, kanamycin and apramycin, respectively. The LLOQs corresponding with a coefficient of variation less than 20% were 1, 20 and 10 ng mL^?1 for gentamicin, kanamycin and apramycin, respectively.     

Trace analysis of aminoglycoside antibiotics in bovine milk by MEKC with LIF detection

This work describes a straightforward and sensitive method for the multi-residue analysis of aminoglycoside antibiotics (kanamycin B, amikacin, neomycin B and paromomycin I) in bovine milk samples. The method involves the pre-capillary derivatization of antibiotics with sulfoindocyanine succinimidyl ester (Cy5) and their separation and determination by MEKC with LIF detection. The optimum procedure includes a derivatization step of the antibiotics at 25 degrees C for 30 min and direct injection for MEKC analysis, which is performed in about 20 min by using borate buffer (35 mM; pH 9.2) with 55 mM SDS as an anionic surfactant and 20% ACN as the organic modifier. Under these conditions, dynamic ranges of 10-500 microg/L and RSDs (within-day precision) from 3.8 to 5.3% were obtained. These results indicate that the proposed MEKC-LIF method is useful as a selective and sensitive tool for the determination of these antibiotics and surpasses other reported electrophoretic alternatives. Finally, the method was successfully applied to bovine milk samples after a simple solid-phase extraction clean-up and preconcentration procedure. The aminoglycosides were readily detected at 0.5-1.5 microg/kg levels with average recoveries ranging from 89.4 to 93.3%.     

The Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Aminoglycoside Antibiotics and their Applications

Aminoglycosides, a class of antibiotics that includes gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, tobramycin and apramycin, are derived from various streptomyces species. Despite the significant increase in the antibacterial resistant pathogens, aminoglycosides remain an important class of antimicrobial drugs due to their unique chemical structure which offers a broad spectrum of activity. The modification of antibiotics and their subsequent use in supramolecular chemistry is rarely reported. Given the importance of aminoglycosides, here we give a brief overview on the modification of 4,5- and 4,6-disubstituted deoxystreptamine classes of aminoglycosides through supramolecular chemistry and their potential for real world applications. We also make the case that the work in this area is gaining momentum, and there are significant opportunities to meet the challenges of modern antibiotics through the modification of aminoglycosides by harnessing the advantages of supramolecular chemistry.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法检测乳制品中10种氨基糖苷类抗生素残留

建立了乳制品中链霉素、双氢链霉素、新霉素、卡那霉素、妥布霉素、庆大霉素、安普霉素、潮霉素B、巴龙霉素、阿米卡星等10种氨基糖苷类抗生素(aminoglycosides, AGs)残留的高效液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)检测方法。乳制品提取液经亲水-亲脂平衡(hydrophilic- lipophilic balance, HLB)柱净化后,采用反相离子对高效液相色谱分离,电喷雾串联四极杆质谱检测。对样品前处理条件、液相色谱流动相以及质谱条件进行了优化。结果表明: 10种AGs在20～1000 μg/L范围内定量离子的峰面积和样品的质量浓度之间有很好的线性关系;在乳制品中的加标回收率为71.2%～101.7%,相对标准偏差为3.4%～13.8%。该方法简便、灵敏、准确,可用于乳制品中多种AGs残留的同时检测。     

Sample preparation for residue determination of gentamicin and neomycin by liquid chromatography

The effect of sample preparation on the determination of gentamicin and neomycin residues in animal tissues was investigated. The extract was mixed with an ion-pair reagent and applied to an octadecyl cartridge. The cartridges were washed with buffer followed by water, and analytes were eluted with ion-pair buffer-acetonitrile mixture. The aminoglycosides were derivatized with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate prior to liquid chromatography using a reversed-phase column and fluorescence detection. Under the conditions applied neomycin was fully separated from all the gentamicin compounds. The highest recoveries of gentamicin and neomycin from spiked tissues were obtained using trichloroacetic acid after initial extraction with phosphate-buffered saline. No interfering peaks from endogenous compounds of matrix were noted at the elution position of the analytes. An intra-laboratory validation of the whole procedure was performed. The calibration graphs were linear from 0.1 to 1.0 mg/kg for gentamicin, and from 0.2 to 1.0 mg/kg for neomycin. Limits of detection were 0.05 mg/kg and 0.10 mg/kg for gentamicin and neomycin, respectively. Limits of quantitation for gentamicin and neomycin were 0.1 and 0.20 mg/kg muscle, liver or kidney tissue, respectively. Recoveries of gentamicin spiked at levels of 0.1 mg/kg porcine tissues ranged from 76 to 86%. Recoveries of neomycin spiked at levels of 0.2 mg/kg porcine tissues ranged from 77 to 83%. The validated procedure was used to determine gentamicin concentrations in porcine tissue after dosing with gentamicin at a level of 5 mg/kg body mass.     

Highly selective separation of aminoglycoside antibiotics on a zwitterionic Click TE‐Cys column

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography has emerged as a valuable alternative approach to ion‐pair chromatography for the separation of aminoglycoside antibiotics in recent years. However, the resolution of structurally related aminoglycosides is a great challenge owing to the limited selectivity. In this work, a cysteine‐based zwitterionic stationary phase (named Click TE‐Cys) was utilized and compared with five commonly used hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography columns. Click TE‐Cys displayed much better selectivity for structurally similar aminoglycosides. The retention behaviors of aminoglycosides were investigated in detail, revealing that low pH (2.7 or 3.0) and high buffer concentration (≥50 mM) were preferable for achieving good peak shape and selectivity. Effective resolution of ten aminoglycosides including spectinomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin C1, gentamicin C2/C2a, gentamicin C1a, kanamycin, paromonycin, tobramycin, and neomycin was realized at optimized conditions. Additionally, spectinomycin and its related impurities were successfully resolved. The results indicated the great potential of the Click TE‐Cys column in the separation of aminoglycoside mixtures and related impurities.     

Derivatization-free determination of aminoglycosides by CZE–UV in pharmaceutical formulations

Aminoglycosides are a relevant class of antibiotics widely used by medics and veterinaries. There are a variety of reasons that make their determination relevant, such as quality control, environment and food contamination assessment, drug-release studies, among others. The lack of a chromophore makes aminoglycoside spectrophotometric detection particularly challenging, often requiring derivatization. In this work, an indirect detection method, making use of imidazole as a probe, applying CZE was successfully tested. It did not require derivatization, which simplified the sample preparation. Suitable figures of merit were obtained; recoveries between 95 and 105%, adequate repeatability and precision, correlation coefficients (r) above 0.998, and limits of detection (LODs) of 3.2 and 11 mg/L for gentamicin and paromomycin, respectively. As a proof-of-concept, it was also applied in a simple controlled release experiment that was well fitted using the Hill equation.     

Cp*Rh-based indicator-displacement assays for the identification of amino sugars and aminoglycosides

Indicator-displacement assays based on the organometallic complex [{Cp*RhCl2}2] (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) and the dye gallocyanine were used to sense amino sugars and aminoglycosides in buffered aqueous solution by conducting UV-visible spectroscopy. The data of three assays at pH 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 were sufficient to distinguish between the amino sugars galactosamine, glucosamine, mannosamine and the aminoglycosides kanamycin A, kanamycin B, amikacin, apramycin, paromomycin, and streptomycin. Furthermore, the assays were used to characterize mixtures of aminoglycosides and obtain quantitative information about the respective analytes.     

Quantitative determination and separation of analogues of aminoglycoside antibiotics by high-performance liquid chromatography

Commercial bulk products and pharmaceutical drug formulations of aminoglycoside antibiotics obtained by fermentation (kanamycin, gentamicin, sisomicin and tobramycin) or by synthesis (amikacin) were analysed with high-performance liquid chromatography on a C8 reversed-phase column. The method is based on a pre-column derivatization of the aminoglycosides with a 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid reagent and UV detection (350 nm). The quantitative determination was carried out vs. an external standard; both peak heights and areas were used. A gentamicin mixture was separated into five or four components, depending on the column used. Amikacin was separated from its possible regioisomers and kanamycin A was easily separated from its minor components B and C.     

Fluorimetric determination of aminoglycoside antibiotics using lanthanide probe ion spectroscopy

The application of probe ion fluorimetry has succeeded in the microdetermination of six aminoglycoside antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin and kanamycin as sulfate salts in pure form and in some pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based on the reaction of Eu³⁺ ions with aminoglycosides through amino and hydroxy groups. Such interactions enhance the intensity of the 616 nm fluorescence emission of the Eu³⁺ ion. The fluorescence at 592 nm comes from a non-hypersensitive transition and is not affected by the ligand which is bound to the probe ions. The intensity ratio R, defined as I₅₉₂/I₆₁₆ was used to determine the amount of free and bound europium ions. A linear relationship between bound europium ions and aminoglycoside was found within the concentration ranges 20–100 ppm for neomycin, 5–60 ppm for streptomycin, and 10–70 ppm for gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, and kanamycin as sulfate salts. The percentage recoveries ranged from 99.22 to 101.07, with standard deviations ranging from ± 1.5 to ± 4.38. The relative stability constants ranged from 5 × 10³ to 2 × 10⁴. The optimum reaction conditions were studied and the results obtained compared favourably with the fluorimetric method using fluorescmine reagent.     

Immunochemical detection of aminoglycosides in milk and kidney

In 1996, the European Union established provisional maximum residue limits (MRL) for gentamicin, neomycin, streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin in milk and tissue (0.1-5 mg kg-1). For the detection of these four aminoglycosides, three enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for applications in milk and kidney were developed. The screening of defatted and diluted milk resulted in limits of determination (LDM) of < 0.01 mg l-1. Kidney samples were deproteinized with a trichloroacetic acid solution (3%) and after filtration and the addition of buffer, aliquots were used in the ELISA. The LDM of the four aminoglycosides in kidney were < 0.05 mg kg-1. The ELISA were found suitable for the semi-quantitative screening of milk and kidney for the presence of the four aminoglycosides far below the MRL levels. In randomly taken milk samples (n = 776) and in kidneys derived from healthy pigs (n = 124), the aminoglycoside residues found were far below their established MRL. In eight out of the 94 kidney samples obtained from diseased animals after emergency slaughter, aminoglycoside residues were above the MRL.     

Functionalized pyrolytic highly oriented graphite polymer film for surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry in environmental analysis

The pyrolytic highly oriented graphite polymer film (PGS) was first employed to analyze low‐mass analytes in environmental analysis by surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI‐MS). PGS is a synthetic uniform and highly oriented graphite polymer film with high thermal anisotropic conductivity. We have found that negative ion mode SALDI‐MS using oxidized PGS (PGS‐SALDI‐MS) can be used to detect [M–H]^? ions from perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids when the PGS surface is modified with the cationic polymer polyethyleneimine (PEI). The signal intensity of PFOA when employing the PEI modification showed a ten‐fold increase over that obtained from desorption/ionization on porous silicon (DIOS). PFOA was quantified using PGS‐SALDI‐MS and the calibration curve showed a wide linear dynamic range of response (20–1000 ppb). The combination of atmospheric pressure ionization and PGS (AP‐PGS‐SALDI) showed greater signal intensity than vacuum PGS‐SALDI for deprotonated PFOA. Several other environmentally important chemicals, including perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid, pentachlorophenol, bisphenol A, 4‐hydroxy‐2‐chlorobiphenyl, and benzo[a]pyrene, were also successfully used to evaluate PGS‐SALDI‐MS. In addition, we found that nonafluoro‐1‐butanesulfonic acid was able to produce protonated peptides in positive ion PGS‐SALDI‐MS, but that perfluoropentanoic acid and trifluoroacetic acid were not. It is suggested that perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids are better protonating agents than perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids in SALDI‐MS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A high-throughput analytical method for determination of aminoglycosides in veal tissues by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with automated cleanup

A liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) method was developed for determining dihydrostreptomycin, gentamicin C1, and neomycin in veal kidney, liver, and muscle. The extraction prior to injection on the automated cleanup/analysis system is very simple, permitting preparation of 24 veal samples for analysis in half a day of work. The extracts are purified online on a reversed-phase column, with the help of an ion-pairing agent, and the analytes are separated on a Nucleosil C18 column prior to analyses by electrospray MS/MS. The cleanup is sufficient to minimize ion suppression/enhancement phenomena and permits quantification of the analytes extracted from veal tissues. Four secondary ions were measured for every analyte, which gives unambiguous identification of the compounds under analysis. Calibration curves were linear for all analytes between 50 and 5000 ppb, and recoveries in kidney were 76, 57, and 51%, respectively, for dihydrostreptomycin, gentamicin C1, and neomycin. Estimated limits of detection for kidney were, respectively, 0.1, 0.1, and 0.4 ppb. When compared to an LC method with fluorescence detection, the method gave equivalent results for kidneys incurred with neomycin. This rugged method has been applied to the analysis of more than 1000 veal samples over a 1-year period.