Proline-coated column for the capillary electrochromatographic separation of amino acids by in-column derivatization

With 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl chloride as the spacer, a proline-coated capillary column was prepared for the capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) separation of amino acids by in-column derivatization. Nine standard mixtures, including aspartic acid, glutamic acid, valine, phenylalanine, alanine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, were injected. o-Phthalaldehyde (OPA), OPA/2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) and OPA/N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in borate buffer were tested as the derivatizing agent. Among them, OPA (50 mM) in borate buffer (pH 9.5, 50 mM) gave the best performance. The formation of isoindole could be detected by UV detection. The sandwich-type injection was carried out in hydrostatic mode (10 cm) with the program R(10 s)S(10 s) R(10 s)W(10 min) with R, S, and W being the reagent, sample, and waiting times. Mesityl oxide, benzyl alcohol, and acetone showed some interaction with the column. A current monitoring method was used instead of the determination of the electroosmotic flow (EOF). The direction of EOF was from anode to cathode even under acidic condition lower than the pI value (6.31) of the bonded group due to some unreacted silanol groups. Some parameters including pH, nature, and concentration of the mobile phase and the effect of organic modifier with regard to the CEC separation were investigated. With the proline-coated column (75 (50) cm x 75 microm ID) the best separation was performed in phosphate buffer (pH 4.00, 100 mM) with an applied voltage of -15 kV. The established method was also compared with those precolumn derivatized prior to the separation with proline-coated column as well as with in-capillary derivatization and separation with a bare fused-silica column.     

On-column derivatization-capillary electrochromatography with o-phthalaldehyde/alkylthiol for assay of biogenic amines

The elution behaviors of the biogenic amines, histamine (HA) and its metabolite methyl histamine (MHA), were evaluated by means of on-column derivatization (OCD)-capillary electrochromatography (CEC) which employed a monolithic octadecylsilica (ODS) capillary column (20 cm of effective length x 50 microm of inner diameter). Five kinds of alkylthiols, e.g., 2- hydroxyethylthiol (or 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)), ethanethiol (ET), 1-propanethiol (1-PT), 2-methyl-1-propanethiol (2-MPT) and 1-butanethiol (1-BT) were separately presented at 5 mM each in the OCD-CEC separation run buffer consisting of 60% acetonitrile in 5 mM o-phthalaldehyde (OPA)-10 mM borate buffer (pH 10). When 2-ME was present in the run buffer solution, both derivatives corresponding to HA and MHA migrated separately, but closely together through the capillary column. Replacement of 2-ME with 1-BT in the run buffer solution caused a delay in their elution profiles on the electrochromatogram and the separation between those two peaks became remarkably improved. The elution times of HA and MHA followed the increase in alkyl chain length or hydrophobicity of thiol, 1-BT > 2-MPT > 1-PT > ET > 2-ME. Performance of on-line preconcentrations of HA and MHA was also evaluated by varying the electrokinetic injection voltage from 1 kV to 8 kV. The peak area counts corresponding to HA recorded about 50 times higher when 2 kV was applied for 240 s to a 0.1 mM HA solution than when 8 kV was applied for 5 s. This method was next applied to a sample of human urine spiked with HA and MHA at levels of 0.1 microM each. Although HA and MHA peaks were not identifiable among the peaks corresponding to the materials in the urine matrix when OPA/2-ME was employed in a run buffer for the OCD-CEC, the separation and identification of their peaks became possible by replacing 2-ME with 1-BT in the run buffer solution.     

A high-throughput on-line microdialysis-capillary assay for D-serine.

A high-throughput method is described for the analysis of D-serine and other neurotransmitters in tissue homogenates. Analysis is performed by microdialysis-capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection in a sheath flow detection cell. Sample pretreatment is not required as microdialysis sampling excludes proteins and cell fragments. Primary amines are derivatized on-line with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol followed by on-line CE-LIF analysis. Under the separation conditions described here, D-serine is resolved from L-serine and other primary amines commonly found in biological samples. Each separation requires less than 22 s. Eliminating the need for sample pretreatment and performing the high-speed CE analysis on-line significantly reduces the time required for D-serine analysis when compared with traditional methods. This method has been used to quantify D-serine levels in larval tiger salamander retinal homogenates, as well as dopamine, gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA), glutamate and L-aspartate. D-serine release from an intact retina was also detected.     

Postcolumn reactor using a laser-drilled capillary for light-emitting diode-induced fluorescence detection in CE

This study investigated a novel postcolumn reactor for fluorescence detection in CE. A laser-drilled capillary, with an aperture made by laser ablation, was used for mixing derivatization reagents with the analytes separated by CZE. The derivatization reagents, o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA), and 2-mercaptoethanol, were introduced into the capillary through the aperture and reacted with the analytes after CZE separation. High voltages were applied to both the inlet reservoir and the reservoir filled with the derivatization reagents. Thus, the flow rate of the derivatization reagents was controlled by the electric potential that was applied to the reservoir of the derivatization reagents. A UV light-emitting diode was used as an excitation light source for the fluorescence detection of OPA derivatives. A commercially available tee connector was compared with the laser-drilled capillary. The results implied that the dead volume of the laser-drilled capillary was less than that of the tee connector, since the laser-drilled capillary suppressed band broadening more efficiently. The LODs for amino acids were determined to be approximately 5 microM. The method was applied to the determination of amino acids in a Japanese beverage.     

Improved high-performance liquid chromatography method for quantitation of proline and hydroxyproline in biological materials

Numerous high-performance liquid chromatography systems have been described for the determination of hydroxyproline (Hyp) and proline (Pro) levels in biological materials. These methods are generally complicated and have shortcomings in applicability due to poor separation, low sensitivity or derivatization-associated problems. The large number of chemical components present in biological samples further complicates the analysis of Hyp which usually occurs in extremely low concentrations. The present investigation describes the development of a simple highly sensitive derivatization method which results in good separation of peaks and which is capable of quantitating less than 10 pmol of Hyp and Pro in complex test systems. The method is based on removal of o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatives of primary amino acids using reversed-phase chromatography, pre-column derivatization with OPA and phenylisothiocyanate, and detection of derivatized Hyp and Pro using a UV detection system. The procedure yields good peaks and a 93% recovery of Hyp and Pro provided that the analysis is initiated within 5 min of completion of OPA derivatization. While a 93% recovery of Pro was obtained up to 100 min post-derivatization with OPA, the recovery of Hyp is decreased to approximately 80% within the same time interval.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of phosphoamino acids in phosvitin by N-hydroxysuccinimidyl fluorescein-O-acetate derivatization and capillary zone electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A method was developed for the determination of phosphoamino acids by capillary zone electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence detection (argon ion laser, excitation at 488 nm and emission at 520 nm) using derivatization with N-hydroxysuccinimidyl fluorescein-O-acetate (SIFA). Different variables affecting the derivatization (SIFA concentration, derivatization pH, reaction temperature and reaction time) and the separation (type, pH and concentration of buffer, applied voltage and injection mode) were investigated in detail. The optimized separation conditions were 40 mM boric acid buffer (pH 9.2) for background electrolyte, 25 kV for the separation voltage, 25 degrees C for the capillary temperature and 5 s at 0.5 psi for the sample injection. Under the optimal conditions, the SIFA-labeled phosphoamino acids were fully separated within 7 min. The detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 nM, which are the lowest values reported for capillary electrophoresis (CE) methods. The proposed methodology allowed the rapid, sensitive and selective determination of phosphoamino acids in hen egg yolk phosvitin by the standard addition method. The recovery of these compounds in real sample was 94.0-103.5%. The developed method surpasses previously published CE methods in terms of detection limit, separation time, stability and simplicity of the electrophoretic procedure.     

Selective determination of tryptophan-containing peptides through precolumn derivatization and liquid chromatography using intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer detection.

A selective and sensitive fluorometric determination method for native fluorescent peptides has been developed. This method is based on intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) detection in a liquid chromatography (LC) system following precolumn derivatization of the amino groups of tryptophan (Trp)-containing peptides. In this detection process, we monitored the FRET from the native fluorescent Trp moieties (donor) to the derivatized fluorophore (acceptor). From a screening study involving 10 fluorescent reagents, we found that o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) generated FRET most effectively. The OPA derivatives of the native fluorescent peptides emitted OPA fluorescence (445 nm) through an intramolecular FRET process when they were excited at the excitation maximum wavelength of the Trp-containing peptides (280 nm). The generation of FRET was confirmed through comparison with the analysis of a non-fluorescent peptide (C-reactive protein fragment (77 - 82)) performed using LC and a three-dimensional fluorescence detection system. We were able to separate the OPA derivatives of the Trp-containing peptides when performing LC on a reversed-phase column. The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) for the Trp-containing peptides, at a 20-microL injection volume, were 41 - 180 fmol. The sensitivity of the intramolecular FRET-forming derivatization method is higher than that of the system that takes advantage of the conventional detection of OPA derivatives. Moreover, native non-fluorescent amines and peptides in the sample monitored at FRET detection are weaker than those of conventional fluorescence detection.     

Efficient capillary electrophoresis separation and determination of free amino acids in beer samples

Simultaneous detection of various o‐phthalaldehyde (OPA)‐labeled amino acids (AAs) in food samples was reported based on CE separation. Ionic liquid was used for the first time for CE analysis of AAs with in‐capillary derivatization. Several other additives, including SDS, α/β‐CD, and ACN, as well as key parameters for CE separation (buffer pH value, separation voltage), were also investigated. Our results show that the multiple additive strategy exhibits good stable and repeatable character for CE analysis of OPA‐labeled AAs, for either in‐capillary derivatization or CE separation, and allows simultaneous quantification of different OPA‐labeled AAs in a large concentration range of 50 μM to 3.0 mM with LOD down to 10 μM. Seventeen OPA‐labeled AAs, except for two pairs of AAs (His/Gln and Phe/Leu), which were separated with resolutions of 1.1 and 1.2, respectively, were baseline separated and identified within 23 min using the present multiple additive strategy. The method was successfully applied for simultaneous analysis of AAs in seven beer samples and as many as eleven trace‐amount AAs were detected and quantified, indicating the valuable potential application of the present method for food analysis.     

Development and validation of a novel sensitive UV‐direct capillary electrophoresis method for quantification of alendronate in release studies from biomaterials

A simple, highly sensitive, and robust CE method applied to the determination of alendronate (ALN) was developed from matrices for tissue engineering, characterized by being highly complex systems. The novel method was based on the ALN derivatization with o‐phthalaldehyde and 2‐mercaptoethanol for direct ultraviolet detection at 254 nm. The BGE consisted of 20 mM sodium borate buffer at pH 10, and the electrophoretic parameters were optimized.The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The LOD and LOQ obtained were 0.8 and 2.7 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the method offers higher sensitivity and specificity compared to other CE and HPLC methods using UV‐detectors, as well as low cost and simplicity that allowed the rapid and simple quantitation of ALN from bone regeneration matrices.     

Simultaneous determination of serine enantiomers in plasma using Mosher's reagent and stable isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

D-Serine is a co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in glutamate neurotransmission and has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent for schizophrenia. However, D-serine also acts as a nephrotoxic substance in rats at high doses. To investigate the pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics of D-serine, a method for the stereoselective determination of serine enantiomers in rat plasma was developed using GC-MS with selected ion monitoring (GC-MS-SIM). DL-[(2)H(3)]Serine was used as an internal standard to account for losses associated with the extraction, derivatization and chromatography. Serine enantiomers were purified by cation-exchange chromatography using BondElut SCX cartridge and derivatized with HCl in methanol to form methyl ester followed by subsequent N,O-diacylation with optically active (+)-α-methoxy-α-trifluoromethylphenylacetyl chloride to form epimeric amide. Quantitation was performed by SIM of the molecular-related ions of the epimers in the chemical ionization mode. The intra- and inter-day reproducibility of the assay was less than 5% for D-serine and 3% for L-serine. The method was successively applied to study the pharmacokinetics of D-serine in rats.     

Capillary electrophoresis‐laser‐induced fluorescence detection of rat brain catecholamines with microwave‐assisted derivatization

In this study, a rapid and sensitive method is described for the catecholamines detection in rat brain. CE with LIF detection for the determination of FITC derivatized catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine) was demonstrated. Conventional water bath and microwave‐assisted derivatization methods were employed and a significant reduction in the derivatization time from 2 h for the conventional water bath at room temperature (ca. 25°C) to 2 min for the microwave‐assisted derivatization was achieved. Online sample concentration of field‐amplified sample stacking (FASS) method was employed to achieve higher sensitivities (the detection limits obtained in the normal injection mode ranged from 2.6 to 4.5 ng L^?1 and in the FASS mode ranged from 22 to 34 pg L^?1). Furthermore, this microwave‐assisted derivatization CE–LIF method successfully determined catecholamines in rat brain with as low as 100 ng L^?1 (FASS mode) to 10 μg L^?1 (normal injection mode). This CE–LIF method provided better detection ability when compared to the best reports on catecholamines analyses.     

Performance of throughout in-capillary derivatization capillary electrophoresis employing an on-line sample and run buffer loading device

We report on the effect on performance of varying the length of the capillary during throughout in-capillary derivatization (TICD) capillary electrophoresis (CE). Performance was evaluated by on-line coupling with a sample and CE runbuffer loading device that was newly introduced for this study. The device was assembled with a low cost using two 5 mm inner diameter (ID) disposable polyethylene syringes. First, a sequence was manually formed consisting of a 200 microL run buffer solution plug, a 100 microL sample plug and another 200 microL run buffer solution plug. Each plug was separated from its neighbor by a 100 microL air plug. When each plug reached the injection point where both a platinum-wire anode and the end of the separation capillary tube were located, 340 V/cm separation voltage (electrophoresis voltage) and 34 V/cm injection voltage were applied to the capillary for 3 s. Then the analytes were derivatized during migration in 50 microm ID capillaries filled with 2 mM o-phthalaldehyde (OPA)/N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in a 20 mM phosphate-borate buffer (pH 10), followed by separating and detecting of OPA derivatives by absorbance of 340 nm. Derivatization, separation, and detection were performed systematically using capillaries which varied in length from 5 to 80 cm. In the case of TICD-CE of a mixture containing 1 mM aspartic acid (Asp) and 20 mM m-nitorophenol (MNP) as a test solution, it was determined that peak area and peak width ratios of Asp to MNP did not depend on capillary length. Enantiomeric separations of DL-alanine (Ala) and Asp were examined using a run buffer consisting of a 45 microM beta-cyclodextrin (CD)-2 mM OPA/NAC-20 mM phosphate-borate buffer (pH 10). Even though the resolution of these enantiomeric pairs decreased with decreasing capillary length, as expected, the peaks corresponding to both enantiomeric amino acids were identified even when a 5 cm capillary was used. An 8-component amino acid mixture was also tested with 5 cm and 10 cm capillaries.     

Development of an automated on-line pre-column derivatization procedure for sensitive determination of histamine in food with high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection

An improved sensitive method was developed and validated for the determination of histamine in food samples by using automated on-line pre-column derivatization coupled with high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). o-Phthaldialdehyde (OPA) was adopted as derivatization reagent, and a "sandwich" (OPA+histamine+OPA) aspiration mode for the automated on-line pre-column derivatization was found to efficiently enhance the method sensitivity and precision. Histamine in food samples was efficiently extracted with a methanol-phosphate buffer solution (50:50, v/v) at 60 degrees C for 30 min, and purified with Waters Oasis MCX solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. The limit of quantification for this method is 0.2 mg/kg, which is very sensitive for histamine determination. With the "sandwich" injection program, 3.7% of relative standard deviation (RSD) was achieved by five replicative determinations of a sample blank spiked with 0.25 mg/kg histamine standard. Histamine in food samples such as fumitory skipjack and mackerel was analyzed with relative recoveries over 95% at spiking level of 150 mg/kg, as well as canned tuna fish and cheese with relative recoveries up to 98% at spiking levels of 0.50 and 5.0 mg/kg, respectively. The proposed method was validated with a sample from the Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS) as a standard certified material; and the results (140+/-6 mg/kg) agreed well with the assigned value (139 mg/kg).     

Derivatization, stabilization and detection of biogenic amines by cyclodextrin-modified capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence detection

o-Phthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatives of eight biogenic amines were stabilized at 5 degrees C by forming inclusion complexes with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MBCD). The derivatives were separated and detected by cyclodextrin-modified capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV or laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Using a borate buffer, pH 9.0 consisting of ethanol and a mixture of negatively charged sulfobutylether-beta-cyclodextrin and neutral MBCD, baseline separation of the eight OPA derivatives was achieved within 25 min with high separation efficiencies. The detection limits (S/N=3) obtained by UV and LIF detection were determined to be 10 microM and 0.250 microM, respectively. Glutamic acid was added after the initial derivatization step to neutralize residual OPA which otherwise caused a significant interference, particularly when analysis was performed around the detection limit of the OPA derivatives. Important biogenic amines in fish, wine and urine were then derivatized and determined by CE-LIF. In the case of sole and rainbow trout, the results obtained were validated by an enzymatic assay using putrescine oxidase.     

Continuous on-line derivatization and determination of amino acids by a microfluidic capillary electrophoresis system with a continuous sample introduction interface

An automatic, rapid and continuous on-line derivatization system coupled to microfluidic capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the determination of amino acids using o-phthaldialdehyde/N-acetyl-l-cysteine (OPA/NAC) as the derivative agents has been developed. By on-line derivatization, amino acids were automatically and reproducibly converted to the UV-absorbing derivatives, which were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Optimization of derivatization and separation condition was carried out to achieve both good sensitivity and separation efficiency. The separation could be achieved within 4 min and sample throughput rate can reach up to 16 h⁻¹. The repeatability (defined as relative standard deviation, R.S.D.) was 2.56, 2.85, 3.24 and 3.60% with peak area evaluation and 2.93, 3.12, 4.20 and 4.91% with peak height evaluation for arginine (Arg), phenylalanine (Phe), serine (Ser) and glycine (Gly), respectively. The limits of detection (S/N=3) were 10.46, 13.14, 34.39 and 44.79 μmol/l for Arg, Phe, Ser and Gly, respectively. Major advantages of the proposed method include improved precision and efficient automation of the derivatization by the FI system and the enhanced sampling frequencies by the combined FI-CE system.     

A rapid and sensitive CE method with field-enhanced sample injection and in-capillary derivatization for selenomethionine metabolism catalyzed by flavin-containing monooxygenases

A rapid and sensitive electrophoretically mediated microanalysis method with field-enhanced sample injection (FESI) for in-capillary derivatization was developed to determine selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenomethionine selenoxide (SeOMet). Phthalic anhydride (PA) was selected as the derivatization reagent due to the fast reaction at room temperature and the stability of derivatives. The in-capillary derivatization was accomplished by electrophoretically mixing PA and sample plugs. PA reagent was introduced hydrodynamically into the capillary, whereas the sample solution was injected electrokinetically, thus allowing a selective preconcentration of the analytes by FESI. For FESI, the optimum sample solvent was 2 mM borate solution. The borate buffer was suitable for both in-capillary derivatization and separation of the derivatives. The combination of electrophoretically mediated microanalysis with FESI for in-capillary derivatization was successfully achieved with about 800-fold concentration sensitivity enhancement compared to direct CE-UV detection in the same setup. The present method is miniaturized and fully automated, which ensures the on-line derivatization, stacking, separation and detection in 10 min. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to measure enzyme activities by analyzing the reaction mixtures of SeMet with human flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMO). The results showed that both FMO1 and FMO3, but not FMO5 could catalyze the Se-oxygenation of SeMet.     

Analytical potential of 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2'-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein for the determination of amino compounds by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

The analytical potential of a fluorescein analogue, 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2'-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein (SAMF), for the first time synthesized in our laboratory, as a labeling reagent for the labeling and determination of amino compounds by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was investigated. Biogenic monoamines and amino acids were chosen as model analytes to evaluate the analytical possibilities of this approach. The derivatization conditions and separation parameters for the biogenic amines were optimized in detail. The derivatization was performed at 30 degrees C for 6 min in boric acid buffer (pH 8.0). The derivatives were baseline-separated in 15 min with 25 mM boric acid running buffer (pH 9.0), containing 24 mM SDS and 12.5% v/v acetonitrile. The concentration detection limit for biogenic amines reaches 8 x 10(-11) mol.L(-1) (signal-to-noise ratio = 3). The application of CE in the analysis of the SAMF-derivatized amino acids was also exploited. The optimal running buffer for amino acids suggested that weak acidic background electrolyte offered better separation than the basic one. The proposed method was applied to the determination of biogenic amines in three different beer samples with satisfying recoveries varying from 92.8% to 104.8%. Finally, comparison of several fluorescein-based probes for amino compounds was discussed. With good labeling reaction, excellent photostability, pH-independent fluorescence (pH 4-9), and the resultant widely suited running buffer pH, SAMF has a great prospect in the determination of amino compounds in CE.     

Continuous on-line derivatization and selective separation of D-aspartic acid by a capillary electrophoresis system with a continuous sample introduction interface

A rapid and selective method is described for the separation of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) using a continuous on-line derivatization system coupled to capillary electrophoresis (CE). D-Asp was derivatized using o-phthaldialdehyde/N-acetyl-L-cysteine (OPA/NAC). By on-line derivatization, amino acid enantiomers were automatically and reproducibly converted to the UV-absorbing diastereomer derivatives which were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) in the presence of 10 mmol/L beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). Under the investigated separation conditions, D-Asp is resolved from L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) and other amino acids in a standard mixture of amino acids. The separation could be achieved within 4 min and the sample throughput rate can reach up to 16 h(-1). The repeatability (defined as relative standard deviation, RSD) was 3.21%, 3.58% with peak area evaluation and 3.72%, 4.03% with peak height evaluation for L-Asp and D-Asp.     

Visual detection of copper(II) ions in blood samples by controlling the leaching of protein-capped gold nanoparticles

We have developed a simple, low-cost, paper-based probe for the selective colorimetric detection of copper ions (Cu(2+)) in aqueous solutions. The bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified 13.3-nm Au nanoparticle (BSA-Au NP) probe was designed to detect Cu(2+) ions using lead ions (Pb(2+)) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) as leaching agents in a glycine-NaOH (pH 12.0) solution. In addition, a nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) was used to trap the BSA-Au NPs, leading to the preparation of a nanocomposite film consisting of a BSA-Au NP-decorated membrane (BSA-Au NPs/NCM). The BSA-Au NPs probe operates on the principle that Cu deposition on the surface of the BSA-Au NPs inhibits their leaching ability, which is accelerated by Pb(2+) ions in the presence of 2-ME. Under optimal solution conditions (5 mM glycine-NaOH (pH 12.0), Pb(2+) (50 μM), and 2-ME (1.0 M)), the Pb(2+)/2-ME-BSA-Au NPs/NCM enabled the detection of Cu(2+) at nanomolar concentrations in aqueous solutions by the naked eye with high selectivity (at least 100-fold over other metal ions). In addition, this cost-effective probe allowed for the rapid and simple determination of Cu(2+) ions in not only natural water samples but also in a complex biological sample (in this case, blood sample).     

Development of a CE‐MS2 method for the enantiomeric separation of L/D‐carnitine: Application to the analysis of infant formulas

A new chiral analytical method based on CE‐MS is proposed for the identification and simultaneous quantification of D /L ‐carnitine in infant formulas. Previous derivatization of carnitine with FMOC enabled the optimization of the chiral separation using CE with UV detection. An optimization of electrospray‐MS parameters using a partial filling of the non‐volatile chiral selector (succinyl‐γ‐CD) was performed. A selective fragmentation using MS² experiments with an ion trap analyser was carried out to confirm the identity of D /L ‐carnitine according to the current legislation. Satisfactory results were obtained in terms of linearity, precision, and accuracy. Interestingly, the CE‐MS² method developed allowed a sensitivity enhancement with respect to UV detection of 100‐fold, obtaining an LOD of 100 ng/g for D ‐carnitine. The determination of L ‐carnitine and its enantiomeric purity in 14 infant formulas supplemented with carnitine was successfully achieved, sample preparation only requiring an ultrafiltration with centrifugal filter devices to retain the components with the highest molecular weights.