Simultaneous determination of free carnitine and total choline by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in infant formula and health-care products: single-laboratory validation

A single-laboratory validation study was conducted for a liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric (LCIMS) method for the simultaneous determination of the free carnitine and total choline in milk-based infant formula and health-care products. The sample preparation used for both carnitine and choline was adapted from AOAC Official Method 999.14, with an acidic and enzymatic hydrolysis of esterified forms of choline. Carnitine and choline were quantified by ion-pair chromatography with single-quadrupole MS detection, using their respective deuterated internal standards. The repeatability relative standard deviation was < or =2.5 and 2.1%, respectively, for carnitine and choline. The intermediate reproducibility relative standard deviation was <4.7 and 2.4%, respectively, for carnitine and choline. The ranges of the average product-specific recoveries were 92-98 and 94-103%, respectively, for carnitine and choline. Choline concentration determined in infant formula reference material SRM 1846 was in agreement with the reference value. The proposed method was compared with the enzymatic methods for a range of products; good correlation (r = 0.99) was obtained, although a significant bias was observed for both analytes. The method, with a short chromatographic run time (7 min), is convenient for routine analysis to enhance analytical throughput and is a good alternative to enzymatic assays.     

混合型固相萃取柱净化-气相色谱-质谱法测定婴幼儿配方奶粉中的三聚氰酸

建立了一种混合型固相萃取柱净化-气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)测定婴幼儿配方奶粉中三聚氰酸的方法。在84 ℃条件下,用0.5%乙酸水溶液提取样品中的三聚氰酸,离心,滤液经Carb/C18混合型固相萃取柱净化,氮气吹干,硅烷化衍生,GC-MS测定,选择离子监测模式,外标法定量。在0.01～2 mg/L内线性关系良好(r＞0.99),在0.25～2.5 mg/kg的添加水平范围内,平均回收率为80%～103%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为7.7%～14.5%,三聚氰酸的检出限(LOD)为0.10 mg/kg,定量限(LOQ)为0.25 mg/kg。该方法快速、灵敏、准确、专一、耐用,适合婴幼儿配方奶粉中三聚氰酸的确证和定量测定。     

A rapid and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of lamivudine and zidovudine in human serum by on-line solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry detection

A method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with positive ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of lamivudine (3TC) and zidovudine (AZT) in human serum, using didanosine (ddI) as internal standard. The acquisition was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, monitoring the transitions m/z 230.0 --> 111.8 for 3TC, m/z 268.1 --> 126.8 for AZT, and m/z 237.2 --> 136.8 for ddI. The limits of detection and quantitation were 3 and 10 ng/mL for 3TC, and 5 and 15 ng/mL for AZT. The method was linear in the studied ranges (10-1500 ng/mL for 3TC and 15-3000 ng/mL for AZT), with r(2) > 0.99 for each drug, and the run time was 4 min. The intra-assay precisions (%) were in the ranges 1.9-8.7 (3TC) and 2.2-8.9 (AZT), the inter-assay precisions were in the ranges 2.6-9.0 (3TC) and 4.2-8.1 (AZT), and the intra- and inter-assay accuracies were >97% for both drugs. The absolute recoveries were 95-99% for 3TC (45, 600 and 1200 ng/mL) and 104-112% for AZT (45, 1000 and 2400 ng/mL). The analytical method was applied to a bioequivalence study in which 24 healthy adult volunteers received single oral doses of the reference formulation and two test combined AZT/3TC tablets, in an open, three-period, balanced, randomized, crossover protocol. Based on the 90% confidence interval of the individual ratios (test formulation/reference formulation) for C(max) (peak serum concentration) and AUC(0-inf) (extrapolated area under the serum concentration vs. time curve from time zero to infinity), it was concluded that the two test formulations are bioequivalent to the reference formulation with respect to the rate and extent of absorption of both 3TC and AZT.     

Direct determination of free methionine in soy-based infant formula

A method was developed for the direct determination of free methionine in soy-based infant formula, with analyte separation and quantitation by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC), and UV absorbance at 214 nm, respectively. Sample preparation required only dilution with mobile phase and syringe filtration. Using a 0.02M KH2PO4 mobile phase (pH adjusted to 2.9 with 85% o-phosphoric acid) and 0.7 mL/min flow rate, methionine eluted at approximately 8 min, and total run time was 14 min after column regeneration with acetonitrile-water. System linearity was demonstrated as peak area versus analyte concentration, ranging from 80 to 120% of the formula specification for free methionine (r > 0.999, and all residuals < 0.45%). Intermediate precision relative standard deviation values were < 1.5% for ready-to-feed and reconstituted powder samples, and recoveries ranged from 98.0 to 103.5% for inter-method comparison with an amino acid analyzer method. The limit of quantitation was 3 mg methionine/L in the "as fed" infant formula. Despite the relatively weak UV absorptivity of methionine, the 214 nm signal was sufficiently intense in the 30-65 mg/L (201-436 microM) range to afford quantitation by peak area proportionation versus a 2-point external standard calibration. This direct UV detection after reversed-phase LC separation provides a simple and accurate method for determining free methionine without derivatization.     

Simultaneous determination of free and total choline and l‐carnitine in infant formula using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A quick, simple, and reliable method was developed for the simultaneous determination of free and total choline and l‐ carnitine in infant formula employing a novel hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method. Microwave‐assisted hydrolysis was used to shorten the hydrolysis time to only 15 min. A novel Click XIon zwitterionic stationary phase was chosen because it gave better retention, perfect resolution, and sharper symmetrical peaks compared to traditional columns. The matrix effect under different experimental conditions was evaluated by using the matrix effect factor, which employs stable isotopically labeled internal standards and is more appropriate for evaluating the matrix effect related to endogenous analytes. The accuracy and precision of the method were validated with certified reference materials. The fortified recovery values for choline and l‐ carnitine were between 85.0 and 104% with relevant standard deviations <5.0%. The established method was applied to the analysis of real infant formulas, demonstrating its applicability and feasibility.     

Capillary electrophoresis determination of carnitine in food supplements

L-Carnitine is a substance natural for human body which transfers fatty acids to the place of burning-mitochondria and aids the transformation of fats into energy and this way supports overweight reduction and immediate physical performance, increases resistance from physical load and protect heart from overload. In this study are described newly developed electrophoretic methods (ITP, CZE with direct and/or indirect UV detection) for carnitine determination in various samples. The results were compared with results obtained by validated HPLC method. All of these methods gave comparable results. The detection limits of the electrophoretic methods were between 2.4 and 4.7 microg/ml, reproducibility (relative standard deviation, RSD%) was between 1.2 and 4.4% and recoveries were between 91 and 113% in different samples. The shorter analysis and low running cost are the main advantages of CE methods.     

气相色谱-质谱法测定水中痕量的四乙基铅

建立了气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)测定水中痕量四乙基铅的分析方法。用正己烷萃取水样中的四乙基铅,萃取液浓缩后加入同位素内标萘-d8,采用GC-MS选择离子方式(SIM)进行检测,在200 mL水样中四乙基铅的检出限可达0.04 μg/L;添加回收率为92.2%～103%,准确度好;平行5次测定的相对标准差为4.4%～13.3%。结果表明: 方法简便、快速、准确、实用,可用于水中痕量四乙基铅的测定。     

Determination of total iodine in infant formula and nutritional products by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry: single-laboratory validation

A single-laboratory validation by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was developed for the determination total iodine (m/z 127) in infant formula and adult nutritional products. All samples were digested in nitric acid using a closed vessel microwave oven system; Te (m/z 130) was used as an internal standard. To prevent loss of iodine, ammonium hydroxide solution was added to the samples immediately after digestion. The method quantitation limit for total iodine was 0.3 ng/mL, but a practical LOQ was used at 1.0 ng/mL, a concentration at which there was a negligible bias due to nonlinearity. The total iodine concentrations (112-1900 ng/g) in 14 out of 15 nutritional products were within specification limits. Within-day and day-to-day (6 independent days) precision values were < 10% RSD. The observed precision for the overall mean (18 independent days) of a control sample was approximately 4% RSD. In two National Institute of Standards and Technology standard reference materials, total iodine results were within certified limits. Sample spike recoveries for all 15 nutritional products were 92-105%. The data show that a conventional microwave oven digestion procedure can be used to prepare samples for iodine determination. Therefore, this technique is very compatible with other methods being proposed as modern official methods for the analysis of minerals in nutritional products.     

A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric approach for the determination of gangliosides GD3 and GM3 in bovine milk and infant formulae

A liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method using pneumatically assisted electrospray ionisation (LC/ESI-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of gangliosides GD3 and GM3 in milk and infant formulae. The gangliosides were extracted in a chloroform/methanol/water environment and cleaned up by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on an end-capped C8 sorbent. The gangliosides were detected in negative ion mode after separation on a reversed-phase (RP) C5 analytical column. From the different ganglioside molecular species, product ions at m/z 290 corresponding to an N-acetylneuraminic acid fragment were produced in the collision cell and used in selected reaction monitoring. A standard addition technique was applied for quantification. The relative repeatability standard deviations were less than 5% for GD3 (level 10 mg/L) and 14% for GM3 (level 0.1-0.2 mg/L).     

Analysis of nucleosides and nucleotides in infant formula by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the simultaneous analysis of nucleosides and nucleotides in infant formula using reversed-phase liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry is described. This approach is advantageous for compliance testing of infant formula over other LC-MS methods in which only nucleotides or nucleosides are measured. Following sample dissolution, protein was removed by centrifugal ultrafiltration. Chromatographic analyses were performed using a C₁₈ stationary phase and gradient elution of an ammonium acetate/bicarbonate buffer, mass spectrometric detection and quantitation by a stable isotope-labelled internal standard technique. A single laboratory validation was performed, with spike recoveries of 80.1–112.9 % and repeatability relative standard deviations of 1.9–7.2 %. Accuracy as bias was demonstrated against reference values for NIST1849a certified reference material. The method has been validated for the analysis of bovine milk-based, soy-based, caprine milk-based and hydrolysed milk protein-based infant formulae.

Collision-induced dissociation mass spectra of positive ions derived from tetrahydropyranyl (THP) ethers of primary alcohols

Peaks for [M + H](+) are not observed when electrospray ionization mass spectra of tetrahydropyranyl (THP) ethers are recorded under acidic conditions. However, gaseous [M + H](+) ions can be generated from ammonium adducts of THP ethers of primary alcohols by in-source fragmentation. The product ion spectra of these proton adducts show two significant peaks at m/z 85 and 103. Tandem mass spectrometric data obtained from appropriately deuteriated derivatives and ab initio calculations indicate that the m/z 85 ion originates from more than one mechanism and represents two structurally different species. A charge-directed E1-elimination mechanism or an inductive cleavage mechanism can produce the 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrylium ion as one of the structures for the m/z 85 ion, whereas a charge-remote process with ring contraction can generate the 5-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-furylium ion as the other structure. A comparison of the relative abundances of product ions from different isotopologues showed that the charge-remote process is the preferred mechanism. This is congruent with the ab initio calculations, which showed that the dihydrofurylium ion bears the lowest energy structure. The less abundant m/z 103 ion, which represents a protonated tetrahydropyran-2-ol, is formed by a charge-remote process via a proton transfer from the alkyl substituent. This process involves the formation and rearrangement of a carbenium ion in close association with a hydroxypentanal molecule. A proton transfer from the carbenium ion to the aldehyde is followed by elimination of an alkene.     

Determination of malotilate and its metabolites in plasma and urine

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

Determination of Catechins and Purine Alkaloids in Tea by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

With a novel internal standard, 8-chlorotheophylline, a high-performance liquid chromatography method was successfully developed for simultaneous determination of six catechins, three purine alkaloids, and gallic acid in green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. The analysis was carried out on a C18 column with the temperature of 35°C, and a gradient elution was adopted with a mobile phase composed by aqueous solution (containing 0.2% acetic acid, v/v) and acetonitrile. The optimal detection wavelength was 278 nm, of which both of the analytes and internal standard displayed the highest UV adsorption. Both the internal standard (ISTD) method and external standard (ESTD) method had wide linear range, good precision (coefficients of variation CV ≤ 3.65%), good intermediate precision (CV ≤ 5.82%), and good accuracy (recovery 92%–120%). Compared with the ESTD method, the ISTD method had better precision and lower test costs.     

Comparison of quantitative analytical methods in headspace gas chroamtography of residual solvents

Summary The aim of this work was to compare quantitative methods used for headspace gas chromatographic analysis of residual solvents in standard aqueous solutions and to apply the methods to the analysis of medicines. We found that all three quantitative methods (external standard, ESTD; internal standard, ISTD; and standard addition, ASTD) enable determination of the total amount of solute in the equilibrated system by analysis of defined volumes of headspace gas. The results showed that the ISTD method is more precise than ESTD and ASTD when there is no strong interaction between the residual solvents and the pharmaceutical base material. When, however, there is a strong polarpolar interaction between them, the ESTD and ISTD methods give worse results than the ASTD method, because the ASTD method can eliminate the matrix effect. Presented at Balaton Symposium on High Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 1–3, 1999     

Direct determination of the ethanol metabolites ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate in urine by liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) method for the determination in urine samples of two ethanol metabolites, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS), was developed and validated. Pentadeuterated EtG was used as internal standard for both EtG and EtS. In addition to the surviving ions, two MS/MS reactions were monitored for each analyte, with the deprotonated molecule as precursor ion: m/z 221 --> 75, m/z 221 --> 85 (EtG), and m/z 125 --> 97, m/z 125 --> 80 (EtS). Sample pretreatment, though very simple and rapid (1:50 water dilution and centrifugation of 50 muL of urine), was found to contain the occurrence of matrix effects. The method was accurate and precise over the linear dynamic range (0.05-10 mg/L). The analytes were stable in frozen urine for at least 1 month. The assay was applied to several authentic urine samples from social drinkers and to alcoholic beverages.     

HPLC-MS/MS法测定婴幼儿配方乳粉中胆碱、左旋肉碱、牛磺酸与肌醇

建立了一种同时测定婴幼儿配方乳粉中4种可选择成分(胆碱、左旋肉碱、牛磺酸和肌醇)的高效液相色谱-串联三重四极杆质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)分析方法。样品经温水溶解后用亚铁氰化钾和乙酸锌沉淀蛋白,上清液过滤后采用HSS T3色谱柱分离,三重四极杆质谱仪检测,胆碱和左旋肉碱使用内标法定量,牛磺酸和肌醇使用外标法定量。在最优化条件下,胆碱和左旋肉碱在0.01~2.0 mg/L范围内,牛磺酸和肌醇在0.1~2.0 mg/L范围内呈良好的线性关系,相关系数均大于0.997;胆碱和左旋肉碱的检出限均为1.5 mg/kg,牛磺酸和肌醇的检出限均为15 mg/kg。4种化合物的回收率为87.5%~102.4%,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=6)为3.0%~7.3%。该方法灵敏度高、净化效果好、定量准确,适用于婴幼儿配方乳粉中胆碱、左旋肉碱、牛磺酸和肌醇的同时快速检测。     

超高效液相色谱-质谱/质谱联用法测定人血浆中的辛伐他汀

建立了超高效液相色谱-质谱/质谱联用法(UPLC-MS/MS)测定人血浆中辛伐他汀的浓度。血浆样品经乙醚-正己烷-异丙醇(体积比为80∶20∶3)提取,以洛伐他汀为内标,采用ACQUITY UPLCTM BEH C18柱(50 mm×2.1 mm,1.7 μm)分离,以乙腈-10 mmol/L乙酸铵水溶液(体积比为85∶15)为流动相,流速为0.25 mL/min,通过电喷雾离子化,采用多反应监测(MRM)方式进行正离子检测。线性范围为0.051～20.4 ng/mL,日内及日间测定的相对标准偏差不高于10%,平均回收率为91.6%。方法灵敏度高,分析速度快,操作简便,适用于辛伐他汀药物动力学和生物等效性研究。     

Simultaneous quantification of vitamins A, D3 and E in fortified infant formulae by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A novel method for the simultaneous quantification of Vitamins A, D3 and E in fortified infant formulae has been developed using isocratic normal-phase liquid chromatography with positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS). Food products were saponified and the vitamins were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on a Chromabond XTR cartridge. Quantification of Vitamins D3 and E were performed with Vitamin D2 and 5,7-dimethyltocol (DMT) as internal standards (IS), respectively while no IS was used for Vitamin A. Detection of the vitamins was made in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. MS calibration curves were linear between 0.15 and 12 mg/l for Vitamin A, 5-400 microg/l for Vitamin D3 and 0.25-20 mg/l for Vitamin E with regression coefficient r2 > 0.996 and the limits of detection were below 1.4 ng. The repeatability (CV) obtained on a reference dietetic infant formula was 2.3% for Vitamin A, 2.6% for Vitamin E and 5.9% for Vitamin D3. The between-day variations (CV) over 6 days were in the ranges of 2.4-6.9% for the three vitamins. The mean recoveries from a reference infant formula spiked with all three vitamins ranged from 96 to 105% with a relative standard error less than 9%. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analyzing a set of infant formula and infant cereals; similar results were obtained with the LC-MS method and reference HPLC methods.     

Determination of total fat in milk- and soy-based infant formula powder by supercritical fluid extraction

Commercially available simple benchtop systems using CO2 supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) eliminate expensive organic solvent disposal problems and offer potential to meet a demand for rapid, accurate high-volume gravimetric determinations of total fat content of infant formula powders. A Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) approach was used to evaluate the performance characteristics of instrumental SFE extraction for determination of total gravimetric fat in infant formula. The established DQOs included the following: ACCURACY: Correct values were obtained for a suitable reference material, SRM 1846 Infant Formula [National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD]. RUGGEDNESS: Variables were defined as (1) extraction time (35 min optimum); (2) ratio of sample size to diatomaceous earth support material (1 g sample/2 g support); (3) ratio of distilled water to alcohol (50% isopropanol optimum for both milk- and soy-based infant formula samples); (4) extraction flow rate was 3-3.5 mL/min optimum. PRECISION: Relative standard deviations of multiple determinations fell within the Horwitz limits of acceptability of < or = 2.8% at the level of analyte determined (0.34-2.5% obtained). SCOPE OF APPLICABILITY: Includes milk- and soy-based infant formula powders. Research data were obtained by use of a commercially available fat analyzer. Samples of the SRM, 2 commercial milk-based and 3 commercial soy-based infant formula products were distributed to 2 additional collaborating laboratories. Very good agreement was obtained among the submitting and collaborating laboratories for these samples. The use of clearly defined DQOs to establish method performance characteristics, along with the commercially available reference material, provided the mechanism for verification and validation of analytical methodology.     

液相色谱-大气压化学电离串联质谱法测定婴幼儿配方奶粉中的维生素D

建立了婴幼儿配方奶粉中维生素D的液相色谱-大气压化学电离串联质谱(LC-APCI-MS/MS)分析方法。样品经正己烷和甲基叔丁基醚混合溶液提取,ProElut VDC固相萃取柱净化,Kinetex C_(18)色谱柱分离,采用大气压化学电离(APCI)源、正离子扫描和多反应监测(MRM)模式对维生素D_2和维生素D_3进行检测,内标法定量。结果表明维生素D_2和维生素D_3在5~5 000μg/L范围内均具有良好的线性关系,检出限为2μg/kg,定量限为5μg/kg。在5、10和100μg/kg添加水平下,维生素D_2和维生素D_3的回收率为85.2%~105.3%,相对标准偏差为4.7%~8.1%。该方法简便准确,灵敏度高,适用于婴幼儿奶粉中维生素D的测定。