Determination of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in rabbit plasma by on-line solid phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography

The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) and ultraviolet (UV) detection was developed for determining andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in rabbit plasma. Plasma samples (100 μL) were injected directly into a C18 SPE column and the biological matrix was washed out for 6 min using 15% aqueous methanol. By rotation of the switching valve, andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide were eluted in the back-flush mode and transferred to the analytical column by the chromatographic mobile phase consisted of methanol:acetonitrile (ACN):water (50:10:40; v/v). The UV detection was performed at 225 nm. The calibration curves showed excellent linear relationship (R ≥ 0.9993) over the concentration range of 0.05-5.0 μg mL⁻¹. The within- and between-day precisions (R.S.D.) of two analytes were in the range of 1.2-6.5% and the accuracies were between 92.0% and 102.1%. Their recoveries were all greater than 94%. The limits of detection were 0.019 μg mL⁻¹ for andrographolide and 0.022 μg mL⁻¹ for dehydroandrographolide. This method was successfully applied to the plasma concentration-time curve study after oral administration of Andrographis paniculata Nees extract in rabbit.     

Development of andrographolide molecularly imprinted polymer for solid-phase extraction

A method employing molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as selective sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) to pretreat samples was developed. The polymers were prepared by precipitation polymerization with andrographolide as template molecule. The structure of MIP was characterized and its static adsorption capacity was measured by the Scatchard equation. In comparison with C(18)-SPE and non-imprinted polymer (NIP) SPE column, MIP-SPE column displays high selectivity and good affinity for andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide for extract of herb Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees (APN). MIP-SPE column capacity was 11.9±0.6 μmol/g and 12.1±0.5 μmol/g for andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide, respectively and was 2-3 times higher than that of other two columns. The precision and accuracy of the method developed were satisfactory with recoveries between 96.4% and 103.8% (RSD 3.1-4.3%, n=5) and 96.0% and 104.2% (RSD 2.9-3.7%, n=5) for andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide, respectively. Various real samples were employed to confirm the feasibility of method. This developed method demonstrates the potential of molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction for rapid, selective, and effective sample pretreatment.     

反相高效液相法测定穿心莲药材及其制剂中的穿心莲内酯和脱水穿心莲内酯

 发展了穿心莲药材及其中成药中两种主要成分穿心莲内酯和脱水穿心莲内酯的反相高效液相测定方法。采用甲醇振荡提取法进行样品前处理 ,在以乙腈 水为流动相作梯度洗脱、ODS柱、检测波长为 2 2 5nm的条件下 ,穿心莲内酯和脱水穿心莲内酯在 1 5min内可达到基线分离。两种内酯在 1 0mg/L～ 1 0 0mg/L时其浓度与峰面积成良好的线性关系 ,加标回收率为 96 %～ 1 0 4 %。     

微乳液毛细管电动色谱法快速测定消炎利胆片中的穿心莲内酯和脱水穿心莲内酯

建立了微乳液毛细管电动色谱同时分析消炎利胆片中穿心莲内酯和脱水穿心莲内酯的方法。考察了缓冲溶液的浓度、pH值、十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)以及助表面活性剂的含量对分离测定的影响。在由乙酸乙酯-SDS-正丁醇-30 mmol/L硼砂缓冲液(pH 9.5)（质量比为0.5∶0.6∶6.0∶92.9）组成的微乳液体系中,两种内酯在6 min内完成分离。该法简便、快速、选择性好,用于实际样品中穿心莲内酯和脱水穿心莲内酯的分析,获得了满意的结果。     

Rapid Determination of Diterpenoids in Andrographis paniculata by Microemulsion Electrokinetic Capillary Chromatography with Short-End Injection

A rapid, simple, and reliable method has been developed for routine capillary electrophoretic analysis of two diterpenoids, andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide, in Andrographis paniculata. For this system, using ethyl acetate oil-based microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) and the short-end injection technique, analysis was complete in less than 2.5 min. In method validation the relative standard deviations of migration time and peak area of the two constituents were, respectively, 0.54% and 1.70% for andrographolide and 0.45% and 2.11% for dehydroandrographolide. Regression equations revealed linear relationships (correlation coefficients 0.9994 for andrographolide and 0.9993 for dehydroandrographolide) between peak area and concentration. The effects of buffer pH, borate concentration, SDS concentration, co-surfactant type and concentration, injection time, and running potential were systematically investigated. The method can be successfully implemented in routine quality-control testing.     

Quality control of medicinal herbs Fructus gardeniae, Common Andrographis Herb and their preparations for their active constituents by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection-electrospray mass spectrometry

Dehydroandrographolide, andrographolide and geniposide are the main active constituents of many herbal medicines, e.g., Fructus gardeniae, Common Andrographis Herb. They are used as the markers to control the quality of such herbal medicines and their herbal preparations. In this paper, a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method coupled with photodiode array detection (DAD) and electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) were developed to determine the three compounds simultaneously in extracts of medicinal herbs and herbal preparations produced by different companies. The extracts were separated on a C₁₈ reversed phase HPLC column, with a gradient solvent system, the time for the separation of the three target analytes was 10 min. The abundance ions were recorded using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode with m/z 297.3, 297.3 and 411.1 for dehydroandrographolide, andrographolide and geniposide, respectively. The limit of detection for dehydroandrographolide, andrographolide and geniposide were 20, 30 and 150 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of the contents of the compounds in related to medicinal herbs and preparations.     

Microwave Accelerated Extraction and Capillary Electrophoresis Analysis of Berberine from the Cortices of Phellodendron Wilsonii and Phellodendron Amurense

Berberine is one of the most important bioactive compounds used in Chinese herbal drugs to evaluate the quality of the Phellodendron cortex. The cortices of Phellodendron wilsonii and Phellodendron amurense, extracted by using a microwave‐assisted process under a domestic microwave oven in methanol solvent and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis with the buffer solution of 82% 0.1 M aqueous sodium acetate and 18% MeOH (v/v), were demonstrated to be higher in extracting berberine contents and shorter in the process time than those extracted by using a reflux extraction in methanol solvent (for sample B, 2.27 ± 0.08% in 3 min vs. 1.92 ± 0.14% in 5 hrs, respectively). Therefore, the microwave‐assisted process for extraction of berberine is more efficient, rapid and convenient than the reflux extraction and can be used for the extraction of bioactive substances from the crude Chinese drugs.     

Focused microwave-assisted solvent extraction and HPLC determination of effective constituents in Eucommia ulmodies Oliv. (E. ulmodies)

A new focused microwave-assisted solvent extraction method using water as solvent has been developed for leaching geniposidic and chlorogenic acids from Eucommia ulmodies Oliv. The extraction procedures were optimized using a two indexes orthogonal experimental design and graphical analysis, by varying irradiation time, solvent volume, solvent composition and microwave power. The optimum extraction conditions were obtained: for geniposidic acid, 50% micorwave power, 40 s irradiation, and 80% (v/v) aqueous methanol as extraction solvent (20 ml g⁻¹ sample); and for chlorogenic acid, 50% micorwave power, 30 s irradiation, and 20% aqueous methanol (20 ml g⁻¹ sample). The composition of the extraction solvent was optimized and can be directly used as the mobile phase in the HPLC separation. Quantification of organic acids was done by HPLC at room temperature using Spherigel C₁₈ chromatographic column (, i.d. 5 μm), the methanol:water:acetic acid (20:80:1.0, v/v) mobile phase and UV detection at 240 nm. The R.S.D. of the extraction process for geniposidic and chlorogenic acid were 3.8 and 4.1%, respectively.     

Continuous determination of total flavonoids in Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco by dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line derivatization and ultraviolet-visible detection

This paper describes a new method for the determination of total flavonoids in Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco. The method was based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction (DMAE) coupled with on-line derivatization and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) detection. The influence of the experimental conditions was tested. Maximum extraction yield was achieved using 80% aqueous methanol of extraction solvent; 80 W of microwave output power; 5 min of extraction time; 1.0 mL min⁻¹ of extraction solvent flow rate. The derivatization reaction between aluminium chloride and flavonoid is one of the most sensitive and selective reactions for total flavonoids determination. The optimized derivatization conditions are as follows: derivatization reagent 1.5% aluminium chloride methanol solution; reaction coil length 100 cm; derivatization reagent flow rate 1.5 mL min⁻¹. The detection and quantification limits obtained are 0.28 and 0.92 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (R.S.D.) obtained are 1.5% and 4.6%, respectively. Mean recovery is 98.5%. This method was successfully applied to the determination of total flavonoids in P. orientalis (L.) Franco and compared with heat reflux extraction. The results showed that the higher extraction yield of total flavonoids was obtained by DMAE with shorter extraction time (5 min) and small quantity of extraction solvent (5 mL).     

Rapid extraction and analysis method for the simultaneous determination of 21 bioflavonoids in Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino

A novel and rapid microwave extraction and ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole‐linear ion trap mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of 21 bioflavonoids in Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino. The optimal conditions for the extraction of flavonoids from Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino involved the use of methanol as the extraction solvent, a microwave temperature of 70°C, an extraction time of 11 min, and a solvent‐to‐solid ratio of 40 mL/g. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C₁₈ column(100 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) with a gradient mobile phase (A: 0.3% v/v aqueous formic acid and B: acetonitrile) at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r > 0.999) within the test ranges. The method developed was validated with acceptable sensitivity, intra‐ and interday precision, reproducibility, and extraction recoveries. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the contents of 21 bioflavonoids in Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino from different sources.     

Ionic liquid-based microwave-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and derivatization of sulfonamides in river water, honey, milk, and animal plasma

The ionic liquid-based microwave-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (IL-based MADLLME) and derivatization was applied for the pretreatment of six sulfonamides (SAs) prior to the determination by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). By adding methanol (disperser), fluorescamine solution (derivatization reagent) and ionic liquid (extraction solvent) into sample, extraction, derivatization, and preconcentration were continuously performed. Several experimental parameters, such as the type and volume of extraction solvent, the type and volume of disperser, amount of derivatization reagent, microwave power, microwave irradiation time, pH of sample solution, and ionic strength were investigated and optimized. When the microwave power was 240 W, the analytes could be derivatized and extracted simultaneously within 90 s. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of river water, honey, milk, and pig plasma samples, and the recoveries of analytes obtained were in the range of 95.0-110.8, 95.4-106.3, 95.0-108.3, and 95.7-107.7, respectively. The relative standard deviations varied between 1.5% and 7.3% (n=5). The results showed that the proposed method was a rapid, convenient and feasible method for the determination of SAs in liquid samples.     

Extraction optimization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by alcoholic-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and their determination by HPLC

A sensitive method for the extraction and determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using alcoholic-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (AA-DLLME) and HPLC was developed. The extraction procedure was based on alcoholic solvents for both extraction and dispersive solvents. The effective parameters (type and volume of extraction and dispersive solvents, amount of salt and stirring time) on the extraction recovery were studied and optimized utilizing factorial design (FD) and central composite design (CCD). The best recovery was achieved by FD using 2-ethyl-1-hexanol as the extraction solvent and methanol as the dispersive solvent. The results showed that volume of dispersive solvent and stirring time had no effect on the recovery of PAHs. The optimized conditions were 145 μL of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol as the extraction solvent and 4.2% w/v of salt (NaCl) in sample solution. The enrichment factors of PAHs were in the range of 310-325 with limits of detection of 0.002-0.8 ng/mL. The linearity was 0.01-800 ng/mL for different PAHs. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for intra- and inter-day of extraction of PAHs were in the range of 1.7-7.0 and 5.6-7.3, respectively, for five measurements. The method was also successfully applied for the determination of PAHs in environmental water samples.     

Effect of extraction conditions on measured total polyphenol contents and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of black tea

Black tea was extracted for 2, 8 and 18 h with absolute acetone, N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF), ethanol and methanol and their 50% aqueous solutions. The extracts were screened for total polyphenol contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The polyphenol content of the extracts was found to be in the range of 0.44-114.01 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight tea, depending on the solvent used and the length of the extraction process. In general, aqueous acetone or DMF extracts displayed the highest polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity, while absolute acetone was the least efficient solvent. Antioxidant activities of tea extracts tested using the reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical methods ranged from 0.09 to 1.18 and from 2.60 to 95.42 %, respectively, depending on the extraction conditions and the antioxidant activities correlated well with the polyphenol concentrations. Aqueous solvent black tea extracts also possessed antibacterial activity, depending on the solvent used and bacterial species tested. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most sensitive to all tea extracts, except for the methanol extract. Tea extracts were not effective against Y. enterocolitica, L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7.     

Extraction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-hydroxyacetophenone and catechin from Norway spruce needles. Comparison of different extraction solvents

The phenolic compounds p-hydroxyacetophenone and catechin have been extracted from Norway spruce needles with pure methanol, 80 and 50% (v/v) aqueous methanol, pure acetonitrile, 80% (v/v) aqueous acetonitrile, and pure water. Extraction efficiency of the individual solvents was compared. Although 80% aqueous methanol is the solvent most frequently used for extraction of soluble phenolic compounds from needles, it was found that pure methanol is a more suitable extraction solvent. Surprisingly, a two-step procedure based on the extraction of crushed needles with water then re-extraction with methanol proved a good alternative to direct extraction with methanol. Extraction of uncrushed spruce needles might indicate that relatively more p-hydroxyacetophenone than catechin was located in the surface layer of the needle.     

Optimisation of microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of nonylphenols and phthalate esters in sediment samples and comparison with pressurised solvent extraction

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of nonylphenols (NP), nonylphenol mono- and diethoxylates (NP1EO and NP2EO, respectively) and phthalate esters was optimised using an experimental design approach. A D-optimal mixture design was used to optimise the pressure inside the extraction vessel (110-207 kPa), the extraction time (5-25 min) and the extraction solvent (methanol, acetone or n-hexane) or the solvent mixture for the microwave-assisted extraction. Percentage of microwave power (80%) and solvent volume (15 ml) were fixed in all the experiments. As a consequence, the optimum extraction of these compounds was carried out at an intermediate pressure (159 kPa) with pure methanol and during 15 min. Moreover, solid phase extraction was also optimised for the clean-up of the extracts and C-18, LiChrolut^® and Oasis^® cartridges were studied in order to obtain the best recoveries of the compounds of interest. The highest recoveries were obtained with LiChrolut^® cartridges after the elution with ethyl acetate. The cleaned extracts were analysed in a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric detection and in a liquid chromatograph with diode array and fluorescence detection (HPLC-DAD-UV-FLD). The same sediment was also extracted twice in order to check that an exhaustive extraction of the analytes had occurred. Finally, the optimised extraction method was compared with pressurised solvent extraction (PSE), using an estuarine sediment sample.     

Determination of chlorophenols in water samples using simultaneous dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and derivatization followed by gas chromatography-electron-capture detection

Simultaneous dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) and derivatization combined with gas chromatography-electron-capture detection (GC-ECD) was used to determine chlorophenols (CPs) in water sample. In this derivatization/extraction method, 500 microL acetone (disperser solvent) containing 10.0 microL chlorobenzene (extraction solvent) and 50 microL acetic anhydride (derivatization reagent) was rapidly injected by syringe in 5.00 mL aqueous sample containing CPs (analytes) and K(2)CO(3) (0.5%, w/v). Within a few seconds the analytes derivatized and extracted at the same time. After centrifugation, 0.50 microL of sedimented phase containing enriched analytes was determined by GC-ECD. Some effective parameters on derivatization and extraction, such as extraction and disperser solvent type and their volume, amount of derivatization reagent, derivatization and extraction time, salt addition and amount of K(2)CO(3) were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factors and recoveries are in the range of 287-906 and 28.7-90.6%, respectively. The calibration graphs are linear in the range of 0.02-400 microg L(-1) and limit of detections (LODs) are in the range of 0.010-2.0 microg L(-1). The relative standard deviations (RSDs, for 200 microg L(-1) of MCPs, 100 microg L(-1) of DCPs, 4.00 microg L(-1) of TCPs, 2.00 microg L(-1) of TeCPs and PCP in water) with and without using internal standard are in the range of 0.6-4.7% (n=7) and 1.7-7.1% (n=7), respectively. The relative recoveries of well, tap and river water samples which have been spiked with different levels of CPs are 91.6-104.7, 80.8-117.9 and 83.3-101.3%, respectively. The obtained results show that simultaneous DLLME and derivatization combined with GC-ECD is a fast simple method for the determination of CPs in water samples.     

Ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for sensitive determination of aromatic amines in environmental water

Ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was developed for the extraction and preconcentration of aromatic amine from environmental water. A suitable mixture of extraction solvent (100 μL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophoshate) and dispersive solvent (750 μL, methanol) were injected into the aqueous samples (10.00 mL), forming a cloudy solution. After centrifuging, enriched analytes in the sediment phase were determined by HPLC-UV. The effect of various factors, such as the extraction and dispersive solvent, sample pH, extraction time and salt effect were investigated. Under optimum conditions, enrichment factors for 2-anilinoethanol, o-chloroaniline and 4-bromo-N,N-dimethylaniline were above 50 and the limits of detection (LODs) were 0.023, 0.015 and 0.026 ng/mL, respectively. Their linear ranges were 0.8-400 ng/mL for 2-anilinoethanol, 0.5-200 ng/mL for o-chloroaniline and 0.4-200 ng/mL for 4-bromo-N,N-dimethylaniline, respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) were below 5.0%. The relative recoveries from samples of environmental water were in the range of 82.0-94.0%. Compared with other methods, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction is simple, rapid, sensitive and economical.     

Optimization of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of copper (II) by atomic absorption spectrometry as its oxinate chelate: application to determination of copper in different water samples

In this study a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method based on the dispersion of an extraction solvent into aqueous phase in the presence of a dispersive solvent was investigated for the preconcentration of Cu(2+) ions. 8-Hydroxy quinoline was used as a chelating agent prior to extraction. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry using an acetylene-air flame was used for quantitation of the analyte after preconcentration. The effect of various experimental parameters on the extraction was investigated using two optimization methods, one variable at a time and central composite design. The experimental design was performed at five levels of the operating parameters. Nearly the same results for optimization were obtained using both methods: sample size 5 mL; volume of dispersive solvent 1.5 mL; dispersive solvent methanol; extracting solvent chloroform; extracting solvent volume 250 microL; 8-hydroxy quinoline concentration and salt amount do not affect significantly the extraction. Under the optimum conditions the calibration graph was linear over the range 50-2000 muicro L(-1). The relative standard deviation was 5.1% for six repeated determinations at a concentration of 500 microg L(-1). The limit of detection (S/N=3) was 3 microg L(-1).     

Comparative study of hollow-fiber liquid-phase micro-extraction and an aqueous two-phase system for determination of phytohormones in soil

Two methods, hollow-fiber liquid-phase micro-extraction (HF-LPME) and an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), have been systematically optimized and compared for extraction and determination of phytohormones in soil by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects on extraction of conditions including solvent type and volume, extraction time, temperature, and amount of salt were evaluated. It was shown that ATPS was superior to HF-LPME for determination of paclobutrazol and uniconazole under the optimum conditions. The limits of detection (LODs) of ATPS were 0.002 μg g(-1) for uniconazole and 0.01 μg g(-1) for paclobutrazol, whereas LODs of HF-LPME were 0.005 μg g(-1) and 0.03 μg g(-1), respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=5) and recovery were in the range 1.7-5.3 % and 86-102 %, respectively, for ATPS and 6.7-7.9 % and 40-60 % for HF-LPME. In addition, the advantages of ATPS were shorter extraction time, suitable for simultaneous pretreatment of batches of samples, and higher extraction capacity. ATPS was therefore applied to the determination of paclobutrazol and uniconazole in real soil samples. Uniconazole was detected in all the samples analyzed whereas paclobutrazol was not found.     

Microwave assisted extraction of soy isoflavones

A fast and reliable analytical method using microwave assisted extraction has been developed. Several extraction solvents (methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH), 30-70% in water and water), temperatures (50-150 °C), extraction solvent volume, as well as the sample size (1.0-0.1 g) and extraction time (5-30 min) were studied for the optimization of the extraction protocol. The optimized extraction conditions for quantitative recoveries were: 0.5 g of sample, 50 °C, 20 min and 50% ethanol as extracting solvent. No degradation of the isoflavones was observed using the developed extraction protocol and a high reproducibility was achieved (>95%).