Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography of porphyrins

An ultra high‐performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) system was developed and optimized for the separation of porphyrins of clinical interest. Optimum conditions for the simultaneous separation of uroporphyrin, hepta‐, hexa‐, penta‐carboxylic acid porphyrins and coproporphyrin and their type I and III isomers on a Thermo Hypersil BDS C₁₈ column (2.4 µm particle size, 100 × 2.1 mm i.d.) using a gradient elution with 10% (v/v) acetonitrile in 1.0 m ammonium acetate buffer (pH 5.16) and 10% (v/v) acetonitrile in methanol at a flow‐rate of 0.4 mL/min. The effect of mobile phase buffer molarity on the sensitivity of fluorescence detection and resolution of porphyrin isomers was investigated. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of porphyrins extracted from the urine and faeces of patients with various human porphyrias. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Kinetic investigation of the relationship between the efficiency of columns and their diameter

Many brands of packing materials made of fine particles are now available in both conventional (4.6 mm i.d.) and narrow-bore (2.1 mm i.d.) columns. It is a general observation that the efficiency of the former tends to be markedly higher than that of the latter. This report provides a detailed illustration of the characteristics of this enigma. The corrected reduced plate heights of three brands of columns packed with shell particles in 4.6 and 2.1 mm I.D. columns were measured. The brands were the 1.7 and 2.6 μm Kinetex-C(18) (Phenomenex, Torrance, CA, USA), the 2.7 μm Poroshell120-C(18) (Agilent Technologies, New Castle, DE, USA), and the 2.7 μm Halo-C(18) (Advanced Material Technologies, Wilmington, DE, USA). The extra-column contributions were minimized by optimizing the configuration of the instrument (injection volume <1.0 μL, 115 μm needle seat capillary, 80 μm connecting tubes, no heat exchanger, 0.8 μL detection cell). The correct peak variances were derived from the numerical integration of the first and second order moments of the experimental band profiles. These experimental results confirm that the kinetic performance of narrow-bore columns is inferior to that of conventional columns for all three brands of shell particles. We demonstrate that this difference is accounted for by a contribution to the column HETP of the long-range eddy diffusion term that is larger in the 2.1 than in the 4.6 mm I.D. columns. While the associated relative velocity biases are of comparable magnitude in both types of columns, the characteristic radial diffusion lengths are of the order of 100 and 40 μm in the wall regions of narrow-bore and conventional columns, respectively.     

Core–shell column Tanaka characterization and additional tests using active pharmaceutical ingredients

In the last decade, core–shell particles have gained more and more attention in fast liquid chromatography separations due to their comparable performance with fully porous sub‐2 μm particles and their significantly lower back pressure. Core–shell particles are made of a solid core surrounded by a shell of classic fully porous material. To embrace the developed core–shell column market and use these columns in pharmaceutical analytical applications, 17 core–shell C₁₈ columns purchased from various vendors with various dimensions (50 mm × 2.1 mm to 100 mm × 3 mm) and particle sizes (1.6–2.7 μm) were characterized using Tanaka test protocols. Furthermore, four selected active pharmaceutical ingredients were chosen as test probes to investigate the batch to batch reproducibility for core–shell columns of particle size 2.6–2.7 μm, with dimension of 100 × 3 mm and columns of particle size 1.6 μm, with dimension 100 × 2.1 mm under isocratic elution. Columns of particle size 2.6–2.7 μm were also tested under gradient elution conditions. To confirm the claimed comparable efficiency of 2.6 μm core–shell particles as sub‐2 μm fully porous particles, column performances of the selected core–shell columns were compared with BEH C₁₈, 1.7 μm, a fully porous column material as well.     

Determination of ng/mL levetiracetam using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode absorbance

This paper demonstrates the analysis of levetiracetam, a new chiral antiepileptic drug, at ng/mL levels using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-photodiode absorbance (PDA) method. Three different sample preparation methods, liquid-liquid extraction with Extrelut, solid phase extraction (SPE) with Oasis HLB and Oasis MAX SPE cartridges, and protein precipitation with organic solvents were carried out. The last preparatory method is the simplest and provides the best recoveries: between 97.1% and 100.4% with RSD value below 5%. The column for separation is BEH C18 column (1.7 μm particle size and 100 × 2.1 mm i.d.) and acetonitrile-phosphate buffer (pH = 6.6; 0.01 M) (10/90 v/v) is the mobile phase. The results obtained are compared to analysis conducted by the HPLC method. The UHPLC method was validated in the range of 2-100 μg/mL levetiracetam concentration (R(2) = 0.9997). LOD and LOQ are 10 ng/mL and 33 ng/mL, respectively. The developed UHPLC method was applied to plasma samples of patient with epilepsy.     

Modified Equilibrium-Dispersive Model for the interpretation of the efficiency of columns packed with core-shell particle

A modified Equilibrium Dispersive (ED) Model is proposed for the modeling of chromatographic processes in columns packed with shell-particle adsorbents and operated under very high pressures. This new model was validated on the basis of experimental results obtained with 2.1 mm × 150 mm columns packed with superficially porous 1.7 μm Kinetex-C(18) particles and with classical columns packed with 1.7 μm BEH-C(18) fully porous particles. The influence of the heat friction on the performance of these columns was analyzed by comparing the experimental and calculated peak profiles. Moreover a theoretical analysis of the influence the solid-core conductivity on the column efficiency was discussed.     

Employing ultra high pressure liquid chromatography as the second dimension in a comprehensive two-dimensional system for analysis of Stevia rebaudiana extracts

Stevia rebaudiana extracts and plant materials are increasingly used as natural sweeteners. Polyphenolic and stevioside compounds contained in S. rebaudiana extracts were separated by comprehensive LC. A polyamine column operated in normal phase mode was used for the first dimension separation (D1), and a UHPLC C18 column operated in reversed phase mode was used for the second dimension separation (D2). The sub-2 μm column (2.1 mm × 30 mm, maintained at 70°C) and the UHPLC pump employed for D2 elution allowed a separation/cycle time of 20 s, with a backpressure oscillating between 805 and 922 bar at 3.4 mL/min. The reduced D2 cycle time allowed 3-12 D2 samplings for each peak eluted by D1. Polyphenolic and stevioside compounds were identified by combining the information coming from the position of the compounds in the 2D plot and UV spectra with that of reference materials.     

Simultaneous determination of diclofenac potassium and drotaverine hydrochloride in human plasma using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection is proposed for the estimation of diclofenac potassium and drotaverine hydrochloride in human plasma. Liquid-liquid extraction was carried out with a mixture of dichloromethane-isopropyl alcohol (80:20, v/v). Chromatographic separation of the analytes and internal standard was achieved on an analytical 250 × 4.6 mm i.d. reversed-phase Thermo BDS Hypersil C8 (5 μm particle size) column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.02M ammonium acetate buffer (53:47, v/v) at pH 3.5. The run time was less than 15 min. Column eluate was monitored at 230 nm. The linearity over the concentration ranges of 25-1500 ng/mL and 32-960 ng/mL was obtained for diclofenac potassium and drotaverine hydrochloride, respectively. The limit of quantification was 25 and 32 ng/mL for diclofenac potassium and drotaverine hydrochloride, respectively. Recoveries of diclofenac potassium and drotaverine hydrochloride from plasma were 97.45% and 98.27%, respectively.     

The determination of Miconazole and its related production impurities together with basic solution stability studies using a sub 2 μm chromatographic column

A selective and sensitive method for the analysis of Miconazole and its associated impurities is developed. The separation is carried out using a Thermo Scientific Hypersil Gold C18 Column (50 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 1.9 μm particle size) with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-ammonium acetate (1.5 w/v) (30:32:38 v/v) at a flow rate of 2.5 mL/min and UV detection at 235 nm. The method is validated according to ICH guidelines with respect to precision, accuracy, linearity, specificity, robustness, and limits of detection and quantification. All parameters examined are found to be well within the stated guidelines. Naturally aged samples are also tested to determine sample stability. A profile of sample and impurity breakdown was presented. The analysis time was more than halved from just under 20 min (the current European Pharmacopeia Method) to under 8 min (developed method) and the method is applicable for assay and related substance determination.     

Feasibility of ultra high performance supercritical neat carbon dioxide chromatography at conventional pressures

The implementation of columns packed with sub-2 μm particles in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is described using neat carbon dioxide as the mobile phase. A conventional supercritical fluid chromatograph was slightly modified to reduce extra column band broadening. Performances of a column packed with 1.8 μm C18-bonded silica particles in SFC using neat carbon dioxide as the mobile phase were compared with results obtained in ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) using a dedicated chromatograph. As expected and usual in SFC, higher linear velocities than in UHPLC must be applied in order to reach optimal efficiency owing to higher diffusion coefficient of solutes in the mobile phase; similar numbers of theoretical plates were obtained with both techniques. Very fast separations of hydrocarbons are presented using two different alkyl-bonded silica columns.     

Ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography using a 1-mm id column packed with 1.5-microm porous particles

The evolution of chromatography has led to the reduction in the size of the packing materials used to fabricate HPLC columns. The increase in the backpressure required has led to this technique being referred to as ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) when the column backpressure exceeds 10000 psi (approximately 700 bar). Until recently, columns packed with sub-2-microm materials have generally fitted into two classes; either short (less than 5 cm) columns designed for use on traditional HPLC systems at pressures less than 5000 psi (350 bar), or capillary columns (inner diameters less than 100 microm). By using packing materials with diameters <2 microm to fabricate UHPLC columns, there is an increase in efficiency and a decrease in the analysis time that are directly proportional to the size of the packing material. In order to realize and exploit the increase in efficiency, however, the columns must maintain lengths typically associated with analytical columns (15-25 cm). We have packed 1 mm diameter, 150 mm in length columns with 1.5 microm packing material, and evaluated their performance in UHPLC. The pressure required to achieve optimum linear velocities in plots of plate height versus linear velocity was in the vicinity of 1104 bar (16000 psi). The 1.5 microm particle-packed column was compared with the more traditional 150 mm long analytical columns packed with 3 microm materials. This column showed an efficiency that was approximately twice that observed with the 3 microm packed column and a concomitant reduction in the analysis time, theoretically predicted.     

A Systematic Method for the Identification of Aporphine Alkaloid Constituents in Sabia schumanniana Diels Using UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/Mass Spectrometry

Sabia schumanniana Diels (SSD) is a plant whose stems are used in traditional folk medicine for the treatment of lumbago and arthralgia. Previous studies have revealed chemical constituents of SSD, including triterpenoids and aporphine alkaloids. Aporphine alkaloids contain a variety of active components, which might facilitate the effective treatment of lumbago and arthralgia. However, only 5-oxoaporphine (fuseine) has been discovered in SSD to date. In this study, we sought to systematically identify the aporphine alkaloids in SSD. We established a fast and reliable method for the detection and identification of these aporphine alkaloids based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap/mass spectrometry combined with parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). We separated all of the analyzed samples using a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD™ aQ C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm). Finally, we identified a total of 70 compounds by using data such as retention times and diagnostic ions. No fewer than 69 of these SSD aporphine alkaloids have been reported here for the first time. These findings may assist in future studies concerning this plant and will ultimately contribute to the research and development of new drugs.     

Post column derivatisation analyses review. Is post-column derivatisation incompatible with modern HPLC columns?

Post Column derivatisation (PCD) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography or ultra-high performance liquid chromatography is a powerful tool in the modern analytical laboratory, or at least it should be. One drawback with PCD techniques is the extra post-column dead volume due to reaction coils used to enable adequate reaction time and the mixing of reagents which causes peak broadening, hence a loss of separation power. This loss of efficiency is counter-productive to modern HPLC technologies, -such as UHPLC. We reviewed 87 PCD methods published from 2009 to 2014. We restricted our review to methods published between 2009 and 2014, because we were interested in the uptake of PCD methods in UHPLC environments. Our review focused on a range of system parameters including: column dimensions, stationary phase and particle size, as well as the geometry of the reaction loop. The most commonly used column in the methods investigated was not in fact a modern UHPLC version with sub-2-micron, (or even sub-3-micron) particles, but rather, work-house columns, such as, 250 × 4.6 mm i.d. columns packed with 5 μm C18 particles. Reaction loops were varied, even within the same type of analysis, but the majority of methods employed loop systems with volumes greater than 500 μL.     

Dynamic evaluation of polypropylene capillary‐channeled fibers as a stationary phase in high‐performance liquid chromatography

Polypropylene (PP) capillary‐channeled polymer (C‐CP) fiber stationary phases are investigated for applications in HPLC. Specifically, the roles that fiber size and shape, linear velocity, interstitial fraction, and column inner diameter play in separation efficiency were evaluated using a uracil and butylparaben mixture eluted under isocratic conditions. Four fiber types, having nominal diameters ranging from 30 to 65 μm, were used in 250 mm × 2.1 mm columns. Optimum flow characteristics, as judged by plate height and resolution, were observed for 40 μm diameter PP C‐CP fibers packed at an interstitial fraction of ～0.63, over a broad range of linear velocities (～2 to 37 mm/s). The influence of column inner diameter was studied on 1.5, 2.1, and 4.6 mm columns packed at the optimal interstitial fraction. The best performing column in terms of plate height and resolution was the 2.1 mm inner diameter. C‐CP columns were also evaluated for the separation of a protein mixture composed of ribonuclease A, cytochrome c, and transferrin. Results obtained with the biomacromolecules mixture validate the optimal structural and operative conditions determined with the small solutes, laying the groundwork towards biomacromolecule applications, focusing more on the chemical aspects of separations.     

High‐resolution peptide separations using nano‐LC at ultra‐high pressure

We report on the optimization of nano‐LC gradient separations of proteomic samples that vary in complexity. The gradient performance limits were visualized by kinetic plots depicting the gradient time needed to achieve a certain peak capacity, while using the maximum system pressure of 80 MPa. The selection of the optimal particle size/column length combination and corresponding gradient steepness was based on scouting the performance of 75 μm id capillary columns packed with 2, 3, and 5 μm fully porous silica C18 particles. At optimal gradient conditions, peak capacities up to 500 can be obtained within a 120 min gradient using 2 μm particle‐packed capillary columns. Separations of proteomic samples including a cytochrome c tryptic digest, a bovine serum albumin tryptic digest, a six protein mix digest, and an Escherichia coli digest are demonstrated while operating at the kinetic‐performance limit, i.e. using 2‐μm packed columns, adjusting the column length and scaling the gradient steepness according to sample complexity. Finally, good run‐to‐run retention time stability (RSD values below 0.18%) was demonstrated applying ultra‐high pressure conditions.     

Amberlite XAD-4 as a Stationary Phase for Preparative Liquid Chromatography in a Radially Compressed Column

Abstract

Amberlite XAD-4, a nonpolar adsorbent with a particle size of 62 to 177 μm, was packed into 58 mm i.d. x 294 mm columns and radially compressed in the Waters Prep 500 preparative liquid chromatograph. Efficiency, loading capacity (multigram samples), resolution, recovery, and types of mobile phases were major parameters studied. Since XAD-4 is chemically inert mixed solvent and pH control from 1 to 13 can be successfully used in the mobile phase. Separations illustrating these advantages and the scope of the 58 mm i.d. column are described.     

Characterization and kinetic performance of 2.1 × 100 mm production columns packed with new 1.6 μm superficially porous particles

The overall kinetic performance of three production columns (2.1 mm × 100 mm format) packed with 1.6 μm superficially porous CORTECS‐C₁₈+ particles was assessed on a low‐dispersive I‐class ACQUITY instrument. The values of their minimum intrinsic reduced plate heights (h_min = 1.42, 1.57, and 1.75) were measured at room temperature (295 K) for a small molecule (naphthalene) with an acetonitrile/water eluent mixture (75:25, v/v). These narrow‐bore columns provide an average intrinsic efficiency of 395 000 plates per meter. The gradient separation of 14 small molecules shows that these columns have a peak capacity about 25% larger than similar ones packed with fully porous BEH‐C₁₈ particles (1.7 μm) or shorter (50 mm) columns packed with smaller core–shell particles (1.3 μm) operated under very high pressure (>1000 bar) for steep gradient elution (analysis time 80 s). In contrast, because their permeabilities are lower than those of columns packed with larger core–shell particles, their peak capacities are 25% smaller than those of narrow‐bore columns packed with standard 2.7 μm core–shell particles.     

On-line analysis of carbonyl compounds with derivatization in aqueous extracts of atmospheric particulate PM10 by in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to capillary liquid chromatography

A new device for carbonyl compounds based on coupling on-line and miniaturizing both, sample pretreatment and chromatographic separation, is reported. Two capillary columns, a GC capillary column (95% methyl-5% phenyl substituted backbone, 70 cm × 0.32 mm i.d., 3 μm film thickness) in the injection valve for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) and a Zorbax SB C18 (150 mm × 0.5 mm i.d., 5 μm particle diameter) LC capillary column were employed. Different combinations of IT-SPME and derivatization using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) were examined for mixtures containing 15 carbonyl compounds (aliphatic, aromatic and unsaturated aldehydes and ketones). A screening analysis of aqueous extracts of atmospheric particulate PM(10) was carried out. Moreover, the possibility of coupling IT-SPME and conventional liquid chromatography is also tested. Derivatization solution and IT-SPME coupled to capillary liquid chromatography provided the best results for achieving the highest sensitivity for carbonyl compounds in atmospheric particulate analysis. Detection limits (LODs) using a photodiode array detector (DAD) were ranged from 30 to 198 ng L(-1), improving markedly those LODs reported by conventional SPME-LC-DAD.     

Separation of natural product using columns packed with Fused‐Core particles

Three HPLC columns packed with 3 μm, sub‐2 μm, and 2.7 μm Fused‐Core (superficially porous) particles were compared in separation performance using two natural product mixtures containing 15 structurally related components. The Ascentis Express^TM C18 column packed with Fused‐Core particles showed an 18% increase in column efficiency (theoretical plates), a 76% increase in plate number per meter, a 65% enhancement in separation speed and a 19% increase in back pressure compared to the Atlantis T3^TM C18 column packed with 3 μm particles. Column lot‐to‐lot variability for critical pairs in the natural product mixture was observed with both columns, with the Atlantis T3 column exhibiting a higher degree of variability. The Ascentis Express column was also compared with the Acquity^TM BEH column packed with sub‐2 μm particles. Although the peak efficiencies obtained by the Ascentis Express column were only about 74% of those obtained by the Acquity BEH column, the 50% lower back pressure and comparable separation speed allowed high‐efficiency and high‐speed separation to be performed using conventional HPLC instrumentation.     

超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱对粮谷产品中20种真菌毒素的快速筛查和确证

建立了超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱快速筛查和确证粮谷产品中20种真菌毒素的方法。样品经乙腈（含2%（体积分数）甲酸）提取,用Captiva EMR-Lipid小柱净化,采用Thermo Hypersil Gold C₁₈柱（100 mm×2.1 mm,1.9 μm）分离,用四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱进行分析。在全扫描模式下以分析物的保留时间和一级母离子信息实现快速筛查,以自动触发采集的二级碎片离子信息进行确证。结果显示,目标分析物在各自的质量浓度范围内线性关系良好（相关系数r²>0.99）,方法检出限为0.25~20 μg/kg,回收率为72.9%~117.8%,相对标准偏差为2.9%~15.2%（n=6）。该方法灵敏度高,结果准确、可靠,适用于粮谷产品中20种真菌毒素的快速筛查和确证。     

Determination of key flavonoid aglycones by means of nano‐LC for the analysis of dietary supplements and food matrices

A method for the analysis of flavonoids (myricetin, quercetin, naringenin, hesperitin, and kaempferol), with interesting bioactivity, has been developed and validated utilizing nano‐LC technique. In order to find optimal conditions, capillary columns (75 μm id × 10 cm) packed with different types of stationary phases, Kinetex® C18 core–shell (2.6 μm particle size), Hydride‐based RP‐C18 (sub‐2 μm particle size), and LiChrospher® 100 RP‐18 endcapped (5 μm particle size) were evaluated. The method was validated using Hydride‐based RP‐C18 stationary phase, with sub‐2 μm particle size. A good chromatographic performance, expressed in terms of repeatability (RSD, in the range 1.63–4.68% for peak area), column‐to‐column reproducibility (RSD not higher than 8.01% for peak area), good linearity and sensitivity was obtained. In particular limit of detection values between 0.07 and 0.31 μg/mL were achieved with on column focusing technique. The method was applied to the determination of studied flavonoids in dietary supplements as well as in food matrices. The amount of quercetin found in the first analyzed dietary supplement, was in agreement to the labeled content. In the other samples, where the content of flavonoids was not labeled, most of the studied flavonoids were determined in amounts somewhere comparable to those reported in literature.