On-Line HPLC with Biochemical Detection for Screening Bioactive Compounds in Complex Matrixes

On-line high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with biochemical detection (BCD) has been developed to screen compounds showing antioxidant action, enzyme inhibition and receptor affinity in complex matrixes. This review summarizes HPLC methods combining different post-column detection methods, such as diode-array detection (DAD), mass spectrometry (MS), chemiluminescence (CL) and nuclear magnetic resonance, for antioxidant screening. The methods based on a single relatively stable reagent such as DPPH^• and ABTS^•+ were the most popular. Oxygen free radical scavengers mainly depended on post-column CL detection. The on-line hyphenated HPLC–BCD systems based on post-column UV/DAD fluorescence and MS detection were also widely applied to screen enzyme- and receptor-active compounds. These strategies provide a convenient tool for quick identification and quantification of active compounds in complex matrixes.

     

Antioxidant activity assays on-line with liquid chromatography

Screening for antioxidants requires simple in vitro model systems to investigate antioxidant activity. High resolution screening (HRS), combining a separation technique like HPLC with fast post-column (bio)chemical detection can rapidly pinpoint active compounds in complex mixtures. In this paper both electrochemical and chemistry-based assays are reviewed and discussed. The focus is on the mechanisms involved and differences between the assays, rather than on the matrix or analytes. With 45 applications high resolution antioxidant screening has now become an almost routine tool for the rapid identification of antioxidants in plant extracts, foods and beverages. The methods based on true reactive oxygen species (ROS) provide the most realistic measure of antioxidant activity. Unfortunately these methods are difficult to set up and control and have not been applied since they were reported. The methods based on electrochemical detection are more practical, but have still received only limited attention for practical screening purposes. The methods based on a single relatively stable reagent such as DPPH and ABTS(+) have become most popular, because of their simple set-up and ease of control. The methods have been combined with on-line DAD, MS and NMR detection for rapid identification of active constituents.     

Advances in mass spectrometry-based post-column bioaffinity profiling of mixtures

In the screening of complex mixtures, for example combinatorial libraries, natural extracts, and metabolic incubations, different approaches are used for integrated bioaffinity screening. Four major strategies can be used for screening of bioactive mixtures for protein targets—pre-column and post-column off-line, at-line, and on-line strategies. The focus of this review is on recent developments in post-column on-line screening, and the role of mass spectrometry (MS) in these systems. On-line screening systems integrate separation sciences, mass spectrometry, and biochemical methodology, enabling screening for active compounds in complex mixtures. There are three main variants of on-line MS based bioassays: the mass spectrometer is used for ligand identification only; the mass spectrometer is used for both ligand identification and bioassay readout; or MS detection is conducted in parallel with at-line microfractionation with off-line bioaffinity analysis. On the basis of the different fields of application of on-line screening, the principles are explained and their usefulness in the different fields of drug research is critically evaluated. Furthermore, off-line screening is discussed briefly with the on-line and at-line approaches.     

A microfluidic-based enzymatic assay for bioactivity screening combined with capillary liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

The design and implementation of a continuous-flow microfluidic assay for the screening of (complex) mixtures for bioactive compounds is described. The microfluidic chip featured two microreactors (1.6 and 2.4 microL) in which an enzyme inhibition and a substrate conversion reaction were performed, respectively. Enzyme inhibition was detected by continuously monitoring the products formed in the enzyme-substrate reaction by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). In order to enable the screening of mixtures of compounds, the chip-based assay was coupled on-line to capillary reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with the HPLC column being operated either in isocratic or gradient elution mode. In order to improve the detection limits of the current method, sample preconcentration based on a micro on-line solid-phase extraction column was employed. The use of electrospray MS allowed the simultaneous detection of chemical (MS spectra) and biological parameters (enzyme inhibition) of ligands eluting from the HPLC column. The present system was optimized and validated using the protease cathepsin B as enzyme of choice. Inhibition of cathepsin B is detected by monitoring three product traces, obtained by cleavage of the substrate. The two microreactors provided 32 and 36 s reaction time, respectively, which resulted in sufficient assay dynamics to enable the screening of bioactive compounds. The total flow rate was 4 microL min-1, which a 25-fold decrease was compared with a macro-scale system described earlier. Detection limits of 0.17-2.6 micromol L-1 were obtained for the screening of inhibitors, which is comparable to either microtiter plate assays or continuous-flow assays described in the literature.     

An on-line post-column detection system for the detection of reactive-oxygen-species-producing compounds and antioxidants in mixtures

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage proteins, cause lipid peroxidation, and react with DNA, ultimately resulting in harmful effects. Antioxidants constitute one of the defense systems used to neutralize pro-oxidants. Since pro-oxidants and antioxidants are found ubiquitously in nature, pro-and antioxidant effects of individual compounds and of mixtures receive much attention in scientific research. A major bottleneck in these studies, however, is the identification of the individual pro-oxidants and antioxidants in mixtures. Here, we describe the development and validation of an on-line post-column biochemical detection system for ROS-producing compounds and antioxidants in mixtures. Inclusion of cytochrome P450s and cytochrome P450 reductase also permitted the screening of compounds that need bioactivation to exert their ROS-producing properties. This pro-oxidant and antioxidant detection system was integrated on-line with gradient HPLC. The resulting high-resolution screening technology was able to separate mixtures of ROS-producing compounds and antioxidants, allowing each species to be characterized rapidly and sensitively.     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled on-line to estrogen receptor bioaffinity detection based on fluorescence polarization

We describe the development and validation of a high-resolution screening (HRS) platform which couples gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on-line to estrogen receptor α (ERα) affinity detection using fluorescence polarization (FP). FP, which allows detection at high wavelengths, limits the occurrence of interference from the autofluorescence of test compounds in the bioassay. A fluorescein-labeled estradiol derivative (E2-F) was synthesized and a binding assay was optimized in platereader format. After subsequent optimization in flow-injection analysis (FIA) mode, the optimized parameters were translated to the on-line HRS bioassay. Proof of principle was demonstrated by separating a mixture of five compounds known to be estrogenic (17β-estradiol, 17α-ethinylestradiol and the phytoestrogens coumestrol, coumarol and zearalenone), followed by post-column bioaffinity screening of the individual affinities for ERα. Using the HRS-based FP setup, we were able to screen affinities of off-line-generated metabolites of zearalenone for ERα. It is concluded that the on-line FP-based bioassay can be used to screen for the affinity of compounds without the disturbing occurrence of autofluorescence.     

Comparative evaluation of three methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography analysis combined with a 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay for the rapid screening of antioxidants from Pueraria lobata flowers

Traditional activity-guided fractionation of natural products is a time-consuming, labor intensive, and expensive strategy, which cannot compete with high-throughput and rapid screening of natural products. Therefore, more efficient approaches are necessary for searching active compounds from natural products. Three main methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis combined with 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, DPPH spiking HPLC analysis, on-line post-column HPLC-DPPH analysis, and HPLC-based DPPH activity profiling, were then developed for the rapid screening of antioxidants from complex mixtures. In the present study, a comparative study of these three methods has been conducted to identify antioxidants from an ethyl acetate fraction of Pueraria lobata flowers. The parameters in HPLC analysis and DPPH assay were optimized. The results indicated that all three methods could achieve similar information with regard to antioxidants, without the need for preparative isolation techniques. However, there were differences in instrumental set-up, sensitivity, and efficiency. DPPH spiking HPLC analysis seemed to be more sensitive and effective with simpler instrumental set-up and easier operation, which could also detect the total antioxidant capacity of color complexes. Eighteen antioxidants were tentatively screened and identified from P. lobata flowers by DPPH spiking HPLC-MS/MS. Among them, ten compounds including one new compound were first isolated from P. lobata flowers, and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the new compound was reported for the first time.     

Comparative analysis of radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds present in everyday use spice plants by means of spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods

Comparative analysis of radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of phenolic compounds present in everyday use spice plants was carried out by means of spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods. Six spice plant samples, namely onion (Allium cepa), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) roots and leaves, celery (Apium graveolens) roots and leaves and leaves of dill (Anethum graveolens) were analyzed. Total amount of phenolic compounds and radical scavenging activity (RSA) was the highest in celery leaves and dill extracts and was the lowest in celery roots. Comparing commonly used spectrophotometric analysis of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) RSA of extracts with the results obtained using reversed-phase chromatographic separation with on-line post-column radical scavenging reaction detection, good correlation was obtained (R(2)=0.848). Studies using HPLC system with electrochemical detector showed that bioactive phytochemicals can be separated and antioxidant activities of individual compounds evaluated without the need of a complex HPLC system with reaction detector. The results obtained using electrochemical detection correlate with the RSA assayed using spectrophotometric method (R(2)=0.893).     

Screening for antioxidants in complex matrices using high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection

The use of high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection to screen for antioxidants in complex plant-derived samples was evaluated in comparison with two conventional post-column radical scavenging assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS(+))). In this approach, acidic potassium permanganate can react with readily oxidisable compounds (potential antioxidants), post-column, to produce chemiluminescence. Using flow injection analysis, experimental parameters that afforded the most suitable permanganate chemiluminescence signal for a range of known antioxidants were studied in a univariate approach. Optimum conditions were found to be: 1×10(-3)M potassium permanganate solution containing 1% (w/v) sodium polyphosphates adjusted to pH 2 with sulphuric acid, delivered at a flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1) per line. Further investigations showed some differences in detection selectivity between HPLC with the optimised post-column permanganate chemiluminescence detection and DPPH and ABTS(+) assays towards antioxidant standards. However, permanganate chemiluminescence detection was more sensitive. Moreover, screening for antioxidants in green tea, cranberry juice and thyme using potassium permanganate chemiluminescence offers several advantages over the traditional DPPH and ABTS(+) assays, such as faster reagent preparation and superior stability; simpler post-column reaction manifold; and greater compatibility with fast chromatographic separations using monolithic columns.     

High performance liquid chromatography coupled on-line to capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection for detecting inhibitors of Src homology 2 domain-phosphopeptide binding in mixtures

Reversed-phase HPLC was coupled on-line to a rapid, competitive affinity probe capillary electrophoresis (APCE) assay to screen mixtures for compounds that inhibit protein-ligand interactions. The Fyn Src homology 2 (SH2) domain and its phosphopeptide binding partner were used as a model interaction for demonstration of this technique. In the method, mixtures containing possible inhibitors of binding were separated by HPLC at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. A small portion of effluent was directed to a fluidic tee where it was mixed on-line with Fyn SH2 domain and a fluorescent phosphopeptide ("affinity probe") known to bind selectively to Fyn SH2 domain. Electropherograms of the reaction mixture were collected on-line at approximately 6s intervals using a flow-gated interface to control injections onto the capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence system. The resulting electropherograms contained two peaks, one corresponding to the free affinity probe and the other a complex of the affinity probe and Fyn SH2 domain. Compounds that bound the protein were detected as a decrease in the peak height of the complex and an increase in the peak height of affinity probe with relative standard deviations of <5%. The assay was shown to resolve multiple peptidergic inhibitors and selectively detect them within a complex mixture of peptides. Signals were dependent upon both concentration of active peptide and its potency in binding inhibition. Detection limits were in the range of 2-11 microM depending upon the peptide. Common organic solvents used in HPLC were shown to have minimal effect in the on-line measurement up to approximately 60% in the mobile phase.     

在线亲和固相萃取-高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测-四极杆飞行时间质谱快速筛选中药中α-葡萄糖苷酶结合成分

中药活性成分的快速分离分析一直是中药研究的重点和热点问题。该文建立了在线亲和固相萃取-高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测-四极杆飞行时间质谱技术快速筛选中药中与α-葡萄糖苷酶有结合作用的活性成分的方法。四通阀和六通进样阀组成接口界面,收集亲和固相萃取柱中与α-葡萄糖苷酶有结合作用的活性成分,接着进入液相色谱系统进行分析鉴定。阳性对照品((+)-儿茶素)和阴性对照品(水杨酸)混合物筛选确定了方法的特异性和准确性。接着,以玉竹为研究对象,筛选出9种主要的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制活性化合物,包括5种苯乙基肉桂酰胺类化合物,4种双氢高异黄酮类化合物。结果表明建立的方法简便、快速、特异性强,可用于任何复杂体系中α-葡萄糖苷酶结合活性成分的筛选。     

Mass spectrometry-based strategies for screening of bioactive natural products

Natural products (NPs) are combinatorial chemical libraries with diversities in chemical structures and pharmacological activities. Screening active compounds is in many cases an important factor in drug discovery. It was not easy to screen out the bioactive compounds from complex extracts consisting of many NPs. Development of rapid, effective and accurate methods is in high demand. During last decades, mass spectrometry (MS)-based strategies, combining isolation, structures, and bioactivity in a single run, were programmed in the NPs screening. The current article reviews different assay formats and applications of MS-based methods for screening of active NPs. This review is divided into three sections based on methods classification. The first part introduces binding-based screening methods that directly assess the binding characteristics of a candidate molecule to its target. The second part describes function-based screening methods that monitor the functional output of a target-dependent biochemical reaction. The third part briefly discusses serum pharmacochemistry-based screening methods that analyze absorbed components and metabolites in plasma after oral administration of NPs extracts.     

Screening of radical scavengers in Scutellaria baicalensis using HPLC with diode array and chemiluminescence detection

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a well-known medical plant widely used as a famous traditional Chinese medicine. It has been reported that S. baicalensis can protect against oxidative stress and possess anti-inflammatory effect. In the present paper, an HPLC-diode array-chemiluminescence detection method for on-line detection was successfully developed to screen antioxidants in complex S. baicalensis extracts. Using the proposed approach, eight compounds in the S. baicalensis extracts were found to possess a potential antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the effects of purified compounds on protecting RAW 264.7 cells from hydrogen peroxide injury were also investigated in vitro to confirm the established method, which were consistent with the results of HPLC-diode array-chemiluminescence detection method. These results demonstrated that this method was a useful technique for rapidly screening and identifying bioactive components from complex herbal medicines.     

A generic fast solid-phase extraction high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for high-throughput drug discovery

High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) is increasingly perceived to be an essential tool in drug discovery at many key steps, like drug screening, lead identification, ADME profiling, and drug metabolism and pharmacology studies. High-throughput screenings in the early phase for metabolic stability, protein binding, permeability (ADME) and bioavailability are widely used to weed out compounds that do not exhibit the necessary characteristics. For such high-throughput LC/MS studies, a generic LC/MS method that can be used for a variety of compounds is desired. In this study, we used a small set of compounds with a wide range of properties to guide method development, and achieved a sample throughput of 1.7 min/sample. Here, we present a generic fast method that achieves good peak separation and peak shape on conventional HPLC systems using a column-switching mechanism for on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE)-HPLC/MS analysis. The method has a linear response range from 1 to 500 nM for the tested compounds. When a larger set of 658 randomly picked small molecules were analyzed using this method, 612 were observed with good signal intensity and HPLC peak shapes. This generic fast SPE-LC/MS method has been used to screen more than 1.5 million compounds repetitively against over 200 protein targets for hit confirmation and semi-quantitation of binding constants from biological assays. Over 7000 different compounds for a variety of protein-binding assays have been studied using this method for quantitative analysis as well.     

毛细管电泳结合高效液相色谱-质谱用于天然产物活性成分的筛选

发展了毛细管电泳(CE)和高效液相色谱-质谱(HPLC-MS)相结合的用于天然产物中活性成分筛选和鉴定的方法。该方法中,用HPLC半制备柱对天然产物粗提物进行分离纯化,再用CE对HPLC纯化后的组分进行活性测试。根据HPLC-MS/MS提供的二级质谱数据,即可确定活性成分的化学结构。以乙酰胆碱酯酶为实验模型,对我们发展的筛选方法进行了验证。从黄连粗提物中确定了药根碱、巴马汀等7种活性成分,并通过CE测定了它们的半抑制率(IC₅₀)值。与传统的天然产物分离纯化和活性筛选方法相比,该方法具有简单、微量、快速、准确的优点。本文建立的方法为天然产物粗提物中活性成分的筛选提供了新技术。     

Combination of preparative HPLC and HSCCC methods to separate phosphodiesterase inhibitors from Eucommia ulmoides bark guided by ultrafiltration-based ligand screening

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors are widely used because of their various pharmacological properties, and natural products are considered the most productive source of PDE inhibitors. In this work, a new ultrafiltration–high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–diode-array detection–mass spectrometry based ligand screening was developed for the first screening of PDE inhibitors from Eucommia ulmoides bark, and then the target bioactive compounds were prepared by combination of stepwise preparative HPLC and high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) methods. Experiments were conducted to optimize the parameters in ultrafiltration, stepwise preparative HPLC, and HSCCC to allow rapid and effective screening and isolation of active compounds from complex mixtures. Seven lignans with purity over 97 % were isolated and identified by their UV, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and NMR data as (+)-pinoresinol-4,4′-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), (+)-pinoresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1?→?6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), (+)-medioresinol-4,4′-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), (+)-syringaresinol-4,4′-di-O- β-D-glucopyranoside (4), (?)-olivil-4′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), (?)-olivil-4-O-β-D- glucopyranoside (6), and (+)-pinoresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7). Compound 2 was first isolated from the genus Eucommia. Lignan diglucopyranosides (compounds 1–4) shower a greater inhibitory effect than lignan monoglucopyranosides (compounds 5–7). The method developed could be widely applied for high-throughput screening and preparative isolation of PDE inhibitors from natural products.     

On-line identification of the antifungal constituents of Erythrina vogelii by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry,ultraviolet absorbance detection and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry combined with liquid chromatographic micro-fractionation

In our continuing search for new antifungal agents of plant origin, the investigation of Erythrina vogelii Hook. f. (Leguminosae), a plant used in the traditional medicine of Ivory Coast to treat various infectious ailments, was undertaken. In order to rapidly identify the active principles, the crude extract was analysed by low-flow LC-1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR) which gave a sensitive detection of all the main peaks. LC microfractionation was performed just after LC-NMR detection and all peaks collected were submitted to antifungal bioautography assays against Cladosporium cucumerinum. By this means, the antifungal activity could be efficiently linked to three of the LC peaks. In order to obtain complementary on-line structural information for all peaks of interest, high-resolution LC-MS-MS together with LC-UV with post-column addition of UV shifts reagents was undertaken on the crude extract. This chemical screening strategy with integrated antifungal bioassays has permitted the on-line identification of numerous constituents and has given useful information for an efficient peak-guided isolation procedure.     

Enzyme amplification as detection tool in continuous-flow systems. II. On-line coupling of liquid chromatography to enzyme-amplified biochemical detection after pre-column derivatization with biotin.

Enzyme-amplified biochemical detection (EA-BCD) was used as a post-column detection technique, coupled on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The enzyme detection system was developed to detect biotin or biotin containing compounds. Biotinylation is widely used to label analytes of interest ranging from small molecules to proteins and DNA. Naphthalene aldehyde and anthracene aldehyde were used as model compounds. Both compounds were biotinylated off-line with biotin aminocaproic hydrazide (BACH). On-column biotinylation was performed by preconcentration of anthracene aldehyde on copper phthalocyanine. After biotinylation, samples were introduced to the HPLC system. Enzyme-labeled streptavidin, which possesses high affinity to biotin, was added post-column to the HPLC effluent. Excess of enzyme-labeled affinity protein was removed by means of an immobilized biotin column. After separation of free and bound fraction, substrate was added, which was converted to a fluorescent product by the enzyme label. Using alkaline phosphatase as an enzyme label, a mass detection limit after on-column preconcentration and biotinylation of 250 fmol was achieved.     

在线二维液相色谱技术在中药研究中的应用进展

中药的组成复杂,其化学成分的表征和识别一直是中药研究的基础和关键。在线二维液相色谱是基于两种分离模式构建的色谱分析技术,主要包括中心切割二维液相色谱和全二维液相色谱两种模式,因二者具有更高的峰容量而在中药研究中备受青睐。该文对在线二维液相色谱技术的概念和特点进行了讨论,并对二维液相色谱在中药研究中的应用进行了综述,以期为该技术在中药质量控制、物质基础表征、活性成分筛选等研究方面提供一定参考。     

High-performance liquid chromatography with on-line coupled UV, mass spectrometric and biochemical detection for identification of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from natural products

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with on-line coupled ultraviolet (UV), mass spectrometry (MS) and biochemical detection for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity has been developed. By combining the separation power of HPLC, the high selectivity of biochemical detection, and the ability to provide molecular mass and structural information of MS, AChE inhibitors can be rapidly identified. The biochemical detection was based on a colorimetric method using Ellman's reagent. The detection limit of galanthamine, an AChE inhibitor, in the HPLC-biochemical detection is 0.3 nmol. The three detector lines used, i.e., UV, MS and Vis for the biochemical detection were recorded simultaneously and the delay times of the peaks obtained were found to be consistent. This on-line post-column detection technique can be used for the identification of AChE inhibitors in plant extracts and other complex mixtures such as combinatorial libraries.