Isolation of compounds from complex sample mixtures for identification purposes — The semi-preparative separation of natural products

Summary Semi-preparative separation and collection of compounds from complex mixtures by HPLC followed by identification of the isolated substances is a method combination which finds increasing interest in analytical laboratories. An analytical high-pressure liquid chromatograph has been enhanced with hardware that allows automatic, unattended, semi-preparative separation and fraction collection. The system is described and its practical applicability is demonstrated with the isolation of compounds from a natural product. Identification of collected sample was carried out using CI-MS, EI-MS, UV and NMR. The results show that the off-line combination of HPLC with other analytical techniques is a very powerful tool for identification purposes.     

GESA--a two-dimensional processing system using knowledge base techniques

The successful analysis of two-dimensional (2-D) polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels demands considerable experience and understanding of the protein system under investigation as well as knowledge of the separation technique itself. The present work concerns the development of a computer system for analysing 2-D electrophoretic separations which incorporates concepts derived from artificial intelligence research such that non-experts can use the technique as a diagnostic or identification tool. Automatic analysis of 2-D gel separations has proved to be extremely difficult using statistical methods. Non-reproducibility of gel separations is also difficult to overcome using automatic systems. However, the human eye is extremely good at recognising patterns in images, and human intervention in semi-automatic computer systems can reduce the computational complexities of fully automatic systems. Moreover, the expertise and understanding of an "expert" is invaluable in reducing system complexity if it can be encapsulated satisfactorily in an expert system. The combination of user-intervention in the computer system together with the encapsulation of expert knowledge characterises the present system. The domain within which the system has been developed is that of wheat grain storage proteins (gliadins) which exhibit polymorphism to such an extent that cultivars can be uniquely identified by their gliadin patterns. The system can be adapted to other domains where a range of polymorpic protein sub-units exist. In its generalised form, the system can also be used for comparing more complex 2-D gel electrophoretic separations.     

Qualitative evaluation of chromatographic data from quality control schemes using a support vector machine

The qualitative evaluation of chromatographic data in the framework of external quality assurance schemes is considered in this paper. The homogeneity in the evaluation of chromatographic data among human experts in samples with analytes close to the limit of detection of analytical methods was examined and also a Support Vector Machine (SVM) was developed as an alternative to experts for a more homogeneous and automatic evaluation. A set of 105 ion chromatograms obtained by anti-doping control laboratories was used in this study. The quality of the ion chromatograms was evaluated qualitatively by nine independent experts (associating a score from 0 to 4) and also more objectively taking into account chromatographic parameters (peak width, asymmetry, resolution and S/N ratio). Results obtained showed a high degree of variability among experts when judging ion chromatograms. Experts applying extremely outlying evaluation criteria were identified and excluded from the data used to develop the SVM. This machine was built providing the system with qualitative information (scores assigned by experts) and with objective data (parameters) of the ion chromatograms. A seven-fold cross-validation approach was used to train and to evaluate the predictive ability of the machine. According to the results obtained, the SVM developed was found to be close to the reasoning process followed by the homogeneous human expert group. This machine also could provide a scoring system to sort laboratories according to the quality of their results. The qualitative evaluation of analytical records using a scoring system allowed the identification of the main factors affecting the quality of chromatographic analytical data, such as the specific analytical technique applied and the adherence to guidelines for reporting positive results.     

X-ray spectrometry in the eighties

X-ray fluorescent spectroscopy anno 1983 is a superb analytical technique which allows precisions of one part in 2000. The main impediments to reaching this accuracy are sampling and sample preparation. Nevertheless, very accurate results can be obtained on a wide variety of materials. After fusion, a wide range of oxides can be analyzed using one calibration.Recent advances in analytical instrumentation will further contribute to improved performance for specific analytical problems. the scandium side window tube is the first of a series of side window tubes which will greatly enhance light element performance. The developement of multilayer technology shows great promise for the improvement of light to ultra-light element dispersion. Advances in detector technology will mainly be reached through selecting gas detectors per element range, and the use of high resolution gas detectors such as the gas scintillation proportional counter. Data treatment will show improvements through the increased use of fundamental parameter methods using theoretical alphas, on-line fundemental parameter calculations, or a combination of both. In addition, there will be a strongly increasing use of laboratory management systems which handle the automatic logging of samples and combine the XRF results with results from other techniques.Hardware in Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) has not shown major changes in recent years. The use of room temperature HgI₂ detectors with a resolution around 400 eV could be usefull for sorting or identification applications. In the field of EDS, some extremely usefull software packages have been developed. These include packages for the analysis of samples without standards, and packages to analyse coatings.     

On-line liquid chromatography – gas chromatography for automated clean-up and analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A fully automated system, comprising a liquid chromatograph (LC) coupled on-line to a gas chromatograph (GC) by means of a loop interface, has been constructed for clean-up and analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). An autosampler was utilized for sample injection into the LC. By the use of a back-flush technique in conjunction with an ordinary analytical aminopropylsilica column, PAH could be isolated by LC: a concurrent solvent evaporation injection technique was then used for on-line transfer of the PAH fraction to the GC, where the PAH analysis was completed. Compared with ordinary off-line LC clean-up followed by GC analysis, the sensitivity has been increased by a factor of 50–100, yielding a detection limit for individual PAH of a few nanograms per sample when using flame ionization detection. Further, irreproducible losses of low molecular weight PAH as a result of solvent evaporation steps in off-line clean-up procedures have been eliminated. Reproducibility of retention times and relative peak areas is high, facilitating automatic peak identification and calculation of concentrations, and the system can thus be used for automatic sample evaluation. The total time required for clean-up and analysis is only 1.5 hours, and the demand on personnel time for the analysis of PAH has been drastically reduced. The technique has been demonstrated with samples of urban air and of used automobile engine lubricating oil.     

Mitigating model deficiency in three-way data analysis by the combination of background constraining and iterative correcting techniques

PARAFAC is a popular model for trilinear data analysis in analytical chemistry. The prerequisite for the successful application of PARAFAC in analytical chemistry is that the three-way data array should follow a trilinear model, which is always violated by the presence of deviations such as Rayleigh scattering in fluorescence spectroscopy. In order to mitigate the influence of model deviations, background constraining and iterative correcting techniques are advocated in this contribution. The method established on these two techniques can nearly eliminate the effect of model deviation on the chemical loading parameters estimated. Compared with other methods for mitigating model deviations, the proposed method requires no prior knowledge about the chemical loading parameters. It is also unnecessary to assign weights to data entities as the weighted PARAFAC of Anderson does. Its implementation is comparable to PARAFAC-ALS and can be programmed to be completely automatic. Its performance has been demonstrated by fluorescent and chromatographic experiments.     

A fully automated mass spectrometer for the analysis of organic solids

Automation of a mass spectrometer—computer system makes it possible to process up to 30 samples without attention after sample loading. An automatic sample changer introduces the samples successively into the ion source by means of a direct inlet probe. A process control unit determines the operation sequence. Computer programs are available for the hardware support, system supervision and evaluation of the spectrometer signals. The most essential precondition for automation — automatic evaporation of the sample material by electronic control of the total ion current — is confirmed to be satisfactory. The system operates routinely overnight in an industrial laboratory, so that day work can be devoted to difficult analytical problems. The cost of routine analyses is halved.     

New Highly Reliable Smde Based Computer Controlled Polarggraphic System For Wet Chemical Analysis

Abstract

A highly reliable static mercury drop electrode is described for polarographic analysis. the electrode was employed as working electrode in a new computer controlled automatic analytical system developed in this laboratory. the system can be well used for the serial analysis of small volumed solution samples or for monitor In addition to this, the system was employed in monitoring the drug content of dissolution media in the course of drug dissolution studies. This will be discussed in lurther paper¹¹     

毛细管黏度计自动检定/校准系统的研制

利用自动控温系统、测温电桥、自动计时系统和计算机控制平台组成一种毛细管黏度计自动检定/校准系统,该系统具有自动吸液、自动计时以及数据自动处理功能,可用于标准黏度液定值和毛细管黏度计检定/校准。     

Direct analysis of thin-layer chromatograms and electrophoretograms by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Mixtures separated by thin-layer chromatography and electrophoresis can be analyzed in situ by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The paramount advantage of such a combination is the selectivity inherent to the mass spectrum, which can provide information sufficient for the identification of an unknown compound as well as precise quantification of known compounds. Separation of the time frames of chromatographic development and mass spectrometer operation relaxes the constraints on each, and unique analytical advantages result.     

Analysis of volatile fatty acids in biological specimens by capillary gas chromatography

A method was developed to analyze and quantitate volatile fatty acids such as acetic, propionic, butyric, iso-butyric, valeric, and iso-valeric acid from samples of biological origin. A capillary column system including an automatic on-column injection device as well as a precolumn of larger internal diameter than the analytical column was elaborated for this purpose. In order to obtain well resolved and correctly quantifiable chromatographic peaks it turned out to be essential to work under acidic/aqueous conditions. To achieve a better sample transfer into the chromatographic system an organic solvent had to be used together with the aqueous milieu, thus improving wetting properties of the liquid sample plug introduced into the column. Cold on-column injection was applied in order to avoid discrimination of the various acids due to sample splitting and the automatic technique was chosen in view of the large number of samples from biological extractions which had to be analyzed.     

Computer-assisted liquid chromatography for automated qualitative and quantitative analysis of toxic drugs

A computer-assisted liquid chromatographic system (MCASYST) is evaluated for automatic qualitative and quantitative analysis of toxic drugs in poisoned human fluids. The system performance is confirmed by the actual analyses of several cases of poisoning. The results indicate that the accuracy of identification by retention prediction and UV spectral search is very high, and quantitation by the memorized calibration curves can be performed very conveniently. However, it is difficult at present to identify all peaks that appear in chromatograms for human urine and serum because the drugs may be changed to their metabolites in those fluids. Metabolite identification will be the next step to improve the performance of this system.     

In vivo metabolite detection and identification in drug discovery via LC-MS/MS with data-dependent scanning and postacquisition data mining

An important aspect in drug discovery is the early structural identification of the metabolites of potential new drugs. This gives information on the metabolically labile points in the molecules under investigation, suggesting structural modifications to improve their metabolic stability, and allowing an early safety assessment via the identification of metabolic activation products. From an analytical point of view, metabolite identification still remains a challenging task, especially for in vivo samples, in which they occur at trace levels together with high amounts of endogenous compounds. Here we describe a method, based on LC-ion trap tandem MS, for the rapid in vivo metabolite identification. It is based on the automatic, data-dependent acquisition of multiple product ion MS/MS scans, followed by a postacquisition search, within the entire MS/MS data set obtained, for specific neutral losses or marker ions in the tandem mass spectra of parent molecule and putative metabolites. One advantage of the method is speed, since it requires minimum sample preparation and all the necessary data can be obtained in one chromatographic run. In addition, it is highly sensitive and selective, allowing detection of trace metabolites even in the presence of a complex matrix. As an example of application, we present the studies of the in vivo metabolism of the compound MEN 15916 (1). The method allowed identification of monohydroxy ([M + H](+) = m/z 655), dihydroxy ([M + H](+) = m/z 671), and trihydroxy ([M + H](+) = m/z 687) metabolites, as well as some unexpected biotransformation products such as a carboxylic acid ([M + H](+) = m/z 669), a N-dealkylated metabolite ([M + H](+) = m/z 541), and its hydroxy-analog ([M + H](+) = m/z 557).     

Coulometry applied to gas-phase chromatograpy

It has been found that coulometry is an excellent procedure for identification and quantitative determination of the components of an organic mixture, separated by vapor-phase chromatography. A millicoulometer is described which can be used either for manual or automatic titration. The eluted components are absorbed in a suitable solution where they are continuously titrated by an electrolytically generated reagent. Photometric, amperometric and potentiometric end-points may be used for the titration of compounds with an active functional group such as volatile acids, bases, mercaptans and aldehydes. The procedure can be extended to all organic vapors by burning them at the end of the column and converting them into carbon dioxide which can be coulometrically titrated.     

Gamma spectrum analysis for in situ automatic monitoring of radioactivity in seawater

The NaI(Tl) detector has been an important research topic and application in the field of in situ marine radioactive automatic monitoring because of its advantages of low power consumption, low cost, and good efficiency. However, its energy resolution is not high enough. This paper investigated an analytical method: spectrum de-noising, background correction based on the SNIP operator, peak search based on the top-hat transform and peak fitting using Gaussian distribution. Simulation and gamma spectra measured from seawater showed that the established energy spectrum analysis method presents satisfactory automatic analytical ability for identification and quantitatively analysis.

     

A coulometric flow cell for in-line generation of reagent, titrant or standard solutions

A universal and easily ON–OFF time operated coulometric flow cell for generation of chemicals is proposed. The cell can be used for generation of reagents, titrants or standard solutions, and can be coupled to analytical equipments in combination with flow systems for generation of micro-quantity amounts of chemicals in a wide concentration range. Platinum wire electrodes and other common laboratory available materials were employed in the cell assembly. The application of the cell for analytical purposes was illustrated by employing it for generating triiodide ions as a carrier in a flow injection analysis system applied to the analysis of dipyrone in pharmaceuticals, and as a titrant in a flow-batch analysis system applied for analysis of ascorbic acid in natural orange juice samples. Preliminary studies demonstrate that such a flow cell is suitable to allow the use of unstable reagents in analytical chemistry, since they can be generated in a closed system and promptly used in subsequent reactions. In addition, it offers advantages of saving chemicals, time and specially the laborious calibrating standard solutions preparation task of routine laboratories. Taking in account its analytical performance, the proposed cell promises to be an important tool in analytical chemistry with a great competition potential as compared to the other ones proposed in the literature.     

Multi-element optical waveguide sensor: General concept and design

A prototype of a self-contained multi-element optical waveguide sensor for detection and identification of the constituents of gaseous or liquid mixtures has been fabricated. The device consists of eight optical waveguides, each coated with a thin film known to react specifically with one or more components in a multicomponent system. An array of eight sequentially-activated light-emitting diodes is attached to the waveguide assembly in such a fashion as to activate each detection channel separately. Each waveguide is a fiber-optic coupled to a single high-gain, low-noise photomultiplier tube or photodiode/operational amplifier detector. The amplified signals can be displayed visually or input to a microprocessor pattern-recognition algorithm. CMOS analog switches/multiplexers are used in feedback loops to control automatic gain-ranging, light-level adjustment and channel-sequencing. Preliminary experiments involving the monitoring of redox/pH changes are discussed.     

Analytical approaches to expanding the use of capillary electrophoresis in routine food analysis

Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) is becoming an ever more powerful analytical technique for the separation, identification, and quantification of a wide variety of compounds of interest in many application fields. Particularly in food analysis this technique can offer interesting advantages over chromatographic techniques because of its greater simplicity and efficiency. Nevertheless, CE needs to advance with regard to compatibility with sample matrices, sensitivity, and robustness of the methodologies in order to gain even wider acceptance in food analysis laboratories, specially for routine work. This article presents various approaches to expanding the analytical usefulness of CE in food analysis, discussing their advantages over conventional CE. These approaches focus on sample screening, automated sample preparation with on-line CE arrangements, and the automatic integration of calibration in routine analytical work with CE.     

Informationsgewinn bei analytisch-chemischen Messungen

Summary The aim of every analytical experiment is to gain information about a particular chemical system. In order to design and carry out such an experiment it is necessary to take into consideration the chemical properties of the matter as well as the metrological rules inherent in the analytical method applied. In this aim (to obtain information) and in the manner of working (to regard chemical properties and metrological rules) analytical chemistry can be seen as being a uniform and independent scientific discipline. The different analytical methods and the numerous analytical problems can then be described in uniform manner. The different measuring parameters and steps in analytical work can all be reduced to uniform terms and processes. The treatment and evaluation of the signal produced in the analytical experiment is always at the centre of all discussions. The uniform theoretical interpretation of seemingly different methodological terms makes a standardized nomenclature possible. The aim of effectively obtained information explains the preference of certain analytical methods for trace analysis, structure analysis, multicomponent analysis or other analytical problems. Furthermore, it is possible to derive useful strategies for applying an analytical method or managing an analytical problem. Finally, tendencies can be shown for the development of analytical methods, which are particularly effective in obtaining information.     

用顺序注射系统控制微流控芯片中的Edman降解

用顺序注射系统控制微流控芯片中的Edman降解反应, 提高了Edman降解的自动化程度, 得到蛋白质或多肽N-端氨基酸残基结构的准确信息. 对固体吸附材料的选择、顺序注射程序的设计和优化及影响Edman降解反应的因素进行了讨论. 该控制技术在蛋白质组学的研究中有一定的应用前景.