Rapid quantitative analysis of 18 chemical constituents in HuangQi JianZhong Tang based on UHPLC–MS

A rapid, highly sensitive, and specific analytical method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadruple MS was developed to quantitatively measure 18 chemical constituents in Huangqi Jianzhong Tang (HQJZ), a famous traditional Chinese medicine formula. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) with a gradient mobile phase (A: 0.1% aqueous formic acid and B: acetonitrile) at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The chromatographic peaks of 18 components were identified by comparing with the reference compounds. Multiple reaction monitoring was employed for quantitative analysis of the components. Seven batches of HQJZ samples were analyzed with a good linear regression relationship (R², .9978–.9993), precisions [relative standard deviation (RSD), 0.90%–3.60%], repeatability (RSD, 2.50%–4.00%), stability (RSD, 1.00%–4.00%), and recovery (96.10%–104.30%). Based on this established method, the present study offered a highly sensitive, specific, and rapid determination method for identification of 18 compounds, which greatly promoted the systemic quality control of HQJZ.     

Activity-Guided Characterization of COX-2 Inhibitory Compounds in Waltheria indica L. Extracts

Inflammation is the body’s response to infection or tissue injury in order to restore and maintain homeostasis. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2) derived from arachidonic acid (AA), via up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), is a key mediator of inflammation and can also be induced by several other factors including stress, chromosomal aberration, or environmental factors. Targeting prostaglandin production by inhibiting COX-2 is hence relevant for the successful resolution of inflammation. Waltheria indica L. is a traditional medicinal plant whose extracts have demonstrated COX-2 inhibitory properties. However, the compounds responsible for the activity remained unknown. For the preparation of extracts with effective anti-inflammatory properties, characterization of these substances is vital. In this work, we aimed to address this issue by characterizing the substances responsible for the COX-2 inhibitory activity in the extracts and generating prediction models to quantify the COX-2 inhibitory activity without biological testing. For this purpose, an extract was separated into fractions by means of centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). The inhibitory potential of the fractions and extracts against the COX-2 enzyme was determined using a fluorometric COX-2 inhibition assay. The characterizations of compounds in the fractions with the highest COX-2 inhibitory activity were conducted by high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). It was found that these fractions contain alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid, identified and reported for the first time in Waltheria indica leaf extracts. After analyzing their contents in different Waltheria indica extracts, it could be demonstrated that these fatty acids are responsible for up to 41% of the COX-2 inhibition observed with Waltheria indica extract. Additional quantification of secondary metabolites in the extract fractions revealed that substances from the group of steroidal saponins and triterpenoid saponins also contribute to the COX-2 inhibitory activity. Based on the content of compounds contributing to COX-2 inhibition, two mathematical models were successfully developed, both of which had a root mean square error (RMSE) = 1.6% COX-2 inhibitory activity, demonstrating a high correspondence between predicted versus observed values. The results of the predictive models further suggested that the compounds contribute to COX-2 inhibition in the order linoleic acid > alpha linolenic acid > steroidal saponins > triterpenoid saponins. The characterization of substances contributing to COX-2 inhibition in this study enables a more targeted development of extraction processes to obtain Waltheria indica extracts with superior anti-inflammatory properties.     

Antioxidant and toxicological evaluation of a Tamarindus indica L. leaf fluid extract

In the scientific community, there is a growing interest in Tamarindus indica L. leaves, both as a valuable nutrient and as a functional food. This paper focuses on exploring its safety and antioxidant properties. A tamarind leaf fluid extract (TFE) wholly characterised was evaluated for its anti-DPPH activity (IC₅₀ = 44.36 μg/mL) and its reducing power activity (IC₅₀ = 60.87 μg/mL). TFE also exhibited a high ferrous ion-chelating capacity, with an estimated binding constant of 1.085 mol L^? 1 while its influence over nitric oxide production in human leucocytes was irregular. At low concentrations, TFE stimulated NO output, but it significantly inhibited it when there was an increase in concentration. TFE was also classified as a non-toxic substance in two toxicity tests: the acute oral toxicity test and the oral mucous irritability test. Further toxicological assays are needed, although results so far suggest that TFE might become a functional dietary supplement.     

纳米银胶体粒子的制备及对牛血清蛋白的检测

纳米银粒子具有独特的电学、光学[1-3]、催化、机械和抗菌等性质而逐渐引起人们广泛的兴趣,关于纳米银粒子的一些制备方法已经有了相关报道[4-8].     

A simple MALDI target plate with channel design to improve detection sensitivity and reproducibility for quantitative analysis of biomolecules

Overcoming the detrimental effects of sweet spots during crystallization is an important step to improve the quantitative abilities of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. In this study, we introduce MALDI targets, which exhibit a channel design to reduce sweet spot phenomena and improve reproducibility. The size of the channels was 3.0 mm in length, 0.35 mm in depth, and 0.40 mm in width, adjusted to the width of the implemented laser beam. For sample deposition, the matrix/sample mixture was homogenously deposited into the channels using capillary action. To demonstrate the proof‐of‐principle, the novel plates were used for the quantification of acetyl‐L‐carnitine in human blood plasma using a combined standard addition and isotope dilution method. The results showed that the reproducibility of acetyl‐L‐carnitine detection was highly improved over a conventional MALDI‐MS assay, with RSD values of less than 5.9% in comparison with 15.6% using the regular MALDI method. The limits of quantification using the new plates were lowered approximately two‐fold in comparison with a standard rastering approach on a smooth stainless‐steel plate. Matrix effects were also assessed and shown to be negligible. The new assay was subsequently applied to the quantification of acetyl‐L‐carnitine in human plasma samples.     

Syntheses and radical polymerization behavior of novel optically active methacrylamides having (L)-leucine structure in the side chains

Syntheses and radical polymerizations of methacrylamides having (L)-leucine and N-methyl-(L)-leucine methyl ester structures in the side chains N-methacryloyl-(L)-leucine methyl ester (MA-L-M) and N-methyl-N-methacryloyl-(L)-leucine methyl ester (N-Me-MA-L-M) were carried out. The monomers were prepared by the reactions of methacryloyl chloride with the corresponding amino acid methyl esters. Radical polymerizations were carried out in the presence of appropriate initiators at 60°C and 120°C. MA-L-M afforded the corresponding polymer with M_ns 38,000 ∼ 372,000 in high yields, while N-Me-MA-L-M afforded a trace amount of polymer at 60°C and in a low yield even at 120°C. Both inversion and increase of absolute value of specific rotation were observed in the transformation from MA-L-M (+1.3°C) to poly(MA-L-M) (−35.7°C). Changes in the CD spectral pattern and the conformation of the leucine moiety were confirmed from the monomer to polymer. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2681–2690, 1998     

UPLC fingerprint analysis and identification of flavonoids in Scutellaria indica by UFLC-triple-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The aim of this study was to raise the quality control level of Scutellaria indica. A quick and stable ultra performance liquid chromatography method was established for the fingerprint analysis of S. indica. A total of 32 common peaks were marked with 10 batches S. indica detected in 30?min using similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (2004A version). Besides, a high-resolution mass spectrometer was used to identify flavonoids in S. indica. A total of 27 flavonoids in S. indica were identified. And a series of fragmentation regularities were obtained, which could be used for the identification of other flavonoids. Therefore, the established liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometer method could be successfully utilized for the quality control of S. indica.     

Triterpenoids,megastigmanes and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives from Anisomeles indica

Six triterpenoids (1–6), four megastigmanes (7–10) and five hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (11–15) were isolated from the aerial part of Anisomeles indica (Lamiaceae). Of these components, compound 1 was identified to be a new triterpenoid with the structure of 2α,3α,19α-trihydroxyurs-12,20(30)-dien-28-oic acid based on extensive analysis of MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, while compounds 2–13 were obtained for the first time from Anisomeles species.     

High-performance liquid chromatography and LC-ESI-MS method for the identification and quantification of two biologically active polyisoprenylated benzophenones xanthochymol and isoxanthochymol in different parts of Garcinia indica

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of xanthochymol (1), and isoxanthochymol (2) in the fruit rinds, leaves and seed pericarps of Garcinia indica with confirmation using PDA detection and electrospray ionization MS. Absorption at 276 nm was chosen as the measuring wavelength at which resolution and baseline separation of compounds (1) and (2) could be obtained. The identity of the above two isomeric compounds (1) and (2) in the samples was unambiguously determined by their respective quasi-molecular ion [M - H]- in ESI-MS. Compounds (1) and (2) were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in the above three samples of Garcinia indica. The overall analytical procedure is rapid and reproducible and is considered for the analysis of the above two compounds.     

Synthesis of electro‐active membranes by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process

In the past two decades, many research is being carried out on coating of textile membranes with conductive polymers. In order to functionalize the textile membranes, coating of different intrinsically conductive polymers can be applied on these membranes through appropriate coating techniques like electrochemical polymerization, wet chemical oxidation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Noticeably, CVD process is one of the most suitable and environment friendly technique. In this research, microporous polyester and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes were coated with conductive poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) by CVD process in the presence of ferric(III)chloride (FeCl₃) used as an oxidant. Polymerization of PEDOT on the surface of membranes and pore size was examined by optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Structural analysis investigated with ATR‐FTIR, which revealed the successful deposition of PEDOT on membranes without damaging their parent structures. The amount of PEDOT in PEDOT‐coated polyester and PTFE membranes was explored with the help of thermogravimeteric analysis. Electrical resistance values of PEDOT‐coated membranes were measured by two probe method. The effect of different electrolyte solutions such as, distilled H₂O, Na₂SO₄, HCl, and H₂SO₄ on electrical properties of produced conductive membranes was investigated after dipping for certain period of time. It was found that membranes dipped in H₂SO₄ show very low electrical resistance values, i.e. 0.85 kΩ for polyester membrane and 1.17 kΩ for PTFE membrane. The obtained PEDOT‐coated electro‐active membranes may find their possible utility in fuel cells, enzymatic fuel cells, and antistatic air filter applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major constituents in Acorus tatarinowii Schott by HPLC/ESI‐QTOF‐MS/MS

Acorus tatarinowii Schott (ATS) is a well‐known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of epilepsy, amnesia and insomnia. In this study, a methodology utilizing high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (ESI‐QTOF‐MS/MS) was established for the separation and structural identification of the major chemical constituents in ATS for the first time. Overall, 46 major constituents including flavonoid glycosides, phenylpropane derivatives, amides and lignans were identified or tentatively characterized. Seven major constituents, including four phenylpropane derivatives and three lignans, were further quantified as marker substances, which showed good linearity within the test ranges. These results indicated that the developed quantitative method was linear, sensitive, and precise for quality control of ATS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry coupled with hierarchical cluster analysis to evaluate Wikstroemia indica (L.) C. A. Mey. from different geographical regions

A sensitive, rapid and simple ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to determine seven constituents (umbelliferone, apigenin, triumbelletin, daphnoretin, arctigenin, genkwanin and emodin) in Wikstroemia indica (L.) C. A. Mey. The chromatographic analysis was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C₁₈ column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) by gradient elution with the mobile phase of 0.05% formic acid aqueous solution (A) and acetonitrile (B). Multiple reaction monitoring mode with positive and negative electrospray ionization interface was carried out to detect the components. This method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and stability. Excellent linear behavior was observed over the certain concentration ranges with the correlation coefficient values higher than 0.999. The intraday and innerday precisions were within 2.0%. The recoveries of seven analytes were 99.4–101.1% with relative standard deviation less than 1.2%. The 18 Wikstroemia indica samples from different origins were classified by hierarchical clustering analysis according to the contents of seven components. The results demonstrated that the developed method could successfully be used to quantify simultaneously of seven components in Wikstroemia indica and could be a helpful tool for the detection and confirmation of the quality of traditional Chinese medicines.     

一种蛋白同化激素新药的成分分析及其尿样监控

利用红外光谱、核磁共振氢谱、紫外光谱以及质谱等表征手段对一种新型蛋白同化激素(AAS)口服药物的主成分进行了研究和鉴定,推定主成分为甲基-1-睾酮(methyl-1-testosterone, M1T, 17β-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-3-one)。在此基础上,建立了M1T的气相色谱-质谱联用检测方法。方法的检出限（信噪比（S/N)为3)为2 ng/mL,定量限（S/N=10）为10 ng/mL;7次平行测定前处理后的加内标尿样的相对标准偏差为9.8%。用该方法测定了该药物在尿样中的排泄曲线。该方法的建立为AAS新药的发现、检测和监控做了很有意义的基础研究工作。     

The Analysis of Phenolic Compounds in Walnut Husk and Pellicle by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS and HPLC

Husk and pellicle as the agri-food waste in the walnut-product industry are in soaring demand because of their rich polyphenol content. This study investigated the differential compounds related to walnut polyphenol between husk and pellicle during fruit development stage. By using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap), a total of 110 bioactive components, including hydrolysable tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids and quinones, were tentatively identified, 33 of which were different between husk and pellicle. The trend of dynamic content of 16 polyphenols was clarified during walnut development stage by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This is the first time to comprehensive identification of phenolic compounds in walnut husk and pellicle, and our results indicated that the pellicle is a rich resource of polyphenols. The dynamic trend of some polyphenols was consistent with total phenols. The comprehensive characterization of walnut polyphenol and quantification of main phenolic compounds will be beneficial for understanding the potential application value of walnut and for exploiting its metabolism pathway.     

Multi‐constituent determination and fingerprint analysis of Scutellaria indica L. using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

An ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method integrating multi‐constituent determination and fingerprint analysis has been established for quality assessment and control of Scutellaria indica L. The optimized method possesses the advantages of speediness, efficiency, and allows multi‐constituents determination and fingerprint analysis in one chromatographic run within 11 min. 36 compounds were detected, and 23 of them were unequivocally identified or tentatively assigned. The established fingerprint method was applied to the analysis of ten S. indica samples from different geographic locations. The quality assessment was achieved by using principal component analysis. The proposed method is useful and reliable for the characterization of multi‐constituents in a complex chemical system and the overall quality assessment of S. indica.     

浸渍硅胶薄层色谱板分离钴和镍及数字图像分析法定量(英文)

Thin layer chromatography(TLC) of cobalt and nickel has been performed on silica gel layers induced with alkali mediated cellulose extract.A novel combination of 10% aqueous solutions of Tween-20 and potassium thiocyanate in 1∶1(v/v) was identified as the best mobile phase for the selective separation of Co2+from Ni2+on the impregnated Silica Gel G layers.The chromatographic characteristics of the cations were studied and the limits of detection as well as the limits of quantification for Co2+and Ni2+were determined.The quantitative estimation of the cations was achieved from the digital image analysis of respective chromatograms.The proposed quantitative method was successfully applied with 0-0.50% error for the determination of Co2+from Ni2+in spiked samples of bauxite,soil and rock containing common cations such as Al3+,Fe2+,Ti4+,Zn2+,Mn2+,Cu2+,Cr6+,Mg2+,etc.under the optimized chromatographic conditions.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents of Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth

Ptychopetalum olacoides is a folk medicinal plant for health care in market, especially in Brazil. Fourteen known compounds were isolated from P. olacoides and their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, UV, IR and HR-ESI-MS. The 14 known compounds were identified as N-trans-feruloyl-3,5-dihydroxyindolin-2-one (1), magnoflorine (2), menisperine (3), 4-coumaroylserotonin (4), moschamine (5), luteolin (6), 4′-methoxyluteolin (7), 3-methoxyluteolin (8), 3, 7-dimethoxyluteolin (9), caffeic acid (10), ferulic acid (11), vanillic acid (12), syringic acid (13) and ginsenoside Re (14). To our knowledge, compounds (1–6, 13–14) were isolated from the plant for the first time. Additionally, quantitative analysis results indicated that calibration equations of compounds (1–3, 6, 9, 11–13) exhibited good linear regressions within the test ranges (R² ≥ 0.9990) and magnoflorine and menisperine were the major constituents in the barks of P. olacoides. The contents of magnoflorine and menisperine accounted for 75.96% of all analytes. However, the content of phenolic components was smaller and the highest content was no more than 1.04 mg/g. Collectively, these results suggested that alkaloids are the dominant substances in P. olacoides, which can make a difference for the quality control and further use of P. olacoides.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents in Ardisiae Japonicae Herba

Ardisiae Japonicae Herba is a well‐known traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of bronchitis conjunctivitis, pneumonia, and trauma. In this work, a high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method was first established for the separation and structural identification of the chemical constituents in Ardisiae Japonicae Herba. A total of 15 compounds including coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, and catechins were identified or tentatively characterized based on their chromatographic behaviors and mass spectral fragmentation and by comparisons with the reference standards. Furthermore, a simple high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection method was developed for the simultaneous determination of five major constituents. Results obtained from method validation, including linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery, showed that the established method was reliable and accurate. Bergenin and quercitrin were found to be the most abundant constituents and could be served as chemical markers for quality control of Ardisiae Japonicae Herba.     

玉米赤霉酮纯度标准物质杂质定性鉴定与主成分定量分析

建立了高纯玉米赤霉酮中痕量杂质的液相色谱分离分析方法，进行了标准物质纯度的定量分析。采用超高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测法（UPLC-DAD）和UPLC-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱技术（UPLC-HRMS）鉴定了玉米赤霉酮原料中3种主要有机杂质（β-玉米赤霉醇、α-玉米赤霉醇和脱水玉米赤霉醇）；计算了3种杂质的相对响应因子（0.5352、0.8594和0.6973）。基于UPLC-DAD，采用校准因子归一化方法对玉米赤霉酮原料中主成分进行测定，标准物质纯度为99.6%，测量标准偏差为0.01%。该方法可为玉米赤霉酮标准物质的研制提供技术支撑。     

A practical approach for near infrared spectral quantitative analysis of complex samples using partial least squares modeling

The number of latent variables (LVs) or the factor number is a key parameter in PLS modeling to obtain a correct prediction. Although lots of work have been done on this issue, it is still a difficult task to determine a suitable LV number in practical uses. A method named independent factor diagnostics (IFD) is proposed for investigation of the contribution of each LV to the predicted results on the basis of discussion about the determination of LV number in PLS modeling for near infrared (NIR) spectra of complex samples. The NIR spectra of three data sets of complex samples, including a public data set and two tobacco lamina ones, are investigated. It is shown that several high order LVs constitute main contributions to the predicted results, albeit the contribution of the low order LVs should not be neglected in the PLS models. Therefore, in practical uses of PLS for analysis of complex samples, it may be better to use a slightly large LV number for NIR spectral analysis of complex samples. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20775036 & 20835002)