Development of a New Pre-Derivatization LC Method for Analysis of Branched-Chain and Aromatic Amino Acids in Rat Plasma and to Monitor their Dynamic Variation as a Result of Acute Hepatic Injury

9,10-Anthraquinone-2-sulfonyl chloride, a new derivatization reagent with strong UV absorbance, has been used to develop a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method for analysis of branched-chain and aromatic amino acids in rat plasma. Because the reagent has a sulfonyl chloride group it is highly reactive with primary and secondary amino groups and reaction is complete within 5 min at room temperature in phosphate–borate buffer (pH 8.41)–acetonitrile. The resulting adducts were separated on a C₁₈ column at 30 °C and detected at 254 nm. Good linearity was achieved over the concentration range 10–1,000 μmol L^?1 for each amino acid. Intra-day precision (relative standard deviation; RSD, %) and accuracy (bias, %) for all quality-control concentrations, were ≤8.9% and 16.0%, respectively. Inter-day precision and accuracy were ≤9.5% and 11.7%, respectively. The method was used for analysis of branched-chain and aromatic amino acids in the plasma of rats with hepatic injury induced by d-galactosamine.     

HPLC with In-Capillary Optical Fiber Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection of Picomolar Amounts of Amino Acids by Precolumn Fluorescence Derivatization with Fluorescein Isothiocyanate

In this paper, a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) precolumn derivatization technique in conjunction with an HPLC-in-capillary optical fiber laser-induced fluorescence (HPLC-ICOF-LIF) detection method has been developed for determination of amino acids. The HPLC separation of FITC-labeled amino acids and the ICOF-LIF detection system are studied and optimized. Optimum separation conditions were obtained with a gradient elution program of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 6.8). The ICOF-LIF detection system comprises a 530-??m capillary and a 380-??m optical fiber. The analyses of amino acids display excellent linear relationship between peak area and concentration with correlation coefficients greater than 0.999 and the method also provides good repeatability with RSD < 3%. The detection limits for FITC-tagged amino acids are very low and the lowest LOD for tyrosine is 51 pM. The proposed method has been successfully applied to determination of amino acids in human serum. Our developed HPLC-ICOF-LIF system is cheap, simple, stable, and sensitive which is potentially useful for the formulation analysis and bioanalysis.     

Alternative LC–MS–MS Method for Simultaneous Determination of Proguanil, Its Active Metabolite in Human Plasma and Application to a Bioequivalence Study

An alternative rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of proguanil (PRO) and cycloguanil (CYC) in human plasma. The analytes were extracted from human plasma by solid phase extraction. Riluzole (RIL) was used as an internal standard for proguanil and cycloguanil. A HyPURITY Advance C18 column provided chromatographic separation of analytes followed by detection with mass spectrometry. The method involves simple isocratic chromatography conditions and mass spectrometric detection in the positive ionization mode using an API-4000 system. The proposed method has been validated with linear range of 1.5–150.0 ng mL^?1 for PRO and 0.5–50.0 ng mL^?1 for CYC. The inter-run and intra-run precision values are within 2.54, 9.19% for PRO and 1.99, 10.69% for CYC at LOQ levels. The overall recoveries for PRO and CYC were 102.52 and 106.72%, respectively. Total elution time was as low as 2.50 min. This validated method was used successfully for analysis of plasma samples from a bioequivalence study.     

Reversed Phase Chromatographic Analysis of 13 Amino Acids in Honey Samples

A simple method using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was developed for the simultaneous analysis of 13 amino acids. Amino acids were pre-column derivatized with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC-Cl) before analysis by RP-HPLC. Experimental parameters affecting the derivatization and chromatographic separation were investigated. Amino acids were derivatized with FMOC-Cl under alkaline condition in 0.1 mol/L borate buffer pH 10.0 at room temperature. The FMOC-amino acid derivatives were separated on an Atlantis C18 column under the gradient elution of 0.05 % trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile and UV detection at 265 nm. Linear ranges were 0.2–100.0 μg/mL with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.992. Limits of detection and limits of quantitation were in the range of 0.05–2.0 and 0.2–5.0 µg/L, respectively. The intra-day precision (n = 3) of retention time was less than 1 %, while for the peak area was less than 4 %. The inter-day precision (n = 3 × 3) of retention time was less than 2 % and the peak area was less than 8 %. This method was applied in honey samples and the results showed that proline is the major amino acids in honey samples.

     

Simultaneous Determination of Neuroactive Amino Acids in Serum by CZE Coupled with Amperometric Detection

A quantitative determination of six neuroactive amino acids (NAAs) was performed by capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection (CZE-AD). This CZE-AD method utilized two electrolytes: the borate solution flowing in a capillary has the NAAs-separation effects, and the sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution filled in the detection reservoir for the amperometric analysis of NAAs. The following experimental parameters were optimized: the working electrode potential, the pH value, the component, and the concentration of running buffer, the separation voltage, and the injection time on CZE-AD. Then, under the optimum conditions, the six NAAs could be completely separated in 30 min and had well-shaped AD responses at 0.75 V (versus SCE) on a copper electrode. The linear calibration range of NAAs was from 5 × 10^?4 to 5 × 10^?6 mol L^?1 with the limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 10^?6 to 10^?7 mol L^?1 (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the migration time and peak area were 0.45–0.55 and 3.8–6.3 %, respectively. Moreover, this method has succeeded in human serum analysis, and the determined contents of the six NAAs in human serum were in an average recovery range of 85.3–117.9 %, which confirmed the validity and practicability of this method.     

Reversed-phase chromatography of phenylthiocarbamyl amino acid derivatives of physiological amino acids: an evaluation and a comparison with analysis by ion-exchange chromatography.

Reversed-phase chromatography of phenylthiocarbamyl (PTC) amino acid derivatives of physiological amino acids was evaluated and compared with the traditional method of ion exchange. The PTC amino acid derivatives were stable for at least 32 h at ambient temperature before injection. The relationship of detector response to concentration for the PTC derivatives was linear from 39 to 1250 pmol. With few exceptions, the within- and between-run precisions of plasma amino acid retention times were less than 0.2 and 0.3%, respectively; the within- and between-run precisions of their concentrations were less than 4.0 and 5.0%, respectively. Twenty-four plasma samples were quantitated by both reversed-phase and ion-exchange chromatography; fifteen of the twenty amino acids determined had correlation coefficients in the range 0.81-1.00. Nine non-standard amino acids and ten therapeutic drugs were added to plasma; D-glucosaminic acid and alpha-amino-beta-guanidinopropionic acid co-eluted with alpha-aminoadipic acid and threonine, respectively. Of the ten drugs added, only metronidazole and theophylline co-eluted with beta-alanine and histidine, respectively. The precision, stability, and sensitivity of the method render it ideal for the quantitation of plasma amino acids.     

LC with Coulometric Detection for Analysis of 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate in Human Plasma

An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic method with coulometric electrochemical detection has been used for analysis of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in human plasma. A 250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 5-μm particle, C₁₈ column was used with 12:88 (v/v) acetonitrile ?35 mM sodium phosphate buffer pH 3.8 as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. The method was validated for 5-MTHF plasma concentrations in the range 2.5–100.0 nM. The method was characterized by a good linearity (regression coefficient r ≥ 0.9989) and limits of detection and quantification of 0.72 and 2.16 nM, respectively. Mean recovery at low and high concentrations ranged from 89.1 to 96.3%, respectively, with a relative standard deviation <4.6%. Between-run imprecision (4.2%) was higher than within-run imprecision (3.4%). The proposed separation and detection procedures were successfully applied to analysis of 5-MTHF in human plasma.     

GC Analysis of Amino Acids Using Trifluoroacetylacetone and Ethyl Chloroformate as Derivatizing Reagents in Skin Samples of Psoriatic and Arsenicosis Patients

The separation and determination of 19 amino acids were examined using two stages derivatization with trifluoroacetylacetone and ethyl chloroformate from the column HP-5 (30 m × 0.32 mm id) with film thickness 0.25 ??m at an initial column temperature 100 °C for 2 min with ramping of 20 °C min^?1 up to 250 °C with nitrogen flow rate of 3 mL min^?1. The detection was performed by flame ionization detector. Total separation time was 10 min. The separation was repeatable with relative standard deviation (RSD) (n = 5) within 1.5?C1.9 and 1.3?C1.7% in terms of retention time and peak height/peak area, respectively. The method was applied for the determination of amino acids from skin samples of psoriatic patients (n = 6), arsenicosis patients (n = 5) and normal subjects (n = 9) and variation in the contents of the amino acids was noted. The RSDs for the determination were obtained within 3%.     

Simultaneous CE Determination of Captopril and Indapamide in Pharmaceuticals and Human Plasma

Capillary electrophoresis with UV photo diode-array detection was utilized to adopt a new method for the assay of captopril and indapamide in pharmaceuticals and human plasma. Electrophoretic conditions controlling the analysis were optimized to develop separation, sensitivity and rapidity. The optimum conditions obtained were 100 mM borate at pH 9.0, injection time 10.0 s, voltage 25 kV and column temperature 25 °C with detection at 220 nm. Relatively, wide dynamic ranges for captopril (1–100 mg L^?1) and indapamide (0.1–40 mg L^?1) were obtained. Also, the method recorded acceptable intra- and inter-day accuracy (89.8–97.9%) and precision (0.77–3.50%) in pharmaceutical formulations and human plasma. The sensitivity of the method was developed by the optimization and the preconcentration conducted for human plasma sample using liquid–liquid extraction. The limit of detection gained (0.075 and 0.045 mg L^?1 for captopril and indapamide, respectively) reached the level of both drugs possibly found in human plasma. The method is suitable to be applied in pharmaceutical industries for quality control and in clinical laboratories for therapeutic drug monitoring purposes.     

Determination of Thiols by Fluorescence using Au@Ag Nanoclusters as Probes

A simple and label-free fluorescent assay for the sensitive determination of biological thiols was developed using Au@Ag nanoclusters. The sensing approach was based on the strong affinity of thiols to silver on the surface of the nanoclusters. In the presence of thiol-containing amino acids, the fluorescence of the Au@Ag nanoclusters was quenched due to the formation of a non-fluorescent coordination complex via the robust Ag-S bond, which allowed the determination of thiol-containing amino acids in a very simple and rapid way. Under the optimal conditions, an excellent linear relationship was present due to quenching of the Au@Ag nanoclusters over cysteine concentrations between 20 nM and 80 µM with a low detection limit of 5.87 nM. Glutathione was determined between 2 µM and 70 µM with a detection limit of 1.01 µM. In addition, the results reveal that the fluorescent assay has excellent selectivity toward thiol-containing amino acids compared to non-thiol containing amino acids. Moreover, the assay was successfully used to determine cysteine in human plasma, and thus Au@Ag nanoclusters are a suitable fluorescent probe for biological applications.     

Metabolic profiling of amino acids in cellular samples via zwitterionic sub-2 μm particle size HILIC-MS/MS and a uniformly 13C labeled internal standard

A novel analytical method using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography combined with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for metabolic profiling of free, underivatized amino acids is presented. The separation uses a zwitterionic modified silica-based stationary phase with 1.8-μm particle size functionalized with ammonium sulfonic acid groups. Quantification is based on external standard calibration using a Pichia pastoris cell extract grown on uniformly ¹³C labeled glucose as an internal standard. The absolute limits of detection in the cellular matrix were in the subpicomolar range. Measurement accuracy was assessed by analyzing NIST Standard Reference Material 2389a, which provides certified values for 17 amino acids. The recovery of the amino acids ranged between 65 % (proline) and 120 % (lysine), with excellent repeatability precision below 2.5 % (n?=?5). Only, cystine showed poor recovery (29 %) and repeatability precision (13 %). Generally, the long-term precision obtained by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was excellent, being on average less than 9 % over 20 h of measurement time. Moreover, the novel separation method had average repeatability and reproducibility of the chromatographic peak width over time periods of 20 h and 6 months of 8 and 15 %, respectively, demonstrating its high robustness in routine analysis of cellular samples. Large concentration differences depending on the amino acid were found in the cell extracts, typically ranging from 0.002 nmol per milligram of cell dry weight (cystine) to 56 nmol per milligram of cell dry weight (arginine and glutamic acid).     

Rapid Determination of Free Amino Acids in Milk by Microchip Electrophoresis Coupled with Laser‐induced Fluorescence Detection

A simple and sensitive method for determination of free amino acids in milk by microchip electrophoresis (MCE) coupled with laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed. Seven kinds of standard amino acids were derivated with sulfoindocyanine succinimidyl ester (Cy5) and then perfectly measured by MCE‐LIF within 150 s. The parameters of MCE separation were carefully investigated to obtain the optimal conditions: 100 mmol·L^?1 sodium borate solution (pH 10.0) as running buffer solution, 0.8 kV as injection voltage, 2.2 kV as separation voltage etc. The linear range of the detection of amino acids was from 0.01 µmol·L^?1 to 1.0 µmol·L^?1 and the detection limit was as low as about 1.0 nmol·L^?1. This MCE‐LIF method was applied to the measurements of free amino acids in actual milk samples and satisfactory experimental results were achieved.     

Simultaneous Determination of Imidazole Amino Acids, Aromatic Amino Acids, and Creatinine by Dual-Mode Gradient HPLC Using a Low-Capacity Sulfo-Functionalized Poly(Ethylstyrene-Divinylbenzene) Resin Column

This paper presents a low-capacity cation-exchange chromatography method for the analysis of UV-absorbing dipeptides and amino acids. A newly marketed low-capacity cation-exchange column packed with sulfo-functionalized highly cross-linked macroreticular poly(ethylstyrene-divinylbenzene) copolymer was used for the simultaneous determination of imidazole amino acids, aromatic amino acids, and creatinine in urine samples. A dual-mode binary gradient chromatography method was established using two solvents, A: 15 mM H₃PO₄/5 mM ethylenediamine and B: 15 mM H₃PO₄/5 mM ethylenediamine/40 (v/v) % CH₃CN at 40 °C, with an optimized time program for changing the delivery ratio of A/B and the flow rate. Good chromatograms were obtained within an acceptable cycle time of 25 min. The quantification data were satisfactory for all analytes, showing the relative standard deviations (RSD) of retention times between 0.08 and 1.68 %; RSDs of area intensities between 0.23 and 2.60 %; and linear regression lines with r ² more than 0.9994. The method could determine the creatinine ratios of the diagnostic markers on the single chromatographic run, which enabled to discriminate disease from health. For example, the creatinine ratios for phenylketonuria were significantly higher than those for controls. The method can provide highly cost-efficient information or useful knowledge for clinical and pharmaceutical studies.     

Thermospray high-performance liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric characterization of biological macromolecules. I. Analysis of acid hydrolysate of peptides

A method for the routine analysis of phenylthiocarbamyl (PTC) amino acids by thermospray high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (TSP LC-MS) is described. Data were acquired on a small dedicated TSP LC-MS system in which the temperature of the vaporizer and ion source block were optimized. PTC-amino acids exhibited unique TSP mass spectra containing sufficient fragment ions to determine structural data. Therefore, using this method the amino acids contained in the acid hydrolysates of unique and modified peptides were able to be positively identified. Additionally, the amino acid composition of peptides as determined by TSP LC-MS in the selected ion monitoring mode corresponded well with the theoretical value. The detection limits for the PTC-amino acids were at the low picomole level.     

A Rapid Determination of Taurine in Human Plasma by LC

Taurine is an amino acid which is not incorporated into proteins but found in the cytosol of many mammalian cells, in high concentrations (2–30 mM). Increase in plasma taurine concentration has already been reported after surgical trauma, X-radiation, muscle necrosis, carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage, and paracetamol overdose. Plasma taurine concentration was measured using LC with fluorescence detection following derivatization by o-phtalaldehyde plus 3-mercapto-propionic acid and α-aminobutyric acid as internal standard. Under these conditions the retention time of taurine was 10 min. This method was sensitive enough, to quantify 150 pg mL^?1 and detect 50 pg mL^?1 of taurine ranging normally between 65 and 179 mmol L^?1 (8–22 μg mL^?1). The validated method allowed simple determination of human plasma taurine in pharmacokinetic and biomarker studies.     

Rapid RP-LC Method with Fluorescence Detection for Analysis of Fexofenadine in Human Plasma

A rapid and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for analysis of fexofenadine in human plasma has been developed and optimized. The analytes were extracted from biological samples by solid-phase extraction on hydrophilic–lipophilic balance cartridges. LC separation was performed on a C₁₈ analytical column (125 mm × 4 mm i.d., 5-μm particles) with 42:58 (v/v) acetonitrile–water adjusted to pH 2.7 with 85% orthophosphoric acid as mobile phase. Fluorescence detection was performed with excitation at 230 nm and emission at 290 nm. The total time for chromatographic separation was 7 min. The method was validated in accordance with EU guidelines by analysis of plasma samples fortified with fexofenadine at concentrations between 0.05 and 800 ng mL⁻¹. Calibration plots were linear in this range. Mean recovery was typically 94.03% and the detection limit was 0.05 ng mL⁻¹. The time required for quantitative analysis is shorter than that required by other methods.

     

Rapid RP-LC Method with Fluorescence Detection for Analysis of Fexofenadine in Human Plasma

A rapid and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for analysis of fexofenadine in human plasma has been developed and optimized. The analytes were extracted from biological samples by solid-phase extraction on hydrophilic–lipophilic balance cartridges. LC separation was performed on a C₁₈ analytical column (125 mm × 4 mm i.d., 5-μm particles) with 42:58 (v/v) acetonitrile–water adjusted to pH 2.7 with 85% orthophosphoric acid as mobile phase. Fluorescence detection was performed with excitation at 230 nm and emission at 290 nm. The total time for chromatographic separation was 7 min. The method was validated in accordance with EU guidelines by analysis of plasma samples fortified with fexofenadine at concentrations between 0.05 and 800 ng mL^?1. Calibration plots were linear in this range. Mean recovery was typically 94.03% and the detection limit was 0.05 ng mL^?1. The time required for quantitative analysis is shorter than that required by other methods.     

Ultratrace Xanthine Determination in Diluted Alkaline Electrolyte by Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry at the Mercury Film Electrode

Abstract

A stripping method for the determination of xanthine at the submicromolar concentration level is described. The method is based on controlled adsorptive accumulation of xanthine at a thin-film mercury electrode followed by a linear scan voltammetry measurement of the surface species. Optimum experimental conditions were found to be the use of a 5.0 × 10^?3 M NaOH solution, an accumulation potential of 0.00 V, and a scan rate of 20 mV s^?1. The response of xanthine is linear over the concentration range 20–140 ppb. For an accumulation time of 30 min, the detection limit was found to be 36 ppt (2.3 × 10^?10 M). The more convenient relations for measuring xanthine in the presence of the metals, hypoxanthine, amino acids, and other nitrogenated bases were also investigated. The utility of the method is demonstrated by the presence of xanthine in adenosine-5′-triphosphate or DNA.     

Determination of Orciprenaline Using a Flow Injection Analysis System with Sequential Potentiometric and Spectrophotometric Detection

Abstract

This work describes an attempt to have a flow injection analysis (FIA) system for Orciprenaline with potentiometric and spectrophotometric detectors working sequentially. The potentiometric detection was performed using an orciprenaline ion-selective electrode made of orciprenaline ion-associate with phosphotungstic acid incorporated in a PVC matrix membrane, followed by sequential spectrophotometric detection of the same sample using the reaction of orciprenaline with phosphomolybdic acid in alkaline medium and measurement at 670 nm using a USB2000 fiber-optic spectrophotometer. The method was applied and validated for the assay of different samples that are 1.0 × 10^?2–1.0 × 10^?7 M orciprenaline, and the recovery values for Alupent® tablets, plasma and urine sample ranged from 99.39–100.93, 99.87–100.57, and 98.83–100.64 respectively for the potentiometric detector and 99.66–100.58, 99.78–100.69 and 99.12–100.92 respectively for the sequential spectrophotometric detector. It was found that using the double detection system compensated for both the unselectivity of the spectrophotometric method and the low detection limit of the potentiometric method (6.3 × 10^?4 M). Although two detectors were used in the measurements, the method is still very simple to design and apply, in addition to being rapid and less expensive than other more sophisticated techniques applied in the literature and can therefore be used for other pharmaceutical compounds as well.     

LC Analysis of Isepamicin in Plasma Samples Post-Inhalation with Fluorescence Detection and Its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

A simple and novel LC method has been developed for determination of isepamicin (ISP) in rat plasma, an aminoglycoside antibiotic agent. After protein precipitation and clean-up procedure to remove lipophilic contaminants, ISP is derivatized by pre-column with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate for fluorescence detection. Chromatographic separations are achieved using a C18 column and mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile (68/32, v/v). Amikacin was used as an internal standard. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 0.625–15 μg mL^?1. The limit of quantification was 0.45 μg mL^?1. The intra- and inter-day variabilities of ISP were both less than 5%. Both derivatives were stable for at least a week at ambient condition. This assay procedure should have useful application in therapeutic drug monitoring of ISP. The limit of detection was 0.10 μg mL^?1. The specificity, assay linearity, low level assay linearity and assay repeatability were also investigated. The established method provides a reliable bioanalytical method to carry out isepamicin pharmacokinetics in rat plasma.