LC Simultaneous Determination of the Free Forms of B Group Vitamins and Vitamin C in Various Fortified Food Products

An LC–UV screening method for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (C), and the free forms of thiamine (B₁) riboflavin (B₂), niacin (B₃), pyridoxine (B₆) in enriched food products was developed and validated. The chromatographic separation was accomplished within 18 min using a gradient of water with 0.1% formic acid (pH 2.5) and methanol with 0.1% formic acid on a C₁₈ reverse phase column (5 μm, 150 × 3.2 mm) while detection was performed at two wavelengths (266 and 290 nm). Sample preparation was based on an extraction method originally developed for vitamin C. This procedure besides extracting vitamin C was extended to the extraction of the free forms of vitamins B₁, B_2, B_3, B₆ and B₉. The developed analytical method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of the vitamin C content along with the free vitamin B forms of three different enriched food products.

     

Fast Determination of Fumonisin B1 and B2 in Corn Using a Modified QuEChERS Method and LC–MS–MS

A fast analytical method for the simultaneous determination of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) and fumonisin B₂ (FB₂) in corn using a novel QuEChERS method and LC–MS–MS was developed and validated. Samples were extracted with methanol–water (3:1 v/v) by means of ultrasonic extraction. The extract was purified with a novel modified QuEChERS method. Firstly, FB₁ and FB₂ in the extract were retained with primary secondary amine (PSA). Then, FB₁ and FB₂ were released from PSA with 1.0 % formic acid in methanol. The final eluate was diluted with water, and analyzed by LC–MS–MS on a Waters Acquity BEH C₁₈ column with 0.1 % formic acid in water/methanol as mobile phase with gradient elution. Mean recoveries of 83.5–102.4 % with CVs of 3.6–10.5 % were obtained at fortification levels of 2, 50 and 1,000 μg kg⁻¹. The limit of quantification was 2.0 μg kg⁻¹.

     

Determination of Water Soluble Vitamins in Laboratory Animal Feeds by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography

Seven water-soluble vitamins: thiamine hydrochloride (B₁), riboflavin hydrochloride (B₂), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B₆), calcium pantotenate (B₅), ascorbic acid (C), folic acid (B₉), and biotin (H, B₇) were separated using the micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (MEKC) method in a single run with the electrolyte solution consisting of 100 mM H₃BO₃, 5 mM Na₂B₄O₇, and 30 mM sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS). The separation was achieved within 8 min. and the detection was performed at 200 nm. The calibration graphs plotted with six concentrations of each vitamin were linear with the determination coefficient r > 0.999. The method was applied for quantification of vitamins B₁, B₂, B₅, B₆, B₉, C, and H in novel feed for laboratory animals. The sample preparation involved solid-phase extraction of the vitamins, used prior to the MEKC analysis. The attained precision level was good with the recoveries between 98.4% and 105.6%. The simplicity of the procedure should make it highly useful for feed quality control in husbandry and the animal feed industry.     

A new sample preparation and separation combination for precise,accurate, rapid,and simultaneous determination of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B9 in infant formula and related nutritionals by LC-MS/MS

An improved method was developed for simultaneous determination of the fortified forms of thiamine (B₁), riboflavin (B₂), nicotinamide and nicotinic acid (B₃), pantothenic acid (B₅), pyridoxine (B₆), biotin (B₇), and folic acid (B₉) in infant formulas and related nutritionals. The method employed a simple, effective, and rapid sample preparation followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). It improved upon previous methodologies by offering facile and rugged sample preparation with improved chromatographic conditions, which culminated in a highly accurate and precise method for water-soluble vitamin determination in a wide range of formulas. The method was validated over six days in ten unique matrices with two analysts and on instruments in two different labs. Intermediate precision averaged 3.4 ± 2.6% relative standard deviation and over-spike recovery averaged 100.2 ± 2.4% (n = 160). Due to refinements in sample preparation, the method had high sample throughput capacity.     

Fast Determination of Sudan I-IV in Chili Products Using Automated On-Line Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A rapid, accurate and precise method for the determination of sudan I-IV in chili products using on-line solid phase extraction and LC-MS has been developed. Chili products were extracted with acetone and the analytes were cleaned up and enriched on an SPE column (C₁₈, 15–40 µm) through on-line SPE. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C₁₈ analytical column (2.1 × 150 mm, 3 µm) with gradient elution programming of 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile. All four sudan dyes were separated in less than 8 min. Using in-house validation data, linearity coefficients of determination (R²) of more than 0.9997 were obtained. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) for sudan I, II and IV were 0.03 and 0.05 mg kg^?1, respectively, and 0.04 and 0.1 mg kg^?1 for sudan III. The intra- and inter-day recoveries of the four sudan dyes in chili powder were between 90.1–101.6% and 90.2–102.0%, respectively, with relative standard deviation (RSD) between 0.014–0.164% and 0.011–0.202%, respectively. Therefore, this proposed method could be an alternative assay for the determination of sudan I-IV in chili products due to its rapidness, sensitivity, less sample and solvent consumption.     

LC/UV/MS-MRM for the simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins in multi-vitamin dietary supplements

The purpose of this study was to optimize chromatographic and detection conditions for the simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins in multi-vitamin dietary supplements using a single chromatographic run. An approach using liquid chromatography with diode array and/or mass spectrometry for quantitation of seven B-complex vitamins [thiamine (B₁), riboflavin (B₂), nicotinamide (B₃), pyridoxine (B₆) pyridoxine, biotin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid] in multi-vitamin/multi-mineral daily supplements is described. This approach utilizes a reversed phase C18 column (4 μm; i.d.: 250×2.0 mm) with a gradient mobile elution profile, performed at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. After a 5-min isocratic elution at 100% A (0.1% formic acid in water), a linear gradient to 50% A and 50% B (0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile) at 15 min and then to 5% A and 95% B at 17 min was employed. Detection was performed with a photodiode array detector (DAD) in sequence with a triple-quad mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction mode (MS-MRM). Although good chromatographic separation of ascorbic acid was also obtained in extracts from multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplements, the ascorbic acid could not be quantified properly due to rapid oxidation catalyzed by the minerals. This method was initially applied to determine water-soluble vitamins in representative multi-vitamin/multi-mineral tablets following the extraction of ground samples with a phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 2.5). For multi-vitamin supplement tablets, this approach does not require any sample clean-up/pre-concentration steps except for centrifugation and filtration of the extract.      

Ion‐pair cloud‐point extraction: A new method for the determination of water‐soluble vitamins in plasma and urine

A novel, simple, and effective ion‐pair cloud‐point extraction coupled with a gradient high‐performance liquid chromatography method was developed for determination of thiamine (vitamin B₁), niacinamide (vitamin B₃), pyridoxine (vitamin B₆), and riboflavin (vitamin B₂) in plasma and urine samples. The extraction and separation of vitamins were achieved based on an ion‐pair formation approach between these ionizable analytes and 1‐heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt as an ion‐pairing agent. Influential variables on the ion‐pair cloud‐point extraction efficiency, such as the ion‐pairing agent concentration, ionic strength, pH, volume of Triton X‐100, extraction temperature, and incubation time have been fully evaluated and optimized. Water‐soluble vitamins were successfully extracted by 1‐heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt (0.2% w/v) as ion‐pairing agent with Triton X‐100 (4% w/v) as surfactant phase at 50°C for 10 min. The calibration curves showed good linearity (r² > 0.9916) and precision in the concentration ranges of 1‐50 μg/mL for thiamine and niacinamide, 5–100 μg/mL for pyridoxine, and 0.5–20 μg/mL for riboflavin. The recoveries were in the range of 78.0–88.0% with relative standard deviations ranging from 6.2 to 8.2%.     

An immediate luminescence enhancement method for determination of vitamin B1 using long-wavelength emitting water-soluble CdTe nanorods

A method for determination of vitamin B₁ has been developed that is based on the enhancement effect of vitamin B₁ on the luminescence of water-soluble CdTe nanorods modified with thioglycolic acid and cysteine. The effect of variables including the size of the nanorods on the enhancement of luminescence have been investigated. A preliminary mechanistic study showed that the passivating action of vitamin B₁ on the surface of the CdTe nanorods is likely to be responsible for the enhancement. Interferences by shortwave fluorescence are effectively eliminated because measurements are performed in the near-infrared. Due to the near-infrared measurement character, the fluorescence interference of vitamin B₂ can be effectively eliminated. Under the optimum conditions, the extent of luminescence enhancement is proportional to the concentration of vitamin B₁ in the range from 0.1 to 3.0 μmol L^?1 and the detection limit is 0.03 μmol L^?1. The relative standard deviation for 2.0 μmol L^?1 vitamin B₁ is 1.3% (n?=?6). The method is highly sensitive and selective, avoids the sample treatment needed in other procedures, and can be applied to the determination of vitamin B₁ in real samples with satisfactory results.     

Simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A,and sterigmatocystin in traditional Chinese medicines by LC–MS–MS

In this paper we describe a rapid, simple, and cost-effective liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS–MS) method for simultaneous analysis of aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂, ochratoxin A, and sterigmatocystin in 25 traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The method is based on single extraction with 84:16 (v/v) acetonitrile–water then analysis of the diluted crude extract without further clean-up. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C₁₈ column, with a mobile phase gradient prepared from aqueous 4 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate–0.1 % formic acid and methanol. Quantification of the analytes was by selective reaction monitoring (SRM) on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in positive-ionization mode. Special focus was on investigating and reducing matrix effects to improve accuracy. The established method was validated by determination of linearity (r?>?0.995), sensitivity (limits of quantification 1.6–25.0 ng L^?1), apparent recovery (84.8–110.6 %), extraction recovery (83.6–106.1 %), and precision (relative standard deviation ≤9.9 %) for two representative TCMs, Semen Armeniacae Amarae and Radix Pseudostellariae. The applicability of the method to TCMs other than these was further investigated, and 23 other TCMs with acceptable matrix effects (80.2–118.6 %) were screened. The validated method was finally used to assess mycotoxin contamination of 244 samples of 25 TCMs collected from local hospitals and TCM pharmacies. Aflatoxin B₁ and ochratoxin A were detected in 5.3 % of the samples. Sterigmatocystin, the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminant, was present in 26.2 % of the samples tested; this has not been reported previously. The results of this work imply greater attention should be devoted to evaluation of the potential hazard caused by sterigmatocystin in TCMs.     

An LC–MS–MS Method for the Simultaneous Quantitation of Acyclovir and Valacyclovir in Human Plasma

A simple, sensitive and selective LC–MS–MS method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of acyclovir and valacyclovir in human plasma. Acyclovir and valacyclovir in plasma were concentrated by solid phase extraction and chromatographed on a C18 column using a mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid: methanol (30:70% v/v). The method was validated over a linear range of 47–10,255 and 5–1,075 ng mL^?1 for acyclovir and valacyclovir respectively. The LOQs were 47.6 and 5.0 ng mL^?1. The validated method was applied for the quantitation of acyclovir and valacyclovir from plasma samples in a pharmacokinetic study.     

Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Group B Vitamins Using Parallel Factor Analysis: PARAFAC

In this work, a simple and rapid analytical procedure was applied for simultaneous determination of folic acid (vitamin B₀), thiamin (vitamin B₁), riboflavin (vitamin B₂) and pyridoxal (vitamin B₆) based on the absorbance data in the pH range 2.0‐12.0 at 25 °C using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The effect of the pH as the most important factor on the sensitivity of the determination was studied. The spectral data were recorded in 400‐650 nm intervals and a 2‐12 pH range for all four vitamins. The calibration set was constructed in the concentration ranges of 4‐22, 1‐20, 6‐26, and 4‐20 μg mL^?;1 for B₆,B₂,B₁ and B₀, respectively. The root mean squares errors of prediction for the prediction set, (RMSEP), are 0.65, 0.63, 1.13 and 0.34 for B₀,B₁,B₂ and B₆, respectively. The recovery percent for the validation set are in the range of 90.6 to 107.0%. The effect of the experimental conditions and diverse species were discussed. The optimum values of these factors were searched according to the relative standard deviation of the prediction set of mixtures solutions.     

Rapid Simultaneous Determination of Eight Benzimidazoles in Animal Feed by LC�CMS�CMS

A rapid, sensitive and reliable LC?CMS?CMS method for the determination of eight benzimidazoles in animal feed was developed and validated. Samples were extracted with acidic acetonitrile. The extract was diluted with 0.1% formic acid in water, and analyzed by LC?CMS?CMS on a Waters XBridge? C₁₈ column with acetonitrile/0.1% formic acid in water as mobile phase. The samples were quantified with the matrix standard calibration curve method. Good linearity was obtained for eight benzimidazoles at a concentration of 0.005?C2.5 ??g mL^?1 with a linear relative coefficient more than 0.990. Recoveries of 84.0?C104.0% with CVs of 2.50?C7.50% were obtained. Limit of detection was 2.1?C63.0 ??g kg^?1. The method demonstrated to be suitable for the determination of eight benzimidazoles in animal feed samples.     

Simultaneous determination of ten anticoagulant rodenticides in tissues by column-switching UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS

This paper describes the development of a method for the simultaneous determination of ten anticoagulant rodenticides (coumafuryl, warfarin, pindone, coumatetralyl, coumachlor, difenacoum, bromadiolone, brodifacoum, chlorophacinone and flocoumafen) in the liver and kidney based on column-switching liquid chromatography coupled with heated electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The simple sample preparation includes extraction with methanol. A C₁₈ trapping column was used for online solid-phase extraction before analytical separation with the mobile phase comprising a mixture of 0.1 % formic acid in water, methanol and acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Thermo Hypersil ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) C₁₈ column with the mobile phase consisting of 5 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH?=?9) and methanol. The column-switching procedure ensured no matrix effects during electrospray ionization (ESI). Extraction recoveries ranged between 91 and 100 % for liver and between 89 and 97 % for kidney. The method showed good linearity up to 750 ng g^?1. The limit of detection ranged between 0.001 and 0.022 ng g^?1 for liver and between 0.001 and 0.028 ng g^?1 for kidney. The developed method was successfully used in several animal poisoning cases.     

Simultaneous Determination of Zoalene and Its Metabolite in Chicken Muscle and Liver by SPE and UPLC�CMS-MS

This paper presents an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of zoalene and its metabolite 3-amino-5-nitro-o-toluamide (3-ANOT) in chicken muscle and liver by solid phase extraction and UPLC?CMS-MS operated in the positive and negative ionization switching mode. Samples were extracted with phosphate buffer solution and purified with OASIS^? HLB cartridge after pH adjustment. The determination was carried out using UPLC?CMS-MS on a Waters Acquity BEH C₁₈ column with 0.1% formic acid in water/acetonitrile as mobile phase with gradient elution. The linearity of the analytical response across the studied range of concentrations (2.0?C1,000 ??g L^?1) was excellent, obtaining correlation coefficients higher than 0.999. Matrix effects had been investigated for zoalene and 3-ANOT. Recovery studies were carried out on spiked chicken muscle and liver blank samples, at four concentration levels (50, 1,500, 3,000, and 4,500 ??g kg^?1 for chicken muscle and 50, 3,000, 6,000, and 9,000 ??g kg^?1 for chicken liver) performing six replicates at each level. Mean recoveries of 77.9?C94.2% with CVs of 3.2?C8.7% were obtained. The method demonstrated to be suitable for the simultaneous determination of zoalene and 3-ANOT in chicken tissues.     

Simultaneous Determination of Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid in Dog Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A rapid, sensitive, and specific high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination and confirmation of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid in plasma. Plasma sample was subjected to a simple deproteinization with acetonitrile, and then the supernatant was directly diluted by water. Analysis was performed on a Phenomenex Luna C₈ reversed-phase column by detection with mass spectrometry in negative ions multiple reaction monitoring mode. A gradient elution program with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile was performed at a flow of 0.25 mL min^?1. There is good linearity in the range of 0.5–500 ng mL^?1 for both amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The decision limits of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid were 0.06 ng mL^?1 and 0.08 ng mL^?1 in plasma, respectively, and the detection capabilities of two analytes were below 0.5 ng mL^?1. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve range. The extraction recoveries of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid were between 102% and 115% in plasma at three spiked levels of 0.5, 50, and 500 ng mL^?1, with the relative standard deviations less than 15% for each analyte. The developed method was applied to pharmacokinetic studies of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid tablets in healthy beagles.     

RP-HPLC determination of water-soluble vitamins in honey

The assessment and validation of reliable analytical methods for the determination of vitamins in sugar-based matrices (e.g. honey) are still scarcely explored fields of research. This study proposes and fully validates a simple and fast RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of five water-soluble vitamins (vitamin B₂, riboflavin; vitamin B₃, nicotinic acid; vitamin B₅, pantothenic acid; vitamin B₉, folic acid; and vitamin C, ascorbic acid) in honey. The method provides low detection and quantification limits, very good linearity in a large concentration interval, very good precision, and the absence of any bias. It has been successfully applied to 28 honey samples (mainly from Sardinia, Italy) of 12 different botanical origins. While the overall amount of the analytes in the samples is quite low (always below 40 mg kg⁻¹), we have observed a marked dependence of some of their concentrations (i.e. vitamin B₃ and vitamin B₅) and the botanical origin of the honey. This insight might lead to important characterization features for this food item.     

Determination of Rutin in Plant Extracts and Emulsions by HPLC-MS

A method for the determination of rutin was developed from in an O/W emulsion with decyl oleate and Ceteareth-20 containing Ginkgo biloba L., Hedera helix L., and Thymus vulgaris L. extracts. Total quantification of rutin was performed by determination in the aqueous and oily phase. Rutin was extracted from the oily phase by ultrasonication for 30 min at 37°C in methanol and resolved by liquid chromatography on a column containing a Gemini 3 µ C18 110A stationary phase.

Chromatography was carried out using gradient elution with the mobile phase composed of water:formic acid and water:acetonitrile:formic acid, which was varied from 100:0.1 to 50:50:0.1 (v/v/v) over 80 min and delivered at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. The analytes were quantified using a UV-VIS absorption spectrometer at a wavelength of 254 nm and a single quadrupole mass spectrometer employing an ESI interface operated in the positive ion mode with single ion monitoring at m/z = 609.14.

Finally, a simple and rapid method for the extraction and determination of rutin in hydrophilic and lipophilic phases of an O/W emulsion with good precision and acceptable recovery was developed. This method might be of special importance for the analysis of rutin and other flavonoids in O/W or W/O emulsion matrices.     

Hydrothermal saccharification of cotton cellulose in dilute aqueous formic acid solution

Cotton cellulose subjected to a dilute aqueous formic acid solution, at acid concentrations up to 1% (w/w), under hydrothermal conditions in a semi-batch reactor was converted into glucose and oligomers with lower degrees of polymerizations (DP). After heating at 250 °C for 60 min in 0.1% (w/w) aqueous formic acid solution, yields of glucose and total sugar with DP = 1 to 9 were 36.6 and 83.8% (100 × gC/gC of initial cotton sample), respectively, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was almost as low as 1%. The yields of glucose and oligomers were significantly improved by adding the acid. The reaction was represented by first-order reaction kinetics with regard to (1 ?C x) where x is the conversion based on the total sugar or glucose yield. At 250 °C, the differences in the rate constants (k ? k _water) were proportional to the square root of formic acid concentration.     

Determination of Fenofibric Acid in Human Plasma by LC–MS/MS and LC–UV

A sensitive, high-throughput and economic liquid chromatographic method for determination of fenofibric acid in human plasma was developed and validated by ultraviolet detection and tandem mass spectrometry, then applied in pharmacokinetic study to investigate Lipanthyl™ 200 mg MC bioavailability under food and fasting conditions. Fenofibric acid with 2-chloro fenofibric acid-d6 (internal standard) was extracted from 100 µL of human plasma by acetonitrile in a single extraction step. 25 and 2 µL from supernatant were injected onto ACE column, 50 mm, 5 micron with 4.6 mm inner diameter for LC–UV and 2.1 mm for LC–MS/MS, and both systems were eluted isocratically by water:methanol:formic acid (35:65:0.1, v/v/v), with a constant flow rate of 1 mL min⁻¹. The established calibration curve was linear between 0.05–20 µg mL⁻¹, and the within- and between-day precisions were all below 13 % in both LC–MS/MS and LC–UV systems during validation, and accuracies ranged between 91 and 112 %. Twenty-eight healthy adult subjects participated in this clinical study, and the pharmacokinetic parameters including coefficient of variation were calculated and discussed. A dramatic decrease in C _max and AUC0-72 (3.63- and 1.85-fold, respectively) were observed for Lipanthyl™ MC under fasting conditions with more variable inter subject measurements comparing to the fed state.

     

Simultaneous Determination of the Endogenous Free ��-Lipoic Acid and Dihydrolipoic Acid in Human Plasma and Erythrocytes by RP-HPLC with Electrochemical Detection

A highly sensitive, precise, and accurate reversed-phase high-performance liquid-chromatography/electrochemical detection method for simultaneous determination of the endogenous free ??-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid in biological matrices was developed and validated. The two analytes were extracted from the samples with acetonitrile/10% metaphosphoric acid solution_(aqueous) (50/50 v/v). To determine the total lipoic acid, samples were treated with tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine solution in phosphate buffer, pH 2.5 with 85% orthophosphoric acid prior to deproteination. The two analytes were separated on a C₁₈ (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 ??m) analytical column using acetonitrile-50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 2.5 with 85% orthophosphoric acid (35/65 v/v) as the isocratic mobile phase pumped at a flow rate of 2.0 mL min^?1 at the column oven temperature of 35 °C. The column eluents were monitored at a potential of 0.9 V. These analytes were efficiently resolved in <7 min. The present method was sufficiently robust and specific for simultaneous determination of the two analytes and demonstrated acceptable values for linearity (r ² = 0.999 in the range of 0.1?C500 and 0.25?C1,000 ng mL^?1 for ??-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid, respectively), recovery (>97%), precision (RSD% <2), and sensitivity (on column limit of detection, 150 and 375 fg for ??-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid, respectively and limit of quantification: 0.5 and 1.25 pg for ??-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid, respectively), indicating that the proposed method was more sensitive, precise, economical, and versatile, and has higher throughput than the previously reported methods for simultaneous determination of the two analytes.