An on-line method for pressurized hot water extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of quercetin glucosides from onions

A novel environmentally sound continuous-flow hot water extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis method for determination of quercetin in onion raw materials was successfully constructed using a stepwise optimization approach. In the first step, enzymatic hydrolysis of quercetin-3,4′-diglucoside to quercetin was optimized using a three level central composite design considering temperature (75–95 °C), pH (3–6) and volume concentration of ethanol (5–15%). The enzyme used was a thermostable β-glucosidase variant (termed TnBgl1A_N221S/P342L) covalently immobilized on either of two acrylic support-materials (Eupergit^® C 250L or monolithic cryogel). Optimal reaction conditions were irrespective of support 84 °C, 5% ethanol and pH 5.5, and at these conditions, no significant loss of enzyme activity was observed during 72 h of use. In a second step, hot water extractions from chopped yellow onions, run at the optimal temperature for hydrolysis, were optimized in a two level design with respect to pH (2.6 and 5.5), ethanol concentration (0 and 5%) and flow rate (1 and 3 mL min⁻¹) Obtained results showed that the total quercetin extraction yield was 1.7 times higher using a flow rate of 3 mL min⁻¹ (extraction time 90 min), compared to a flow rate of 1 mL min⁻¹ (extraction time 240 min). Presence of 5% ethanol was favorable for the extraction yield, while a further decrease in pH was not, not even for the extraction step alone. Finally, the complete continuous flow method (84 °C, 5% ethanol, pH 5.5, 3 mL min⁻¹) was used to extract quercetin from yellow, red and shallot onions and resulted in higher or similar yield (e.g. 8.4 ± 0.7 μmol g⁻¹ fresh weight yellow onion) compared to a conventional batch extraction method using methanol as extraction solvent.     

Multi-element preconcentration of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution by APDC impregnated activated carbon

Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate impregnated activated carbon (APDC-AC) has been used for the preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) from aqueous solution by column solid phase extraction (SPE) technique. Trace metal ions in aqueous solution were quantitatively sorbed onto APDC-AC packed in a SPE column at pH 5.0 with a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. The sorbed metals were eluted with 1 M nitric acid in acetone solution at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min⁻¹ and analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The effects of sample volume, amount of APDC-AC, volume of eluent and ionic strength of working solution on metal ion recovery have been investigated. The present methodology gave recoveries from 90 to 106% and R.S.D. from 0.6 to 5.5%.     

Dynamic fractionation of trace metals in soil and sediment samples using rotating coiled column extraction and sequential injection microcolumn extraction: A comparative study

Dynamic fractionation has been recognized as an appealing alternative to conventional equilibrium-based sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) for partitioning of trace elements (TE) in environmental solid samples. This paper reports the first attempt for harmonization of flow-through dynamic fractionation using two novel methods, the so-called sequential injection microcolumn (SIMC) extraction and rotating coiled column (RCC) extraction. In SIMC extraction, a column packed with the solid sample is clustered in a sequential injection system, while in RCC, the particulate matter is retained under the action of centrifugal forces. In both methods, the leachants are continuously pumped through the solid substrates by the use of either peristaltic or syringe pumps.A five-step SEP was selected for partitioning of Cu, Pb and Zn in water soluble/exchangeable, acid-soluble, easily reducible, easily oxidizable and moderately reducible fractions from 0.2 to 0.5 g samples at an extractant flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹ prior to leachate analysis by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry.Similarities and discrepancies between both dynamic approaches were ascertained by fractionation of TE in certified reference materials, namely, SRM 2711 Montana Soil and GBW 07311 sediment, and two real soil samples as well. Notwithstanding the different extraction conditions set by both methods, similar trends of metal distribution were in generally found. The most critical parameters for reliable assessment of mobilisable pools of TE in worse-case scenarios are the size-distribution of sample particles, the density of particles, the content of organic matter and the concentration of major elements. For reference materials and a soil rich in organic matter, the extraction in RCC results in slightly higher recoveries of environmentally relevant fractions of TE, whereas SIMC leaching is more effective for calcareous soils.     

Development of a flow system for the determination of low concentrations of silver using Moringa oleifera seeds as biosorbent and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In this study a method for the determination of low concentrations of silver in waters using solid-phase extraction with a flow injection analysis system and detection by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was developed. Moringa oleifera seeds were used as a biosorbent material. Chemical and flow variables of the on-line preconcentration system such as sample pH and flow rate, preconcentration time, eluent concentration and sorbent mass were studied. The optimum preconcentration conditions were obtained using sample pH in the range of 6.0-8.0, preconcentration time of 4 min at a flow rate of 3.5 mL min^− 1, 0.5 mol L^− 1 HNO₃ eluent at a flow rate of 4.5 mL min^− 1 and 35 mg of sorbent mass. With the optimized conditions, the preconcentration factor, precision, detection limit and sample throughput were estimated as 35 (for preconcentration of 14 mL sample), 3.8% (5.0 μg L^− 1, n = 7), 0.22 μg L^− 1 and 12 samples per hour, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to mineral water and tap water, and accuracy was assessed through analysis of a certified reference material for water (APS-1071 NIST) and recovery tests, with recovery ranging from 94 to 101%.     

Silica modified with zirconium oxide for on-line determination of inorganic arsenic using a hydride generation-atomic absorption system

In the present work, an on-line pre-concentration system, using SiO₂/ZrO₂ as solid phase adsorbent, for the determination of low concentrations of arsenic was developed.In this procedure, total inorganic arsenic present in the sample is reduced to As (III) with l-cysteine and the solution is passed into a glass column (?_i = 3 mm; h = 35 mm) containing 70 mg of SiO₂/ZrO₂ (100-230 mesh) to retain the As (III), with the solution flowing at 3.2 mL min⁻¹. After 2 min, the concentrated species are eluted with 3 mol L⁻¹ HCl (3.2 mL min⁻¹) loading a 150 μL loop while a 1.0% (m/v) sodium borohydride solution loads the other loop of a FI-HG AAS system. The elution step is carried out during 7 s and, at the same time, the SiO₂/ZrO₂ phase is regenerated for the next concentration cycle. The arsine generated is carried with N₂ (flow rate = 90 mL min⁻¹) to a quartz cell where the electrothermal atomization process occurs.Under these conditions, a 20-fold enrichment factor is obtained considering the increase of sensitivity in the analytical curve after the concentration step. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.05 and 0.35 μg L⁻¹, respectively, with an injection frequency of about 28 h⁻¹ and relative standard deviation lower than 8%. Four metallurgical reference materials were analyzed with the proposed method after their acid dissolution. The results obtained were in good agreement with certified values.     

Modified mesoporous silica materials for on-line separation and preconcentration of hexavalent chromium using a microcolumn coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica material NH₂-SBA-15 was synthesized successfully by grafting γ-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane. The material was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared/Raman (FT-IR/Raman) spectroscopy, and used for the first time in a flow injection on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) to detect trace Cr (VI). Effective sorption of Cr (VI) was achieved at pH 2.0 with no interference from Cr (III) and other ions and 0.5 mol L⁻¹ NH₃·H₂O solution was found optimal for the complete elution of Cr (VI). An enrichment factor of 44 and was achieved under optimized experimental conditions at a sample loading of 2.0 mL min⁻¹ sample loading (300 s) and an elution flow rate of 2.0 mL min⁻¹ (24 s). The precision of the 11 replicate Cr (VI) measurements was 2.1% at the 100 μg L⁻¹ level with a detection limit of 0.2 μg L⁻¹ (3 s, n = 10) using the FAAS. The developed method was successfully applied to trace chromium determination in waste water. The accuracy was validated using a certified reference material of riverine water (GBW08607).     

Determination of Hg by on-line separation and pre-concentration with atmospheric-pressure solution-cathode glow discharge atomic emission spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method to determine Hg²⁺ was developed by combining solution-cathode glow discharge atomic emission spectrometry (SCGD-AES) with flow injection (FI) based on on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). We synthesized l-cysteine-modified mesoporous silica and packed it in an SPE microcolumn, which was experimentally determined to possess a good mercury adsorption capacity. An enrichment factor of 42 was achieved under optimized Hg²⁺ elution conditions, namely, an FI flow rate of 2.0 mL min⁻¹ and an eluent comprised of 10% thiourea in 0.2 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃. The detection limit of FI–SCGD-AES was determined to be 0.75 μg L⁻¹, and the precision of the 11 replicate Hg²⁺ measurements was 0.86% at a concentration of 100 μg L⁻¹. The proposed method was validated by determining Hg²⁺ in certified reference materials such as human hair (GBW09101b) and stream sediment (GBW07310).     

Non-chromatographic determination of ultratraces of V(V) and V(IV) based on a double column solid phase extraction flow injection system coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work, a non-chromatographic procedure for the on-line determination of ultratraces of V(V) and V(IV) is presented. The method involves a solid phase extraction-flow injection system coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (SPE-FI-ETAAS). The system holds two microcolumns (MC) set in parallel and filled with lab-made mesoporous silica functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APS) and mesoporous silica MCM-41, respectively. The pre-concentration of V(V) is performed by sorption onto the first MC (C1) filled with APS at pH 3, whilst that of V(IV) is performed by sorption onto the second column (C2) filled with mesoporous silica MCM-41 at pH 5. Aqueous samples containing both analytes are loaded and, after pre-concentration (pre-concentration factor PCF = 10, sorption flow rate = 1 mL min⁻¹, sorption time = 10 min), they are eluted in separate vessels with hydroxylammonium chloride (HC) 0.1 mol L⁻¹ in HCl 0.5 mol L⁻¹ (elution volume = 1 mL, elution flow rate = 0.5 mL min⁻¹). Afterwards, both analytes are determined through ETAAS with graphite furnace. Under optimized conditions, the main analytical figures of merit for V(V) and V(IV) are, respectively: detection limits (3 s): 0.5 and 0.6 μg L⁻¹, linear range: 2-100 μg L⁻¹ (both analytes), sensitivity: 0.015 and 0.013 μg⁻¹ L and sample throughput: 6 h⁻¹ (both analytes). Recoveries of both species were assayed in different water samples. Validation was performed through certified reference materials for ultratraces of total vanadium in river water.     

Continuous determination of total flavonoids in Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco by dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line derivatization and ultraviolet-visible detection

This paper describes a new method for the determination of total flavonoids in Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco. The method was based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction (DMAE) coupled with on-line derivatization and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) detection. The influence of the experimental conditions was tested. Maximum extraction yield was achieved using 80% aqueous methanol of extraction solvent; 80 W of microwave output power; 5 min of extraction time; 1.0 mL min⁻¹ of extraction solvent flow rate. The derivatization reaction between aluminium chloride and flavonoid is one of the most sensitive and selective reactions for total flavonoids determination. The optimized derivatization conditions are as follows: derivatization reagent 1.5% aluminium chloride methanol solution; reaction coil length 100 cm; derivatization reagent flow rate 1.5 mL min⁻¹. The detection and quantification limits obtained are 0.28 and 0.92 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (R.S.D.) obtained are 1.5% and 4.6%, respectively. Mean recovery is 98.5%. This method was successfully applied to the determination of total flavonoids in P. orientalis (L.) Franco and compared with heat reflux extraction. The results showed that the higher extraction yield of total flavonoids was obtained by DMAE with shorter extraction time (5 min) and small quantity of extraction solvent (5 mL).     

Flow injection analysis of ethyl xanthate by in-line dialysis and UV spectrophotometric detection

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric flow method for determination of low concentrations of the flotation collector O-ethyldithiocarbonate (ethyl xanthate, CH₃CH₂-O-CS₂⁻) in solutions is described. The method is based on ethyl xanthate detection at 301 nm in medium of NaOH 50 mmol L⁻¹. By injection of 200 μL of sample, the analytical method shows linear response for the ethyl xanthate concentration from 0.5 up to 500 μmol L⁻¹. Successive injections of 4 μmol L⁻¹ ethyl xanthate (n = 23) show a coefficient of variation lower than 0.6%, denoting high repeatability. The detection limit is 0.3 μmol L⁻¹. At a flow rate of 2.0 mL min⁻¹, a frequency of 120 injections/h of ethyl xanthate can be attained. By introduction of a tangential dialysis cell in the FIA system, the manual sample filtration step with 0.22 μm filter was eliminated and the residual interference of suspended material, was completely overcome even for unfiltered sludge suspension samples, an important advantage that compensates for the frequency reduction to 25 injections/h elevation and detection limit elevation to 2 μmol L⁻¹, still outreaching for many applications. Potential applications of the method embrace the at line determination of ethyl xanthate in the ore processing industry, control of the concentration at its optimal level during the flotation process, as well as monitoring of residues in the effluents.     

On-line metals preconcentration and simultaneous determination using cloud point extraction and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry in water samples

A new on-line cloud point extraction (CPE) system coupled to ICP-OES was designed for simultaneous extraction, preconcentration and determination of Cd²⁺, Co²⁺, Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions in water samples. This is based on the complexation of the metal ions with 1-(2-thenoyl)-3,3,3-trifluoraceton reagent (TTA) at pH 6.0 in the presence of non-ionic surfactant of Triton X-114. The micellar solution was heated above 60 °C and loaded through a column packed with cotton, which acts as a filter for retaining the analyte-entrapped surfactant-rich phase. Then the surfactant-rich phase was eluted using propanol:0.5 mol L⁻¹ nitric acid solution (75:25, v/v) at a flow rate of 3.0 mL min⁻¹ and directly introduced into the nebulizer of the ICP-OES. Several factors influencing the instrumental conditions and extraction were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the enhancement factors of the proposed method for target ions were between 42 and 97, the detection limits (DLs) were in the range of 0.1-2.2 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) at 100 μg L⁻¹ concentration levels of each ion were found to be less than 4.6%. Also, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 0.5-100 μg L⁻¹ with the correlation coefficients within the range of 0.9948-0.9994.Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of the mentioned metal ions in the tap, well, sea and mineral water samples and satisfactory results were obtained.     

Investigation on Ochratoxin A stability using different extraction techniques

The stability of Ochratoxin A during its extraction using different extraction techniques has been evaluated. Microwave-assisted extraction and pressurised liquid extraction, in addition to two other reference methods of extraction, i.e. ultrasound-assisted and magnetic stirring-assisted extraction, were evaluated. The effect of extraction temperature using the cited techniques was checked.The results show that Ochratoxin A can be extracted using microwave-assisted extraction at temperatures up to 150 °C without degradation. Pressurised liquid extraction can be used at temperatures up to 100 °C, for extraction times of less than 30 min. Further, both ultrasound-assisted extraction and magnetic stirring extraction can be applied at temperatures up to 65 °C.High-performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detection using a Chromolith RP-18e column at a flow rate of 5 mL min⁻¹ was used to quantify the Ochratoxin A. The retention time for the Ochratoxin A was 1.3 min. The limits of detection (LOD) and of quantification (LOQ) were 0.03 and 0.10 μg L⁻¹, respectively.     

A new high-performance liquid chromatography assay for the determination of sesquiterpene lactone 15-deoxygoyazensolide in rat plasma

A simple, rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the analysis of the sesquiterpene lactone 15-deoxygoyazensolide (LAC15-D) in rat plasma samples. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a LiChrospher^® RP18 column using methanol:water (50:50, v/v) containing 0.6% acetic acid as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.7 mL min⁻¹. UV detection was carried out at 270 nm. Phenytoin was used as internal standard. Prior to the analysis, the rat plasma samples were submitted to liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane. The mean absolute recoveries were 73% with R.S.D. values lower than 3.5. The method was linear over the 6.0-2000 ng mL⁻¹ concentration range and the quantification limit was 6.0 ng mL⁻¹. Within-day and between-day assay precision and accuracy were studied at three concentration levels (15, 300 and 480 ng mL⁻¹) and were lower than 15%. The validated method was used to measure the plasmatic concentration of LAC15-D in rats that received a single intraperitoneal dose of 30 mg kg⁻¹.     

Single-run ion chromatographic separation of inorganic and low-molecular-mass organic anions under isocratic elution: Application to environmental samples

For the isocratic ion chromatography (IC) separation of low-molecular-mass organic acids and inorganic anions three different anion-exchange columns were studied: IonPac AS14 (9 μm particle size), Allsep A-2 (7 μm particle size), and IC SI-50 4E (5 μm particle size). A complete baseline separation for all analyzed anions (i.e., F⁻, acetate, formate, Cl⁻, NO₂⁻, Br⁻, NO₃⁻, HPO₄²⁻ and SO₄²⁻) in one analytical cycle of shorter than 17 min was achieved on the IC SI-50 4E column, using an eluent mixture of 3.2 mM Na₂CO₃ and 1.0 mM NaHCO₃ with a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. On the IonPac AS14 column, it was possible to separate acetate from inorganic anions in one run (i.e., less than 9 min), but not formate, under the following conditions: 3.5 mM Na₂CO₃ plus 1.0 mM NaHCO₃ with a flow rate of 1.2 mL min⁻¹. Therefore, it was necessary to adapt a second run with a 2.0 mM Na₂B₄O₇ solution as an eluent under a flow rate of 0.8 mL min⁻¹ for the separation of organic ions, which considerably enlarged the analysis time. For the Allsep A-2 column, using an eluent mixture of 1.2 mM Na₂CO₃ plus 1.5 mM NaHCO₃ with a flow rate of 1.6 mL min⁻¹, it was possible to separate almost all anions in one run within 25 min, except the fluoride-acetate critical pair. A Certified Multianion Standard Solution PRIMUS for IC was used for the validation of the analytical methods. The lowest RSDs (less than 1%) and the best LODs (0.02, 0.2, 0.16, 0.11, 0.06, 0.05, 0.04, 0.14 and 0.09 mg L⁻¹ for F⁻, Ac⁻, For⁻, Cl⁻, NO₂⁻, Br⁻, NO₃⁻, HPO₄²⁻ and SO₄²⁻, respectively) were achieved using the IC SI-50 4E column. This column was applied for the separation of concerned ions in environmental precipitation samples such as snow, hail and rainwater.     

On-line coupling of dynamic microwave-assisted extraction to solid-phase extraction for the determination of sulfonamide antibiotics in soil

A rapid technique based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction (DMAE) coupled on-line with solid-phase extraction (SPE) was developed for the determination of sulfonamides (SAs) including sulfadiazine, sulfameter, sulfamonomethoxine and sulfaquinoxaline in soil. The SAs were first extracted with acetonitrile under the action of microwave energy, and then directly introduced into the SPE column which was packed with neutral alumina for preconcentration of analytes and clean-up of sample matrix. Subsequently, the SAs trapped on the alumina were eluted with 0.3% acetic acid aqueous solution and determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The DMAE parameters were optimized by the Box-Behnken design. Maximum extraction efficiency was achieved using 320 W of microwave power; 12 mL of extraction solvent and 0.8 mL min⁻¹ of extraction solvent flow rate. The limits of detection and quantification obtained are in the range of 1.4-4.8 ng g⁻¹ and 4.6-16.0 ng g⁻¹ for the SAs, respectively. The mean values of relative standard deviation of intra- and inter-day ranging from 2.7% to 5.3% and from 5.6% to 6.7% are obtained, respectively. The recoveries of SAs obtained by analyzing four spiked soil samples at three fortified levels (20 ng g⁻¹, 100 ng g⁻¹ and 500 ng g⁻¹) were from 82.6 ± 6.0% to 93.7 ± 5.5%. The effect of standing time of spiked soil sample on the SAs recoveries was examined. The recoveries of SAs decreased from (86.3-101.9)% to (37.6-47.5)% when the standing time changed from one day to four weeks.     

Development and validation of a chiral HPLC method for rapid screening of allylic alcohol asymmetric epoxidation processes

A simple and rapid HPLC method has been developed using a polysaccharide chiral stationary phase (Chiralpak AD-H) for the resolution of glycidyl tosylate enantiomers. These compounds were obtained by asymmetric epoxidation of allyl alcohol with chiral titanium-tartrate complexes as catalyst after in situ derivatization of the intermediate glycidols. Separations were achieved using two types of mobile phase: a normal-phase (n-hexane), and a polar-phase (methanol or acetonitrile). The influence of the type and concentration of organic modifier in the mobile phase (ethanol or 2-propanol), the flow rate and the column temperature was investigated. In normal-phase mode, the optimized conditions were: n-hexane/ethanol 70/30 (v/v) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL min⁻¹ and 40 °C. In polar-phase mode, the optimized conditions were: methanol at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min⁻¹ and 20 °C. In both cases, analysis time was ≤11 min and the chiral resolution was ≥2. Nevertheless, due to the better Rs obtained in normal-phase mode, only this method was validated to avoid peaks overlapping in real samples. This method was found to be linear in the 5-300 μg mL⁻¹ range (R² > 0.999) with an LOD of 1.5 μg mL⁻¹ for both glycidyl tosylate enantiomers. Repeatability and intermediate precision at three different concentrations levels were below 0.5 and 7.2% R.S.D. for retention time and area, respectively. This method was applied successfully for the determination of glycidyl tosylate enantiomers after in situ derivatization of glycidols obtained in allylic alcohol asymmetric epoxidation processes with chiral titanium-tartrate complexes as catalysts.     

Determination of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in 1 mL whole blood using programmable temperature vaporization large volume injection coupled to gas chromatogram and high-resolution mass spectrometry

A sensitive method based on programmable temperature vaporization large volume injection coupled to gas chromatogram and high-resolution mass spectrometry (PTV-GC–HRMS) has been developed for the determination of ultra trace levels of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL PCBs) in small amounts of human blood. Blood samples (1 mL) were first extracted by column extraction and then purified with column chromatorgraphies. Final extracts (20 μL) were introduced to the PTV injector under the solvent vent mode and detected by GC–HRMS (SIM mode). PTV parameters were observed by changing one factor at a time (practical conditions: vent flow: 50 mL min⁻¹, vent pressure: 0 kPa and vent time: 0.1 min), recoveries of most PCB congeners ranged from 55.1% to 108%, and method detection limits were in the range of 0.11–1.63 pg g⁻¹.     

Enantioselective analysis of mirtazapine and its two major metabolites in human plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry after three-phase liquid-phase microextraction

A three-phase liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) method using porous polypropylene hollow fibre membrane with a sealed end was developed for the extraction of mirtazapine (MRT) and its two major metabolites, 8-hydroxymirtazapine (8-OHM) and demethylmirtazapine (DMR), from human plasma. The analytes were extracted from 1.0 mL of plasma, previously diluted and alkalinized with 3.0 mL 0.5 mol L⁻¹ pH 8 phosphate buffer solution and supplemented with 15% sodium chloride (NaCl), using n-hexyl ether as organic solvent and 0.01 moL L⁻¹ acetic acid solution as the acceptor phase. Haloperidol was used as internal standard. The chromatographic analyses were carried out on a chiral column, using acetonitrile-methanol-ethanol (98:1:1, v/v/v) plus 0.2% diethylamine as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. Multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) detection was performed by mass spectrometry (MS-MS) using a triple-stage quadrupole and electrospray ionization interface operating in the positive ion mode. The mean recoveries were in 18.3-45.5% range with linear responses over the 1.25-125 ng mL⁻¹ concentration range for all enantiomers evaluated. The quantification limit (LOQ) was 1.25 ng mL⁻¹. Within-day and between-day assay precision and accuracy (2.5, 50 and 100 ng mL⁻¹) showed relative standard deviation and the relative error lower than 11.9% for all enantiomers evaluated. Finally, the method was successfully used for the determination of mirtazapine and its metabolite enantiomers in plasma samples obtained after single drug administration of mirtazapine to a healthy volunteer.     

Optimization of the simultaneous determination of imatinib and its major metabolite, CGP74588, in human plasma by a rapid HPLC method using D-optimal experimental design

A simple, rapid and specific HPLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and its major metabolite, CGP74588, in human plasma. The optimization of the HPLC procedure involved several variables, of which the influences of each was studied. After a series of preliminary-screening experiments, the composition of the mobile phase and the pH of the added buffer solution were set as the investigated variables, while the resolution between imatinib and CGP74588 peaks, the retention time and the imatinib peak width were chosen as the dependent variables. Applying D-optimal design, the optimal chromatographic conditions for the separation were defined. The method proved to show good agreement between the experimental data and predictive values throughout the studied parameter range.The optimum assay conditions were achieved with a Chromolith™ Performance RP-8e 100 mm × 4.6 mm column and a mixture of methanol/acetonitrile/triethylamine/diammonium hydrogen phosphate (pH 6.25, 0.048 mol L⁻¹) (20:20:0.1:59.9, v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 2 mL min⁻¹ and detection wavelength of 261 nm. The run time was less than 5 min, which is much shorter than the previously optimized methods. The optimized method was validated according to FDA guidelines to confirm specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision.     

Cobalt phthalocyanine as a biomimetic catalyst in the amperometric quantification of dipyrone using FIA

A biomimetic sensor for the determination of dipyrone was prepared by modifying carbon paste with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc), and used as an amperometric detector in a flow injection analysis (FIA) system. The results of cyclic voltammetry experiments suggested that CoPc behaved as a biomimetic catalyst in the electrocatalytic oxidation of dipyrone, which involved the transfer of one electron. The optimized FIA procedure employed a flow rate of 1.5 mL min⁻¹, a 75 μL sample loop, a 0.1 mol L⁻¹ phosphate buffer carrier solution at pH 7.0 and amperometric detection at a potential of 0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Under these conditions, the proposed method showed a linear response for dipyrone concentrations in the range 5.0 × 10⁻⁶-6.3 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹. Selectivity and interference studies were carried out in order to validate the system for use with pharmaceutical and environmental samples. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the proposed method is a sensitive and selective analytical tool for the determination of dipyrone.