Quantitative liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for the analysis of microdialysates

Microdialysis (MD) is an in vivo sampling technique used to investigate biochemical events in the extracellular fluid of animal and human tissues. MD produces protein- and cell-free, aqueous samples which can be analyzed without further sample clean-up. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a sensitive and selective analysis technique which is suitable to quantify low concentrated target analytes in microdialysates. This paper reviews the LC-MS/MS methods which are described for the quantification of endogenous molecules, such as neurotransmitters and peptides, and of exogenous molecules, such as drugs, in microdialysates. Since miniaturization of the LC-MS/MS methods is the key to obtain maximal sensitivity of the analytical technique, this feature is discussed in the paper. In addition, critical issues related to the quantification of low concentrated molecules in microdialysates are described such as the presence of matrix effects, the low MD efficiency and the sticking of, for instance, neuropeptides.     

Comparison of matrix effects in HPLC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS analysis of nine basic pharmaceuticals in surface waters

When developing an LC-MS/MS-method matrix effects are a major issue. The effect of co-eluting compounds arising from the matrix can result in signal enhancement or suppression. During method development much attention should be paid to diminishing matrix effects as much as possible. The present work evaluates matrix effects from aqueous environmental samples in the simultaneous analysis of a group of 9 specific pharmaceuticals with HPLC-ESI/MS/MS and UPLC-ESI/MS/MS: flubendazole, propiconazole, pipamperone, cinnarizine, ketoconazole, miconazole, rabeprazole, itraconazole and domperidone. When HPLC-MS/MS is used, matrix effects are substantial and can not be compensated for with analogue internal standards. For different surface water samples different matrix effects are found. For accurate quantification the standard addition approach is necessary. Due to the better resolution and more narrow peaks in UPLC, analytes will co-elute less with interferences during ionisation, so matrix effects could be lower, or even eliminated. If matrix effects are eliminated with this technique, the standard addition method for quantification can be omitted and the overall method will be simplified. Results show that matrix effects are almost eliminated if internal standards (structural analogues) are used. Instead of the time-consuming and labour-intensive standard addition method, with UPLC the internal standardization can be used for quantification and the overall method is substantially simplified.     

Capillary liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of enkephalins in cerebrospinal fluid

A capillary LC-MS/MS system was evaluated for the absolute quantification of enkephalins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). On column focusing on a C18 trapping column, in-line with the analytical column, was used for preconcentration. Quantification was performed with a triple quadrupole instrument in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Weighted linear regression analysis proves to be a good linearity in a dynamic range of two orders of magnitude. The method was validated, yielding calibration curves with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9914. Assay precision and accuracy were evaluated by direct injection of enkephalin fortified artificial CSF (aCSF) samples at three concentration levels. Mean accuracy of analysed concentrations was between 97.63 and 107.6%. LOD and LOQ were assessed at, respectively, 0.5 and 1 pmol/mL. Validation results show that it is feasible, with a capillary LC-MS/MS system, to quantify neuropeptides in the low femtomole range in aCSF. The obtained coefficients of variation, however, indicate that the use of appropriate isotopically labelled internal standards in neuropeptide quantification using narrow bore LC, combined with ESI-MS, may be highly beneficial.     

Overcoming matrix effects using the dilution approach in multiresidue methods for fruits and vegetables

During recent years matrix effects in liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have quickly become a major concern in food analysis. The phenomenon of ion suppression can lead to errors in the quantification of the analytes of interest, as well as can affect detection capability, precision, and accuracy of the method. Sample dilution is an easy and effective method to reduce interfering compounds, and so, to diminish matrix effects. In this work, matrix effects of 53 pesticides in three different matrices (orange, tomato and leek) were evaluated. Several dilutions of the matrix were tested in order to study the evolution of signal suppression. Dilution of the extracts led to a reduction of the signal suppression in most of the cases. A dilution factor of 15 demonstrated to be enough to eliminate most of the matrix effects, opening the possibility to perform quantification with solvent based standards in the majority of the cases. In those cases where signal suppression could not be reduced, a possible solution would be to use stable isotope-labelled internal standards for quantification of the problematic pesticides.     

An improved high-throughput liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method for terbinafine quantification in human plasma, using automated liquid-liquid extraction based on 96-well format plates

A fully automated high-throughput liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for terbinafine quantification in human plasma. The plasma samples were treated by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) in 2.2 mL 96-deepwell plates. Terbinafine and the internal standard (IS) N-methyl-1-naphthalenemethylamine were extracted from human plasma by LLE, using a mixture of methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE)-hexane (70:30, v/v) as the organic solvent. All liquid transfer steps, including preparation of calibration standards and quality control samples, as well as the addition of the IS, were performed automatically by using robotic liquid handling workstations. After vortexing, centrifugation and freezing, the supernatant organic solvent was evaporated and reconstituted in a small volume of a reconstitution solution. Sample analysis was performed by reversed-phase LC-MS/MS, with positive ion electrospray ionization, using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The method had a very short sample preparation time and a chromatographic run time of 2.2 min. It was proved to have excellent sensitivity, specificity, accuracy as well as inter- and intraday precision for the quantification of terbinafine in human plasma. The calibration curve was linear for the range of concentrations 5.0-2000.0 ng/mL. The proposed method was applied to the rapid and reliable determination of terbinafine in a bioequivalence study after per os administration of 250 mg tablet formulations of terbinafine.     

Performance of quantitative analyses by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry: from external calibration to isotopomer-based exact matching

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a versatile coupling system which combines both selectivity and sensitivity and certainty. Hence, it is generally considered as the most reliable technique to quantify chemical compounds in complex matrices. In the present paper, we evaluate the performance of LC-MS/MS methods for the quantification of 3-nitrotyrosine in human urine in order to point out its dependence on the design of the quantification method, and emphasize the role of matrix effects in the performance. We compare external and internal calibrations, isotope dilution and isotopomer-based exact matching. The role of both sample preparation and multiple transitions monitoring is particularly addressed.     

Capillary liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry of tetrahydroisoquinoline derived neurotoxins: a study on the blood-brain barrier of rat brain

Certain tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives such as 1-benzyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1-BnTIQ) and N-methylsalsolinol are parkinsonian neurotoxins. This paper describes a sensitive and reliable analytical method based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the determination of tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives (TIQs) in brain dialysate. Samples (20 microL injected) were effectively stacked and cleaned up in-line on a capillary column (5 cm x 0.25 mm I.D.) packed with 5 microm phenyl reversed-phase silica particles. Under the optimized conditions, electrospray ionisation-MS/MS detection of TIQs was highly sensitive. The capillary LC-MS/MS method had a detection limit of 2 ng/ml for TIQ. The method was used in combination with in vivo microdialysis to study the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for TIQs. The microdialysis probe was implanted in the frontal cortex of rat brain. Test compounds were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.). Four TIQs including 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ), 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroisoquinoline (5-TIQ), 1-BnTIQ, and salsolinol (SAL) were studied. A concentration maximum was detected in brain dialysate for TIQ, 5-TIQ, and 1-BnTIQ about 40 min after drug administration. However, SAL, the precursor of N-methylsalsolinol was found unable to cross the BBB of rat brain.     

Using orthogonal array to obtain gradient liquid chromatography conditions of enhanced peak intensity to determine geniposide and genipin with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

The conditions to determine geniposide and genipin using gradient liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) via electrospray ionization were obtained using fractional factorial experimental design approaches, guided with Taguchi orthogonal arrays to enhance peak intensity. Geniposide, the major iridoid glycoside component of Gardenia herbs, which has been recognized to have choleretic effects, is transformed to genipin in animals. In this paper, the gradient establishment times, ionization source temperatures, and the concentrations of volatile additive ammonium acetate were investigated under the guidance of experimental designs to obtain LC-MS/MS signals of the highest peak intensity. Using geniposide and genipin standards, the methods are validated at the concentration ranges of 0.5-1000ng/mL and 10-5000ng/mL using ammonium adducts. The correlation coefficients of geniposide and genipin standard curves are greater than 0.999. Compared with the sensitivities of previously published LC-MS/MS methods, the methods developed in this work provide 6-fold sensitivity improvement. The lowest concentrations of geniposide and genipin, 0.19 and 2ng/mL, respectively, to generate detectable LC-MS/MS signal peaks are one order of magnitude lower than the repoered values in previous publications. The measurement accuracy and precision of geniposide are within 23% and 15%, respectively. The accuracy and precision of genipin are within 16% and 12.5%, respectively. When the validated calibration curves of geniposide and genipin are used to determine spiked control samples in rat blood dialysates, the geniposide determination errors are within 15% accuracy and within 5.8% precision, respectively, and the genipin determination errors are within 23% accuracy and within 3.6% precision, respectively.     

Use of a structural analogue versus a stable isotope labeled internal standard for the quantification of angiotensin IV in rat brain dialysates using nano-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Quantifying low concentrations of neuropeptides in microdialysates requires a selective and sensitive analysis technique, such as nano-liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC/ESI-MS/MS). However, we observed reduced accuracy of the method due to matrix effects. Indeed, ESI-MS detection is known to be sensitive to matrix effects. Moreover, dialysates are complex mixtures of small molecules, peptides and other matrix compounds that can influence the ionization efficiency of the neuropeptide of interest and the stability of the peptide in the samples. In the study reported in this paper, we investigated whether the use of an internal standard (IS) can correct for these matrix effects. As a model compound for neuropeptides we used angiotensin IV (Ang IV). We compared the use of a structural analogue (norleucine1-Ang IV) with a stable isotope labeled (SIL) analogue. Linearity of the method was improved when either of the proposed ISs were applied. Only when using the SIL-IS could the repeatability of injection and the method's precision and accuracy be improved. Finally, the IS was able to correct for degradation of Ang IV in dialysates, prolonging the possible storage period of the samples. We conclude that the structural analogue is not suited as an IS and that the application of a SIL analogue is indispensable when quantifying Ang IV in dialysates using nanoLC/ESI-MS/MS detection.     

Study of different atmospheric-pressure interfaces for LC-MS/MS determination of acrylamide in water at sub-ppb levels

A rapid, sensitive and selective method based on LC-MS/MS has been developed for the direct determination of acrylamide residues in water in compliance with the current European Union (EU) 98/83 Drinking Water Directive. Given the high polarity of acrylamide, the application of a rapid on-line solid phase extraction step, commonly used for preconcentrating low analyte levels, was not found to be completely satisfactory. Therefore, an alternative approach based on the use of direct large-volume injection into the LC-MS/MS system has been used. Three atmospheric-pressure interfaces (ESI, APCI and Ion Sabre APCI) were checked to reach the required sensitivity (0.1 microg/l). All three interfaces were tested by analysis of six different water samples (surface water, groundwater, drinking water and three treated water samples) spiked at three concentration levels each (0.1, 1 and 10 microg/l). When using ESI, poor sensitivity and high matrix effects were observed. This situation improved when APCI was used as the interface because no matrix effect was found, although sensitivity was not completely satisfactory. The best results were obtained by interfacing the Ion Sabre APCI; its higher sensitivity for acrylamide (LOD 0.03 microg/l) and the absence of matrix effects recommended its selection. Using this approach, satisfactory recoveries (90-97%) and precision (<12%) were obtained for all water samples studied. Besides, the acquisition of two different MS/MS transitions allowed not only the quantification but also the confirmation of acrylamide in water at concentration levels around 0.1 microg/l.     

Development of a sheathless CE‐ESI‐MS interface

A sheath‐flow interface is the most common ionization technique in CE‐ESI‐MS. However, this interface dilutes the analytes with the sheath liquid and decreases the sensitivity. In this study, we developed a sheathless CE‐MS interface to improve sensitivity. The interface was fabricated by making a small crack approximately 2 cm from the end of a capillary column fixed on a plastic plate, and then covering the crack with a dialysis membrane to prevent metabolite loss during separation. A voltage for CE separation was applied between the capillary inlet and the buffer reservoir. Under optimum conditions, 52 cationic metabolite standards were separated and selectively detected using MS. With a pressure injection of 5 kPa for 15 s (ca. 1.4 nL), the detection limits for the tested compounds were between 0.06 and 1.7 μmol/L (S/N = 3). The method was applied to analysis of cationic metabolites extracted from a small number (12 000) of cancer cells, and the number of peaks detected was about 2.5 times higher than when using conventional sheath‐flow CE‐MS. Because the interface is easy to construct, it is cost‐effective and can be adapted to any commercially available capillaries. This method is a powerful new tool for highly sensitive CE‐MS‐based metabolomic analysis.     

Determination of Cefalothin and Cefazolin in Human Plasma,Urine and Peritoneal Dialysate by UHPLC‐MS/MS: application to a pilot pharmacokinetic study in humans

An ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS) method for the analysis of cefazolin and cefalothin in human plasma (total and unbound), urine and peritoneal dialysate has been developed and validated. Total plasma concentrations are measured following protein precipitation and are suitable for the concentration range of 1–500 µg/mL. Unbound concentrations are measured from ultra‐filtered plasma acquired using Centrifree^® devices and are suitable for the concentration range of 0.1–500 µg/mL for cefazolin and 1–500 µg/mL for cefalothin. The urine method is suitable for a concentration range of 0.1–20 mg/mL for cefazolin and 0.2–20 mg/mL for cefalothin. Peritoneal dialysate concentrations are measured using direct injection, and are suitable for the concentration range of 0.2–100 µg/mL for both cefazolin and cefalothin. The cefazolin and cefalothin plasma (total and unbound), urine and peritoneal dialysate results are reported for recovery, inter‐assay precision and accuracy, and the lower limit of quantification, linearity, stability and matrix effects, with all results meeting acceptance criteria. The method was used successfully in a pilot pharmacokinetic study with patients with peritoneal dialysis‐associated peritonitis, receiving either intraperitoneal cefazolin or cefalothin. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定食用植物油中的棉酚

建立了食用植物油中棉酚的液相色谱-串联质谱（LC-MS/MS）分析方法。待测物经无水乙醇涡旋振荡提取,C18色谱柱分离,以乙腈和0.1%（v/v）甲酸水溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱,LC-MS/MS测定,外标法定量。方法的测定低限（S/N>10）为1 mg/kg;在添加浓度为1、2和200 mg/kg水平下,棉酚的加标回收率为87.4%~100%,相对标准偏差为3.9%~12.2%。结果表明,本方法灵敏度高,测定结果准确,回收率稳定,可用于食用植物油中棉酚残留的确证检测。     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定果蔬中双三氟虫脲、四氯虫酰胺和氰虫酰胺残留

建立了蔬菜和水果中双三氟虫脲、四氯虫酰胺和氰虫酰胺3种新型杀虫剂的分散固相萃取-液相色谱-串联质谱检测方法.样品经乙腈均质提取,混合使用乙二胺-N-丙基硅烷(PSA)和C18基质分散净化剂进行净化,液相色谱-三重四极杆串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)同时进行检测.双三氟虫脲和四氯虫酰胺采用多反应监测负离子模式,氰虫酰胺采用多反应监测正离子模式.双三氟虫脲在苹果、洋葱和经微波处理的洋葱样品中均不存在基质效应,可采用纯溶剂标准外标法或者采用基质匹配标准溶液定量检测; 四氯虫酰胺和氰虫酰胺存在程度不同的基质减弱效应,采用空白基质匹配的校正标准曲线外标法定量.3种杀虫剂均在0.2～100 μg/L线性范围内具有良好的线性关系,相关系数均大于0.9990.在0.005～2.000 mg/kg范围内,平均添加回收率为81.6％～99.9％,相对标准偏差为3.6％～9.8％.氰虫酰胺、四氯虫酰胺和双三氟虫脲的检出限分别为0.064,0.048和0.001 μg/kg,定量限分别为0.210, 0.160和0.004 μg/kg.     

Detection and quantification of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in human whole blood, plasma, and serum samples as part of a comprehensive multi-analyte LC-MS/MS approach

For the first time, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) multi-analyte approach based on a simple liquid–liquid extraction was developed and validated for fast target screening and quantification of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in case of driving ability and crime responsibility in the three most important biosamples whole blood, plasma, and serum. Whole blood, plasma, and serum (500 μL each) were extracted twice at pH 7.4 and at pH 10 with ether/ethyl acetate (1:1). Separation, detection, and quantification were performed using LC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization in positive mode. The method was validated with respect to selectivity, ion suppression/enhancement of co-eluting analytes, matrix effects, recovery, process efficiency, accuracy and precision, stabilities, and limits of detection and quantification. For accuracy and precision, full calibration was performed with ranges from subtherapeutic to toxic concentrations. The presented LC-MS/MS approach as part of a universal multi-analyte concept for over 100 drugs was applicable for selective detection as well as accurate and precise quantification in whole blood, plasma, and serum. The approach was selective, sensitive, accurate, and precise for 16 of the 19 tested drugs in whole blood, 18 in plasma, and 17 in serum. Only semiquantitative results could be obtained for zopiclone because of its instability in all tested biosamples.     

Rapid quantification of sucrose esters in oriental tobacco by liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was developed for the quantitative determination of sucrose esters (SEs) in Oriental tobacco samples. The sample preparation involved a 10-min sonication extraction procedure with acetone and five-fold dilution of the extract with methanol. The experiment was carried out in positive ion mode by ESI IT mass spectrometer. Because of lack of authentic standards of SEs, sucrose octa-acetate (internal standard, IS) was used as a surrogate to validate the proposed method. Matrix-matched standard calibration was used for quantification of IS in the spiked samples. Under optimized MS/MS conditions, an LOQ of 3.9 microg/g was achieved for IS, with an LOD of about 1.2 microg/g. Recoveries for IS were 95-97%. Among 19 monitored SEs, the contents of 11 SEs had RSDs lower than 13.7%. The method, with very little sample handling and good sensitivity, was applied to the rapid quantification of SEs in four Oriental tobacco samples. It appears that the sum of contents of the five SEs with MW 650, 664, and 678 Da occupied approximately 80% of the total content of SEs.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定蜂产品中吡虫啉及其3种代谢物

建立了蜂蜜和蜂花粉中吡虫啉及其代谢物吡虫啉烯烃、吡虫啉脲、6-氯烟酸的液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)检测方法.在QuEChERS方法基础上,针对目标物化学性质和样品杂质情况,对提取溶液的pH值、提取次数、净化材料等参数进行了优化.最终以5％甲酸-乙腈溶液提取两次,无水MgSO4、NaCl盐析分层,提取液经增强型脂类去除材料(EMR)净化,以LC-MS/MS进行测定,基质外标法进行定量分析.结果表明,蜂蜜和蜂花粉中吡虫啉、吡虫啉烯烃、吡虫啉脲、6-氯烟酸的平均加标回收率为86.0％～111.5％, 相对标准偏差在1.7％～9.6％之间, 检出限分别为0.20, 3.50, 0.40和14.00 μg/kg,定量限分别为0.60, 11.64, 1.20和45.00 μg/kg.本方法分析速度快、灵敏度高、重现性好,适用于蜂蜜和蜂花粉中吡虫啉及其3种代谢物的快速测定.     

Progress and Challenges in Quantifying Carbonyl-Metabolomic Phenomes with LC-MS/MS

Carbonyl-containing metabolites widely exist in biological samples and have important physiological functions. Thus, accurate and sensitive quantitative analysis of carbonyl-containing metabolites is crucial to provide insight into metabolic pathways as well as disease mechanisms. Although reversed phase liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RPLC-ESI-MS) is widely used due to the powerful separation capability of RPLC and high specificity and sensitivity of MS, but it is often challenging to directly analyze carbonyl-containing metabolites using RPLC-ESI-MS due to the poor ionization efficiency of neutral carbonyl groups in ESI. Modification of carbonyl-containing metabolites by a chemical derivatization strategy can overcome the obstacle of sensitivity; however, it is insufficient to achieve accurate quantification due to instrument drift and matrix effects. The emergence of stable isotope-coded derivatization (ICD) provides a good solution to the problems encountered above. Thus, LC-MS methods that utilize ICD have been applied in metabolomics including quantitative targeted analysis and untargeted profiling analysis. In addition, ICD makes multiplex or multichannel submetabolome analysis possible, which not only reduces instrument running time but also avoids the variation of MS response. In this review, representative derivatization reagents and typical applications in absolute quantification and submetabolome profiling are discussed to highlight the superiority of the ICD strategy for detection of carbonyl-containing metabolites.     

Determination of chloroacetanilides, triazines and phenylureas and some of their metabolites in soils by pressurised liquid extraction, GC-MS/MS, LC-MS and LC-MS/MS

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) technique was used for the simultaneous extraction of phenylureas, triazines and chloroacetanilides and some of their metabolites from soils. Extractions were performed by mixing 15 g of dried soil with 30 mL of acetone under 100 atm at 50 degrees C, during 3 min and with three PLE cycles. Prior to the analysis of naturally contaminated soils, each of the five representative soil matrices used as blanks (of different depths) was spiked in triplicate with standards of each parent and degradation compound at about 10, 30 and 120 microg/kg. For each experiment, isoproturon-D6 and atrazine-D5 were used as surrogates. Analysis of phenylureas and metabolites of triazines and phenylureas was carried out by reversed phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and LC-MS/MS in the positive mode. Gas chromatography (GC)/ion trap mass spectrometry was used in the MS/MS mode for the parent triazines and chloroacetanilides. The average extraction recoveries were above 85%, except for didesmethyl-isoproturon, and quantification limits were between 0.5 and 5 microg/kg. The optimised multi-residue method was applied to soils and solids below the root zone, sampled from agricultural plots of a small French hydrogeological basin.     

Quantitative determination of amoxicillin in animal feed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection

A liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of amoxicillin (AMO) in animal feed was developed and validated. The method was used to examine the quality requirements for products intended for incorporation into animal feedingstuffs (medicated premixes), as documented in the EMEA/CVMP/080/95-Final guideline. After addition of the internal standard (ampicillin), the medicated feed samples were extracted using a 0.01 M potassium dihydrogenphosphate buffer solution (pH 4.5), followed by a centrifugation and filtration step. An appropriately diluted aliquot of the extract was analysed on a PLRP-S polymeric column (150 mm x 2.1 mm i.d., 100 A) using a mixture of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. Gradient elution was performed at a flow-rate of 0.2 mL min(-1). The mass spectrometer was used in the positive electrospray ionization MS/MS mode. The LC-MS/MS method was validated for linearity, trueness, precision, limit of quantification, limit of detection and specificity. The results fell within the ranges specified. The method was used for the homogeneity and stability testing of AMO in a commercial medicated feed. Some extracts were also injected onto a LC-UV and LC-fluorescence instrument (after pre-column derivatization with a formaldehyde reagent). These experiments showed that the LC-MS/MS method was superior with regard to speed of analysis, selectivity and sensitivity.