A rapid simple approach to screening pharmaceutical products using ultra-performance LC coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry and pattern recognition

The comparison of batches of pharmaceutical product or raw active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for product release can be time consuming and tedious process. It often requires long analysis times and potentially several liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) analytical runs to determine the identity of the impurities and their relationship to the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The combination of a high resolution (sub 2 microm porous particle) LC coupled to exact mass MS, principal components analysis (PCA) allowed for the rapid classification of batches of Simvastatin tablets according to their impurity profile. Evaluating the ultra-performance LC-MS exact mass data with PCA allowed for the impurities of Simvastatin to be easily detected and identified. This approach to impurity batch analysis should be applicable to many other forms of batch analysis, fermentation broths, food production, and API manufacturing.     

超高效液相色谱/高分辨飞行时间质谱法同时检测乳制品中19种抗生素

利用超高效液相色谱/高分辨飞行时间质谱结合数据库建立了乳制品中19种抗生素的分析方法。样品依次经过乙腈和酸化乙腈处理后,冷冻离心浓缩,经超高效液相色谱分离,正离子扫描模式下,在10 min内对19种抗生素进行分离和检测,质量浓度在10～500或15～1000 μg/L范围内具有良好的线性关系,检出限为3～5 μg/L,平均回收率为68.4%～96.7%。加标样品的筛查结果表明,保留时间偏差不大于0.1 min,质量偏差小于5 mDa,同位素峰形匹配度不低于87.4%, 19种加标抗生素被全部检测出来,且大部分抗生素获得很高的鉴定评分。对购自本地超市的40余份乳制品进行了筛查分析,未检出阳性样品。该分析方法具有前处理简单、分析速度快、灵敏度高、质量精确度高的特点,可应用于乳制品中抗生素的快速筛查。     

Simultaneous quantitation of seven alkaloids in processed Fuzi decoction by rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid analytical method based on rapid resolution LC coupled with MS/MS was first established to quantify seven alkaloids in processed Fuzi decoction. The chromatographic method was optimized to allow simultaneous analysis of all analytes in 5 min and demonstrated good linearity (r > 0.9995), repeatability (RSD < 4.36%), intra‐ and interday precisions (RSD < 5.07%) with good accuracies (97.76–105.08%) and good recovery (95.0–107.5%) of seven alkaloids, namely higenamine, benzoylhypaconine, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylaconine, aconitine, hypaconitine, and mesaconitine. The LODs for these markers were in the range of 2.30–17.00 pg/mL. Quantitative analysis of the seven alkaloids in Baifupian decoction and Heishunpian decoction showed that the content of the seven marker chemicals varied significantly and concluded that the quality of Fuzi was greatly affected by different processed methods. The developed method could be used as a rapid, sensitive, and reliable approach for assessment of the quality of processed Fuzi and related decoction.     

Rapid,sensitive and simultaneous determination of fluorescence-labeled designated substances controlled by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in Japan by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A simultaneous determination method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with fluorescence (FL) detection and electrospray-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS) was developed for 16 “designated substances” (Shitei-Yakubutsu) controlled by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in Japan. These substances were first labeled with 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole at 60 °C for 2 h in 0.1 M borax (pH 9.3). The resulting fluorophores were well separated by reversed-phase chromatography using an Acquity UPLC™ BEH C₁₈ column (1.7 μm, 100 mm × 2.1 mm i.d.) by isocratic elution with a mixture of water and acetonitrile–methanol (20:80) containing 0.1% formic acid. The separated derivatives were sensitively detected by both FL and TOF-MS. However, the determination of several designated substances by FL detection showed interference from endogenous substances in biological samples. Therefore, the determination in real samples was carried out by a combination of UPLC separation and ESI-TOF-MS detection. The structures of the designated substances were identified from the protonated-molecular ions [M+H]⁺ obtained from the TOF-MS measurement. The calibration curves obtained from the peak area ratios of the internal standard (I.S.), i.e., 3-phenyl-1-propylamine, and the designated substances versus the injection amounts showed good linearity. The limits of detection ( \textS/N = 3 ) \left( {{\text{S/N}} = 3} \right) and the limits of quantification ( \textS/N = 10 ) \left( {{\text{S/N}} = 10} \right) in 0.1 mL of human plasma and urine for the present method were 0.30–150 pmol and 1.0–500 pmol, respectively. Good accuracy and precision (according to intraday and interday assays) were also obtained with the present procedure. This method was applied to analyses of human plasma, urine and real products.      

A metabonomic analysis of plasma from Zucker rat strains using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and pattern recognition

Plasma obtained from three strains of Zucker rats was analysed using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to obtain global metabolite profiles as part of a series of metabonomic investigations of animal models of diabetes. Samples were obtained from 20-week-old male wild-type Zucker lean, (fa/fa) obese and lean/(fa) animals and were analysed following protein precipitation, using acetonitrile, and derivatisation. Subsequent data analysis using principal components analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structures (OPLS) revealed differences between the plasma metabolite profiles of the three strains, with those of the Zucker lean and the lean/(fa) crosses being similar to each other whilst differing from the (fa/fa) obese strain.     

Determination of cocaine contamination on banknotes using tandem mass spectrometry and pattern recognition

Tandem mass spectrometry is used to monitor the contamination of banknotes by cocaine. By introducing a series of banknotes into an instrument a distribution of contamination can be obtained. The distribution of samples arising from defendants where the banknotes have been in close proximity to cocaine should differ from the distribution from the general background population. Peak picking and integration is used to produce a series of intensity readings for a batch of banknotes. By visually inspecting these distribution, and applying a variety of chemometric methods (principal components analysis, cluster analysis and class modelling via Mahalanobis distance) it is possible to discriminate effectively between the two classes of distribution (7157 background notes and 4826 case notes alleged to be from drug dealers). By calculating the Mahalonobis distance over 100 bootstrap iterations, background samples were correctly classified 96.48% of the time, while case samples were correctly classified 89.37% of the time.     

Pharmacokinetic study of intraperitoneally administered troglitazone in mice using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of troglitazone in mouse plasma. Troglitazone and its internal standard (IS), rosiglitazone, were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C(18) column (1.7 microm particle size, 50 x 2.1 mm i.d.) by gradient elution with water and methanol at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The cycle time of each analysis was 2.5 min. Rosiglitazone and troglitazone eluted at 1.13 and 1.57 min, respectively, and were chromatographically resolved from the ion suppression and enhancement zones due to the biological matrix effect. Quantitation of the analytes was performed in electrospray negative ionization mode (ESI -ve) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) experiments. The weighted (1/x) calibration curve was quadratic over the plasma concentration range 1-2500 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9966. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) of troglitazone in mouse plasma was lower than 1 ng/mL. The inter- and intra-day variations of the assay were lower than 12.1%; the overall accuracy ranged from 86.4-110.2% and recovery from spiked plasma was more than 60%. The developed method was successfully applied to determine troglitazone in mouse plasma after intraperitoneal administration.     

固相萃取结合超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法及气相色谱-负化学源质谱法测定人血清中的四溴双酚A、六溴环十二烷和多溴联苯醚

建立了固相萃取同时提取、净化血清中四溴双酚A(TBBPA)、α, β, γ-六溴环十二烷(HBCD)和8种多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)同系物的样本前处理方法,并结合色谱-质谱分离分析技术检测人血清样本中该类化合物的含量。试样在加入各自的同位素内标物后以甲基叔丁基醚/正己烷(1:1, v/v)混合溶剂进行萃取,再经浓硫酸去除脂肪后,以LC-Si固相萃取柱分离HBCD/TBBPA和PBDEs。采用分步检测的方式,在50 mm长BEH C18反相色谱柱上以超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)的多反应监测模式(MRM)检测HBCD和TBBPA,在15 m长的毛细管柱上以气相色谱-负化学源质谱(GC-NCI/MS)的选择离子监测模式(SIM)检测PBDEs。以胎牛血清为空白基质,当HBCD、TBBPA和BDE-209的加标水平为0.5 ng/g和5 ng/g、三溴至七溴联苯醚的加标水平为0.05 ng/g和0.5 ng/g时,它们的平均加标回收率为80.3%～108.8%,相对标准偏差为1.02%～11.42%(n=5);以信噪比(S/N)为3计算,方法的检出限(LOD)为1.81～42.16 pg/g。采用该方法对实际样品进行测定,结果表明,本方法快速、准确、灵敏度高,能够满足血清中HBCD、TBBPA和PBDEs残留的同时提取及测定的要求。     

Determination of B-group vitamins in Turkish honey using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method with electrospray ionization (UPLC–ESI–MS/MS) for analysis of B-group vitamins in honey has been presented. Aim of this study is the characterization of different types of Turkish honeys according to B-group vitamins. Vitamins were determined in 17 different types of Turkish honey samples by UPLC–ESI–MS/MS. Heather honey samples were distinguished among the studied honeys with the richest vitamin content with 286.10?mg/kg, and it is followed by sunflower honey and thyme honey with the total vitamin contents of 206.01 and 163.27?mg/kg, respectively. The presence of vitamin B₁ (thiamine), vitamin B₂ (riboflavin), vitamin B₃ (nicotinamide, B₃N and nicotinic acid, B₃H), vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine), and vitamin B₉ (folic acid) was detected in all the honey samples analyzed. Moreover, vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid) was observed in most of them. Vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin) and vitamin B₇ (biotine) were not detected in the studied honey samples. Turkish honey samples showed efficacious vitamin content for the consumers.     

Arsenic and its speciation analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

It is known that arsenic has different toxicological properties dependent upon both its oxidation state for inorganic compounds, as well as the different toxicity levels exhibited for organic arsenic compounds. The field of arsenic speciation analysis has grown rapidly in recent years, especially with the utilization of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), a highly sensitive and robust detector system. Complete characterization of arsenic compounds is necessary to understand intake, accumulation, transport, storage, detoxification and activation of this element in the natural environment and living systems. This review describes the essential background and toxicity of arsenic in the environment, and more importantly, some currently used chromatographic applications and sample handling procedures necessary to accurately detect and quantify arsenic in its various chemical forms. Applications and work using only HPLC-ICP-MS for arsenic speciation of environmental and biological samples are presented in this review.     

Rapid analysis of organic farming insecticides in soil and produce using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A new method for the analysis of three ecological insecticides, namely azadyrachtin, spinosad (sum of spinosyn A and spinosyn D) and rotenone, in produce and soil samples is presented. Investigated compounds are one of the most significant insecticides authorized for organic farming crop protection in many countries. Extraction of the pesticides from plant and soil matrices was performed by using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. The method entailed a single extraction of the investigated compounds with acidified acetonitrile followed by a dispersive solid-phase extraction cleanup step prior to the final determination by reverse-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Validation studies were carried out on cabbage, tomato and soil samples. Recoveries of the spiked samples were in the range between 67% and 108%, depending on the matrix and the spiking level. Relative standard deviations for all matrix–compound combinations did not exceed 12%. The limits of quantification were ≤0.01 mg kg⁻¹ in all cases, except for azadirachtin. The developed method was applied to the analysis of real samples originating from organic farming production.     

Comprehensive quality evaluation of Fructus Schisandrae using electrospray ionization ion trap multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry coupled with chemical pattern recognition techniques

Electrospray ionization ion trap multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)) was used to evaluate Fructus Schisandrae of similar species (Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. fruits and Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. fruits) and different growth characteristics (color, shape, etc.). The application of chemical pattern recognition in the ESI-MS(n) data analysis was carried out by principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Then the antioxidant activity of different Fructus Schisandrae samples were determined by an LC-ESI-MS method and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Using the ESI-MS(n) method coupled with chemical pattern recognition analysis and correlated with the antioxidant activity evaluation, the two similar species were successfully distinguished, thus improving the therapeutic safety and effectiveness. The superior characteristics of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. fruits were obtained and made the selection and breeding of Chinese medicine materials more scientific. This study indicates that ESI-MS(n) is a valuable tool for the authentication of botanical origin and can also be useful for the quality control of Chinese medicinal herbs.     

MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate pattern recognition analysis for the rapid biomarker profiling of Escherichia coli in different growth phases

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) has been exploited extensively in the field of microbiology for the characterisation of bacterial species, the detection of biomarkers for early disease diagnosis and bacterial identification. Here, the multivariate data analysis technique of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to ‘intact cell’ MALDI-ToF MS data obtained from Escherichia coli cell samples to determine if such an approach could be used to distinguish between, and characterise, different growth phases. PLS-DA is a technique that has the potential to extract systematic variation from large and noisy data sets by identifying a lower-dimensional subspace that contains latent information. The application of PLS-DA to the MALDI-ToF data obtained from cells at different stages of growth resulted in the successful classification of the samples according to the growth phase of the bacteria cultures. A further outcome of the analysis was that it was possible to identify the mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio peaks or ion signals that contributed to the classification of the samples. The Swiss-Prot/TrEMBL database and primary literature were then used to provisionally assign a small number of these m/z ion signals to proteins, and these tentative assignments revealed that the major contributors from the exponential phase were ribosomal proteins. Additional assignments were possible for the stationary phase and the decline phase cultures where the proteins identified were consistent with previously observed biological interpretation. In summary, the results show that MALDI-ToF MS, PLS-DA and a protein database search can be used in combination to discriminate between ‘intact cell’ E. coli cell samples in different growth phases and thus could potentially be used as a tool in process development in the bioprocessing industry to enhance cell growth and cell engineering strategies.     

Metabolomic profiling of rat serum associated with isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/TOF-MS)-based metabolomic approach was developed to characterize the metabolic profile associated with isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI). Analysis of the serum samples revealed distinct changes in the biochemical patterns of ISO-induced rats. A multivariate statistical method, supervised partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), was then used for screening of potential biomarkers. As a result, 13 lipid biomarkers, including lysophosphatidylcholines (Lyso-PCs) and fatty acids were identified by the accurate mass measurement of TOF-MS. The relationship between abnormal lipid metabolism and the formation of MI were also studied. This work demonstrates the utility of UPLC/TOF-MS-based metabolic profiling combined with multivariate analysis as a powerful tool to further investigate the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.     

Determination of cyantraniliprole and its major metabolite residues in vegetable and soil using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, highly sensitive and selective method was developed for the determination of the cyantraniliprole and its major metabolite J9Z38 in cucumber, tomato and soil by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS). Target compounds were extracted with acetonitrile and an aliquot cleaned with primary and secondary amine. Two pairs of precursor product ion transitions for cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 were measured and evaluated. Average recoveries for cucumber, tomato and soil at three levels (10, 50 and 100 µg/kg) ranged from 74.7 to 96.2% with intra‐day relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.6–15.1% and inter‐day RSD of 3.4–13.3%. The limit of quantitation for cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 were determined to be 5 and 10 µg/kg in samples (cucumber, tomato and soil), respectively. This method was used to determine the cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 residues in real cucumber, tomato and soil samples for studies on their dissipation. The trial results showed that the half‐lives of cyantraniliprole obtained after treatments were 2.2, 2.8 and 9.5 days in cucumber, tomato and soil in Zhejiang, respectively, and that the average levels of cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 residues in cucumber and tomato were all <0.01 mg/kg with the interval of 10 days after treatment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and pattern recognition of oil-sand naphthenic acids using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Oil-sand naphthenic acids (NAs) are organic wastes produced during the oil-sand digestion and extraction processes and are very difficult to separate and analyze as individual components due to their complex compositions. A comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time of flight mass spectrometry (GC x GC/TOF-MS) system was applied for the characterization of two commercial mixtures of naphthenic acids (Fluka and Acros) and a naphthenic acid sample extracted from the Syncrude tailings. Contour plots of chromatographic distributions of different Z homologous series of the Fluka, Acros and Syncrude NAs were constructed using fragment ions that were characteristic of the NA's molecular structures. Well-ordered patterns were observed for NAs of Z= 0 and -2 which corresponded to acyclic acids and monocyclic acids, respectively. For NAs of Z= -4, -6, and -8, specific zones were observed which would allow the pattern recognition of these NAs obtained from different origins. As expected, gas chromatographic retention times increase with the number of the carbons and the number of rings in the molecules. Little signal was obtained for NAs with Z numbers of -10, or lower. Deconvoluted mass spectra of various NA isomers were derived from the reconstructed GC x GC chromatogram, permitting detailed structural elucidations for NAs in the future. The current study demonstrated that the combination of GC x GC and the TOF-MS is a powerful to identify origins of the NAs in an effective manner. GC x GC/TOF-MS alone, however, may not be enough to characterize each individual isomer in a complex mixture such as NAs. The use of mass deconvolution software followed by library search have thus become necessary to separate and study the mass spectrum of each individual NA component, allowing a detailed identification of the toxic components within the NAs mixture.     

Multi-residue ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method for comprehensive multi-class anthropogenic compounds of emerging concern analysis in a catchment-based exposure-driven study

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - This paper presents a new multi-residue method for the quantification of more than 142 anthropogenic compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in various...     

Phytochemical analysis of traditional Chinese medicine using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly considered to operate due to the synergistic effects of all the major and minor components in the medicines. Hence sensitive and comprehensive analytical techniques are needed to acquire a better understanding of the pharmacological basis of the herb and to enhance the product quality control. The present review mainly focuses on the phytochemical analysis of TCMs using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) are the two commonly used ion sources. Triple quadrupole, ion trap (IT), Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) and time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers are used as on-line analyzer. The relationship between structural features and fragmentation patterns should be investigated as thoroughly as possible and hence be applied in the on-line analysis to deduce the structures of detected peaks. Characteristic fragmentation behaviors of the reference standards, as well as information regarding polarity obtained from retention time data, on-line UV spectra, data from the literature and bio-sources of the compounds allowed the identification of the phytochemical constituents in the crude extracts. Although a mass spectrometer is not a universal detector, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with multistage mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS(n)) technique was still proved to be a rapid and sensitive method to analyze the majority of the many constituents in herbal medicines, particularly for the detection of those present in minor or trace amounts. The methods established using HPLC-MS techniques facilitate the convenient and rapid quality control of traditional medicines and their pharmaceutical preparations. However, the quantitative analysis is not the topic of this review.     

Characterization of glutathione conjugates of chloroacetanilide pesticides using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) isolated from maize were used to catalyze the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) with chloroacetanilide herbicides, producing stable conjugates that were structurally characterized using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QqToF-MS) and liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/IT-MS). Enzyme-mediated dechlorination of alachlor, metolachlor, and propachlor resulted during GSH conjugation as revealed by the mass spectra of the conjugates, which was confirmed by the loss of the chlorine isotopic signature and from high accurate mass measurements. Several fragmentation patterns in the mass spectra of the chloroacetanilide-GSH conjugates can be used to verify the identities of the enzyme reaction products, such as characteristic ions corresponding to the neutral loss of glutamic acid residue (129 Da) and water (18 Da) observed in the product ion spectrum. For the first time, data are presented showing detection of chloroacetanilides that are conjugated with two GSH molecules, in addition to the known single GSH conjugates.