Characterization of polysaccharide production of Haemophilus influenzae type b and its relationship to bacterial cell growth

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) causes invasive infections in infants and young children. Vaccines consisting of Hib capsular polysaccharide (polymer of ribosylribitol phosphate [PRP]) conjugated to a protein are effective in the prevention of such infections. The production of capsular polysaccharide type b was studied in three cultivation conditions: single, glucose pulse, and repeated batch. Specific polysaccharide production (Y _p/x ) was calculated for all experiments, showing the following values: 67 (single-batch cultivation), 71 (glucose pulse), 75 (repeated-batch cultivation, first batch), and 87 mg of PRP/g of dry cell weight (DCW) (repeated-batch cultivation, second batch). Biomass concentration reached ∼1.8 g of DCW/L, while polysaccharide concentration was about ∼132 mg/L in the three fermentation runs. Polysaccharide synthesis is associated with cell growth in all studied conditions as established by Kono's analysis and Luedeking-Piret's model.     

Amperometric Biosensor Based on Immobilization Acetylcholinesterase on Manganese Porphyrin Nanoparticles for Detection of Trichlorfon with Flow‐Injection Analysis System

A highly sensitive amperometric biosensor for the detection of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) is developed. The biosensor was fabricated by immobilized acetylcholinesterase (AChE) on manganese (III) meso‐tetraphenylporphyrin (MnTPP) nanoparticles (NPs)‐modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The MnTPP NPs used in this article were synthesized by mixing solvent techniques. AChE enzyme was immobilized on the MnTPP NPs surface by conjugated with chitosan (CHIT). The electrocatalytic activity of MnTPP NPs led to a greatly improved performance for thiocholine (TCh) product detection. The developed AChE‐CHIT/MnTPPNP/GC biosensor integrated with a flow‐injection analysis (FIA) system was used to monitor trichlorfon (typical OP). A wide linear inhibition response for trichlorfon is observed in the range of 1.0 nM–1.0 mM, corresponding to 10–83% inhibition for AChE with a detection limit of 0.5 nM.     

Development and validation of an HPLC method to quantify 3,4‐dideoxyglucosone‐3‐ene in peritoneal dialysis fluids

A method was developed and validated to quantify 3,4‐dideoxyglucosone‐3‐ene in peritoneal dialysis fluids by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection after derivatization with o‐phenylenediamine. The advantages of this method compared with direct HPLC analysis are (i) the possibility of quantifying 3,4‐dideoxyglucosone‐3‐ene simultaneously together with other glucose degradation products, (ii) the compatibility of the method with MS detection for unequivocal identification of the analyte and (iii) a bathochromic shift of the UV absorbance maximum which leads to higher selectivity. The validated method was used to measure 3,4‐dideoxyglucosone‐3‐ene concentrations additionally to the glucose degradation products 3‐deoxyglucosone, methylglyoxal, glyoxal, 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural, 2‐furaldehyde, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in 19 commercial products for peritoneal dialysis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative proton magnetic resonance determination of N,N‐dimethylformamide in one intermediate of the Quimi‐Hib vaccine

Quimi‐Hib is a conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) where the Hib antigen is the only one produced by chemical synthesis. NMR has become the alternative of choice for the identity of intermediates during the chemical synthesis of Hib antigen. We explore a rapid quantitative proton magnetic resonance (qHNMR) assay for the determination of N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as a residual in one of the critical intermediates. The proposed assay has been shown to be accurate, precise for intermediate precision conditions (relative standard deviation <3% for spectrometer‐to‐spectrometer variations), specific (no detected interferences), and rugged (percentage difference <3% for day‐to‐day and spectrometer‐to‐spectrometer variations). The quantitative NMR assay can replace the common chromatographic methods for monitoring the DMF contents in one crucial step of the synthetic scheme. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of γ-aminobutyric acid in the heads of houseflies (Musca domestica) and diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella (L.)), using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A novel method was developed for quantifying the levels of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the heads of houseflies (Musca domestica) and diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella (L.)), using capillary electrophoresis with laser‐induced fluorescence detection (CE‐LIF). The GABA in sample was derivatized with 4‐chloro‐7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole (NBD‐Cl) prior to CE‐LIF analysis. In total, 32 mmol/L borate buffer, at pH 9.2 and containing 5.3 mmol/L β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and 10.4 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was determined to be the optimum CE background electrolyte (BGE) for GABA analysis. The detection limit of GABA was 0.016 μmol/L. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the migration time and peak area of GABA were 1.78 and 4.93%, respectively. The average recoveries of 0.97, 3.88, and 5.83 μmol/L of GABA, each added to the head sample of housefly, ranged from 88.9 to 110.5%. This method is simple and applicable to GABA assays of the heads of insects. With this newly developed CE‐LIF method, the amounts of GABA in the heads of houseflies (M. domestica) and diamondback moths (P. xylostella (L.)) were measured. The results are relevant to the understandings of some insecticides and insecticide‐resistance mechanisms in pests.     

Simultaneous determination of N-benzylpiperazine and 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine in rat plasma by HPLC-fluorescence detection and its application to monitoring of these drugs

An HPLC‐fluorescence detection method for simultaneous determination of N‐benzylpiperazine (BZP) and 1‐(3‐trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP) labeled with 4‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐1 H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)benzoyl chloride (DIB‐Cl) was described. DIB‐BZP and ‐TFMPP were well separated within 13 min without interference of peaks from plasma components. The lower detection limits of BZP and TFMPP at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 were 0.9 and 4.6 ng/mL, respectively. Precisions of the proposed method for intra‐ and inter‐day assays were less than 4.8 and 9.1% as %RSD (n = 5). Furthermore, the method could be successfully applied to monitor both compounds in plasma after their sole or co‐administration to rats (each dose, 2 mg/kg). Clearance of TFMPP was significantly different under the conditions (P = 0.047). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In Situ Analysis for Herbal Pieces of Aconitum Plants by Using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry

In this study, an extend application was developed to in situ analyze the herbal pieces of Aconitum plants by Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART‐MS). Nearly all aconitine‐type alkaloids can be desorbed and ionized in this method, including diester diterpenoid aconitines (DDAs), monoester diterpenoid aconitines (MDAs) and some other diterpenoid aconitines. The spectra of in situ analysis for the herbal pieces of aconitum plants are similar with that of their extracts. Radix Aconiti and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii can be distinguished from each other by the intensity differences of character fragment ions from MDAs, such as m/z 586, 572, and 556. The qualified and unqualified herbal pieces can be also identified by the relative abundances of DDAs. The RSD of the relative abundances of some character ions at m/z 556, 586, and 590 were 13.53%, 4.03%, and 12.03%, respectively. So this in situ analytical method can identify both the types of Aconitum preparata and their quality. It provides the following advantages in the analysis of Chinese herbs: fast detection without much pretreatment, high‐throughput analysis, and reduction of pollution without any organic solvent.     

Quantification of flavonoid glycosides in an aqueous extract from the traditional Mongolian medicinal plant Dianthus versicolor FISCH

An HPLC‐diode array detection (DAD) method was established in order to investigate dried aerial parts of Dianthus versicolor FISCH. (Caryophyllaceae), a plant used in traditional Mongolian medicine against liver impairment. Aqueous extracts were separated on an Aquasil^® C₁₈ column with a linear gradient of acetonitrile (ACN) and water (adjusted to pH 2.8 with formic acid) as the mobile phase. LC‐IT‐MS facilitated the assignment of 26 flavonoids, among them a series of rare C‐glycosylated as well as O‐glycosylated derivatives, which are assumed to be the active principles. Quantification was performed and validated using isovitexin‐7‐O‐glucoside (saponarin) as the external standard. The method showed good linear behaviour (r² ≥0.9999) over the investigated concentration range (0.007–3.5 mg/mL). The good precision of the method allowed the successful qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoid‐glycosides in the aqueous extracts prepared from five different D. versicolor samples. Depending on the origin of the samples, the total flavonoid content was found to vary considerably from 0.41 to 3.30% in the aqueous extracts and from 0.07 to 0.57% in the crude drug. In addition, the relative composition of the various flavonoids was found to differ strongly. These results highlight the need for proper quality control for this herbal drug.     

Application of neural networks with novel independent component analysis methodologies for the simultaneous determination of cadmium,copper, and lead using an ISE array

The paper introduces a novel chemometric strategy based on independent component analysis (ICA) coupled with a back‐propagation neural network. In this approach, one of the most popular ICA methods, the fast fixed‐point algorithm for ICA (fastICA), was implemented by the genetic algorithm (geneticICA) to avoid the local maxima problem commonly observed with fastICA. As a case study, an ion‐selective electrode (ISE) array, consisting of three working electrodes and one reference electrode, was used for the simultaneous determination of three heavy metals (cadmium, copper, and lead) in aqueous solutions, which are normally prone to severe interferences. The robustness and appropriateness of the approach were assessed using the average mean of relative error (MRE) of triplicated external validation. After configuration and optimization, the average MRE for Cu was <5%. For the determination of Cd and Pb, whose ISEs normally cannot tolerate Cu ions even at the microgram per liter levels, the MREs were 8%. This article demonstrated that this approach can be applied to the detection of heavy metal contamination in industrial wastewater with prediction accuracies comparable with other popular quantitative chemometric neural network methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On‐Site Determination of Carbendazim,Cathecol and Hydroquinone in Tap Water Using a Homemade Batch Injection Analysis Cell for Screen Printed Electrodes

In this work, we present a simple homemade batch‐injection analysis cell for screen‐printed electrodes (BIA‐SPE). The potential of the proposed system for on‐site analysis was demonstrated by the determination of carbendazim, catechol, and hydroquinone in tap water. The system provided reduced injection volume (30 µL), high analytical frequency (≈200 h^?1) and low detection limits (nanomolar level). Moreover, the BIA‐SPE cell presented better stability (RSD≈0.4 %) than a conventional flow injection cell for SPE (RSD≈5.0 %) in organic media. The proposed homemade BIA‐SPE cell is very simple, inexpensive and can be easily constructed in any laboratory.     

FIA Determination of Paracetamol in Pharmaceutical Drugs by Using Gold Electrodes Modified with a 3‐Mercaptopropionic Acid Monolayer

A flow injection analysis (FIA) method for the determination of paracetamol in pharmaceutical drugs using a gold electrode modified with a self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3‐mercaptopropionic acid is described. At optimized experimental conditions the dynamic concentration range was 0.15 to 15.0 mg L^?1 with a detection limit of 0.2 μg mL^?1 (S/N=3). The repeatability of current responses for injections of 10 μmol L^?1 paracetamol was evaluated to be 3.2% (n=30) and the analytical frequency was 180 h^?1. The lifetime of the modified electrode was found to be 15 days. The results obtained by using the proposed amperometric method for paracetamol determination in four different drug samples compared well with those found by spectrophotometry.     

Determination of Aluminum by Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry with 1,2‐Dihydroxyanthraquinone‐3‐Sulfonic Acid (DASA): Effect of Thin Mercury Film Electrode

An analytical technique for aluminum (Al) based upon the complexation reaction between Al and the ligand – DASA (1,2‐dihydroxy‐anthraquinone‐3‐sulfonic acid) has previously been implemented successfully at the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). There are several advantages of using mercury film electrodes (TMFE) over the HMDE, particularly if disposal of mercury is of concern. The novelty of using TMFE for adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (ACSV) of Al – DASA is demonstrated in this paper. The peak potential used for the detection of Al in this system was at ?1.15 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The method produced a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 μM (n=5) and a linear working range of 1–20 μM Al. Atomic force microscopy methods were used to investigate the nature of the TMFE and its interaction with DASA. The mercury droplets on the TMFE have a limited volume and this may lead to overloading of the electrode at relatively low concentrations of DASA. Interferences from Fe, Ca, Zn and Mg were investigated with only Fe appearing to interfere with the Al‐DASA system. Two masking agents (o‐phenanthroline and 2,2′‐bipyridyl) were shown to be effective at preventing the Fe interference.     

Rapid qualitative analysis of 2 flavonoids,rutin and silybin,in medical pills by direct analysis in real‐time mass spectrometry (DART‐MS) combined with in situ derivatization

Direct analysis in real‐time mass spectrometry (DART‐MS) with in situ silylation was used for the rapid analysis of the flavonoids silybin ((2R,3R)‐3,5,7‐trihydroxy‐2‐[3‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐2‐hydroxymethyl‐2,3‐dihydrobenzo[1,4]dioxin‐6‐yl]chroman‐4‐one) and rutin (quercetin‐3‐O‐rutinoside). Three different derivatization reagents, hexamethyldisilazane/trimethylchlorosilane/pyridine (HMDS/TMCS/pyridine), N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide/trimethylchlorosilane/N‐trimethylsilyimidazole (BSA/TMCS/TMSI), and N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide/trimethylchlorosilane (BSTFA/TMCS), were applied. Silybin and rutin were detected with various degrees of silylation, and the formation of dimers with pyridine and imidazole was also observed. HMDS/TMCS/pyridine was the best choice for the DART‐MS analysis of silybin, and BSA/TMCS/TMSI was the most effective for the detection of rutin. The effects of the DART source temperature on desorption, ionization, in‐source fragmentation, dimer formation, and hydrolysis of the trimethylsilyl groups were also studied. In addition, the collision‐induced dissociation properties of the derivatized silybin and rutin were explored. With our in situ silylation method, the derivatized bioactive compounds in intact medical pills could also be detected by DART‐MS.     

Enantiomeric analysis of simendan on polysaccharide‐based stationary phases by polar organic solvent chromatography

Herein, the enantiomeric separation of simendan by high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection using polysaccharide‐based chiral stationary phases in polar organic mode is described. Three chiral columns (Chiralpak AD‐H, Chiralcel OD‐H, and Chiralpak AS) were screened using pure methanol and acetonitrile without additives under isocratic conditions. A reversed elution order was observed on the Chiralpak AD‐H column when the methanol content in the mobile phase (methanol–acetonitrile mixtures) was above 10%, whereby levosimendan eluted prior to dextrosimendan. Further, it was found that increasing temperature effectively improved the enantioresolution on the Chiralpak AD‐H column. Van't Hoff analysis was performed to evaluate the contribution of enthalpy and entropy to the chiral discrimination process. The best enantioseparation (α = 3.00, Rs = 12.85) was obtained on the Chiralpak AD‐H column with methanol as the mobile phase at 40°C. Thus, a quantitative method for the resolution of dextrosimendan was established and validated, which could be used as a reference for the determination of dextrosimendan in levosimendan products.     

Application of genetic algorithm‐support vector regression (GA‐SVR) for quantitative analysis of herbal medicines

In this paper, a genetic algorithm‐support vector regression (GA‐SVR) coupled approach was proposed for investigating the relationship between fingerprints and properties of herbal medicines. GA was used to select variables so as to improve the predictive ability of the models. Two other widely used approaches, Random Forests (RF) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) combined with GA (namely GA‐RF and GA‐PLSR, respectively), were also employed and compared with the GA‐SVR method. The models were evaluated in terms of the correlation coefficient between the measured and predicted values (Rp), root mean square error of prediction, and root mean square error of leave‐one‐out cross‐validation. The performance has been tested on a simulated system, a chromatographic data set, and a near‐infrared spectroscopic data set. The obtained results indicate that the GA‐SVR model provides a more accurate answer, with higher Rp and lower root mean square error. The proposed method is suitable for the quantitative analysis and quality control of herbal medicines. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

聚类分析辅助中药寡糖电泳分析鉴定中药

基于中药多糖结构的复杂性和特征性,针对多糖部分降解后的寡糖片段,建立了一种采用毛细管区带电泳法(CZE)分离分析中药寡糖,并利用其特征性电泳谱图信息,结合聚类分析(CA)进行中药鉴定的方法。该方法以1-苯基-3-甲基-5-吡唑啉酮(PMP)为寡糖柱前衍生化试剂,对3个科属的6种中药如黄精、玉竹等同时进行鉴定。采用的电泳条件:未涂层熔融石英毛细管柱(49 cm(有效长度40 cm)×50 μm),以50 mmol/L磷酸盐缓冲液(pH 2.5)为运行缓冲液,检测波长为245 nm,运行电压为15 kV,虹吸进样10 cm×4 s,柱温为室温。结果表明聚类分析辅助中药寡糖电泳分析法可有效用于3个科属6种中药的鉴定。本方法结果可靠,重现性好,可以作为中药鉴定的一种有效手段。     

Simultaneous determination of 13 carbohydrates using high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and mass spectrometry

A simple, accurate, and highly sensitive method was developed for the determination of 13 carbohydrates in polysaccharide of Spirulina platensis based on high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and mass spectrometry. Samples were extracted with deionized water using ultrasonic‐assisted extraction, and the ultrasound‐assisted extraction conditions were optimized by Box–Behnken design. Then the extracted polysaccharide was hydrolyzed by adding 1 mol/L trifluoroacetic acid before determination by high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and confirmed by high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection method was performed on a CarboPac PA20 column by gradient elution using deionized water, 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution, and 0.4 mol/L sodium acetate solution. Excellent linearity was observed in the range of 0.05–10 mg/L. The average recoveries ranged from 80.7 to 121.7%. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for 13 carbohydrates were 0.02–0.10 and 0.2–1.2  μg/kg, respectively. The developed method has been successfully applied to ambient samples, and the results indicated that high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and mass spectrometry could provide a rapid and accurate method for the simultaneous determination of carbohydrates.     

Synthesis,thermal characterization,and tensile properties of alipharomatic polyesters derived from 1,3‐propanediol and terephthalic,isophthalic, and 2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylic acid

In this work, three alipharomatic polyesters—poly(propylene terephthalate) (PPT), poly(propylene isophthalate) (PPI), and poly(propylene naphthalate) (PPN)—were prepared and studied with the aliphatic diol 1,3‐propanediol and the corresponding aromatic diacids. Their synthesis was performed by the two‐stage melt polycondensation method in a glass batch reactor. The thermal characterization of these polyesters was carried out with different thermal techniques such as simultaneous thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis, thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and dynamic thermomechanical analysis. From the recorded values for the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and melting temperature with all the aforementioned techniques, it could be said that they were in good agreement. According to the thermogravimetric results, PPT and PPI showed about the same thermal stability, whereas PPN seemed to be somewhere more thermostable. Remarkably, a transition existed immediately after T_g that was realized by the first derivative of TMA, and it was characterized as a midrange transition. For all polyesters, the average coefficient of linear thermal expansion was calculated with TMA. The secondary relaxations T_β and T_γ, recorded with dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, were mainly affected by the kinds of monomers. Concerning the mechanical properties, PPN had the highest tensile strength at break, whereas PPT had the highest elongation at break. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3998–4011, 2005     

Round‐robin experiment in high‐temperature gel permeation chromatography

The results of an interlaboratory or round‐robin experiment in high‐temperature gel permeation chromatography (HT‐GPC) analysis are presented. The intention was to determine and raise awareness of interlaboratory reproducibility of HT‐GPC techniques. Fifteen laboratories performed analyses of five polyethylene samples and standards SRM 1475 and 1476. Reproducibility, as measured by the interlaboratory standard deviation (s_LAB), was greatly influenced by the breadth of the molecular weight distribution (MWD) and branching. The s_LAB values for the weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) of linear polyethylenes of narrow and broad MWDs were 4 and 14%, respectively. For branched polymers, GPC viscometry methods are shown to measure significantly higher molecular weights than the noncoupled GPC method, with higher variance. For branched polyethylenes measured with GPC viscometry, the reproducibility of M_w was characterized by s_LAB = 18%. Reproducibility of the SRM 1475 standard was better than for unknowns. The results for branched standard SRM 1476 emphasize the important role of the detection method in GPC but call into question the use of this material as a molecular weight standard. For single‐site polyethylene, only a handful of labs measured an MWD that closely matched the Flory distribution. Qualitatively, the responses indicate that many variations in instrument and analytical methods exist among laboratories; this is partly a reflection of the development and refinements that this technique must yet undergo before a truly standard method is widely accepted and practiced. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 905–921, 2002     

Classification of the medicinal plants of the genus Atractylodes using high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array and tandem mass spectrometry detection combined with multivariate statistical analysis

Analytical methods using high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array and tandem mass spectrometry detection were developed for the discrimination of the rhizomes of four Atractylodes medicinal plants: A. japonica, A. macrocephala, A. chinensis, and A. lancea. A quantitative study was performed, selecting five bioactive components, including atractylenolide I, II, III, eudesma‐4(14),7(11)‐dien‐8‐one and atractylodin, on twenty‐six Atractylodes samples of various origins. Sample extraction was optimized to sonication with 80% methanol for 40 min at room temperature. High‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection was established using a C₁₈ column with a water/acetonitrile gradient system at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was set at 236 nm. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was applied to certify the reliability of the quantitative results. The developed methods were validated by ensuring specificity, linearity, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, recovery, robustness, and stability. Results showed that cangzhu contained higher amounts of atractylenolide I and atractylodin than baizhu, and especially atractylodin contents showed the greatest variation between baizhu and cangzhu. Multivariate statistical analysis, such as principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, were also employed for further classification of the Atractylodes plants. The established method was suitable for quality control of the Atractylodes plants.