Simultaneous determination of six isoflavonoids in rat plasma after administration of total flavonoid from Gegen by ultra-HPLC-MS/MS

A simple, specific, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 3'-hydroxypuerarin, 6'-O-xylosylpuerarin, mirificin, puerarin, 3'-methoxypuerarin and daidzin in rat plasma. After the addition of methanol containing 0.1% formic acid and 10% ascorbic acid, the analytes and rutoside were obtained by protein precipitation, then separated on a Thermo Syncronis C18 column (2.1 mm × 10 cm, 1.7 μm) by gradient elution and monitored using an electrospray ionization interface operating in positive ion and selective reaction monitoring acquisition mode. The calibration curves of these analytes showed good linearity (r > 0.99) within the test ranges. The lower limit of quantification was 0.0200 μg/mL for 3'-hydroxypuerarin, 0.0101 μg/mL for 6'-O-xylosylpuerarin, 0.0100 μg/mL for mirificin and puerarin, 0.0098 μg/mL for 3'-methoxypuerarin, and 0.0090 μg/mL for daidzin. The intraday and interday precision and accuracy were all within 15%. The extraction recoveries were from 74.0 to 95.8%. The validated method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of the six isoflavonoids in rat plasma after intravenous administration of total flavonoids from Gegen.     

Determination of acidic herbicides in fruits and vegetables using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

The use of quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe method followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was found to be the best combination for multiresidue determination of eight acidic herbicides in fruits and vegetables in terms of high recovery, short time of analysis, low cost and safety. Recent few articles were published for determination of different classes of acidic herbicides in single multiresidue method. In the present study, mass spectrophotometric conditions were individually optimised for eight acidic herbicides, namely 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, bentazone, bromoxynil, fluazifop, fluroxypyr, imazethapyr, ioxynil and triclopyr to achieve maximum sensitivity and selectivity in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode allowing simultaneous identification and quantification in a single run. Identity confirmation and quantitation were attained by using negative electrospray ionisation LC-MS/MS (ESI?) in MRM mode. Due to LC-MS/MS signal suppression, determination of pesticide residues was based on matrix-matched standard calculations. Most of the evaluated compounds showed a recovery ranging from 81% to 113% with relative standard deviations less than 16 % indicating acceptable precision. The precision and accuracy of the method were determined from recovery experiments on six replicates of spiked blank strawberry and green beans samples at 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg. The developed assay was linear over concentration range of 0.01–0.5 µg/mL, with correlation coefficient greater than 0.99 at the limit of quantitation 0.01 µg/mL. The proposed assay was successfully applied for the analysis of the studied acidic herbicides residues in two proficiency test samples. This wide scope assay protocol is applicable for monitoring acidic herbicides residues in fruits and vegetables by national regulatory authorities and accredited labs in order to help ensuring the safety of such widely used food products.     

Rapid extraction and determination of atrazine and its degradation products from microporous mineral sorbents using microwave-assisted solvent extraction followed by ultra-HPLC-MS/MS

We have evaluated three methods for the extraction of atrazine and six of its degradation products from microporous mineral sorbents. Soxhlet extraction and ultrasonic extraction, which work well on soils and sediments, recover only <15 % of the atrazine from a dealuminated Y zeolite. Closed-vessel microwave-assisted extraction, in contrast, gives much better recoveries. This is attributed to the accelerated mass transfer at elevated temperatures and the displacement by the solvent forced into the mineral micropores under elevated pressures. Under the optimized conditions, the recovery of atrazine from the hydrophilic Y zeolites (Si/Al ratios <8) is almost quantitative, and ～77 % for the more hydrophobic ones. The extraction efficiencies for the degradation products of atrazine in the hydrophilic zeolites (74.1–100 %) are also higher than those in the hydrophobic ones (22.3–44.2 %). The extracted compounds were quantified by a combination of ultra-HPLC and tandem MS and resulted in detection limits between 0.04 and 1.41 mg kg^?1 on a hydrophilic Y zeolite (Si/Al?=?2.55), and of 0.09–2.35 mg kg^?1 on a hydrophobic zeolite (Si/Al?=?15). The method was applied to study the degradation of atrazine sorbed on dealuminated Y zeolites.      

Removal, preconcentration and spectrophotometric determination of U(VI) from water samples using modified maghemite nanoparticles

Arsenazo III modified maghemite nanoparticles (A-MMNPs) was used for removing and preconcentration of U(VI) from aqueous samples. The effects of contact time, amount of adsorbent, pH and competitive ions was investigated. The experimental results were fitted to the Langmuir adsorption model in the studied concentration range of uranium (1.0 × 10^?4–1.0 × 10^?2 mol L^?1). According to the results obtained by Langmuir equation, the maximum adsorption capacity for the adsorption of U(VI) on A-MMNPs was 285 mg g^?1 at pH 7. The adsorbed uranium on the A-MMNPs was then desorbed by 0.5 mol L^?1 NaOH solution and determined spectrophotometrically. A preconcentration factor of 400 was achieved in this method. The calibration graph was linear in the range 0.04–2.4 ng mL^?1 (1.0 × 10^?10–1.0 × 10^?8 mol L^?1) of U(VI) with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The detection limit of the method for determination of U(VI) was 0.01 ng mL^?1 and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for the determination of 1.43 and 2.38 ng mL^?1 of U(VI) was 3.62% and 1.17% (n = 5), respectively. The method was applied to the determination of U(VI) in water samples.     

Detection of 13 mycotoxins in feed using modified QuEChERS with dispersive magnetic materials and UHPLC–MS/MS

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 13 mycotoxins in feed by magnetic dispersive solid‐phase extraction combined with ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was developed. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile/water (80:20, v/v, containing 3% acetic acid), and separated by centrifugation after salting‐out, and then treated with magnetic adsorbents to remove interferences. The separation of target mycotoxins was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column using a mobile phase consisting of 1 mmol/L ammonium acetate with 0.1% formic acid and methanol by gradient elution. Good linearities for the 13 mycotoxins were achieved with correlation coefficients over 0.99, and the recoveries of mycotoxins were in the range of 89.3–112.6% at spiking at levels of 5, 20, and 100 μg/kg, with relative standard deviations of 0.9–10.4%. Based on the functional magnetic materials (MDN@Fe₃O₄, PSA@Fe₃O₄, ZrO_2@Fe₃O₄) applied in dispersive solid‐phase extraction, the pretreatment process is more convenient and it is beneficial to reduce the experimental cost by reusing the recycled magnetic materials. It is a simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly analytical method for the determination of mycotoxins in feed.     

Simultaneous determination of pyrifluquinazon and its main metabolite in fruits and vegetables by using QuEChERS–HPLC–MS/MS

A rapid, reliable, and sensitive method is reported for the simultaneous analysis of pyrifluquinazon and its main metabolite NNI‐0101‐1H in fruits (strawberry and cherry) and vegetables (cucumber and tomato) using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. A modified, quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure was used for the sample pre‐preparation. The target analytes were extracted with acetonitrile and then cleaned up using dispersive solid‐phase extraction procedure with primary secondary amine. Sample analysis was performed using electrospray ionization in positive mode. Good linearities with the correlation coefficients higher than 0.9991 were obtained in the range of 1–1000 μg/L under the optimized conditions. The average recoveries of the pyrifluquinazon and NNI‐0101‐1H were in the range of 71.4–106.0% with the relative standard deviations 1.8–11.8% in all matrices at three spiked levels (10, 100, and 1000 μg/kg). The limit of quantification 10 μg/kg was set as the lowest spiked level. The developed method is reliable and effective for the routine monitoring of pyrifluquinazon and its metabolite NNI‐0101‐1H in fruits and vegetables to ensure food safety.     

Applications of LC/ESI-MS/MS and UHPLC QqTOF MS for the determination of 148 pesticides in fruits and vegetables

This paper presented the applications of liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) and ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC QqTOF MS) for the determination of 148 pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Pesticides were extracted from fruits and vegetables using a buffered QuEChERS method. Quantification was achieved using matrix-matched standard calibration curves with isotopically labeled standards or a chemical analog as internal standards in an analytical range from 5 to 500 μg/kg. The method performance parameters including overall recovery, intermediate precision, and measurement uncertainty were evaluated according to a statistically designed experiment, i.e., a nested design. For LC/ESI-MS/MS, 95% of the pesticides had recoveries between 81% and 110%; 97% had an intermediate precision ≤20%; and 95% (in fruits) or 93% (in vegetables) showed measurement uncertainty ≤40%. Compared to LC/ESI-MS/MS, UHPLC QqTOF MS showed a relatively poor repeatability and large measurement uncertainty. About 93% (in fruits) or 94% (in vegetables) of the pesticides had recoveries between 81% and 110%; 86% (in fruits) or 90% (in vegetables) had an intermediate precision ≤20%; and 79% (in fruits) or 88% (in vegetables) showed measurement uncertainty ≤40%. LC/ESI-MS/MS proved to be the first choice for quantification or pre-target analysis due to its superior sensitivity and good repeatability. UHPLC QqTOF MS provided accurate mass measurement and isotopic patterns, and was an ideal tool for post-target screening and confirmation.     

Advantages of automation in plasma sample preparation prior to HPLC/MS/MS quantification: application to the determination of cilazapril and cilazaprilat in a bioequivalence study

An HPLC/MS/MS method characterized by complete automation and high throughput was developed for the determination of cilazapril and its active metabolite cilazaprilat in human plasma. All sample preparation and analysis steps were performed by using 2.2 mL 96 deep-well plates, while robotic liquid handling workstations were utilized for all liquid transfer steps, including liquid-liquid extraction. The whole procedure was very fast compared to a manual procedure with vials and no automation. The method also had a very short chromatographic run time of 1.5 min. Sample analysis was performed by RP-HPLC/MS/MS with positive electrospray ionization using multiple reaction monitoring. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.500-300 and 0.250-150 ng/mL for cilazapril and cilazaprilat, respectively. The proposed method was fully validated and proved to be selective, accurate, precise, reproducible, and suitable for the determination of cilazapril and cilazaprilat in human plasma. Therefore, it was applied to a bioequivalence study after per os administration of 2.5 mg tablet formulations of cilazapril.     

Selective extraction of peptides in acidic human plasma by porous silica nanoparticles for peptidome analysis with 2-D LC-MS/MS

In this study, an improved method for human plasma peptidome analysis including selective porous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) extraction and subsequent online 2-D nano-LC-MS/MS analysis was established. Enhanced enrichment efficiency for the MCM-41 extraction was obtained by adjusting the pH of the plasma sample to 2.5. A total of 1680 unique peptides were identified in the plasma sample obtained from one healthy donor, which is nearly twice the amount identified from the native state of the plasma sample. The hydrophobic property, molecular weight (MW), and pI distribution of the identified peptides at pH 2.5 and native state of the plasma sample were systematically investigated and compared. Furthermore, many unusual cleaved peptides from plasma proteins (e. g., HSA) were observed at pH 2.5, which clearly show a ladder pattern. The cleavage patterns for all of the identified peptides at pH 2.5 were summarized, and chymosin and cathepsin D were confirmed as the possible peptidases responsible for the change of cleavage pattern in peptide profiling.     

Sensitive and selective determination of imidacloprid with magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer by using LC/Q-TOF/MS

In this paper, magnetic-molecularly imprinted polymer was used for the preconcentration of trace levels of imidacloprid in water and apple samples prior to liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometric determination. The selectivity of the magnetic polymer was united with the sensitivity and the high resolving power of the chromatographic system. The developed method showed a linear range from 10.0 to 500.0 µg/L. The quantitative recoveries were obtained for water and apple samples in the range of 92.0%–99.0 %. The relative standard deviations of intra-day and inter-day tests were found to be in the range of 0.8%–1.2% and 1.2%–1.6 %, respectively. In addition, the same magnetic-molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) can be used at least ten cycles for the determination of imidacloprid. The preconcentration factor of the method was found to be 2.5, and the total preconcentration procedure can be completed in 1 h. Characterization of synthesised particles were executed with various techniques. Due to its suitable limit of detection, dynamic linear range, sensitivity and selectivity, the developed method seemed to be ideal for the determination and preconcentration of imidacloprid in water and fruit samples.     

Dissipation and residue behaviour of oryzalin in grape ecosystem using RRLC-QqQ-MS/MS

The dissipation and terminal residues of oryzalin in grape ecosystem under open-field condition were investigated at two different locations, Beijing and Shandong in China. Residues in field-treated samples were determined by a sample method using rapid resolution liquid chromatography triples quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-QqQ-MS/MS). This method showed satisfactory qualitative and quantitative performance. The mean recoveries of oryzalin at different fortification levels (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg for grape; 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 30 mg/kg for soil) ranged from 88.2% to 98.8%, with the relative standard deviations ≤4.9%. The limits of detection and quantification were, respectively, 0.003 and 0.01 mg/kg. In soil, the dissipation half-lives were about 9 days and the terminal residues ranged from <0.01 to 0.58 mg/kg in both Beijing and Shandong. The concentrations of oryzalin in grapes were lower than 0.01 mg/kg in most of the samples of dissipation study and all the samples of residue study. As far as we know, this is the first study focusing on the dissipation and terminal residue of oryzalin in grape ecosystem, and no maximum residue limits (MRLs) of oryzalin in grapes were recommended by China, Codex Alimentarius Commission or European Union . Therefore, these data not only provide important information about the fate and residues of oryzalin in grape ecosystem, but also could be very useful for the establishment of the MRLs of oryzalin in grapes.     

Polydopamine-based molecularly imprinting polymers on magnetic nanoparticles for recognition and enrichment of ochratoxins prior to their determination by HPLC

A polydopamine-based molecularly imprinted polymer was deposited on the surface of magnetite (ferroferric oxide) nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@PDA MIPs) and is shown to be an efficient and fairly specific sorbent for the extraction of various ochratoxins. The MIPs were characterized by IR spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption capacities, evaluated through the langmuir adsorption isotherm model, are 1.8, 0.23 and 0.17 mg·g^?1 for ochratoxin A, ochratoxin B and ochratoxin C, respectively. Parameters such as the amount of magnetic MIPs, pH value, time for ultrasonication, elution solvent and volume were optimized. Following desorption from the MIP with acetonitrile, the ochratoxins were quantified by HPLC with fluorometric detection. Under optimal experimental conditions, the calibration plots are linear in the range of 0.01–1.0 ng·mL^?1 of OTA, 0.02–2.0 ng·mL^?1 of OTB, and 0.002–0.2 ng·mL^?1 of OTC. The LODs are between 1.8 and 18 pg·mL^?1, and the recoveries from spiked samples are 71.0% - 88.5%, with RSDs of 2.3–3.8% in case of rice and wine samples. The MIPs can be re-used for at least 7 times.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract Schematic of the preparation of a magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer based on self-polymerization of dopamine in weakly alkaline solution. Ochratoxins are recognized owing to homologous cavities in the MIPs, and quantified by HPLC after desorption with acetonitrile.

     

Enantioselective determination of carboxyl acid amide fungicide mandipropamid in vegetables and fruits by chiral LC coupled with MS/MS

An efficient enantioselective method for the determination of mandipropamid in vegetables and fruits was presented by LC coupled with MS/MS. The mandipropamid residues in samples (potato, pepper, grape, and watermelon) were extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid. An aliquot was cleaned up with primary and secondary amine and C₁₈ sorbent. Complete enantioseparation of mandipropamid enantiomers in <4 min was obtained on a Lux Cellulose‐2 column at 25°C using methanol with 0.1% formic acid/0.1% aqueous formic acid solution (85:15, v/v) as mobile phase. Good linearity was obtained over the concentration range of 0.5–250 μg/L for each enantiomer in the standard solution and sample matrix calibration curves. Quantification was achieved using matrix‐matched standard calibration curves. The interday mean recoveries, intraday repeatability, and inter‐day reproducibility varied from 76.4 to 97.1%, 3.4 to 9.4%, and 3.5 to 11.4%, respectively. The limits of quantification for mandipropamid enantiomers in vegetables and fruits were both 1 μg/kg. Moreover, the absolute configuration of mandipropamid enantiomers was determined by the combination of experimental and predicted electronic circular dichroism spectra, and the first eluted enantiomer was confirmed as (R)‐mandipropamid on five chiral columns.     

Structure determination of photocyclodimers of 2-cycloalkenones via enantioselective gas chromatography and GC/MS analysis

Enantioselective gas chromatography combined with GC/MS analysis allows the direct assignment of constitution and configuration of the photocyclodimers of cyclic enones – .     

Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of Cu and Ni in tobacco samples after Preconcentration using ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate modified magnetic nanoparticles

Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles coated with SiO₂ and modified with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate as a new adsorbent for the single-step extraction and preconcentration of trace amounts of copper and nickel from tobacco samples were prepared. The particle sizes of nanoparticles were characterised by transmission electron microscope. Several parameters affecting the analytical performance, such as the amount of ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, amount of magnetic nanoparticles, pH, contact time, coexisting ions, desorption solution and reuse times of magnetic solid-phase extraction, were discussed and optimised. The analytes desorbed from magnetic nanoparticles were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Under the optimum conditions, the analytical linear ranges were 0.02–15 mg/L for Cu and 0.02–20 mg/L for Ni (R² > 0.9992). The relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 5) of 1.8% and 2.1% were obtained for Cu and Ni, respectively. The method detection limits were 0.0028 μg/g for Cu and 0.0037 μg/g for Ni. The proposed method was successfully applied to tobacco sample analysis and got excellent recoveries in the range of 89.6–102.3% and RSDs (n = 5) of 1.2–2.5%. This method is much faster and more effective than traditional methods, and it is promising for the analysis of heavy metals.     

Identification of urinary modified nucleosides and ribosylated metabolites in humans via combined ESI-FTICR MS and ESI-IT MS analysis

The physiological response of the human body to several diseases can be reflected by the metabolite pattern in biological fluids. Cancer, like other diseases accompanied by metabolic disorders, causes characteristic effects on cell turnover rate, activity of modifying enzymes, and RNA/DNA modifications. This results in an altered excretion of modified nucleosides and biochemically related compounds. In the course of our metabolic profiling project, we screened 24-h urine of patients suffering from lung, rectal, or head and neck cancer for previously unknown ribosylated metabolites. Therefore, we developed a sample preparation procedure based on boronate affinity chromatography followed by additional prepurification with preparative TLC. The isolated metabolites were analyzed by ion trap mass spectrometry (IT MS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS). IT MS was applied for LC-auto MS³ screening runs and MS ^n(n=4–6) syringe pump infusion experiments, yielding characteristic fragmentation patterns. FTICR MS measurements enabled the calculation of corresponding molecular formulae based on accurate mass determination (mass accuracy: 1–5 ppm for external and sub-ppm values for internal calibration). We were able to identify 22 metabolites deriving from cellular RNA metabolism and related metabolic pathways like histidine metabolism, purine biosynthesis, methionine/polyamine cycle, and nicotinate/nicotinamide metabolism. The compounds 1-ribosyl-3-hydroxypyridinium, 1-ribosyl-pyridinium, and 3-ribosyl-1-methyl-l-histidinium as well as a series of ribosylated histamines, conjugated to carboxylic acids at the N^ω-position were found as novel urinary constituents. The occurrence of the modified nucleosides 2-methylthio-N ⁶-(cis-hydroxyisopentenyl)-adenosine, 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine, N ⁶-methyl-N ⁶-threonylcarbamoyladenosine, and 2-methylthio-N ⁶-threonylcarbamoyladenosine in human urine is verified for the first time.