Qualitative confirmation procedure for ephedrines as acetonide derivatives in doping urine samples by gas chromatography/electron ionization mass spectrometry

Ephedrines are sympathomimetic amines which have central nervous system stimulating properties and, for this reason, some of them are forbidden in sport by the World Antidoping Agency (WADA). They are screened and quantitated in urine by several published techniques and confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In this paper, a simple and easy confirmation procedure for norpseudoephedrine, norephedrine, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in human urine by GC/electron ionization (EI)‐MS is described. After the addition of diphenylamine as internal standard, a liquid‐liquid extraction procedure under alkaline conditions with tert‐butyl methyl ether was applied to the samples. The analytes were derivatized with acetone and pyridine to form the correspondent oxazolidine derivatives (acetonide). The EI mass spectra of all the studied substances have many diagnostic ions with relative abundance in accordance with WADA requirements and show great structural information content. The fragmentation of theses derivatives is discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography with microelectron-capture detection method for the determination of 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane in rinse-off cosmetics

5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane (bronidox) is a bromine-containing preservative often used in rinse-off cosmetics but also subjected to several restrictions according to the European Cosmetic Products Regulation. Thus, as a part of a quality control procedure, analytical methods for the determination of this compound in different types of cosmetics are required. In the present work, a solvent-free and simple methodology based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography with microelectron capture detection (GC-μECD) has been developed and validated for the determination of bronidox in cosmetic samples such as shampoos, body cleansers or facial exfoliants. As far as we know, this is the first application of SPME to this preservative. Negative matrix effects due to the complexity of the studied samples were reduced by dilution with ultrapure water. The influence of several factors on the SPME procedure such as fiber coating, extraction temperature, salt addition (NaCl) and sampling mode has been assessed by performing a 2⁴-factorial design. After optimization, the recommended procedure was established as follows: direct solid-phase microextraction (DSPME), using a PDMS/DVB coating, of 10 mL of diluted cosmetic with 20% NaCl, at room temperature, under stirring for 30 min. Using these suggested extraction conditions, linear calibration could be achieved, with limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) well below the maximum authorized concentration (0.1%) established by the European legislation. Relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 10% were obtained for both within a day and among days precision. The method was applied to diverse types of formulations spiked with bronidox at different concentration levels (0.008–0.10%); these samples were quantified by external calibration and satisfactory recoveries (≥70%) were obtained in all cases. Finally, the SPME–GC-μECD methodology was applied to the analysis of several cosmetics labeled or not as containing bronidox. The presence of this preservative in some of these samples was confirmed by GC–MS.     

Solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography for the determination of 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane as a marking agent for explosives

This paper investigates the detection of 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB), a marking agent in explosives, by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) as a sample preparation technique. The 25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-oxy (2′,7′-dioxo-3′,6′-diazaoctyl) oxy-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene/hydroxy-terminated silicone oil coated fiber was highly sensitive to trap DMNB from ammonium nitrate matrix. The analysis was performed by extracting 2 g of explosives for 30 s at room temperature and then immediately introducing into the heated GC injector for 1 min of thermal desorption. The method showed good linearity in the range from 0.01 to 1.0 μg/g. The relative standard deviations for these extractions were <8%. The calculated limit of detection for DMNB (S/N = 3) was 4.43 × 10⁻⁴ μg/g, which illustrates that the proposed systems are suitable for explosive detection at trace level. This is the first report of an SPME-GC system shown to extract marking agent in explosives for subsequent detection in a simple, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive manner.     

A differential method for the analysis of chemical kinetics results based on reversed-flow gas chromatography

Summary The reversed-flow gas chromatographic technique has been applied to the determination of the apparent rate constant and the reaction order of a reaction between two gases or vapors. For seven hydrocarbons (ethane, ethene, ethyne, propene, butene, benzene and toluene) reacting with nitrogen dioxide, the above mentioned kinetic parameters have been determined. For these determinations, the necessary mathematical formulation of the problem has been written and solved, leading to simple expressions which describe the height of the chromatographic sample peaks as a function of time.     

A continuous preconcentration/extraction method for organic trace analysis by capillary gas chromatography

Summary A slightly modified steam distillation-extraction device is described for the continuous extraction and preconcentration of organic traces in aqueous samples, prior to capillary G.C.-analysis. The quantitative performance, both theoretically and practically, is studied using phenols as the test substances. The final recovery is determined by the flow-ratio of the water and the extracting solvent and by the extraction coefficient. The process is found to be highly reproducible even at low concentration levels (ppb’s). Using 30 ml. samples with a concentration of 30 ppb (1:10^9), 100 % recoveries are obtained for the phenolic substances studied, with a relative standard deviation of about 3 %, both for methylene chloride and ethylacetate as the extracting solvents. Using methylene chloride as the extracting solvent, for phenol a maximum recovery of 80 % was obtained. Presented at the 15th International Symposium on Chromatography, Nürnberg, October 1984     

Single solid phase extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of polar and non-polar pesticides in urine samples by gas chromatography and ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

A new multiresidue method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous extraction of more than two hundred pesticides, including non-polar and polar pesticides (carbamates, organochlorine, organophosphorous, pyrethroids, herbicides and insecticides) in urine at trace levels by gas and ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, respectively (GC-IT-MS/MS, UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). Non-polar and polar pesticides were simultaneously extracted from urine samples by a simple and fast solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure using C₁₈ cartridges as sorbent, and dichloromethane as elution solvent. Recovery was in the range of 60-120%. Precision values expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) were lower than 25%. Identification and confirmation of the compounds were performed by the use of retention time windows, comparison of spectra (GC-amenable compounds) or the estimation of the ion ratio (LC-amenable compounds). For GC-amenable pesticides, limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.001 to 0.436 μg L⁻¹ and limits of quantification (LOQs) from 0.003 to 1.452 μg L⁻¹. For LC-amenable pesticides, LODs ranged from 0.003 to 1.048 μg L⁻¹ and LOQs ranged from 0.011 to 3.494 μg L⁻¹. Finally, the optimized method was applied to the analysis of fourteen real samples of infants from agricultural population. Some pesticides such as methoxyfenozide, tebufenozide, piperonyl butoxide and propoxur were found at concentrations ranged from 1.61 to 24.4 μg L⁻¹, whereas methiocarb sulfoxide was detected at trace levels in two samples.     

The use of the electron capture detector in human and equine doping analysis by gas chromatography

Summary The possibilities, applications and limitations of the electron capture detector (ECD) in human and equine doping analysis are considered. As many stimulants and/or their metabolites possess and amino group the introduction of halogen containing groupings by acylation results in improved chromatographic performance almost combined with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity when using the ECD. Several examples of the confirmation of doping agents like amphetamines, ephedrine, phenylbutazone, pemoline and procaine by GC/ECD are given.Presented at the 7^th International Symposium on Biomedical Applications of Chromatography, Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia; 6–9 Sept. 1982.     

Use of hydrogen as a carrier gas for the analysis of steroids with anabolic activity by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Due to the impact in the media and the requirements of sensitivity and robustness, the detection of the misuse of forbidden substances in sports is a really challenging area for analytical chemistry, where any study focused on enhancing the performance of the analytical methods will be of great interest. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of using hydrogen instead of helium as a carrier gas for the analysis of anabolic steroids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with electron ionization. There are several drawbacks related with the use of helium as a carrier gas: it is expensive, is a non-renewable resource, and has limited availability in many parts of the world. In contrast, hydrogen is readily available using a hydrogen generator or high-pressure bottled gas, and allows a faster analysis without loss of efficiency; nevertheless it should not be forgotten that due to its explosiveness hydrogen must be handled with caution. Throughout the study the impact of the change of the carrier gas will be evaluated in terms of: performance of the chromatographic system, saving of time and money, impact on the high vacuum in the analyzer, changes in the fragmentation behaviour of the analytes, and finally consequences for the limits of detection achieved with the method.     

The use of a simple backflush technology to improve sample throughput and system robustness in routine gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of doping control samples

A simple, low cost system for the backflushing of capillary gas chromatography (GC) columns has been investigated and integrated into a method for the detection of anabolic steroids in equine urine. The modification to the method was simple to make and quick to setup and optimize. The use of backflushing technology was found to offer significant benefits in terms of sample throughput and improved system robustness.     

A novel microextraction by packed sorbent–gas chromatography procedure for the simultaneous analysis of antiepileptic drugs in human plasma and urine

A simple, accurate, and sensitive microextraction by packed sorbent–gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of four antiepileptic drugs; oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and alprazolam in human plasma and urine as a tool for drug monitoring. Caffeine was used as internal standards for the electron ionization mode. An original pretreatment procedure on biological samples, based on microextraction in packed syringe using C₁₈ as packing material gave high extraction yields (69.92–99.38%), satisfactory precision (RSD < 4.7%) and good selectivity. Linearity was found in the 0.1–500 ng/mL range for these drugs with limits of detection (LODs) between 0.0018 and 0.0036 ng/mL. Therefore, the method has been found to be suitable for the therapeutic drug monitoring of patients treated with oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and alprazolam. After validation, the method was successfully applied to some plasma samples from patients undergoing therapy with one or more of these drugs. A comparison of the detection limit with similar methods indicates high sensitivity of the present method over the earlier reported methods. The present method is applied for the analysis of these drugs in the real urine and plasma samples of the epileptic patients.     

Analysis of aromatic amines as N-propoxycarbonyl derivatives by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus selective detection

A selective and sensitive method for the analysis of aromatic amines by GC was developed. Aromatic amines were converted to their N-n-propoxycarbonyl derivatives and measured by GC with nitrogen-phosphorus selective detection (NPD) using an HP-5 fused-silica capillary column. The derivatives of the 20 aromatic amines provided excellent NPD responses, and were resolved both quantitatively and reproducibly within 15 min. The calibration curves for aromatic amines in the range 20-500 ng were linear and the detection limits at an S/N of 3 were ca. 19-139 pg injected. This method was applied successfully to combustion smoke and human urine samples, and analyzed without any interference from coexisting substances.     

Graphene oxide assisted electromembrane extraction with gas chromatography for the determination of methamphetamine as a model analyte in hair and urine samples

In the present study, graphene oxide reinforced two‐phase electromembrane extraction (EME) coupled with gas chromatography was applied for the determination of methamphetamine as a model analyte in biological samples. The presence of graphene oxide in the hollow fiber wall can increase the effective surface area, interactions with analyte and polarity of support liquid membrane that leads to an enhancement in the analyte migration. To investigate the influence of the presence of graphene oxide in the support liquid membrane on the extraction efficiency, a comparative study was performed between graphene oxide and graphene oxide/EME methods. The extraction parameters such as type of organic solvent, pH of the donor phase, stirring speed, time, voltage, salt addition and the concentration of graphene oxide were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed microextraction technique provided low limit of detection (2.4 ng/mL), high preconcentration factor (195–198) and high relative recovery (95–98.5%). Finally, the method was successfully employed for the determination of methamphetamine in urine and hair samples.     

新型环氧水解酶手性拆分环氧氯丙烷的气相色谱法

建立了一种用于快速测定生物酶转化体系中手性环氧氯丙烷的气相色谱法。采用ZKAT-ChiralB毛细管柱,FID检测器检测,内标法计算含量。(R)-环氧氯丙烷和(S)-环氧氯丙烷在0.012～0.461g/mL呈良好的线性关系,RSD为1.3%、1.7%,回收率为97.6%、101.3%。     

Capillary gas chromatography of amino acids as their tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives in the analysis of serum amino acids in metabolic diseases

Reaction of amino acids with N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroaceamide (MTbSTFA) in acetonitrile affords good yields of amino acid derivatives with excellent gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric properties. The single-step derivatization procedure is highly reproducible. The TBDMS amino acids are stable at room temperature for at least three days. Only a single peak is observed for each amino acid. The procedure allows simultaneous analysis of asparagine and glutamine together with other serum amino acids. Separation is achieved on a borosilicate glass capillary coated with OV-1. The mass spectra of the TBDMS amino acids possess characteristic diagnostic ions. These properties were used in the sensitive detection by GC-MS and SIM-GC-MS of GABA and pipecolic acid in the serum of a newborn suspected of a Zellweger-type syndrome, which could not be detected by other methods.     

Dicholorbenzyl alkyl ether homologs as retention index markers and internal standards for the analysis of environmental samples using capillary gas chromatography

A homologous series of 2,4-dichlorobenzyl alkyl ethers (DCBEs) have been synthesized and purified for use as retention index calibrants and internal standards. They are stable, sensitive to ECD and FID and ideal for GC-MS, with base peaks at m/z 159/161. The retention index calibration against the n-alkanes for a linear temperature program (LTP) series is given and recommendations made for the most suitable members of the DCBE series for use as internal standards in organochlorine (OC) residue analysis.     

A novel method for the determination of total 1,3-octanediols in apple juice via 1,3-dioxanes by solid-phase microextraction and high-speed gas chromatography

In this work, a novel, simple and fast method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by high-speed gas chromatography (HSGC) was developed for the analysis of total 1,3-octanediols in apple juices by means of derivatization reaction to volatile 1,3-dioxanes. The derivatization reaction, SPME conditions, glycosidically bound fraction and 1,3-nonanediol as a surrogate standard were studied. The formation of 1,3-dioxanes from 1,3-diols was confirmed by GC–MS. The method was validated obtaining a regression coefficient (r²) of 0.9996, precisions between 0.3 and 9.8%, extraction recoveries in the range 94.7–112.2% and LOD of 2.9 μg l⁻¹. Experimental design has been employed in the optimization of extraction factors and robustness assessment. The method was applied to the analysis of 21 Asturian apple varieties finding a double reciprocal relationship between the concentrations of saturated and unsaturated 1,3-octanediol.     

Detection in urine of efaproxiral (RSR13), a potential doping agent, by a routine screening procedure based on methylation followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Efaproxiral (also known as RSR13) is a synthetic allosteric modifier of hemoglobin. The ability to increase maximal muscle oxygen uptake makes RSR13 a potential performance-enhancing agent for athletes and, therefore, a new agent to be taken into account by the antidoping control laboratories. In this work, a new method for the detection of efaproxiral in urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is described.     

Automatic system for rapid analysis of volatile compounds by purge-and-cold-trapping/capillary gas chromatography

A system for automatic analysis of volatile compounds by purge-and-cold-trapping/capillary gas chromatography is described. It is suitable for analysis of volatile compounds in a wide variety of samples, such as water, food products and environmental samples. Possibilities and limitations of the system are evaluated in relation to several parameters. The efficiency of different types of cryogenic trap (open tubular, coated, packed) is also investigated; it depends on purge-flow rate, temperature of trapping, and total purge volume. Examples of the analysis of volatile compounds in foods and water are given.