A rapid and sensitive CE method with field-enhanced sample injection and in-capillary derivatization for selenomethionine metabolism catalyzed by flavin-containing monooxygenases

A rapid and sensitive electrophoretically mediated microanalysis method with field-enhanced sample injection (FESI) for in-capillary derivatization was developed to determine selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenomethionine selenoxide (SeOMet). Phthalic anhydride (PA) was selected as the derivatization reagent due to the fast reaction at room temperature and the stability of derivatives. The in-capillary derivatization was accomplished by electrophoretically mixing PA and sample plugs. PA reagent was introduced hydrodynamically into the capillary, whereas the sample solution was injected electrokinetically, thus allowing a selective preconcentration of the analytes by FESI. For FESI, the optimum sample solvent was 2 mM borate solution. The borate buffer was suitable for both in-capillary derivatization and separation of the derivatives. The combination of electrophoretically mediated microanalysis with FESI for in-capillary derivatization was successfully achieved with about 800-fold concentration sensitivity enhancement compared to direct CE-UV detection in the same setup. The present method is miniaturized and fully automated, which ensures the on-line derivatization, stacking, separation and detection in 10 min. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to measure enzyme activities by analyzing the reaction mixtures of SeMet with human flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMO). The results showed that both FMO1 and FMO3, but not FMO5 could catalyze the Se-oxygenation of SeMet.     

Analysis of tetracycline residues in bovine milk by CE-MS with field-amplified sample stacking

A rapid, sensitive, and robust CE-MS method has been developed for the determination of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline in milk. Field-amplified sample stacking with electromigration injection (FASS-EMI) was used for the online concentration of tetracyclines. The conditions of separation, MS detection, and stacking were systematically optimized. The optimum buffer composition was 35 mM Tris, 1.1% formic acid, 5% methanol, and 15% ACN. By using the online concentration method of field-enhanced sample stacking (FESI)-EMI stacking, the sensitivity was increased six- to seven-fold. The RSDs (n=6) of the relative migration time of tetracyclines were 1.1-1.4% for intraday and 2.4-2.9% for interday. The RSDs (n=6) of the relative peak area of tetracyclines were 3.2-4.6% for intraday and 4.7-6.1% for interday. The LODs (S/N=3) were 7.14 ng/mL for tetracycline, 11.4 ng/mL for oxytetracycline, and 14.9 ng/mL for chlortetracycline. The method has been successfully used to analyze tetracyclines residues in bovine milk.     

Sample stacking of fast-moving anions in capillary zone electrophoresis with pH-suppressed electroosmotic flow

On-line sample concentration of fast moving inorganic anions by large volume sample stacking (LVSS) and field enhanced sample injection (FESI) with a water plug under acidic conditions is presented. Detection sensitivity enhancements were around 100 and 1000-fold for LVSS and FESI, respectively. However, reproducibility and linearity of response in the LVSS approach is superior compared to the FESI approach.     

Different strategies for the preconcentration and separation of parabens by capillary electrophoresis

Several strategies, namely, large volume sample stacking (LVSS), field‐amplified sample injection (FASI), sweeping, and in‐line SPE‐CE, were investigated for the simultaneous separation and preconcentration of a group of parabens. A BGE consisting of 20 mM sodium dihydrogenphosphate (pH 2.28) and 150 mM SDS with 15% ACN was used for the separation and preconcentration of the compounds by sweeping, and a BGE consisting of 30 mM sodium borate (pH 9.5) was used for the separation and preconcentration of the compounds by LVSS, FASI, and in‐line SPE‐CE. Several factors affecting the preconcentration process were investigated in order to obtain the maximum enhancement of sensitivity. The LODs obtained for parabens were in the range of 18–27, 3–4, 2, and 0.01–0.02 ng/mL, and the sensitivity evaluated in terms of LODs was improved up to 29‐, 77‐, 120‐, and 18 400‐fold for sweeping, LVSS, FASI, and in‐line SPE‐CE, respectively. These preconcentration techniques showed potential as good strategies for focusing parabens. The four methods were validated with standard samples to show the potential of these techniques for future applications in real samples, such as biological and environmental samples.     

Direct and sensitive analysis of methamphetamine, ketamine, morphine and codeine in human urine by cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CSEI-Sweep-MEKC) was directly used to test some abuse drugs in human urine, including morphine (M), codeine (C), ketamine (K) and methamphetamine (MA). First, phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 2.5) containing 30% methanol was filled into uncoated fused silica capillary (40 cm, 50 microm I.D.), then high conductivity buffer (100 mM phosphate, 6.9 kPa for 99.9 s) was followed. Electrokinetic injection (10 kV, 500 s) was used to load samples and to enhance sensitivity. The stacking step and separation were performed at -20 kV and 200 nm using phosphate buffer (25 mM, pH 2.5) containing 20% methanol and 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate. Using CSEI-Sweep-MEKC, the analytes could be simultaneously analyzed and have a detection limit down to ppb level. It was unnecessary to have sample pretreatments. During method validation, calibration plots were linear (r>or=0.9982) over a range of 150-3,000 ng/mL for M and C, 250-5,000 n g/mL for MA, and 50-1,000 ng/mL for K. The limits of detection were 15 ng/mL for M and C, and 5 ng/mL for MA and K (S/N=3, sampling 500 s at 10 kV). Comparing with capillary zone electrophoresis, the results indicated that this stacking method could increase 6,000-fold sensitivity for analysis of MA. Our method was applied for analysis of 28 real urine samples. The results showed good coincidence with immunoassay and GC-MS. This method was feasible for application to detect trace levels of abused drugs in forensic analysis.     

Rapid quantification of quinine by multi‐stacking in a portable microchip electrophoresis system

A new multi‐stacking pre‐concentration procedure based on field‐enhanced sample injection (FESI), field‐amplified sample stacking, and transient isotachophoresis was developed and implemented in a compact microchip electrophoresis (MCE) with a double T‐junction glass chip, coupled with an on‐chip capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C⁴D) system. A mixture of the cationic target analyte and the terminating electrolyte (TE) from the two sample reservoirs was injected under FESI conditions within the two sample‐loading channels. At the double T‐junction, the stacked analyte zones were further concentrated under field‐amplified stacking conditions and then subsequently focused by transient‐isotachophoresis and separated along the separation channels. The proposed multi‐stacking strategy was verified under a Universal Serial Bus (USB) fluorescence microscope employing Rhodamine 6G as the model analyte. This developed approach was subsequently used to monitor the target quinine present in human plasma samples. The total analysis time for quinine was approximately 200 s with a sensitivity enhancement factor of approximately 61 when compared to the typical gated injection. The detection and quantification limits of the developed approach for quinine were 3.0 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL, respectively, with intraday and interday repeatability (%RSDs, n = 5) of 3.6 and 4.4%. Recoveries in spiked human plasma were 98.1–99.8%.     

On-line sample concentration in micellar electrokinetic chromatography with cationic micelles in a coated capillary

The electroosmotic flow was successfully suppressed even in the presence of cationic surfactants, when a polyacrylamide-coated capillary was employed. Two on-line sample concentration techniques of sample stacking and sweeping were evaluated in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) using the polyacrylamide-coated capillary. Cationic surfactants were used as pseudostationary phases in MEKC. At least 60-fold and about 600-fold increases in detection sensitivity were obtained in terms of peak heights by sample stacking and sweeping, respectively.     

Strategies for the on-line preconcentration and separation of hypolipidaemic drugs using micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Three strategies were investigated for the simultaneous separation and on-line preconcentration of charged and neutral hypolipidaemic drugs in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). A background electrolyte (BGE) consisting of 20 mM ammonium bicarbonate buffer (pH 8.50) and 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used for the separation and on-line preconcentration of the drugs. The efficiencies of sweeping, analyte focusing by micelle collapse (AFMC), and simultaneous field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) and sweeping, were compared for the preconcentration of eight hypolipidaemic drugs in different conductivity sample matrices. When compared with a hydrodynamic injection (5 s at 50 mbar, 0.51% of capillary volume to detection window) of drug mixture prepared in the separation BGE, improvements of detection sensitivity of 60-, 83-, and 80-fold were obtained with sweeping, AFMC and simultaneous FASS and sweeping, respectively, giving limits of detection (LODs) of 50, 36, and 38 μg/L, respectively. The studied techniques showed suitability for focusing different types of analytes having different values of retention factor (k). This is the first report for the separation of different types of hypolipidaemic drugs by capillary electrophoresis (CE). The three methods were validated then applied for the analysis of target analytes in wastewater samples from Hobart city.     

Thousand fold concentration of an alkaloid in capillary zone electrophoresis by micelle to solvent stacking

In this paper, the co-solvent of methanol-water was used to facilitate the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles collapse, thereby inducing the on-line sample focusing technique of micelle to solvent stacking (MSS). To demonstrate this stacking method, the mechanism of micelles collapse in co-solvent was discussed. The details of the required conditions were investigated and the optimized conditions were: running buffer, 20mM H(3)BO(3) and 20mM NaH(2)PO(4) solution (pH 4.0); micellar sample matrix, 20mM SDS, 20mM H(3)BO(3) and 20mM NaH(2)PO(4) solution (pH 4.0); co-solvent buffer, 20mM H(3)BO(3) and 20mM NaH(2)PO(4) in methanol/water (90:10, v/v). The validity of the developed method was tested using cationic alkaloid compounds (ephedrine and berberine) as model analytes. Under the optimized conditions, this proposed method afforded limits of detection (LODs) of 0.5 and 1.1ng/mL with 300 and 1036-fold improvements in sensitivity for ephedrine and berberine, respectively, within 15min.     

Sample stacking and sweeping in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography under pH-suppressed electroosmotic flow

Two on-line sample concentration techniques, sample stacking and sweeping under pH-suppressed electroosmotic flow, were evaluated in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography. The concept of stacking with anion selective electrokinetic injection and a water plug in a reverse-migrating microemulsion (SASIW-RMME) was brought forward in this article. Six flavonoids were concentrated using a microemulsion consisting of 80 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate, 1.2% (v/v) ethyl acetate, 0.6% (v/v) 1-butanol, 10% acetonitrile (v/v) and 50 mM phosphoric acid (pH* 1.8). Significant detector response improvements were achieved. The limits of detection were in the low ng/ml level. Finally, the sample of Fructus aurantii Immaturus was analyzed using sweeping technique.     

Analysis of anabolic androgenic steroids in urine by full-capillary sample injection combined with a sweeping CE stacking method

This study describes an on-line stacking CE approach by sweeping with whole capillary sample filling for analyzing five anabolic androgenic steroids in urine samples. The five anabolic steroids for detection were androstenedione, testosterone, epitestosterone, boldenone, and clostebol. Anabolic androgenic steroids are abused in sport doping because they can promote muscle growth. Therefore, a sensitive detection method is imperatively required for monitoring the urine samples of athletes. In this research, an interesting and reliable stacking capillary electrophoresis method was established for analysis of anabolic steroids in urine. After liquid–liquid extraction by n-hexane, the supernatant was dried and reconstituted with 30 mM phosphate buffer (pH 5.00) and loaded into the capillary by hydrodynamic injection (10 psi, 99.9 s). The stacking and separation were simultaneously accomplished at ?20 kV in phosphate buffer (30 mM, pH 5.0) containing 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 40 % methanol. During the method validation, calibration curves were linear (r?≥?0.990) over a range of 50–1,000 ng/mL for the five analytes. In the evaluation of precision and accuracy for this method, the absolute values of the RSD and the RE in the intra-day (n?=?3) and inter-day (n?=?5) analyses were all less than 6.6 %. The limit of detection for the five analytes was 30 ng/mL (S/N?=?5, sampling 99.9 s at 10 psi). Compared with simple MECK, this stacking method possessed a 108- to 175-fold increase in sensitivity. This simple and sensitive stacking method could be used as a powerful tool for monitoring the illegal use of doping.     

Cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping MEKC for direct analysis of methamphetamine and its metabolites in urine

Direct analysis of methamphetamine, amphetamine, and p-hydroxymethamphetamine in urine was achieved by cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar EKC. A bare fused-silica capillary (40 cm, 50 microm id) was filled with phosphate buffer (80 mM, pH 3, containing 20% ACN). Then a high-conductivity buffer (100 mM phosphate, pH 3; 6.9 kPa for 2.5 min) was injected. Samples were loaded using electrokinetic injection (10 kV, 600 s) which created long zones of cationic analytes. To enhance sensitivity by sweeping, the stacking step was performed using a phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 3, containing 20% ACN and 100 mM SDS) at -20 kV before separation by MEKC. This method was capable of detecting the analytes at ppb levels. The calibration plots were linear (r(2) >or= 0.9948) over a range of 100-5000 ng/mL for methamphetamine, and 100-2000 ng/mL for amphetamine and p-hydroxymethamphetamine. The LODs (S/N = 3) were 20 ng/mL for methamphetamine, and 15 ng/mL for amphetamine and p-hydroxymethamphetamine. The method was applied to analysis of 14 urine samples of addicts and is suitable for screening suspected samples for forensic purposes. The results showed good agreement with fluorescence polarization immunoassay and GC-MS.     

Sample stacking for the analysis of eight penicillin antibiotics by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

We studied the use of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography for separating eight penicillins. The method consists of (i) an electrophoretic separation based on micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, which uses sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant; (ii) a sample stacking technique called reverse electrode polarity stacking mode (REPSM); and (iii) direct UV detection. The background electrolyte that gave complete separation contained 20 mM sodium borate buffer and 60 mM SDS. The sensitivity of the method was improved by an enrichment step that used on-column stacking. The limits of detection were at the microg.L(-1) level for the penicillins and did not detract from the peak resolution.     

Influence of high‐conductivity buffer composition on field‐enhanced sample injection coupled to sweeping in CE

The aim of this work was to clarify the mechanism taking place in field‐enhanced sample injection coupled to sweeping and micellar EKC (FESI‐Sweep‐MEKC), with the utilization of two acidic high‐conductivity buffers (HCBs), phosphoric acid or sodium phosphate buffer, in view of maximizing sensitivity enhancements. Using cationic model compounds in acidic media, a chemometric approach and simulations with SIMUL5 were implemented. Experimental design first enabled to identify the significant factors and their potential interactions. Simulation demonstrates the formation of moving boundaries during sample injection, which originate at the initial sample/HCB and HCB/buffer discontinuities and gradually change the compositions of HCB and BGE. With sodium phosphate buffer, the HCB conductivity increased during the injection, leading to a more efficient preconcentration by staking (about 1.6 times) than with phosphoric acid alone, for which conductivity decreased during injection. For the same injection time at constant voltage, however, a lower amount of analytes was injected with sodium phosphate buffer than with phosphoric acid. Consequently sensitivity enhancements were lower for the whole FESI‐Sweep‐MEKC process. This is why, in order to maximize sensitivity enhancements, it is proposed to work with sodium phosphate buffer as HCB and to use constant current during sample injection.     

Determination of malachite green in fish water samples by cloud‐point extraction coupled to cation‐selective exhaustive injection and sweeping‐MEKC

We have employed a high‐sensitivity off‐line coupled with on‐line preconcentration method, cloud‐point extraction (CPE)/cation‐selective exhaustive injection (CSEI) and sweeping‐MEKC, for the analysis of malachite green. The variables that affect CPE were investigated. The optimal conditions were 250 g/L of Triton X‐100, 10% of Na₂SO₄ (w/v), heat‐assisted at 60°C for 20 min. We monitored the effects of several of the CSEI‐sweeping‐MEKC parameters – including the type of BGE, the concentrations of SDS, the injection length of the high‐conductivity buffer, and the injection time of the sample – to optimize the separation process. The optimal BGE was 50 mM citric acid (pH 2.2) containing 100 mM SDS. In addition, electrokinetic injection of the sample at 15 kV for 800 s provided both high separation efficiency and enhanced sweeping sensitivity. The sensitivity enhancement for malachite green was 1.9×10⁴ relative to CZE; the coefficients of determination exceeded 0.9928. The LOD, based on an S/N of 3:1, of CSEI‐sweeping‐MEKC was 0.87 ng/mL; in contrast, when using off‐line CPE/CSEI‐sweeping‐MEKC the sensitivity increased to 69.6 pg/mL. This proposed method was successfully applied to determine trace amounts of malachite green in fish water samples.     

胶束毛细管电动色谱法在线富集联用技术灵敏检测乳制品和饲料样品中的三聚氰胺

建立了胶束毛细管电泳(MEKC)在线富集技术灵敏检测三聚氰胺的方法,采用场放大进样(FASS)联用胶束扫集(Sweep)测定多种样品中的三聚氰胺.试样用乙腈反复提取3次,在优化实验条件下,三聚氰胺的检测灵敏度提高了约1000倍,检出限由原来的2 mg/L降到1.8 μg/L(S/N=3).本方法用于配方奶粉和动物饲料中...     

Combining solid-phase microextraction and on-line preconcentration-capillary electrophoresis for sensitive analysis of pesticides in foods

The combined use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and different on-line preconcentration strategies for ultrasensitive capillary electrophoresis-ultraviolet (CE-UV) analysis of five pesticides in a single run is investigated. Normal stacking mode (NSM), field-enhanced sample injection (FESI), and stacking with matrix removal (SWMR) are explored to increase the sensitivity of the CE-UV analysis of a selected group of pesticides (cyprodinil, cyromazine, pyrifenox, pirimicarb, and pyrimethanil). It could be observed that reverse polarity-stacking with matrix removal (RP-SWMR) provided the best results in terms of sensitivity (enhancement was up to 272-fold compared with normal injection). The separation buffer consisted of 0.4 mM cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), 0.4 M acetic acid at pH 4 containing 5% v / v 2-propanol. This approach was then combined with SPME to determine the pesticides in water, apple, and orange juice. The combination of both preconcentration procedures allowed the determination of these pesticides at concentrations down to 2.5 microg / L in water and 3.1 microg / L in juices (i.e., levels well below the maximum residue limits allowed for these compounds). To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the great possibilities of the combined use of SPME, on-line sample preconcentration, and CE for pesticide analysis.     

On.column pre‐concentration of alcohol dehydrogenase in capillary electrophoresis

The analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) at low concentration using capillary electrophoresis is described. Several simple and effective ways to improve detection limits and sensitivity are investigated. These include large volume sample stacking, head column field amplified sample stacking, and sweeping. Results indicate that by using a combination of head‐column field amplified sample stacking and sweeping, fluorescently labelled alcohol dehydrogenase can be pre‐concentrated online by dissolving samples in water or other low conductivity matrices, and injecting into a high conductivity micellar buffer. The abrupt changes in conductivity cause narrowing of the analyte length and thus enhance the detection sensitivity. Combination of this approach with laser induced fluorescence detection yields a limit of detection of 5×10^–13 M. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this method are investigated.     

Cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography for analysis of morphine and its four metabolites in human urine

A cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar EKC (CSEI-Sweep-MEKC) was established to analyze morphine and its four metabolites, including codeine, normorphine (NM), morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G), and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). After SPE, the urine samples were analyzed by this CE method. The phosphate buffer (75 mM, pH 2.5) containing 30% methanol was first filled into an uncoated fused-silica capillary (40 cm, 50 microm id), then a high-conductivity buffer (120 mM phosphate, 10.3 kPa for 99.9 s) followed. The pretreated urine sample was loaded by electrokinetic injection (10 kV, 600 s). The stacking and separation were performed by using phosphate buffer (25 mM, pH 2.5) containing 22% methanol and 100 mM SDS at -20 kV, and detected at 200 nm. During method validation, calibration plots were linear (r > or = 0.998) over a range of 30-3000 ng/mL for morphine, NM, and codeine, 100-2000 ng/mL for M6G, and 80-3200 ng/mL for M3G. The LODs (S/N = 5, sampling 600 s at 10 kV) were 10 ng/mL for morphine, NM, and codeine, 35 ng/mL for M6G, and 25 ng/mL for M3G. This stacking CE method could increase 2500-fold sensitivity of codeine, when comparing with CZE. Five addicts' urine specimens were analyzed. Their results were compared with those of LC-MS-MS, and showed good coincidence. This method could be feasible for monitoring morphine and its metabolites in forensic interest and pharmacokinetic investigations.     

On-line sample concentration in micellar electrokinetic chromatography using cationic surfactants

Two on-line sample concentration techniques, sample stacking and sweeping, were evaluated using cationic surfactants as pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography. As cationic surfactant micelles, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride were employed. About 10-fold and 1000-fold increases in detection sensitivity in terms of peak heights were observed by sample stacking and sweeping, respectively, without suppression of the electroosmotic flow. In particular, the concentration limits of detection (S/N=3) for test naphthalenesulfonic acids obtained with sweeping were from 0.96 to 0.47 ppb with UV detection without any preconcentration procedure.