Purification of Acetylcholinesterase by 9-Amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine from Human Erythrocytes

The acetylcholinesterase enzyme was purified from human erythrocyte membranes using a simple and effective method in a single step. Tacrine (9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine) is a well-known drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which inhibits cholinesterase. We have developed a tacrine ligand affinity resin that is easy to synthesize, inexpensive and selective for acetylcholinesterase. The affinity resin was synthesized by coupling tacrine as the ligand and l-tyrosine as the spacer arm to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Acetylcholinesterase was purified with a yield of 23.5 %, a specific activity of 9.22 EU/mg proteins and 658-fold purification using the affinity resin in a single step. During purification, the enzyme activity was measured using acetylthiocholine iodide as a substrate and 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoicacid) as the chromogenic agent. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined as about 70 kDa monomer upon disulphide reduction by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. K _m, V _max, optimum pH and optimum temperature for acetylcholinesterase were found by means of graphics for acetylthiocholine iodide as the substrate. The optimum pH and optimum temperature of the acetylcholinesterase were determined to be 7.4 and 25–35 °C. The Michaelis–Menten constant (K _m) for the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine iodide was found to be 0.25 mM, and the V _max was 0.090 μmol/mL/min. Maximum binding was achieved at 2 °C with pH 7.4 and an ionic strength of approximately 0.1 M. The capacity for the optimum condition was 0.07 mg protein/g gel for acetylcholinesterase.     

Identification of a benzhydrolic metabolite of ketoprofen in horses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.

A benzhydrolic metabolite of ketoprofen, formed by reduction of the keto group of the drug, has been identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in equine plasma and urine. After partial synthesis, its structure has been confirmed by UV, IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The kinetics of ketoprofen and this metabolite have been monitored in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography. The two products were quantified in plasma up to 4 and 3 h, respectively, and were detected in urine up to 72 and 24 h, respectively, after a single intravenous administration to horses at the dose of 2.2 mg/kg. Simultaneous detection of both compounds increases the reliability of antidoping control analysis.     

Identification of triacylglycerols by high-performance liquid chromatography-gas-liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Triacylglycerols from rat adipose tissue were chromatographed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with a gradient of propan-2-ol in acetonitrile as the mobile phase. Fractions of the material eluting from the column were collected and analysed by automated gas - liquid chromatography of the fatty acid methyl esters obtained after transmethylation. Triacylglycerols were identified by using a combination of their fatty acid content and elution time from the HPLC column. Fractions corresponding to whole peaks or groups of peaks were also collected and re-chromatographed on a liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry system equipped with a belt interface. For most triacylglycerols, good agreement was obtained between the two methods, although mass spectrometric identification of the early eluting peaks was complicated by poor resolution of the triacylglycerols on the HPLC system.     

Determination of the major urinary metabolite of diphenylhydantoin by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method is described for the determination of 5-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin (p-HPPH), a major urinary metabolite of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin (DPH) in man. The assay involves acid hydrolysis, extraction and high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis using a column comprised of small-particle silica gel. This procedure has been used to determine p-HPPH levels in urine from healthy volunteers who ingested 400 mg of sodium DPH. The p-HPPH concentration was found to range from 10 to 300 μg/ml. The minimum detectable concentration of urinary p-HPPH was 1 μg/ml.     

Full automation of catecholamine metabolite determination by column switching and high-performance liquid chromatography

The urinary catecholamine metabolites, vanimandelic acid, homovanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, were extracted on a silica-bonded strong-anion-exchanger cartridge (SAX) and then injected into an high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system by column switching. Chromatography was performed on a reversed-phase analytical column with electrochemical detection. Full automation was obtained by coupling two devices: a solid-phase automatic sampler and intelligent autosampler. For each substance the recovery was greater than 95% and the coefficient of variation was ca. 3%; the analysis takes 11 min. Substance instability problems are overcome, because the samples are extracted and injected in rapid succession. The normal values and correlation with manual HPLC were established for a large number of samples.     

Determination of carnitine by high-performance liquid chromatography using 9-anthryldiazomethane

The high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of carnitine chloride was investigated by using 9-anthryldiazomethane (ADAM) as a pre-column derivatization reagent. Carnitine chloride and the internal standard N,N-dimethylglycine reacted with ADAM to give a stable ester derivative in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) used to mask the basic function. The ADAM derivative of carnitine was separated from decomposition products of the reagent and related compounds such as amino acid derivatives on a silica gel column eluted with methanol-5% aqueous SDS-phosphoric acid (990:10:1). The calibration plot was linear over a sample concentration range from 0.02 to 100 ng per injection. The detection limit for carnitine chloride was about 1 pg per injection (signal to noise ratio = 4), by fluorometric detection.     

Identification of cosmetic dyes by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A method based on ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with detection at four wavelengths between 400 and 600 nm is reported for the separation and identification of the most common synthetic colour additives in cosmetic products. All the dyes generally employed in the U.S.A. and almost all those in current use in cosmetics in the European Community have been taken into account. The chromatography was performed on a C8 bonded silica packed column, with a 60-min gradient changing from 10 to 95% acetonitrile in water containing 10(-2) M sodium perchlorate (pH 3.0) as mobile phase (flow-rate 2.5 ml/min). Detection limits are in the range 20-100 ng for all dyes investigated. The method has been applied to the analysis of commercial lipsticks.     

Determination of fluoxetine and its N-desmethyl metabolite in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of the antidepressant fluoxetine and its active metabolite norfluoxetine in human plasma using paroxetine as internal standard. After liquid-liquid extraction, the compounds were separated on a C18 column using as mobile phase acetonitrile and 40 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 2.3) in the ratio 31:69 (v/v). The quantification of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine was made by fluorescence detection at Ex/Em 230/312 nm. The assay for each analyte was linear over the ranges 1-39 and 0.9-36 ng/ml, respectively. For both compounds intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision ranged between −7.9-12.4 and 0.7-14.7%, respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of plasma samples obtained from healthy subjects treated with one single oral dose of 40 mg fluoxetine.     

Determination of metoprolol and its alpha-hydroxylated metabolite in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of metoprolol and its alpha-hydroxylated metabolite in plasma, Metoprolol, alpha-hydroxymetoprolol and alprenolol (internal standard) are extracted from plasma at alkaline pH with diethyl ether-dichloromethane (4:1, v/v) and back-extracted with 0.01 N sulfuric acid. A 100-microliter volume of the acidic extract is injected into the chromatographic system. The compounds are eluted in about 12 min with acetonitrile-acetate buffer (75:25, v/v) on a LiChrosorb RP-8 (5 micron) column. The quantitative determinations are made fluorometrically. Concentrations down to 35 nmol/1 (10 ng/ml) of metoprolol base and 30 nmol/1 (8 ng/ml) of alpha-hydroxymetoprolol base in plasma can be determined with good precision and accuracy.     

Determination of metoprolol and its alpha-hydroxide metabolite in serum by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the simultaneous quantitation of metoprolol and alpha-hydroxymetoprolol concentrations in serum is developed. Analysis is performed on a C18 column using a 70:30 mixture of two solutions, A and B respectively. Solution A is 1 L of a 1% acetic acid solution with 25 mL of 0.005 M 1-heptanesulfonic acid. Solution B is 1 L of acetonitrile with 25 mL of 0.005 M 1-heptanesulfonic acid. Column effluent is monitored by fluorescence detection at an excitation wavelength of 225 nm. A 320-nm band pass filter is employed. The limit of sensitivity is approximately 2 ng/mL for both compounds. No potential sources of interference are identified. A coefficient of variation of less than 10% is observed on replicate determinations at 10 ng/mL for both compounds and at 300 and 180 ng/mL for metoprolol and alpha-hydroxymetoprolol, respectively. The method has the advantages of complete resolution of the metabolite of metoprolol, a high degree of reproducibility, adequate sensitivity, and an easily accessible internal standard.     

Identification and quantitation of phenolics from green beans by high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection has been used for the separation and quantitation of phenolics from fresh and processed green beans. Whole beans, pods and seeds of green beans were studied separately. Chromatographic profiles from pods were more complex than those found in seeds. Flavonol glycosides were confined to quercetin and kaempferol classes and they were typical of external parts of the fruit. Flavan-3-ols monomers ((+) catechin and (−) epicatechin) as well as procyanidins structures were identified in pods and seeds. Chromatographic profiles from processed beans revealed a polyphenolic composition similar to those found in pod fresh green beans. The chromatographic method was carefully validated in regard to precision and accuracy. High reproducibility of peak area (RSD<3%) and calibration slopes (RSD<4%) was obtained. Recoveries between 94–104% revealed good accuracy for the overall method. Application to quantitative determination in a representative number of samples allowed good knowledge of the phenolic composition of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris v.vulgaris).