Speciation of arsenic in mussels by the coupled system liquid chromatography-UV irradiation-hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method has been developed for the determination of seven arsenic species in mussel tissues by liquid chromatography-hydride generation-UV photo-oxidation and detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In order to determine the different species, two ion-exchange columns (anionic and cationic) were used with phosphate and nitric acid/ammonium nitrate as mobile phases, respectively. The optimisation of the conditions for separation, photo-oxidation and hydride generation is described. For each of these species, the limits of detection and repeatability are reported with the entire system coupling. This system was applied to the analysis of certified reference material (CRM 278) and mussels collected from Barcelona harbour. Extractions were achieved in methanol/water (1:1) using low-power focused microwaves as leaching process. As expected, arsenobetaine was the main compound extracted from both materials; the typical concentrations found were between 1 and 7 mg kg(-1). Other organoarsenical compounds, probably arsenosugars, were extracted in a concentration range of 0.3-1.5 mg kg(-1) in both cases. Amounts of dimethylarsinate (DMA) were found to be significant in the CRM 278, but very low in mussels from Barcelona harbour. The low limits of detection of the coupled system allow us to quantify low contents of other species (As(V), arsenocholine and monomethylarsonate (MMA)).     

Determination of aromatic hydrotropic drugs in pharmaceutical preparations by the surfactant-binding degree method

An aggregation parameter-based analytical approach, the surfactant-dye binding degree (SDBD) method, was used, for the first time, to determine aromatic hydrotropic compounds. The anionic dye Coomassie Brilliant Blue G (CBBG) was used as inductor of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDABr) aggregates, whose formation was monitored from changes in the spectral features of the dye. Interactions between hydrotrope and DDABr molecules resulted in a decrease of the degree of binding of the cationic surfactant to CBBG, which was proportional to the concentration of hydrotrope in the aqueous solution. The CBBG-DDABr-hydrotrope chemical system was found to fit to the mathematical expression previously derived for the determination of amphiphilic compounds. The hydrotrope-surfactant bond strength determined the sensitivity achieved for the determination of hydrotropic compounds, which was highly dependent on the molecular structure of the analyte. The high precision (the relative standard deviation for 7 mg l(-1) of salicylic acid was 0.8%), rapidity (measurements were performed in a few minutes) and low cost (in both instrumentation and reactants) of the proposed method, made it especially suitable for quality control. The practical analytical applicability of the SDBD method for the control of hydrotropic drugs in pharmaceutical preparations was demonstrated by quantifying salicylic acid and acetyl salicylic acid in liquid (solutions) and solid (tablets, granulates, unguents, gels and creams) samples, which were directly analyzed after dissolution of the samples.     

Redox potential measurement in natural waters

Summary In spite of the importance of the redox potential (Eh) its experimental measurement in natural environment is still not entirely resolved. In the present work an optimization of the methodology to measure Eh is carried out. The behaviour and storing conditions of the standard solutions, the kind of reference electrode, as well as the kind of the working electrode are studied for calibration. From the results it is concluded that Eh measurements must be done in situ. As electrodes, Ag/AgCl electrode with sleeve-type junction and laminar Pt electrode, previously calibrated with Zöbell solution, should be used. A special cell that allows to carry out the measurement of Eh in ground water samples without variations in its composition and characteristics is proposed for in situ measurements. The proposed procedure is applied to Eh measurement of ground water of different chemical composition. Finally, the experimental values of Eh measured in these samples are applied to WATEQF program to know the distribution of the chemical species in these systems. Eh are mainly determined by the reduced forms Fe²⁺ and FeCO₃ and the oxidized forms amorphous Fe(OH)₃ and Fe₂O₃ (maghemite).     

Three-dimensional synchronous fluorimetric determination of indole-type auxins after derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde

A sensitive fluorimetric method for teh determination of indole-derivative plant-growth regulators of the auxin group (indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-butyric acid and indole-3-propanoic acid) is based on their eaction with o-phthaladehyde in concentrated sulphuric acid. The fluorescence spectra of the three derivatives are very similar, but the advantages offered by a three-dimensional plot of the spectra, the synchronous derivative approach and the optimization of experimental variables permit the individual and simultaneous quantitation of mixtures of these compounds at the ng ml^-1 level.     

A new HPLC-DAD-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of major compounds in the crude extract of Lychnophora salicifolia Mart. (Brazilian arnicão) leaves: Application to chemical variability evaluation

Lychnophora salicifolia Mart., which occurs in the Brazilian Cerrado in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais as well as in the southeast of the state of Goiás, is the most widely distributed and also the most polymorphic species of the genus. This plant is popularly known to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. In this work, we have studied the variation in terms of polar metabolites of ninety-three Lychnophora salicifolia Mart. specimens collected from different regions of the Brazilian Cerrado. Identification of the constituents of this mixture was carried out by analysis of the UV spectra and MS data after chromatographic separation. Twenty substances were identified, including chlorogenic acid derivatives, a flavonoid C-glucoside, and other sesquiterpenes. The analytical method was validated, and the reliability and credibility of the results was ensured for the purposes of this study. The concentration range required for analysis of content variability within the analyzed group of specimens was covered with appropriate values of limits of detection and quantitation, as well as satisfactory precision and recovery. A quantitative variability was observed among specimens collected from the same location, but on average they were similar from a chemical viewpoint. In relation to the study involving specimens from different locations, there were both qualitative and quantitative differences among plants collected from different regions of Brazil. Statistical analysis revealed that there is a correlation between geographical localization and polar metabolites profile for specimens collected from different locations. This is evidence that the pattern of metabolites concentration depends on the geographical distribution of the specimens.     

Stability of maximal hypersurfaces in spacetimes: new general conditions and application to relevant spacetimes

We obtain new simple sufficient conditions to ensure the stability and strong stability of maximal hypersurfaces (without boundary) immersed in an arbitrary spacetime. Several applications to maximal hypersurfaces in a spatially open or closed spacetime endowed with an infinitesimal causal symmetry are also given.