Electrospray tandem mass spectrometric analysis of zeaxanthin and its oxidation products

Carotenoids have been implicated in protection of the eye from light-mediated photo-toxicity caused by free radicals. Under conditions of normal oxidative stress the carotenoids serve as protective antioxidants; however, when the oxidative stress exceeds the antioxidant capacity, carotenoids can be oxidized into numerous cleavage products. The determination and identification of oxidized carotenoids in biological samples remains a major challenge due to the small sample size and low stability of these compounds. We investigated the reaction of various zeaxanthin cleavage products with O-ethyl hydroxylamine to evaluate their levels in a biological sample. For this, a sensitive and specific electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was developed, avoiding the classical lower sensitive and specific HPLC-UV and fluorescence absorption methods. Protonated molecules [M + H](+) of carotenoids upon collision-induced dissociation produced a number of structurally characteristic product ions. A series of complicated clusters of product ions differing in 14 (CH(2))and 26 (C(2)H(2))Da was characteristic of the polyene chain of intact carotenoids. All carotenoid ethyl oximes of zeaxanthin cleavage products were characterized by the losses of 60 and 61 Da in their MS/MS spectra. Through the application of the LC/MS/MS method, we identified two oxime derivatives of 3-hydroxy-beta-ionone and 3-hydroxy-14'-apocarotenal with protonated molecules at m/z 252 and m/z 370 respectively, in a human eye sample.     

Modern Analysis

The important advances being made in modern analytical methods are indicative of the fundamental changes that are occuring in the theory and practice of “analytical chemistry”. “Information optimization” demands a new approach in teaching and research, and calls for the intergration of chemistry with other scientific and technical disciplines.     

Chemical and thermal analysis of the biopolymers in thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) has been known, long time ago, for its aromatic properties. It contains essential oils and polymers such as cellulose (mixture of hemicellulose and cellulose) and lignin. The thyme, studied in this work, was gathered from the same place, in the period from November 1999 to October 2000. The chemical analysis (water, total ash, essential oils, extractive substances, cellulose, holocellulose and lignin) can be used roughly in the characterisation of the four periods that correspond to the four seasons of the year. The cellulose level was found to be more than lignin level in the wet periods (growth of the plant). The opposite was found in the dry periods. The total ash and essential oil levels were found to be high during the period of high pluviometry. The thermal decomposition of cellulose and holocellulose was found to fit well with the first-order kinetics. The activation energy, under air flow, was 185 and 196 kJ mol⁻¹ for cellulose and holocellulose, respectively. The maximum decomposition rate and thermal analysis heating rate of lignin were found to have a direct linear relationship.     

银微电极微分电位溶出分析法研究

本文首次报道了银微电极微分电位溶出分析法。用化学刻蚀法方便地制作了银微电极，用于ＤＰＳＡ具有背景值低，分辨率好、精密度及灵敏度高，在不搅拌，仅需一定酸度而酸度而无其它介质的条件下就能测试等优点，对人工试样及自来水样分析，结果令人满意。     

Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence Based on Tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) Ruthenium(II) with Hydroxyl Carboxylic Acid

Upon the electrochemical oxidation of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)²⁺₃] and hydroxyl carboxylic acids, for instance, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, and -gluconic acid, bright electrochemiluminescences (ECLs) were observed. Different luminescent reactions were presented depending on the applied potential. The light emission was mainly caused by the reaction between alkoxide radical ion and Ru(bpy)³⁺₃below the potential +1.80 V (vs Ag/AgCl). The luminescence intensity obviously increased because of the more complex reaction process. The luminescence wavelength of 608 nm, which could be found either at higher potential than +1.80 V or in the potential range from +1.30 to +1.80 V, confirmed that ECL was caused by Ru(bpy)²⁺₃*. The factors which affect the determination and HPLC separation of the four acids were also investigated.     

Biosensors for environmental pollutants and food contaminants

This review article provides an overview of the most recent literature on biosensors for environmental pollutants and food contaminants. Due to the large number of publications, only papers published between 2000 and January 2003 were considered. Also, while not all of the published literature could be reviewed here, over 200 references are cited to provide a good overview of research undertaken in the last two years. Older publications are covered by a number of earlier review articles. This article provides an introduction into the field including specific consideration of the application areas, describes the typical biosensor assay format used, and is subsequently structured according to the biorecognition elements used (i.e., nucleic acids, enzymes, whole cells, tissue and whole organisms, antibodies and receptors, and biomimetic materials). In addition, a section on microbiosensing systems is provided. Since only very few microbiosensors with applications in environmental and food systems have been published, enabling technology is also covered in this article.Abbreviations BOD biological oxygen demand - cfu colony forming units - DNP dinitrophenol - GFP green fluorescent protein - NASBA nucleic acid sequence-based amplification - PCR polymerase chain reaction - ppt parts per trillion - QCM quartz crystal microbalance - SPR surface plasmon resonance     

Surface chemical analysis of raw cotton fibres and associated materials

The surface chemical composition of raw unscoured cotton was successfully investigated by the surface analytical techniques X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The presence of non-cellulosic material at the fibre surface was established and determined to be a complex mixture of fatty acids, alcohols, alkanes, esters and glycerides. The effect of scouring and bleaching was to reduce the surface concentration of these materials but even after aqueous processing some non-cellulosic material residue was still detected at the fibre surface.     

The molecular and crystal structures of two diastereomeric 3,4-dihydropyrromethenones

The molecular and crystal structures of the two racemic diastereomeric 3,4-dihydropyrromethenone derivatives1 and2 of configurations (Z) and (E) were determined at 93 K (1, 2) and at room temperature (1). From an analysis of the crystallographically observed temperature coefficients a pseudorotation flexibility of the pyrrolidinone ring in the crystal is deduced. In both compounds a nearly orthogonal arrangement between the two heterocyclic ring systems is observed, which is ascribed to the steric bulk of the substituents in positions 1 and 3 of the pyrrolidinone ring.Herrn Prof.Josef Schurz zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Integrated Dust Analysis by Physical Methods

Environmental analyses show that the air which we breathe, and which is so essential to life, is in general a mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid components. The solid airborne particles, whose concentration, homogeneity, chemical composition, size, and shape can vary over wide ranges, and whose origin may be “natural” or “artificial” are referred to as “dust”. Dust particles can act, inter alia, as condensation nuclei, catalysts, and directly as hazardous materials. Unfortunately, we still know far too little about dust. Dust analysis is extremely difficult and challenging, even for modern analytical chemistry; it is still far from being fully automated. The simultaneous determination of as many “dust parameters” as possible, and particularly the synoptic consideration of all available data against a background of physicochemical and technological knowledge on the development, transformation, and effects of dust, are summarized as “integrated dust analysis”.     

停留—催化反应速差动力学法同时测定Fe,Mo

根据Ｆｅ（Ⅲ）、Ｍｏ（Ⅵ）对Ｈ２Ｏ２氧化邻氨基酚的催化反应速率不同，结合流动注射停留技术，建立了同时测定Ｆｅ（Ⅲ）、Ｍｏ（Ⅵ）的速差动力学分光光度法．测定铁和钼的线性范围分别为０．１～２．５μｇ／ｍＬ和０．５～１５μｇ／ｍＬ．除Ｗ（Ⅵ）的允许量较小外，其它离子不干扰测定．用本法测定了合成样液中铁和钼含量，结果满意．