Development of a method to screen and isolate potential α‐glucosidase inhibitors from Panax japonicus C.A. Meyer by ultrafiltration,liquid chromatography,and counter‐current chromatography

A new assay based on ultrafiltration, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed for the rapid screening and identification of the ligands for α‐glucosidase from the extract of Panax japonicus. Six saponins were identified as α‐glucosidase inhibitors. Subsequently, the specific binding ligands, namely, notoginsenoside R₁, ginsenoside Rb₁, chikusetsusaponin V, chikusetsusaponin IV, chikusetsusaponin IVa, and ginsenoside Rd (the purities were 94.18, 95.43, 96.09, 93.26, 94.50, 93.86%, respectively) were separated by counter‐current chromatography using two‐phase solvent systems composed of tert‐butyl methyl ether, acetonitrile, 0.1% aqueous formic acid (3.8:1.0:4.4, v/v/v) and the solvent system composed of methylene chloride, isopropanol, methanol, 0.1% aqueous formic acid (5.8:1.0:6.0:2.2, v/v/v). The results demonstrate that ultrafiltration, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry combined with high‐speed counter‐current chromatography might provide not only a powerful tool for screening and isolating α‐glucosidase inhibitors in complex samples but also a useful platform for discovering bioactive compounds for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus.     

Pushing the speed limit in enantioselective supercritical fluid chromatography

Chromatographic enantioseparations on the order of a few seconds can be achieved by supercritical fluid chromatography using short columns packed with chiral stationary phases. The evolution of ‘world record’ speeds for the chromatographic separation of enantiomers has steadily dropped from an industry standard of 20–40 min just two decades ago, to a current ability to perform many enantioseparations in well under a minute. Improvements in instrument and column technologies enabled this revolution, but the ability to predict optimal separation time from an initial method development screening assay using the t_{min cc} predictor greatly simplifies the development and optimization of high‐speed chiral chromatographic separations. In this study, we illustrate how the use of this simple tool in combination with the workhorse technique of supercritical fluid chromatography on customized short chiral columns (1–2 cm length) allows us to achieve ultrafast enantioseparations of pharmaceutically relevant compounds on the 5–20 s scale, bringing the technique of high‐throughput enantiopurity analysis out of the specialist realm and into the laboratories of most researchers.     

Determination of phthalate esters from environmental water samples by micro‐solid‐phase extraction using TiO2 nanotube arrays before high‐performance liquid chromatography

We describe a highly sensitive micro‐solid‐phase extraction method for the pre‐concentration of six phthalate esters utilizing a TiO₂ nanotube array coupled to high‐performance liquid chromatography with a variable‐wavelength ultraviolet visible detector. The selected phthalate esters included dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, bis(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate and dioctyl phthalate. The factors that would affect the enrichment, such as desorption solvent, sample pH, salting‐out effect, extraction time and desorption time, were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of the proposed method was 0.3–200 μg/L. The limits of detection were 0.04–0.2 μg/L (S/N = 3). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of six phthalate esters in water samples and satisfied spiked recoveries were achieved. These results indicated that the proposed method was appropriate for the determination of trace phthalate esters in environmental water samples.     

Ionic liquid and aqueous two‐phase extraction based on salting‐out coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography for the determination of seven rare ginsenosides in Xue‐Sai‐Tong injection

A method of ionic liquid salt aqueous two‐phase extraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography has been developed for the analysis of seven rare ginsenosides including Rg₆, F₄, 20(S)‐Rg₃, 20(R)‐Rg₃, Rk₃, Rk₁, and Rg₅ in Xue‐Sai‐Tong injection. The injection was mixed with ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide aqueous solution, and a mixture was obtained. With the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate and dipotassium phosphate into the mixture, the aqueous two‐phase mixture was formed after ultrasonic treatment and centrifuged. Rare ginsenosides were extracted into the upper phase. To obtain a high extraction factors, various influences were considered systematically, such as the volume of ionic liquid, the category and amount of salts, the amount of sodium dodecyl sulfate, the pH value of system, and the time of ultrasonic treatment. Under the optimal condition, rare ginsenosides in Xue‐Sai‐Tong injection were enriched and detected, the recoveries of seven rare ginsenosides ranged from 90.05 to 112.55%, while relative standard deviations were lower than 2.50%. The developed method was reliable, rapid and sensitive for the determination of seven rare ginsenosides in the injections.     

Solid‐phase extraction based on a molecularly imprinted polymer for the selective determination of four benzophenones in tap and river water

This work reports the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymer particles for the selective extraction and determination of four benzophenones from aqueous media. The polymer was prepared by using 4‐vinylpridine as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross‐linker, acetonitrile as porogenic solvent and 2,2’,4,4’‐tetrehydroxybenzophenone as template. Good specific adsorption capacity (Q_max = 27.90 μmol/g) for 2,2’,4,4’‐tetrehydroxybenzophenone was obtained in the sorption experiment and good class selectivity for 2,2’,4,4’‐tetrehydroxybenzophenone, 2,4‐dihydroxybenzophenone, 2,2’‐dihydroxy‐4‐methoxybenzophenone, 2,2’‐dehydroxy‐4,4’‐dimethoxybenzophenone was demonstrated by the chromatographic evaluation experiment. Factors affecting the extraction efficiency of the molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction procedure were investigated systematically. An accurate and sensitive analytical method based on the molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography and diode array detection has been successfully developed for the simultaneous determination of four benzophenones from tap water and river water with method detection limits of 0.25–0.72 ng/mL. The recoveries of benzophenones for water samples at two spiking levels (500 and 5000 ng/mL for each benzophenone) were in the range of 86.9–103.3% with relative standard deviations (n = 3) below 9.2%.     

High‐performance liquid chromatography separation of unsaturated organic compounds by a monolithic silica column embedded with silver nanoparticles

The optimization of a porous structure to ensure good separation performances is always a significant issue in high‐performance liquid chromatography column design. Recently we reported the homogeneous embedment of Ag nanoparticles in periodic mesoporous silica monolith and the application of such Ag nanoparticles embedded silica monolith for the high‐performance liquid chromatography separation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. However, the separation performance remains to be improved and the retention mechanism as compared with the Ag ion high‐performance liquid chromatography technique still needs to be clarified. In this research, Ag nanoparticles were introduced into a macro/mesoporous silica monolith with optimized pore parameters for high‐performance liquid chromatography separations. Baseline separation of benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, and pyrene was achieved with the theoretical plate number for analyte naphthalene as 36 000 m^?1. Its separation function was further extended to cis/trans isomers of aromatic compounds where cis/trans stilbenes were chosen as a benchmark. Good separation of cis/trans‐stilbene with separation factor as 7 and theoretical plate number as 76 000 m^?1 for cis‐stilbene was obtained. The trans isomer, however, is retained more strongly, which contradicts the long‐ established retention rule of Ag ion chromatography. Such behavior of Ag nanoparticles embedded in a silica column can be attributed to the differences in the molecular geometric configuration of cis/trans stilbenes.     

Screening anti‐tumor compounds from Ligusticum wallichii using cell membrane chromatography combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

Tyrosine 367 Cysteine‐fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 cell membrane chromatography combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed. Tyrosine 367 Cysteine‐HEK293 cells were used as the cell membrane stationary phase. The specificity and reproducibility of the cell membrane chromatography was evaluated using 1‐tert‐butyl‐3‐{2‐[4‐(diethylamino)butylamino]‐6‐(3,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)pyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐7‐yl}urea, nimodipine and dexamethasone acetate. Then, anti‐tumor components acting on Tyrosine 367 Cysteine‐fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 were screened and identified from extracts of Ligusticum wallichii. Components from the extract were retained on the cell membrane chromatographic column. The retained fraction was directly eluted into high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry system for separation and identification. Finally, Levistolide A was identified as an active component from Ligusticum wallichii extracts. The 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐tetrazolium bromide‐formazan colorimetric assay revealed that Levistolide A inhibits proliferation of overexpressing the mutated receptor cells with dose‐dependent manner. Phosphorylation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 was also decrease under Levistolide A treatment. Flex dock simulation verified that Levistolide A could bind with the tyrosine kinase domain of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4. Therefore, Levistolide A screened by the cell membrane chromatography combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry can arrest cell growth. In conclusion, the two‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography method can screen and identify potential anti‐tumor ingredients that specifically act on the tyrosine kinase domain of the mutated fibroblast growth factor receptor 4.     

Development and validation of polymerized high internal phase emulsion monoliths coupled with HPLC and fluorescence detection for the determination of trace tetracycline antibiotics in environmental water samples

A polymerized high internal phase emulsion monolith was used as a novel sorbent for solid‐phase extraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection for the determination of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, doxycycline, and chlorotetracycline in environmental water samples. The polymerized high internal phase emulsion monolithic column was prepared by the in situ polymerization of the continuous phase of a high internal phase emulsion containing glycidyl methacrylate, styrene, and divinylbenzene in pipette tips, and then functionalized with iminodiacetic acid. The resulting monolith exhibited highly interconnected porosity and large surface areas, making it an excellent candidate as an solid‐phase extraction sorbent for the enrichment of trace tetracycline antibiotics. Several factors affecting the extraction performance of polymerized high internal phase emulsion monoliths, including the pH of sample solution, the eluting solvents, the sample loading flow rate and volume, were investigated, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the mean recoveries of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, doxycycline, and chlorotetracycline spiked in pond and farm wastewater samples ranged from 78.1 to 119.3% with relative standard deviation less than 15%. The detection limits (S/N = 3) of the proposed method were in the range of 51–137 pg/mL. This study demonstrated that the monolithic polymerized high internal phase emulsion would be promising solid‐phase extraction sorbents in the extraction and proconcentration of trace analytes from complex samples.     

High‐performance liquid chromatographic separations of stereoisomers of chiral basic agrochemicals with polysaccharide‐based chiral columns and polar organic mobile phases

The separation of the stereoisomers of 23 chiral basic agrochemicals was studied on six different polysaccharide‐based chiral columns in high‐performance liquid chromatography with various polar organic mobile phases. Along with the successful separation of analyte stereoisomers, emphasis was placed on the effect of the chiral selector and mobile phase composition on the elution order of stereoisomers. The interesting phenomenon of reversal of enantiomer/stereoisomer elution order function of the polysaccharide backbone (cellulose or amylose), type of derivative (carbamate or benzoate), nature, and position of the substituent(s) in the phenylcarbamate moiety (methyl or chloro) and the nature of the mobile phase was observed. For several of the analytes containing two chiral centers all four stereoisomers were resolved with at least one chiral selector/mobile phase combination.     

ICP-AES法测定高温合金中5种非金属元素

本文研究了快速测定高温合金中5种非金属元素(As、B、P、Se、Si)的分析方法,以满足高温合金行业对非金属元素检测的需求。利用王水和高氯酸对高温合金进行酸溶解,并系统研究了基体元素和共存元素对分析元素谱线的光谱干扰情况,同时进行了分析谱线的选择。5种非金属元素的检出限在5.5 ～ 11.9 ug/ml,5次数据的相对标准偏差(RSD,n=5)为0.9 % ～ 7 %,各元素的回收率在96 % ～ 102 %之间,该方法适用于高温合金中非金属元素的测定。