Analysis of phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oil by using reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography

In this work, the simultaneous separation of ten phenolic compounds (protocatechuic, p-coumaric, o-coumaric, vanillic, ferulic, caffeic, syringic acids, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and oleuropein) in extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) by isocratic RP CEC is proposed. A CEC method was optimized in order to completely resolve all the analyzed compounds by studying several experimental parameters. The influence of the stationary phase type (C(18) and C(8) modified silica gel), buffer concentration and pH as well as the organic modifier content of the mobile phase on retention factors, selectivity and efficiency were evaluated in details. A capillary column packed with Cogent bidentate C(18) particles for 23 cm and a mobile phase composed by 100 mM ammonium formate buffer pH 3/H(2)O/ACN (5:65:30 v/v/v) allowed the baseline resolution of the compounds under study in less than 35 min setting the applied voltage and temperature at 22 kV and 20 degrees C, respectively. A study, evaluating the intra- and interday precision as well as LOD and LOQ and method linearity was developed in accordance with the analytical procedures for method validation. LODs were in the range of 0.015-2.5 microg/mL, while calibration curves showed a good linearity (r(2) >0.997). The CEC method was applied to the separation and determination of these compounds in EVOO samples after a suitable liquid-liquid extraction procedure. The mean recovery values of the studied compounds ranged between 87 and 99%.     

Control of EOF in CE by different ways of application of radial electric field

Various ways of application of radial electric field for the control of electrokinetic potential and EOF in a home-made device for CE are presented. The device comprises three high-voltage power supplies, which are used to form a radial electric field across the fused-silica capillary wall. One power supply provides the internal electric field - a driving force for electrophoretic migration of charged analytes and for the EOF. Two power supplies are connected to the ends of the outer low-conductivity polymeric coating, which is formed by the dispersion of insoluble conductive copolymer of aniline and p-phenylendiamine in polystyrene matrix (dissolved in N-methylpyrrolidone) attached to the original outer polyimide coating of the capillary. They are able to constitute the external longitudinal electric field with variable values of electric potential at both ends of the outer coating. The potential gradient between the external and internal electric field is perpendicular to the capillary wall and forms a radial electric field across the capillary wall, which affects the electrokinetic potential at the solid-liquid interface and EOF inside the capillary. The developed device and methodology has been applied for the analysis of both chiral and achiral molecules such as terbutaline enantiomers and oligopeptides (diglycine and triglycine). The effect of magnitude, orientation, and different ways of application of the radial electric field on the flow rate of the EOF and on the speed, efficiency, and resolution of CZE separations of the above analytes in the internally noncoated fused-silica capillaries have been evaluated.     

Separation of catechins and methylxanthines in tea samples by capillary electrochromatography

In this paper, the simultaneous separation of several polyphenols such as (+)‐catechin, (–)‐epicatechin, (–)‐epigallocatechin, theophylline, caffeine in green and black teas by capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was developed. Several experimental parameters such as stationary phase type, mobile phase composition, buffer and pH, inner diameter of the columns, sample injection, were evaluated to obtain the complete separation of the analysed compounds. Baseline resolution of the studied polyphenols was achieved within 30 min by using a capillary column (id 100 μm) packed with bidentate C₁₈ particles for 24.5 cm and a mobile phase composed of 5 mM ammonium acetate buffer pH 4 with H₂O/ACN (80:20, v/v). The applied voltage and the temperature were set at 30 kV and 20°C. Precision, detection and quantification limits, linearity, and accuracy were investigated. A good linearity (R² > 0.9992) was achieved over a concentration working range of 2–100 μg/mL for all the analytes. LOD and LOQ were 1 and 2 μg/mL, respectively, for all studied compounds. The CEC method was applied to the analysis of those polyphenols in green and black tea samples after an extraction procedure. Good recovery data from accuracy studies ranged between 90% and 112% for all analytes.     

Evaluation of novel amylose and cellulose-based chiral stationary phases for the stereoisomer separation of flavanones by means of nano-liquid chromatography

Three polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases, Sepapak^® 1, Sepapak^® 2 and Sepapak^® 3 have been evaluated in the present work for the stereoisomer separation of a group of 12 flavonoids including flavanones (flavanone, 4′-methoxyflavanone, 6-methoxyflavanone, 7-methoxyflavanone, 2′-hydroxyflavanone, 4′-hydroxyflavanone, 6-hydroxyflavanone, 7-hydroxyflavanone, hesperetin, naringenin) and flavanone glycosides (hesperidin, naringin) by nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC). The behaviour of these chiral stationary phases (CSPs) towards the selected compounds was studied in capillary columns (100 μm internal diameter (i.d.)) packed with the above mentioned CSPs using polar organic, reversed and normal elution modes. The influence of nature and composition of the mobile phase in terms of concentration and type of organic modifier, buffer type and water content (reversed phase elution mode) on the enantioresolution (R_s), retention factor (k) and enantioselectivity (α) was evaluated. Sepapak^® 3 showed the best chromatographic results in terms of enantioresolution, enantioselectivity and short analysis time, employing a polar organic phase mode. A mixture of methanol/isopropanol (20/80, v/v) as mobile phase enabled the chiral separation of eight flavanones with enantioresolution factor (R_s) in the range 1.15–4.18. The same analytes were also resolved employing reversed and normal phase modes with mixtures of methanol/water and hexane/ethanol at different ratios as mobile phases, respectively. Loss in resolution for some compounds, broaden peaks and longer analysis times were observed with these last two chromatographic elution modes.     

Simultaneous analysis of cocaine and its metabolites in urine by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray mass spectrometry using a pressurized liquid junction nanoflow interface

A new method for the simultaneous separation of cocaine and four metabolites in urine by CE-ESI-MS via a pressurized nanoliquid junction interface was developed. The resolution of cocaine, cocaethylene, benzoylecgonine, norcocaine, and ecgonine methyl ester was achieved in a polyvinyl-alcohol-coated capillary with 75 μm id × 50 cm total length, using a 15 mM ammonium formate electrolyte solution (pH 9.5) in less than 15 min. In addition, to enhance sensitivity, a field-amplified sample injection (FASI) was evaluated in terms of injection time and sample solvent composition. The limits of detection achieved with the FASI method ranged from 1.5 to 10 ng/mL for all the compounds. The detection of the studied compounds was performed using an ion-trap mass spectrometer in a positive ionization mode. A mixture of methanol:water (80:20 v/v) containing 0.1% v/v of formic acid was employed as spray liquid and delivered at ~200 nL/min. Under optimal CE-MS conditions, linearity was assessed in the concentration range of interest for all analytes with correlation coefficients r2 ≥ 0.9913. Intra- and inter-day precision provided a relative standard deviation lower than 1.54% for migration times and lower than 12.15% for peak areas. Finally, urine samples, spiked with the standard mixture, were extracted using a solid-phase extraction procedure and injected under FASI conditions, providing recoveries from 80% to 94% for all analytes.     

Analysis of acidic photosystem II—Interacting herbicides in lake and river water by capillary electrophoresis

Summary The separation of cyanophenolic (ioxynil and bromoxynil) photosystem II-interacting herbicides and mecoprop in surface water extracts was obtained on a poly(vinyl alcohol)—coated capillary in 75 mM acetate buffer, pH 6, at 16 kV applied voltage. Styrene-divinyl benzene packed cartridges were used for solid phase extraction of the real surface water samples at neutral pH. To increase method sensitivity different injection techniques, namely hydrodynamic, electrophoretic and field—amplified sample injection (FASI), were compared.     

On-line CE-MS using pressurized liquid junction nanoflow electrospray interface and surface-coated capillaries

A simple and cost-effective laboratory-made liquid junction interface was used for coupling of CE with MS. In this device the capillary column and the spray tip were positioned in the electrode vessel containing appropriate spray liquid. The electrospray potential was applied on the electrode inside the liquid junction. A stable electrospray was produced at nanoliter per minute flow rates generated in the emitter tip without using an external pump. This arrangement provided high durability of the spray tip and independent optimization of the CE separation (use of coated capillaries) and ESI conditions. CE-MS analysis of mixtures of drugs, peptides, tryptic digests of proteins and biological fluids was optimized with respect to the effects of the distance between the separation capillary and electrospray tip and pressure applied on the liquid junction. The sensitivity of the system, in terms of the LOD (base peak monitoring) was below 10 ng/mL for the beta-blocker drugs and below 200 ng/mL for peptide analysis.     

Enantiomeric separation of mirtazapine and its metabolites by nano-liquid chromatography with UV-absorption and mass spectrometric detection

Mirtazapine (MIR) and two of its main metabolites, namely, 8-hydroxymirtazapine and N-desmethylmirtazapine, were separated in totheir enantiomers by nanoLC in a laboratory-made fused-silica capillary column (75 microm ID) packed with a vancomycin-modified silica stationary phase. The simultaneous separation of the three couples of the studied enantiomers was achieved in less than 33 min, using an experimentally optimized mobile phase delivered in the isocratic mode. Optimization of the mobile-phase composition was achieved by testing the influence of the buffer pH and concentration, the water concentration, the organic modifier type and concentration, and on the retention and resolution of the analytes. The optimum mobile-phase composition contained 500 mM ammonium acetate pH 4.5/water/MeOH/MeCN, 1:14:40:45 v/v/v/v. Using a UV detector at 205 nm, the method was validated studying several experimental parameters such as LOD and LOQ, intraday and interday repeatability, and linearity. Good results were achieved: LOD and LOQ were in the range 5-15 and 10-40 microg/mL, respectively (the highest value was obtained for the DEMIR enantiomers); correlation coefficients, 0.9993-0.9999; the intraday and interday precision was acceptable (RSD < 2%) using an internal standard. The method was tested for the separation of the studied enantiomers in an extracted (solid-phase) serum sample spiked with standard racemic mixture of MIR and its two metabolites. Finally, the nanoLC system was connected to a mass spectrometer through a nanoelectrospray interface and the MS, MS2, and MS3 spectra were acquired showing the potential of the system used for characterization and identification of the separated analytes.