Forgot your password?
New user?
New Window Opens on the Secret Life of Microbes: Scientists Develop First Microbial Profiles of Ecosystems
CAS announces the release of SciFinder Scholar for Mac OS X
Press Releases
Press Releases
| Check out our New Publishers' Select for Free Articles |
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (v.384, #5)
Process analytical technologies in the pharmaceutical industry: the FDA’s PAT initiative
by Dirk C. Hinz (pp. 1036-1042).
The Process Analytical Technology initiative and multivariate process analysis, monitoring and control by Theodora Kourti (pp. 1043-1048).
Process analytical technology is an essential step forward in pharmaceutical industry. Real-time analyzers will provide timely data on quality properties. This information combined with process data (temperatures, flow rates, pressure readings) collected in real time can become a powerful tool for this industry, for process understanding, process and quality monitoring, abnormal situation detection and for improving product quality and process reliability. A very important tool for this achievement is the multivariate analysis.
Keywords: Process analytical technology; Abnormal situation detection; Process analysis; Process understanding; Multivariate analysis; Multivariate statistical process control
Optimizing the impact of developments in micro-instrumentation on process analytical technology: a consortium approach
by Mel V. Koch (pp. 1049-1053).
Process analysis using ion mobility spectrometry by J. I. Baumbach (pp. 1059-1070).
Ion mobility spectrometry, originally used to detect chemical warfare agents, explosives and illegal drugs, is now frequently applied in the field of process analytics. The method combines both high sensitivity (detection limits down to the ng to pg per liter and ppbv/pptv ranges) and relatively low technical expenditure with a high-speed data acquisition. In this paper, the working principles of IMS are summarized with respect to the advantages and disadvantages of the technique. Different ionization techniques, sample introduction methods and preseparation methods are considered. Proven applications of different types of ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) used at ISAS will be discussed in detail: monitoring of gas insulated substations, contamination in water, odoration of natural gas, human breath composition and metabolites of bacteria. The example applications discussed relate to purity (gas insulated substations), ecology (contamination of water resources), plants and person safety (odoration of natural gas), food quality control (molds and bacteria) and human health (breath analysis).
Keywords: Ion mobility spectrometry; Metabolites; Gas insulated substation; Water contamination; Odoration; Natural gas
Photoacoustic spectroscopy for process analysis by Thomas Schmid (pp. 1071-1086).
Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is based on the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by analyte molecules. The absorbed energy is measured by detecting pressure fluctuations in the form of sound waves or shock pulses. In contrast to conventional absorption spectroscopy (such as UV/Vis spectroscopy), PAS allows the determination of absorption coefficients over several orders of magnitude, even in opaque and strongly scattering samples. Small absorption coefficients, such as those encountered during trace gas monitoring, can be detected with cells with relatively short pathlengths. Furthermore, PA techniques allow absorption spectra of solid samples (including powders, chips or large objects) to be determined, and they permit depth profiling of layered systems. These features mean that PAS can be used for on-line monitoring in technical processes without the need for sample preparation and to perform depth-resolved characterization of industrial products. This article gives an overview on PA excitation and detection schemes employed in analytical chemistry, and reviews applications of PAS in process analytical technology and characterization of industrial products.
Keywords: Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS); Process analysis; Industrial materials; On-line monitoring; Non-destructive testing
Multivariate curve resolution: a method of evaluating the kinetics of biotechnological reactions by W. Kessler; R. W. Kessler (pp. 1087-1095).
In biotechnology, strong emphasis is placed on the development of wet chemical analysis and chromatography to separate target components from a complex matrix. In bioprocessing, the development of single compound biosensors is an important activity. The advantages of these techniques are their high sensitivity and specificity. Inline or online monitoring by means of spectroscopy has the potential to be used as an “all-in-one” analysis technique for biotechnological studies, but it lacks specificity. Multivariate curve resolution (MCR) can be used to overcome this limitation. MCR is able to extract the number of components involved in a complex spectral feature, to attribute the resulting spectra to chemical compounds, to quantify the individual spectral contributions, and to use this quantification to develop kinetic models for the process with or without a priori knowledge. After a short introduction to MCR, two applications are presented. In the first example, the spectral features of hemp are monitored and analysed during growth. MCR provides unperturbed spectra on the activity of, for example, lignin and cellulose during plant development. In a second example, the kinetics of a laccase enzyme-catalysed degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons are calculated from UV/VIS spectra.
Keywords: Multivariate curve resolution; Online spectroscopy; Laccases; Cellulose; Hemp
Investigation of NO x precursor compounds and other combustion by-products in the primary combustion zone of a waste-incineration plant using on-line, real-time mass spectrometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) by T. Streibel; K. Hafner; F. Mühlberger; T. Adam; R. Warnecke; R. Zimmermann (pp. 1096-1106).
On-line analysis of trace and bulk gas compounds in the burning chamber of a waste-incineration plant has been performed, with high temporal resolution, by use of a variety of distinctly different measurement techniques. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry was performed with simultaneous use of three ionization techniques—resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), single-photon ionization (SPI), and electron-impact ionization (EI). Chemical-ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and electrochemical methods were also used. Sampling was conducted by means of a newly developed air-cooled stainless steel lance, to cope with the high temperatures and elevated particle concentrations at the sampling location. Nitrogen species were mainly nitrogen monoxide, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN), with a small amount (approximately 0.3%) of aromatic nitrogen compounds. NO, NH3, and HCN are the main contributors to the NO x -formation process in the postulated fuel–NO reaction scheme dominant at this location. The NO recycling process thereby plays a major role. Changes in plant operating conditions have a noticeable impact only when the air supply is varied. For example, reduction of oxygen leads to an increase in the HCN fraction of the total nitrogen content and a decrease in the NO fraction, and vice versa.
Keywords: Mass spectrometry; Photoionization; On-line; Waste incineration; Nitric oxide
Examples of the application of optical process and quality sensing (OPQS) to beer brewing and polyurethane foaming processes by Sonja Engelhard; Michael U. Kumke; Hans-Gerd Löhmannsröben (pp. 1107-1112).
Optical methods play an important role in process analytical technologies (PAT). Four examples of optical process and quality sensing (OPQS) are presented, which are based on three important experimental techniques: near-infrared absorption, luminescence quenching, and a novel method, photon density wave (PDW) spectroscopy. These are used to evaluate four process and quality parameters related to beer brewing and polyurethane (PU) foaming processes: the ethanol content and the oxygen (O2) content in beer, the biomass in a bioreactor, and the cellular structures of PU foam produced in a pilot production plant.
Keywords: Process analytical technology; Beer; Biomass; Foam analysis; NIR spectroscopy; Fluorescence quenching; Photon density wave spectroscopy
Monitoring industrial wastewater by online GC–MS with direct aqueous injection by M. Wortberg; W. Ziemer; M. Kugel; H. Müller; H.-J. Neu (pp. 1113-1122).
An online GC–MS-system for automated monitoring of crude wastewater at a complex chemical production site is presented. The modular system is, in principal, based on commercial equipment, but utilizes a special, two-stage injector, which consists of a splitless vaporization chamber on top of a PTV injector filled with Tenax. This set-up enables direct injection of wastewater. Almost 140 volatile and semi-volatile compounds are calibrated down to 1 mg L−1, which is sufficient for analysis of the influent of the wastewater-treatment plant. Two instruments analyze alternately, every 20 min, and the instrument cycle time is 40 min. The quantitative results are transferred to a database which is connected to a process-control system. Depending on the nature and concentration of a compound, an alarm can be generated and the wastewater stream can be diverted into an “off spec tank” if necessary. The GC–MS-system operates quasi-continuously with a system availability >98%. Data quality is automatically controlled in each run and by daily analysis of a quality-control sample. The development of a novel stacked PTV–PTV injector design to expand the range of analytes to selected basic compounds is described.
Keywords: Direct aqueous injection; Online GC–MS; PTV–PTV injector; Wastewater; Tenax; Matrix effect
Online LC-MS-MS process monitoring for optimization of biological treatment of wastewater containing azo dye concentrates by Astrid Rehorek; Alexander Plum (pp. 1123-1128).
A biological high-performance treatment process comprising two 40-L reactor compartments has been developed for purification and decoloration of concentrated textile wastewater containing up to 15 g L−1 reactive dyestuff. The decoloration rate of 95% meets the requirements of German legislation for textile wastewater treatment. Successful process development and optimization was achieved by use of high-performance liquid chromatography, with diode-array and electrospray tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS-MS) detection, coupled with inline microfiltration membrane-sampling devices, applied online to bioreactors as a process analytical tool for the first time. The optimum process performance was found by correlation of dye and decoloration product-specific concentrations with summary properties such as redox potential and dissolved oxygen content. Details of the degradation and decoloration mechanism for the azo dye reactive black 5 was revealed by using mass spectrometry for structure elucidation.
Keywords: Online-LC-MS-MS; Azo dyes; Microfiltration sampling; C.I. reactive black 5
Biomolecular interaction analysis under electrophoretic flow conditions by Michael Kumpf; Günter Gauglitz (pp. 1129-1133).
Combining the advantages of electrophoresis with the advantages of biomolecular interaction analysis (BIA) enables the biospecific detection of separated molecules; for example it permits differentiation between a complementary single-stranded DNA and a single nucleotide polymorphism. In order to integrate these two techniques, it is necessary to investigate whether it is possible to detect a biomolecular interaction under electrophoretic flow conditions. To this end a novel detection system was developed for electrophoresis that utilizes a label-free and time-resolved detection technique: reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). The biological functions of important analytes were investigated using this system. Although RIfS can be used as a postcolumn detector, it is also possible to use it to detect relevant substances under electrophoretic flow conditions. DNA–LNA, biotin–streptavidin and protein–protein interactions were detected using this coupled electrophoresis–RIfS set-up.
Keywords: Reflectometric interference spectroscopy; Electrophoresis detection method; Biomolecular interaction analysis; Electrophoretic flow
Differential proteome analysis of tonsils from children with chronic tonsillitis or with hyperplasia reveals disease-associated protein expression differences by Tino Just; Evariste Gafumbegete; Jan Gramberg; Ines Prüfer; Stefan Mikkat; Bruno Ringel; Hans Wilhelm Pau; Michael O. Glocker (pp. 1134-1144).
A proteomic approach has been used to establish a proteome map and differentiate between the protein composition of tonsils from patients with chronic tonsillitis (CT) and that of tonsils with hyperplasia (HPL). Two-dimensional gel analysis was performed with material from four patients with HPL and five patients with CT. An average of approximately 600 spots were detected in each gel. A total of 127 different proteins were identified in 158 spots analyzed by mass spectrometry. Our study revealed disease-associated differences between protein abundance for two protein spots, an HSP27 isoform and UMP-CMP kinase. Both protein spots were more abundant in the CT group. HSP27 ELISA was performed for 32 patients, 12 belonging to the HPL group and 20 to the CT group. ELISA could not be used to differentiate HSP27 isoforms nor to distinguish CT from HPL. HSP27 was found to migrate to two further protein spots in the 2D gels. The differently expressed HSP27 isoform migrated as the most acidic of all the HSP27 isoforms detected, indicating the highest degree of phosphorylation. The sum of all three HSP27 abundances in the gels from the CT group was not different from that of the HPL group, consistent with the ELISA results. Our results suggest that phosphorylation differences caused the observed migration differences of HSP27. Together with the UMP-CMP kinase abundance differences, we conclude that kinase and/or phosphatase activity are different in CT and HPL.
Keywords: Tonsil hyperplasia; Recurrent/chronic tonsillitis; Proteomics; Mass spectrometry; MALDI-MS; HSP27; Phosphorylation
Development of an on-line automated sample clean-up method and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis: application in an in vitro proteolytic assay by Dieter Drexler; Deborah J. Barlow; Paul Falk; Joseph Cantone; Dennis Hernandez; Asoka Ranasinghe; Mark Sanders; Bethanne Warrack; Fiona McPhee (pp. 1145-1154).
Fluorescence detection has been a method of choice in industry for screening assays, including identification of enzyme inhibitors, owing to its high-throughput capabilities, excellent reproducibility, and sensitivity. Occasionally, inhibitors are identified that challenge the fluorescence assay limit, necessitating the development of more sensitive detection methods to assess these compounds. For data mining purposes, however, original assay conditions may be required. A direct method transfer to highly sensitive and specific LC-MS-based methods has not always been possible due to the presence of MS-incompatible neutral detergents and non-volatile salts in the assay matrix. Utilizing an in vitro proteolytic screening assay for the serine protease hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural (NS) 3 protease as a test case, we report the development of an automated sample clean-up procedure implemented on-line with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to complement fluorescence detection. Ion exchange and peptide microtraps were employed to remove MS-incompatible assay matrix components. Three protease inhibitors were used to validate the MS/MS method. Comparable potencies were achieved for these compounds when assessed by fluorescence and MS/MS detection. Furthermore, four-fold less enzyme could be utilized when employing the MS/MS method compared to fluorescence detection. The longer analysis time, however, resulted in reduced sample capacity. The potency of our designed HCV NS3 protease inhibitors are thus routinely evaluated using a continuous fluorescence-based assay. Only pertinent inhibitors approaching the fluorescence assay sensitivity limit are subsequently analyzed further by LC-MS/MS. This methodology allows us to maintain a database and to compare results independent of the detection method. Despite the relatively slow sample turnaround time of this LC-MS approach, the versatility of the automated on-line clean-up procedure and sample analysis can be applied to assays containing reagents which were historically considered to be MS incompatible.
Keywords: Automation; On-line sample clean-up; Ion exchange and peptide microtraps; Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); Proteolytic assay
Accurate determination of allelic frequencies in mitochondrial DNA mixtures by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry by Herbert Oberacher; Harald Niederstätter; Christian G. Huber; Walther Parson (pp. 1155-1163).
The mitochondrial locus 16519T/C was used as a model for the evaluation of the benefits of ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on-line hyphenated to electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICEMS assay) for the determination of allelic frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms. This marker has gained interest in forensic science owing to its ability to increase the discrimination power of mitochondrial DNA testing as a consequence of its high variability across various populations. In a first set of experiments, artificial mitochondrial DNA mixtures prepared from all four theoretically possible 16519 alleles served as samples. Any allele occurring at a frequency of as low as 1–5% was unequivocally detectable irrespective of the kind of allelic mixture. Measured and expected allelic frequencies correlated well following correction of observed experimental bias, which was most probably attributable to differential PCR amplification and/or preferential ionization. For thirteen different T/C mixtures with C contents in the range 1.0–99.0%, an average error of 1.2% and a maximum error of 2.2% were observed. Furthermore, ICEMS was applied to the quantitative genotyping of eight selected individuals of which four were heteroplasmic with C contents in the range 1.9–34.1%. To check the reliability of these results, allelic proportions were additionally determined by a cloning assay. The results of the two assays correlated well (R 2=0.9971). In all cases, deviations were obtained that were smaller than 5.4%. The overall observed assay performance suggests that the described mass spectrometric technique represents one of the most powerful assays for the determination of allelic frequencies available today.
Keywords: Mass spectrometry; Liquid chromatography; Electrospray ionization; Allelic frequency; Heteroplasmy; Mitochondrial DNA
Multi-component analysis of tetracyclines, sulfonamides and tylosin in swine manure by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry by Anne Marie Jacobsen; Bent Halling-Sørensen (pp. 1164-1174).
A multi-component method focussing on thorough sample preparation has been developed for simultaneous analysis of swine manure for three classes of antibiotic—tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and tylosin. Liquid manure was initially freeze-dried and homogenised by pulverization before extraction by pressurised liquid extraction. The extraction was performed at 75°C and 2,500 psig in three steps using two cycles with 0.2 mol L−1 citric acid buffer (pH 4.7) and one cycle with a mixture of 80% methanol with 0.2 mol L−1 citric acid (pH 3). After liquid–liquid extraction with heptane to remove lipids, the pH of the manure was adjusted to 3 with formic acid and the sample was vacuum-filtered through 0.6 μm glass-fibre filters. Finally the samples were pre-concentrated by tandem SPE (SAX-HLB). Recoveries were determined for manure samples spiked at three concentrations (50–5,000 μg kg−1 dry matter); quantification was achieved by matrix-matched calibration. Recoveries were >70% except for oxytetracycline (42–54%), sulfadiazine (59–73%), and tylosin (9–35%) and did not vary with concentration or from day-to-day. Limits of quantification (LOQ) for all compounds, determined as a signal-to-noise ratio of 10, were in the range 10–100 μg kg−1 dry matter. The suitability of the method was assessed by analysis of swine manure samples from six different pig-production sites, e.g. finishing pigs, sows, or mixed production. Residues of antibiotics were detected in all samples. The largest amounts were found for tetracyclines (up to 30 mg kg−1 dry matter for the sum of CTC and ECTC). Sulfonamides were detected at concentrations up to 2 mg kg−1 dry matter (SDZ); tylosin was not detected in any samples.
Keywords: Tetracyclines; Sulfonamides; Tylosin; Manure; LC–ESI-MS–MS
Detection of oncoprotein platelet-derived growth factor using a fluorescent signaling complex of an aptamer and TOTO by Cuisong Zhou; Yaxin Jiang; Shuang Hou; Baocheng Ma; Xiaohong Fang; Menglong Li (pp. 1175-1180).
There have recently been advances in the application of aptamers, a new class of nucleic acids that bind specifically with target proteins, as protein recognition probes for biomedical study. The development of a signaling aptamer with the capability of simple and rapid real-time detection of disease-related proteins has attracted increasing interest. We have recently reported a new protein-detection strategy using a signaling aptamer based on a DNA molecular light-switching complex, [Ru(phen)2(dppz)]2+. In this work we have used the commercially available DNA-intercalating dye, TOTO, to replace [Ru(phen)2(dppz)]2+ for detection of oncoprotein platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), a potential cancer marker. Taking advantage of the high affinity of the aptamer to PDGF-BB and the sensitive fluorescence change of the aptamer–TOTO signaling complex on protein binding, PDGF-BB was detected in physiological buffer with high selectivity and sensitivity. The detection limit was 0.1 nmol L−1, which was better than that of other reported aptamer-based methods for PDGF-BB, including that using [Ru(phen)2(dppz)]2+. The method is very simple with no need for covalent labeling of the aptamer or probe synthesis. It facilitates wide application of the signaling mechanism to the analysis and study of cancer markers and other proteins.
Keywords: Aptamer; PDGF-BB; Oncoprotein; TOTO; Fluorescence
Transient pseudo-isotachophoretic stacking in analysis of plasma for homocysteine by capillary zone electrophoresis by P. Kubalczyk; E. Bald (pp. 1181-1185).
An analytical procedure enabling routine analysis of human plasma for total homocysteine has been developed and validated. The method includes reduction of homocysteine disulfides to thiol with tris 2-carboxyethylphosphine, derivatization of the thiol with 2-chloro-1-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate, separation of homocysteine 2-S-quinolinium derivative from those of plasma endogenous and exogenous thiol derivatives by capillary zone electrophoresis, and quantitation with the use of ultraviolet detection based on acetonitrile stacking. Method performance characteristics, for example recovery, calibration, precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantitation, are presented. The procedure was applied to analysis of plasma samples donated by apparently healthy volunteers.
Keywords: Total homocysteine; Capillary electrophoresis; Derivatization; Plasma; Ultraviolet detection; Acetonitrile stacking
Flow injection chemiluminescence immunoassay for 17β-estradiol using an immunoaffinity column by Shuhao Wang; Shilei Lin; Lingyun Du; Huisheng Zhuang (pp. 1186-1190).
A new flow injection chemiluminescent immunoassay was developed for the detection of 17β-estradiol (E2). The method uses p–iodophenol (PIP) as enhancer and is based on a solid-phase immunoassay format in which an E2–OVA immobilized immunoaffinity column inserted in the flow system is used to trap unbound horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled anti-E2 antibody after an off-line incubation of E2 with HRP-labeled anti-E2 antibody. The trapped enzyme conjugate was detected by injecting substrates to produce an enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) response. The linear range for E2 was 10.0–1,000.0 ng mL−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.996 and a detection limit of 3.0 ng mL−1. The sampling and chemiluminescence detection time for one sample was 400 s after a pre-incubation procedure of 30 min. Serum samples detected by this method were in good agreement with the results obtained by EIA with E2–biotin.
Keywords: Flow injection analysis; Chemiluminescence; Immunoassay; Immunoaffinity; 17β–Estradiol
Automated determination of the pK a values of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in cosolvent–water mixtures and related solvent effects using a modified HPLC system by H. Miklautz; D. Keller; F. Lopez Holguin; R. Woloszczak (pp. 1191-1195).
An automated spectrophotometric method based on an HPLC system with a diode array detector was used to determine the pK a values of compounds with low water solubility in a universal buffer containing acetonitrile as cosolvent. The column of the system was replaced with a capillary connecting the injection system and the diode array detector. Specific solvent effects were corrected for using the dielectric constants of the mixed solvent and pure water. The method was tested using 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and the results were compared with those obtained with a spectrophotometer. Linear regression lines with different slopes were obtained from spectrophotometric measurements of different cosolvent–water mixtures. These effects were shown to depend upon the polarity of the solventwater mixture, and they were explained by the solvatochromic behavior of the 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in the solvent–water mixture.
Keywords: Acid dissociation; Cosolvents; Spectrophotometry; Solubilization; Physicochemical properties
Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS): a powerful combination for selenium speciation in garlic (Allium sativum) by Emmie Dumont; Yasumitsu Ogra; Frank Vanhaecke; Kazuo T. Suzuki; Rita Cornelis (pp. 1196-1206).
Liquid chromatography (LC) hyphenated with both elemental and molecular mass spectrometry has been used for Se speciation in Se-enriched garlic. Different species were separated by ion-pair liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC–ICP–MS) after hot-water extraction. They were identified by on-line reversed-phase liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (RPLC–ESI–MS–MS). Se-methionine and Se-methylselenocysteine were determined by monitoring their product ions. Another compound, γ-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine, shown to be the most abundant form of Se in the garlic, was determined without any additional sample pre-treatment after extraction and without the need for a synthesized standard. Product ions for this dipeptide were detected by LC–ESI–MS–MS for three isotopes of Se—78 Se, 80Se: and 82Se. The method was extended to the species extracted during in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Because both Se-methylselenocysteine and γ-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine have anticarcinogenic properties, their extractability and stability during human digestion are very important. Garlic was also treated with saliva, to enable detection and analysis of species extracted during mastication. Detailed information on the extractability of selenium species by both simulated gastric and intestinal fluid are given, and variation of the distribution of Se among the different species with time is discussed. Although the main species in garlic is the dipeptide γ-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine, Se-methylselenocysteine is the main compound present in the extracts after treatment with gastrointestinal fluids. Two more, so far unknown compounds were observed in the chromatogram. The extracted species and their transformations were analysed by combining LC–ICP–MS and LC–ESI–MS–MS. In both the simulated gastric and intestinal digests, Se-methionine, Se-methylselenocysteine, and γ-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine could be determined by LC–ESI–MS–MS by measuring their typical product ions.
Keywords: LC–ICP–MS; LC–ESI–MS–MS; Selenium; Garlic; Speciation; In vitro human digestion
Accurate quantification of PAHs in water in the presence of dissolved humic acids using isotope dilution mass spectrometry by Ofelia Bercaru; Franz Ulberth; Hendrik Emons; Carlo Vandecasteele (pp. 1207-1213).
The effect of dissolved humic acids on the recovery of PAHs from water samples has been investigated using a commercially available humic acid preparation as colloid model and a mixture containing the 16 EPA PAHs. The presence of humic acid reduced the extraction efficiency down to between 10 and 75%. An analytical protocol was therefore developed for the accurate determination of PAHs in the presence of humic acids based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The procedure compensates for losses due to sorption of PAHs and can be used for the determination of the total PAH concentration in water, i.e. dissolved PAHs plus PAHs adsorbed on colloids. To obtain reliable estimates it is essential to allow a certain time for equilibration between the isotope spike and the aqueous matrix which may vary between 5 and 24 h, in correlation with the water solubility of PAHs. The protocol allows one to recover the 16 PAHs studied at 94 to 105%. The expanded uncertainty of the measurements was 5–7% for all PAHs. Liquid–liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction in combination with the developed isotope dilution protocol performed equally well for the quantification of PAHs from water samples rich in colloidal material.
Keywords: PAH analysis; Water analysis; IDMS; Humic acids
Determination of fumonisins B1 and B2 in Portuguese maize and maize-based samples by HPLC with fluorescence detection by C. M. Lino; L. J. G. Silva; A. L. S. Pena; M. I. Silveira (pp. 1214-1220).
Fumonisins B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) are the main members of a family of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium proliferatum, and other fungi species of the section Liseola. The present work shows the results of comparative studies using two different procedures for the analysis of fumonisins in maize and maize-based samples. The studied analytical methods involve extraction with methanol/water, dilution with PBS, and clean-up through immunoaffinity columns. Two reagents (o-phthaldialdehyde and naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde) were studied for formation of fluorescent derivatives. The separation and identification were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The optimized method for analysis of fumonisins in maize involved extraction with methanol/water (80:20), clean-up with an immunoaffinity column, and derivatization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA). The limit of detection was 20 μg kg−1 for FB1 and 15 μg kg−1 for FB2. Recoveries of FB1 and FB2 ranged from 79% to 99.6% for maize fortified at 150 μg kg−1 and 200 μg kg−1, respectively, with within-day RSDs of 3.0 and 2.7%. The proposed method was applied to 31 samples, and the presence of fumonisins was found in 14 samples at concentrations ranging from 113 to 2,026 μg kg−1. The estimated daily intake of fumonisins was 0.14 μg kg−1 body weight per day.
Keywords: Fumonisins B1 and B2 ; Maize; Maize derivatives; HPLC
Determination of resorcylic acid lactones in biological samples by GC–MS. Discrimination between illegal use and contamination with fusarium toxins by M. H. Blokland; S. S. Sterk; R. W. Stephany; F. M. Launay; D. G. Kennedy; L. A. van Ginkel (pp. 1221-1227).
An EU project, FAIR5-CT-1997-3443, has been undertaken to distinguish illegal use of zeranol from consumption of food contaminated with Fusarium spp. toxin. One of the tasks was development of screening and confirmatory methods of analysis. This paper describes a new method based on two-step clean-up and GC–MS analysis. The first clean-up step is matrix-dependant; the second is applicable to both urine and meat. The MS is operated in negative chemical ionisation mode. The method is quantitative for zeranol and taleranol, α- and β-zearalenol, and zearalenone and qualitative for zearalanone. Validation was performed according to the latest EU performance criteria (Commission Decision 2002/657). For analysis of urine $${ ext{CC }}_{alpha }$$ and $${ ext{CC }}_{eta }$$ for the method (μg L−1) were 0.06–0.11 for zeranol, 0.07–0.12 for taleranol, 0.07–0.11 for α-zearalenol, 0.21–0.36 for β-zearalenol, 0.35–0.60 for zearalenone, and 0.19–0.33 zearalanone. Within-laboratory reproducibility was 16.2, 11.2, 31.9, 30.1, 26.6, and 54.2% for zeranol, taleranol, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, zearalenone, and zearalanone, respectively. It was found that all the compounds are stable in urine at −20°C for at least a year. Part of the validation program was organisation of a small proficiency study (ringtest) and a correlation study with an LC–MS–MS method developed by the Veterinary Science Division (VSD; Belfast, UK-NI). This study showed there was good correlation between results from both laboratories. The method can be used for quantitative analysis discriminating illegal use of zeranol from consumption of zearalenone-contaminated food.
Keywords: Zeranol; Taleranol; α/β-Zearalenol; Zearalanone; Zearalenone; GC–MS; Ringtest; Stability study
Determination of fluoroquinolones in eggs using in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography by Jing-Fang Huang; Bo Lin; Qiong-Wei Yu; Yu-Qi Feng (pp. 1228-1235).
A simple, rapid, and sensitive method using in-tube solid-phase microextraction (in-tube SPME) based on poly(methacrylic acid–ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MAA–EGDMA) monolith coupled to HPLC with fluorescence and UV detection was developed for the determination of five fluoroquinolones (FQs). Ofloxacin (OFL), norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), enrofloxacin (ENRO), and sarafloxacin (SARA) can be enriched and determined in the spiked eggs and albumins. CIP/ENRO in eggs and albumins of ENRO-treated hens were also studied using the proposed method. Only homogenization, dilution, and centrifugation were required before the sample was supplied to the in-tube microextraction, and no organic solvents were consumed in the procedures. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good extraction efficiency for the five FQs was obtained with no matrix interference in the process of extraction and the subsequent chromatographic separation. The detection limits (S/N=3) were found to be 0.1–2.6 ng g−1 and 0.2–2.4 ng g−1 in whole egg and egg albumin, respectively. Good linearity could be achieved over the range 2–500 ng mL−1 for the five FQs with regression coefficients above 0.9995 in both whole egg and albumin. The reproducibility of the method was evaluated at three concentration levels, with the resulting relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 7%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of ENRO and its primary metabolite CIP in the eggs and albumins of ENRO-treated hens.
Keywords: High-performance liquid chromatography; In-tube solid-phase microextraction; Residues; Fluoroquinolones; Egg
Confirmatory determination of organochlorine pesticides in surface waters using LC/APCI/tandem mass spectrometry⋄ by S. Chusaksri; S. Sutthivaiyakit; P. Sutthivaiyakit (pp. 1236-1245).
A confirmatory method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and their metabolites (endrin, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, 2,4′-DDD, 4,4′-DDD, 2,4′-DDE 4,4′-DDE, 2,4′-DDT, and 4,4′-DDT) in surface waters using liquid chromatography /APCI/tandem mass spectrometry has been developed. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a ChromSpher 5 Pesticide column using a gradient elution with mobile phase 1mM ammonium acetate-acetonitrile. Endrin, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan , endosulfan sulfate, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide were determined in the negative ionization mode, while the rest compounds in positive ionization mode. For the identification of the analytes, two multireaction monitoring transitions were selected per compounds except for the heptachlor which selected ion monitoring was used. The linearity of the optimized method ranges after SPE concentration, from 0.009 to 30.60 μgL−1 with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The method recovery values varied from 72 to 119 % for the different fortification levels . The developed method was successfully applied to determine OCPs and their metabolites in surface water samples collected near paddy fields in growing season of rice, at year 2005 in Pathumthani province, Thailand. Endosulfan sulfate was detected in five out of seven samples and three of them could be quantitated in the range of 0.31to 0.50 μgL−1.
Keywords: Organochlorine pesticides; Fragmentation; LC/APCI/tandem mass spectrometry
Flow injection chemiluminescence analysis of phenolic compounds using the NCS-luminol system by Behzad Haghighi; Reza Dadashvand (pp. 1246-1253).
A flow injection system coupled with two simple and sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) methods is described for the determination of some phenolic compounds. The methods are based on the inhibition effects of the investigated phenols on the CL signal intensities of N-chlorosuccinimide-KI-luminol (NCS-KI-luminol) and NCS-luminol systems. The influences of the chemical and hydrodynamic parameters on the decrease in CL signal intensities of NCS-KI-luminol and NCS-luminol systems for hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol, serving as the model compounds of analyte, were studied in the flow injection mode of analysis. Under the selected conditions, the proposed CL systems were used for the determination of some phenolic compound and analytical characteristics of the systems including calibration equation, correlation coefficient, linear dynamic range, limit of detection, and sample throughput. The limits of detection for hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol were 0.002, 0.01, and 0.3 μM using the NCS-KI-luminol system; for the NCS-luminol system these were 0.01, 0.17, and 1.6 μM, respectively. The relative standard deviation for 10 repeated measurements of 0.04, 0.06, and 1 μM of hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol were 1.9, 1.4, and 2.0%, respectively, with the NCS-KI-luminol system; for 0.2, 0.5, and 4 μM of hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol these were 2.6, 2.2, and 3.7%, respectively, using the NCS-luminol system. The method was applied to the determination of catechol in known environmental water samples with a relative error of less than 6%. A possible reaction mechanism of the proposed CL system is discussed briefly.
Keywords: Flow injection; Chemiluminescence; NCS; Luminol; Phenolic compounds
Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatographic determination of bufadienolides in toad venom and in traditional Chinese medicine by Luo Xingping; Zhai Zongde; Zhao Yanfang; Chen Liren; Li Yongmin (pp. 1254-1258).
A microemulsion electrokinetic chromatographic (MEEKC) method has been developed and validated for determination of resibufogenin and cinobufagin in toad venom and in traditional Chinese medicine prepared from the venom. The MEEKC method involved use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant, heptane as organic solvent, and butan-1-ol as co-solvent. To improve the separation, the effect of temperature and running buffer pH were evaluated. The optimized conditions (heptane 0.81% (w/w), SDS 3.31% (w/w), butan-1-ol 6.61% (w/w), and 10 mmol L−1 sodium tetraborate buffer, pH 9.2, and 298 nm as the detection wavelength) enabled useful and repeatable separation of the analytes.
Keywords: Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography; Toad venom; Resibufogenin; Cinobufagin