Aqueous Mobile Phase Research Articles

Two-dimensional separation by sequential injection chromatography.

Sequential injection chromatography (SIC) is an alternative for fast chromatographic separations with low consumption of organic solvents. However, its separation capacity is restricted by the use of short chromatographic columns and the limitations for gradient elution. The present work aimed to expand the analytical capacity of SIC by exploiting a multidimensional approach with two chromatographic columns, different in their separation mechanisms, which increased the selectivity and peak resolution. The viability of the proposal was demonstrated by separation of aromatic biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, and tryptamine), whose unidimensional separation was not achieved either by using cyanopropyl or C18 chromatographic columns. In the two-dimensional approach, the fraction of the eluate unresolved in the first dimension (containing tyramine and phenylethylamine) was collected in a sampling loop and, subsequently, inserted in the second chromatographic dimension (heart-cutting mode). Under the optimized conditions, the first chromatographic dimension was based on a cyanopropyl monolithic column and an aqueous mobile phase composed of phosphoric acid solution, pH 2.5, while the second dimension employed a C18 superficially porous particle column and a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and phosphoric acid aqueous solution, pH 2.5 (7:93, v/v). The total analysis time was 8 min, and a resolution of 1.72 was achieved between the nearest peaks (tyramine and phenylethylamine). Linear responses were obtained within 10 and 50 mg L-1 (r > 0.997), with detection limits estimated at 2.7, 7.7, 1.9, and 0.3 mg L-1, for histamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, and tryptamine, respectively, and a coefficient of variation of 3.0% (n=12).

Method for evaluation of ionic interactions in liquid chromatography

In this work we utilized basic and acidic analytes to investigate the ionic interaction participation in retention behavior of selected reversed-phase and polar columns. The test analytes included nitrate, benzenesulfonate and trimethylphenylammonium ions. The fully aqueous mobile phase comprising 10 mM dichloroacetic acid buffered with ammonia solution to desirable pH was used for retention experiments. Developed method was utilized to study the ionic interactions of stationary phases in pH range between 2.5 and 9.0. We demonstrate that selected sorbents used for reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction chromatography separations exhibit cation- or anion-exchange interactions. We compare the results to novel Atlantis PREMIER BEH C18 AX mixed-mode column that combines reversed-phase and anion-exchange interaction modes. We evaluated the relative retention strength of selected columns for anionic and cationic analytes.

Dilute-and-Shoot HPLC-UV Method for Determination of Urinary Creatinine as a Normalization Tool in Mycotoxin Biomonitoring in Pigs.

A simple, rapid, and accurate HPLC-UV method was developed for the determination of creatinine in pig urine. Usually, it is determined in urine in biomonitoring of xenobiotics to correct for variations in dilutions of urine samples. The colorimetric method (based on Jaffe reaction), which was mainly used for this purpose in mycotoxin biomonitoring, is not a reliable approach for pig urine. Therefore, a novel and accurate HPLC method for creatinine determination was developed. The sample preparation was based on the dilute and shoot approach. An HPLC separation was performed with a porous graphitic carbon column with an aqueous mobile phase to achieve satisfactory retention time for creatinine. The method has been successfully validated, applied for the determination of creatinine in pig urine, and compared with other methods commonly used for that purpose—a colorimetric method based on Jaffe reaction and commercial ELISA test. The developed HPLC method shows the highest precision and accuracy for pig urine samples. Finally, the method was applied as a normalization tool in LC-MS/MS mycotoxin biomarkers analysis. The standardization to a constant creatinine level (0.5 mg/mL) enables similar matrix effects for eleven mycotoxin biomarkers for pig urine samples with different creatinine levels.

A study of tetrapeptide enantiomeric separation on crown ether based chiral stationary phases

The chiral separations of small peptides is an important challenge in the biological and medical sciences, because different stereoisomers of chiral drugs can often possess different pharmacological, pharmacokinetic, and/or toxicological activities. Commercially available crown ether chiral stationary phases based on S-(3,3′-diphenyl-1,1′-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 (CROWNPAK CR-I (+)) and (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (ChiroSil RCA (+)) have been successfully used for separating enantiomers of various racemic compounds containing primary amino groups. In this investigation, enantioresolution of more complex model analyte - tetrapeptide Tyr-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2, has been reported on crown ether chiral stationary phases. Organic and acidic modifier content in aqueous mobile phase was tested. All Tyr-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2 stereoisomers showed U-shaped retention plots, based on ACN content in mobile phase. Increased retention of tetrapeptide stereoisomers was observed at low (<35%) and at high (>70%) acetonitrile content in the mobile phase, indicating that different separation mechanisms are most likely involved. As a result, baseline separation of all eight tetrapeptide enantiomer pairs was achieved under isocratic elution mode on both chiral columns.

PH-Zone-refining counter-current chromatography for two new lipo-alkaloids separated from refined alkaline extraction of Kusnezoff monkshood root.

An efficient and refined method for the separation of six aconitine‐type alkaloids from the alkaline prepared “Kusnezoff monkshood root” was established. It is the first study that two new lipo‐alkaloids were successfully isolated from refined sample by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography rather than synthetic method. It was of interest that a great deal of lipo‐alkaloids was produced in crude extract from the alkalization of “Kusnezoff monkshood root.” A refined sample method was proposed to enrich two types of alkaloids by liquid–liquid extraction, i.e. lipo‐alkaloids and monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids. The pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was performed with an optimized two‐phase solvent system composed of n‐hexane‐ethyl acetate–methanol–water (3:5:4:5, v/v), where upper organic phase was added to 3 mmol/L triethylamine as a retainer and lower aqueous mobile phase was added to 3 mmol/L hydrochloric acid as an eluter. As a result, six aconitum alkaloids, including two lipo‐alkaloids (8‐lino‐14‐benzoylaconine, 8‐pal‐14‐benzoylaconine), three monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids (14‐benzoylmesaconine, 14‐benzoylaconine, beyzoyldeoxyaconine), and one aconine alkaloid (neoline) were acquired from the plant at the same time. The anti‐inflammatory activities of the two new lipo‐alkaloids were compared to the six alkaloids in vitro, in cyclo‐oxygen‐ase‐2 inhibition assays. The separation mechanism of six alkaloids by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was illustrated.

Development of retention mechanism for the separation of carboxylic acids and inorganic anions in cryptand-based ion chromatography

The ion-exchange and complex forming equilibria were quantitatively described and demonstrated in order to understand major factors in the control of selectivity in the analytical separation of carboxylic acids and inorganic anions in cryptand based ion chromatography. A complex retention model has been developed for the separation on a non-conventional IC column. Changes in retention are treated both theoretically and experimentally. Retention mechanism is employed on a macrocycle-based (cryptand n-decyl-[2.2.2]) ion-exchange chromatographic phase to improve the selectivity for a mixture of model analytes. We introduced an alternative internal gradient method by mixed eluent (i.e. eluents formed by combination of two alkali hydroxide with different molar ratio). The effect of binary mixed eluent (Li/Na, Li/K) on the retention behavior and peak shape of carboxylic acids are also discussed in view of the proposed theory. It was shown that the effects of binary aqueous mobile phases, held isocratically behave very similar to the step gradient mode. The "internal gradient” separation system has advantages over traditional step gradient mode. Twenty-six anions of widely varying chemical character (mono-, di-, tri-valent inorganic anions, mono-, di-, tri-valent aliphatic carboxylic acids, aromatic- and haloacetic carboxylic acids) were investigated on the cryptand-based (D222) stationary phase using different methods by LiOH, NaOH and KOH eluent. The predicted vs measured retention data are in rather good agreement. High degree of linearity was obtained for inorganic anions, multivalent carboxylic acids, and for aromatic and haloacetic acids R2 = 0.992, 0.969, and 0.980, respectively.

A three-dimensional origami microfluidic device for paper chromatography: Application to quantification of Tartrazine and Indigo carmine in food samples

Herein, we report three-dimensional paper chromatography (3D-PC) as a micro-chromatographic platform. The method was based on applying the origami microfluidic device for separation, coupled by colorimetric methods for simultaneous determination. The microfluidic device fabrication was a facile printing approach. Two azo food dyes, Tartrazine (E102) and Indigo carmine (E132), were selected as a model analyte, while carbonate-bicarbonate buffer was used as the mobile phase. Our micro-chromatographic device is associated with two big advantages including needing very small volume of mobile phase ( ~12 µL) and ultrafast separation time (~35 s). Under the optimal conditions, the method provided acceptable linear ranges of 0. 0 g L1–18.0 g L1 (R2 = 0.997) for E102 and 0.070 g L1–10.0 g L1 for E132 and the limits of detection (3σ/slope) were evaluated as 0.620 and 0.060 g L1, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied in the separation and quantification of these dyes in commercial food products such as jelly, candy, and four kinds of drink samples without any sample preparation prior to analysis. The mean recovery values for the real sample analysis were in the range of 100.14%–102.38% for E132 and E102 respectively. The inter-device relative standard deviations were in the ranges of 1.5%–11.8%. In total, our chromatographic μPAD is small (1.0 cm × 1.0 cm × 0.5 cm), portable, inexpensive, no need of specialized user, requires low volumes of sample (0.5 μL), and can perform separation using 12 μL of aqueous mobile phase in very short time.

Probing Protein Denaturation during Size-Exclusion Chromatography Using Native Mass Spectrometry.

Size-exclusion chromatography employing aqueous mobile phases with volatile salts at neutral pH combined with electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (SEC-ESI-MS) is a useful tool to study proteins in their native state. However, whether the applied eluent conditions actually prevent protein–stationary phase interactions, and/or protein denaturation, often is not assessed. In this study, the effects of volatile mobile phase additives on SEC retention and ESI of proteins were thoroughly investigated. Myoglobin was used as the main model protein, and eluents of varying ionic strength and pH were applied. The degree of interaction between protein and stationary phase was evaluated by calculating the SEC distribution coefficient. Protein-ion charge state distributions obtained during offline and online native ESI-MS were used to monitor alterations in protein structure. Interestingly, most of the supposedly mild eluent compositions induced nonideal SEC behavior and/or protein unfolding. SEC experiments revealed that the nature, ionic strength, and pH of the eluent affected protein retention. Protein–stationary phase interactions were effectively avoided using ammonium acetate at ionic strengths above 0.1 M. Direct-infusion ESI-MS showed that the tested volatile eluent salts seem to follow the Hofmeister series: no denaturation was induced using ammonium acetate (kosmotropic), whereas ammonium formate and bicarbonate (both chaotropic) caused structural changes. Using a mobile phase of 0.2 M ammonium acetate (pH 6.9), several proteins (i.e., myoglobin, carbonic anhydrase, and cytochrome c) could be analyzed by SEC-ESI-MS using different column chemistries without compromising their native state. Overall, with SEC-ESI-MS, the effect of nonspecific interactions between protein and stationary phase on the protein structure can be studied, even revealing gradual structural differences along a peak.

Wall-jet ion sensor based on ion transfer processes at a polarized room-temperature ionic liquid membrane

Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) membrane is used to construct a wall-jet ion sensor based on the ion transfer processes at a polarized interface between RTIL and an aqueous electrolyte solution. The stream of the aqueous phase with an injected sample plug containing an electroactive ion is led against the RTIL membrane through a silver tube, which is covered with an AgCl layer, and which serves simultaneously as one of two reference electrodes in a four-electrode cell. The effects of the applied potential, the ion concentration, the volume flow rate of the mobile aqueous phase, and the injected sample volume on the chronoamperometric response of the sensor to the test samples containing tetraethylammonium cation (TEA+) as a model ion are demonstrated. The applicability of the available theory of the wall-jet electrode against which a vertical stream is flowing that is much smaller in diameter than the electrode is confirmed for this sensor. Analytical characteristics for the flow injection analysis of the studied model ion are estimated including excellent repeatability characterized by the relative standard deviation (1.64%) of the average current at the ion concentration (0.5 μmol dm−3), a low limit of detection (22.5 nmol dm−3), and the wide linear dynamic range exceeding three orders of magnitude (1 × 10−7–2 × 10−4 mol dm−3).

Liquid chromatography of short chain carboxylic acids using a glutamic acid surfactant coated C18 stationary phase

A C18 column was modified with the anionic amino acid surfactant lauroyl-l-glutamate (LLG) to facilitate the separation of ten short-chain aliphatic carboxylic acids (oxalic, tartaric, malic, malonic, lactic, acetic, maleic, citric, fumaric, and succinic). The developed method was proven to be fast, versatile, and environmentally friendly. After the coating of the column using 1% LLG solution and optimizing chromatographic conditions such as pH and temperature, near baseline resolution of the ten carboxylic acids within 4 min with excellent peak shape at pH = 1.8 using 100% H2O acidified with sulfuric acid was possible. Although the design of this stationary phase, with the hydrophilic group at the end of the alkyl chain, seems to be in contrast to such columns designed for a totally aqueous mobile phase that have a polar (often amide) group embedded near the silica surface, no evidence of phase collapse was noted. Linear relationships of ln retention factor (k) versus 1/Temperature (T) (van't Hoff plots) were generated for all the acids indicating a single retention mechanism was likely. As the pH of the mobile phase decreased, the analyte retention factors increased due to the increase of the fraction of the analyte with neutral charge (alpha zero). The surfactant amide linkage, being electron donating, increased the pKa of the more acidic carboxyl group of glutamic acid so both carboxyl groups were protonated (neutral) at pH 1.8. The exact nature of the retention mechanism is uncertain but there certainly seems to be a pronounced hydrophobic component due to the large difference in retention of fumaric acid and methyl fumarate at pH 1.8. In addition, eleven beverage samples were analyzed for their aliphatic carboxylic acid contents. The results showed that malic, fumaric, and citric acids were the most common carboxylic acids in natural beverages with concentrations as high as 6432 ppm of malic acid in organic apple juice, 64 ppm of fumaric acid in organic concord juice, and 6543 ppm citric acid in strawberry lemonade juice.

Evaluating MISER chromatography as a tool for characterizing HILIC column equilibration

Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC) is a technique for retaining polar analytes that uses polar stationary phases and acetonitrile-rich mobile phases. While this technique has several advantages over reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), one main drawback is the reported need for longer column equilibration. The reason for this is not fully understood and is a topic of current investigation. In order to better understand and reduce the equilibration needs, accurate characterization of column equilibration under varying conditions is required. The current method of characterizing HILIC column equilibration produces limited data points per test, or low time resolution, and is highly dependent on the column and probe compounds being used. There is a need for an improved method for characterizing HILIC column equilibration, especially if trends across stationary phases are to be observed. In this work, MISER, or Multiple Injections in a Single Experimental Run, is evaluated as a possible tool for characterizing HILIC column equilibration. MISER improves time resolution by allowing for replicate injections without interruption of data collection, enabling a more thorough evaluation of column equilibration compared to traditional techniques. Experimental results gathered using MISER show that equilibration of a BEH Amide column is notably shorter when equilibrating from acetonitrile to mobile phases containing higher percentages of water. Column equilibration to a 10% aqueous mobile phase was found to be approximately 5-fold faster than equilibration to a 3% aqueous mobile phase.

Micellar and sub-micellar liquid chromatography of terephthalic acid contaminants using a C18 column coated with Tween 20.

The tremendous amounts of terephthalic acid (TPA) produced globally require consistent monitoring of its contaminants during the different stages of production for quality control purposes. In this paper, a simple, robust and green liquid chromatography method has been developed using an isocratic 100% aqueous mobile phase at pH 2 (dilute sulfuric acid) to separate TPA contaminants (mono-, di-, and tri-carboxylic aromatic acids) on a C18 stationary phase coated with Tween 20 (polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan monolaurate). After optimization of all chromatographic conditions, near baseline separation of the nine carboxylic acids under investigation was achieved with a 2.5 mL/min flow rate on a 5 micron C18 silica column (100 x 4.6 mm) in under 20 min. The modified stationary phase showed an excellent capability to separate structural isomers in a reasonable time, markedly better that the bare C18 stationary phase. Plots of ln retention factor versus 1/temperature showed the expected linear relationship for the di- and tri-carboxylic aromatic acids (single retention mechanism likely) but a quadratic fit for the mono-carboxylic aromatic acids (dual retention mechanism likely). Due to the stability of the surfactant modified stationary phase, future potential mass spectrometry compatibility was shown through the alternative use of trifluoroacetic acid in the 100% H2O (no Tween) mobile phase but still with UV detection. The developed method with 0.001% (vol/vol) Tween in the mobile phase was successfully used to analyze two different types of TPA industrial samples for all nine components plus revealing some other impurity peaks. The lowest limit of detection was 0.010 nmoles for o-phthalic acid and p-toluic acid (PTA), while the highest was 0.065 nmoles for 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (CBA). The concentrations of these important contaminants, PTA and CBA, in the mother liquor sample were 3348mg/L and 1806mg/L, respectively, while their respective concentrations in the purified TPA powder were 135mg/kg and 17.7mg/kg.

Characterization of indole-3-acetic acid in cambial zone tissue by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The developmental plasticity of plants according to changes in their growth conditions is mediated by signaling molecules called hormones. The major classes of plant hormones are auxin, gibberellins, abscisic acid, and ethylene. Among these, the most important is indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Quantification of IAA in an extract of approximately 10 mg obtained from the cambial zone of Eucalyptus leaves was performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-MS/MS). The leaves were extracted using acetone, and the extract was analyzed using a reverse-phase column (Acquity UPLC BEH C18, 2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 µm) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min with gradient elution of an aqueous mobile phase (containing 0.1% formic acid) with methanol. This gradient elution provided an excellent performance in terms of specificity/selectivity, linearity, precision, and ruggedness/stability. In addition, the run time was short (6 min), with excellent linearity (R2 &gt; 0.99) in the range of 10–70 ng/mL. The structure of IAA was elucidated using UPLC/ESIMS/MS, operating and quantifying in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode.

Mechanisms by Which Organic Solvent Exchange Transforms Responsive Pure Protein Hydrogels into Responsive Organogels.

Responsive pure protein organogel sensors and catalysts are fabricated by replacing the aqueous mobile phase of protein hydrogels with pure ethylene glycol (EG). Exchanging water for EG causes irreversible volume phase transitions (VPT) in bovine serum albumin (BSA) polymers; however, BSA hydrogel and organogel sensors show similar volume responses to protein-ligand binding. This work elucidates the mechanisms involved in this enabling irreversible VPT by examining the protein secondary structure, hydration, and protein polymer morphology. Organogel proteins retain their native activity because their secondary structure and hydration shell are relatively unperturbed by the EG exchange. Conversely, the decreasing solvent quality initiates polymer phase separation to minimize the BSA polymer surface area exposed to EG, thus decreasing distances between BSA polymer strands. These protein polymer morphology changes promote interprotein interactions between BSA polymer strands, which increase the effective polymer cross-link density and prevent organogel swelling as the mobile phase is exchanged back to water.

Application of Solvatic Model for Prediction of Retention at Gradient Elution in Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography

There are several different approaches for LC method development; beside traditional, different software programs for method development and optimization are available. The solvatic retention model of reversed-phase LC was applied for prediction of retention in the gradient elution mode for aripiprazole and its related substances described in European Pharmacopoeia. As some of these compounds have very similar and others quite different chemical structure, their separation is challenge. Prediction was suitable on examined stationary phases (C18, C8 and phenyl-hexyl) with 0.1% phosphoric acid as aqueous mobile phase and acetonitrile or methanol as organic modifier. Predicted retention times take into account structural formulae of compounds and properties of stationary and mobile phases result in average difference of 14-17% compared to experimental ones on phenyl-hexyl stationary phase, where the highest matching was obtained. After utilisation of the retention models with data from one experimental run, the average difference decrease to maximal 7% and after contribution of data from two experimental runs, to maximal 2%. For majority of studied compounds difference between predicted and experimental values on all examined stationary phases is lower than 3%.

Ultra high performance liquid chromatography method development for separation of omeprazole and related substances on core‐shell columns using a Quality by Design approach

An updated and improved method for analysis of omeprazole/esomeprazole and related substances on core-shell columns was developed using Fusion LC Method Development™. The method was optimized with respect to column type, column temperature, mobile phase pH level, and gradient time. Four different core-shell columns were examined to develop a method suitable for both high performance- and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography using a Quality by Design approach. The final method offers two alternative columns: Poroshell EC C18 (3.0×100mm, 2.7µm) or Poroshell HPH (3.0×100mm, 2.7µm) with the same gradient elution condition and mobile phase composition. Total run time is 18min with 12min of gradient elution. Phosphate buffer (15mM, pH 7.8) is selected as the aqueous mobile phase and acetonitrile as the organic mobile phase. Column temperature is set at 40°C and ultraviolet detection at 302nm. Furthermore, by studying parameters in a systematic way, an understanding of the effect of the input parameters enhances the method robustness and should allow for regulatory flexibility in terms of post-approval changes. Compared to the current United States Pharmacopeia method, the updated method is faster, more efficient and performs well above acceptance criteria.

Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography methods facilitate the development of glucose-responsive insulin therapeutics.

Insulin oligosaccharide conjugates hold promise as potential glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs), which can improve the therapeutic index of insulins and mitigate the risk of hypoglycemia. A key challenge for the analytical development of such molecules is finding an efficient method to characterize the purity and impurities of conjugated insulins. Using the S-Matrix Fusion QbD-ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) integrated system, we were able to quickly screen and develop two short UHPLC methods. These methods were used to support process development, clinical batch drug substance (DS) release, and stability studies of MK-2640, an insulin oligosaccharide conjugate. Both methods used a Waters CSH C18 column, with a shallow gradient of acetonitrile to aqueous mobile phase containing 25 mM sodium perchlorate and 0.05% perchloric acid. The 10-min run time method was well suited for process development and monitoring as it was able to separate the main product, MK-2640, six oligosaccharide-substituted recombinant human insulin (RHI) impurities, A21 deamidated MK-2640, and the starting material RHI. The 13-min run time method provided improved separation of the major impurities and demonstrated good chromatographic reproducibility on different instruments or using columns from different lots of stationary phase, which made it ideal for the final DS release. Validation of the 13-min method demonstrated great linearity for both the MK-2640 main peak and its related impurities, low limit of detection (0.02%), and limit of quantitation (0.05%). The high specificity of the method allowed the separation of the degradation products from main peak, thus makes it suitable for stability monitoring. The major impurities in the DS were characterized by two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (2D-LC-MS).

Preliminary Capillary Flow Experiments with Amyloid-β, Possible Needle and Capillary Aβ Adsorption, and a Proposal for Drug Evaluation Under Shear Conditions.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) solution injections into an aqueous mobile phase moving through narrow bore stainless-steel capillary tubing results in adsorption of at least 99% Aβ within the tubing or injection valve. However, if flow is stopped for a period of 5–10 minutes, then started, wall desorption yields Aβ-containing molecules in the new effluent. The amount of desorbed Aβ-containing effluent depends on flow rate, period of flow cessation, and number of successive Aβ injections into the same tube without cleaning between injections. Unexpected multiple chromatographic peaks in these experiments seem to imply “separation” of released, previously adsorbed Aβ-containing products in the empty capillary tubing. These preliminary experiments raise questions about possible errors in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) spinal tap analyses, which use stainless-steel needles of approximately the same inner diameter and encounter similar flow rates as those in our capillary experiments. Microliter syringes and HPLC connectors also contain stainless-steel tubing that have similar inner diameter dimensions and similar flow rates. The capillary system involved in these experiments has previously been proposed as a model system for studying the effects of shear on Aβ within the brain because it offers a research environment that provides highly restrictive flow through very small dimension channels. A suggestion is made for the use of this system in exploratory anti-amyloid drug studies in which both the drug and Aβ are injected in the same solution so that both drug and Aβ are subjected to the same shear environment. Reduction in adsorbed Aβ is suggested as an indicator of effective anti-Aβ drugs.

High capacity temperature-responsive affinity chromatography designed for antibody separation

Antibody separation and purification methodologies with high separation efficiency, large adsorption capacity and high biological activity are challenging. In this study, a novel high capacity temperature-responsive affinity chromatography (TRAC) method was developed for antibody separation. With temperature-responsive dendrimer polyamidoamine-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PAMAM-PNIPAAm) as the spacer arms and 4-mercapto ethyl pyridine (MEP) as the ligand, TRAC can not only be used to separate the antibody directly in response to temperature changes from 40 °C to 5 °C in an aqueous mobile phase at pH 8.0, but also at least two-fold higher adsorption capacity of the antibody can be achieved compared with linear spacer arms. BSA and γ -globulins can be separated completely using TRAC by performing adsorption at 40 °C and elution at 5 °C. The effect of temperature and the structure of TRAC stationary phases on the antibody separation were investigated, and the mechanism of antibody separation by TRAC was discussed in detail. This new technology was employed for the separation of IgG and IgY from human serum and egg yolk, and both the mass recoveries were found to above 90% with 98% purity. This novel methodology can overcome the previous negative effect of deactivation of the antibody by traditional harsh elution with low pH, low adsorption capacity. It can preserve its biological activity, and exhibit considerable potential for antibody separation in antibody drugs production.

Native Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Hyphenated to Mass Spectrometry for Characterization of Monoclonal Antibody Minor Variants.

Conventionally, hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) uses mobile phases with high salt concentration that are not compatible with mass spectrometry (MS). Here we describe development of an HIC method coupled with MS detection (HIC-MS) utilizing an aqueous mobile phase with a low concentration of a volatile salt for characterizing recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) post-translational modifications (PTMs). The ability of HIC to separate the oxidation and free thiol variants of the mAbs enables their isolation and rapid characterization of these attributes under native conditions, an important step toward understanding the role they play.