Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography-electrospray Ionization Research Articles

Rapid detection and characterization of major phenolic compounds in Radix Actinidia chinensis Planch by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Radix Actinidia chinensis Planch is a traditional Chinese herb, and its decotion had been widely used clinically to treat several types of cancer. In our study, the phenolic compounds constituting the major water soluble components of Radix A. chinensis were profiled and characterized by ultraperformance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 50 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, including caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, 29 catechin derivatives, 12 quinic acid derivatives and 7 coumarin derivatives. Most of the identified compounds were firstly reported from A. chinensis. Among them, scopoletin, scoplin, isofraxoside and quinic acid derivatives have not ever been reported from genus Actinidia previously. These phenolic compounds might be responsible for the antitumor activity of the water extract of radix A. chinensis, and the established analytical method could be applied to further study of quality evaluation and active components of Radix A. chinensis.

A strategy for rapid analysis of xenobiotic metabolome of Sini decoction in vivo using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with pattern recognition approach

Xenobiotic metabolome identificatioqn of Chinese herbal prescription in biological systems is a very challenging task. In the present work, a reliable strategy based on the combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOFMS) and pattern recognition approach such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squared discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was proposed to rapidly discover and analyze the xenobiotic metabolome from Sini decoction (SND). Using the S- and VIP-plots of PLS-DA, 96 and 112 interest ions from positive and negative ion datasets were extracted as SND metabolome in rat urine following oral administration of SND. Among them, 53 absorbed prototype components of SND and 49 metabolites were identified, which provided essential data for further studying the relationship between the chemical components and pharmacological activity of SND. Our results indicated that hydrolysis and demethylation were the major metabolic pathways of diterpenoid alkaloids, while glucuronidation, sulfation, hydrolysis, reduction, demethylation, and hydroxylation were the main metabolic pathways of flavonoids, and hydrolysis was the metabolic pathway of gingerol-related compounds. No saponin-related metabolites were detected.

Solid-phase extraction of PFOA and PFOS from surface waters on functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes followed by UPLC–ESI-MS

This is the first report on the analytical application of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents for determination in surface waters, at the nanograms per litre level, of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the two predominant contaminants among the perfluorinated compounds detected. After the preconcentration step, the quantification was achieved by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. To increase the extraction efficiency towards these amphiphilic compounds, MWCNTs were derivatized with amino-terminated alkyl chains, thus producing a mixed-mode material (MWCNT-R-NH2) combining hydrophobic affinity and anion-exchange properties. Experiments with distilled, tap and river water (pH 3) spiked at different concentrations (10, 15, 30, 100, 200 and 500 ng L(-1)) provided absolute recoveries in the range 71-102% (n = 3, relative standard deviations less than 10%). Analytes were eluted in a single fraction with 6 mL methanol (3 × 10(-4) M NaOH). The within-laboratory reproducibility of the MWCNT-R-NH2 SPE sorbent was evaluated with raw river water, and relative standard deviations less than 15% were obtained (n = 4). Preconcentration factors up to 125 (500-mL sample) made it possible to quantify PFOA and PFOS at low nanograms per litre levels in naturally contaminated river water. The method quantification limits of 10 ng L(-1) for PFOA and 15 ng L(-1) for PFOS were well below the advisory levels for drinking and surface waters. Comparison with non-derivatized MWCNTs highlighted the role of functionalization in improving the adsorption affinity towards these contaminants. MWCNT-R-NH2 maintained their extraction capability for at least eight repeated adsorption/desorption cycles.

Characterization of the triacylglycerol profile in marine diatoms by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Diatoms are considered to have great potential as new biofuel sources because they can effectively accumulate triacylglycerols (TAGs). Detailed structure information of TAG in diatoms is much needed not only for the assessment of biofuel quality such as fatty acid chain length and unsaturation degree but also for the tracing of biosynthetic precursors because the biosynthesis of TAG is typically completed by utilizing the diacylglycerol acyltransferase in the cytoplasm. In this report, a comprehensive characterization of TAGs in marine diatoms was performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Many types of major TAGs were identified for the first time in these diatoms: 12 TAGs in Chaetoceros debilis, 9 TAGs in Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, 16 TAGs in Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima, 16 TAGs in Thalassiosira weissflogii, 13 TAGs in Thalassiosira sp., 16 TAGs in Stephanodiscus asteaea and 7 TAGs in Skeletonema costatum. Semi-quantification of TAGs in these diatoms was also carried out, and it was found that the contents of individual TAGs ranged from 0.5 ± 0.1 to 217.9 ± 8.1 nmol mg−1 total lipids. In addition, the total lipid contents in diatoms ranged from 143.6 ± 16.3 to 201.1 ± 16.3 mg g−1 dry microalgae and the total TAG contents ranged from 36.8 ± 9.5 to 793.2 ± 54.4 nmol mg−1 total lipids. By comparative analysis of the compositions and concentrations of major TAGs in the seven algal strains, N. closterium f. minutissima with high abundance of TAGs containing the most monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly palmitoleic acid) was considered as one of the most promising diatom strains for microalgal biofuel production. Additionally, based on the information of sn-2 fatty acid obtained (mainly C16 in the sn-2 position), we propose the hypothesis that TAGs in diatoms are mainly derived from lipids in chloroplasts through the prokaryotic biosynthesis pathway, including monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol.

Simultaneous determination of 12 illicit drugs in whole blood and urine by solid phase extraction and UPLC–MS/MS

A rapid and sensitive method based on solid phase extraction and ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine, N-methyl-1-(3,4-methyl-enedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine, p-methoxymethamphetamine, ephedrine, N-methylephedrine, cathinone, methcathinone, and ketamine in whole blood and urine was developed and validated. Following solid phase extraction, the analytes were separated on ACQUITY UPLC BEH Phenyl column (100mm×2.1mm, 1.7μm) under gradient elution using a mobile phase containing of acetonitrile and 0.3% formic acid in water at a flow rate of 0.4mLmin(-1) and analyzed by a triplequadrupole mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The proposed method was linear for each analyte with correlation coefficients over 0.99. Recovery validation studies showed accuracy bias below 4.4%. Acceptable precision was also obtained with a relative standard deviation below 8.9%. The sensitivity of the assay was found to be adequate for the quantitation of the illicit drugs in whole blood and urine sample and was higher than reported methods. The present method was proved to be reliable and robust for drug screening in forensic toxicological analysis.

Determination of hydroxysafflor yellow A in biological fluids of patients with traumatic brain injury by UPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS after injection of Xuebijing

A simple, novel, specific, rapid and reproducible ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the determination of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) in biological fluids (plasma, urine and cerebrospinal fluid) of patients with traumatic brain injury after intravenous injection of Xuebijing (XBJ). Liquid-liquid extraction was performed, and separation was carried out on an Acquity UPLC™ BEH C18 column, with gradient elution using a mobile phase composed of methanol and 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. A triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization was used for the detection of HSYA. The mass transition followed was m/z 611.0 → 491. The retention time was less than 3.0 min. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range from 2 to 6125 ng/mL for cerebrospinal fluid, plasma and urine. The intra- and inter-day precisions were <10%, and the relative standard deviation of recovery was <15% for HSYA in biological matrices. The method was successfully applied for the first time to quantify HSYA in the biological fluids (especially in cerebrospinal fluid) of patients with traumatic brain injury following intravenous administration of XBJ.

Determination of phosphorus impurity that directly affects quantification of microbial genomic DNA using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

We prepared genomic DNA from human placenta, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis using various DNA extraction methods and quantified the genomic DNA using ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry, capillary electrophoresis (CE), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES). Application of ICP–OES unexpectedly led to a serious overestimation of phosphorus in B. subtilis genomic DNA prepared using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). Further investigations using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP–HPLC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI–MS/MS), and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) identified the phosphorus impurity as lipoteichoic acid (LTA).

Quantitative analysis of bromate in non-alcoholic beer using ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Bromate (BrO3−) is a possible human carcinogen which is formed as a bromide containing source water ozone disinfection by-product. Thus, BrO3− is subject to assess its threat to humans. In the present study, an ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method has been developed for the quantitative analysis of BrO3− in non-alcoholic beer. The chromatographic separation of both transitions 81BrO3− and 79BrO3− (isotope contributions of 79Br and 81Br) was carried out and achieved in 0.9999), precision (repeatability and reproducibility in terms of relative standard deviation) <1% at 1.0 μg mL−1 standard and <3% in the analysis of sample 1 (classic malt) and sensitivity with a low limit of detection (LOD, 81BrO3−, 0.03 ng mL−1 and 79BrO3−, 0.03 ng mL−1) and limit of quantification (LOQ, 81BrO3−, 0.1 ng mL−1 and 79BrO3−, 0.1 ng mL−1) in the standard. Nevertheless, the LOD and LOQ in sample 1 (classic malt) were obtained only for transition 81BrO3−, 0.05 ng mL−1 and 0.16 ng mL−1, respectively. For transition 79BrO3− the obtained peak was below the limit of detection. A total of 39 non-alcoholic beer samples of different flavors were analyzed and the 81BrO3− level in classic samples was found between 1.20 μg mL−1 and 3.73 μg mL−1, however, in other flavored samples the concentration levels reached up to 14.04 μg mL−1 with excellent recovery rates (96–99%). In most of the analyzed real samples, only transition 81BrO3− was found nevertheless, transition 79BrO3− was either <LOD or completely diminished from the obtained sample chromatogram. This is one of the main findings from the present study and the mechanism of this cause is unknown. The obtained BrO3− levels were much higher than the limits in drinking water (10–25 ng mL−1) recommended by several regulatory agencies.

Preliminary identification of the absorbed bioactive components and metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of Shaoyao-Gancao decoction by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Background:Shaoyao-Gancao decoction (SGD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been used for the treatment of abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea disease in Asia over long period of time. Its effectiveness has been confirmed in clinic, but its active constituents remain unclear.Materials and methods:In this paper, a rapid, sensitive and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/quadrupole-time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) in positive and negative ion mode were established to characterize the active constituents of SGD in vitro. The analysis was performed on a Waters UPLCTM HSS T3 (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.8 µm) using gradient elution system. Automated MetaboLynxTM technique was employed to screen for the potentially bioactive components in rat plasma after oral administration of SGD. MS/MS fragmentation behavior was proposed for aiding the structural identification of the components.Results:Based on the developed method of fingerprint analysis, an injection run of the plasma sample was finished in 15.0 min. A total of 12 compounds including 9 prototype components such as gallicacid, albiflorin, liquiritin, pallidiflorin, liquiritigenin, isoLiquiritigenin, formononetin, isolicoflavonol, licoricone, C9H10O3 and 2 metabolites such as liquiritigenin-4’-O-glucuronide, formononetin glucuronide were identified or tentatively characterized. Of note, 3 ingredients were identified from Radix Paeoniae Alba, and 9 were from Radix Glycyrrhizae.Conclusion:The compounds found in dosed plasma could be the effective substances of SGT for treating dysmenorrheal, and may provide important experimental data for further pharmacological and clinical research of SGD. Furthermore, this work has demonstrated that the feasibility of the UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS for rapid and reliable characterization of identification and structural elucidation of the chemical constituents and their metabolites from herbal medicines.

Simultaneous determination of eight additives in polymer food packaging materials by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was proposed for the simultaneous determination of eight additives (Irgafos 168 (tri(2.4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite), Irganox 1076 (octadecyl-β-(4-hydroxy-3, 5-di-tert-butylphenyl)propionate), Irganox 1010 (pentaerythritol tetrakys 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate), BHA (butyl hydroxy anisole), TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), PG (propyl gallate), DG (dodecyl gallate), UV-326 (2-( 2'-hydroxyl-3'-tert-butyl-5'-methylphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole) in food packaging materials. After extracted by chloromethane through ultrasonic extraction, the samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS. The chromatographic conditions were optimized, and the best separation was obtained on a Waters BEH-C18 column (50 mm x 2. 1 mm, 1.7 μm) with gradient elution of 0. 05% acetic acid solu- tion and methanol. The analysis was performed by UPLC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization (ESI) source in switching between the positive and negative ion modes in one run for multiple reaction monitoring. The eight additives showed good linear relationships in the ranges with all the correlation coefficients (R2) more than 0. 993. The limits of detection (LODs, S/N= 3) and limits of quantitation (LOQs, S/N= 10) of this method were 0. 13-5.50 μg/L and 0.45-17.50 μg/L, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 63. 9% - 127. 0% with all the RSDs < 15. 8% (n= 6). This method is simple, accurate and effective for the analysis of the eight additives in food packaging materials.

Enhancement of anti-inflammatory activity of Aloe vera adventitious root extracts through the alteration of primary and secondary metabolites via salicylic acid elicitation.

Aloe vera (Asphodeloideae) is a medicinal plant in which useful secondary metabolites are plentiful. Among the representative secondary metabolites of Aloe vera are the anthraquinones including aloe emodin and chrysophanol, which are tricyclic aromatic quinones synthesized via a plant-specific type III polyketide biosynthesis pathway. However, it is not yet clear which cellular responses can induce the pathway, leading to production of tricyclic aromatic quinones. In this study, we examined the effect of endogenous elicitors on the type III polyketide biosynthesis pathway and identified the metabolic changes induced in elicitor-treated Aloe vera adventitious roots. Salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and ethephon were used to treat Aloe vera adventitious roots cultured on MS liquid media with 0.3 mg/L IBA for 35 days. Aloe emodin and chrysophanol were remarkably increased by the SA treatment, more than 10–11 and 5–13 fold as compared with untreated control, respectively. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis identified a total of 37 SA-induced compounds, including aloe emodin and chrysophanol, and 3 of the compounds were tentatively identified as tricyclic aromatic quinones. Transcript accumulation analysis of polyketide synthase genes and gas chromatography mass spectrometry showed that these secondary metabolic changes resulted from increased expression of octaketide synthase genes and decreases in malonyl-CoA, which is the precursor for the tricyclic aromatic quinone biosynthesis pathway. In addition, anti-inflammatory activity was enhanced in extracts of SA-treated adventitious roots. Our results suggest that SA has an important role in activation of the plant specific-type III polyketide biosynthetic pathway, and therefore that the efficacy of Aloe vera as medicinal agent can be improved through SA treatment.

Measurement of salivary metabolite biomarkers for early monitoring of oral cancer with ultra performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

This study aimed to set-up an ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS) method for the determination of salivary L-phenylalanine and L-leucine for early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In addition, the diagnostic accuracy for both biomarkers was established by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Mean recoveries of l-phenylalanine and L-leucine ranged from 88.9 to 108.6% were obtained. Intra- and inter-day precision for both amino acids was less than 7%, with acceptable accuracy. Linear regression coefficients of both biomarkers were greater than 0.99. The diagnostic accuracy for both biomarkers was established by analyzing 60 samples from apparently healthy individuals and 30 samples from OSCC patients. Both potential biomarkers demonstrated significant differences in concentrations in distinguishing OSCC from control (P<0.05). As a single biomarker, L-leucine might have better predictive power in OSCC with T1-2 (early stage of OSCC including stage I and II), and L-phenylalanine might be used for screening and diagnosis of OSCC with T3-4 (advanced stage of OSCC including stage III and IV). The combination of L-phenylalanine and L-leucine will improve the sensitivity (92.3%) and specificity (91.7%) for early diagnosis of OSCC. The possibility of salivary metabolite biomarkers for OSCC diagnosis is successfully demonstrated in this study. This developed method shows advantages with non-invasive, simple, reliable, and also provides lower detection limits and excellent precision and accuracy. These non-invasive salivary biomarkers may lead to a simple clinical tool for the early diagnosis of OSCC.

Simultaneous determination of 29 veterinary drugs in compound feeds by ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry

An ultra performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 29 veterinary drugs of quinolones, sulfonamides, macrolides and nitrofurans in compound feeds. The sample was extracted with methanol-acetonitrile ( 1 : 1, v/v), and then cleaned up using solid phase extraction with an Oasis HLB column, detected by UPLC-ESI-MS/ MS. The UPLC separation was performed on a C18 column (100 mm x 2.1 mm, 1.7 microm) using a gradient elution with the mobile phases of methanol and 0. 1% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution. The ESI-MS/MS detection was achieved in positive mode under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The linear ranges were from 0.01 to 5.0 mg/L with the correlation coefficients above 0. 99 for all the 29 veterinary drugs. The average recoveries of the 29 veterinary drugs spiked in three feed matrixes (the compound premix feed, the complete formula feed and the concentrated feed) at four spiked levels were 61.2% - 94.3% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2.2% - 15.0%. The limits of detection were 0. 01 mg/kg or 0.05 mg/kg. The method is rapid, accurate, reproducible, sensitive and easy to apply, and suitable for the simultaneous determination of diverse veterinary drugs in compound feeds.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of itraconazole and hydroxy itraconazole in human plasma

A highly sensitive, selective, and precise ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of itraconazole and hydroxy itraconazole in human plasma by a single liquid–liquid extraction step. The precursor to product ion transitions of m/z 705.3/392.3, m/z 721.2/408.3 and m/z 708.2/435.4 were used to detect and quantify itraconazole, hydroxy itraconazole and itraconazole-d3 respectively. The lower limit of quantitation was found to be 0.500ng/mL for itraconazole and 1.00ng/mL for hydroxy itraconazole. The mean recoveries for itraconazole and hydroxy itraconazole were found to be 100.045% and 100.021%, respectively. This developed method with a chromatographic run time of 2.0min was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of 100mg itraconazole capsule.

Simultaneous determination of nine microcystins in surface water by solid phase extraction and ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of nine microcystins (MCs) in surface water by solid phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The samples were enriched and purified by an HLB solid phase extraction column. The separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC system with a BEH C18 column with the gradient elution of acidified acetonitrile and water (both containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid). The nine MCs were determined in the modes of electrospray positive ionization (ESI+) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Good linearities were observed in the ranges of 0.1-50 microg/L for MC-RR and 0.5-100 microg/L for the others with correlation coefficients over 0. 999 0 and the limits of detection for the nine MCs were in the range of 0.1-0.5 ng/L. The recoveries were in the range of 75.8%-109% in the three spiked levels of 1.0, 10 and 50 microg/L with the relative standard deviations of 0.49%-10.0%. The method is characterized by high sensitivity and precision, extensive analytical range and quick analytical rate. This method was used in the analysis of water samples from two reservoirs situated in Hangzhou, and the 3 and 8 microcystins were detected individually.

UPLC-MS/MS Method for Determination of Bepotastine in Human Plasma

A sensitive and rapid method for quantitation of bepotastine in human plasma has been established using ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). Valsartan was used as an internal standard. Bepotastine and internal standard in plasma sample were extracted using ethylacetate (liquid-liquid extraction). A centrifuged upper layer was then evaporated and reconstituted with the mobile phase of acetonitrile--5 mM ammonium formate (pH 3.5) (85:15, v/v). The reconstituted samples were injected into a phenyl column. Using MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode, bepotastine and valsartan were detected without severe interference from human plasma matrix. Bepotastine produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H](+)) at m/z 389 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 167. And the internal standard produced a protonated precursor ion ([M+H](+)) at m/z 436 and a corresponding product ion at m/z 291. Detection of bepotastine in human plasma by the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was accurate and precise with a quantitation limit of 0.2 ng/mL. The validation, reproducibility, stability and recovery of the method were evaluated. The method has been successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of bepotastine in human plasma.

Comparative Pharmacokinetics Study after Oral Administration of Geniposide in Normal Rats and Adjuvant‐induced Arthritis Rats by UPLC‐MS/MS

A simple and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for quantitative analysis of geniposide (GE) in rat plasma was developed, validated and applied to determine the level of GE in rat plasma after oral administration of GE in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) and normal rats. The investigation showed that there were significant differences in the groups between the normal rat and AA rat in pharmacokinetics parameters, such as the area under the time versus drug concentration curve (AUC(0-∞)) (3.77 ± 0.68 versus 2.27 ± 0.42, p < 0.05), the apparent volume of distribution (V) (140.41 ± 2.07 versus 136.51 ± 1.03, p < 0.05), the mean residence time (MRT) (3.98 ± 0.90 versus 3.80 ± 0.50, p < 0.05) and the clearance from the total body (CL) (16.10 ± 2.87 versus 26.44 ± 4.94, p < 0.05). The results indicated that AA could alter the pharmacokinetics of the drug and these experimental findings could be useful for the further study of the clinical applications of GE.

Isolation and identification of a sibutramine analogue adulterated in slimming dietary supplements

A suspected sibutramine analogue was detected in a slimming functional food by an ultra performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation–time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-TOF/MS) method. The ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of this suspected compound showed close similarity to that of sibutramine. The sample was extracted with 70% MeOH and isolated by semi-preparative column chromatography. The structure of this compound was identified by spectroscopic analyses (nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] technique, mass and tandem mass etc.). The structure of the unknown compound was demonstrated to be [(±)-dimethyl-1-[1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)cyclobutyl]-N,N,3-trimethylbutan-1-amine (molecular formula C17H25NCl2) and named as chloro-sibutramine. Compared with sibutramine, it has one more chlorine atom than the 3-cholorophenyl group so was switched to 3,4-dichlorophenyl. Until now, chloro-sibutramine was isolated for the first time from the undeclared ingredient included in dietary supplements. Although the safety of chloro-sibutramine is unknown, there is a potential health risk to consumers because of a similar skeleton to sibutramine. For public health, this sibutramine analogue has been included in the inspection list of illegal adulterants in Korea.

Rapid sensitive validated UPLC–MS method for determination of venlafaxine and its metabolite in rat plasma: Application to pharmacokinetic study

A new ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/ESI) method for simultaneous determination of venlafaxine (VEN) and its metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) in rat plasma has been developed and validated using Venlafaxine d6 as the internal standard. The compounds and internal standard were extracted from plasma by solid phase extraction. The UPLC separation of the analytes was performed on ACQUITY UPLC® BEH Shield RP18 (1.7µm, 100mm×2.1mm) column, using isocratic elution with mobile phase constituted of water (containing 2mM ammonium acetate): acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3mL/min. All of the analytes were eluted within 1.5min. The compounds were ionized in the electrospray ionization (ESI) ion source of the mass spectrometer, operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and positive ion mode. The precursor to product ion transitions monitored for VEN, ODV and Venlafaxine d6 were m/z 278.3→121.08, 264.2→107.1 and 284.4→121.0, respectively. The developed and validated method was used for the pharmacokinetic study of VEN in rats.

Determination of colistin A and colistin B in human plasma by UPLC–ESI high resolution tandem MS: Application to a pharmacokinetic study

The resistance of gram-negative bacteria to most available antibiotics and the lack of new antimicrobial agents have prompted the re-emergence of colistin (CS) as potent treatment against most gram-negative microorganisms. Optimal dosing with CS suffers from poor pharmacokinetic characterization mainly due to the analytical challenge of assaying CS in biological fluids and the limited information on quantitative analysis of CS in plasma using high resolution mass spectrometry (MS). Hence, a rapid, simple and accurate analytical method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) on a hybrid quadrupole time of flight (QTOF) instrument has been developed and fully validated for the quantification of CS in human plasma. After the pretreatment of plasma samples by solid phase extraction (SPE) and the addition of the internal standard (reserpine, RSP) the analytes were chromatographed on an Acquity BEH C8 column (100mm×2.1mm, 1.7μm) using gradient elution with 0.5% aqueous acetic acid (AcOH) and acetonitrile with 0.5% AcOH (with CSA and CSB eluting at 1.39 and 1.31min, respectively). Accurate mass measurement correction was performed on line using the leukine-enkephaline standard. The method presented good fit (regression coefficient≥0.998) over the quantitation range of 0.2–300 and 0.03–4.5μgmL−1 with the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) being 0.02 and 0.03μgmL−1 for CSA and CSB in human plasma, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision, measured as %relative standard deviation, was better than 10%, whereas the accuracy expressed as %relative error was also better than 10%. The short term, freeze–thaw (three cycles) and in process stability showed non-significant degradation of CS under these conditions. The validation results showed that the developed method demonstrated adequate selectivity and sensitivity. The method has been successfully applied to plasma samples from patients suffering from cystic fibrosis and treated with CS, and the pharmacokinetic profile has been calculated.