Use Of Capillary Electrophoresis Research Articles

Capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry to determine multiclass cyanotoxins in reservoir water and spinach samples

Cyanotoxins constitute a group of toxic secondary metabolites, the presence of which in any water body poses a major health risk. Moreover, advanced organisms such as edible plants exposed to these toxins, are a possible pathway for human exposure. Green analytical chemistry is demanding environmentally friendly analytical techniques. In this sense, we propose the use of capillary electrophoresis coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (CE-MS/MS) to determine a mixture of eight cyanotoxins belonging to three different classes: cyclic peptides (microcystin-LR, microcystin-RR and nodularin), alkaloids (cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a) and three isomeric non-protein amino acids (β-methylamino-l-alanine, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid and N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine). Separation was achieved by using an acidic background electrolyte consisting of 2 M formic acid and 20% acetonitrile in water. Parameters affecting MS/MS detection and the sheath-liquid interface were also studied. Finally, a combination of pH-junction, field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) and acid barrage as online preconcentration strategies, was employed to improve sensitivity and efficiency. The online preconcentration applied, in combination with a dual cartridge solid-phase extraction (SPE) system, allows to obtain limits of detection in the very low range of µg·L−1 for these multiclass cyanotoxins in reservoir water samples (from 0.005 to 0.10 µg·L−1). Furthermore, for the first time cyanotoxins are analysed in spinach samples through CE-MS/MS using the same SPE procedure, following lyophilisation and solid-liquid extraction with 6 mL 80 % aqueous MeOH.

Role of Nanotechnology in Forensic Medicine to Solve Medico-legal Case Work in Pakistan - A Review Study

Background: Nanotechnology is relatively a new emerging field of Forensic Science and is being used to solve many medico-legal cases all over the world. Some of its use is the most prevalent in biomedical science, material science, biological indicators, food science, Trace Evidence, real-time crime scenes, and terrorist attacks as a nanomaterial to the medico-legal investigations. It is now utilized in the medico-legal casework in Pakistan in Forensic Medicine. Aim: To analyze and compare the forensic value of nanotechnology and methods used to solve the medico-legal investigations relating to nanomaterials in Forensic medicine in Pakistan, Pakistan. Method: This is a review study focusing on the currently available data in research articles all over the world and in Pakistan about the use of nano-material in medico-legal casework for slaving medico-legal investigations in Pakistan. Extensive research is being conducted on the use of nanomaterials. Various analysis methods for nanomaterials, both old and new, have been gathered from previous research and compared. The statistical significance of their use as forensic evidence in criminal investigations and medico-legal cases has been analyzed in the field of Forensic Medicine. Results: The field of nanotechnology plays a crucial role in forensic investigations. This is supported by numerous publications both globally and in Pakistan. Nanomaterials have been instrumental in solving many forensic cases by leveraging advanced technology and high-tech tools. The Pakistan Forensic Science Agency in Lahore (PFSA) has effectively utilized nanomaterials in DNA analysis and various serological tests. Notably, nanomaterials have greatly aided in identifying crime scene evidence through the use of Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR). Practical Implication: New nanotechnologies are being utilized in DNA fingerprinting to solve medico-legal cases in forensic investigations. Advancements include the use of capillary electrophoresis, nano-gold, nano-silver, and nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) combined with SEM, TEM, and FTIR(56). Currently, there are ongoing developments to create new nano-probes, nano-devices, and nano-chips to combat the threat of terrorism in Pakistan. Conclusion: Nanotechnology is being very extensively used in crime-scene investigations to solve medico-legal cases in Forensic Medicine, especially in various ways and techniques in fingerprinting, DNA analysis, explosive detection, drug detection, and time since death estimation. Examination of body fluids, document analysis, explosive residual inspection, and nano-biosensors are benefited by nanotechnology. It is concluded by the review research on the use of nanotechnology that it is a more accurate, fast, reliable, secure system and an Armour for medico-legal investigations in Forensic Medicine. Keywords: Nanotechnology , DNA analysis, Forensic value, Forensic Medicine ,Nanoparticles

The Use of Extraction on C18-Silica-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles for the Determination of Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin in Meat Tissues.

A simple, fast, and low-cost method of extraction using magnetic nanoparticles was developed for sample preparation in the determination of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin in meat tissues with the use of capillary electrophoresis. This study is the first utilization of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles with attached C18 chains to extract fluoroquinolones from meat tissues. This method is therefore characterized by a very simple sample preparation procedure, but on the other hand, by satisfactory precision and accuracy. Magnetic nanoparticles with an appropriately modified surface were placed in an Eppendorf tube, then conditioned with methanol, next rinsed with water and, finally, a homogenized tissue sample was added. At the neutral pH of the sample solution, these compounds do not have a charge and are able to adsorb on the modified particles. After extraction, the nanoparticles were dried and, then, desorption of analytes was conducted with the use of a mixture of 0.1 mol/L HCl and acetonitrile (1:1). This approach made it possible to purify the sample matrix and to obtain satisfactory LOQ levels for the method using the CE technique with UV-Vis detection. In this method, the LOD and LOQ values for both analytes were 0.04 nmol/g tissue and 0.15 nmol/g tissue, respectively. The calibration curves were linear in the entire concentration range, and the accuracy and the recovery of the method were at the satisfactory levels. The square value of the linear correlation coefficients (R2) for Cpx and Ofx were 0.9995 and 0.9992, respectively. The precision value of the method was within the range of 3-11% and accuracy was in the range of 93-110%.

Metrological support of sequence analysis of nucleic acids

Metrological support for the process of molecular genetic identification is provided. An establishment of a nucleotide sequence is the general aim in nucleic acids analysis. A nucleotide sequence of DNA/RNA is the key information which gives an idea of the role and functioning of nucleic acids in living systems, as well as it allows establishing the origin of biological objects during molecular genetic identification. The molecular genetic identification is based on modern methods of research in the sequencing of DNA, which is inherited from generation to next generation of living organisms. DNA sequence comparison in some cases is mandatory to establish the authenticity of biological objects and to determine biological affiliation or kinship with other biological objects. The problems of metrological support of molecular genetic identification by Sanger DNA sequencing using fluorescently labeled reaction terminators and the use of capillary electrophoresis on the example of fish identification are considered. Metrological support of the process includes the use of such definitions as a nucleotide (the nucleic acid monomer), a sequence of nucleotides of nucleic acids. Also, it involves the procedures used in certified methods, a standard sample of a known DNA sequence of an approved type, and a genetic analyzer.Standard Reference Materials of a fragment of human mitochondrial DNA was developed, approved, entered into the Federal registry. The tests of the domestic genetic analyzer Nanophore 05 were carried out. Two measurement procedures “The measurement methodology the partial nucleotide sequence of the control region of mitochondrial DNA of fish (families Acipenseridae and Polyodontidae) by Sanger sequencing with fluorescently-labeled terminators and using capillary electrophoresis” and “The measurement methodology the nucleotide sequence of the 5’ region of the mitochondrial COI gene of water biological resources by Sanger sequencing with fluorescently-labeled terminators and using capillary electrophoresis” were tested and certified. The results are relevant to research in biological sciences, the food industry, biotechnology, and DNA forensics.

Viability study of clinical bacterial strains by capillary electrophoresis and flow cytometry approaches.

One of the challenges medicine faces is the constantly growing resistance of pathogens to various classes of antibiotics. In this study, we investigated the use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to characterize and assess the physiological states of three clinical bacterial strains-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), and Escherichia coli extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESβL)-exposed to different antibiotics. All chosen bacteria are the leading causes of healthcare-associated and hospital-acquired invasive infections in adults. In the first part of the research, it was determined the optimal incubation time of the tested strains with antibiotics, represented as an optimal time of 24h. In the second part, we have compared two approaches: flow cytometry (FC) as a standard method and CE as a proposed alternative approach. The viability of clinical strains treated with different class antibiotics calculated in CE measurements was strongly correlated (>0.83 for MSSA, >0.92 for ESβL and MRSA) with the viability obtained on the basis of FC measurements. As a result, CE has a chance to become a modern diagnostic method used in clinical practice. The CE cutoff was found to be 50%; above this value, the strain shows resistance to the action of the antibiotic.

Simultaneous Determination of Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin in Animal Tissues with the Use of Capillary Electrophoresis with Transient Pseudo-Isotachophoresis.

We have developed a precise and accurate method for the determination of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin in meat tissues. Our method utilizes capillary electrophoresis with a transient pseudo-isotachophoresis mechanism and liquid–liquid extraction during sample preparation. For our experiment, a meat tissue sample was homogenized in pH 7.00 phosphate buffer at a ratio of 1:10 (tissue mass: buffer volume; g/mL). The extraction of each sample was carried out twice for 15 min with 600 µL of a mixture of dichloromethane and acetonitrile at a 2:1 volume ratio. We then conducted the electrophoretic separation at a voltage of 16 kV and a temperature of 25 °C using a background electrolyte of 0.1 mol/L phosphate–borate (pH 8.40). We used the UV detection at 288 nm. The experimentally determined LOQs for ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin were 0.27 ppm (0.8 nmol/g tissue) and 0.11 ppm (0.3 nmol/g tissue), respectively. The calibration curves exhibited linearity over the tested concentration range of 2 to 10 nmol/g tissue for both analytes. The relative standard deviation of the determination did not exceed 15%, and the recovery was in the range of 85–115%. We used the method to analyze various meat tissues for their ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin contents.

Recent Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis in the Determination of Active Compounds in Medicinal Plants and Pharmaceutical Formulations.

The present review summarizes scientific reports from between 2010 and 2019 on the use of capillary electrophoresis to quantify active constituents (i.e., phenolic compounds, coumarins, protoberberines, curcuminoids, iridoid glycosides, alkaloids, triterpene acids) in medicinal plants and herbal formulations. The present literature review is founded on PRISMA guidelines and selection criteria were formulated on the basis of PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study type). The scrutiny reveals capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection as the most frequently used capillary electromigration technique for the selective separation and quantification of bioactive compounds. For the purpose of improvement of resolution and sensitivity, other detection methods are used (including mass spectrometry), modifiers to the background electrolyte are introduced and different extraction as well as pre-concentration techniques are employed. In conclusion, capillary electrophoresis is a powerful tool and for given applications it is comparable to high performance liquid chromatography. Short time of execution, high efficiency, versatility in separation modes and low consumption of solvents and sample make capillary electrophoresis an attractive and eco-friendly alternative to more expensive methods for the quality control of drugs or raw plant material without any relevant decrease in sensitivity.

Cover Feature: Single‐Round DNA Aptamer Selection by Combined Use of Capillary Electrophoresis and Next Generation Sequencing: An Aptaomics Approach for Identifying Unique Functional Protein‐Binding DNA Aptamers (Chem. Eur. J. 39/2021)

Cover Feature: Single‐Round DNA Aptamer Selection by Combined Use of Capillary Electrophoresis and Next Generation Sequencing: An Aptaomics Approach for Identifying Unique Functional Protein‐Binding DNA Aptamers (Chem. Eur. J. 39/2021)

Single-Round DNA Aptamer Selection by Combined Use of Capillary Electrophoresis and Next Generation Sequencing: An Aptaomics Approach for Identifying Unique Functional Protein-Binding DNA Aptamers.

In DNA aptamer selection, existing methods do not discriminate aptamer sequences based on their binding affinity and function and the reproducibility of the selection is often poor, even for the selection of well-known aptamers like those that bind the commonly used model protein thrombin. In the present study, a novel single-round selection method (SR-CE selection) was developed by combining capillary electrophoresis (CE) with next generation sequencing. Using SR-CE selection, a successful semi-quantitative and semi-comprehensive aptamer selection for thrombin was demonstrated with high reproducibility for the first time. Selection rules based on dissociation equilibria and kinetics were devised to obtain families of analogous sequences. Selected sequences of the same family were shown to bind thrombin with high affinity. Furthermore, data acquired from SR-CE selection was mined by creating sub-libraries that were categorized by the functionality of the aptamers (e. g., pre-organized aptamers versus structure-induced aptamers). Using this approach, a novel fluorescent molecular recognition sensor for thrombin with nanomolar detection limits was discovered. Thus, in this proof-of-concept report, we have demonstrated the potential of a "DNA Aptaomics" approach to systematically design functional aptamers as well as to obtain high affinity aptamers.

Activity of CdTe Quantum-Dot-Tagged Superoxide Dismutase and Its Analysis in Capillary Electrophoresis.

Quantum dots (QDs) have a broad range of applications in cell biolabeling, cancer treatment, metastasis imaging, and therapeutic drug monitoring. Despite their wide use, relatively little is known about their influence on other molecules. Interactions between QDs and proteins can influence the properties of both nanoparticles and proteins. The effect of mercaptosuccinic acid-capped CdTe QDs on intercellular copper–zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1)—one of the main enzymatic antioxidants—was investigated. Incubation of SOD1 with QDs caused an increase in SOD1 activity, unlike in the case of CdCl2, which inhibited SOD1. Moreover, this effect on SOD1 increased with the size and potential of QDs, although the effect became clearly visible in higher concentrations of QDs. The intensity of QD-SOD1 fluorescence, analyzed with the use of capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection, was dependent on SOD1 concentration. In the case of green QDs, the fluorescence signal decreased with increasing SOD1 concentration. In contrast, the signal strength for Y-QD complexes was not dependent on SOD1 dilutions. The migration time of QDs and their complexes with SOD1 varied depending on the type of QD used. The migration time of G-QD complexes with SOD1 differed slightly. However, in the case of Y-QD complexes with SOD1, the differences in the migration time were not dependent on SOD concentration. This research shows that QDs interact with SOD1 and the influence of QDs on SOD activity is size-dependent. With this knowledge, one might be able to control the activation/inhibition of specific enzymes, such as SOD1.

Application of Capillary Electrophoresis to the Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Herbal Raw Materials.

The article is a summary of scientific reports from the last 16 years (2005–2021) on the use of capillary electrophoresis to analyze polyphenolic compounds, coumarins, amino acids, and alkaloids in teas or different parts of plants used to prepare aqueous infusions, commonly known as “tea” or decoctions. This literature review is based on PRISMA guidelines and articles selected in base of criteria carried out using PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study type). The analysis showed that over 60% of articles included in this manuscript comes from China. The literature review shows that for the selective electrophoretic separation of polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds, the most frequently used capillary electromigration technique is capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection. Nevertheless, the use of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry allows for the sensitive determination of analytes with a lower limit of detection and gives hope for routine use in the analysis of functional foods. Moreover, using the modifications in electrochemical techniques allows methods sensitivity reduction along with the reduction of analysis time.

Capillary electrophoresis as a tool for genotyping SH3 mediated coffee leaf rust resistance

Coffee is an important agricultural commodity in the world. However, it is susceptible to Hemileia vastatrix (Hv), an obligatory biotrophic fungus that causes coffee leaf rust (CLR). Natural resistance to rust has been identified in the wild species Coffea canephora and Coffea liberica. These species have been used in breeding programs where interspecific resistant hybrids have been generated. The SH3 gene, derived from C. liberica, has been shown to confer extreme and long-lasting resistance to Hv. A total of 167 accessions of the INIA’s Coffee Germplasm Collection of Peru (INIA-CGC) were screened with 4 markers linked to the SH3 gene. As positive controls, EA67 (C. liberica) and the hybrid S.288 (C. arabica x C. liberica) were used. Separation of PCR products was done by capillary electrophoresis, which allow to discriminate the alleles of each marker. For three markers, specific alleles for either C. arabica or C. liberica species were found. In all cases, S.288 exhibited specific alleles for both species; whereas the INIA-CGC accessions had exclusively C. arabica alleles and EA67 had C. liberica alleles. The BA-48-21O-f marker did not produce PCR fragments for any of the positive controls, suggesting that this marker is not as predictive as the other three to determine the presence of SH3. This work reports the existence of multiple alleles for the Sat244 marker; however, the collection does not have the SH3 mediated-resistance gene. Finally, the utility of capillary electrophoresis as a tool to identify alleles linked to SH3 was demonstrated.

The Application of Capillary Electrophoresis in Analysis of Chinese-Herb Drugs

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a newly developed instrument widely used with very good results in the analysis and separation of proteins, amino acids, peptides, organic acids as well as pharmaceuticals. It offers short analysis times, good reproducibility, autosampling, and is especially suitable for the analysis of high polar compounds. These characteristics lead to conjecture about possible application to analysis of Chinese herbal drugs. This paper describes the use of capillary electrophoresis in analysis of such crude drugs as Paeoniae Radix, Phellodendri Cortex, Coptidis Rhizoma, Ephedrae Herba, Scutellariae Radix and the Ephedrae Herbacontaining, Coptidis Rhizoma-containing, Phellodendri Cortex-containing, Scutellariae Radix-containing, Glycyrrhizae Radix-containing, Armeniacae Semen-containing Preparations.

Recent Progresses in Sensitive Determination of Drugs of Abuse by Capillary Electrophoresis

Background: Today, “drugs of abuse” pose serious social problems such as many crimes, medical treatment costs, and economic repercussions. Several worldwide clinical laboratories use analytical separation methods to analyze their patient samples for drugs and poisons. In this way, they provide qualitative and quantitative data on the substances in various biological matrices (e.g., urine, plasma or serum, saliva, and breath). Methods: An extensive review of the published articles indicates that the use of Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) coupled with sensitivity enhancing methods is a very attractive area of interest in the assay of drugs of abuse. Results: This review was prepared to have a comprehensive study on applications of sensitivity enhancing methods on the determination of drugs of abuse especially from 2007 to present. The sample preconcentration approaches almost address all methods from online preconcentration (both electrophoretic and chromatographic-based methods) to offline preconcentration. Furthermore, detection system modification and capillary column fabrications were investigated in order to increase the detection sensitivity of complex samples in CE. Conclusion: The present review summarizes the most recent developments in the detection of drugs of abuse using CE. Although CE still has a limitation in sensitive detection, several publications in recent years have proposed valuable methods to overcome this problem.

The use of capillary electrophoresis in Gene Therapy

Background & Aim Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) has undergone a huge resurgence over the last 15 years as the pharmaceutical industry moved from traditional small molecule pharmaceuticals into more complex biologicals and protein and peptide-based biopharmaceuticals. Today there is a drive to look for more target approaches to treat rare diseases and one of the areas which is seeing a rapid increase in funding is the development of gene therapy-based products. Gene therapy products often use a viral vector (capsid) as a carrier to transfer DNA/RNA to cells and these products provide an additional level of complexity over antibodies so profiling and analysing such products has thrown up new challenges for analytical chemists. In this work we will present how CE has been used to profile and analytical test new Gene Therapy products. The methods takes advantage of the traditional approaches of CE used in monoclonal antibody testing and adapts them to analysing the building blocks of the gene therapy product as well as the final product itself. Methods, Results & Conclusion The methods used are based on CE-SDS protein assays or capillary isoelectric profiling methods (cIEF) using commercially available capillaries and consumables. In the analysis of viral proteins which make up the adeno associated virus (AAV) vectors a new protein derivatisation step has now been developed to fluorescently tag the proteins in a simple 2 step process to enhance the sensitivity and detect viral capsid proteins. The sensitivity improvement is required due to the lower protein concentrations found in gene therapy products. The CE-SDS method developed using this new flourescent tag has allowed AAV viral proteins to be detected at a viral particle concentration of 1.1 × 10 10 GC/ml and is very reproducible. In a new application using cIEF we will show how CE is now able to profile empty vs full AAV gene therapy products and is capabale of being applied to several different serotypes. In conclusion CE can now be used in the analysis of gene therapy products and can not only profile the proteins making up the viral vectors but can also be used to profile the AAV final products to provide information on empty versus full particles.

The allocation of carbohydrates from vegetable raw materials and their identification with the use of capillary electrophoresis

Relevance. Carbohydrates are integral components of the cells and tissues of all living organisms of the plant and animal world; they are important components of the plant cell walls, as well as the extracellular matrix of animal and human tissues. The type of monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides determines their biological functions for the organism. However, it is difficult to establish the relationship between the structure of the carbohydrate molecule and its biological function.Methods. In this article, the author provides an overview of methods for identifying the monosaccharide composition of plant polymers by capillary electrophoresis, in order to optimize the sample preparation procedure and the conditions of analysis. A scheme for the stepwise release of polysaccharides from raw materials is given: the isolation of soluble monosaccharides and polysaccharides, the extraction of the pectin fraction, the extraction of cellulose and hemicelluloses, in order to study the composition of each fraction. A procedure for acid hydrolysis of polymers to monosaccharides using oxidizing agents such as sulfuric and trifluoroacetic acid is described. In the final part of the article, three different schemes for the identification of the monosaccharide composition were analyzed, namely, separation of the components under strongly alkaline conditions, preliminary derivatization with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone, preliminary preparation of (S) (-) α-methylbenzylamine S-PEA) derivatives.Results or Findings. An analysis of the literature shows that the composition of polysaccharides is widely studied by various methods. At the same time, a number of problems remain associated with the implementation of these methods in terms of sample preparation and identification of all monosaccharides characteristic of the studied raw materials. The method of capillary electrophoresis can solve some of these problems; however, little has been studied. The study of carbohydrates in plant objects begins with the procedure for extracting carbohydrates (polysaccharides and monosaccharides) from the plant matrix, hydrolysis of polysaccharides, and subsequent identification using the CE method. The optimization of this scheme of the CE method for determining the composition of polysaccharides is an urgent scientific task.

Use of capillary electrophoresis for the determination of impurities in preparations of fluorine-18 labelled PET radiopharmaceuticals

Fluorine-18 labelled radiotracers are the most common diagnostic agents employed in positron emission tomography (PET). Despite well-established quality control (QC) procedures, introduction of new synthetic methods demands continuous development of analytical methodology. Here we propose capillary electrophoresis (CE) as a simple, fast and cost-efficient analytical method, allowing for the evaluation of potentially toxic impurities, including transition metals, in the formulated preparations. Method developed was applied in routine QC procedures for several clinically relevant radiotracers.

Analytical nanometrological approach for screening and confirmation of titanium dioxide nano/micro-particles in sugary samples based on Raman spectroscopy – Capillary electrophoresis

Analytical nanometrology is a present challenge in today's analytical science, particularly from a practical point of view and when it is addressed to routine/control laboratories. In this way, a screening-confirmation approach is described for the characterization and distinction between titanium dioxide nano/micro-particles in sugary food samples. The first step involves the confirmation of the presence of TiO2 in the sample (used as additive E171 in sugary samples), using a portable Raman spectrometer, in which the crystalline structure of TiO2 (anatase or rutile) in the positive samples can be also obtained in this step. Then, the second step was only applied to positive samples, and it involves the use of Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), which allows to distinguish between TiO2-nanoparticles (<100 nm) from TiO2-microparticles (>100 nm). Additionally, nanoparticles (TiO2 anatase (5 nm diameter) and TiO2 rutile (60 nm diameter) and rutile microparticles (0.1–0.2 μm diameter) can be electrophoretically separated. The general procedure is simple, fast, and low cost, providing a valuable analytical tool in the field of food safety and control, thus contributing to the development of the analytical nanometrology.

Use of capillary electrophoresis to select a DNA aptamer that recognizes swine anaphylatoxin C5a

Complement factor 5a is a potent proinflammatory mediator that contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous inflammatory diseases. Protein-based C5a inhibitors have proven to be clinically valuable. Aptamers, which are oligonucleic acid chains or polypeptides, can bind to target molecules and hence have the potential to be used for detection and blockade of targets. Here, we describe the discovery that the single-stranded DNA aptamer S1 can bind specifically to swine C5a, which can then be quickly selected for with capillary electrophoresis for high-throughput sequencing. Aptamer S1 bound specifically to swine C5a with a dissociation constant of 4 μM as measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Moreover, aptamer S1 inhibited C5a-induced chemotaxis of neutrophils in vitro. Our study suggests that the S1 aptamer has great potential to be a key structure in the development of effective therapeutic agents against inflammatory diseases.

A digest of capillary electrophoretic methods applied to lipid analyzes.

Lipids are naturally occurring organic compounds that can be classified into a number of types based on their solubility in nonpolar organic solvents, and are generally insoluble in water. The great structural variety of these various types of lipids has led them to be components of many different biological substances such as oils, waxes, cellular membranes, tissues and biological fluids. The use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the study of lipids during the past 30 years has been relatively rare when compared to its use for other classes of biomolecules, primarily due to their insolubility in water. However, a number of interesting studies have been conducted, and as part of this review, we will present the different approaches that were used, which mainly consist of micellar kinetic chromatography and non-aqueous CE. The main advantages of the use of these techniques compared to GC is the very simple sample preparation that is required and, compared to LC, the very robust and quick separations that can be obtained. In this review, we present the various methods that have been reported in the literature that have been used for the study of fatty acids, phospholipids, glycerides, eicosanoids and sterols, with the inclusion of various tables presenting descriptions of the CE methods used as well as the methods of detection, including UV absorbance, fluorescence, mass spectrometry, and conductivity. This review aims to demonstrate that CE can be easily used for the analysis of lipids.