Sample stacking for the analysis of penicillins by microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography

We present a method for determining eight penicillin antibiotics using microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC). We studied how the composition of the microemulsion affected separation by modifying such parameters as the surfactant or the addition of organic solvents. The best microemulsion system consisted of 0.5% ethyl acetate, 1.2% 1-butanol, 2% Brij 35, 10% 2-butanol and 86.3% 10 mM borate buffer at pH 10. We studied the suitability of this microemulsion composition for analyzing a commercial drug. To improve the sensitivity of the method, we used the stacking technique reversed electrode polarity stacking mode (REPSM), which increased the detection limits by about 40-fold.     

Microemulsion and micellar electrokinetic chromatography of steroids

A mixture of ten steroids was separated by microemulsion and micellar (SDS and glycodeoxyholate) electrokinetic chromatography systems. Separations were done on a 50 cm (to the detector) × 50 μm I.D. fused-silica capillary. Complete separation of all the test compounds in the micellar mode was obtained with glycodeoxycholate (50 mM) in 25 mM borate buffer, pH 6.5, as the micelle-forming agent. The best results, however, were obtained using microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography in which higher aliphatic alcohols were used as the microemulsion-forming modifiers. The system consisted of n-hexanol (0.81%), SDS (3.31%) and n-butanol (6.61%) in 20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 10.0 (89.28%, w/w). In the microemulsion mode, linear calibration for steroid standards was obtained in the concentration range 3 × 10⁻⁴ − 3 × 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1 pmol. The method was validated and applied to an 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase assay in tissues.     

Enzymes and microemulsions. Activity and kinetic properties of liver alcohol dehydrogenase in ionic water-in-oil microemulsions

The activity and the kinetic properties of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase have been studied in water-in-oil microemulsions containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), 1-butanol or 1-pentanol or 1-hexanol or t-butanol, water and cyclohexane alone or with octane. In the anionic microemulsions (i.e. containing sodium dodecyl sulfate), the enzyme quickly lost its activity, but was efficiently protected by the coenzyme and some adenine nucleotides. In the cationic microemulsions (i.e. containing hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide), the enzyme activity was more stable and with higher alcohols was stable for at least 20 min. The Michaelis constant of NAD+ calculated with respect to the water content was nearly constant and higher than in water. The maximum velocity in anionic microemulsions depends on the water content whereas in cationic microemulsions, the maximum velocity did not show a clear dependence on the water content and was close to the maximum velocity found in water. The pH dependence of Km and Vmax in these microemulsions was similar to that observed in water. The kinetic data for a hydrophobic substrate, cinnamyl alcohol, showed that this alcohol partitions between the pseudo-phases and thus the apparent Michaelis constant and the concentration at which substrate-excess inhibition appeared were increased. The catalytic properties of the enzyme in microemulsions were illustrated by the preparative reduction of cinnamaldehyde with cofactor recycling. The rate determination of NAD+ reduction and of 1-butanol/cinnamaldehyde redox reaction showed that at low water content (2.8%), the NAD+ reduction rate was close to zero whereas the redox reaction rate was about half of the rate at higher water content. Probably at low water content the coenzyme binding-dissociation rates are reduced much more than the binding-dissociation rates of the substrates and the rates of the ternary complex interconversion. The cationic microemulsions seemed to be very favorable medium for enzyme activity, the tetraalkyl ammonium surfactant causing less denaturation than the anionic detergent dodecyl sulfate.     

Separation of nucleic acid components on polyacrylamide gel columns.

The exclusion and sorptive properties of the polyacrylamide gel Bio-Gel P-2 for low-molecular-weight anionic species allows separations of nucleic acid components to be effected in dilute alkaline borate buffer at pH 8.8. The degree of ionization, determined by pH, fixes the elution position of the compounds chromatographed in this system. Optimum conditions are given for making group separations as well as many other useful separations of nucleic acid components and related compounds.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of a complex mixture of diuretics using a micellar mobile phase of sodium dodecyl sulphate: Application to human urine samples

A systematic optimization of the HPLC separation of a complex mixture containing 19 diuretics by micellar liquid chromatography using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), a Hypersil (150 mm×3.0 mm I.D., 5 μm) C₁₈ column, a flow-rate of 0.5 ml min⁻¹ and UV absorbance detection has been carried out. Several mobile phases consisting of SDS and organic modifiers such as acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, propanol, butanol or pentanol, and the pH adjusted to 3.2, were tested. The effect of the organic modifier and SDS concentration on the retention behavior and separation of the diuretics was investigated. A mobile phase containing 40 mM SDS and 4% tetrahydrofuran was finally selected. Under these conditions, 14 out of 19 diuretics were separated in about 31 min. A bivariant optimization method for the mobile phase SDS–tetrahydrofuran corroborated the above results. The effect of temperature on the retention was also studied, and 50°C was selected. The optimized method was applied to human urine samples of subjects administered Diurex^® (tablets containing 20 mg of the active ingredient xipamide) without sample preparation.     

Beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: activity in microemulsion and extraction from Pseudomonas testosteroni cells with microemulsion

The stability of purified beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity measured as a function of time was good in buffered cationic and non-ionic microemulsions. The use of 1-pentanol and 1-hexanol in place of 1-butanol as cosurfactant gave increased activity and stability. The NAD+ Michaelis constant was 0.22 mM in buffer and 3.5 mM in waterpool concentration in microemulsion. Proteins, among them beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, were extracted from Pseudomonas testosteroni with cationic microemulsion, thus indicating that microemulsions may be utilized in protein release from cells.     

Rapid separation of acetylated oligosaccharides by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Peracetylated saccharides were separated by chromatography on a reverse-phase support, eluting with mixtures of acetonitrile-water. Gradient elution for 2.5 h gave significant separations of all linear glucose oligomers containing up to 35 sugar residues. With isocratic elution retention was exponentially related to molecular mass and only slightly affected by linkage or anomeric configuration. The presence of glucosamine in various saccharides markedly reduced their retention.     

The Accumulation of 5′-Phosphoribosyl-5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide in Folate-deficient Pea Seedlings and the Enzymatic Reaction in which the Compound is Involved

The functions of isoflavonoids and related compounds as well as of their degradation products in the allelopathy of red clover were investigated from chemical standpoint. Susceptibilities of red clover to isoflavonoids, related compounds and their degradation products were higher than those of various plants including white and alsike clovers, and contents of the isoflavonoids in red clover were extremely higher as compared with those in white clover and orchard grass. Inhibitory substances were isolated from the soil capable to cause “clover sickness,” but they were not isoflavonoids but phenolic acids considered to be originated probably in the formers. These acids were also obtained together with some kinds of isoflavonoids from the waste culture solution used for cultivation of red clover seedlings. Finally degradation process of isoflavonoids was followed up in neutral, acidic and alkaline solutions.     

Separation of nucleoside phosphoramidate diastereoisomers by high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis

Separations of five diastereoisomers of nucleoside phosphoramidate derivatives (pronucleotides) were performed by both HPLC method using derivatized cellulose and amylose chiral stationary phases and CE method using anionic cyclodextrins added in the background electrolyte (BGE). An optimal baseline separation (Rs > 1.5) was readily obtained with all silica-based celluloses and amyloses using in a normal-phase methodology. Capillary electrophoresis was used as an alternative technique to HPLC for the separation of pronucleotides. The diastereoisomers were fully resolved with sulfated cyclodextrins at both BGE pH (2.5 and 6.2). Limits of detection and limits of quantification, calculated for both methods, are up to 200 times higher in CE separations than in HPLC separations. The analytical HPLC method was then applied in a preliminary study for the pronucleotide 1 quantification in cellular extract.     

Partitioning of Proteins using a Hydrophobically Modified Ethylene Oxide/SDS Aqueous Two-phase System

Summary A novel aqueous two-phase system containing hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide (HM-EO) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was developed to enhance the selectivity of protein partitioning in two phases. Phase diagrams of HM-EO/H₂O and HM-EO/SDS/H₂O were measured, and the mechanism of interaction between HM-EO polymer and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was also discussed. It was found that the improvement of selectivity of protein partitioning was related to the increase of electrostatic potential difference between the two phases because of the charged network formed by mixed micelles of HM-EO and SDS in the bottom phase. With bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme as model proteins, some factors, such as pH, SDS concentration, conductivity and temperature of the system, were investigated for the influences of protein partition in HM-EO/SDS/H₂O systems. The results showed that the addition of SDS not only changed the phase behaviour, but also played an important role in protein partitioning.     

Sodium dodecyl sulfate solution is an effective between-run rinse for capillary electrophoresis of samples in biological matrices

It is common practice in capillary electrophoresis to perform some sort of capillary washing step(s) between separations. In many analyses little consideration is given to optimization of the wash, and typically a rather standard washing procedure is used involving a few minutes wash with 0.1M NaOH followed by a few minutes reconditioning with the run buffer. As an alternative to this procedure, we have investigated the use of wash solutions containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). This type of wash has been used in the analyses of both small molecules and proteins, with encouraging results. After the SDS wash, the electroosmotic flow has been shown to be restored to values close to normal in a capillary which had previously been coated with plasma proteins. Separation efficiency for a test compound (dextromethorphan) is improved if an SDS rather than a HCl---NaOH wash is used after injection of plasma. In a direct-injection analysis of plasma proteins using a pH 10 borate buffer, an SDS-based washing procedure (total time, 1 min) gave better migration-time reproducibility than an NaOH-based wash, which took 5 min in total.     

Lambda-carrageenan: A novel chiral selector for capillary electrophoresis

Lambda-carrageenan, a linear high molecular weight sulfated polysaccharide, has been employed as a chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis for the separation of enantiomers of weakly basic pharmaceutical compounds. The racemic compounds that were enantioresolved included propranolol, pindolol, tryptophanol, laudanosine and laudanosoline. In addition, the diastereomeric pair of cinchonine and cinchonidine were also resolved. Method conditions such as buffer pH, electrolyte concentration, column temperature, and chiral selector concentration were found to be important for improvement of enantioselectivity. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Densitometric assay of nanogram quantities of proteoglycans precipitated on nitrocellulose membrane with Safranin O

Proteoglycan (PG) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) samples corresponding to a minimum of 10 ng of uronic acid were reliably quantified as precipitates with the cationic dye Safranin O, collected by vacuum-aided filtration onto a cellulose acetate/nitrate membrane in a standard 96-well dot assay apparatus. The reflectances of the precipitation dots were measured by automatic densitometric scanning of the membrane sheets. Standard GAGs produced reflectance values which were related to the number of anionic groups per unit disaccharide; hyaluronate and keratan sulfate gave lower values while heparin yielded values higher than those of chondroitin sulfates. The presence of 8 M urea, 1% Triton X-100, 30% sucrose, 0.02% NaN3, or mixtures of proteinase inhibitors and various buffers did not markedly influence the reflectances, while 4 M guanidinium chloride and 3 M CsCl reduced the sensitivity of the assay to 30-50 ng. Samples containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were not applicable because SDS precipitated with Safranin O. Proteins showed virtually no response, while nucleic acids gave significant although smaller reflectances than GAGs. Owing to its marked sensitivity and convenience the method is particularly suitable for the detection of PGs during their preparative purification and fractionation as well as in various analytical assays.     

Fluorescence quenching of beta-carboline alkaloids in micellar media. A study to select the adequate surfactant to use in analytical techniques.

The study of fluorescence quenching of the fluorophores allows the localization of the alkaloids (harmane and harmine) in the micelles (SDS, CTAB, Brij-35) to be established. In aqueous micellar solutions (SDS and Brij-35) at pH 13.0, emission corresponding to the neutral or zwitterionic forms can be observed. In the presence of CTAB (pH = 13.0) it was possible to observe the emission of anionic form. These species are not present in buffered aqueous solutions at these pH values. Bromide ion was added to the different surfactant solutions and the quenching effect was studied according to the Stern-Volmer equation. In the presence of SDS the quenching effect is considerably reduced compared to the aqueous solutions without surfactants, while for Brij-35 micelles were similar to those observed in homogeneous aqueous solution. For CTAB micelles a notable fluorescence quenching was observed for the different pH values studied. The fluorescence quenching studies show that the neutral species are associated inside the micelles, instead of the ionic species (cationic, zwitterionic or anionic) remaining on the surface of the micelles. The anionic surface of SDS micelles prevents the quenching effect by anionic quenchers for both neutral and charged species.     

Formulation,Characterization, and Clinical Evaluation of Microemulsion Containing Clotrimazole for Topical Delivery

The objective of the present study was to formulate and evaluate microemulsion systems for topical delivery of clotrimazole (CTM). The solubility of CTM in various oils was determined to select the oil phase of the microemulsion systems. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the area of microemulsion existence. Five CTM microemulsion formulations (M1–M5) were prepared and evaluated for their thermodynamic stability, pH, refractive index, droplet size, viscosity, and in vitro release across cellulose membrane. Among the prepared microemulsion formulations, M3 (lemon oil/Tween 80/n-butanol/water) and M4 (isopropyl myristate/Tween 80/n-butanol/water) microemulsion systems were found to be promising according to their physical properties and CTM cumulative percentage release. Gel form of M3 and M4 were prepared using 1% Carbopol 940 as the hydrogel matrix. Both formulations were evaluated in the liquid and gel forms for drug retention in the skin in comparison to the marketed CTM topical cream and their stability examined after storage at 40°C for 6 months. Microemulsion formulations achieved significantly higher skin retention for CTM over the CTM cream. Stability studies showed that M4 preparations were more stable than M3. The in vitro anti-fungal activity of M4 against Candida albicans was higher than that of the conventional cream. Moreover, clinical evaluation proved the efficacy and tolerability of this preparation in the treatment of various topical fungal infections.     

Liquid chromatography method for simultaneous analysis of amino acids and biogenic amines in biological fluids with simultaneous gradient of pH and acetonitrile

A liquid chromatography method for simultaneous analysis of amino acids, polyamines, catecholeamines and metanephrines in human body fluids after derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl chloride was developed. The chromatographic behavior of analytes at different pH of mobile phase was studied. Successful baseline resolution of all analyzed compounds was achieved using simultaneous gradient of pH and organic modifier in reverse phase mode of HPLC within 36 min. The repeatability of the proposed procedure in respect of retention time and peak area, expressed as RSD, ranges from 0.06 to 1.64% and 0.4 to 7.6%, respectively. The method linearity in the range of 1-200 microM for amino acids and in the range of 0.1-20 microM for polyamines, catecholeamines and metanephrines was found to be with correlation coefficients higher than 0.994. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was assessed to be in the range of 2.6-10 pmol for amino acids and 2-4 pmol for polyamines, catecholeamines and metanephrines.     

Additional components of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase demonstrated by high-resolution polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of chloral hydrate.

We have shown that aq. 100% (w/v) chloral hydrate (2,2,2-trichloroethane-1,1-diol) dissociates bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase. We have developed new procedures of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of chloral hydrate that permit variation in the pH of the separation, and, by using these procedures, we have observed 15 components in preparations of the enzyme. This number contrasts with the eight bands that were seen on electrophoresis in the presence of SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate) and urea. We have isolated material from these eight bands and have characterized each by electrophoresis in the presence of chloral hydrate. Twelve of the fifteen components that were seen by electrophoresis in chloral hydrate were identified as constituents of the eight bands seen by electrophoresis in the presence of SDS and urea. Two-dimensional electrophoretic separations confirmed these identifications ans showed that the other three components which were resolved as discrete bands by electrophoresis in the presence of chloral hydrate appeared to be diffusely present in the electrophoretic separations performed in the presence of SDS and urea, which suggested anomalous behaviour in that detergent. Trypsin treatment of cytochrome c oxidase caused total loss, as observed by electrophoretic separations in the presence of chloral hydrate, of a number of components. The trypsin-sensitive components included all of those that behaved anomalously in the presence of SDS and urea. Chloral hydrate is a potent non-ionic dissociating agent for cytochrome c oxidase and its use in polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, with variation in the pH of the gel, permits charge-dependent separations that should have general application in the analysis of membrane proteins.     

Involvement of electrostatic interactions in the mechanism of peptide folding induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate binding

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has consistently been shown to induce secondary structure, particularly alpha-helices, in polypeptides, and is commonly used to model membrane and other hydrophobic environments. However, the precise mechanism by which SDS induces these conformational changes remains unclear. To examine the role of electrostatic interactions in this mechanism, we have designed two hydrophilic, charged amphipathic alpha-helical peptides, one basic (QAPAYKKAAKKLAES) and the other acidic (QAPAYEEAAEELAKS), and their structures were studied by CD and NMR. The design of the peptides is based on the sequence of the segment of residues 56-70 of human platelet factor 4 [PF4(56-70), QAPLYKKIIKKLLES]. Both peptides were unstructured in water, and in the presence of neutral, zwitterionic, or cationic detergents. However, in SDS at neutral pH, the basic peptide folded into an alpha-helix. By contrast, the pH needed to be lowered to 1.8 before alpha-helix formation was observed for the acidic peptide. Strong, attractive electrostatic interactions, between the anionic groups of SDS and the cationic groups of the lysines, appeared to be necessary to initiate the folding of the basic peptide. NMR analysis showed that the basic peptide was fully embedded in SDS-peptide micelles, and that its three-dimensional alpha-helical structure could be superimposed on that of the native structure of PF4(56-70). These results enabled us to propose a working model of the basic peptide-SDS complex, and a mechanism for SDS-induced alpha-helical folding. This study demonstrates that, while the folding of peptides is mostly driven by hydrophobic effects, electrostatic interactions play a significant role in the formation and the stabilization of SDS-induced structure.     

Alkaline urea solubilization, two-dimensional electrophoresis and lectin staining of mammalian cell plasma membrane and plant seed proteins

Plasma membranes, isolated from Chinese hamster ovary cells and seed proteins from Arachis hypogaea (L.) were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Polypeptides were solubilized without employing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), using in its place 5 mm K₂CO₃ and 9.5 m urea. After addition of dithiothreitol and the nonionic detergent Nonidet P-40, more than 95% of the total protein remained in the supernatant fraction after the preparation was centrifuged at 100,000 g. The solubilization was comparable to that achieved with boiling SDS solution. This soluble material could be used directly for either isoelectric focusing or nonequilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis in narrow bore, tubular, polyacrylamide gels crosslinked by means of N,N′-diallyltartardiamide. Up to 750 μg of protein could be analyzed in one such 3 mm gel. Electrophoresis in polyacrylamide slab gels containing SDS was used for separations in the second dimension. The method allows large amounts of both basic and acidic insoluble proteins to be solubilized and then analyzed without employing SDS as a solubilizing agent. Classes of glycoproteins on the gels were detected by incubating with small volumes of ¹²⁵I-lectins in heat-sealed plastic bags. CHO cells contain several high molecular weight acidic glycoproteins that bind wheat germ agglutinin, but which do not stain with Coomassie blue. Several of the storage polypeptides in peanut seeds were also shown to bind wheat germ agglutinin and are probably, therefore, glycoproteins containing N-acetyl d-glucosamine.     

Thermochemical studies on the interaction between sodium n-dodecyl sulphate and catalases

The enthalpies of interaction between bovine catalase and sodium n-dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in aqueous solutions of pH 3.2,6.4 and 10.0 have been measured over a range of SDS concentrations by microcalorimetry at 25°C. The enthalpies increase with decreasing pH and with increasing SDS concentration and largely arise from the interations between the anionic head group of SDS and the cactionic amino acid residues on the protein. Chemically modified catalase in which a proportion of carboxylic acid groups have been coupled with either glycine methyl ester or ethylenediamine have been prepared and characterized in terms of their enzymic activities, spectral properties and sedimentation behaviour. The enthalpies of interaction of these catalases with SDS have been studied at pH 6.4. The results of the experiments suggest that the enthalpies of interaction with SDS can be correlated with the ratio of cationic to anionic amino acid residues on the surface of the catalase molecules and hence the nominal net surface charge. The variation in the enthalpy of interaction of catalases with surface charge, as a consequence of variation in pH, differs from the variation with charge at constant pH possibly due to the thermal effect of proton binding to the catalase—complexes.