Improvement and validation the method using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with in situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of tricyclic antidepressants in human urine samples

A simple, rapid and sensitive method termed dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed for the determination of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in human urine sample. An appropriate mixture of methanol (disperser solvent), carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent), and acetic anhydride (derivatization reagent) was injected rapidly into human urine sample. After extraction, the sedimented phase was analyzed by GC/MS. The calibration curves obtained with human urine were linear with a correlation coefficient of over 0.99 in the range of 2.0/5.0-100 ng mL(-1). Under the optimum conditions (carbon tetrachloride: 10 μL, methanol: 150 μL), the detection limits and the quantification limits of the tricyclic antidepressants were 0.5-2.0 ng mL(-1) and 2.0-5.0 ng mL(-1), respectively. The average recoveries of TCAs were 88.2-104.3%. Moreover, the inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy was acceptable at all concentrations. The results showed that DLLME is applicable to the determination of trace amounts of TCAs in human urine sample.     

Liquid chromatographic-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometric analysis of opiates and metabolites in rat urine after inhalation of opium

To examine the urinary excretion of opiates and their metabolites following inhalation exposure of rats to opium, analytical procedures for the simultaneous determination of the compounds in opium, the vapor derived by the volatilization of opium and the urine of rats exposed to the opium vapor were developed using liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS). Seven compounds were determined in the opium, namely morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine, papaverine, meconic acid and meconin. All seven were extracted with 2.5% acetic acid solution and subjected to LC-APCI-MS analysis. The separation was performed on an ODS column in acetonitrile-50 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH 3.0) using a linear gradient program and quantitative analysis was carried out in the selected ion monitoring mode ([M+H](+)). For the analysis of the volatilization of opium, the opium (1 g) was added to a glass pipe, which was then heated at 300 degrees C for 20 min. Negative pressure (air flow-rate; 300 ml/min) was used to draw the vapor through a series of glass wool and methanol traps. The total amount of each compound in the vapor was estimated by measurement of the compounds trapped in the glass wool and methanol. Wister rats (n=3) were exposed to the vapor derived from the volatilization system and the urinary amounts (0-72 h) of the six opiates and metabolites including morphine-3-grucronide (M3G) and morphine-6-grucronide (M6G) were measured after solid-phase extraction. The calibration curves for those compounds in the rat urine were linear over the concentration range 10-500 ng/ml. The recoveries for each analyte from the rat urine sample spiked with standard solution were generally greater than 80%, and the relative standard deviation for the analytical procedure was less than 8% with the exception of meconin. After inhalation exposure of rats to opium, M3G (5.45-14.38 micro g), morphine (2.27-4.65 micro g), meconin (0.54-1.85 micro g), codeine (0.54-1.85 micro g), noscapine (0.34-0.40 micro g) and papaverine (0.01-0.04 micro g) were detected in the urine over 72 h. However, only trace levels of thebaine were observed despite it being one of the major alkaloids found in the opium. On the other hand, a relatively large amount of meconin was detected in the vapor and the urine as compared with the opium. It is suggested that the presence of meconin in biological fluids could be indicative of opium ingestion by inhalation.     

Detection and measurement of opium alkaloids and metabolites in urine of opium eaters by methane chemical ionization mass fragmentography

A gas chromatographic—mass spectrometric assay for eight opium alkaloids in human urine following opium ingestion is described. The compounds were extracted from urine with methylene chloride—isopropanol (7:3, v/v) at pH 9.5, evaporated, derivatized with Tri-Sil Z and analyzed by methane chemical ionization mass fragmentography. The method is sensitive to ca. 0.01 μg/ml for morphine and codeine and ca. 0.05 μg/ml for the other compounds. Adsorption problems on the gas chromatography column prevented obtaining reproducible results for the measurement of noscapine. Extraction efficiencies over the pH range of 8–11 for the eight compounds are reported. Retention times of the opium alkaloids were determined using five different liquid phases (3%) on Gas-Chrom Q (100–120 mesh) and two column lengths (36 cm and 183 cm). The 36-cm column packed with OV-210 was selected for use in the assay. Ions were selected for monitoring for each component from their methane chemical ionization spectrum to provide the needed sensitivity and specificity for analysis of a multi-component mixture. The assay was used for the analysis of an “opium eater's” urine. Morphine, codeine, nomorphine, norcodeine and noscapine were detected; however, no evidence was obtained for thebaine, papaverine or oripavine. Unconjugated morphine (0.64 μg/ml) was present at nearly twice the concentration of codeine (0.37 μg/ml) and normorphine and norcodeine were present in equal amounts (ca. 0.15 μg/ml).     

Determination of isometamidium residues in animal-derived foods by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

In this paper, a new determination method for isometamidium residues in animal-derived foods was developed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Isometamidium residues in bovine tissues and milk were extracted with the mixed solution of acetonitrile and 0.25 mol/L of ammonium formate-methanol (v/v, 1:1), concentrated and degreased, and determined by LC-MS/MS with quantification by external standard method. The results showed that the peak area of chromatogram was linearly related to the concentration of isometamidium in the range of 1-100 μg/L, and the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.05 μg/kg and 5 μg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries of spiked samples were in the range of 73.8-93.9% with relative standard deviations ranged from 2.3% to 7.5%. This method is simple, accurate and suitable for the identification and quantification for isometamidium in animal-derived foods.     

Determination of clenbuterol in porcine tissues using solid-phase extraction combined with ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and HPLC-UV detection

A new pretreatment method, solid-phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextration (SPE-DLLME), was proposed in first time for the determination of clenbuterol (CLB) in porcine tissue samples. The tissue samples were firstly extracted by SPE, then its eluents were used as dispersant of the followed DLLME for further purification and enrichment of CLB. Various parameters (such as the type of SPE sorbent, the type and volume of elution solvent, the type and volume of extractant and dispersant, etc.) that affected the efficiency of the two steps were optimized. Good linearity of CLB was ranged from 0.19 μg/kg to 192 μg/kg with correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.9995. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.07 μg/kg (S/N=3) and the recoveries at three spiked levels were ranged from 87.9% to 103.6% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 3.9% (n=3). Under the optimized conditions, the enrichment factor (EF) for CLB could up to 62 folds. The presented method that combined the advantages of SPE and DLLME, had higher selectivity than SPE method and was successfully applied to the determination of CLB in tissue samples.     

Application of poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography to the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked meat products

This paper presents a study of the synthesis of a polymer monolith column and its application to the analysis of PAHs in smoked meat products. A poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith capillary has been successfully prepared with in situ polymerization method. The polymer monolith microextraction combined with HPLC determinations is employed for the analysis of naphthalene, biphenyl, phenanthrene, and anthracene. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency have been investigated and optimized. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the method provides an acceptable linearity (2-10,000 μg/L), low limits of detection (1.4-2.0 μg/L), and good precision (intraday relative standard deviations<4.1%, interday relative standard deviations<5.7%). When applied to the determination of the four PAHs in smoked meat samples, recoveries are obtained in the range of 86.6-101.5%.     

Quantification of multi-residue levels in peach juices, pulps and peels using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on floating organic droplet coupled with gas chromatography-electron capture detection

In this paper, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), organochlorine pesticide (OCP) and pyrethroid pesticides in peach was investigated by comparing their residual level in peach juice, pulps and peels using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet (DLLME-SFO) combined with gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Extraction conditions such as the type of extractant, volume of extractant and dispersant, salt effect and extraction time were optimized. For juice samples, the linearity of the method was obtained in the range of 10-2000 ng L(-1),with determination coefficients>0.99. The limits of detection (LOD) of the method were ranged between 2.8 and 18.5 ng L(-1). For pulp and peel samples, the developed method is linear over the range assayed, 1-20 μg kg(-1),with coefficients also >0.99. The relative recoveries of compounds analyzed from juice, pulp and peel samples were in the range of 73-106% with a relative standard deviation between 2.6 and 11.8%. The proposed method was applied to the simultaneous analysis of residues in real peach juice, pulp and peel samples. As a result, there were no target analytes found in peach juices and pulps while 3.3 μg kg(-1) cyhalothrin and 3.5 μg kg(-1) fenvalerate were found in peels. The experiment results revealed that the pyrethroid residues just deposited on the peels of the fruits, but did not move into pulps and juices.     

Simultaneous determination of ten aminoglycoside antibiotics in aquatic feeds by high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry with pass-through cleanup

A simple and sensitive method has been established based on pass-through cleanup and high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q/Orbitrap MS) for the simultaneous determination of ten aminoglycosides (AGs) in aquatic feeds. The extraction solution and cleanup procedure had been optimized, and good sensitivity, accuracy, and precision were obtained. The calibration curves of AGs were linearity (R² > 0.99) in the range of 2.0 to 200 μg/L (or 5.0 to 500 μg/L). The limits of detection of AGs were between 10 and 25 μg/kg. The recoveries of AGs ranged from 74.9% to 94.3%, and the intraday and interday relative standard deviations were less than 15%. Finally, this method was successfully applied to determine ten AGs in 30 aquatic feed samples. It might be the first time to use pass-through cleanup approach combined with HPLC-Q/Orbitrap MS method for AGs determination in aquatic feed samples.     

HPLC-UV法定量测定发酵液中的S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸

本文采用高效液相色谱-紫外检测器（HPLC-UV）定量测定发酵液中S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸（SAM）的含量。结果表明,S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸浓度在0.1~1.0g/L时,其峰面积（Y）与相应的浓度（X）呈线性关系,线性方程为Y=13.937X－0.1949,相关系数为0.9969。S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸的平均回收率为99.89~101.7%,相对标准偏差为0.48~1.36%。该方法精密度、准确度好,稳定性高,能简便、快速、准确地测定发酵液中S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸的含量。     

Simple and rapid quantification of gadolinium in urine and blood plasma samples by means of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF)

A simple and rapid method to determine gadolinium (Gd) concentrations in urine and blood plasma samples by means of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) was developed. With a limit of detection (LOD) of 100 μg L(-1) in urine and 80 μg L(-1) in blood plasma and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 330 μg L(-1) in urine and 270 μg L(-1) in blood plasma, it allows analyzing urine samples taken from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patients during a period of up to 20 hours after the administration of Gd-based MRI contrast agents by means of TXRF. By parallel determination of the urinary creatinine concentration, it was possible to monitor the excretion kinetics of Gd from the patient's body. The Gd concentration in blood plasma samples, taken immediately after an MRI examination, could be determined after rapid and easy sample preparation by centrifugation. All measurements were validated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). TXRF is considered to be an attractive alternative for fast and simple Gd analysis in human body fluids during daily routine in clinical laboratories.     

Ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for sensitive determination of trace celastrol in urine

Ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UA IL-DLLME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for the determination of celastrol in human urine samples. In the microextraction procedure, ionic liquid (IL) was used as extraction solvent and dispersed into the aqueous sample solution as fine droplets by means of dispersive solvent and ultrasonication which promoted the analyte to migrate into IL phase more easily. Several important parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were studied and optimized, including the type and volume of extraction solvent and dispersive solvent, sample pH, ultrasonication time, cooling time, centrifugation time and salting-out effect. Under the optimized conditions, 110-fold enrichment factor was obtained and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.6 μg/L at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 10-1000 μg/L for celastrol in human urine sample, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9980. Intra- and inter-assay precision were 0.43% and 2.78%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the real human urine samples and good spiked recoveries in the range of 93.2-109.3% were obtained.     

Fluoranthene determination based on a rapid and sensitive syringe extraction and solid-phase fluorescence technique

A rapid and sensitive strategy was proposed for the detection of fluoranthene (FL), which is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), in water samples. In this work, syringe solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with solid-phase fluorescence spectrometry was used to determine FL in PAHs polluted environmental samples. The fluorescence signals were directly monitored on the membrane surface after FL was enriched by syringe SPE. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method showed a linear relationship in the concentration range 2–50 μg/L with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.998, and the limit of detection was 0.143 μg/L. The recoveries varied from 93.47% to 109.81% in the actual samples, with the relative standard deviations (n = 3) ranging from 2.06% to 6.32%. According to the results, the established method can be applied in the field of rapid detection as it is fast, simple, portable, and highly sensitive, and has strong anti-interference.     

Simultaneous determination of 2-naphthol and 1-hydroxy pyrene in urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was developed for the determination of 2-naphthol (2-NAP) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HOP) in human urine. Extraction from urine after the enzyme hydrolysis with β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase was achieved with a liquid extraction using 5 mL of pentane. After addition of 50 μL of N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MTBDMSTFA) to prevent the loss of 2-NAP during drying, the extract was completely dried and derivatized with MTBDMSTFA for 30 min at 60 °C. The accuracies were in the range of 96-109% at a concentration of 0.5, 10 and 25 μg/L and their precisions were less than 15%. Method detection limits of 2-NAP and 1-HOP were 0.07 and 0.01 μg/L, respectively. This method was used to analyze twenty urine samples, and they were found in the concentration range <0.07-13.7 μg/L (2-NAP) and <0.01-0.88 μg/L (1-HOP). The concentrations of 2-NAP and 1-HOP were well correlated to those of naphthalene and pyrene in blood, respectively.     

Determination of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in horse plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with UV detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A rapid method for the quantification of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in animal plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with UV detection (HPLC-UV) is presented. The sample preparation includes a simple deproteinisation step with acetonitrile. In addition, a sensitive method for the quantification of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in horse plasma and urine using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) is described. The sample preparation includes a solid-phase extraction (SPE) with a SCX column. Tamoxifen is used as an internal standard for both chromatographic methods. Chromatographic separation is achieved on an ODS Hypersil column using isocratic elution with 0.01% diethylamine and acetonitrile as mobile phase for the HPLC-UV method and with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as mobile phase for the LC-MS/MS method. For the HPLC-UV method, good linearity was observed in the range 0-5 microg ml(-1), and in the range 0-1 microg ml(-1) for the LC-MS/MS method. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was set at 50 and 5 ng ml(-1) for the HPLC-UV method and the LC-MS/MS method, respectively. For the UV method, the limit of detection (LOD) was 15 and 10 ng ml(-1) for amiodarone and desethylamiodarone, respectively. The LODs of the LC-MS/MS method in plasma were much lower, i.e. 0.10 and 0.04 ng ml(-1) for amiodarone and desethylamiodarone, respectively. The LODs obtained for the urine samples were 0.16 and 0.09 ng ml(-1) for amiodarone and desethylamiodarone, respectively. The methods were shown to be of use in horses. The rapid HPLC-UV method was used for therapeutic drug monitoring after amiodarone treatment, while the LC-MS/MS method showed its applicability for single dose pharmacokinetic studies.     

A novel clean-up method for urine analysis of low-molecular mass aldehydes by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

A rapid clean-up method using ultra-filtration was developed to remove sample matrix in the determination of low-molecular mass aldehydes in human urine. The ensuing filtrate was derivatized with fluorescein 5-thiosemicarbazide and the labelled aldehydes determined by capillary zone electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. Practical aspects related to the effect of the urine sample matrix on the label chemistry and the electrophoretic separation showed that the urine samples must be diluted 20-fold after their ultra-filtration. By using synthetic urine, linear ranges were established in the range of 15-5000 μg/l with limits of detection between 4.5 and 9 μg/l. The intra- and inter-assay precision (relative standard deviation, %) of the aldehydes ranged from 4.1% to 8.4% and 6.1%-9.6%, respectively, and the average specific uncertainty was 149±12 ng. The average recoveries performed on two levels by enriching synthetic urine samples ranged between 94% and 100%. Finally, the proposed method was applied to check low-molecular mass aldehydes in the human urine of a female volunteer to obtain information about the risk in her exposure to these chemicals in the workplace.     

Ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase system, a sample pretreatment procedure prior to high-performance liquid chromatography of opium alkaloids

An ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C4 mim]Cl)/salt aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) was presented as a simple, rapid and effective sample pretreatment technique coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for analysis of the major opium alkaloids in Pericarpium papaveris. To find optimal conditions, the partition behaviors of codeine and papaverine in ionic liquid/salt aqueous two-phase systems were investigated. Various factors were considered systematically, and the results indicated that both the pH value and the salting-out ability of salt had great influence on phase separation. The recoveries of codeine and papaverine were 90.0-100.2% and 99.3-102.0%, respectively, from aqueous samples of P. papaveris by the proposed method.     

Determination of cathinones and related ephedrines in forensic whole-blood samples by liquid-chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A liquid-chromatography-tandem-mass-spectrometry method using pneumatically assisted electrospray ionisation (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of cathinone, methcathinone, ethcathinone, amfepramone, mephedrone, flephedrone, methedrone, methylone, butylone, cathine, norephedrine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylephedrine and methylpseudoephedrine in human live and post-mortem whole blood. The blood proteins were precipitated by the addition of methanol, and the extract was purified by ultrafiltration. The separation of diastereomeric ephedrines was achieved on an ethyl-linked phenyl column. Matrix-matched calibrants combined with the isotope dilution of selected substances were used for quantitative analysis. The relative intra-laboratory reproducibility standard deviations were generally better than 7% at concentrations of 20 μg/L, and the mean true recoveries were 87-106% in the concentration range of 10-250 μg/L. The detection limits were in the range of 0.5-3 μg/L. The cathinones were unstable in whole blood and sample extracts under neutral conditions, but the stability could be improved by the acidification of the sample matrix.     

Analysis of goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis L., and related alkaloids in urine using HPLC with UV detection

A screening method was developed to extract and detect berberine and hydrastine alkaloids from goldenseal root powder and urine samples using HPLC with UV detection. The isocratic method was developed to detect alkaloids in 5 mL of urine prior to drug screening. Urine samples were spiked with the alkaloids at varying concentrations and extracted twice with 3:1 chloroform:2-propanol (CHCl(3):2-propanol). The extracts were combined, concentrated using nitrogen gas and the residue was then reconstituted with a mobile phase of acetonitrile:buffer (32:68). A 17 min isocratic run time was performed with a flow rate of 2.0 mL/min, and UV detection at 230 nm using a C(18) (250 mm × 4.6 mm) column at room temperature. The method showed good linearity for berberine (r(2)=0.9990) and hydrastine (r(2)=0.9983) over a range of 11.80 ng/mL to 17.64 μg/mL. The LOD for berberine in urine was 12.74 ng/mL and the LOD for hydrastine in urine was 54.48 ng/mL. Urine samples were spiked with goldenseal root powder and liquid extract as part of a blinded study to determine whether berberine and hydrastine alkaloids could also be extracted in vitro from goldenseal and show a presence in urine samples. Out of the 37 blinded urine samples extracted the two spiked samples were correctly identified based on the presence or absence of berberine and hydrastine. The results demonstrated that this method will enable laboratories to test for the herbal supplement in submitted urine samples prior to drug testing, avoiding false negative results.     

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction for the selective determination of valnemulin in feeds with high performance liquid chromatography

A simple, sensitive and reproducible high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for determining valnemulin in feeds. Feed samples were extracted with ethyl acetate under alkaline condition, cleaned up by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction, and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The characteristics of the synthesized polymer were evaluated and the loading capacity of the polymer was about 1000 μg analyte/g imprinted polymer. The new procedure for the feed sample cleanup using the prepared polymer cartridge gave higher recoveries and fewer matrix interferences. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 5.0-200 mg kg(-1) with the correlation coefficient above 0.9993. Recoveries of valnemulin from feed samples spiked at 5.0, 20 and 50 mg kg(-1) ranged between 76.0% and 94.4% with relative standard deviations of less than 9%. The limit of detection for valnemulin in feeds was 1 mg kg(-1).     

Dalbavancin: Quantification in human plasma and urine by a new improved high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method

Dalbavancin is a novel second-generation lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with activity against broad range of Gram-positive pathogens. In order to determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) of dalbavancin in pediatric patients, a new High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) bioanalytical method has been developed for quantification of dalbavancin in plasma and in urine. The plasma method was validated for dalbavancin in the linear range from 0.5 μg/mL to 500 μg/mL using 50 μL of K(2) EDTA plasma. For dalbavancin spiked in urine, non-specific binding (NSB) of the drug to polypropylene (PP) urine collection containers was observed. The loss amounted to about 10% per transfer. After successfully establishing the collection/sampling procedure for urine by addition of Triton X-100 to the collection vessels (with a purpose of preventing NSB), the method was validated for dalbavancin in the range from 0.05 μg/mL to 50 μg/mL, using 100 μL of urine. These methods were used to quantify dalbavancin in plasma and urine of hospitalized children in a pediatric dalbavancin PK study. Eighteen percent of the total number of plasma study samples was reassayed for incurred samples reproducibility (ISR) and all the reassayed dalbavancin concentrations were within the ± 20% limits. For urine, all the collected samples were reassayed for ISR and the original dalbavancin concentration was confirmed within the ± 20% limits for 17 (94%) samples; the one remaining urine sample had its reassayed concentration confirmed within ± 25% of the original result.