Isolation and identification of neo‐clerodane diterpenes from Ajuga remota by high‐performance liquid chromatography

In order to explore the suitability of reversed‐phase HPLC for the rapid isolation, identi?cation and semipreparative fractionation of neo‐clerodane diterpenes from Ajuga remota, an extract from aerial parts of the plant was examined using a C₁₈ column with UV detection and gradient elution with water:methanol. In addition to the known diterpenes ajugarins I, II, IV and V and clerodin, the presence and chromatographic behaviours of ajugapitin, dihydroajugapitin, dihydroclerodin and deacetylajugarin IV, not previously isolated from A. remota, were established. Presence of the epimeric mixture of 14‐hydro‐15‐hydroxyclerodin (scutecyprol A) was also demonstrated together with that of 14‐hydro‐15‐hydroxyajugapitin, the latter only in trace amounts. The structures of all isolated diterpenes were determined from NMR data. The anti‐feedant activities of the isolated compounds against Spodoptera littoralis are also reported here. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of carbamazepine in human urine and serum samples by high‐performance liquid chromatography with post‐column Ru(bipy)‐Ce(SO4)2 chemiluminescence detection

A novel, sensitive and rapid CL method coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography separation for the determination of carbamazepine is described. The method was based on the fact that carbamazepine could significantly enhance the chemiluminescence of the reaction of cerium sulfate and tris(2,2‐bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) in the presence of acid. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Kromasil® (Sigma‐Aldrich) TM RP‐C18 column (id: 150 mm × 4.6 mm, particle size: 5 µm, pore size: 100 Å) with a mobile phase consisting of methanol–water‐glacial acetic acid (70:29:1, v/v/v) at a flowrate of 1.0 mL/min, the total analysis time was within 650 s. Under optimal conditions, CL intensity was linear for carbamazepine in the range 2.0 × 10^?8 ~ 4.0 × 10^?5 g/mL, with a detection limit of 6.0 × 10^?9 g/mL (S/N = 3) and the relative standard detection was 2.5% for 2.0 × 10^?6 g/mL (n = 11). This method was successfully applied to the analysis of carbamazepine in human urine and serum samples. The possible mechanism of the CL reaction is also discussed briefly. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First direct resolution of gossypol enantiomers on a chiral high‐performance liquid chromatography phase

The first direct resolution of gossypol enantiomers has been achieved by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase consisting of cellulose tris‐(3,5‐dimethylphenyl carbamate) coated onto microporous aminopropyl‐silica eluted in the reverse phase mode. Chirality 11:46–49, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Enantiomeric separation of type I and type II pyrethroid insecticides with different chiral stationary phases by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography

The enantiomeric separation of type I (bifenthrin, BF) and type II (lambda‐cyhalothrin, LCT) pyrethroid insecticides on Lux Cellulose‐1, Lux Cellulose‐3, and Chiralpak IC chiral columns was investigated by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. Methanol/water or acetonitrile/water was used as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The effects of chiral stationary phase, mobile phase composition, column temperature, and thermodynamic parameters on enantiomer separation were carefully studied. Bifenthrin got a partial separation on Lux Cellulose‐1 column and baseline separation on Lux Cellulose‐3 column, while LCT enantiomers could be completely separated on both Lux Cellulose‐1 and Lux Cellulose‐3 columns. Chiralpak IC provided no separation ability for both BF and LCT. Retention factor (k) and selectivity factor (α) decreased with the column temperature increasing from 10°C to 40°C for both BF and LCT enantiomers. Thermodynamic parameters including ?H and ?S were also calculated, and the maximum R_s were not always obtained at lowest temperature. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis methods for BF and LCT enantiomers in soil and water were also established. Such results provide a new approach for pyrethroid separation under reversed‐phase condition and contribute to environmental risk assessment of pyrethroids at enantiomer level.     

Quantification of some active compounds in air samples at pharmaceutical workplaces by HPLC

Workers involved in the manufacture of drug substances may be exposed to active pharmaceuticals by inhalation of drug dusts or droplets which has been considered the main exposure route. The proposed HPLC method allowed to determine sulpiryde, hydroxyurea and dyprophylline in the concentration range of 0.01–0.187 mg/m³, 0.001–0.08 mg/m³ and 0.01–0.40 mg/m³ for sulpiryde, hydroxyurea and dyprophylline, respectively, when 480 L of air sample was collected on the glass fibre filters. Sulpiryde was extracted with a solvent system consisting of acetonitrile–phosphate buffer at pH 3 (85:15, v/v), while the best efficiency of extraction for hydroxyurea and dyprophylline was achieved using water. HPLC analysis of sulpiryde with fluorescence detection was more sensitive (LOD = 3.1 μg/L) in comparison with UV detection (LOD = 84.4 μg/L).     

Enantioselective separation of (±)‐β‐hydroxy‐1,2,3‐triazoles by supercritical fluid chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography

This paper reports the enantioseparation of β‐hydroxy‐1,2,3‐triazole derivatives, which present a broad range of biological properties, by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and high‐performance liquid chromatography techniques (HPLC). Polysaccharide‐based chiral columns (cellulose and amylose) were used to evaluate the separation in SFC and HPLC. Time of analyses, consumption of solvent, and parameter optimization were reduced using SFC technique. The columns based on cellulose chiral stationary phase using 2‐propanol and ethanol as modifiers showed the best results for the enantioresolution of the (±)‐β‐hydroxy‐1,2,3‐triazoles by SFC analyses. These techniques were applied to evaluate the selectivity of biocatalytic reduction of β‐keto‐1,2,3‐triazoles by marine‐derived fungus Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186 to obtain the (±)‐β‐hydroxy‐1,2,3‐triazoles.     

Determination of folic acid by high‐performance liquid chromatography with direct electrogenerated chemiluminescence reaction

In our present work, it was found that the electrooxidation of folic acid (FA) was accompanied by electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) emission. Out of the four inorganic salts, NaNO₃ solution was found to be a suitable supporting electrolyte for the ECL emission of FA. Coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography separation, this simple ECL method was used for post‐column determination of FA. Under the optimal conditions, the ECL intensity has a linear relationship with the concentration of FA in the range of 1.0 × 10^?7 to 1.0 × 10^?5 g/mL and the detection limit was 5 × 10^?8 g/mL (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 3). Application of the present method to the analysis of FA in human urine proved feasible. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of flavonoids and phenylethanoids in the flowers of Verbascum densiflorum and V. phlomoides by high‐performance liquid chromatography

Introduction – Mullein (Verbascum) flowers are highly valued herbal drugs used in the treatment of inflammation, asthma, spasmodic coughs and other respiratory tract diseases. Their phenolic constituents are considered to be responsible for the anti‐inflammatory and antimicrobial activity of the herb. However, knowledge about the contents of phenolics in flowers is limited and no HPLC method for their analysis is available. Objective – To develop and validate an RP‐HPLC‐UV method for the simultaneous determination of eight flavonoids and two phenylethanoids in the flowers of Verbascum densiflorum and V. phlomoides. Methodology – HPLC separation was accomplished on a C₁₈ Lichrosphere 100 column (5 µm, 250 mm × 4.6 mm, i.d.) with an acetonitrile gradient elution using aqueous 0.5% (w/v) orthophosphoric acid solution containing 1% (v/v) tetrahydrofurane. Results – All the calibration curves showed good linear correlation coefficients (r > 0.997) over the wide test ranges. The relative standard deviation of the method was less than 3.4% for intra‐ and inter‐day assays, and the average recoveries were between 93.5 and 101.9%. High sensitivity was demonstrated with detection limits of 0.062–0.083 µg/mL for flavonoid aglycones, 0.156–0.336 µg/mL for flavonoid glycosides and 0.390–0.555 µg/mL for phenylethanoids. The flower samples of V. phlomoides were found to contain high levels of diosmin and tamarixetin 7‐rutinoside (2.327–2.392% of dry weight), whereas verbascoside (0.688–0.742% of dry weight) and luteolin 7‐glucoside (0.204–0.279% of dry weight) dominated in the V. densiflorum flower. Conclusion – The HPLC method established is appropriate for the quality assurance and the differentiation of V. phlomoides and V. densiflorum samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Co‐amplification of cytochrome b and D‐loop mtDNA fragments for the identification of degraded DNA samples

We propose a simple and effective approach to simultaneously co‐amplify both cytochrome b and D‐loop fragments to evaluate DNA preservation and to monitor possible contaminations in the analysis of degraded animal DNA samples. We have applied this approach to over 200 ancient salmon samples and 25 ancient whale DNA samples, clearly demonstrating its multiple benefits for analysis of degraded DNA samples, and the ease in which co‐amplification can be optimized for different taxa. This simple, cost‐efficient and genomic DNA‐saving approach can be used routinely in the analysis of minute and degraded DNA samples in wildlife forensics, food inspection, conservation biology and ancient faunal remains.     

高效液相色谱分析银杏萜内酯的含量

用高效液相色谱法测定银杏叶及提取物中银杏内酯Ａ、Ｂ、Ｃ和白果内酯的含量。采用Ｃ１８分离柱,示差检测器,甲醇：水（３３：６７）为流动相,方法回收率平均达９７％以上,变异系数（ＣＶ）为２．１％。     

Sick plants in grassland communities: a growth‐defense trade‐off is the main driver of fungal pathogen abundance

Aboveground fungal pathogens can substantially reduce biomass production in grasslands. However, we lack a mechanistic understanding of the drivers of fungal pathogen infection and impact. Using a grassland global change and biodiversity experiment we show that the trade‐off between plant growth and defense is the main determinant of infection incidence. In contrast, nitrogen addition only indirectly increased incidence via shifting plant communities towards faster growing species. Plant diversity did not decrease incidence, likely because spillover of generalist pathogens or dominance of susceptible plants counteracted negative diversity effects. A fungicide treatment increased plant biomass production and high levels of infection incidence were associated with reduced biomass. However, pathogen impact was context dependent and infection incidence reduced biomass more strongly in diverse communities. Our results show that a growth‐defense trade‐off is the key driver of pathogen incidence, but pathogen impact is determined by several mechanisms and may depend on pathogen community composition.     

Hepatitis E virus‐based evaluation of a virion concentration method and detection of enteric viruses in environmental samples by multiplex nested RT‐PCR

Aims: The prevalence of enteric viruses in drinking and river water samples collected from Pune, India was assessed. During an outbreak of HEV in a small town near pune, water samples were screened for enteric viruses. Methods and Results: The water samples were subjected to adsorption–elution‐based virus concentration protocol followed by multiplex nested PCR. Among 64 Mutha river samples, 49 (76·56%) were positive for Hepatitis A Virus, 36 (56·25%) were positive for Rotavirus, 33 (51·56%) were positive for Enterovirus and 16 (25%) were positive for Hepatitis E Virus RNA. Only enterovirus RNA was detected in 2/662 (0·3%) drinking water samples, and the samples from the city’s water reservoir tested negative for all four viruses. HEV RNA was detected in three out of four river water samples during HEV outbreak and partial sequences from patients and water sample were identical. Conclusions: The study suggests absence of enteric viruses both in the source and in the purified water samples from Pune city, not allowing evaluation of the purification system and documents high prevalence of enteric viruses in river water, posing threat to the community. Significance and Impact of the Study: The rapid, sensitive and relatively inexpensive protocol developed for virological evaluation of water seems extremely useful and should be adapted for evaluating viral contamination of water for human consumption. This will lead to development of adequate control measures thereby reducing disease burden because of enteric viruses.     

Rapid method for simultaneous determination of 20 components in Isodon nervosa by high‐performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Introduction – Isodon nervosa is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine including diterpenoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids and volatile oil. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of multi‐components is important for its quality control. Objective – To establish a liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation–mass spectrometry method for simultaneous analysis of 20 bioactive constituents of Isodon nervosa in different places of China and different parts of this herb. Methodology – The optimal chromatographic conditions were achieved on a C₁₈ column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with with linear gradient elution with 0.1% aqueous formic acid : methanol containing 0.1% formic acid at a flow‐rate of 0.7 mL/min in 15 min. The identification and quantification of those analytes were achieved on a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Multiple‐reaction monitoring scanning was employed for quantification with switching electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes in a single run. Full validation of the method was carried out (linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and limit of quantification). Results – The results indicated that the method was simple, rapid, specific and reliable. The proposed method was successfully applied for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of 20 chemical compositions in Isodon nervosa samples. Conclusion – Twenty chemical compositions in 21 batches of wild and cultivated Isodon nervosa samples from different sources had great variation in the contents. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enantiomeric composition of nicotine in tobacco leaf,cigarette, smokeless tobacco,and e‐liquid by normal phase high‐performance liquid chromatography

Evaluating the source of nicotine in e‐liquid is a problem. Tobacco‐derived nicotine contains predominantly (S)‐(?)‐nicotine, whereas tobacco‐free nicotine products may not. Thus, we developed a new normal phase high‐performance liquid chromatography method to determinate the enantiomeric composition of nicotine in 10 kinds of flue‐cured tobacco, 3 kinds of burley, 1 kind of cigar tobacco, 2 kinds of oriental tobacco, 5 kinds of Virginia cigarette, 5 kinds of blend cigarette, 10 kinds of e‐liquid, and 4 kinds of smokeless tobacco. The amount of (R)‐(+)‐nicotine ranged from ~0.02% to ~0.76% of total nicotine. An e‐liquid sample had the highest level of (R)‐(+)‐nicotine. The extraction and purification processes used to obtain commercial (S)‐(?)‐nicotine from the tobacco do not decrease the amount of (R)‐(+)‐nicotine in tobacco. So the amount of (R)‐(+)‐nicotine in samples in our work were the same as tobacco samples.