Highly sensitive HPLC method for the determination of galantamine in human plasma and urine through derivatization with dansyl chloride using fluorescence detector

A new method based on fluorescence derivatization with 5‐(dimethylamino) naphthalene‐1‐sulfonyl chloride (dansyl chloride) was developed for the quantitative determination of galantamine in human plasma and urine using high‐performance liquid chromatography. The reaction between galantamine and dansyl chloride was optimally realized in 30 min at room temperature and pH 10.5, with a reagent to galantamine molar ratio of 2.13. The derivative was extracted with dichloromethane, and the extract was dried under a nitrogen stream and dissolved in the mobile phase. Chromatographic analysis was performed with an Inertsil C₁₈ column and a mobile phase comprising 40% acetonitrile and 60% 10 mM o‐phosphoric acid, 1.2 ml/min. The injection volume was 20 μl. The derivatives were detected with a fluorescence detector (excitation 375 nm/emission 537 nm). The retention time for the dansyl derivative of galantamine was 16.8 min. Linearity was observed between 125 and 2000 ng/ml in water, urine and plasma. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for the developed method were 6.27–70.99 and 18.81–212.97 ng/ml, respectively. Per cent recovery was calculated as 95.15 for urine and 95.78 for plasma. Interday repeatability values for urine and plasma samples (n = 6) at three different concentrations were calculated as a per cent relative standard deviation of 0.24–0.59 and 0.35–0.56. The corresponding per cent relative standard deviation values for intraday repeatability were 0.13–0.51 and 0.04–0.15, respectively.     

Simultaneous determination of amitraz and its metabolite residue in food animal tissues by gas chromatography-electron capture detector and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with accelerated solvent extraction

A new method has been developed for determination and confirmation of amitraz and its main metabolite, 2,4-dimethylaniline, in food animal tissues using gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry detector (GC–MS). This method is based on a new extraction procedure using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). It consists of an n-hexane/methanol extraction step, a cleaning-up step by BakerBond octadecyl C₁₈ silica bonded cartridge, hydrolysis and derivatization to 2,4-dimethyl-7-F-butyramide for GC-ECD analysis. For confirmation using GC–MS, hydrolysis and derivatization were not needed. Parameters for extraction pressure, temperature and cycle of ASE, clean-up, derivatization and analysis procedure have been optimized. Spike recoveries from 50 to 300 μg/kg levels were found to be between 72.4 and 101.3% with relative standard deviation less than 11.5% in GC-ECD, from 5 to 20 μg/kg levels were found to be between 77.4 and 107.1% with relative standard deviation less than 11.6% in GC–MS. The LOD and LOQ are 5 and 10 μg/kg, respectively, for these two analytes using GC-ECD. For GC–MS, LOD and LOQ were 2 and 5 μg/kg, respectively. The rapid and reliable method can be used for characterization and quantification of residues of amitraz and its main metabolite, 2,4-dimethylaniline, in liver and kidney samples of swine, sheep and bovine.     

A rapid LC-MS/MS method for the determination of moniliformin and occurrence of this mycotoxin in maize products from the Bavarian market

A simple LC-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of moniliformin (MON) in maize and applied for the analysis of samples within the official food surveillance. The homogenized samples were extracted with acetonitrile/water 50/50 (v/v) which proved to have the highest extraction efficiency compared to other tested solvents. The centrifuged extracts were diluted with acetonitrile and were measured after chromatographic separation by HILIC (hydrophobic interaction liquid chromatography)-HPLC without any cleanup (dilute and shoot approach). The LOD and LOQ achieved by this procedure were 2.6 and 8.8 μg/kg, respectively. Thirty-nine samples of popcorn, maize meal, and semolina were collected in 2014 and 2015 at mills, cinemas, wholesale, and retail from the Bavarian market (Germany). The rate of contamination with MON was very high (97%) with levels ranging between the LOD and 847 μg/kg. The mean level was 118 μg/kg and the median, 39 μg/kg. The maximum value was detected in maize meal. The results are discussed with respect to possible health implications for the consumer.     

Development of a sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method for the determination of α-fluoro-β-alanine, 5-fluorouracil and capecitabine in human plasma

A sensitive and selective quantitative method to determine α-fluoro-β-alanine (FBAL), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and capecitabine (Cape) from a single human plasma aliquot (50 μL) has been developed and validated. First, 5-FU and Cape were extracted by liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) using a mixture of acetonitrile and ethyl acetate. This was followed by derivatization with dansyl chloride. The dansyl-derivatives from 5-FU and Cape were further purified using LLE with methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and analyzed using a reversed-phase analytical column “Primesep D” (2.1 mm × 50 mm; 5 μm) with embedded basic ion-pairing groups. The remaining aqueous phase containing FBAL was treated with dansyl chloride and the dansyl-FBAL was purified by solid phase extraction. Ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) technology on a BEH C18 stationary phase column with 1.7 μm particle size was used for analysis of dansyl-FBAL. The method was validated over the concentration ranges of 10–10,000, 5–5000, and 1–1000 ng/mL for FBAL, 5-FU, and Cape, respectively. The results from assay validation show that the method is rugged, precise, accurate, and well suited to support pharmacokinetic studies where approximately 300 samples can be extracted and analyzed in 1 day.     

Hg2+‐selective ratiometric and colorimetric probe based on dansyl–rhodamine and its staining function in cell imaging

A new ratiometric probe composed of a dansyl–rhodamine dyad for the detection of Hg²⁺ via fluorescence resonance energy transfer was designed and synthesized. Rhodamine, dansyl chloride, and hydrazide were selected as the acceptor, donor, and reaction site, respectively. It displayed high selectivity and sensitivity to Hg²⁺ with obvious colour change and fluorescence change due to Hg²⁺‐assisted hydrolysis of rhodamine hydrazide. A good linear relationship ranging from 0 to 16 μM and 0–28 μM for the Hg²⁺ concentration was found based on absorbance and fluorescence assay, respectively. Detection limits of absorbance and fluorescence for Hg²⁺ were calculated to be 1.22 μM and 9.10 μM, respectively.     

Simple Isocratic HPLC Method for Determination of Enantiomeric Impurity in Besifloxacin Hydrochloride

Besifloxacin is a unique chiral broad‐spectrum flouroquinolone used in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. R‐form of besifloxacin hydrochloride shows higher antibacterial activity as compared to the S‐isomer. Therefore, it is necessary to establish chiral purity. To establish chiral purity a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determination of R‐besifloxacin and S‐besifloxacin (BES impurity A) was developed and validated for in‐process quality control and stability studies. The analytical performance parameters such as linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, limit of detection (LOD), and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) were determined according to International Council for Harmonization ICH Q2(R1) guidelines. HPLC separation was achieved on Chiralpak AD‐H (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column using n‐heptane: ethanol: ethylenediamine: acetic acid (800:200:0.5:0.5) (v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase in an isocratic elution. The eluents were monitored by UV/Visible detector at 290 nm. The resolution between S‐isomer and besifloxacin hydrochloride was more than 2.0. Based on a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 and 10 the LOD of besifloxacin was 0.30 μg/mL, while the LOQ was 0.90 μg/mL. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.9–7.5 μg/mL. Precision of the method was established within the acceptable range. The method was suitable for the quality control enantiomeric impurity in besifloxacin hydrochloride. Chirality 28:628–632, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Determination of chloramphenicol,thiamphenicol, florfenicol,and florfenicol amine in poultry and porcine muscle and liver by gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A sensitive and reliable method using gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NCI/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of chloramphenicol (CAP), thiamphenicol (TAP), florfenicol (FF), and florfenicol amine (FFA) at trace levels in muscle and liver. Before extraction with ethyl acetate, CAP-d₅ was added to tissue samples as internal standard. The organic extracts were frozen to remove lipid and further purified by liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) with hexane and solid-phase extraction (SPE) using Oasis HLB cartridges. The target compounds were derivatized with BSTFA + 1% TMCS prior to GC-NCI/MS determination in selected ion monitoring mode (SIM). The recovery values ranged from 78.5 to 105.5%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) <17%. The limits of detections (LODs) of 0.1 μg/kg for CAP and 0.5 μg/kg for TAP, FF, and FFA were obtain. Incurred sample and samples from local market were successfully analyzed using this method.     

Mycotoxins in horse feed

A total of 62 samples of commercial horse feed preparations (complementary feeds) containing cereal mixtures (“muesli” or mash, n = 39; pelleted feeds, n = 12), and plain horse feed grains (maize, n = 5; oats, n = 4; barley, n = 2) were purchased from 21 different producers/distributors from the German market. All samples were analysed by competitive enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for six different mycotoxins (mycotoxin groups). Analytes (detection limit, mean recovery) were: deoxynivalenol (DON, 10 μg/kg, 84%), zearalenone (ZEA, 5 μg/kg, 93%), fumonisin B₁ (FB₁, 2 μg/kg, 113%), T-2 toxin (T-2, 0.1 μg/kg, 71%), sum of T-2 + HT-2 toxin (T-2/HT2, 0.2 μg/kg, 97%), ochratoxin A (OTA, 0.2 μg/kg, 67%), and total ergot alkaloids (Generic Ergot Alkaloids “GEA”, 30 μg/kg, 132%). All samples contained DON (16–4,900 μg/kg, median 220 μg/kg), T-2/HT-2 (0.8–230 μg/kg, median 24 μg/kg), and T-2 (0.3–91 μg/kg, median 7 μg/kg). ZEA was detected in 98% of the samples (7–310 μg/kg, median 61 μg/kg). Most samples (94%) were positive for FB₁ (2–2,200 μg/kg, median 27 μg/kg). Ergot alkaloids were detected in 61% of samples (28–1,200 μg/kg, median 97 μg/kg), OTA was found in 42% of samples (0.2–4 μg/kg, median 0.35 μg/kg). The results demonstrate that a co-contamination with several mycotoxins is very common in commercial horse feed from the German market. The toxin concentrations were in most cases well below the levels which are usually considered as critical or even toxic. The highest mycotoxin concentrations were mostly found in single-grain cereal feed: the maximum values for DON and FB₁ were found in maize, the highest T-2/HT-2 toxin concentrations were found in oats, and the highest concentration of ergot alkaloids was found in barley. In composed feeds, no correlation between cereal composition and mycotoxin levels could be found.     

Development of a novel capillary electrophoresis chemiluminescence system for amino acid analysis

In the present study, a novel peroxyoxalate CE–CL system was developed to achieve high signal stability and sensitivity based on a design of a new interface including a new mixing mode and a new grounding electrode mode. Amino acids fluorescently tagged with dansyl chloride and naphthalene‐2,3‐dicarboxaldehyde(NDA) were used for the study. Experiment results show this new system is quite effective to separate and detect amine acid with high stability and resolute. The detection limits were 1.1 nmol/L for dansyl‐leucine (Leu) and 2.0 nmol/L for dansyl‐aspartic acid (Asp). The relative standard deviations of peak height and migration time were in the ranges of 2.3–3.8% and 1.2–1.5%, respectively. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complete separation of urinary metabolites of xylene in HPLC/DAD using β-cyclodextrin: Application for biological monitoring

To determine the biomarkers of exposure to xylene, urinary 2-, 3- and 4-methyl-hippuric acids, a new HPLC/DAD analytical method has been developed, which uses β-cyclodextrin as an additive for elution; its complexing abilities are exploited to achieve complete chromatographic separation of the three isomers. The mobile phase was a 3% aqueous solution of β-cyclodextrin, pH 3, and methanol, 80:20, in isocratic conditions, with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. To optimize quantitative analysis three wavelengths were employed for detection: λ = 198 nm, λ = 200 nm, and λ = 202 nm. SPE was applied for the extraction from urine samples of analytes. Validation parameters show recoveries always above 82%; LOD was set at 1 μg/mL with an LOQ of 3 μg/mL. The linear dynamic range (from 4 to 100 μg/mL) showed excellent correspondence. This method is rapid and inexpensive and can be applied to several samples simultaneously using a manifold for SPE extraction. The analytes were separated completely and could be fully quantified. The method was used for the analysis of urine samples from 54 workers exposed to xylene in hospital laboratories and showed a good applicability while allowing quantification even at low doses.     

Simultaneous determination of three residual barbiturates in pork using accelerated solvent extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new method was developed for the rapid extraction and unequivocal determination of barbital, amobarbital and phenobarbital residues in pork. The isolation of the analytes from pork samples was accomplished by utilizing an accelerated solvent extractor ASE 300. The procedure was automatically carried out in series for fat removing and extraction, respectively with n-hexane and acetonitrile pressurized constantly at 10.3 MPa for 30 min. After evaporation, the extracts were cleaned up on a C(18) solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge and the barbiturates were eluted with hexane-ethyl acetate (7:3), evaporated on a rotary evaporator and derivatized with CH(3)I. The methylated barbiturates were separated on a HP-5MS capillary column and detected with a mass detector. Electron impact ion source (EI) operating in time program-selected ion monitoring mode (SIM) was used for identification and external standard method was used for quantification. Good linearity was obtained in the range from 0.5 microg/kg to 25 microg/kg. Average recoveries of the three barbiturates spiked in pork ranged from 84.0% to 103.0%, with relative standard deviations from 1.6% to 12%. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5 microg/kg for the three barbiturates (S/N>or=3). The quantification limit (LOQ) was 1 microg/kg for the three barbiturates (S/N>or=10).     

Simultaneous occurrence of mycotoxins in human food commodities from Cameroon

Eighty-two samples of dried food commodities from Cameroon were screened and quantified for different mycotoxins, including fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin (AF) and ochratoxin A (OTA), by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. The percentage of positive samples was as follows: FB₁ 41%, AF 51%, ZEA 57%, DON 65% and OTA 3%. High FB₁ contents were found in maize, averaging 3,684 μg/kg (range: 37-24,225 μg/kg), whereas the highest average ZEA level was found in peanuts (70 μg/kg), followed by maize (69 μg/kg), rice (67 μg/kg) and beans (48 μg/kg) with no ZEA was detected in soybeans. DON contents were low, ranging from 13 to 273 μg/kg, and for AF the average content was 2.6 μg/kg with peanuts and maize as principal substrates. The incidence of OTA was low, with a mean level of 6.4 μg/kg recorded. The majority (79%) of samples contained more than one mycotoxin and the most frequent co-occurrence found was FB₁ + ZEA + DON, detected in 21% of samples (mainly maize) analysed. Co-contamination with FB₁ + ZEA + DON + AF was found in 11% of the samples. Although a large proportion of samples had fairly low levels of individual mycotoxins, this should be of concern as the co-occurrence of mycotoxins may generate additive or synergistic effect in humans, especially if the respective commodities are consumed almost on a daily basis.     

Determination of six <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria</Emphasis> toxins with UPLC-MS/MS and their occurrence in tomatoes and tomato products from the Swiss market

An ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of the Alternaria toxins tenuazonic acid, alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, altenuene, altertoxin I and tentoxin. Owing to its instability, altenusin could not be determined. The sample preparation includes an acidic acetonitrile/water/methanol extraction, followed by SPE clean-up step, before injection into the UPLC-MS/MS system. The separation was made on an Acquity UPLC column using a water/acetonitrile gradient with ammonium hydrogen carbonate as a modifier. Matrix compounds of real samples led to enhancement as well as suppression of the target compounds, depending on analyte and matrix. The recoveries were between 58 and 109% at a level of 10 μg/kg. Eighty-five tomato products, consisting of peeled and minced tomatoes, soup and sauces, tomato purées and concentrates, ketchup as well as dried and fresh tomatoes, were taken from the Swiss market in 2010. Tenuazonic acid was found most frequently (81 out of 85 samples) and in the highest levels of up to 790 μg/kg. Alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether were found in lower concentrations, ranging from <1 to 33 μg/kg for alternariol and <5 to 9 μg/kg for alternariol monomethyl ether. Only a few samples were positive for altenuene and tentoxin. Altertoxin I was never detected.     

Preliminary exposure assessment of deoxynivalenol and patulin in South Africa

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and patulin (PAT) are mycotoxins widely regulated internationally. DON is frequently found in cereals, whereas PAT is commonly found in apple juices. A survey of South African commercial products was conducted on DON levels in maize meal and wheat flours, and on PAT levels in apple juices. DON levels in 23 wheat flour samples (mean of 16 positives, 29 μg/kg) were equal to or below 100 μg/kg and in wheat consumers contributed 6–13% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI; 1 μg/kg body weight per day) for DON set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Sixteen of 18 maize meal samples were contaminated, with a mean for positive samples of 294 μg/kg, and the probable daily intakes ranged from 3.67 μg/kg body weight per day in rural infants to 1.39 μg/kg body weight per day in urban adults. PAT levels in 20 of 30 apple-juice samples were below the detection level of 10 μg/l. Mean of positive samples was 210 μg/l, with three samples exceeding the South African legal limit of 50 μg/l and the highest level (1,650 μg/l) showing the possibility of a brief but high exposure of 37 μg/kg body weight per day (or 9,250% of the JECFA PMTDI of 0.4 μg/kg body weight per day) in young children.     

Survey and risk assessment of the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol,zearalenone, fumonisins,ochratoxin A,and aflatoxins in commercial dry dog food

The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of mycotoxins in commercial dog food, as a basis to estimate the risk of adverse effects. Seventy-six dry dog food samples from 27 producers were purchased from retail shops, supermarkets, and specialized pet food shops in Vienna, Austria. The frequency and levels of deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisins (FUM), ochratoxin A (OTA). and aflatoxins (AF) in dry dog food were determined. Mycotoxin analysis were performed by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kits. Confirmatory analyses were done for DON, ZEA, and FUM by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after extract clean-up with immunoaffinity columns. The correlations between ELISA and HPLC results for DON and ZEA were acceptable and indicated that ELISA could be a simple, low cost, and sensitive screening tool for mycotoxins detection, contributing to quality and safety of pet food. DON was the mycotoxin most frequently found (83% positives; median 308 μg/kg, maximum 1,390 μg/kg). ZEA (47% positives, median 51 μg/kg and maximum 298 μg/kg) and FUM (42% positives, median 122 μg/kg and maximum 568 μg/kg) were also frequently detected in dog food. OTA was less frequently found (5%, median 3.6 μg/kg, maximum 4.7 μg/kg. AF were not detected (<0.5 μg/kg) in any sample. The results show that dry dog food marketed in Vienna are frequently contaminated with mycotoxins (DON > ZEA > FUM > OTA) in low concentrations, but do not contain AF. The high frequency of Fusarium toxins DON, ZEA, and FUM indicates the need for intensive control measures to prevent mycotoxins in dog foods. The mycotoxin levels found in dry dog food are considered as safe in aspects of acute mycotoxicoses. However, repeated and long-time exposure of dogs to low levels of mycotoxins may pose a health risk.     

LC/MS/MS measurement of penicillin G in bovine plasma, urine, and biopsy samples taken from kidneys of standing animals

Methods for the measurement of penicillin concentration in bovine plasma, kidney and urine were developed and validated. Detection was based on liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Phenethecillin was used as an internal standard. Plasma was extracted with acetonitrile using a method with a calculated limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 12 ng/mL. Kidney samples were homogenized in water and acetonitrile, then cleaned up on C18-bonded silica SPE cartridges. The LOQ of this procedure was 10 ng/g. Urine samples were diluted, filtered, and analyzed directly. The LOQ of this procedure was 63 ng/mL. The overall accuracy for plasma was 103% with coefficient of variation (CV) of 3%; for kidney, 96% and 11%, respectively, and for urine, 98% and 4%, respectively. These methods were applied to the analysis of plasma, urine, and kidney biopsy samples taken from standing animals that had been dosed with penicillin.     

Quantification of three triterpenic acids in dried rosemary using HPLC‐fluorescence detection and 4‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐2‐yl)benzoyl chloride derivatization

Functional triterpenic acids such as ursolic acid (UA), oleanolic acid (OA) and betulinic acid (BA) are representative ingredients in rosemary that may have health benefits. UA, OA and BA in rosemary extracts were derivatized with 4‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐2‐yl)benzoyl chloride (DIB‐Cl) and detected using HPLC‐fluorescence (FL). Dried rosemary (50 mg) was ground, added to 3 ml of ethanol, sonicated for 40 min, then the sample solution was added to a mixture of 1% trimethylamine and 1 mM DIB‐Cl in acetonitrile. The mixture was settled for 5 min at room temperature, then the DIB‐triterpenic acid derivatives were separated using a Wakopak Handy ODS column (250 × 4.6 mm, 6 μm) eluted with 25 mM acetate buffer (pH 4.5)/methanol/acetonitrile (= 8:10:82 v/v/v%). The fluorescence intensity of the eluent was monitored at 365 (λ_ex) and 490 nm (λ_em) and the maximum retention time of the derivatives was 30 min. Calibration curves constructed using rosemary extract spiked with standards showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.997) in the range 2.5–100 ng/ml. The detection limits at 3σ for internal BA, UA and OA peaks in rosemary extract were 0.2, 0.4 and 0.5 ng/ml, respectively. This method was used to quantify BA, UA and OA in commercially available dried rosemary products.     

Determination of the class III antiarrhythmic drugs dronedarone and amiodarone,and their principal metabolites in plasma and myocardium by high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-detection

Dronedarone, a noniodinated benzofuran derivative of amiodarone, is believed to have a better side effect profile, and is currently undergoing phase III clinical trials. A novel method was developed for the determination of dronedarone and its principal metabolite debutyldronedarone in both plasma and myocardial tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with UV-detection. The assay was also validated for determination of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone. Samples were obtained from healthy humans (plasma) and goats (plasma and myocardium). Sample preparation included deproteinization with acetonitrile and extraction with a mixture of heptane and dichloromethane (50/50, v/v). Chromatographic separation was performed on a Pathfinder PS polymeric C18 column (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.5 μm) with a mobile phase of acetonitrile, isopropanol, water and ammonia (80/10/10/0.025, v/v/v/v) at a flow-rate of 1 ml/min. Calibration curves of all analytes were linear in the range of 0.01–5 μg/ml for plasma samples, with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.04 μg/ml. For myocardial tissue samples, linear curves of all analytes were observed in the range of 0.02–500 μg/g, with a LLOQ of 0.08 μg/g. Within- and between-day precision was <18%, and within- and between-day accuracy ranged from 97.5 to 109.7%, with a recovery of 67.6–79.9%. The present method enables sensitive and specific detection of dronedarone, amiodarone and principal metabolites in plasma as well as myocardial tissue.     

Ultra‐performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry‐assisted method for rapid enantioseparation and determination of fluazifop‐butyl in tobacco and soil

A quick, green, and sensitive method for chiral separation and determination of fluazifop‐butyl enantiomers in tobacco and soil was established by ultra‐performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPC²‐MS/MS). The baseline separation was obtained on an ACQUITY UPC² Trefoil CEL2 column in 4 minutes with CO₂ and methanol as mobile phase. Column temperature, auto back pressure regulator pressure (ABPR), and modifier solvent were optimized to obtain the best separation efficiency. Under the optimal conditions, the recoveries of both enantiomers were 82.8% to 99.5% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 5.5% at three different concentration levels in two matrices. Good coefficients of determination (R² ≥ 0.9976) were achieved over the concentration range of 10 to 500 ng/mL. The limits of detection (LODs) for all enantiomers in the two matrices varied from 1.6 to 2.1 μg/kg, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) did not exceed 7.0 μg/kg. The proposed method was then successfully applied to analyze authentic samples, confirming that it was a green, convenient, and reliable strategy for the analysis of fluazifop‐butyl enantiomers in tobacco and soil.     

Development and validation of a sensitive spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of amoxapine in human plasma and urine

A selective and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed and validated for the determination of amoxapine in human plasma and urine. The developed method is based on labeling with 5‐dimethylaminonaphthalene‐1‐sulfonyl chloride (dansyl chloride) and monitoring at 397 nm (excitation)/514 nm (emission). The method was validated for linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, accuracy, recovery and robustness. The calibration curves were linear over a concentration range of 250–2500 and 50–1250 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The LOD values were calculated to be 13.31 and 13.17 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The proposed method was applied to study of amoxapine in human plasma and urine. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.