Research on the Upper Limit of Accuracy for Predicting Theoretical Tandem Mass Spectrometry

In recent years, numerous theoretical tandem mass spectrometry prediction methods have been proposed, yet a systematic study and evaluation of their theoretical accuracy limits have not been conducted. If the accuracy of current methods approaches this limit, further exploration of new prediction techniques may become redundant. Conversely, a need for more precise prediction methods or models may be indicated. In this study, we have experimentally analyzed the limits of accuracy at different numbers of ions and parameters using repeated spectral pairs and integrating various similarity metrics. Results show significant achievements in accuracy for backbone ion methods with room for improvement. In contrast, full-spectrum prediction methods exhibit greater potential relative to the theoretical accuracy limit. Additionally, findings highlight the significant impact of normalized collision energy and instrument type on prediction accuracy, underscoring the importance of considering these factors in future theoretical tandem mass spectrometry predictions.

Determination of Voriconazole in Human Plasma by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Application in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

A sensitive, accurate and robust Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry method has been developed and validated to measure voriconazole trough levels in human plasma. The plasma samples were mixed with fluconazole as an Internal Standard and directed to protein precipitation and drug extraction. An aliquot of 1 μl was injected into the chromatographic system and separated by the Acquity BEH C18 column at a flow rate of 0.30 ml/min in a gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, Ultrapure water (UPW), methanol and formic acid. Voriconazole was detected by a Triple Quadrupole Detector (TQD) operating on Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) and a positive ion mode Electrospray ionization (ESI) Q1 mass: 350.1 m/z, Q3 mass: 281.1 m/z. Method linearity of the calibration curve (0.10 - 8.00 μg/ml) indicated a correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.99. The intra and inter-assay accuracy was within 85% - 115% and the intra and inter-assay precision was ≤5.76%. Voriconazole recovery percentage was between 97.69 - 119.62%. The method was successively applied in routine voriconazole TDM.

Determination of Oleuropein in Cosmetics by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometry

An ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)was established to quickly and accurately determine the content of oleuropein in cosmetics.The samples were extracted with methanol-aqueous solution,and the mobile phase with methanol-formic acid solution(0.1 mol/L)=40∶60 was separated by Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18(2.1 mm×50 mm×1.8μm-Micron)column temperature 30℃,flow rate 0.3 mL/min.The MS end was detected by electrospray negative mode ionization(ESI-)and multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode.The results show a good linear relationship in the range of 0.002~5 mg/L,with a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.999,5.Method recovery range from 84.2%~107.6%and the relative standard deviation RSD is 5.8%.The detection time is 5 min,the detection limit is 0.000,6 mg/L,and the limit of quantification is 0.002 mg/L.This method has the advantages of convenient operation,low quantification limit,high precision and good repeatability,and is suitable for measuring the content of oleuropein in many kinds of cosmetics.

Analysis of Norditerpenoid Alkaloids Extracted from Aconitum sinomantanum Nakai by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry（ESI-MS） was applied simultaneously in determining norditerpenoid alkaloids from the roots of Aconitum sinomantanum Nakai （RAS） based on molecular mass information. The tandem mass spectra（ ESI-MS^n） provided the alkaloidal structural information, through which the existence of these alkaloids was further confirmed. Accordingly, six known norditerpenoid alkaloids were simultaneously determined on the basis of their ESI-MS^n spectra. Furthermore, based on the diagnostic fragmentation pathways of alkaloidal MS^n, a rapid method for direct detection and characterization of alkaloids from an ethanolic extract of RAS was described.

Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Acylcarnitines in Dried Blood Specimens Collected at Autopsy from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Objective To investigate the feasibility of analyzing acylcarnitine in dry filter-paper blood spots by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) which could be applied to detect inborn errors of metabolism in neonates.Methods We obtained filter-paper blood from 26 dead infants from a neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) between October 1,2008 and September 30,2009.Acylcarnitine and amino acid profiles were obtained with LC-MS/MS.Four infants underwent routine autopsy.The postmortem blood specimens were compared with newborn blood specimens,and with specimens obtained from older infants with metabolic disorders.Results Of all the 26 patients,5(19.2%) were diagnosed as having different kinds of diseases:3 with methylmalonic acidemia(the concentration of C3,and the ratio of C3/C16,C3/C2 increased),1 with maple syrup urine disease(the concentration of leucine and isoleucine increased),and 1 with isovaleric aci-demia(the concentration of C5 increased).Conclusions Postmortem metabolic test can explain infant deaths and provide estimates of deaths attributable to inborn errors of metabolism in NICU.LC-MS/MS is suitable for analysis of postmortem specimens and can be considered for routine application in NICU autopsy.

Development of an analytical method for multi-residue quantification of 18 anthelmintics in various animal-based food products using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

In this study,we developed a simple screening procedure for the determination of 18 anthelmintics(including benzimidazoles,macrocyclic lactones,salicylanilides,substituted phenols,tetrahydropyrimidines,and imidazothiazoles)in five animal-derived food matrices(chicken muscle,pork,beef,milk,and egg)using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Analytes were extracted using acetonitrile/1% acetic acid(milk and egg)and acetonitrile/1% acetic acid with 0.5 mL of distilled water(chicken muscle,pork,and beef),and purified using saturated n-hexane/acetonitrile.A reversed-phase analytical column and a mobile phase consisting of(A)10 mM ammonium formate in distilled water and(B)methanol were used to achieve optimal chromatographic separation.Matrix-matched standard calibration curves(R^(2)≥0.9752)were obtained for concentration equivalent to ×1/2,×1,×2,×3,×4,and×5 fold the maximum residue limit(MRL)stipulated by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.Recoveries of 61.2e118.4%,with relative standard deviations(RSDs)of ≤19.9%(intraday and interday),were obtained for each sample at three spiking concentrations(×1/2,×1,and ×2 the MRL values).Limits of detection,limits of quantification,and matrix effects were 0.02e5.5 mg/kg,0.06e10 mg/kg,and -98.8 to 13.9%(at 20 μg/kg),respectively.In five samples of each food matrix(chicken muscle,pork,beef,milk,and egg)purchased from large retailers in Seoul that were tested,none of the target analytes were detected.It has therefore been shown that this protocol is adaptable,accurate,and precise for the quantification of anthelmintic residues in foods of animal origin.

Liquid Chromatography-electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Simultaneous Determination of Metformin and Glimepiride in Beagle Dog Plasma and Bioequivalence Study

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry（LC- ES1-MS/MS） was used for the simultaneous determination of metformin and glimepiride in beagle dog plasma with glipizide as internal standard（IS）. After simplified protein precipitation with methanol, both the analytes and IS were chromatographed on a Zorbax CN column via gradient elution with methanol（containing 5 mmol/L ammonium ace- tate） and 5 mmol/L aqueous ammonium acetate as the mobile phase. Detection was performed by multiple reaction monitoring（MRM） scanning via ESI source operated in positive ionization mode. Specificity, linearity, accuracy, pre- cision, recovery, matrix effect and stability were validated for metformin and glimepiride in beagle dog plasma. The calibration curves were linear in a concentration range of 10-10000 ng/mL for metformin and 4-4000 ng/mL for glimepiride with both correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. The recoveries obtained for the analytes and IS were all between 82.7% and 101.2%. The method exhibited excellent performance in terms of selectivity, robustness, short analytical time and simplicity of sample preparation. Finally, the proposed method was applied to a bioequivalence study of self-made bilayer tablet and commercial formulation containing 500 mg of metformin and 1 mg of glimepi- ride in beagle dogs.

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the estimation of lamotrigine in human plasma:Application to a pharmacokinetic study

A reliable,selective and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantification of lamotrigine in human plasma using lamotrigine13C3,d3 as an internal standard.Analyte and internal standard were extracted from human plasma by solid-phase extraction and detected in positive ion mode by tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization（ESI） interface.Chromatographic separation was performed on a Chromolith s SpeedROD;RP-18e column（50-4.6 mm i.d.） using acetonitrile：570.1 mM ammonium formate solution（90：10,v/v） as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.500 mL/min.The calibration curves were linear over the range of 5.02-1226.47 ng/mL with the lower limit of quantitation validated at 5.02 ng/mL.The analytes were found stable in human plasma through three freeze（-20℃）-thaw（ice-cold water bath） cycles and under storage on bench-top in ice-cold water bath for at least 6.8 h,and also in the mobile phase at 10℃ for at least 57h.The method has shown good reproducibility,as the intra-and inter-day precisions were within 3.0%,while the accuracies were within 76.0% of nominal values.The validated LC-MS/MS method was applied for the evaluation of pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence parameters of lamotrigine after an oral administration of 50mg lamotrigine tablet to thirty-two healthy adult male volunteers.

Determination of Sex Hormones in Antler Velvet by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Eighteen sex hormones in antler velvet were determined by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The solid phase extraction was applied to eliminating the matrix effect.The experimental conditions were examined and optimized.Under the optimal conditions,the proposed method provides the good linearities and determination limits（0.2―1.0 μg/kg） of the analytes investigated.The recoveries ranging from 72.3% to 149.5% were obtained for the target analytes at two concentration levels.This method was applied to the determination of eighteen sex hormones in different kinds of antler velvet samples and the obtained results are satisfactory.The results indicate that the proposed method is suitable for the determination of sex hormones in antler velvet samples.

Rapid Quantitative Determination of Isoprene Monomer in Living Taraxacum kok-saghyz by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Taraxacum kok-saghyz(TKS)is rich in natural rubber(NR),a natural organic macromolecular compound composed of cis-1,4-polyisoprene,and may become the second NR-bearing plant for biochemical engineering development.In this paper,a rapid and quantitative ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLCMS/MS)method was established for determination of macromolecular biosynthesis substrate(dimethylallyl pyrophosphate,DMAPP)and initiator(farnesyl pyrophosphate,FPP)contained in TKS.A Kromasil C18 chromatographic column was used for separation,and the multi-reaction monitoring mode(MRM)of triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was used for detection.Quantification was performed by external calibration method.The results showed that the limit of detection(LOD)and the limit of quantitation(LOQ)of DMAPP were 2.42μg/L and 7.26μg/L,respectively,and the LOQ and the LOD of FPP were 1.02μg/L and 3.05μg/L,respectively.At a concentration of 1—1000μg/L,both analytes had good determination coefficients(>0.999)of calibration curve.The recoveries of DMAPP and FPP were between 99.0%and 117.1%.In real samples detection,the contents of DMAPP and FPP in TKS samples were between 23.32—82.77μg/L and 12.03—85.67μg/L,respectively.Thus,this approach is a reliable method to quantify DMAPP and FPP in TKS.

Trace-Level Analysis of Hexavalent Chromium in Lake Sediment Samples Using Ion Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The analysis of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in soil and sediment samples has been predominantly carried out in materials containing elevated levels. Reliable analysis of trace-level of Cr(VI) in sediment samples remains challenging. Cr(VI) analyses with multipoint calibration and speciated isotope dilution (SID) adapted from U.S. EPA method 6800 were used to measure lower-level Cr(VI) on an ion chromatograph coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer (IC-MS/MS). Lake sediment samples were collected from various locations in Northern Ontario and Cr(VI) was extracted using both alkaline digestion and ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) extraction. Certified reference materials were extracted and analyzed by IC-MS/MS and UV-VIS detection. The SID-MS approach allowed for the quantification of Cr(VI) in samples with concentration levels below 0.5 μg.g-1 wet weight.

Improved preparation and identification of aristolochic acid-DNA adducts by solid-phase extraction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Aristolochic acid （AA） is a known nephrotoxin and potential carcinogen, which can form covalent DNA adducts after metabolic activation in vivo and in vitro. A simple method for preparation and characterization of aristolochic acid-DNA adducts was developed. Four AA-adducts were synthesized by a direct reaction of AAI/AAII with 2′-deoxynucleosides. The reaction mixture was first cleaned-up and pre-concentrated using solid phase extraction （SPE）, and further purified by a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. By the application of developed SPE procedure, matrices and byproducts in reaction mixture could be greatly reduced and adducts of high purity （more than 94% as indicated by HPLC） were obtained. The purified AA-DNA adducts were identified and characterized with liquid-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry （LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS） and LC-Diode array detector-fluorescence （LC-DAD-FL） analysis. This work provides a robust tool for possible large-scale preparation of AA-DNA adduct standards, which can promote the further studies on carcinogenic and mutagenic mechanism of aristolochic acids.

Studies on Fragmentation Pathways of N-Ethoxy(phenyl) phosphoryl Amino Acids by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The positive and negative ESI-MS/MS spectra of N-ethoxy（phenyl） phosphoryl amino acids（EPP-AA） were investigated by electrospray ionization（ESI） ion trap mass spectrometry. The fragmentation pathways of [ M ＋ Na]^＋ and [ M - H]^- ions are proposed and rationalized. The observation may have some potential applications in the interpretation of the MS/MS spectra of novel N-phosphoryl compounds. The complexity of MS/MS spectra of EPP-AA [ M ＋ Na]^＋ ions is decreased compared with that of N-dialkyloxyphosphoryl amino acid. Therefore, the new phosphonamidate method may be considered one of the superior methods that can be used in sequencing peptides and proteins extensively.

Studies on Fragmentation of Peptide by Nano-electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Multi-stage Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The sequence analysis of peptides was performed by nano-electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance tandem mass spectrometry（Nano-ESI-FT-ICR-MSn） and several peptides were chosen as examples. With the aid of the collision induced dissociation（CID）, FT-ICR provides not only precise mass/charge ratio, but also structure information of the selected peptides. The fragment ions were identified according to the observed molecular weights and peptide sequence was determined successfully. So Nano-ESI-FT-ICR-MSn is a useful tool for identification of the amino acid sequence of peptides with high confidence. Besides, a pathway for the dehydration of y ions without amino acids containing carboxylic acid under sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation（SORI-CID） condition was proposed.

Rapid Analysis of Nicotine in Mushrooms Using QuEChERS Extraction and Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A procedure based on the QuEChERS methodology and Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry （LC/MS/MS） is described, for the determination of Nicotine in mushrooms. QuEChERS methodology was used to determine Nicotine in dried and fresh mushrooms under basic conditions with primary secondary amino sorbent （PSA） clean up. The chromatography was performed on C 18 reversed phase column using a gradient of acetonitrile and ammonium formiate lmM pH = 3.4 as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.3 mL min^-1. Nicotine was determined by using Nicotine-d3 as internal standard. Limit of quantification （LOQ） was 0.01 mg kg^-1 for both fresh and dried mushrooms. Calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 0.01-2.3 mg mL^-1, with r2 〉 0.99. As for recoveries in dried mushrooms, spiking levels of 0.32 mg kg^-1 and 2 mg kg^-1 were considered whereas for the fresh mushrooms the recoveries were determined at 0.036 mg kg^-1 and 0.36 mg kg^-1. Satisfactory results were obtained for both matrices and the recoveries proved to range from 105% to 135%, with a standard deviation in the range 17-20. The method was applied to the analysis of Nicotine to assess the levels of nicotine in fresh and dried mushrooms.

Investigation of the long-term stability and forced degradation of valtrate by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

Valtrate is the main drug quality control for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of Valerian medicines in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010. However, valtrate is unstable under some conditions. We, for the first time, systemically evaluated the stability of two bath reference standards （RS） by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer （HPLC-MS/MS）. The forced degradations of valtrate were performed to evaluate its optimal storage, transportation and experiment conditions according to ICH guideline. The developed HPLC method was validated to determine the degradation products. Valtrate RS was sensitive to alkaline and thermal conditions, but it was relatively stable under acidic, oxidation and photolysis conditions. A total of nine degradation components were identified under alkaline hydrolysis （N1-N4） and thermal degradation （B1-B5）. The information obtained in this work would be valuable to minimize the decomposition of valtrate during the processes of preparation, storage, distribution and utilization. It was highly suggested to store valtrate with a single dose packing in brown closed ampoule at -20℃. Under the above-mentioned storage condition, valtrate could be stable for up to 3 years.

Insights into the neutral loss of 30 Da of Paeonia monoterpene glycosides in electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and the rapid screening of monoterpene glycosides by LC/MS/MS

Monoterpene glycosides are the major bioactive compounds of Paeonia lactiflora Pall（P. lactiflora）. Characteristic neutral loss of 30 Da has been extensively reported for monoterpene glycosides in tandem mass spectrometry. However, little is known about mechanism of this fragmentation. The neutral loss of 30 Da was studied for eleven monoterpene glycosides（1–11） from P. lactiflora by ion trap mass spectrometry in this report. Compounds 1–5 with a hemiacetal structure could readily lose 30 Da at low collision energy of 30% in MS/MS by ion trap mass spectrometry. For compounds 6–11, neutral loss of 30 Da could also be observed at low abundance, but the collision energy had to be increased to 60%. In both cases, high-accuracy mass spectrometry assigned the 30 Da as CH_2O. After careful analysis of the structures and mass spectra, we believe that the neutral loss of 30 Da in compounds 1–5 was due to cleavage of the hemiacetal structure, whereas it was ascribed to the cleavage of 5＇-hydroxymethyl group of the glucosyl residue in other monoterpene glycosides. Furthermore, the characteristic neutral loss of 30 Da at low collision energy was used to screen hemiacetals from crude extracts of P. lactiflora and related plant species. Significant differences among Paeonia species were observed by 30 Da neutral loss analysis.

A rapid and simple ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) method for the detection of glucuronic acid-conjugated steroid metabolites

In the present study, we effectively detected 10 steroids and glucuronic acid-conjugated steroid metabolites in 12 min by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS）. Steroids testosterone （T）, 5ct-dihydrotestosterone （DHT）, androsterone （ADT）, etiocholanolone （ETIO）, estradiol （E2） and their glucuronide conjugates were well-separated on an Eclipse Plus C18 column （2.1 mm×50 ram, RRHD 1.8μm）. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol and ultrapure water （containing I mM ammonium formate） at a ratio of 60：40 （v/v）, and the flow rate was set at 0.25 mL/min. The LC eluate was detected by electrospray ionization （ESI） source in both positive and negative ion modes. Neutral loss （NL of 176, 194, 211 and 229 Da in positive mode） and precursor ion （PI ofm/z 141,159 and 177 in positive mode and 75, 85 and 133 in negative mode） methods were applied for the detection of steroid glucuronides. The multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） transitions were m/z 289.3→97.1,291.3→105, 291.3→199.2, 273.2→145.4 and 255.2→159.1 for T, DHT, ADT, ETIO and E2 in positive mode, respectively; as well as m/z 463.3→85 for T glucuronide （T-G）, m/z 465.3→75 for DHT glucuronide （DHT-G）, ADT glucuronide （ADT-G）, ETIO glucuronide （ETIO-G） and m/z 447.3→271 for E2 glucuronide （Ez-G） in negative mode. In addition, the analytical method was also applied for the detection of steroid glucuronides in pooled human liver microsomes （HLM）, which might serve as a basis for further investigation of steroid metabolism in vivo and in vitro.

Study of the Transient Reactive Pd(Ⅳ) Intermediate in the Pd(OAc)2-Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling Reaction System by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Pd-catalyzed oxidative coupling reaction was of great importance in the aromatic C--H activation and the for-mation of new C-O and C--C bonds. Sanford has pioneered practical, directed C-H activation reactions em-ploying Pd（OAc）2 as catalyst since 2004. However, until now, the speculated reactive Pd（Ⅳ） transient intermedi-ates in these reactions have not been isolated or directly detected from reaction solution. Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry （ESI-MS/MS） was used to intercept and characterize the reactive Pd（Ⅳ） transient inter-mediates in the solutions of Pd（OAc）2-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions. In this study, the Pd（IV） transient in-termediates were detected from the solution of Pd（OAc）2-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions by ESI-MS and the MS/MS of the intercepted Pd（IV） transient intermediate in reaction system was the same with the synthesized au-thentic Pd（Ⅳ） complex. Our ESI-MS（/MS） studies confirmed the presence of Pd（Ⅳ） reaction transient intermedi-ates. Most interestingly, the MS/MS of Pd（Ⅳ） transient intermediates showed the reductive elimination reactivity to Pd（Ⅱ） complexes with new C-O bond formation into product in gas phase, which was consistent with the proposed reactivity of the Pd（Ⅳ） transient intermediates in solution.

Rapid differentiation of simple saccharides based on cluster ions by paper spray tandem mass spectrometry

Simple saccharides have a variety of biological functions,but their structural diversity and inherent structural features pose a major challenge for rapid analysis.In this work,we developed a derivative-free and ion mobility-free method for the rapid analysis of monosaccharides and disaccharides using paper spray tandem mass spectrometry.Trimeric cluster ions consisting of saccharide analytes,ligands and transition metal ions are used as precursor ions.We defined the R-value as the ratio of the intensity of the product ion that loses one molecule of ligand over the intensity of the product ion that loses one molecule of saccharide via collision induced dissociation(CID).The species and conformation of simple saccharides can be easily differentiated by calculating this R-value.With the capability of directly analyzing clinical samples using paper spray ionization,our method can be used to rapidly quantify the molar ratio of galactose to glucose in dried plasma samples to aid in the diagnosis of galactosemia.The analytical strategy provided herein has good potential to be applied to a wide range of saccharide analysis applications in the future.