Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Microstructure and Pyrolysis Pathway of Polyester-Polyether Multiblock Copolymer

The composition and sequence distribution of monomeric units in polyester polyether multiblock copolymer were studied by pyrolysis? gas chromatography (PGC) and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PGC/MS). PGC was applied to study the F t curve of the multiblock copolymer and PGC/MS was used to separate and identify the pyrolyzates. DTA experiment was used to study the decomposition temperature. The results show that the beginning point of elastomer’s decomposition was about 300?℃ and the decomposition temperature of most of the sample was 550?℃. Many pyrolyzates were produced because of the breaking of weak bonds in the sample. The possible microstructure was verified and the pyrolysis pathway of the copolymer was investigated.

Metabolomics of gastric cancer metastasis detected by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

AIM:To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of metastasis and to identify the metabolomic markers of gastric cancer metastasis.METHODS:Gastric tumors from metastatic and nonmetastatic groups were used in this study.Metabolites and different metabolic patterns were analyzed by gas chromatography,mass spectrometry and principal components analysis (PCA),respectively.Differentiation performance was validated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves.RESULTS:Twenty-nine metabolites were differentially expressed in animal models of human gastric cancer.Of the 29 metabolites,20 were up-regulated and 9 were down-regulated in metastasis group compared to non-metastasis group.PCA models from the metabolite profiles could differentiate the metastatic from the nonmetastatic specimens with an AUC value of 1.0.These metabolites were mainly involved in several metabolic pathways,including glycolysis (lactic acid,alaline),serine metabolism (serine,phosphoserine),proline metabolism (proline),glutamic acid metabolism,tricarboxylic acid cycle (succinate,malic acid),nucleotide metabolism (pyrimidine),fatty acid metabolism (docosanoic acid,and octadecanoic acid),and methylation(glycine).The serine and proline metabolisms were highlighted during the progression of metastasis.CONCLUSION:Proline and serine metabolisms play an important role in metastasis.The metabolic profiling of tumor tissue can provide new biomarkers for the treatment of gastric cancer metastasis.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry based metabolomic study in a murine model of irritable bowel syndrome

AIM To study the role of microbial metabolites in the modulation of biochemical and physiological processes in irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS In the current study, using a metabolomic approach, we analyzed the key metabolites differentially excreted in the feces of control mice and mice with IBS, with or without Clostridium butyricum(C. butyricum) treatment. C57 BL/6 mice were divided into control, IBS, and IBS + C. butyricum groups. In the IBS and IBS + C. butyricum groups, the mice were subjected to water avoidance stress(WAS) for 1 h/d for ten days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC-MS) together with multivariate analysis was employed to compare the fecal samples between groups. RESULTS WAS exposure established an appropriate model of IBS in mice, with symptoms of visceral hyperalgesia and diarrhea. The differences in the metabolite profiles between the control group and IBS group significantly changed with the progression of IBS(days 0, 5, 10, and 17). A total of 14 differentially excreted metabolites were identified between the control and IBS groups, and phenylethylamine was a major metabolite induced by stress. In addition, phenylalanine metabolism was found to be the most relevant metabolic pathway. Between the IBS group and IBS + C. butyricum group, 10 differentially excreted metabolites were identified. Among these, pantothenate and coenzyme A(Co A) biosynthesis metabolites, as well as steroid hormone biosynthesis metabolites were identified as significantly relevant metabolic pathways.CONCLUSION The metabolic profile of IBS mice is significantly altered compared to control mice. Supplementation with C. butyricum to IBS mice may provide a considerable benefit by modulating host metabolism.

Determination of constituents of essential oil from Angelica sinensis by gas chromatographymass spectrometry

Gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with chemometric resolution upon two- dimensional data was employed to analyze the constituents of essential oils of Angelica sinensis. Constituents in essential oils of Angelica sinensis root were identified by GC-MS with the help of subwindow factor analysis (SFA) method resolving two-dimensional original data into mass spectra and chromatograms. 76 of 97 separated constituents in essential oil of Angelica sinensis root were identified and quantified, and they account for about 91.36% of the total content. The results show that ligustilide, butylene phthalide, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, carvacrol, allo-ocimene,2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo-[3,1,1]hept-2-ene are the main constituents in essential oil of Angelica sinensis root.

Analysis of ethoxyquin and its oxidation products in swine tissues by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for evaluating the feed-toanimal tissue transfer of ethoxyquin and its metabolites

Background:Ethoxyquin(EQ)is a common antioxidant which is widely used in animal feed.But the supplement of EQ in animal feed may lead to the residues of EQ and its major oxidation products:ethoxyquin quinone imine(EQI)and ethoxyquin dimer(EQDM)in animal tissue.Thus,it would pose potential health hazards to consumers.However,the method for the simultaneous determination of EQ,EQI and EQDM in animal tissues is currently not available,and the accumulation extend of these chemicals in animal tissues after EQ administration remains to be evaluated.Results:A gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was successfully developed for the simultaneous determination of EQ,EQI and EQDM in swine tissues.The quantitative limits of EQ,EQI and EQDM can achieve to 0.5,5.0 and 5.0μg/kg in swine tissues,respectively.The spiked-recovery ratios of the three analytes(5–2000μg/kg)were in the range of 64.7%–100.7%with relative standard deviations below 11.6%.Moreover,the utilization of this method for the analysis of actual swine tissue samples revealed that the application of commercial EQ additive in swine diet would produce the residues of all the three chemicals(EQ,EQI and EQDM)in fat,kidney,liver and muscle.Conclusions:The assay accuracy and precision of this GC-MS/MS method can meet the requirement of quantitative analysis.Meanwhile,the safety of EQ as a feed additive should be seriously considered with regard to food safety concerns since the oxidation product of EQ may have potential carcinogenicity.

Extraction of essential oil from shaddock peel and analysis of its components by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Essential oil, with more than thirty kinds of compounds separated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was extracted from Shatian shaddock peel and Sweet shaddock peel by squeeze-steam distillation and direct steam distillation method. Among their composition, the main components are terpene compounds, which account for 93.926% (mass fraction, the same below) and 85.843% of essential oils extracted from Shatian shaddock peel and Sweet shaddock peel, respectively. Although nootkatone is the major contributor of shaddock characteristic scent, and its contents are 1.069% and 1.749% of essential oils from Sweet shaddock peel and Shatian shaddock peel, respectively. The results show that squeeze-steam distillation gives higher yield and good quality of essential oil and the compositions of essential oils from two kinds of shaddock peels are different, but the main contributors of the shaddock scent are the same.

Determination of 8 Diuretics and Probenecid in Human Urine by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Confirmation Procedure

A fast and sensitive method for determination of 8 diuretics (acetazolamide, bendroflumethiazide, bumetanide, chlorthalidone, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, metolazone, triamterene) and masking agent (probenecid) in human urine using gas-chromatography with mass spectrometric detection is described. The extraction of the substances as function of the nature of organic solvent, mixing time and pH of aqueous phase was studied. The tandem mass spectrometry was used to increase selectivity of diuretics determination due to elimination of background interferences. Fragmentation reactions were studied for each compound and their collision energies were optimized to obtain the best selectivity. The results of method’s validation demonstrate its suitability in routine analysis for confirmation purposes.

Analyzing crude oils from the Junggar Basin(NW China) using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC×GC-TOFMS)

As a new technology of analyzing crude oils, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography cou- pled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GCxGC- TOFMS） has received much research attention. Here we present a case study in the Junggar Basin of NW China. Results show that the hydrocarbons, including saturates and aromatics, were all well-separated without large co- elution, which cannot be realized by conventional one-dimensional GC-MS. The GC×GC technique is especially effective for analyzing aromatics and low-to-middle- molecular-weight hydrocarbons, such as diamondoids. The geochemical characteristics of crude oils in the study area were investigated through geochemical parameters extracted by GC×GC-TOFMS, improving upon the understanding obtained by GC-MS. Thus, the work here represents a new successful application of GC×GC- TOFMS, showing its broad usefulness in petroleum geochemistry.

Headspace Solid-Phase Micro-Extraction Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC/MS)-Based Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis for Comparing the Volatile Components from 12 Panax Herbal Medicines

Quality control of ginseng currently is mainly based on ginsenoside analysis,but rarely focuses on the volatile organic components.In the current work,an untargeted metabolomics approach,by headspace solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC/MS),was elaborated and further employed to holistically compare the compositional difference of the volatile components simultaneously from 12 Panax herbal medicines,which included P.ginseng(PG),P.quinquefolius(PQ),P.notoginseng(PN),red ginseng(PGR),P.ginseng leaf(PGL),P.quinquefolius leaf(PQL),P.notoginseng leaf(PNL),P.ginseng flower(PGF),P.quinquefolius flower(PQF),P.notoginseng flower(PNF),P.japonicus(PJ),and P.japonicus var.major(PJvm).Chromatographic separation was performed on an HP-5MS elastic quartz capillary column using helium as the carrier gas,enabling good resolution within 1 h.We were able to characterize totally 259 volatile compounds,including 82 terpenes(T),46 alcohols(Alc),29 ketones(K),25 aldehydes(Ald),21 esters(E),and the others.By analyzing 90 batches of ginseng samples based on the untargeted metabolomics workflows,236 differential ions were unveiled,and accordingly 36 differential volatile components were discovered.It is the first report that simultaneously compares the compositional difference of volatile components among 12 Panax herbal medicines,and useful information is provided for the quality control of ginseng aside from the well-known ginsenosides.

Super Antibiotics, Part II. Hyperforin, Mass Spectroscopy (MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Evidence of Permeability of the Blood-Testis Barrier (BTB) and the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) to Hyperforin

In the first article of this series, we presented some evidence of hyperforin as an antibiotic, antiprotozoal, antiviral, anticancer, and immunomodulatory substance. In the present article, evidence of the permeability of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) to hyperforin and its distribution in other organs of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) are revealed. Seven-month-old male boars with a body mass of 100 kg were fed a diet containing hyperforin. Organs were surgically removed under anesthesia. Organs were suitable prepared and extracted, and then analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams (GC-MS with SMB). The presence of hyperforin was recorded in all organs and body fluids. Special attention was paid to the evaluation of the presence of hyperforin in the brain and testes of experimental animals. The presence of hyperforin in the brain and testes of experimental animals was established by GC-MS with SMB. The results are of interest because penicillin and numerous other antibiotics cannot pass through the BTB or BBB if healthy or non-inflamed, which limits their use in patients with meningitis and gonorrhea. The findings are also of interest in cases of penicillin- and multi-antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

Occurrence of <i>N</i>-Acyl Homoserine Lactones in Extracts of Bacterial Strain of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>and in Sputum Sample Evaluated by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

This study presents a fast, accurate and sensitive technique using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the identification and quantification of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) in the extracts of bacterial strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and sputum sample of a cystic fibrosis patient. This method involves direct separation and determination of AHLs by using GC-MS as simultaneous separation and characterization of AHLs were possible without any prior derivatiza-tion. Electron ionization resulted in a common fragmentation pattern with the most common fragment ion at m/z 143 and other minor peaks at 73, 57 and 43. The limit of detection for N-butanoyl, N-hexanoyl, N-octanoyl, N-decanoyl, N-dodecanoyl and N-tetradecanoyl homoserine lactones was 2.14, 3.59, 2.71, 2.10, 2.45 and 2.34 μg/L, respectively. The presence of AHLs in the culture of P. aeruginosa strain and spu-tum of a cystic fibrosis patient was achieved in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode by using the prominent fragment at m/z 143.

Determination of sterols in tobacco leaves by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The purpose of the study was to establish an analytical method to simultaneously determine multiple sterols in tobacco leaves rapidly and accurately.In this gas chromatography-triple quadruple tandem mass spectrometry(GC-MS/MS)based method,various conditions for sterols extraction were assessed and the instrumental operation parameters were optimized with 5α-cholane as an internal standard.Using this method,eight plant sterols,namely lanosterol,campesterol,chenodeoxycholic acid,cholesterol,β-sitosterol,stigmasterol,dihydrotachysterol and ergosterol,were separated in less than 30 min.The linear correlation coefficients were over 0.998 9,the low detection limits were in the range of 0.010 3-0.141 4 μg/g.The recoveries were from 87.30% to 115.60%,with low standard deviations.In conclusion,this method demonstrates good repeatability,accuracy,and high sensitivity,and is best suited for rapid analysis of multiple sterols in tobacco leaves.

Optimization of Gas Chromatography-electron Ionization-tandem Mass Spectrometry for Determining Toxic Non-ortho Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Breast Milk

One of the most commonly used non-invasive methods for assessing human exposure to pollution is the analysis of human milk.Human milk analyses help estimate the exposure of infants[1].This is why breast milk is receives scientific interest,and various methods for determining different pollutants from the environment are being developed[2,3].

Structure Elucidation of a New Toxin from the Mushroom Cortinarius rubellus Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

Cortinarius orellanus (Fries) and C. rubellus (Cooke),which were formerly also known as C. speciosissimus, are poisonous mushrooms containing the toxin orellanine and several degradation products of orellanine,includingorelline and orellinine. Mass intoxication by poisonous mushrooms was observed in Poland in 1952-1957 [1]. In 1957, the cause of these outbreaks was described by Grzymala as poisoning by a member of the Cortinarius family. The toxin orellanine was first isolated from C. orellanusby Grzymala in 1962;the chemical structure of orellanine was later determined to be 3,3',4,4'-tetrahydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine-N,N'-dioxide. Poisoning with C. orellanus and C. rubellus has a very specific character. The first symptoms of intoxication usually do not appear until 2-3 days after ingestion, but in some cases intoxication appears after three weeks. The target organ for the toxin is the kidney. Histologically, it is easy to record the specific damage. The presence of degradation products of orellanine in kidney can be confirmed chromatographically, suggesting that the cause of poisoning is orellanine. However, the presence of orellanine in the blood of intoxicated persons has not been directly detected. A specific model was developed by Brondz et al. for the detection of orellanine, orelline, and orellininein animal stomach fluids [2-4]. The hypothesis that the fungal toxin orellanine as a diglucoside can be transported from the digestive system by the blood to the kidney could not be supported. The toxin orellanine as a diglucoside is very unstable in an aqueous acidic environment.[i1]?However, in the present study, it was possible to record an additional substance in animal stomach fluids using GC-MSafter ingestion ofC. rubellus. This substance, which has been namedrubelline, is part of a toxic mixture inC. orellanusandC. rubellusand is closely related to orellanine. The structure of rubelline is more suitable than orellanine for absorptionfromthe digestive tract and for transport in the blood. The presented hypothesis is that rubellineis absorbed in the digestive tract and transportedin the blood to the kidney, where it is biotransformed to orellanine and accumulatedto toxic levels. The process of biotransformationis in itself also damaging for the kidney and liver.[i2]?GC-MS instrumentation enables the separation of substances in biological samples and in the extract fromC. rubellus. The GC-MS with SMB technique was used to record the mass ion and to record a detailed fragmentation picture.

ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS BY FLASH DISTILLATION/CAPILLARY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY

In present work,the volatile constituents of Curcuma longa L.,A.lancea (Thunb.) DC.,Foeniculum vulgare Mill,and Cinnamomun cassia Presl.have been analyzed by flash distillation/capillary gas chro-matography/mass spectrometry.The results are consistent with those obtained by conventional steam distillation extraction method.The optimum condition of flash distillation has been studied.The experimental results showed that this new technique proved to be a simple,rapid and efficient tool for microanalysis of volatile constituents of Chinese medicinal herbs.

The Detection of THCA Using 2-Dimensional Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Human Fingernail Clippings: Method Validation and Comparison with Head Hair

Marijuana use as well as abuse is a significant public health and public safety concern in the United States and using hair to identify marijuana users and abusers has been gaining acceptance in a number of venues including workplace, court ordered, and substance abuse treatment monitoring. After the presentation of a fully validated 2-dimensional gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA), the chief metabolite of the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), we evaluated the usefulness of fingernail clippings as an alternative specimen type to hair by the analysis of a set of 60 matched pairs of head hair and fingernail clippings. The limit of detection was 10 fg/mg, the limit of quantitation was 20 fg/mg, and the assay was linear from 20 fg/mg to 500 fg/mg. The intra- and inter-assay imprecision and bias studies at 4 different concentrations (50, 100, 500, and 1000 fg/mg) were acceptable where all % Target observations were within 16% of their expected concentrations and all %CV calculations were less than 13.5%. THCA was detectable in more fingernail specimens (53.3%) than hair specimens (46.7%) and the mean concentrations in nails were on average 4.9 times higher than in hair (1813 fg/mg and 364 fg/mg, respectively). The THCA concentrations in hair and nail were strongly associated (r = 0.974, P < 0.01, n = 60) and the association was significant. The study demonstrated that fingernail clippings are a suitable alternative specimen type to hair to monitor for marijuana use and abuse.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Study from the Leaves Fractions Obtained of <i>Vernonanthura patens</i>(Kunth) H. Rob

Preliminary phytochemical study of methanol extracts from Vernonanthura patens’s leaves located in Marcabelí (El Oro province), Ecuador. The methodology consisted of chromatographic column separations with increasing polarity solvents and the analysis of fractions by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry coupled system (GC-MS). The structure of 53 compounds was proposed. Analyzed V. patens species showed the presence of terpene and aliphatic hydrocarbons, free fatty acids and their methyl and ethyl esters, oxygen sesqui, triterpenoids and sugars. For ecuadorian species, there are no records of chemical studies.

Coupling a Gas Chromatography Unit to an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer

Although the eminent threat of a terrorist group detonating an improvised nuclear device (IND) in an urban environment is low, it is crucial that countries develop modern nuclear forensic capabilities to expedite response in a post-detonation scenario. In particular, new instruments need to be created to shorten dissolution time, expedite chemical separation, and improve forensic analysis of the nuclear melt glass that is created during the detonation of the device. To expedite this process, an instrument was designed to thermally couple a gas chromatograph (GC) to a time-of-flight inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ICPTOFMS) In order to couple these two instruments, another instrument was designed to provide an isothermal atmosphere between the GC and TOFICPMS to expedite rapid gas separations processes. By using gas separations instead of the current wet chemistry processes, the required separation and analysis time of the melt glass significantly decreases. The new instrument would also provide a more detailed analysis of the elemental and isotopic composition of the melt glass. By completing these tasks simultaneously, this significantly decreases the required time to conduct these separations and improves the elemental and isotopic analysis.

Analysis of residual crosslinking agent content in UV cross-linked poly(ethylene oxide) hydrogels for dermatological application by gas chromatography

Acrylates have been widely used in the synthesis of pharmaceutical polymers. The quantitation of residual acrylate monomers is vital as they are strong irritants and allergens, but after polymerization, are relatively inert, causing no irritation and allergies. Poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) hydrogels were prepared using pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate(PETRA) as UV crosslinking agent. A simple, accurate, and robust quantitation method was developed based on gas chromatographic techniques(GC), which is suitable for routine analysis of residual PETRA monomers in these hydrogels. Unreacted PETRA was initially identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC–MS). The quantitation of analyte was performed and validated using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector(GC–FID). A linear relationship was obtained over the range of 0.0002%–0.0450%(m/m) with a correlation coefficient(r2)greater than 0.99. The recovery( 4 90%), intra-day precision(%RSD o 0.67), inter-day precision(%RSD o2.5%), and robustness(%RSD o1.62%) of the method were within the acceptable values. The limit of detection(LOD) and limit of quantitation(LOQ) were 0.0001%(m/m) and 0.0002%(m/m), respectively.This assay provides a simple and quick way of screening for residual acrylate monomer in hydrogels.

Product Analysis of Supercritical Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis: Utilizing a Unique On-Line and Off-Line Gas Chromatographs Setup in a Bench-Scale Reactor Unit

The utilization of supercritical fluids (SCF) in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) further complicates the hydrocarbon products identification and analysis process due to the dilution of hydrocarbon peaks by the predominant solvent peak. Therefore, in this project, a custom-made Gas Chromatography (GC) analysis system was designed and implemented to identify and quantify SCF-FTS products. The FTS products were identified using two different methods. The first was through retention time matching by injecting standard solutions, and the second was through the use of the GC/MS system. The quantification of CO and CH4 was achieved by using external standards, where the CO conversion was calculated by relating the peak area of CO to the peak area of an internal standard (argon) while the CH4 selectivity was calculated by relating the peak area of CH4 to that of CO. After setting and calibrating the GC system, two reaction conditions (gas phase: 240°C, 20 bar syngas with 2:1 H2:CO molar feed ratio and for the supercritical fluids FTS (SCF-FTS): 240°C, 65 bar with 20 bar syngas partial pressure and 2:1 H2:CO molar feed ratio) were used to compare the different FTS reaction media. The comparison between the gas phase FTS and the SCF-FTS showed the following: carbon monoxide conversion was improved by 14% in the SCF-FTS, while the hydrocarbon product profile SCF-FTS showed 78% reduction in light hydrocarbons (C1 - C4) products, 35% increase in middle distillates (C11 - C22) products compared to gas phase FTS. These improvements have resulted in higher chain growth probability for the SCF-FTS (α = 0.85) compared to the gas phase FTS (α = 0.76). These results are generally in agreement with previously reported enhancement in the SCF-FTS[1].