Analysis of Residual Solvents in Annatto Extracts Using a Static Headspace Gas Chromatography Method

An analytical method for the quantification of residual solvents in annatto extracts, natural food colorants, was established using a static headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) coupled with a flame ionization detector (FID). As a sample diluent in a headspace sampling, dimethylformamide (DMF) was selected owing to its high capacity for dissolving both bixin-based and norbixin-based annatto extracts. The quantification of residual solvents was performed using the external standard method. The linearity of the calibration curves was assured with relative coefficients (R2) that were greater than 0.999. The recoveries of all standard solvents spiked in the annatto extracts were in the range from 95.1% to 107.1% to verify the accuracy and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) values (n = 3) were in the range from 0.57% to 3.31%. The quantification limits (QL) were sufficiently lower than the limits specified by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). With the established HSGC method, six residual solvents (methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, and hexane) in 23 commercial annatto-extract products that consist of seven bixin-based and 16 norbixin-based products were quantified. The levels of residual ethyl acetate and hexane in all products were lower than the specified limits of JECFA. However, three samples of bixin-based products showed higher levels of residual 2-propanol (approximately 313.9 - 427.7 ppm) than the specified limit. Other bixin products also showed higher concentrations of residual methanol (approximately 166.6 - 394.7 ppm) and residual acetone (approximately 75.2 - 179.8 ppm) than the limits of JECFA. In the case of norbixin-based products, nine samples showed higher levels of residual acetone (approximately 42.6 - 139.5 ppm) than the limits of JECFA. This is the first survey of residual solvents in annatto extracts using the validated HSGC method.

Multiple responses optimization in the development of a headspace gas chromatography method for the determination of residual solvents in pharmaceuticals

An efficient generic static headspace gas chromatography （HSGC） method was developed, optimized and validated for the routine determination of several residual solvents （RS） in drug substance, using a strategy with two sets of calibration. Dimethylsulfoxide （DMSO） was selected as the sample diluent and internal standards were used to minimize signal variations due to the preparative step. A gas chroma- tograph from Agilent Model 6890 equipped with flame ionization detector （FID） and a DB-624 （30 m × 0.53 mm i.d., 3.00 μm film thickness） column was used. The inlet split ratio was 5：1. The influ- encing factors in the chromatographic separation of the analytes were determined through a fractional factorial experimental design. Significant variables： the initial temperature （IT）, the final temperature （FT） of the oven and the carrier gas flow rate （F） were optimized using a central composite design. Response transformation and desirability function were applied to find out the optimal combination of the chromatographic variables to achieve an adequate resolution of the analytes and short analysis time. These conditions were 30 ℃ for IT, 158 ℃ for FT and 1.90 mL/min for F. The method was proven to be accurate, linear in a wide range and very sensitive for the analyzed solvents through a comprehensive validation according to the ICH guidelines.

Application Progress of Headspace Gas Chromatography in Analytical Chemistry

This paper briefly expounds the basic principle and classification of headspace gas chromatography,summarizes its application in food analysis,environmental analysis and medical analysis,and forecasts the application prospect of headspace gas chromatography in analytical chemistry in the future.

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.

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.

Determination of Aromatic Components of Rosa davurica Pall. by Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Combined with GC-MS

[Objectives] To determine the aromatic components of Rosa davurica Pall. [Methods] 42 kinds of aromatic components were identified from the flowers of R. davurica by headspace solid phase microextraction( HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry( GC-MS). The main compounds were alcohols( 54. 88%) and aldehydes( 19. 55%). [Results] The top five components with the highest relative content were phenylethyl alcohol( 12. 69%),geraniol( 9. 85%),citronellol( 8. 80%),nerol( 7. 84%) and 2-n-pentylfuran( 7. 45%). [Conclusions] Headspace solid phase microextraction( HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry( GC-MS) can provide basis for further development and utilization of R. davurica.

Volatile components of Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum using three different extraction methods combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Volatile components from Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum were respectively extracted by three methods including hydrodistillation, headspace solid-phase microextraction （HS-SPME） and diethyl ether extraction. A total of 40 （hydrodistillation）, 32 （HS-SPME） and 37 （diethyl ether extraction） compounds were respectively identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC/MS） and 22 compounds were overlapped, including β-farnesene, 7-muurolene, 2,6-dimethyl-6- （4-methyl-3-pentenyl）bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene, eucalyptol and cadina-1（10）, 4-diene and so forth, varying in relative contents. HS-SPME is fast, sample saving and solvent-free and it also can achieve similar profiles as those from hydrodistillation and solvent extraction. Therefore, it can be the priority for extracting volatile components from medicinal plants.

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.

Integration of GC-MS Based Non-Targeted Metabolic Profiling with Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Enhances the Understanding of Volatile Differentiation in Tobacco Leaves from North Carolina, India and Brazil

In this report, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based non-targeted metabolomics is used to develop appropriate headspace solid phase microextractions (HS-SPME) to enhance the understanding of volatile complexity of flue-cured tobacco leaves. Non-targeted metabolic profiling of GC-MS shows that the extraction condition of HS-SPME at 100?C for 30 min provides a better metabolite profile than other extraction conditions tested. GC-MS and principal component analyses (PCA) show that among five types of fibers tested, 100 μm polydimethylsiloxane (PMDS), 65 μm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PMDS/DVB) and 75 μm carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/ PMS) provide a better reproducible metabolite profile. Based on an appropriate PDMS extraction condition optimized, we use GC-MS analysis and PCA to compare metabolite profiles in flue-cured leaves of tobacco plants grown in North Carolina, India and Brazil, respectively. The resulting data of PCA show that the global metabolic profiles in North Carolina samples are separated from those in Brazil and India samples, two groups of which are characterized by a partially overlapped pattern. Several peaks that were differentially accumulated in samples were annotated to known metabolites by deconvolution analysis, such as norsolanadione, solavetivone and rishtin. Norsolanadione is detected only in Brazil samples. Solavetivone is detected in samples of India and Brazil but not in those of North Carolina. Rishtin is detected in samples of North Carolina and India but not in Brazil samples. These data indicate that not only can a non-targeted metabolic profiling approach enhance the understanding of volatile complexity, but also can identify marker volatile metabolites in tobacco leaves produced in different growth regions.

Detection of Tocopherol in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.) Using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector

The variation among Chinese genotypes of Brassica napus L. for seed tocopherols content and their analysis using gas chromatography has not been comprehensively reported till to date. In the present study, the tocopherol contents of four Chinese genotypes of Brassica napus L., namely, Gaoyou 605, Zhejiang 619, Zheshuang 758, and Zheshuang 72, were evaluated using three modified sample preparation protocols （P1, P2, and P3） for tocopherol extraction. These methods were distinguished as follows. Protocol one （P1） included the evaporation of solvent after extraction without silylation. Protocol two （P2） followed the direct supernatant collection after overnight extraction without drying and silylation. Protocol three （P3） included trimethylsilylation with N,O-bis（trimethylsilyl） trifluoroacetamide. Genotypic comparison of tocopherol and its isoforms revealed that Gaoyou 605 was dominant over the other genotypes with （140.5＋ 10.5）, （316.2＋ 9.2）, and （559.1＋ 24.3） ~tg g-~ of seed meal ct-, 7-, and total （T-） tocopherol, respectively, and a 0.44＋0.04 ^- to 7-tocopherol ratio. The comparison of the sample preparation protocols, on the other hand, suggests that P3 is the most suitable method for the tocopherol extraction from Brassica oilseeds and for the analysis of tocopherols using gas chromatography flame ionization detector （GC-FID）. Trimethylsilylation is the key step differentiating P3 from P1 and P2. Variations detected in tocopherol contents among the Chinese rapeseed （B. napus） genotypes signify the need to quantify a wide range of rapeseed germplasm for seed tocopherol dynamics in short and crop improvement in long.

Chromatoprobe as a sample-sparing technique for residual solvent analysis of drug discovery candidates by gas chromatography

In drug discovery research, residual solvent measurement is an integral part of purity analysis for synthesis of a drug candidate before it is used for toxicity testing. This is usually carried out using gas chromatography(GC)with direct injection sample introduction. This method requires testing compounds to be soluble at high concentrations( > 50 mg/mL, usually in DMSO) to achieve acceptable sensitivity, a hurdle which is not always achievable for some samples such as cyclic peptides and oligonucleotides. To overcome the limitation associated with the direct injection approach, a new method using the Chromatoprobe thermal extraction device was developed for quantifying residual solvents of drug discovery compounds. This method not only consumes significantly less material(less than 1 mg), but also shows higher sensitivity than the direct injection approach.In addition, because no diluent is required with the Chromatoprobe thermal extraction, all residual solvents can be detected and measured without further method optimization. In our study, we compared data from GC residual solvent analysis using the Chromatoprobe solid sample introduction to those of the direct injection method for seven in-house samples. Our results showed a good agreement between the data from these two sample introduction methods. Thus, the Chromatoprobe sample introduction method provided a samplesparing alternative to the direct injection method for the measurement of residual solvents in drug discovery.This method can be particularly useful for residual solvent analysis in samples that are available only in limited amounts, poorly soluble, and/or unstable in the diluents used for the direct injection method.

A study on α-ketoadipic aciduria by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry

INTRODUCTIONα-ketoadipate(α-KA),an intermediate in thecatabolism of L-lysine,hydroxylysine,and L-tryptophan,undergoes oxidative deearboxylation toform glutaryl-CoA and then dehydrogenates to formcrotonyl-CoA,the latter undergoes furtherdegradation and enters in TCA cycle,as shown inFigure 1.α-ketoadipic aciduria (Mckusick 245130)is a rare inborn error in the metabolism of α-KA

Determination of Eight Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues in Pepper by QuEChERS-Gas Chromatography

[ Objectives] This study was conducted to establish a QuEChERS-gas chromatography method for determination of eight kinds of organophosphorus pesticide residues in pepper. [Methods] The samples were extracted by acetonitrile, and anhydrous magnesium sulfate was used for salting out. The extracts were then purified by dispersive solid phase extraction combining with GCB, C18 and PSA. Samples were analyzed by FPD detector. External standard was used as quantitive method. [ Results] The detection limits were in the range of 0. 001 -0. 008 mg/kg, the average recoveries ranged from 83.5% to 101.2% , and the relative standard deviation （RSD） of the eight organophosphorus pesticide residues were below 5%. [ Conclusions] The method is simple, quick, easy and effective for the determination of pepper.

Novel guanidinium-based ionic liquids as stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography

The present study describes guanidinium-based ionic liquids（GBILs） as stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography （CGC） and to the best of our knowledge,no related reports are available up to now.In this study,a hexaalkylguanidinium ionic liquid（DOTMG-NTf;） was synthesized and coated statically onto capillary columns.Selectivity of the stationary phase was evaluated by separating Grob test mixture,test mixture,alcohols mixture,and fatty acid methyl esters mixture,and thermal stability was investigated as well.The present study demonstrates that GBILs as CGC stationary phases exhibit satisfactory selectivity and thermal stability and have a great potential as new candidates for CGC stationary phases.

A novel ionic liquids grafted polysiloxane for capillary gas chromatography

A new ionic liquids grafted polysiloxane used as stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography （CGC） is described. The stationary phase of 1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate anchored to polysiloxane （PMHS-[VHIm][PF6]） was synthe- sized, characterized and coated onto capillary columns by static coating. The results show that the present stationary phase exhibits a very good chromatographic resolution and selectivity for Grob test mixture and alcohols with baseline resolution and symmetry peaks. The present work suggests that novel stationary phase has a great potential for further development and application. 2009 Mei Ling Qi. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Retention behaviors of novel ionic liquid stationary phases and their selectivity for capillary gas chromatography

One chloride-terminated ionic liquid（CTIL） and two hydroxyl-terminated ionic liquids（HTILs） were synthesized and used as stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography（CGC）.Molecular interactions of these stationary phases were evaluated by Abraham solvation parameter model,indicating that the CTIL exhibits remarkably strong H-bond basicity and the HTILs possess both H-bond basicity and acidity.The molecular interactions were further confirmed by separation of a complex mixture consisting of ketones,aldehydes,esters,alcohols and aromatic compounds.It was found that the obtained solvation parameters correlate well with the chromatographic performances of the analytes in terms of elution order and resolution.The well correlated relationship between the solvation parameters and the selectivity of the CTIL and HTILs stationary phases is quite helpful in predicting and understanding the retention behaviors of different types of analytes on these stationary phases.

Development and Validation of Two Methods to Quantify Volatile Acids (C2-C6) by GC/FID: Headspace (Automatic and Manual) and Liquid-Liquid Extraction (LLE)

The concentration of the volatile fatty acids (VFA) is an important indicator of the status of an-aerobic processes, but most of the existing methods require sample pretreatment and are labor-intensive. It was developed and validated a rapid Gas Chromatographic (GC) method to quantify seven VFA (acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric, valeric and caproic), acetone, methanol, ethanol and n-butanol by headspace (automatic and manual) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with diethyl ether (only VFA). The determination was made in a Shimadzu Gas Chromatograph equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID), a headspace auto-sampler and an HP-INNOWAX column. Isobutanol and crotonic acid were utilized as internal standards (IS). The validation parameters evaluated were: precision (coefficient of variation—C.V.% for the retention times, from 0.02 to 0.87), linearity (R2 = 0.9291 - 0.9997), limits of detection (from 3.97 to 36.45 mg·L﹣1) and instrumental precision (from 0.01 to 0.53), which provide evidence that the methods are adequate to determine these analytes in samples from anaerobic reactors and from the environment.

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.

Selectivity of guanidinium ionic liquid for capillary gas chromatography

A guanidinium ionic liquid,N,N,N＇,N＇-tetrahexyl-N＂,N＂-dimethylguanidinium bis（trifluoromethane）sulfonylimide（THDMGNTf2）, was synthesized and used as stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography.In comparison with imidazolium ionic liquid stationary phase,the present new stationary phase exhibits quite different selectivity and behaves more like a low polar stationary phase.The guanidinium ionic liquid of THDMG-NTf2 exhibited better separation of Grab test mixture than imidazolium ionic liquid of 1-octyl-3-butylimidazolium bis（trifluoromethane）sulfonylimide（OBIM-NTf2）.Solvation parameter model was also used to evaluate the selectivity of THDMG-NTf2.Additionally,essential oil of Magnolia biondii Pamp was analyzed to further evaluate the selectivity of THDMG-NTf2 for a sample of complicated components.Satisfactory separation of the essential oil was achieved on a THDMG-NTf2 column（10 m） while using a commercial column（30 m） as reference.The present study shows that the guanidinium ionic liquid possesses novel chromatographic selectivity and has great potential for wide applications.

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.