Dimension-Enhanced Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Ion Mobility-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Combined with Intelligent Peak Annotation for the Rapid Characterization of the Multiple Components from Seeds of Descurainia sophia

The complex composition of herbal metabolites necessitates the development of powerful analytical techniques aimed to identify the bioactive components.The seeds of Descurainia sophia(SDS)are utilized in China as a cough and asthma relieving agent.Herein,a dimension-enhanced integral approach,by combining ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC/IMQTOF-MS)and intelligent peak annotation,was developed to rapidly characterize the multicomponents from SDS.Good chromatographic separation was achieved within 38 min on a UPLC CSH C18(2.1×100 mm,1.7μm)column which was eluted by 0.1%formic acid in water(water phase)and acetonitrile(organic phase).Collision-induced dissociation-MS^(2)data were acquired by the data-independent high-definition MS^(E)(HDMS^(E))in both the negative and positive electrospray ionization modes.A major components knockout strategy was applied to improve the characterization of those minor ingredients by enhancing the injection volume.Moreover,a self-built chemistry library was established,which could be matched by the UNIFI software enabling automatic peak annotation of the obtained HDMS^(E)data.As a result of applying the intelligent peak annotation workflows and further confirmation process,a total of 53 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized from the SDS,including 29 flavonoids,one uridine derivative,four glucosides,one lignin,one phenolic compound,and 17 others.Notably,four-dimensional information related to the structure(e.g.,retention time,collision cross section,MS^(1)and MS^(2)data)was obtained for each component by the developed integral approach,and the results would greatly benefit the quality control of SDS.

Screening for Plant Toxins in Honey and Herbal Beverage by Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ion Mobility-Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

The standards of plant toxins were separated by a C18 column with gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid/water (V/V) and 0.1% formic acid/acetonitrile (V/V) as mobile phase and acquired by ion mobility-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (IM-QTOF MS) in positive ion mode. A database of 308 plant toxins including retention time, collision cross-section (CCS) and its fragment ions was established. Honey dissolved in water or herbal beverage was extracted by acetonitrile and purified with PSA sorbent, and then acquired by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography IM-QTOFMS. The acquired data were processed by comparing with the database we established to confirm the target compounds. The average recoveries for samples at two levels ranged from 60.6% - 120.1%, with relative standard deviation (n = 6) less than 25%. The limit of quantitation for plant toxins ranged from 1 - 20 μg/kg. The developed screening method was used in determination of honey, herbal beverage and honey flavored tea beverage samples. The results showed that berberine was detected in one honey with 1 μg/kg and caffeine was present in some beverages with the concentration from 200 and 5500 μg/kg. This method could meet the requirement for rapid screening of plant toxins in honey and herbal beverage. It can be used for the quality control of honey and herbal beverage in enterprises or quality inspection departments. It also can be used in the rapid screening of food poisoning.

Bio-analytical method development and validation of Rasagiline by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry detection and its application to pharmacokinetic study

The most suitable bio-analytical method based on liquid liquid extraction has been developed and validated for quantification of Rasagiline in human plasma. Rasagiline-13C3 mesylate was used as an internal standard for Rasagiline. Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 （2.1 mm × 50 mm, 3.5 um） column provided chromatographic separation of analyte followed by detection with mass spectrometry. The method involved simple isocratic chromatographic condition and mass spectrometric detection in the positive ionization mode using an API-4000 system. The lotal run time was 3.0 min. The proposed method has been validated with the linear range of 5 12000 pg/mL for Rasagiline. The intra-run and inter-run precision values were within 1.3% 2.9% and 1.6% 2.2% respectively for Rasagiline. The overall recovery for Rasagiline and Rasagiline-13C3 mesylate analog was 96.9% and 96.7% respectively. This validated method was successfully applied to the bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic study of human volunteers under fasting condition.

Analysis of ganciclovir and its related substances using high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods

Objective High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC/MS)methods were developed for the determination of ganciclovir and its related substances.Methods A Hypersil ODS2 column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm)was used with a mobile phase of 0.02 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer(pH 6.0)-methanol(92∶8)at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min,and UV detector set at 254 nm was used for monitoring the eluents.Results The method was simple,rapid,selective and capable of separating all related substances at trace level with a detection limit of 0.04 μg/mL.It has been validated with respect to accuracy,precision,linearity,and limits of detection and quantification.The linearity range was 10.2-153.0 μg/mL with r=0.9998.The percentage recoveries ranged from 96.7% to 101.6%,and RSD was 1.24%-1.96%(n=5).Conclusion The method was found to be suitable not only for monitoring the reactions during the process development but also for quality control of ganciclovir.For identification of related substances,LC/MS was used.The mainly related substances of ganciclovir active pharmaceutical ingredients(API)were determined as guanine,(1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl acetate,and diacetyl guanine.

Metabolomic Studies Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry to Discover Quality Markers for Oriental Beauty (Dongfang Meiren) Tea

In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatograph and an electrospray ionization (ESI) triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (TQ MS) detector were used to scan Oriental Beauty tea of different grades and prices. Principle component analysis (PCA) of the profiling data was performed for pattern recognition, clearly showing that the proposed MS profiling method was able to classify Oriental Beauty tea into different grades. The component mass ions primarily responsible for the separation were selected with high loading strength in the PCA for subsequent identification with tandem mass (MS/MS). Caffeine, citrate and salicylate were verified, whereas certain other compounds remained ambiguous. Regression analysis considering caffeine, citrate and salicylate showed a linear relationship between the prices of the Oriental Beauty tea with an adjusted R2 of 0.84. If all the selected marker ions (in addition to caffeine, citrate and salicylate) could have been identified and incorporated into regression analysis, a stronger relationship could have been confirmed. These results suggest that metabolomics can facilitate the determination of real markers in the quality control of Oriental Beauty tea, and may lead to the further application of metabolomics in other food quality controls.

Simultaneous Determination of Ultraviolet Absorbers and Antibacterial Agents in Textiles by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Orbitrap High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

This paper reported a new analytical method for the simultaneous determination of seven benzotriazole ultraviolet absorbers and seven antibacterial agents in textiles. After ultrasonic extraction for the textile samples in methanol, the solutions were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromotagraphy/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC/Orbitrap HRMS). It showed that a good chromatographic separation for these target compounds was achieved by a Hypersil GOLD column (100 mm × 2.1 mm × 1.9 μm) with a gradient elution of methanol and 0.1% aqueous formic acid solution (containing 0.5 mmol/L ammonium acetate). Triclosan and 4-chloro-3,5-dimethyl phenol (PCMX) were detected by the orbitrap HRMS in an electrospray ionization (ESI) negative mode while the other twelve target compounds were detected by orbitrap HRMS in ESI positive mode. Full scan experiment was performed over the range from m/z 100 to m/z 500. These target compounds were routinely detected with mass accuracy below 2 × 10-6 (2 ppm) at the optimized conditions. The results showed that the limits of detection (LODs) were in the range from 0.1 to 0.3 μg/kg. The blank samples were spiked at three levels and their average recoveries varied from 80.5% to 96.3% while the relative standard deviation (RSD) changed from 3.2% to 9.9%. The present method was also applied for the determination of those ultraviolet absorbers and antibacterial agents in the commercial textiles.

Chemical Components of Achyranthes bidentata Leaves by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

[Objectives] To study the chemical components and relative content of Achyranthes bidentata leaves and provide a scientific basis for further development and utilization of A. bidentata leaves.[Methods] The chemical components of A. bidentata leaves were rapidly analyzed using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-time of flight-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TOF-MS).[Results] Thirty eight chemical compounds were identified in samples of A. bidentata leaves collected from Wen County of Henan Province, in which seven chemical compounds had the relative content higher than 5%, linoleic acid reached 25.7% and inokosterone A reached 13.8%.[Conclusions] A. bidentata leaves contain many kinds of chemical compounds. This study is expected to provide a certain basis for further extraction of linoleic acid and inokosterone A.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Bilobalide and Ginkgolides in Ginkgo biloba L. Leaves

The ginkgo terpenoids including bilobalide and ginkgolides are the main pharmaceutical components in the leaves or extracts of Ginkgo biloba L. In this paper, the analysis of bilobalide and ginkgolides in leaves of Ginkgo biloba L. by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS) was carried out. The separation was performed on Inertsil ODS3 column with methanol-water (36:64) as mobile phase, with 1 mL·min -1 of flow rate at 35℃. Then the mass spectrum analysis was conducted by ZMD micromass electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometer (MS). The HPLC total ion chromatogram and selected ion chromatogram (with 325, 407, 423, 439 of m/z) of the sample and ESI-/MS mass spectra of the peaks in the chromatograms were obtained. So bilobalide, ginkgolide A, B, C and J in Ginkgo biloba L. leaves were identified. The method is easy and rapid, with a good accuracy.

Modernization of Chinese herbal compound and the high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS)

Chinese herbal compound is playing an important role on curing human diseases.And it has been a trend that Chinese herbal compound is being used all over the world in 21 century.However,our Chinese herbal compound is facing serious challenge for the lack of canonical system of quality criterion for Chinese herbal compound so it has been a urgent problem to set up the quality control standards and reveal therapeutic basis of Chinese herbal compound.In order to give full play to the advantages of Chinese herbal compound,modern scientific and technological is used to research of Chinese herbal compound,especially the high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS),because it is high sensitive,rapid,and obtain more information.It is very necessary that HPLC-MS is uesed to elucidate the effective components of basic substances of Chinese Herbal Compound,and endow traditional Chinese medicine with modern scientific connotation.

Determination of thyreostats in bovine urine using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Five thyreostats(TSs),namely tapazole,thiouracil,methylthiouracil,propylthiouracil,and phenylthiouracil,were determined in bovine urine using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS)in positive electrospray ionization mode.Extraction and clean-up were achieved using a ChemElut cartridge with tert-butyl methyl ether,without a derivatization step.Separation was achieved on an Acquity UPLC SS T3 column.The mobile phase was acetonitrile and water containing 0.2%(v/v)formic acid.The mass spectrometer was operated in multiple reaction monitoring mode.Urine samples were spiked with TS solution at levels corresponding to 5,10,15,and 20μg/L.The accuracy(internal standard corrected)ranged from 92%to 107%,with a repeatability precision(relative standard deviation,RSD)less than 15%for all five analytes.The RSDs within-laboratory reproducibility was less than 26%.The decision limits(CCα)and detection capabilities(CCβ)were obtained from a calibration curve and were in the ranges of 3.1-6.1μg/L and 4.0-7.4μg/L,respectively.The CCαand CCβvalues were below the recommended concentration,which was set at 10μg/L.The results show that the described method is suitable for the direct detection of TSs in bovine urine.This method can also be used to determine TSs in porcine urine.

Determination of okadaic acid related toxins from shellfish (<i>sinonovacula constricta</i>) by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Consumption of shellfish contaminated with algal toxins produced by marine dinoflagellates can lead to diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). It was therefore essential that there are analytical techniques to identify and quantify DSP toxins in shellfish. This new methodology could facilitate DSP monitoring and create a means of rapidly responding to incidents threatening public health. In the last years there were different analytical methods for DSP, such as mouse bioassay and LC-FLD. With the development of instrument, Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was substituted for other analytical methods with its good sensitivity and selectivity and without derivatization for the determination of DSP. In this report, a high performance liquid chromatogra-phytandem mass spectrometric(HPLC-MS/MS)method was developed for the simultaneous determination of okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxins(DTX1) in Sinonovacula constricta. Optimization of pretreatment experiment was carried out to maximize recoveries and the effectiveness. The analytes were determined under multi-reactions monitoring (MRM) scan type with tandem mass analyzer using negative ion electrospray ionization (-ESI) mode .Finally, the detection and identification of OA and DTX-1 were based upon their retention times (RT) and the fragmentation patterns of their mass spectra. The method of LOQ for the two poisons was 0.02 mg·kg-1.The real sample test showed that this method could be used for sensitive, fast, and accurate determination of the two diarrheic shellfish poisons in shellfish.

Determination of 24 Allergens in Perfume with High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A method of 24 allergens determination in cosmetics were established with high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The targeted compounds were extracted with acetonitrile and determined with LC-MS/MS (MRM mode) with external method. The linearity between concentrations and peak area ratio was obtained from 1.0~5.0 mg/L. The limits of detection were 1.0 mg/L for the instrument and 5.0 mg/kg for the method respectively. The LOQ was 15.0 mg/L. The average recoveries of 24 allergens were between 85.9% and 110.0% at spiked levels of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg with relative standard derivation (RSDs) of 5.5%~12.0%(n=10). The method could be used as a reliable means for simultaneous quantitative determination of allergens in cosmetics.

Identification of phosphorylation sites of proteins by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry

The phosphorylation sites of two phosphorylated proteins, bovine β-casein and myelin basic protein (MBP), were identified by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QITMS). The tryptic digest of each protein was separated by HPLC, the molecular weight of each peptide was determined by ESI-QITMS on line, and MS/MS spectrum of each peptide was simultaneously obtained by the combination of collision-induced desorption (CID) technique and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) of QITMS. The phosphorylated peptide was identified by looking into whether the difference between the observed and predicted molecular weights of a peptide is 80 u or its integral multiple. Then the phosphorylation site was identified through manual interpretation of the MS/MS spectrum of the phosphorylated peptide or automatic SEQUEST data base-searching.

EGFR/cell membrane chromatography-online-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for screening EGFR antagonists from Radix Angelicae Pubescentis

The intracellular kinase domains of the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) in some tumor cells are significant targets for drug discovery.We have developed a new EGFR cell membrane chromatography(EGFR/CMC)-online-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry(HPLC/MS) method for screening anti-EGFR antagonists from medicinal herbs such as Radix Angelicae Pubescentis.In this study,the HEK293 EGFR cells with high expression of EGFR were used to prepare cell membrane stationary phase(CMSP) in the EGFR/CMC model.The retention fractions on the EGFR/CMC model were directly analyzed by combining a 10 port columns switcher with a HPLC/MS system online.As a result,osthole from Radix Angelicae Pubescentis was found to be the active component acting on EGFR like dasatinib as the control drug.There was a good relationship between their inhibiting effects on EGFR secretion and HEK293 EGFR cell growth in vitro.This new EGFR/CMC-online-HPLC/MS method can be applied for screening anti-EGFR antagonists from TCMs,for instance,Radix Angelicae Pubescentis.It will be a useful method for drug discovery with natural medicinal herbs as a leading compound resource.

Research on accurate quantitation technique using liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and experiment optimization—take a novel diuretic as an example

Liquid chromatography coupled with the triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(LC-QQQ MS)technique is the most commonly used technique for quantitative analysis.It is widely used in pharmacology,targeted metabolomics,Chinese medicine quality control,and other research fields.The technique monitors only characteristic precursors and product ions through multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode and can detect targeted molecules in complex matrix with high specificity and sensitivity.In the present study,a diarylamide derivative diuretic was used as an example to introduce the method establishment and parameter optimization of this liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technique.Diuretic and its internal standard could be completely separated within a 5-min gradient,and the quantitative linear range was 1–1000 ng/mL with R2=0.9996 in practical samples.This study showed that the key to the method development for LC-QQQ MS was the selection of the LC mobile phase,the elution gradient,the declustering potential,and the collision energy of compounds in MS.

Separation and identification of moxifloxacin impurities in drug substance by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

In this paper, a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry （HPLC-UV/FrICRMS） method was described for the investigation of impurity profile in moxifloxacin （MOX） drug substance and chemical reference substance. Ten impurities were detected by HPLC-UV, while eight impurities were identified by using the high accurate molecular mass combined with multiple-stage mass spectrometric data and fragmentation rules. In addition, to our knowledge, five impurities were founded for the first time in MOX drug substance.

Identification of the active ingredients from Guangtongxiao decoction in rat bile based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography/Synapt G2 quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

OBJECTIVE:To identify the active ingredients and metabolites in rat bile after Guangtongxiao decoction(GTX)had been administered via the rectal route.METHODS:Drug-containing bile samples were collected via a catheter in the bile duct and could be used 5 h after rectal administration.The main active components and their metabolites in rat bile following rectal administration of GTX were identified and analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.RESULTS:Positive and negative modes were applied to analyze and identify the chemical ingredients in the bioactive fractions of GTX.Eight peaks were identified by comparison with the standard compounds:berberine hydrochloride,dehydrocorydaline,tetrahydropalmatine,corydaline,magnoflorine,magnolol,obacunone and albiflorin.Furthermore,60 metabolites were detected in rat bile based on mass-fragmentation behaviors,and 21 metabolites were reported for the first time.CONCLUSION:Our findings provide a solid basis for further pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic studies of GTX.

Development of High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry: a Key Engine of TCM Modernization

Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has been popular for thousand years in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases synergistically with Western medicine while producing mild healing effects and lower side effects. Although many TCMs have been proven effective by modern pharmacological studies and clinical trials, their bioactive constituents and the remedial mechanisms are still not well understood. Researchers have made great efforts to explore the real theory of TCM for many years with different strategies. Development of high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and mass spectrometry within recent decade can provide scientists with robust technologies for disclosing the mysterious mask of TCM. In this paper, important innovations of HPLC and mass spectrometry are reviewed in the application of TCM analysis from single compound identification to metabolomic strategy.

Investigations on the degradation of aspartame using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Aspartame is a widely used sweetener, the long-term safety of which has been controversial ever since it was accepted for human consumption. It is unstable and can produce some harmful degradation products under certain storage conditions. A high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of aspartame and its four degradation products, including aspartic acid, phenylalanine, aspartyl-phenylalanine and 5-benzyl-3,6- dioxo-2-piperazieacetic acid in water and in diet soft drinks. Aspartame and its four degradation products were quantified by a matrix matched external standard calibration curve with excellent correlation coefficients. The limits of detection were 0.16-5.8 μg/L, which exhibited higher sensitivity than common methods. This method was rapid, sensitive, specific and capable of eliminating matrix interferences. It was also applied to the study of the degradation of aspartame at various pH and temperatures. The results indicated that aspartame was partly degraded under strong acidic or basic conditions and the extent of degradation increased with increasing temperature.

GLOBAL ANALYSIS OF THE METABOLITES OF CURCUMIN IN RATS BY ULTRA PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED WITH QUADRUPOLE TIME OF-FLIGHT TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY

Curcumin,a safe natural yellow pigment with a wide range of pharmacological activities,is used both in herbal drugs and as a food coloring agents.Studies have shown that curcumin would suffer from extensive metabolism in vivoand the predominant metabolic pathways are reduction and conjugation.In order to comprehensively study the metabolism and enrich the metabolic profile of cxurcumin in vivo,we carried out this research.A systematic method with highly sensitive UPLC-Q/TOF-MS was established to analyze different biological samples of rats after