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.

Application of Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry in the Detection of Raw Milk and Dairy Products

Milk and dairy products are more and more popular with consumers due to their various nutrients, and their quality and safety issues have always been concerned. Therefore, the development of rapid, accurate and simple screening techniques is of great significance. Liquid chromatography-high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry has high-resolution and high-throughput detection functions, and has gradually begun to be applied in the detection of milk and dairy products. This paper summarized the application of milk and dairy products in liquid chromatography-high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, laying a foundation for the development of new methods.

Quantification of trace amounts of impurities in high purity cobalt by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A An analytical method using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （HR-ICP-MS） for rapid simultaneous determination of 24 elements （Be, Mg, A1, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn Sb, Ba, Pt, Au, and Pb） in high purity cobalt was described. Sample digestions were performed in closed microwave vessels using HNO3 and HCI. The matrix effects because of the presence of excess HCI and Co were evaluated. The usefulness of high mass resolution for overcoming some spectral interference was demonstrated. The optimum conditions for the determination were tested and discussed. The standard addition method was employed for quantitative analysis. The detection limits were 0.016-1.50 ].tg·g^-1, the recovery ratios were 92.2%-111.2%, and the RSD was less than 3.6%. The method was accurate, quick, and convenient. It was applied to the determination of trace impurities in high purity cobalt with satisfactory results.

Quantification of Trace Amounts of Impurities in High Purity Cobalt by High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

An analytical method using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （HR-ICP-MS） for rapid simultaneous determination of Be, Mg, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Pt, Au and Pb in high purity cobalt was described. Sample digestions were performed in closed microwave vessels using HNO3 and HCl. The matrix effects due to the presence of excess HCl and Co were evaluated. The usefulness of high mass resolution for overcoming some spectral interference was demonstrated. The optimum conditions for the determination was tested and discussed. Correction for matrix effects, Sc, Rh and Bi were used as internal standards. The detection limits is 0.003-0.57 μg/g, the recovery ratio is 92.2%-111.2%, and the RSD is less than 3.6%. The method is accurate, quick and convenient. It has been applied to the determination of trace impurities in high purity cobalt with satisfactory results.

Direct Determination of Trace Impurities in High Purity Zinc Oxide by High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

The determination of trace impurities in high purity zinc oxide by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ HR-ICP-MS ） was investigated. To overcome some poteutially problematic spectral iuterference, measurements were acquired in both middle and high resolution modes. The matrix effects due to the presence of excess HCl and zinc were evaluated. The optimum conditions for the determination were tested and discussed. The standard addition method was employed for quantitative analysis. The detection limits ranged from 0.02μg/ g to 6 μg/ g depending on the elements. The experimental resalts for the determination of Na, Mg, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Cd, Sb and Pb in several high purity zinc oxide powders were presented.

Determination of trace elements in high purity nickel by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The contents of Mg,Al,Si,Ti,Cr,Mn,Fe,Co,Cu,Ga,As,Se,Cd,Sb,Pb and Bi in high purity nickel were determined by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(HR-ICP-MS).The sample was dissolved in HNO3 and HCl by microwave digestion.Most of the spectral interferences could be avoided by measuring in the high resolution mode.The matrix effects because of the presence of excess HCl and nickel were evaluated.Correction for matrix effects was made using Sc,Rh and Tl as internal standards.The optimum conditions for the determination were tested and discussed.The detection limits range from 0.012 to 1.76 μg/g depending on the type of elements.The applicability of the proposed method is also validated by the analysis of high purity nickel reference material(NIST SRM 671).The relative standard deviation(RSD) is less than 3.3%.Results for determination of trace elements in high purity nickel were presented.

Determination of Trace Elements in High Purity Gold by High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Trace elements were determined in high purity gold by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （HR-ICP-MS）. Sample were decomposed by aqua regia. To overcome some potentially problematic spectra/ interference, measurements were acquired in both medium and high resolution modes. The matrix effects due to the presence of excessive HCl and Au were evaluated. The optimum conditions for the determination was tested and discussed. The standard addition method was employed for quantitative analysis. The detection limits range from 0.01ug/g to 0.28ug/g depending on the elements. The method is accurate, quick and convenient. It has been applied to the determination of trace elements in high purity gold with satisfactory results.

High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for the Recognition and Structural Characterization of a New Antimicrobial Compound

Identification of novel specialized metabolites or bioactive compounds represents the main objective in the research field of natural product leads and drug discovery. Mass spectrometry (MS) provides a central tool to expedite and make more efficient the discovery and isolation phases, while minimizing the waste of resources on rediscovery of known compounds. MS contributes acutely to elucidation and identification of numerous species because it allows molecular mass and structural features determination. In particular, identification of the elemental composition of a precursor ion of interest by accurate mass measurement and investigation of dissociative processes undergone by the molecule, represent a worthy methodology to access the structure assignment. The aim of this study was to discover and identify novel antibacterial drugs from microbial source in a jungle of already known compounds. The focus of this paper is on the analytical strategy that permitted the disclosure of a new compound, otherwise confused with other substances. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of the ESI-MS/MS fragmentation pattern that combined with high resolution mass determination, allowed step by step to properly deduce the exact molecular formula of an unknown component with a molecular weight higher than 1500 Daltons.

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.

Data Analysis for High Throughput Detection of 18 Phthalates in Textiles Based on High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry(LC-HRMS)was used to establish a high throughput and sensitive method for 18 phthalic acid esters(PAEs)in textiles.The method was applied to screen PAEs in 413 textile samples and 7 434 pieces of test data were analyzed.Further discussion was conducted about specific compounds,textile materials,detected value distribution and positive rate of samples.Twenty-nine percent of samples were detected with PAEs,and no samples were detected beyond regulations.Diisobutyl phthalate(DiBP),Dibutyl phthalate(DBP)and Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate(DEHP)were detected with high frequency,and most samples were fabrics with coating and printing.This study can be used to reflect distribution of phthalate residues in textiles on the market and provide data support for risk assessment of PAEs for textile producers and consumers.

Discovery of pulmonary fibrosis inhibitor targeting TGF-b RI in Polygonum cuspidatum by high resolution mass spectrometry with in silico strategy

Pulmonary fibrosis(PF)is an irreversible lung disease that is characterized by excessive scar tissue with a poor median survival rate of 2-3 years.The inhibition of transforming growth factor-β receptor type-I(TGF-β RI)by an appropriate drug may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of this disease.Polygonum cuspidatum(PC)is a well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine which has an anti-PF effect.Accordingly,a combination of high resolution mass spectrometry with an in silico strategy was developed as a new method to search for potential chemical ingredients of PC that target the TGF-β RI.Based on this strategy,a total of 24 ingredients were identified.Then,absorption,distribution,metabolism,and excretion(ADME)-related properties were subsequently predicted to exclude compounds with potentially undesirable pharmacokinetics behaviour.Molecular docking studies on TGF-β RI were adopted to discover new PF inhibitors.Eventually,a compound that exists in PC known as resveratrol was proven to have excellent biological activity on TGF-β RI,with an IC_(50) of 2.211 μM in vitro.Furthermore,the complex formed through molecular docking was tested via molecular dynamics simulations,which revealed that resveratrol had strong interactions with residues of TGF-β RI.This study revealed that resveratrol has significant potential as a treatment for PF due to its ability to target TGF-β RI.In addition,this research demonstrated the exploration of natural products with excellent biological activities toward specific targets via high resolution mass spectrometry in combination with in silico technology is a promising strategy for the discovery of novel drugs.

Software-aided detection and structural characterization of cyclic peptide metabolites in biological matrix by high-resolution mass spectrometry

Compared to their linear counterparts,cyclic peptides show better biological activities,such as antibacterial,immunosuppressive,and anti-tumor activities,and pharmaceutical properties due to their conformational rigidity.However,cyclic peptides could form numerous putative metabolites from potential hydrolytic cleavages and their fragments are very difficult to interpret.These characteristics pose a great challenge when analyzing metabolites of cyclic peptides by mass spectrometry.This study was to assess and apply a software-aided analytical workflow for the detection and structural characterization of cyclic peptide metabolites.Insulin and atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP)as model cyclic peptides were incubated with trypsin/chymotrypsin and/or rat liver S9,followed by data acquisition using TripleTOF?5600.Resultant full-scan MS and MS/MS datasets were automatically processed through a combination of targeted and untargeted peak finding strategies.MS/MS spectra of predicted metabolites were interrogated against putative metabolite sequences,in light of a,b,y and internal fragment series.The resulting fragment assignments led to the confirmation and ranking of the metabolite sequences and identification of metabolic modification.As a result,29 metabolites with linear or cyclic structures were detected in the insulin incubation with the hydrolytic enzymes.Sequences of twenty insulin metabolites were further determined,which were consistent with the hydrolytic sites of these enzymes.In the same manner,multiple metabolites of insulin and ANP formed in rat liver S9 incubation were detected and structurally characterized,some of which have not been previously reported.The results demonstrated the utility of software-aided data processing tool in detection and identification of cyclic peptide metabolites.

Determination of Sym-triazine Residues in Animal-derived Food by Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

[Objective]The research aimed to establish a liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry for detecting residues of diclazuril,toltrazuril and its metabolites in animal-derived food.[Method]The samples were pre-treated by QuEChERS technology and detected by Exactive liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.The liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry for detecting the residues of diclazuril,toltrazuril,toltrazuril sulfone and toltrazuril sulfoxide in animal-derived food was established.[Result]Diclazuril,toltrazuril,toltrazuril sulfone and toltrazuril sulfoxide showed a good linear correlation in the range of 2.0-50.0μg/L（r^2〉0.99）.The average recoveries of these four compounds in bovine power at the spiked levels of 2,10 and 20μg/kg were 74.5%-90.1%,and the relative standard deviations（RSD）were 15.4%-17.5%.[Conclusion]This method was stable and reliable,and could be used to detect diclazuril,toltrazuril,toltrazuril sulfone and toltrazuril sulfoxide in animal-derived food.

Development of an automatic measurement system using atmospheric pressure photoionization ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry and application for on-line analysis of particulate matter

On-line chemical characterization of atmospheric particulate matter(PM)with soft ionization technique and ultrahigh-resolution Mass Spectrometry(UHRMS)provides molecular information of organic constituents in real time.Here we describe the development and application of an automatic measurement system that incorporates PM_(2.5)sampling,thermal desorption,atmospheric pressure photoionization,and UHRMS analysis.Molecular formulas of detected organic compounds were deducted from the accurate(±10 ppm)molecular weights obtained at a mass resolution of 100,000,allowing the identification of small organic compounds in PM_(2.5).Detection efficiencies of 28 standard compounds were determined and we found a high sensitivity and selectivity towards organic amines with limits of detection below 10 pg.As a proof of principle,PM_(2.5)samples collected off-line in winter in the urban area of Beijing were analyzed using the Ionization Module and HRMS of the system.The automatic system was then applied to conduct on-line measurements during the summer time at a time resolution of 2 hr.The detected organic compounds comprised mainly CHON and CHN compounds below 350 m/z.Pronounced seasonal variations in elemental composition were observed with shorter carbon backbones and higher O/C ratios in summer than that in winter.This result is consistent with stronger photochemical reactions and thus a higher oxidation state of organics in summer.Diurnal variation in signal intensity of each formula provides crucial information to reveal its source and formation pathway.In summary,the automatic measurement system serves as an important tool for the on-line characterization and identification of organic species in PM_(2.5).

UHPLC-Quadrupole/Orbitrap MS同步检测十字花科植物中的游离氨基酸

采用超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱联用技术(UHPLC-Quadrupole/Orbitrap MS)结合柱前衍生法建立了可同时测定28种游离氨基酸的分析方法,并对十字花科植物中的游离氨基酸进行检测和分析。样品用超纯水提取后,经6-氨基喹啉基-N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺基甲酸酯(AQC)衍生,采用Waters BEH C18柱作为色谱柱,以pH 5.0乙酸铵缓冲溶液和80%乙腈水溶液作为流动相进行梯度洗脱。质谱检测器采用电喷雾离子源,在正离子模式下进行检测。实验结果表明,十字花科植物中含有25种以上游离氨基酸,其中包括人体必需的8种氨基酸。25种氨基酸在线性范围内相关性良好,平均加标回收率为80.5%~104.4%,相对标准偏差为0.6%~4.4%。不同氨基酸检测灵敏度不同,定量下限为0.01~1.45μmol/L。该方法杂质干扰小,分析速度快,灵敏度高,适用于植物样品中游离氨基酸的同步检测。

UPLC-Quadrupole/Orbitrap HRMS同时测定玉米中多种真菌毒素和农药残留

采用直接提取稀释快速前处理技术,利用超高效液相色谱-四级杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱,建立了玉米中常见的16种真菌毒素和11种农药残留的快速同时分析方法。样品采用乙腈∶水∶乙酸溶液(70∶29∶1,V/V/V)提取,提取液稀释后即可进行仪器测定。以C_(18)色谱柱进行色谱分离,通过全扫描模式进行定量检测。结果表明,16种真菌毒素和11种农药残留在本实验的线性范围内都具有良好的线性关系,相关系数(R^2)大于0.999,高中低三浓度添加水平回收率(n=6)为79.6%~116.9%,相对标准偏差为0.5%~12.2%。方法简单、快速和准确,可满足玉米真菌毒素和农药残留的日常检测和监测工作的需要。

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.

基于UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap HRMS技术结合化学计量学方法的不同干燥处理杜仲叶成分分析

采用基于液质联用的非靶向代谢组学技术结合化学计量学数据自动解析软件AntDAS-LCHRMS分析了4种不同干燥处理(冻干、热泵烘干、电热烘干、晒干)杜仲叶样本中的化合物。杜仲叶样本数据由超高效液相色谱-四极杆-静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱(UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap HRMS)分别在正、负离子模式下进行采集,经AntDAS-LCHRMS软件解析,共鉴定出71种差异性化合物,经标准品验证确定40种化合物,包括环烯醚萜类、有机酸类、黄酮类、氨基酸类、核苷类、维生素类等9类物质。其中,正、负离子模式下均可识别并验证的化合物有车叶草苷、绿原酸、芦丁、异槲皮苷、车叶草苷酸、京尼平苷等25种化合物。层次聚类分析(HCA)及主成分分析(PCA)结果均显示,相同处理的杜仲叶样本各自聚成一类,不同处理的杜仲叶样本可明显区分。热图分析进一步揭示了不同干燥处理杜仲叶样本中差异性化合物的含量变化。晒干处理样本中苯丙氨酸及色氨酸等氨基酸类物质的水平较高;冻干及热泵烘干处理样本中有机酸类、环烯醚萜类、糖类等含量较高;电热烘干样本中核苷类、黄酮类物质的含量较高;黄酮类物质在冻干、热泵烘干及晒干样本中差异较小。研究结果为不同干燥处理杜仲叶的成分分析、品质评价及其开发应用提供了科学依据,也可为其他复杂药用植物体系的化学成分分析提供参考。

超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间高分辨质谱用于化妆品中15种前列腺素类似物的快速筛查和测定

建立了超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间高分辨质谱(UPLC-Q-TOF MS)快速筛查和测定化妆品中15种前列腺素类似物的方法。样品以饱和氯化钠作为分散剂(蜡质类样品以四氢呋喃分散),经乙腈提取,离心取上清液过滤后,采用Poroshell 120 EC-C_(18)柱(150 mm×3.0 mm,2.7μm)分离,以5 mmol/L甲酸铵(含0.1%甲酸)-乙腈为流动相梯度洗脱。在ESI正离子模式下,采用Targeted MS/MS模式采集15种前列腺素类似物的质谱信息,构建筛查数据库进行快速筛查,确证后的目标物通过外标法定量。结果表明,15种前列腺素类似物的线性关系良好,相关系数(r^(2))均大于0.99;检出限为0.3~17.6μg/g,定量下限为1.1~58.8μg/g。在低、中、高3个加标水平下,水剂、膏霜、乳类、粉类、凝胶5类化妆品基质的回收率为70.1%~134%,相对标准偏差不大于7.5%。该方法简单高效、准确度好,可用于化妆品中前列腺素类似物的定性确证和定量分析,为化妆品风险识别提供技术支撑。

高效液相色谱-串联四极杆质谱法测定荔枝中降糖氨酸A和亚甲基环丙基甘氨酸

建立高效液相色谱-串联四极杆质谱定量分析荔枝中降糖氨酸A和亚甲基环丙基甘氨酸两种降糖氨酸的测定方法。荔枝样品以90%乙醇为提取溶剂进行超声提取,离心取上清,氮吹后用水复溶。经丹磺酰氯衍生化后,采用Waters HSS T3色谱柱(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8μm)进行分离,柱温为35℃,水(含0.1%甲酸)和乙腈为流动相,梯度洗脱,流量为0.3 mL/min。质谱采用电喷雾电离源,正离子扫描,多反应监测模式进行检测。两种降糖氨酸的质量浓度在0.01~0.50μg/mL范围内与其色谱峰面积线性良好,相关系数均大于0.999,降糖氨酸A的检出限为0.05 mg/kg,亚甲基环丙基甘氨酸的检出限为0.08 mg/kg,加标回收率为81.4%~98.7%,相对标准偏差为3.2%~5.9%(n=6)。该方法操作简单,分析时间短,灵敏度高,准确可靠,为荔枝中降糖氨酸A和亚甲基环丙基甘氨酸两种降糖氨酸的测定提供了有效的技术手段。