Offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry enabling fourdimensional separation and characterization of the multicomponents from white ginseng and red ginseng

Inherent complexity of plant metabolites necessitates the use of multi-dimensional information to accomplish comprehensive profiling and confirmative identification.A dimension-enhanced strategy,by offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(2 D-LC/IM-QTOF-MS)enabling four-dimensional separations(2 D-LC,IM,and MS),is proposed.In combination with in-house database-driven automated peak annotation,this strategy was utilized to characterize ginsenosides simultaneously from white ginseng(WG)and red ginseng(RG).An offline 2 DLC system configuring an Xbridge Amide column and an HSS T3 column showed orthogonality 0.76 in the resolution of ginsenosides.Ginsenoside analysis was performed by data-independent high-definition MSE(HDMSE)in the negative ESI mode on a Vion?IMS-QTOF hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometer,which could better resolve ginsenosides than MSEand directly give the CCS information.An in-house ginsenoside database recording 504 known ginsenosides and 58 reference compounds,was established to assist the identification of ginsenosides.Streamlined workflows,by applying UNIFI?to automatedly annotate the HDMSEdata,were proposed.We could separate and characterize 323 ginsenosides(including 286 from WG and 306 from RG),and 125 thereof may have not been isolated from the Panax genus.The established 2 D-LC/IM-QTOF-HDMSEapproach could also act as a magnifier to probe differentiated components between WG and RG.Compared with conventional approaches,this dimensionenhanced strategy could better resolve coeluting herbal components and more efficiently,more reliably identify the multicomponents,which,we believe,offers more possibilities for the systematic exposure and confirmative identification of plant metabolites.

Identification of petroleum aromatic fraction by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC×GC-TOFMS) is commercially available in the 1990s,with the characteristics of large peak capacity,high resolution,high sensitivity,etc.However,its application to the petroleum and geological analyses is just emerging in China and overseas.In this research,the analytical method for petroleum aromatic fraction using GC×GC-TOFMS is set up,via the choice of the column system and optimization of setting parameters,such as temperature programming,modulation time,hot pulse time,flow rate of carrier gas,data acquisition rate and data processing.The results indicate that different polar compounds of aromatic fraction distribute as bands on structured GC×GC chromatogram.Within each band,homologous compounds appear as a roof-tile structure based on the number of substituent residues.The aromatic compounds are identified and characterized according to the GC×GC chromatogram and mass spectra.According to the polarity and the number of rings,aromatic compounds are spatially present on one chromatogram,which directly reflects the distribution characteristics of complex compounds of aromatic hydrocarbons.In addition,quantitative analysis is favored as some overlapped peaks on traditional GC-MS chromatogram have been separated completely on GC×GC.Some heterocyclic atom aromatic compounds at trace level can be clearly identified using this method,for polarity differences from other interfered aromatic compounds.The development of this method and chromatogram recognition offer petroleum geologists a practical example for the application performance of GC×GC-TOFMS.

Comparison of geochemical parameters derived from comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry and conventional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions of crude oil samples have been analyzed by using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GCxGC-TOFMS） and conventional gas chro- matography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. In order to investigate the consistency and discrepancy of the obtained data from the two instruments, some petroleum geochemical parameters have been compared. A comparison of 23 geochemical parameters indicates that 10 parameters are comparable from the two instruments with less than 5% deviations. Therefore, GCxGC-TOFMS is equivalent to conventional GC-MS in some geochemical parameter acquisitions. However, the other 13 parameters are discrepant, including gammacerane / αβ-hopane, Ts/Tm, 2-ethyl-naphthalene / 1-ethyl-naphthalene （ENR）, （2, 6-dimethyl-naphthalene ＋2,7-dimethyl-naphthalene） / 1,5-dimethyl-naphthalene （DNR）, etc. Furthermore, compared to GCxGC-TOFMS, some low concentration compounds could not be detected by the conventional GC-MS, which results in the missing of related geochemical data. Normally, this is caused by the limited separation power and peak capacity of the conventional GC column. Besides, the co-eluting peak integrations are also affected significantly due to the incomplete separation of the compounds. Some low concentration compounds might not be detected because of the interference from the baseline noise or from other substances. GCxGC-TOFMS prevails in compound separation against the conventional GC-MS by avoiding co-elution, which achieves more accurate and precise peak area measurement with the presence of a true baseline. So petroleum geochemical parameters obtained from the GCxGC-TOFMS GCxGC-TOFMS may become one of the most effective analytical are more reliable than those from the conventional GC-MS tools for the oil and gas geochemical study.

Identification and Characterization of Sulfur Compounds in Straight-Run Diesel Using Comprehensive Two-Dimensional GC Coupled with TOF MS

The solid-phase extraction using Pd-Al2O3 as the stationary phase was employed to pre-separate the sulfur compounds in straight-run diesel. The isolating effect was evaluated quantitatively by gas chromatography with a sulfur chemiluminescence detector to harvest a satisfactory result. The identification of the structure of sulfur compounds by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with the time-of-flight mass spectrometry indicated that cyclo-sulfides, benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, dihydro-benzothiophenes and tetrahydro-dibenzothiophenes were included in straightrun diesel obtained from the Arab medium crude(AM). A total of 259 individual compounds were detected and their molecular structures were identified. The analytical method was approved as an effective way to characterize the composition of sulfur compounds, which reduced the interference of other compounds, facilitated the data presentation and provided more detailed information about molecular composition of sulfur compounds.

Qualitative Analysis of A Sulfur-fumigated Chinese Herbal Medicine by Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography and High-Resolution Time of Flight MassSpectrometry Using Colorized Fuzzy Difference Data Processing

To investigate the chemical transformation of volatile compounds in sulfur-fumigated Radix Angelicae Sinensis. A comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HR-TOF/MS) with colorized fuzzy difference (CFD) method was used to investigate the effect of sulfur-fumigation on the volatile components from Radix Angelicae Sinensis. Twenty-five compounds that were found in sun-dried samples disappeared in sulfur-fumigated samples. Seventeen volatile components including two sulfur-containing compounds were newly generated for the first time in volatile oils of sulfur-fumigated Radix Angelicae Sinensis. The strategy can be successfully applied to rapidly and holistically discriminate sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated Radix Angelicae Sinensis. GCxGC-HR-TOF/MS based CFD is a powerful and feasible approach for the global quality evaluation of Radix Angelicae Sinensis as well as other herbal medicines.

COMPREHENSIVE TWO-DIMENSIONAL LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED WITH QUADRUPLE TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS ANALYSIS OF TRIPTERYGIUM GLYCOSIDES TABLETS

Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography platform(LC×LC)coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight(QTOF)mass spectrometry(MS)is developed to separate,identify and relatively determine the chemical constituents of two types of tripterygium glycosides tablets(TGT).The types and relative contents of the constituents discovered in two kinds of TGT tablets were subsequently compared.C8andC18 column were used for the separation of the first

Using cell membrane chromatography and HPLC-TOF/MS method for in vivo study of active components from roots of Aconitum carmichaeli

An offline two-dimensional system combining a rat cardiac mascle cell membrane chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry （CMC-TOF/MS） with a high performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry （HPLC-TOF/MS） was established for investigating the parent components and metabolites in rat urine samples after administration of the roots of Aconitum carmichaeli. On the basis of the analysis of the first dimension, retention components of the urine sample were collected into 30 fractions （one fraction per minute）. Then offline analysis of the second dimension was carried out. 34 compounds including 24 parent alkaloids and 10 potential metabolites were identified from the dosed rat urine, and then binding affinities of different compounds on cell membranes were compared and influences of some functional groups on activity were estimated with the semi-quantification and curve fitting method. As a result, binding affinities decreased along with the process of deacylation, debenzoylation and demethylation, which may be related to the alleviation of toxicity in the procedure of herb processing or metabolism. Moreover, some minor components in rat urine （Songorine, 14-benzoylneoline, Deoxyaconitine, etc. ） exerted relatively strong affinity on cell membranes are worth exploring. The results delivered by the system suggest that the CMC can be applied to in vivo study.

A GC×GC-ToFMS Investigation of the Unresolved Complex Mixture and Associated Biomarkers in Biodegraded Petroleum

Heavy biodegraded crude oils have larger numbers of coeluting compounds than nonbiodegraded oils, and they are typically not resolved with conventional gas chromatography（GC）. This unresolved complex mixture（UCM） has been investigated using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry（GC×GC-To FMS） within a set of biodegraded petroleums derived from distinct sedimentary basins, including northwestern Sichuan（Neoproterozoic, marine）, Tarim（Early Paleozoic, marine）, Bohai Bay（Eocene, saline/brackish） and Pearl River Mouth（Eocene, freshwater）. In general, the hydrocarbons that constitute the UCM in petroleum saturate fractions can be classified into three catalogues based on the distributions of resolved compounds on two dimensional chromatograms. Group 1 is composed mainly of normal and branched alkanes, isoprenoid alkanes and monocyclic alkanes; Group 2 comprises primarily terpanes ranging from two to five rings, and Group 3 is dominated by monoaromatic hydrocarbons such as tetralins and monoaromatic steranes. In addition, the UCM is source dependent and varies between oil populations. i.e., the UCM of petroleum derived from Precambrian and Early Paleozoic marine, Eocene saline/brackish and freshwater source rocks is specifically rich in higher homologues of A-norsteranes, series of 1,1,3-trimethyl-2-alkylcyclohexanes（carotenoid-derived alkanes）, and tetralin and indane compounds, respectively.

Phytochemical constituents,antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of Ardisia elliptica

Objective:To investigate the antioxidant,antibacterial,and chemical ingredients of Ardisia elliptica(A.elliptica) methanolic extracts.Methods:The plant was extracted using methanol.Antibacterial and antioxidant activities were evaluated.Results:The results showed that both fruit and leaf extract of A.elliptica have significant antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.Fruit extracts showed higher content of phenolic(71 ± 0.03 GAE/mg extract dry weight),in comparison to the leaf extracts(37 ± 0.05 GAE/mg extract dry weight).Flavonoid content,and Fe2+chelating activity of fruit extracts were higher than leaf extract.The percentage radical inhibition of fruit extract is found to be higher(70%) than that of leaf extract(60%).LCMS results indicated that the major compounds in the fruit extract were Gingerol,Aspidin,Kampherol,and Stercuresin,while the leaf extract contained Gingerol,Aspidin,Triangularin,and Salicyl acyl glucuronide.Furthermore,the results of GCMS indicated that fruit extract contained these major compounds:Vitamin E Tocopherol,5-hepylresornicol,2-Nonylmalonic acid,5-pentadecylresornicol,and Stigmasta-7-22-dien-3-ol.However,leaf extract of A.elliptica contained these major compounds:Alpha Amyrenol,4,4,6,6a,6b,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12 a,14,14 a,14 b octadehydro-2H-picen-3-one,and Lonasterol,4-t-Butyl-2-[4-nitrophenyl] phenol.Conclusions:The results provide evidence that fruit and leaf of A.elliptica extracts might indeed be used as a potential source of effective natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in pharmaceutical and food industries.

Analysis of black-streak defects on food-container screw caps

The cause of black-streak defects on food-container screw caps is analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry,morphological analysis,and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.An immersion experiment was conducted with the cap immersed in different concentrations of acetic acid to simulate the growth of black streaks.The experimental results show that the acetic acid concentration in food is closely related to the appearance of the black-streak defects.Acetic acid is speculated to permeate into the gaps of the cap,followed by the formation of ferric acetate(light brown solid).The ferric acetate then breaks through the paint surface and its color coincides with that of the paint,which leads to the formation of the black-streak defects.

Exploring Chemovar-Specific Cannabis Extracts Quantification and Evaluation of Cytotoxic Compounds for Targeting Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) represents one of the most aggressive and metastatic brain tumors, with a dismal success rate of less than three percent after five years, particularly in tumors with active immune checkpoints. This necessitates the development of targeted endogenous agents for precise GBM treatment. Previous experiments utilizing Chemovar Specific Cannabis Extractions (CSCEs), fractionated with polar solvents and quantified using Liquid and Gas Column Chromatography combined with Mass Spectrometry (LC/GCMS), have shown reduced viability and motility in human GBM cell lines. However, the complexity of the botanical substance has hindered the personalization of standard cannabis medicines for GBM due to unknown synergistic effects of multiple compounds. To address this limitation, our study focuses on exposing AM251 cells to chemovar fractions extracted using a non-polar solvent, thereby isolating a broader spectrum of constituents. By employing LC/GCMS in conjunction with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), we have identified and quantified nine* compounds present in the non-polar CSCE that exhibit significant efficacy (0.1 μM) in inducing cytotoxicity* in GBM tumor cells. Conversely, the polar fraction in our experiment did not demonstrate efficacy against UM251 cells. The quantification of individual compounds within a cannabis extraction that selectively induces cell death in brain tumors holds promise for guiding future research and facilitating the development of a standardized CSCE for GBM therapy.

Use of the Metabolomics Approach to Characterize Chinese Medicinal Material Huangqi

Integration of the genetic and metabolic fingerprinting can provide a new approach to differentiate similar Traditional Chinese Medical （TCM） materials. Two leguminous plants, Mojia Huangqi and Menggu Huangqi, are important medical herbs and share great similarities in morphology, chemical constituent, and genomic DNA sequence. The taxonomy of Mojia Huangqi and Menggu Huangqi has been debated for more than 50 years and discrimination of TCM materials directly affects the pharmacological and clinical effects. AFLP based genetic fingerprinting and GC-TOF/MS-based meta- bolic fingerprinting were used to successfully discriminate the two species. The results of AFLP supported the opinion that Menggu Huangqi was a variant of Mojia Huangqi. The metabolic fingerprinting showed growth locations have greater impacts on the metabolite composition and quantity than the genotypes （cultivated versus wild） in Menggu Huangqi. The difference of some soluble sugars, fatty acids, proline, and polyamine reflected plant adaptation to different growth environments. Using multivariate and univariate statistical analysis, three AFLP markers and eight metabolites were identified as candidate DNA and metabolic markers to distinguish the two herb materials. The correlation network between AFLP markers and metabolites revealed a complex correlation network, which indicated the special metabolic pathways and the regulation networks of Huangqi.

Chemical and physical variations of cannabis smoke from a variety of cannabis samples in New Zealand

Studies have compared the chemical properties of tobacco smoke to those of cannabis smoke,with the objective of identifying the chemical attributes responsible for the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of cannabis smoke.Comparative studies have included small sample sizes and produced conflicting results.The aim of this study was to assess the major chemical and physical variations of cannabis smoke across a range of cannabis samples of different potencies and origins,sourced from the illegal market in New Zealand.Twelve cannabis samples were studied ranging from 1.0%to 13.4%delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol(D9THC)content.A smoking machine was used to smoke“joints”(cannabis cigarettes)and the chemical/physical properties of the smoke assessed.The chemical constituents of the smoke extracts were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.A range of different chemical constituents(in addition to D9THC)were identified and their concentrations estimated.Terpenoids were identified as the major variable in cannabis smoke,showing a 40-fold range in total terpenoid content.Analysis of the total particulate matter showed that significantly different levels of particulate matter were produced between the different cannabis samples,ranging from 14.6 to 66.3 mg/g of cannabis smoked.The D9THC delivery efficiency during smoking was also investigated and produced consistent results showing a mean and median of 12.6%and 10.8%,respectively,of the theoretically available D9THC(ranging from 7.2%to 28.0%).

Insight of unresolved complex mixtures of saturated hydrocarbons in heavy oil via GC×GC-TOFMS analysis

The saturated hydrocarbon fraction of a heavily biodegraded crude oil from Liaohe oilfield was analyzed by using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). The "humps", which was termed as unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) in conventional gas chromatographic analysis, was separated for identification of the individual compound. Main compounds of UCMs were identified according to the combined information of characteristics of GC×GC chromatogram and time-of-flight mass spectra. It's found that UCMs are mainly composed of great number of ring compounds with extremely low concentration. The ring compounds are separated according to their boiling point diversity in the first dimension column, then to their polarity or ring number variety in the second dimension column. In the sample there are two groups of UCMs, i.e., the first group compounds with boiling point lower that of C24 and the second group compounds with boiling point higher than that of C24. The first group of UCMs mainly consists of monocyclic, bicyclic and tricyclic ring compounds. The first group of UCMs is mainly composed of saturated hydrocarbons, in which the percentage of ring compounds with signal-to-noise ratio above 100 is about 75% of the total quantity of saturated hydrocarbon, while its mass is over 80% of the total saturated hydrocarbon. The second group of UCMs is mainly composed of tetracyclic and pentacyclic ring compounds, in which the percentage of UCM compounds with signal-to-noise ratio over 100 is about 17% of the total quantity of saturated hydrocarbon, and its mass is about 0.5% of the total saturated hydrocarbon. The results of this study are helpful for heavy oil developing and genesis mechanism understanding.