Determination of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Mouse Feces by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Using 2-Nitrophenylhydrazine as a Labeling Reagent.

It has been suggested that imbalances in gut microbiota are related to diseases associated with metabolism, the central nervous system, etc. Therefore, analysis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut microbiota is very important as an indicator of causation, demonstrating the effects on the host due to changes in the gut microbiota. We developed a HPLC method for the determination of SCFAs in mouse feces. After homogenization, the SCFAs in mouse feces and 2-ethylbutyric acid (internal standard) were derivatized with 2-nitrophenylhydrazine (2-NPH) in the presence of 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide. The 2-NPH derivatives of SCFAs and the internal standard were separated on a reversed-phase column (octadecyl silyl column) by gradient elution using phosphoric acid (pH 2.5)-acetonitrile at 50°C and detected by absorbance measurement at 400 nm. The recovery of the method was 90-115%, with a precision (relative standard deviation) of 1.3-7.7%. The determination of SCFAs by the present method can provide useful information for biological and clinical research.

Determination of paroxetine in serum treated with simple pretreatment by pre-column high-performance liquid chromatography using 4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)-2-methoxyphenylsulfonyl chloride as a fluorescent labeling reagent.

The therapeutic drug monitoring of paroxetine could be used to optimize the pharmacological treatment of depressed patients. A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography procedure was developed for the determination of paroxetine in serum. After simple pretreatment of serum (50 µL) with acetonitrile and o-phthalaldehyde, paroxetine was derivatized with 4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)-2-methoxyphenylsulfonyl chloride at 70°C for 20 min in borate buffer (0.1 mol/L, pH 8.0) to produce a fluorescent product. The derivative was separated on a reversed-phase column at 40°C for stepwise elution with (A) acetic acid (10 mmol/L) and (B) acetonitrile. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. The fluorescence intensity was monitored at excitation and emission wavelengths of 320 and 400 nm, respectively. The within-day and day-to-day relative standard deviations were 3.0-3.4 and 2.7-8.3%, respectively. The detection limit of paroxetine was 8.3 fmol at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. As the proposed method that only requires a small quantity of serum (50 µL) is simple, sensitive and reproducible, it would be useful for clinical and biochemical research as well as drug monitoring.

A simple and highly sensitive HPLC method with fluorescent detection for determination of pipecolic acid in mouse brain areas.

A simple and highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of pipecolic acid in mouse brain areas was developed. After homogenization of brain and pretreatment with o-phthalaldehyde, the pipecolic acid and (2S,3S)-3-methylpyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (internal standard) were derivatized with 4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)-2-methoxyphenylsulfonyl chloride at 70 °C for 15 min in basic medium (pH 9.0). The fluorescent derivatives of pipecolic acid and internal standard were separated on a reversed-phase column by stepwise elution using acetic acid (30 mM)-acetonitrile at 50 °C and detected by fluorescence measurement at 316 nm (excitation) and 403 nm (emission). The detection limit (signal-to-noise ratio=3) of pipecolic acid was 13 fmol per injection. The recovery was about 106.7%. The precision (relative standard deviation) was 3.2%.

Sensitive determination of carnosine in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography using 4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)-2-methoxyphenylsulfonyl chloride as a fluorescent labeling reagent.

A simple and highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography procedure was developed for the determination of carnosine in urine. Carnosine was derivatized with 4-(5,6-dimethoxy-2-phthalimidinyl)-2-methoxyphenylsulfonyl chloride at 70 degrees C for 15 min in borate buffer (20 mmol l(-1), pH 9.0) to produce fluorescent sulfonamides. After hydrolysis of the reaction mixture with formic acid at 100 degrees C for 15 min, the fluorescent derivative of carnosine was separated on a reversed-phase column with a linear gradient elution using solvents of (A) acetate buffer (0.1 mmol l(-1), pH 7.0) and (B) acetonitrile at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min and was detected at excitation and emission wavelengths of 318 and 400 nm, respectively. The detection limit of carnosine was 4 fmol at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The within-day and day-to-day relative standard deviations were 2.7-4.6% and 0.4-5.2%, respectively. The concentration of carnosine in normal human urine was found to be 4.6-125 nmol (mg creatinine)(-1) (mean+/-SD: 21.6+/-26.6 nmol (mg creatinine)(-1), n=20).