Comprehensive online multicolumn two-dimensional liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry workflow as a framework for chromatographic screening and analysis of new drug substances.

The analysis of complex mixtures of closely related species is quickly becoming a bottleneck in the development of new drug substances, reflecting the ever-increasing complexity of both fundamental biology and the therapeutics used to treat disease. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) is emerging as a powerful tool to achieve substantial improvements in peak capacity and selectivity. However, 2D-LC suffers from several limitations, including the lack of automated multicolumn setups capable of combining multiple columns in both dimensions. Herein, we report an investigation into the development and implementation of a customized online comprehensive multicolumn 2D-LC-DAD-MS setup for screening and method development purposes, as well as analysis of multicomponent biopharmaceutical mixtures. In this study, excellent chromatographic performance in terms of selectivity, peak shape, and reproducibility were achieved by combining reversed-phase (RP), strong cation exchange (SCX), strong anion exchange (SAX), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) using sub-2-µm columns in the first dimension in conjunction with several 3.0 mm × 50 mm RP columns packed with sub-3-µm fully porous particles in the second dimension. Multiple combinations of separation modes coupled to UV and MS detection are applied to the LC × LC analysis of a protein standard mixture, intended to be representative of protein drug substances. The results reported in this study demonstrate that our automated online multicolumn 2D-LC-DAD-MS workflow can be a powerful tool for comprehensive chromatographic column screening that enables the semi-automated development of 2D-LC methods, offering the ability to streamline full visualization of sample composition for an unknown complex mixture while maximizing chromatographic orthogonality. Graphical Abstract.

Purification of tertiary and quaternary alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis using reversed-phase/weak cation-exchange mixed-mode class separation combined with preparative C18 and silica based strong cation-exchange chromatography.

A new optimization strategy for purification of alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis using preparative liquid chromatography was developed, featuring a selective separation of different types of alkaloids into different parts by a reversed-phase/weak cation-exchange mixed-mode column (named C18WCX) at first. The total alkaloids of Rhizoma Corydalis were divided into four fractions with fraction III and IV corresponding to the tertiary type medium bases and the quaternary type strong bases, respectively. For fraction III, a conventional C18 column was used to isolate tertiary alkaloids using acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid (adjusted with triethylamine to pH 6.0) as mobile phases. High selectivity and symmetrical peak shapes of tertiary alkaloids were obtained, resulting in six main tertiary alkaloids isolated in a single run. As strong bases, quaternary alkaloids often suffer from serious peak tailing problem on conventional C18 columns. Therefore, a silica-based strong cation-exchange (SCX) column was used for purification of fraction IV. On the SCX column, good peak shapes in high sample loading were achieved. Five main quaternary alkaloids were isolated and identified from the fraction in one-step. The procedures presented effective for the preparative isolation and purification of alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis.

Enrichment of antioxidants in black garlic juice using macroporous resins and their protective effects on oxidation-damaged human erythrocytes.

The black garlic juice is popular for its nutritive value. Enrichment of antioxidants is needed to make black garlic extract an effective functional ingredient. Five macroporous resins were evaluated for their capacity in adsorbing antioxidants in black garlic juice. XAD-16 resin was chosen for further study due to its high adsorption and desorption ratios. Pseudo-second-order kinetics (qe=625µmol Trolox equiv/g dry resin, k2=0.0001463) and Freundlich isotherm models (ΔH=-10.1547kJ/mol) were suitable for describing the whole exothermic and physical adsorption processes of the antioxidants from black garlic juice on XAD-16 resin. The antioxidants and phenolics were mostly enriched in 40% ethanol fraction by XAD-16 resin column chromatography. The black garlic extract and its fractions could protect erythrocytes against AAPH-induced hemolysis in dose-dependent manners. The pretreatment of AAPH-damaged erythrocytes with 40% ethanol fractions (2.5mg/mL) significantly decreased the hemolysis ratios from 53.58% to 3.79%. The 40% ethanol fraction possessing strong intracellular antioxidant activity could be used as a functional food ingredient.

Separation of thorium and uranium in nitric acid solution using silica based anion exchange resin.

To separate thorium and uranium in nitric acid solution using anion exchange process, a strong base silica-based anion exchange resin (SiPyR-N4) was synthesized. Batch experiments were conducted and the separation factor of thorium and uranium in 9M nitric acid was about 10. Ion exchange chromatography was applied to separate thorium and uranium in different ratios. Uranium could be eluted by 9M nitric acid and thorium was eluted by 0.1M nitric acid. It was proved that thorium and uranium can be separated and recovered successfully by this method.

Fully automated multidimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography with tandem anion/cation exchange columns for simultaneous global endogenous tyrosine nitration detection, integral membrane protein characterization, and quantitative proteomics mapping in cerebral infarcts.

Protein tyrosine nitration (PTN) is a signature hallmark of radical-induced nitrative stress in a wide range of pathophysiological conditions, with naturally occurring abundances at substoichiometric levels. In this present study, a fully automated four-dimensional platform, consisting of high-/low-pH reversed-phase dimensions with two additional complementary, strong anion (SAX) and cation exchange (SCX), chromatographic separation stages inserted in tandem, was implemented for the simultaneous mapping of endogenous nitrated tyrosine-containing peptides within the global proteomic context of a Macaca fascicularis cerebral ischemic stroke model. This integrated RP-SA(C)X-RP platform was initially benchmarked through proteomic analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, revealing extended proteome and protein coverage. A total of 27 144 unique peptides from 3684 nonredundant proteins [1% global false discovery rate (FDR)] were identified from M. fascicularis cerebral cortex tissue. The inclusion of the S(A/C)X columns contributed to the increased detection of acidic, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic peptide populations; these separation features enabled the concomitant identification of 127 endogenous nitrated peptides and 137 transmembrane domain-containing peptides corresponding to integral membrane proteins, without the need for specific targeted enrichment strategies. The enhanced diversity of the peptide inventory obtained from the RP-SA(C)X-RP platform also improved analytical confidence in isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic analyses.

High-performance liquid chromatography separation of cis-trans anthocyanin isomers from wild Lycium ruthenicum Murr. employing a mixed-mode reversed-phase/strong anion-exchange stationary phase.

The cis-trans isomerism is a common phenomenon for acylated anthocyanins. Nevertheless, few studies reported effective methods for the preparation of isomeric anthocyanins from natural products. In this work, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to efficiently purify anthocyanin isomers from Lycium ruthenicum Murr. based on a mixed-mode reversed-phase/strong anion-exchange column (named XCharge C8SAX). Four commercially available columns were evaluated with a pair of isomeric anthocyanins, and the results demonstrated that the XCharge C8SAX column exhibited improved selectivity and column efficiency for the isomers. The chromatographic parameters, including pH, organic content, and ionic strength, were investigated. Optimal separation quality for the anthocyanin isomers was achieved on the XCharge C8SAX column. Six pure anthocyanins, including two pairs of cis-trans isomeric anthocyanins with one new anthocyanin, were purified from L. ruthenicum and identified. All of the results indicated that this method is an effective way to separate anthocyanins, especially for cis-trans isomers.

Simultaneous determination of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in environmental waters using alkaline persulfate digestion and ion chromatography.

An ion chromatography (IC) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of total nitrogen and total phosphorus after alkaline persulfate digestion. This study takes advantage of advances in construction of high-resolution, high-capacity anion-exchange columns that can better tolerate the matrices typically encountered when a determination of total nitrogen and total phosphorous is required. Here, we used an electrolytically generated hydroxide eluent combined with a high-capacity, hydroxide-selective, anion-exchange column for the determination of total nitrogen (as nitrate-N) and total phosphorus (as phosphate-P) in environmental samples by IC. This method yielded LODs for nitrate-N and phosphate-P of 1.0 and 1.3 µg/L, respectively. The LOQs determined for these analytes were 3.4 and 4.2 µg/L, respectively. Due to the dilution factor required and the blank nitrate-N concentration after the persulfate digestion, the quantification limits increased for nitrate-N and phosphate-P to 171 and 63 µg/L, respectively. The suitability of the method was evaluated by determining the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations from known concentrations of organic-containing nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. In addition, environmental samples consisting of six different wastewaters and 48 reservoir samples were evaluated for total nitrogen and phosphorus. The recoveries of nitrogen and phosphorus from the organic-containing compounds ranged from 93.1 to 100.1% and 85.2 to 97.1%, respectively. In addition, good correlation between results obtained by the colorimetric method and IC was also observed. The linearity, accuracy, and evaluation of potential interferences for determining TN and TP will be discussed.

Preparation and quality assessment of high-purity ginseng total saponins by ion exchange resin combined with macroporous adsorption resin separation.

AIM: To prepare high-purity ginseng total saponins from a water decoction of Chinese ginseng root. METHOD: Total saponins were efficiently purified by dynamic anion-cation exchange following the removal of hydrophilic impurities by macroporous resin D101. For quality control, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with a charged aerosol detector (CAD) was applied to quantify marker components. The total saponin content was estimated by a colorimetric method using a vanillin-vitriol system and CAD response. RESULTS: D201, which consisted of a cross-linked polystyrene matrix and -N(+)(CH3)3 functional groups, was the best of the four anion exchange resins tested. However, no significant difference in cation exchange ability was observed between D001 (strong acid) and D113 (weak acid), although they have different functional groups and matrices. After purification in combination with D101, D201, and D113, the estimated contents of total saponins were 107% and 90% according to the colorimetric method and CAD response, respectively. The total amount of representative ginsenosides Re, Rd, Rg1, and compound K was approximately 22% based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-CAD quantitative analysis. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that an ion exchange resin, combined with macroporous adsorption resin separation, is a promising and feasible purification procedure for neutral natural polar components.

A reliable and rapid method for soluble sugars and RFO analysis in chickpea using HPAEC-PAD and its comparison with HPLC-RI.

A high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) was optimised to separate with precision, accuracy and high reproducibility soluble sugars including oligosaccharides present in pulse meal samples. The optimised method within 20min separated myo-inositol, galactinol, glucose, fructose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose in chickpea seed meal extracts. Gradient method of eluting solvent (sodium hydroxide) resulted in higher sensitivity and rapid detection compared to similar analytical methods. Peaks asymmetry equivalent to one and resolution value ⩾1.5 support column's precision and accuracy for quantitative determinations of soluble sugars in complex mixtures. Intermediate precision determined as relative standard deviation (1.8-3.5%) for different soluble sugars confirms reproducibility of the optimised method. The developed method has superior sensitivity to detect even scarcely present verbascose in chickpea. It also quantifies myo-inositol and galactinol making it suitable both for RFO related genotype screening and biosynthetic studies.

An acetate-hydroxide gradient for the quantitation of the neutral sugar and uronic acid profile of pectins by HPAEC-PAD without postcolumn pH adjustment.

An HPAEC-PAD method was developed and validated to quantitate seven neutral sugars and two uronic acids of hydrolyzed pectic polysaccharides without postcolumn pH adjustment. Due to a short gradient phase minimizing the ion concentrations after equilibrating the CarboPac PA20 column with sodium acetate and hydroxide, subsequent isocratic separation of the neutral sugars was characterized by almost baseline resolution of rhamnose and arabinose (1.45 ± 0.15) and xylose and mannose (1.21 ± 0.02) at their maximal concentrations. Linearity was shown (R² = 0.9975-0.9998) for the relevant ranges (0.28-30.3 µmol L⁻¹); galacturonic acid, 1.7-128 µmol L⁻¹) above the limits of detection (30-81 nmol L⁻¹; galacturonic acid, 179 nmol L⁻¹) and ∼3.8 times higher limits of quantification. Conformity of the findings for four pectins after methanolysis plus hydrolysis in trifluoroacetic acid with those of reference procedures (total uronic acids, 95-102%; total neutral sugars, 97-105%) proved the accuracy.

Ion exchange chromatographic separation and isolation of oligosaccharides of intact low-molecular-weight heparin for the determination of their anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties.

It is well known that enoxaparin, a widely used anticoagulant and low-molecular-weight heparin containing a large number of oligosaccharides, possesses anti-inflammatory activity. Whilst enoxaparin has shown promising results in various inflammatory disorders, some of its oligosaccharides have anti-inflammatory properties and others increase the risk of bleeding due to their anticoagulant effects. The aim of this study was to develop an effective ion exchange chromatographic (IC) technique which allows the separation, isolation and, consequently, the identification of different oligosaccharides of enoxaparin with or without anticoagulant activity. The developed method utilises a semi-preparative CarboPac PA100 (9 × 250 mm) ion exchange column with sodium chloride gradient elution and UV detection at 232 nm. The method successfully resolved enoxaparin into more than 30 different peaks. IC-derived oligosaccharides with high, moderate, low or no anticoagulant activity were identified using an anti-factor Xa assay. The anti-inflammatory activity of selected oligosaccharides was investigated using the Griess assay. Using this technique, the oligosaccharides of enoxaparin with low or no anticoagulant activity, whilst exhibiting significant anti-inflammatory activity, could be fractionated. This technique can provide a platform to identify the oligosaccharides which are devoid of significant anticoagulant activity and are responsible for the therapeutic effects of enoxaparin that have been observed in various inflammatory conditions.

Theoretical and experimental investigations on migration behavior of weak monoprotic acids in continuous two-dimensional ion exchange/reversed phase CEC.

A continuous 2D ion exchange/RP CEC system was constructed in this report and retention characteristics of weak monoprotic acids in the column were investigated theoretically. The transport equations were deduced for predicting migration behavior of weak monoportic acids based on mixing model combining ion exchange, RP, and electrophoretic separation mechanism. The influences of separation voltage, length of capillary, pH value, and ionic strength of buffer and concentration of organic modifier in mobile phase on the separation were well described by the equations. It was verified that the migration rate of solute was linearly related to voltage in the case of lower voltage, decreased with the increase of the first-dimensional length, and [H+]. The retention time of solute increased with enhancing ionic strength and concentration of organic modifier. These theoretical results were all demonstrated by the relevant experiments. The relevant application was performed for the aqueous extract of Rhizoma gastrodiae, showing the obvious potential in method development for the analysis of complex samples.

Determination of pharmaceutically related compounds by suppressed ion chromatography: IV. Interfacing ion chromatography with universal detectors.

This work forms the final part of a study investigating gradient elution ion-exchange chromatography of pharmaceutically relevant compounds, aiming at achieving complementary selectivity to reversed-phase HPLC. In this study the coupling of three universal detectors (electro-spray ionisation mass spectrometer (ESI-MS); corona charged aerosol detector (CAD); and evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD)) to suppressed IC using complex elution profiles with potassium hydroxide eluents is demonstrated. The non-volatile ions were removed from the eluent by the suppressor prior to detection, thus allowing a stable detector response, especially with the prototype electrolytic suppressor. The detector response for ten weakly anionic pharmaceuticals followed the expected models and the limits of detection obtained were not compromised by the use of a suppressor, yielding values below 50 ng/mL with MS, low to sub µg/mL levels with CAD and 2-20 µg/mL with ELSD (25 µL injections). When coupled to MS and CAD, the prototype electrolytic suppressor showed percentage relative standard deviations (%RSDs) in peak areas of 0.4-2.5% on average, compared to the chemical suppressor which yielded 1.5-3 fold higher %RSD values for the test analytes. The prototype electrolytic suppressor also generally exhibited wider linear response ranges than the chemical suppressor.

Separation of patatins and protease inhibitors from potato fruit juice with clay minerals as cation exchangers.

Potato fruit juice as a by-product of the starch industry contains proteins with interesting functionalities such as protease inhibitors or patatin with its high nutritional value. Due to their functional properties, these proteins are principally of industrial interest. A drawback for the application of these potato proteins is the separation and isolation under maintenance of the biological activity. So far, there are no methods in literature, which are satisfying concerning the costs or the separation performance. In this study, we show a chromatographic approach using natural clay minerals as cation exchangers to separate two protein fractions in potato fruit juice. Additionally, the content of glycoalkaloids naturally occurring in potatoes is significantly reduced in a single step together with the separation of the patatins and the protease inhibitors.

Determination of pharmaceutically related compounds by suppressed ion chromatography: I. Effects of organic solvent on suppressor performance.

This overall study aims to investigate gradient elution ion-exchange chromatography of pharmaceutically relevant compounds using universal nebulisation detectors, such as evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). Addition of organic solvents to the eluent is necessary to minimise hydrophobic adsorption on the polymeric stationary phase and improve solubility of analytes. It is also necessary to de-salt the eluent prior to detection, and in this work, ion chromatography suppressors were used for this step. Such suppressors have been designed for aqueous eluents, so the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of methanol and acetonitrile on suppressor performance. Chemical and electrolytic suppressors were evaluated for baseline drift, noise and efficiency of suppression using aqueous/organic eluents containing up to 40% (v/v) methanol or acetonitrile. Chemical suppression of aqueous/organic eluents showed minimal noise levels, uniform low baseline and low gradient drift. Electrolytic suppression gave good performance, but with higher baseline conductivity levels and baseline drift than chemical suppression. The elevated baseline was found not to be caused by incomplete suppression of the eluent, but was attributed to chemical reactions involving the organic solvents and facilitated by high electric currents and heat generation. It was demonstrated that suppressed ion-exchange separation using a complex KOH elution profile could be coupled with ELSD, with the suppressor effectively de-salting the eluent, producing a stable baseline. Finally, complementary separation selectivity was demonstrated using a set of pharmaceutically related organic acids separated by reversed-phase and ion-exchange methods.

Two-dimensional strong cation-exchange liquid chromatography/reversed-phase pressurized capillary electrochromatography for separation of complex samples.

A 2-D separation platform was constructed using micro strong cation-exchange liquid chromatography (µ-SCXLC) and reversed-phase pressurized capillary electrochromatography (RP-pCEC) for the analysis of complex samples. Samples were fractionated by the first-dimension µ-SCXLC with a linear solvent gradient and then injected into the second-dimension RP-pCEC for further separation. The µ-SCXLC/RP-pCEC 2-D system with three separation mechanisms, namely strong cation-exchange, reversed-phase chromatography and electrophoresis, provided high selectivity, high resolution and high peak capacity compared to one-dimensional chromatographic approaches. Separation effectiveness of this 2-D system was demonstrated by the analysis of different kinds of complex samples, such as traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Phellodendri, bovine serum albumin (BSA) tryptic digest and real serum tryptic digest. A theoretical peak capacity of approximately 1200 was achieved, which proves its promising potential for the separation and analysis of complex samples.

[Development of two-dimensional micro strong cation exchange liquid chromatography/reversed phase pressurized capillary electrochromatography and its application on Cortex Phellodendri extract].

Pressurized capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) combines capillary electrophoresis (CE) with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), resulting in high separation efficiency, high selectivity, high resolution and fast speed. In addition, it provides a solvent gradient capability. Based on pCEC, a two-dimensional chromatography was constructed using micro strong cation exchange liquid chromatography and reversed phase pressurized capillary electrochromatography (micro-SCXLC/RP-pCEC) for the analysis of Cortex Phellodendri extract. A sample was separated by the first dimensional SCX column with a linear salt gradient elution into 11 plugs. Each plug was collected and injected into the second dimensional RP-pCEC column with a linear gradient for further separation. Compared with one-dimensional liquid chromatography, it has higher resolution and larger peak capacity. The two-dimensional chromatographic system is suitable for the separation and analysis of complex samples.

Mixed-mode ion-exchangers and their comparative chromatographic characterization in reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction chromatography elution modes.

A set of particulate silica-supported mixed-mode RP/weak anion-exchangers (RP/WAX) (obtained by bonding of N-undecenoylated 3-aminoquinuclidine, 3-aminotropane and 2-dimethylaminoethylamine as well as of N-butenoyl-(2S,4S,5R)-2-aminomethyl-5-[(2-octylthio)ethyl]-quinuclidine to thiol-modified silica) were chromatographically characterized in comparison to selected commercially available columns using two distinct isocratic elution modes, viz. an aqueous-rich RP-type elution mode (with 40% ACN and 60% buffer) as well as an organic solvent-rich hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC)-type elution mode (95 and 90% ACN). The mixed-mode RP/WAX phases showed multimodal applicability, unlike a polar embedded RP material (Synergi Fusion RP), amino phases (Luna NH(2), BioBasic AX) or typical HILIC packings (ZIC-HILIC, TSKGel Amide-80). Principal component analysis (PCA) of the RP test data confirmed that the in-house developed RP/WAX columns as well as the Acclaim Mixed-Mode WAX-1 phase resemble each other in their chromatographic characteristics having slightly lower hydrophobic selectivity (alpha(CH2) of 1.5) than the tested Synergi Fusion RP (alpha(CH2) approximately 1.8). In contrast, a decrease in mixed-mode character due to lowered ion-exchange capacity and concomitantly increased RP-like behavior could be identified for other mixed-mode phases in the order of Obelisc R > Primesep B2 > Uptisphere MM3. PCA on HILIC data revealed that the RP/WAX phases behave dissimilar to TSKGel Amide-80, ZIC-HILIC and polysulfoethyl A under the chosen elution conditions. Hence, they may be regarded as complementary to these commercial stationary phases with applicability profiles for hydrophilic but also hydrophobic solutes.

Recent developments and emerging directions in ion chromatography.

This review provides a selected overview of some of the significant developments that have occurred in ion chromatography (IC) over recent years, together with some views on the future directions that IC will follow. The topics covered in the review include new stationary phases (especially monolithic phases), miniaturized IC systems (capillary, microchip and low-pressure formats), enhanced peak capacity through the use of complex eluent profiles and associated computer tools for simulation and prediction of retention, hyphenated IC systems and their use for speciation studies and metallomics, and the rapidly increasing use of IC in bioanalysis.

Silica-based monolithic columns with mixed-mode reversed-phase/weak anion-exchange selectivity principle for high-performance liquid chromatography.

This article describes the synthesis, chromatographic characterization, and performance evaluation of analytical (100 x 4.6 mm id) and semipreparative (100 x 10 mm id) monolithic silica columns with mixed-mode RP/weak anion-exchange (RP/WAX) surface modification. The monolithic RP/WAX columns were obtained by immobilization of N-(10-undecenoyl)-3-aminoquinuclidine onto thiol-modified monolithic silica columns (Chromolith) by a radical addition reaction. Their chromatographic characterization by Engelhardt and Tanaka tests revealed slightly lower hydrophobic selectivities than C-8 phases, as well as higher polarity and also improved shape selectivity than RP-18e silica rods. The surface modification enabled separation by both RP and anion-exchange chromatography principles, and thus showed complementary selectivities to the RP-18e monoliths. The mixed-mode monoliths have been tested for the separation of peptides and turned out to be particularly useful for hydrophilic acidic peptides, which are usually insufficiently retained on RP-18e monolithic columns. Compared to a corresponding particulate RP/WAX column (5 microm, 10 nm pore diameter), the analytical RP/WAX monolith caused lower system pressure drops and showed, as expected, higher efficiency (e.g. by a factor of about 2.5 lower C-term for a tetrapeptide). The upscaling from the analytical to semipreparative column dimension was also successful.