Simultaneous determination of ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates in biological samples by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Information about the intracellular concentration of dNTPs and NTPs is important for studies of the mechanisms of DNA replication and repair, but the low concentration of dNTPs and their chemical similarity to NTPs present a challenge for their measurement. Here, we describe a new rapid and sensitive method utilizing hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of dNTPs and NTPs in biological samples. The developed method showed linearity (R2 > 0.99) in wide concentration ranges and could accurately quantify dNTPs and NTPs at low pmol levels. The intra-day and inter-day precision were below 13%, and the relative recovery was between 92% and 108%. In comparison with other chromatographic methods, the current method has shorter analysis times and simpler sample pre-treatment steps, and it utilizes an ion-pair-free mobile phase that enhances mass-spectrometric detection. Using this method, we determined dNTP and NTP concentrations in actively dividing and quiescent mouse fibroblasts.

Column comparison and method development for the analysis of short-chain carboxylic acids by zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with UV detection.

Short-chain carboxylic acids are relevant in pharmaceutical, food quality control, and biomedical analysis. In this study, 11 acids commonly found in drugs and in food products were selected. Wine was chosen as matrix for testing the method. The test compounds were used for comparing the selectivity of four 150 × 2.1 mm zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction LC (HILIC) columns (ZIC-HILIC 5 µm, 200 Å, and 3.5 µm, 100 Å, ZIC-pHILIC 5 µm, ZIC-cHILIC 3 µm, 100 Å) while varying the conditions to optimize for low UV wavelength detection and achieve high sensitivity. Retention using potassium phosphate and ammonium carbonate as mobile-phase components at pH 6.0, 7.5, and 8.5-8.9 was studied considering recent hypotheses on HILIC mechanism-related with the Hofmeister series effect and ion hydration. An isocratic method with UV detection at 200 nm and mobile phase consisting of 75% acetonitrile and 10 mM potassium phosphate at pH 6.0 applied to a ZIC-cHILIC column was found provisionally optimal and partially validated for the 11 analytes. Satisfactory results (R(2) from 0.9940 to >0.9999), and recoveries from 93-106% for all analytes evidenced the method as suitable for wine analysis. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has reported on the direct ZIC-HILIC separation and UV detection of the acids considered here in wine.

Experimental designs for solid-phase microextraction method development in bioanalysis: A review.

This review is an update of a previous review in 2009 and covers publications from 2009 to 2019. The review focuses on experimental design, referred to as the design of experiments (DoE), used in developing bioanalytical solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods. Characteristics of different SPME approaches are illustrated and critically discussed. The literature selection evidences that two-level full factorial designs, with a limited number of factors (<5), are most frequently used for preliminary factors screening. When applying the response surface methodology for the quantitative assessment of factorial effects, few quadratic models were used. The most popular were the rotatable central composite and Box-Benkhen designs. Models including more than four factors, such as fractional factorial designs (including the Plackett-Burman and Taguchi designs), were rarely used. Definitive screening and D-Optimal designs were not reported anywhere in the literature selection. When examining the diagnostic criteria used to evaluate different model's quality and validity, it was apparent the researchers relied heavily on commercial software for experimental design, analysis, and reporting of the results.

Quantification of methylmalonic acid in human plasma with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography separation and mass spectrometric detection.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of methylmalonic acid (MMA) in serum or plasma is useful for diagnosing cobalamin deficiency. We developed a method for quantifying MMA in plasma based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and single-stage negative electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. METHODS: We deproteinized plasma samples (200 microL) with 800 microL acidified acetonitrile containing 0.17 micromol/L deuterated MMA (D(3)-MMA) internal standard, centrifuged the samples, and injected 4 microL of the supernatant into the LC-MS instrument. Separation was achieved within 3 min on a Merck SeQuant ZIC-HILIC column with a mobile phase consisting of 4 volumes acetonitrile plus 1 volume 100 mmol/L ammonium acetate buffer, pH 4.5, at a flow rate of 400 microL/min. Subsequent column washing and reconditioning contributed to a total run time of 10 min. MMA and D(3)-MMA were quantified by single-ion monitoring (m/z 117.2 and 120.2, respectively) in negative ESI mode at a drying-gas flow rate of 10 L/min, 300 degrees C, and a capillary voltage of 3.0 kV. RESULTS: The estimated limits of MMA quantification and detection were 0.09 micromol/L and 0.03 micromol/L, respectively, in plasma. The assay was linear to 200 micromol/L. Interassay and intraassay CVs were < or = 5% at all tested concentrations. Recoveries were 90%-93%. CONCLUSIONS: This robust assay allows analysis of MMA in human plasma without derivatization. Sample preparation is simple and suitable for automation.

Fast hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic separations on bonded zwitterionic stationary phase.

Separation science is an art of obtaining adequate resolution of the desired compounds in minimum time, and with minimum effort in terms of sample preparation and data evaluation. In LC, where selectivity is a main driving force for separation, the availability of different separation modes capable of operating at high flow rates is a way to make combined optimal use of selectivity, efficiency, and speed. The separation of polar and hydrophilic compounds is problematic in RP LC due to the poor retention. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) is a more straightforward separation mode to address this problem. Herein, it is shown that separations in HILIC mode are equally efficient as for RP, providing a potential for very fast separations on short columns. This is not only facilitated by the low viscosity of the mobile phase compositions used, compared to typical RP eluents, but also due to higher column permeability. To exemplify this, baseline separations of uracil and cytosine are shown in less than 4 s and of Tamiflu and its main metabolite in less than 40 s, both under isocratic conditions. HILIC must therefore be considered having potential for high throughput purposes, and being an attractive candidate as the second separation dimension in 2-D HPLC.

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography in food matrices analysis: An updated review.

This review focuses on the most recent papers (from 2011 to submission date in 2017) dealing with the analysis of different organic components in foods (i.e. nucleobases, nucleosides, nucleotides, uric acid, and creatinine, amino acids and related compounds, choline-related compounds and phospholipids, carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners and polyphenolic compounds), using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) combined with different detection techniques. For each compound class, the investigated food matrices are grouped per: foods of animal origin, vegetables, fruits and related products, baby food, and other matrices such as drinks and mushrooms/fungi. Furthermore, the main advantages of HILIC chromatography respect to the other commonly used techniques are discussed.

Online solid phase extraction liquid chromatography using bonded zwitterionic stationary phases and tandem mass spectrometry for rapid environmental trace analysis of highly polar hydrophilic compounds - Application for the antiviral drug Zanamivir.

Zanamivir (Za) is a highly polar and hydrophilic antiviral drug used for the treatment of influenza A viruses. Za has been detected in rivers of Japan and it's environmental occurrence has the risk of inducing antiviral resistant avian influenza viruses. In this study, a rapid automated online solid phase extraction liquid chromatography method using bonded zwitterionic stationary phases and tandem mass spectrometry (SPE/LC-MS/MS) for trace analysis of Za was developed. Furthermore, an internal standard (IS) calibration method capable of quantifying Za in Milli-Q, surface water, sewage effluent and sewage influent was evaluated. Optimum pre-extraction sample composition was found to be 95/5 v/v acetonitrile/water sample and 1% formic acid. The developed method showed acceptable linearities (r(2)≥0.994), filtration recovery (≥91%), and intra-day precisions (RSD≤16%), and acceptable and environmentally relevant LOQs (≤20ngL(-1)). Storage tests showed no significant losses of Za during 20 days and +4/-20°C (≤12%) with the exception of influent samples, which should be kept at -20°C to avoid significant Za losses. The applicability of the method was demonstrated in a study on phototransformation of Za in unfiltered and filtered surface water during 28 days of artificial UV irradiation exposure. No significant (≤12%) phototransformation was found in surface water after 28 days suggesting a relatively high photostability of Za and that Za should be of environmental concern.

Separation and detection of neuroactive steroids from biological matrices.

This review is based on a selection of research papers published mainly in the last decade and it describes various analytical aspects of separation and detection of neuroactive steroids in biological matrices.

Direct determination of ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate in postmortem urine specimens using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

This work was aimed at developing and validating a hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometric method for identification and quantification of ethyl glucuronide (ETG) and ethyl sulfate (ETS) as ethanol biomarkers and at employing this method for analysis of postmortem urine samples. Analytes of interest were separated on a ZIC-HILIC column (150 x 2.1 mm, 3.5 microm) connected to a Thermo Finnigan LCQ Deca Plus liquid chromatographic- tandem mass spectrometric instrument operated in the ESI-selected reaction monitoring mode. Seventy-nine urine case samples were divided into three groups depending on the ethanol concentration found in blood and analyzed by the developed method: group A with postmortem blood ethanol concentrations higher than 200 mg/100 mL; group B with ethanol concentrations in the range 80-200 mg/100 mL; and group C with ethanol concentrations in the range 10-80 mg/100 mL. ETG and ETS had high recoveries of 98-99%, and the HILIC column produced fine, sharp peak shapes and achieved baseline separation in less than 7 min. Both ethanol markers were detected in all groups with overall median concentrations of 100 and 23 mg/L for ETG and ETS, respectively. It can be concluded that the potential for postmortem production of alcohol increased in the low ethanol concentration group as several cases tested negative for both biomarkers in group C. ETG was detected at low concentrations in some cases for which ETS tested negative. Although ETS is stable after being subjected to many stability conditions, the use of ETS as sole evidence of alcohol ingestion may lead to a false-negative result, as we noticed in groups A and C in the present study. The use of ETG is a more reliable ethanol biomarker. Both ethanol biomarkers should be determined in heavily putrefied cases and when the ethanol concentration in postmortem blood is low.