Abstract: This review article underlines the detection-oriented derivatization of neutral steroids in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Steroids have strong biological activity at very low concentrations in target tissues and, therefore, the analysis of steroids in body fluids or tissues is necessary to elucidate the nature of the many endocrine disease processes and thus be useful for diagnosis and treatment. LC-MS has recently been used for steroid analysis because of its specificity and versatility, but the ionization efficiencies of most steroids are relatively low for the different ionization methods. Derivatization enhances the ionization efficiencies of steroids, leading to high sensitivity and specific detection. For electrospray ionization MS the introduction of permanently charged moieties or easily ionizable moieties effectively increases the sensitivity of detection of steroids. The introduction of moieties with proton affinity or electron affinity enhances the analyte signals in positive and negative atmospheric pressure chemical ionization MS, respectively.

Abstract: The use of derivatization in the solid phase or in solution in analytical methods based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has made possible low detection limits (LODs) to determine substances with poor chromatographic behavior, high reactivity and/or volatility or thermal instability. The most common use of derivatization in SPME applications is the treatment of polar compounds to increase their recoveries from the sample matrix. The implementation of solid-phase derivatization procedures has permitted not only enhancement of recoveries, but also improvement in the separation, selectivity and/or sensitivity of analytical methods. This review covers analytical methods that involve derivatization and SPME.

Abstract: Post source decay (PSD) analysis of precursor ions generated from matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for amino acid sequencing and primary structure analysis of proteins. N-Terminal sulfonation has become an effective derivatization strategy in facilitating de novo peptide sequencing by the formation of predominate y-type ion series in MALDI PSD spectra. Recently, an effective and inexpensive N-terminal derivatization method has been reported using 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate (SPITC) as the derivatization reagent (J. Mass. Spectrom. 2003; 38: 373–377). In this paper, we report an improvement in the derivatization procedure with this reagent that involves replacing an organic co-reagent with other chemicals and eliminating the use of organic solvent. The method is demonstrated on a model peptide and on tryptic digests of two proteins. The results indicate that the improved sulfonation reaction can be implemented with high efficiency under aqueous conditions and that the sensitivity of mass detection can be increased considerably. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract: Two new trace analytical methods are presented for identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in complex biological matrixes such as bird of prey eggs. One method is based on derivatization with methyl chloroformate prior to GC/high-resolution MS (HRMS) analysis in electron impact ionization mode. Alternatively, the underivatized phenolic analytes were separated and detected by HPLC coupled to time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS) in the negative ion electrospray ionization mode. For both methods, the egg samples were homogenized and dried with acidified sodium sulfate, cold column-extracted, and cleaned up by gel permeation chromatography and subsequently a Florisil column. Recovery rates for pentachlorophenol (PCP), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and selected hydroxylated PCBs (HO-PCBs) from spiked hen's eggs (spiking level 1 ng/g of wet weight (ww)) were in the range of 56−98% for the HPLC/MS method and 57−108% for GC/MS including derivatization. Typical detection limits of the HPLC/TOF-MS method wer...

Abstract: A method for the accurate determination of selenoamino acids in human serum by HPLC−ICPMS was developed using the species-specific isotope dilution analysis principle. A serum sample was enzymatically digested with a mixture of lipase and protease after derivatization of the selenocysteine residues with iodoacetamide. The selenoamino acid fraction was isolated by size exclusion LC followed by the separation of selenomethionine and the carboxymethylated selenocysteine by capillary HPLC. The isotope-specific determination of 77Se and 80Se was achieved on-line by ICP collision cell MS allowing the removal of polyatomic interferences. Quantification was carried out by isotope dilution using a 77Se-labeled selenomethionine spike and the determination of the 77Se/80Se ratio in the cHPLC selenomethionine peak. The accurately determined selenomethionine was used as an internal standard for the selenocysteine determination from the same chromatogram. The modification of the previously developed cHPLC−ICPMS interfa...

Abstract: An on-line high-performance liquid chromatography-1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (HPLC-DPPH*) method has been improved for the detection of polar and nonpolar radical scavenging compounds in complex plant extracts. Nine water extracts were prepared from different Mentha species, varieties, hybrids, and cultivars. After the components within each extract had been separated by reverse phase chromatography using 10-100% methanol with 2% acetic acid as a mobile phase, analytes within the eluent capable of scavenging a citric acid-sodium citrate-buffered methanol 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl solution were detected by postcolumn derivatization at 517 nm. The HPLC-DPPH* on-line method was applied to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of Mentha extracts. There was a strong correlation between the scavenging (negative) peak area and the concentration of the radical scavenging reference substances used. The minimum detectable concentration (microg/mL) of the antioxidant compounds was determined. Caffeic acid, eriocitrin (eriodictyol-7-O-rutinoside), luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and rosmarinic acid were identified as the dominant radical scavengers in these extracts by this method.

Abstract: A fully automated amino acid analyzer using NBD-F (4- fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) as a fluorescent derivatization reagent was developed. The whole analytical process was fully automated from derivatization, injection to HPLC separation and quantitation. The derivatization reaction conditions were re-evaluated and optimized. Amino acids were derivatized by NBD-F for 40 min at room temperature in the borate buffer (pH 9.5). The derivatives were separated within 100 min and fluorometrically detected at 540 nm with excitation at 470 nm. The detection limits for amino acids were in the range of 2.8-20 fmol. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 20 fmol to 20 pmol on column with the correlation coefficients of 0.999. The coefficients of variation were less than 5% at 3 pmol injection for all amino acids. Amino acids in rat plasma were determined by the proposed HPLC method.

Abstract: A novel technique to study the reactivity of acyl glucuronide metabolites to protein has been developed and is described herein. Considered here are acyl glucuronide metabolites, which have undergone the rearrangement of the glucuronic acid moiety at physiological temperature and pH. The investigation of the reactivity of these electrophilic metabolites was carried out by measuring the rate of reaction of rearranged AG metabolites in forming the corresponding acyl glucuronide-peptide adduct in the presence of Lys-Phe. This differs from the parallel technique used in forming AG adducts of proteins that have been previously reported. In the study described here, the Schiff base adduct, diclofenac acyl glucuronide-Lys-Phe product, was generated and structurally elucidated by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis. The product structure was proved to be a Schiff base adduct by chemical derivatization by nucleophilic addition of HCN and chemical reduction with NaCNBH(3), followed by LC/MS/MS analysis. It is proposed here that the degree of reactivity of acyl glucuronides as measured by covalent binding to protein is proportional to the amount of its peptide adduct generated with the peptide technique described. The application of this technique to the assessment of the degree of reactivity of acyl glucuronide metabolites was validated by developing a reactivity rank of seven carboxylic acid-containing drugs. Consistency was achieved between the ranking of reactivity in the peptide technique for these seven compounds and the rankings found in the literature. In addition, a correlation (R(2) = 0.95) was revealed between the formation of a peptide adduct and the rearrangement rate of the primary acyl glucuronide of seven tested compounds. A structure effect on the degree of reactivity has demonstrated the rate order: acetic acid > propionic acid > benzoic acid derivatives. A rational explanation of this order was proposed, based on the inherent electronic and steric properties of each specific aglycone. In addition, adaptation of this technique to automation in order to more rapidly assess the ranking of reactivity of acyl glucuronide covalent binding to proteins by new chemical entities is proposed.