Determination of amino acids by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry: An evaluation of different protein hydrolysis procedures

Recyclable europium functionalized metal-organic fluorescent probe for detection of tryptophan in biological fluids and food products

An europium functionalized metal-organic fluorescent probe, Eu³⁺@UiO-66-FDC was constructed by post-synthetic modification through coordination interactions. Eu³⁺@UiO-66-FDC displayed high selectivity and sensitivity toward Tryptophan (Trp) among all the 20 natural amino acids and other general compounds in food and biological samples, with a wide linear concentration range (0-1000 μM), low detection limit (0.29 μM), and a rapid response (<1 min). Besides, this probe was utilized to detect Trp in rabbit blood serum and milk samples with good recoveries, which were verified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Notably, this fluorescent probe proved to be a recyclable material. Hence, this work provides a reliable and recyclable fluorescent probe applicable toward the detection of Trp in biological fluids and/or food products.

Simultaneous determination of the concentration and enantiomeric excess of amino acids with a coumarin-derived achiral probe

The chirality of amino acids plays an important role in biological and medical sciences. The development of achiral small-molecule probes that can simultaneously determine the absolute configuration, enantiomeric excess, and total concentration of amino acids is significant. We reported the currently available achiral coumarin aldehyde probe that could form Schiff bases with free amino acids at room temperature to induce CD signals and change UV-vis signals. The red-shifted UV-vis signals were independent of the substrate's chirality and could be used to determine the total concentration. Conversely, the enantioselective CD signals could be used to determine the absolute configuration and enantiomeric excess. The usefulness and practicability of this sensing method were demonstrated by analyzing 6 non-racemic phenylalanine samples with different enantiomeric compositions and concentrations.

Enantioselective recognition of amino acid based on electrochemical deposition and X-ray diffraction technology

Addition of D-Asp in the electrochemical deposition process of Bismuth film resulted the generation of a new diffraction peak in X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum. This phenomenon was not observed in the situation of L-Asp. The new diffraction peak might suggest D-Asp could result in the generation of a specific Bismuth structure. Enantioselective recognition of D- and L-Asp can be realized based on this new XRD peak. The limit of detection was determined to be 3.5 × 10^-8 and 1.7 × 10^-8 mol L^-1 for D- and L-Asp, respectively. The XRD spectra of electrodeposited Copper films fabricated in the presence of D- or L-Asp showed different lattice plane diffraction peak intensity ratios. The reason was believed to be chirality induced different binding capabilities of Asp enantiomers that influenced Copper film growth. Therefore, the combination of electrochemical deposition using Copper as metal source and XRD technology can be used to achieve enantioselective recognition of Asp. The limit of detection for D- and L-Asp were determined to be 1.5 × 10^-10 and 1.2 × 10^-11 mol L^-1, respectively.

Sensitive Voltammetric Sensor for Tryptophan Detection by Using Polyvinylpyrrolidone Functionalized Graphene/GCE

In this paper, an electrochemical method for the measurement of tryptophan (Trp) was developed based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with polyvinylpyrrolidonefunctionalized graphene (PVP-GR)/glassy carbon electrode (GCE). In 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH = 2.2), compared with bare GCE, PVP/GCE, and GR/GCE, the oxidation peak current of Trp increased dramatically at PVP-GR/GCE. The oxidation mechanism of Trp on the PVP-GR/GCE was discussed and the experimental conditions were optimized. Under the best experimental conditions, the oxidation peak current of Trp was proportional to its concentration in the range of 0.06 µM–10.0 µM and 10.0–100.0 µM, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.01 µM (S/N = 3). The target modified electrode with excellent repeatability, stability and selectivity, was successfully applied to detectTrp in drugs and biological samples.

A highly efficient chiral sensing platform for tryptophan isomers based on a coordination self-assembly

Construction of convenient and effective method for enantiomer identification is of vital significance for biochemistry and medical science. Herein, we design an effective sensor for chiral recognition of tryptophan (Trp) enantiomers, and self-assembly of Cu²⁺-modified β-cyclodextrin on poly-L-arginine/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Cu-β-CD/PLA/MWCNTs) is studied. Meanwhile, Cu²⁺ acts as a cap to prevent the release of the high energy water and compel Trp enantiomer into the smaller opening of β-cyclodextrin. Recognition of L-Trp is accomplished by the formation of hydrogen bonds between the amino of L-Trp and the high energy water confined in cavity of Cu-β-CD. Compared with D-Trp, the sensor exhibits favorable chiral recognition toward L-Trp with a separation coefficient of 3.37. And the chiral sensor presents admirable enantiomers determination with excellent sensitivity, providing a good linear correlation in the range of 1 × 10^-6 M~5.5 × 10^-5 M, and the detection limit can reach 3.3 × 10^-7 M (S/N = 3). Besides, the proposed sensor has been able to predict the percentage of D-Trp in the racemic mixture, suggesting its potential applications in the enantiomer recognition field.

Capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry determination of glutamic acid and homocysteine's metabolites: Potential biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects both lower and upper motor neurons, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis, and death caused by respiratory failure or infectious complications. Altered levels of homocysteine, cysteine, methionine, and glutamic acid have been observed in plasma of ALS patients. In this context, a method for determination of these potential biomarkers in plasma by capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry (CE-MS/MS) is proposed herein. Sample preparation was carefully investigated, since sulfur-containing amino acids may interact with plasma proteins. Owing to the non-thiol sulfur atom in methionine, it was necessary to split sample preparation into two methods: i) determination of homocysteine and cysteine as S-acetyl amino acids; ii) determination of glutamic acid and methionine. All amino acids were separated within 25min by CE-MS/MS using 5molL^-1 acetic acid as background electrolyte and 5mmolL^-1 acetic acid in 50% methanol/H₂O (v/v) as sheath liquid. The proposed CE-MS/MS method was validated, presenting RSD values below 6% and 11% for intra- and inter-day precision, respectively, for the middle concentration level within the linear range. The limits of detection ranged from 35 (homocysteine) to 268nmolL^-1 (glutamic acid). The validated method was applied to the analysis of plasma samples from a group of healthy individuals and patients with ALS, showing the potential of glutamic acid and homocysteine metabolites as biomarkers of ALS.

Design of experiments for amino acid extraction from tobacco leaves and their subsequent determination by capillary zone electrophoresis

In this study, we optimized a method for the determination of free amino acids in Nicotiana tabacum leaves. Capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detector was used for the separation of 20 proteinogenic amino acids in acidic background electrolyte. Subsequently, the conditions of extraction with HCl were optimized for the highest extraction yield of the amino acids because sample treatment of plant materials brings some specific challenges. Central composite face-centered design with fractional factorial design was used in order to evaluate the significance of selected factors (HCl volume, HCl concentration, sonication, shaking) on the extraction process. In addition, the composite design helped us to find the optimal values for each factor using the response surface method. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for the 20 proteinogenic amino acids were found to be in the order of 10-5 and 10-4 mol l-1, respectively. Addition of acetonitrile to the sample was tested as a method commonly used to decrease limits of detection. Ambiguous results of this experiment pointed out some features of plant extract samples, which often required specific approaches. Suitability of the method for metabolomic studies was tested by analysis of a real sample, in which all amino acids, except for L-methionine and L-cysteine, were successfully detected. The optimized extraction process together with the capillary electrophoresis method can be used for the determination of proteinogenic amino acids in plant materials. The resulting inexpensive, simple, and robust method is well suited for various metabolomic studies in plants. As such, the method represents a valuable tool for research and practical application in the fields of biology, biochemistry, and agriculture.

Development and validation of a CE-MS method for the targeted assessment of amino acids in urine

A CE-ESI-MS method was developed and validated for the separation and quantitative analysis of amino acids (AA) in urine. Experimental parameters related to the CE-MS interface, BGE, and mass spectrometer (MS) settings were optimized providing a good separation of 27 AA, including the isomers L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-alloisoleucine, in less than 30 min. The sheath liquid was composed by 0.50% formic acid in 60% (v,v) methanol-water delivered at a flow rate of 5 μL/min. The BGE consisted of 0.80 mol/L formic acid at pH 1.96 and 15% methanol. A pH stacking procedure was implemented to enhance sensitivity (a 12.5% NH4 OH solution was injected at 0.5 psi/9 s prior to samples injected at 0.6 psi/20 s). The proposed method was validated according to FDA and ICH protocols exhibiting acceptable parameters. Analytical curves presented coefficients of determination from 0.996 to 0.9997 (with large F statistics and low p-values). LODs and quantification ranged from 0.63 to 29 μmol/L and from 1.9 to 86 μmol/L, respectively. Practical repeatability was obtained for all AA with coefficients of variation better than 0.55% CV (migration time) and 1.7% CV (peak area ratios; methionine sulfone as internal standard). Recoveries of AA in spiked urine ranged from 92.0 to 123% with few exceptions. Moreover, a successful quantification of AA in pooled control and test urine samples, which compose a vesicoureteral reflux cohort, was achieved showing the potential applicability of the proposed method for targeted metabolomics studies using CE-ESI-MS with an Ion Trap as mass analyzer.

Bioanalytical Application of Amino Acid Detection by Capillary Electrophoresis

This chapter illustrates the usefulness of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the analysis of amino acids, and both normal and chiral separations are covered. In order to provide a general description of the main results and challenges in the biomedical field, some relevant applications and reviews on CE of amino acids are tabulated. Furthermore, some detailed experimental procedures are shown, regarding the CE analysis of amino acids in body fluids, in microdialysate, and released upon hydrolysis of proteins. In particular, the protocols will deal with the following compounds: (1) underivatized aminoacids in blood; (2) γ-Aminobutyric acid, glutamate, and L-Aspartate derivatized with Naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde; (3) hydrolysate from bovine serum albumine derivatized with phenylisothiocyanate. By examining these applications on real matrices, the capillary electrophoresis efficiency as tool for Amino Acid analysis can be ascertained.

Toward total automation of microfluidics for extraterrestial in situ analysis

Despite multiple orbiter and landed missions to extraterrestrial bodies in the solar system, including Mars and Titan, we still know relatively little about the detailed chemical composition and quantity of organics and biomolecules in those bodies. For chemical analysis on astrobiologically relevant targets such as Mars, Europa, Titan, and Enceladus, instrumentation should be extremely sensitive and capable of analyzing a broad range of organic molecules. Microchip capillary electrophoresis (μCE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection provides this required sensitivity and targets a wide range of relevant markers but, to date, has lacked the necessary degree of automation for spaceflight applications. Here we describe a fully integrated microfluidic device capable of performing automated end-to-end analyses of amino acids by μCE with LIF detection. The device integrates an array of pneumatically actuated valves and pumps for autonomous fluidic routing with an electrophoretic channel. Operation of the device, including manipulation of liquids for sample pretreatment and electrophoretic analysis, was performed exclusively via computer control. The device was validated by mixing of laboratory standards and labeling of amino acids with Pacific Blue succinimidyl ester followed by electrophoretic analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of completely automated end-to-end μCE analyses on a single, fully integrated microfluidic device.

Metabolomic assessment with CE-MS of the nutraceutical effect of Cystoseira spp extracts in an animal model

There is a need of scientific evidence of claimed nutraceutical effects, but also there is a social movement towards the use of natural products and among them algae are seen as rich resources. Within this scenario, the development of methodology for rapid and reliable assessment of markers of efficiency and security of these extracts is necessary. The rat treated with streptozotocin has been proposed as the most appropriate model of systemic oxidative stress for studying antioxidant therapies. Cystoseira is a brown alga containing fucoxanthin and other carothenes whose pressure-assisted extracts were assayed to discover a possible beneficial effect on complications related to diabetes evolution in an acute but short-term model. Urine was selected as the sample and CE-TOF-MS as the analytical technique to obtain the fingerprints in a non-target metabolomic approach. Multivariate data analysis revealed a good clustering of the groups and permitted the putative assignment of compounds statistically significant in the classification. Interestingly a group of compounds associated to lysine glycation and cleavage from proteins was found to be increased in diabetic animals receiving vehicle as compared to control animals receiving vehicle (N6,N6,N6-trimethyl-L-lysine, N-methylnicotinamide, galactosylhydroxylysine, L-carnitine, N6-acetyl-N6-hydroxylysine, fructose-lysine, pipecolic acid, urocanic acid, amino-isobutanoate, formylisoglutamine. Fructoselysine significantly decreased after the treatment changing from a 24% increase to a 19% decrease. CE-MS fingerprinting of urine has provided a group of compounds different to those detected with other techniques and therefore proves the necessity of a cross-platform analysis to obtain a broad view of biological samples.

Characterization of protein hydrolysates of cosmetic use by CE-MS

Protein hydrolysates have been used as active principles in cosmetic products conferring different properties to the final formulations, which are mostly controlled by the peptide size and its amino acid sequence. In this work, capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry analyses were carried out in order to investigate such characteristics of protein hydrolysates. Samples of different origins (milk, soy and rice) were obtained from a local company, and were analyzed without a previous preparation step. The background electrolyte (BGE) and sheath liquid compositions were optimized for each sample. The best BGE composition (860 mmol/L formic acid--pH 1.8--in 70:30 v/v water/methanol hydro-organic solvent) was chosen based on the overall peak resolution whereas the best sheath liquid was selected based on increased sensitivity and presented different compositions to each sample (10.9-217 mmol/L formic acid in 75:25-25:75 v/v water/methanol hydro-organic solvent). Most of the putative peptides in the hydrolysate samples under investigation presented molecular masses of 1000 Da or less. De novo sequencing was carried out for some of the analytes, revealing the hydrophobicity/polarity of the peptides. Hence, the technique has proved to be an advantageous tool for the quality control of industrial protein hydrolysates.

Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for the analysis of amino acids

In this review, the recent contribution of CE-MS technology to the analysis of amino acids, as well as the advantages of the hyphenation and the technologies involved in the instrumental coupling are reported. Different sections are dedicated to the recent contributions of CE-MS to the analysis of protein amino acids and their post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and sulfation. CE-MS analysis of some amino acid derivatives, such as the free methylated-derivatives of arginine is also discussed. A section is specifically devoted to the CE-MS applications in the field of chiral separation of D- and L-amino acid enantiomers.