A facile double moving redox boundary model for visual electrophoresis titration of ascorbic acid

In this work, we proposed a double moving redox boundary (MROB) model to realize the colorless analyte electrophoresis titration (ET) by the two steps of the redox reaction. Single MROB has been proposed for the development of ET sensing (Analyst, 2013, 138, 1137. ACS Sensor, 2019, 4, 126.), and faces great challenges in detecting the analyte without color change during redox reaction. Herein, a novel model of double-MROB electrophoresis, including its mechanisms, equations, and procedures, was developed for titration by using ascorbic acid as a model analyte. The first MROB was created with ferric iron (Fe3+) and iodide ion (I-) in which Fe3+ was reduced as Fe2+ and I- was oxidized as molecular iodine (I2) used as an indicator of visible MROB due to blue starch-iodine complex. The second boundary was then formed between the molecular iodine and model analyte of ascorbic acid. Under given conditions, there was a quantitative relationship between velocity of MROB (VMROB(ii)) and ascorbic acid concentration (CVit C) in the double-MROB system (1/VMROB(ii) = 0.6502CVit C + 4.5165, and R = 0.9939). The relevant relative standard deviation values of intraday and inter-day were less than ∼5.55% and ∼6.64%, respectively. Finally, the titration of ascorbic acid in chewable vitamin C tablets was performed by the developed method, the titration results agreed with those via the classic iodometric titration. All the results briefly demonstrated the validity of the double MROB model, in which Vit C was used as a model analyte. The developed method had potential use in quantitative analysis of redox-active species in biomedical samples.

Characterizing the impact of thermal gels on isotachophoresis in microfluidic devices

Thermally reversible Pluronic gels have been employed as separation matrices in microfluidic devices in the analysis of biological macromolecules. The phase of these gels can be tuned between liquid and solid states using temperature to vary fluidic resistance and alter peak resolution. Although separations in thermal gels have been characterized, their effect on isotachophoresis has not. This study used fluorescein as a model analyte to evaluate isotachophoretic preconcentration as a function of thermal polymer concentration and temperature. Results demonstrated that increasing polymer concentration in microfluidic channels increased the apparent analyte concentration. A critical minimum of 10% (w/v) Pluronic was required to achieve efficient preconcentration with maximum focusing occurring in 20 and 25% polymer gels. Temperature of the thermal gel also impacted analyte focusing. Most efficient focusing was achieved at 25°C with diminishing analyte accumulation at higher and lower temperatures. Under optimal conditions, isotachophoretic preconcentration increased an additional threefold simply by including thermal gels in the system. This approach can be readily implemented in other applications to increase detection sensitivity and measure low-concentration analytes within simple microfluidic devices.

Quantitative analysis of microcystin variants by capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry with dynamic pH barrage junction focusing

Dynamic pH junction is an online focusing method in CE based on the electrophoretic mobility difference of analytes in the sample matrix and the background electrolyte. An advantage of this method over the conventional CE is that the sensitivity can be significantly improved. By injecting a long sample plug in the capillary and focusing the analytes at the pH boundary between the background electrolyte and sample matrix, the LOD can be improved by 10-100 folds. The dynamic pH junction method can be easily coupled with ESI-MS. In this work, we used this method for the analysis of microcystins (MCs). The detection limits and dynamic ranges were studied. The separation was optimized by adjusting the injection time, and concentrations and pH values of the background electrolyte. The optimization of analyte focusing leads to enhanced detection response compared to conventional injections, achieving 200-400 fold higher averaged peak heights for four microcystin (MC) variants. More importantly, this method was successfully used for the quantitative analysis of microcystins (MCs) in crude algae samples from natural water bodies, making it promising for practical applications.

Introduction to Protein Electrophoresis

This chapter briefly discusses the developments in electrophoresis of proteins from Tiselius' moving-boundary electrophoresis to the modern-day two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It also touches upon the staining methods used to visualize total proteins post electrophoresis.

Recent advances in enhancing the sensitivity of electrophoresis and electrochromatography in capillaries and microchips (2016-2018)

One of the most cited limitations of capillary and microchip electrophoresis is the poor sensitivity. This review continues to update this series of biannual reviews, first published in Electrophoresis in 2007, on developments in the field of online/in-line concentration methods in capillaries and microchips, covering the period July 2016-June 2018. It includes developments in the field of stacking, covering all methods from field-amplified sample stacking and large-volume sample stacking, through to isotachophoresis, dynamic pH junction, and sweeping. Attention is also given to online or in-line extraction methods that have been used for electrophoresis.

Recent advances in protein analysis by capillary and microchip electrophoresis

This review article describes the significant recent advances in the analysis of proteins by capillary and microchip electrophoresis during the period from mid-2014 to early 2017. This review highlights the progressions, new methodologies, innovative instrumental modifications, and challenges for efficient protein analysis in human specimens, animal tissues, and plant samples. The protein analysis fields covered in this review include analysis of native, reduced, and denatured proteins in addition to Western blotting, protein therapeutics and proteomics.

Integrated strong cation-exchange hybrid monolith coupled with capillary zone electrophoresis and simultaneous dynamic pH junction for large-volume proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry

A sulfonate-silica hybrid strong cation-exchange (SCX) monolith was synthesized at the proximal end of a capillary zone electrophoresis column and used for on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) sample preconcentration. Sample was prepared in an acidic buffer and deposited onto the SCX-SPE monolith and eluted using a basic buffer. Electrophoresis was performed in an acidic buffer. This combination of buffers results in formation of a dynamic pH junction, which allows use of relatively large elution buffer volume while maintaining peak efficiency and resolution. All experiments were performed with a 50 µm ID capillary, a 1cm long SCX-SPE monolith, a 60cm long separation capillary, and a electrokinetically pumped nanospray interface. The volume of the capillary is 1.1 µL. By loading 21 µL of a 1×10(-7) M angiotensin II solution, an enrichment factor of 3000 compared to standard electrokinetic injection was achieved on this platform while retaining efficient electrophoretic performance (N=44,000 plates). The loading capacity of the sulfonate SCX hybrid monolith was determined to be ~15 pmol by frontal analysis with 10(-5) M angiotensin II. The system was also applied to the analysis of a 10(-4) mg/mL bovine serum albumin tryptic digest; the protein coverage was 12% and 11 peptides were identified. Finally, by loading 5.5 µL of a 10(-3) mg/mL E. coli digest, 109 proteins and 271 peptides were identified in a 20 min separation; the median separation efficiency generated by these peptides was 25,000 theoretical plates.

Detachable strong cation exchange monolith, integrated with capillary zone electrophoresis and coupled with pH gradient elution, produces improved sensitivity and numbers of peptide identifications during bottom-up analysis of complex proteomes

A detachable sulfonate-silica hybrid strong cation-exchange monolith was synthesized in a fused silica capillary, and used for solid phase extraction with online pH gradient elution during capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry (CZE-MS/MS) proteomic analysis. Tryptic digests were prepared in 50 mM formic acid and loaded onto the strong cation-exchange monolith. Fractions were eluted using a series of buffers with lower concentration but higher pH values than the 50 mM formic acid background electrolyte. This combination of elution and background electrolytes results in both sample stacking and formation of a dynamic pH junction and allows use of relatively large elution buffer volumes while maintaining reasonable peak efficiency and resolution. A series of five pH bumps were applied to elute E. coli tryptic peptides from the monolith, followed by analysis using CZE coupled to an LTQ-Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer; 799 protein groups and 3381 peptides were identified from 50 ng of the digest in a 2.5 h analysis, which approaches the identification rate for this organism that was obtained with an Orbitrap Fusion. We attribute the improved numbers of peptide and protein identifications to the efficient fractionation by the online pH gradient elution, which decreased the complexity of the sample in each elution step and improved the signal intensity of low abundance peptides. We also performed a comparative analysis using a nanoACQUITY UltraPerformance LCH system. Similar numbers of protein and peptide identifications were produced by the two methods. Protein identifications showed significant overlap between the two methods, whereas peptide identifications were complementary.

Recent developments in microfluidic chip-based separation devices coupled to MS for bioanalysis

In recent years, the development of microfluidic chip separation devices coupled to MS has dramatically increased for high-throughput bioanalysis. In this review, advances in different types of microfluidic chip separation devices, such as electrophoresis- and LC-based microchips, as well as 2D design of microfluidic chip-based separation devices will be discussed. In addition, the utilization of chip-based separation devices coupled to MS for analyzing peptides/proteins, glycans, drug metabolites and biomarkers for various bioanalytical applications will be evaluated.

Large-volume sample stacking for in vivo monitoring of trace levels of γ-aminobutyric acid, glycine and glutamate in microdialysates of periaqueductal gray matter by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection

A new variant of large-volume sample stacking injection (LVSS) was used in the capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE/C(4)D) determination of the neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine (Gly) and glutamate (Glu) in microdialysates of periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). The separation capillary was filled to 98% from the injection side with a sample of microdialysate in acetonitrile. Simultaneously with turning on the separation voltage, the sample zone was forced out by the background electrolyte by increasing the pressure in the terminal capillary outlet vessel. As a consequence of the stacking effect, the analyte was concentrated from the large sample volume into a narrow zone at the sample/background electrolyte boundary close to the injection end of the capillary. Under these conditions, LOD values of 9, 10 and 15nM were determined in the model samples for GABA, Gly and Glu, respectively; RSD equalled 0.5% for the migration times and 1.0-1.9% for the peak areas, respectively. In analysis of microdialysates of PAG, LOD values of 29, 29 and 37nM were determined for GABA, Gly and Glu, respectively; RSD equalled 0.5-0.7% for the migration times and 2.6-8.2% for the peak areas, respectively. The determined basal levels of the neurotransmitters in PAG microdialysates are 0.08, 4.7 and 0.8μM for GABA, Gly and Glu, respectively. Carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia increases the Gly and Glu levels and reduces GABA in PAG microdialysate. Peroral administration of paracetamol in hyperalgesia effectively reduces the Gly value and has no effect on Glu and GABA.

Effect of a low-conductivity zone on field-amplified sample stacking in microchip micellar electrokinetic chromatography

The effects of a low-conductivity (low-C) zone of an on-line sample preconcentration based on field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) under an acidic condition was investigated in microchip micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MCMEKC). By employing originally fabricated microchips with T- and cross-channel injectors on a single device, partial injection of the low-C zone and large-volume injection of a sample solution were demonstrated. As a typical result, the observed peak intensities of the fluorescent dyes were 1.5 - 2.0-fold enhanced by partial injection of the low-conductivity zone, as compared to those in FASS-MCMEKC without injecting the low-C zone; also, 30 - 40-fold enhancements of the detectability were achieved as compared to the conventional MCMEKC analyses. The resolutions of the hydrophobic analytes were also improved by introducing the low-C zone. The difference in the retention factors of model analytes in the high-C background and low-C zones was also estimated in order to clarify the effect of the low-C zone on the resolution and detectability in FASS-MCMEKC.

Recent advances in enhancing the sensitivity of electrophoresis and electrochromatography in capillaries and microchips (2010-2012)

CE has been alive for over two decades now, yet its sensitivity is still regarded as being inferior to that of more traditional methods of separation such as HPLC. As such, it is unsurprising that overcoming this issue still generates much scientific interest. This review continues to update this series of reviews, first published in Electrophoresis in 2007, with updates published in 2009 and 2011 and covers material published through to June 2012. It includes developments in the field of stacking, covering all methods from field amplified sample stacking and large volume sample stacking, through to isotachophoresis, dynamic pH junction and sweeping. Attention is also given to online or inline extraction methods that have been used for electrophoresis.

Approaches to enhancing the sensitivity of carbohydrate separations in capillary electrophoresis

Electrophoresis in both capillaries (CE) and microchips (ME) is an extremely powerful liquid phase-separation technique that is indispensable for the separation of carbohydrates. It is capable of separating both small mono- and disaccharides, through to more complex oligo- and polysaccharides, with high resolution, but as with all CE and ME separations, the detection limits are often inferior to those that can be achieved with liquid chromatographic methods. One avenue to address this is to use an on-line concentration strategy. Various approaches have been developed over the past 20 years, and this chapter will highlight their application to improve the sensitivity of carbohydrate separations in both CE and ME.

Capillary electrophoretic enzyme assays

In the past years, capillary electrophoresis has become a frequently used technique for enzyme assays due to the high separation efficiency and versatility as well as small sample size and low consumption of chemicals. The capillary electrophoresis assays can be divided into two general categories: pre-capillary (or offline) assays and in-capillary (or online) assays. In pre-capillary assays, the incubation is performed offline and substrate(s) and product(s) are subsequently analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. In in-capillary assays enzyme reaction and separation of the analytes are performed inside the same capillary. In such assays the enzyme is either immobilized or in solution. The latter techniques is also referred to as electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) indicating that the individual steps of the incubation as well as analysis are performed via electrophoretic phenomena. This chapter describes both techniques using the deacetylation of acetyl-lysine residues in model peptides by sirtuin enzymes as well as the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine by acetylcholinesterase as examples.