Multiwalled-carbon-nanotubes-based matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of honokiol and magnolol in Magnoliae Cortex

Effect of Flutriafol Exposure on Residue Characteristics in Pig Muscle and Fat Tissue

This study investigated the effect of exposure to flutriafol based on residues in pigs. Pigs were exposed to different concentrations (0.313, 0.625, 3.125, 6.25, and 12.5 mg/kg bw/d, n=20) for 4 wk in different treatment groups. Serum biochemical analysis, residue levels, and histological analysis were conducted using the VetTest chemistry analyzer, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and Masson’s trichrome staining, respectively. The body weight (initial and final) was not significantly different between groups. Parameters such as creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, and lipase levels were significantly different as compared to the control group. Flutriafol increased the residue limits in individual tissue of the pigs in a dose dependent manner. Flutriafol exposures indicated the presence of fibrosis, as confirmed from Masson’s trichrome staining. These results suggest that flutriafol affects the morphology and serum levels in pigs. The dietary flutriafol levels can provide a basis for maximum residue limits and food safety for pork and related products.

Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Coupled with HPLC-UV for Simultaneous Extraction, Purification and Determination of Six Lignans in Schisandra chinensis Fruits

An efficient method for simultaneous extraction, purification and determination of six lignans in Schisandra chinensis Baill was developed by employing matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction followed by HPLC-UV determination analysis. Several sorbent and desorption solvent that affected the extraction yield of lignans were investigated; neutral alumina and absolute ethanol were selected as the best dispersing material and desorption agent, respectively. Other extraction conditions for MSPD were optimized as follows: 1:2 of S. chinensis raw material to neutral aluminum oxide mass ratio, 1:30 (g/mL) of sample to absolute ethanol, 2.5 h of desorption time and 50°C of desorption temperature. Under the above conditions, the total extraction yield for six lignans have reached (16.99 ± 0.33) x 103 mg/kg with a higher content of 6.88 ± 0.25% in the extracts. Comparative studies were explored by conducting other six extraction approaches including Soxhlet extraction, heat reflux extraction, smashing tissue extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction and ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction. Results showed MSPD technique not only improved the extraction yield, but also improved the purity of lignans, it can be generalized to more extraction of natural compounds. In addition, the validated HPLC-UV method had been successfully applied to analysis of lignans from 10 real S. chinensis samples.

Impact of Different Extraction Methods on Furanosesquiterpenoids Content and Antibacterial Activity of Commiphora myrrha Resin

The oleo-gum-resin of Commiphora myrrha is one of the most known natural antimicrobial agents, mainly due to its furanosesquiterpenes. A validated method based on sample extraction by matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) followed by high-performance column chromatography (HPLC) determination is applied to analyze two furanosesquiterpenoids, namely, 2-methoxyfuranodiene (CM-1) and 2-acetoxyfuranodiene (CM-2), existing in C. myrrha. The trial parameters that controlled the extraction prospective were studied and optimized. These include the nature of dispersant, mass ratio of sample to the dispersant, and the volume of elution solvent. A comparative antimicrobial study that used the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Assay (MIC) method between MSPD, ultrasonic, and Soxhlet of myrrh extracts was also conducted. The optimal MSPD parameters used were (i) 15 mL of methanol applied as elution solvent; (ii) silica gel/sample mass at a 2 : 1 ratio; and (iii) a dispersing sorbent selected as silica gel. Technique retrievals were regulated from 96.87% to 100.54%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) from 1.24% to 4.45%. Commiphora myrrha-MSPD (CM-MSPD) extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (156.25 μg/mL and 312.5 μg/mL, respectively) and antifungal activity (156.25 μg/mL). Yields acquired through the MSPD technique were larger than yields from other extraction techniques (sonication and traditional reflux extraction methods) with less consumption of time, sample, and solvent. The mode of antibacterial action of CM-1 and CM-2 was elucidated by performing molecular docking with bacterial DNA gyrase. Both the compounds interacted with key residues of DNA gyrase.

Utilisation of ultrasonic treatment to improve the soil amelioration property of coal fly ash

Environment-friendly disposal of coal fly ash (CFA) is essential for sustainable development and cleaner production of electricity in thermal power plants. Although CFA has been employed for soil amelioration, direct application of CFA to soil may pose risks such as heavy metal contamination. This study investigated recycling of CFA through a novel method, which employs the ultrasonic treatment of CFA before its application. Physico-chemical properties of refuse dump soil and CFA were analysed. Subsequently, the effect of ultrasonic treatment on the physico-chemical properties of CFA was investigated. Different ultrasonic parameters (ultrasonic frequency, time interval, and temperature) were studied using response surface methodology. Finally, plant growth experiments were conducted to verify the feasibility of using ultrasonically treated CFA (UTCFA) for soil amelioration. The results show that untreated CFA cannot be used for soil amelioration due to its unsuitable high pH (10.20) and threatening concentrations of trace elements (6.80 mg/kg for Cadmium and 109.75 mg/kg for Arsenic). Ultrasonic treatment increases the soil amelioration properties of CFA by decreasing pH (to 8.50-9.20), decreasing concentrations of Cadmium and Arsenic (satisfying GB 15618-2018), and improving the water-holding capacity of CFA (reducing water loss). Plant indicators confirm the feasibility of using UTCFA for soil amelioration and suggest that the optimum UTCFA proportion is 20%. This study is a benchmark for the utilisation of ultrasonic treatment to improve the soil amelioration properties of CFA.

Modern microextraction techniques for natural products

Natural product analysis has gained wide attention in recent years, especially for herbal medicines, which contain complex ingredients and play a significant clinical role in the therapy of numerous diseases. The constituents of natural products are usually found at low concentrations, and the matrices are complex. Thus, the extraction of target compounds from natural products before analysis by analytical instruments is very significant for human health and its wide application. The commonly used traditional extraction methods are time-consuming, using large amounts of sample and organic solvents, as well as expensive and inefficient. Recently, microextraction techniques have been used for natural product extraction to overcome the disadvantages of conventional extraction methods. In this paper, the successful applications of and recent developments in microextraction techniques including solvent-based and sorbent-based microextraction methods, in natural product analysis in recent years, especially in the last 5 years, are reviewed for the first time. Their features, advantages, disadvantages, and future development trends are also discussed.

A Simple and Sensitive Dispersive Micro-Solid-Phase Extraction Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for Quantification of Honokiol and Magnolol in Complex Matrices

Background

Honokiol and magnolol were considered as markers for the analysis of Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis, its related Chinese Patent Medicines and their metabolites. However, the determination of these two analytes in a water-soluble sample is difficult and therefore requires a more efficient method.

Objective

To develop a sensitive method for the determination of honokiol and magnolol in a water-soluble sample for better quality control of Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis and its related Chinese Patent Medicines.

Method

In this work, a combination of dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (DMSPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for simultaneous preconcentration and determination of honokiol and magnolol in complex bio-samples. Several experimental factors affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized by single factor test.

Results

Under the optimized extraction conditions, the proposed method exhibited good linearity of not less than 0.9998, satisfactory precision with relative standard deviation of less than 1.3%, and acceptable mean recoveries of 97.3% and 101.5% for honokiol and magnolol, respectively. Furthermore, the method exhibits extremely high sensitivity with detection limits of 0.0097 and 0.0231 ng/mL, which is even more sensitive than those methods developed by MS.

Conclusions

The method established in this study is fast, economic, accurate, easy to operate, and importantly well suited to the extraction and analysis of honokiol and magnolol in a real complex sample matrix.

Rapid and Sensitive Method for Extraction of Plicosepalus acacia with Determination of Its Main Polyphenolic Compounds Using Validated HPLC

Matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) trailed by HPLC is a quick and fruitful technique utilized for fortitude of flavonoids such as Catechin, Kaempferol, Quercetin, and Rutin existing in P. acacia. The trial parameters that influenced the extraction potential (comprising the mass ratio of sample to the dispersant, nature of dispersant, and the nature of elution solvent and its volume) were examined and optimized. These MSPD optimized parameters regulated are as follows: 8 mL of methanol was utilized as elution solvent, silica gel/sample mass ration was selected to be 2 : 1, and dispersing sorbent was silica gel. The technique retrievals were regulated to be "from 96.87 to 100.54%" and the RSDs from 1.24 to 4.45%. The product of extract obtained by MSPD method was larger than that of other methods, i.e., sonication extraction or traditional reflux with lessened necessities on time, sample, and solvent.

A validated ultra-HPLC-MS/MS method for determination of honokiol in human plasma and its application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study

Aim: To investigate pharmacokinetics of honokiol after administration of honokiol liposome injection (HKLI) and support the clinical studies of HKLI; it is crucial to determine the concentration of honokiol in human biological samples. Experimental method & results: Human plasma samples were extracted by protein precipitation and analyzed by a new ultra-HPLC-MS/MS (UPLC-MS/MS) method with LLOQ of 0.5 ng/ml. The method was validated according to bioanalytical guidelines from the US FDA and EMA. Successful method validation proved that the method was sensitive and selective, and was suitable for determination of honokiol in clinical plasma samples. Conclusion: The method was successfully applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of honokiol after administration of HKLI to Chinese subjects with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in a first in-human study.

Fabrication of a magnetic metal–organic framework molecularly imprinted polymer for extraction of anti-malaria agent hydroxychloroquine

A new magnetic metal–organic framework molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized by the sol–gel method for the determination of hydroxychloroquine sulfate.

Improved oral bioavailability of magnolol by using a binary mixed micelle system

The aim of this study was to prepare two novel magnolol (MO)-loaded binary mixed micelles (MO-M) using biocompatible copolymers of Soluplus (SOL) and Solutol^® HS15 (HS15), SOL and d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS), to improve magnolol's poor solubility and its oral bioavailability. The organic solvent evaporation method was used to obtain two MO-M by optimization; one was prepared by using SOL and HS15 (MO-H), and the other was prepared by using SOL and TPGS (MO-T). The entrapment efficiency (EE%) and drug loading (DL%) of MO-T were 94.61 ± 0.91% and 4.03 ± 0.19%, respectively, and the MO-H has higher EE% and DL% (98.37 ± 1.23%, 4.12 ± 0.16%). TEM results showed that the morphology of MO-M was homogeneous and was spherical in shape. The dilution stability of MO-M did not undergo significant changes. Permeability of MO-M across a Caco-2 cell monolayer was enhanced in Caco-2 cell transport models. The pharmacokinetics study showed that the relative oral bioavailability of MO-T and MO-H increased by 2.39- and 2.98-fold, respectively, compared to that of raw MO. This indicated that MO-H and MO-T could promote absorption of MO in the gastrointestinal tract. Collectively, the mixed micelles demonstrated greater efficacy as a drug delivery system. The development of these novel mixed micelles is valuable for resolving the poor solubility and bioavailability of drugs.

Simultaneous determination of Magnolol and Honokiol by amino acid ionic liquid synchronous fluorescence spectrometry

A novel method based on amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) as an additive synchronous fluorescence spectrometry is proposed for simultaneous determination of magnolol (MN) and honokiol (HN) in traditional Chinese medicine Houpu. The overlapping fluorescence spectrum of MN and HN could be completely separated in the AAILs medium. Experiment parameters (the type and concentration of AAILs, pH values and temperature) were discussed. The detection limits of MN and HN reached 1.46ng/mL, 0.92ng/mL and the recovery rates ranged from 98.6%-100.7%, 99.7%-100.6%, respectively. This methods was successfully employed for simultaneously determination of MN and HN in real samples. No significant differences could be found in the results of this method and the pharmacopoeia of People's Republic of China 2015 (Ch.P.2015). The experiment mechanisms were discussed by the Gaussian simulation and fluorescence quantum yield.

Simultaneous determination and qualitative analysis of six types of components in Naoxintong capsule by miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A simple and effective sample preparation process based on miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion was developed for simultaneous determination of phenolic acids (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylqunic acid, 1,5-dicaffeoylqunic acid, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, and salvianolic acid B), flavonoids (kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, calycosin, and formononetin), lactones (ligustilide and butyllidephthalide), monoterpenoids (paeoniflorin), phenanthraquinones (cryptotanshinone), and furans (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) in Naoxintong capsule by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography. The optimized condition was that 25 mg Naoxintong powder was blended homogeneously with 100 mg Florisil PR for 4 min. One milliliter of methanol/water (75:25, v/v) acidified by 0.05% formic acid was selected to elute all components. It was found that the recoveries of the six types of components ranged from 61.36 to 96.94%. The proposed miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography was successfully applied to simultaneous determination of the six types of components in Naoxintong capsules. The results demonstrated that the proposed miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography could be used as an environmentally friendly tool for the extraction and determination of multiple bioactive components in natural products.

Rapid identification and global characterization of multiple constituents from the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni based on GC-MS

The root of Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz., also known as Cortex Dictamni, is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been commonly used in the treatment of inflammation, microbial infection, cancer, and other diseases in China for thousands of years. Recently, the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni has been widely studied, and a large number of volatile constituents have been discovered. However, the research of the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni in vivo remains unknown, especially the constituents absorbed into blood after oral administration. Hence, a sensitive and rapid method using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry combined with MassHunter software and the National Institute of Standards and Technology 2014 database was used to investigate the absorbed components in rat serum after oral administration of the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni. With the established method, a total of 36 compounds were screened and identified in the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni based on the mass spectrometry data and compound database. Among them, eight compounds, elemol, thymol methyl ether, β-eudesmol, β-cyclocostunolid, guaiazulene, trans-4-hydroxystilbene, ethyl oleate, and monoelaidin, were tentatively characterized in rat serum. This work demonstrated that the established method proved to be a powerful technique for rapid, simple, reliable, and automated identification of bioactive components of herbal medicine.

Determination of carboxylic acids in non-alcoholic beer samples by an ultrasonic-assisted dispersive micro-solid phase extraction based on Ni/Cu-Al layered double hydroxide nanocomposites followed by gas chromatography

Magnetically separable layered double hydroxide Ni/CuAl-LDH nanocomposites were synthesized and employed as ultrasonic-assisted dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (UA-D-μSPE) sorbent to extract several carboxylic acids (namely propionic, butyric, pentanoic, hexanoic, heptanoic, octanoic, and decanoic) from non-alcoholic beer samples. Ni/CuAl-LDH sorbent was characterized by Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Effective variables such as amount of sorbent (mg), pH and ionic strength of sample solution, volume of eluent solvent (μL), vortex, and ultrasonic times (min) were investigated via fractional factorial design (FFD). The significant variables were optimized by a Box-Behnken design and combined by a desirability function (DF). Under optimized conditions, the calibration graphs of analytes were linear in a concentration range of 0.05-100μg/mL and had correlation coefficients more than 0.997. The limits of detection and quantification were in the ranges of 16-40μg/L and 53-133μg/L, respectively. This procedure was successfully employed in the determination of target analytes in spiked beer samples, and the relative mean recoveries ranged from 87 to 110%.