The use of trimethylsilyl ethers in the characterization of natural sterols and steroid diols by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

MASS SPECTROMETRIC FRAGMENTATION OF TRIMETHYLSILYL AND RELATED ALKYLSILYL DERIVATIVES

This review describes the mass spectral fragmentation of trimethylsilyl (TMS) and related alkylsilyl derivatives used for preparing samples for analysis, mainly by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The review is divided into three sections. The first section is concerned with the TMS derivatives themselves and describes fragmentation of derivatized alcohols, thiols, amines, ketones, carboxylic acids and bifunctional compounds such as hydroxy- and amino-acids, halo acids and hydroxy ethers. More complex compounds such as glycerides, sphingolipids, carbohydrates, organic phosphates, phosphonates, steroids, vitamin D, cannabinoids, and prostaglandins are discussed next. The second section describes intermolecular reactions of siliconium ions such as the TMS cation and the third section discusses other alkylsilyl derivatives. Among these latter compounds are di- and trialkyl-silyl derivatives, various substituted-alkyldimethylsilyl derivatives such as the tert-butyldimethylsilyl ethers, cyclic silyl derivatives, alkoxysilyl derivatives, and 3-pyridylmethyldimethylsilyl esters used for double bond location in fatty acid spectra. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 0000:1-107, 2019.

Method Development for the Determination of Free and Esterified Sterols in Button Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Ergosterol is the major sterol in button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and can occur as free alcohol or esterified with fatty acids (ergosteryl esters). In this study, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC/MS-SIM) was used to determine ergosterol and ergosteryl esters as well as other sterols and steryl esters in button mushrooms. Different quality control measures were established and sample preparation procedures were compared to prevent the formation of artifacts and the degradation of ergosteryl esters. The final method was then used for the determination of ergosterol (443 ± 44 mg/100 g dry matter (d.m.)) and esterified ergosterol (12 ± 6 mg/100 g d.m.) in button mushroom samples (n = 4). While the free sterol fraction was vastly dominated by ergosterol (∼90% of five sterols in total), the steryl ester fraction was more diversified (nine sterols in total, ergosterol ∼55%) and consisted primarily of linoleic acid esters.

Steroid hydroxylation by basidiomycete peroxygenases: a combined experimental and computational study

The goal of this study is the selective oxyfunctionalization of steroids under mild and environmentally friendly conditions using fungal enzymes. With this purpose, peroxygenases from three basidiomycete species were tested for the hydroxylation of a variety of steroidal compounds, using H2O2 as the only cosubstrate. Two of them are wild-type enzymes from Agrocybe aegerita and Marasmius rotula, and the third one is a recombinant enzyme from Coprinopsis cinerea. The enzymatic reactions on free and esterified sterols, steroid hydrocarbons, and ketones were monitored by gas chromatography, and the products were identified by mass spectrometry. Hydroxylation at the side chain over the steroidal rings was preferred, with the 25-hydroxyderivatives predominating. Interestingly, antiviral and other biological activities of 25-hydroxycholesterol have been reported recently (M. Blanc et al., Immunity 38:106-118, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2012.11.004). However, hydroxylation in the ring moiety and terminal hydroxylation at the side chain also was observed in some steroids, the former favored by the absence of oxygenated groups at C-3 and by the presence of conjugated double bonds in the rings. To understand the yield and selectivity differences between the different steroids, a computational study was performed using Protein Energy Landscape Exploration (PELE) software for dynamic ligand diffusion. These simulations showed that the active-site geometry and hydrophobicity favors the entrance of the steroid side chain, while the entrance of the ring is energetically penalized. Also, a direct correlation between the conversion rate and the side chain entrance ratio could be established that explains the various reaction yields observed.

Electron ionization mass spectral fragmentation of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol and cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha/beta-triol bis- and tris-trimethylsilyl derivatives

The electron ionization (EI) mass spectral fragmentation of the bis- and tris-trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol, cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol and cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha-triol was investigated. The EI mass spectrum of the 3beta,4alpha-bis-trimethylsilyl derivative of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol exhibits interesting fragment ions at m/z 142 and 332 resulting from the initial loss of TMSOH between the carbons 2 and 3 and subsequent retro-Diels-Alder (RDA) cleavage of the ring A. Trimethylsilyl transfer between the 4alpha- and the 5alpha-hydroxy groups acts significantly before RDA cleavage affording an ion at m/z 404. Complete silylation of cholestane-3beta,4alpha,5alpha-triol strongly stabilizes the molecule, affording an abundant molecular ion at m/z 636 and decreasing the abundance of the RDA cleavage. Loss of water (from the non-silylated 5alpha-hydroxy group) plays a very important role during the decomposition of the molecular ion of 3beta,6alpha/beta-bis-trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha/beta-triols. These derivatives appear to be very useful in assigning the configuration of the carbon 6. This assignment is based on the abundance of the fragment ions at m/z 321, 367 and 403, which are more prominent in the EI mass spectrum of the beta-isomer. In contrast, EI mass spectra of the tris-trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol and cholestane-3beta,5alpha,6alpha-triol differ only slightly and appear to be poorly informative.

Gas chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric identification of mixtures of oxyphytosterol and oxycholesterol derivatives

Pure individual phytosterols were prepared using reversed-phase HPLC in order to obtain the oxidized compounds of sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and brassicasterol. 7-Hydroxy-, 7-keto-, 5,6-epoxy-, 4beta-hydroxy-, 4-ene-6-hydroxy-, 6-keto- and 5alpha,6beta-dihydroxyphytosterols were obtained as well as analogous compounds of cholesterol. The gas chromatographic properties as well as the electronic impact mass spectra of these compounds (as trimethylsilyl ether derivatives) were studied. These data were used to identify oxyphytosterols in a spread enriched in phytosterols: the oxyphytosterols represented no more than 68 microg/g of spread (about 0.08% of phytosterols were oxidised).

Lymphatic absorption of phytosterol oxides in rats

Two of the main classes of oxyphytosterols (7-keto and epoxides) were synthesized from sitosterol and campesterol and given to mesenteric duct-cannulated adult male rats. Lymph was collected during 24 h and was analyzed for oxysterols. The results showed that the lymphatic recovery of the phytosterol oxides was low: 4.7% of the given dose for epoxy derivatives and 1.5% for 7-keto compounds. The campesterol oxides presented a better absorption than the sitosterol oxides. During the process of absorption, the epoxyphytostanols were also partly transformed in campestanetriol and stigmastanetriol.

Doubly allylic hydroperoxide formed in the reaction between sterol 5,7-dienes and singlet oxygen

Ergosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol, common 5,7-conjugated diene sterols, react with photochemically produced singlet oxygen very efficiently to yield, in parallel pathways, the corresponding 5,8-endoperoxides and the 7 beta-hydroperoxy-5,8(9),22-trienol or -5,8(9)-dienol, respectively. The hydroperoxides decompose in an acid-catalyzed reaction to generate hydrogen peroxide and the 5,7,9(11),22-tetraenol or 5,7,9(11) trienol, respectively, with 1:1 stochiometry. The molar ratio of endoperoxide to hydroperoxide was constant (16:5) with two different reaction solvents, two different photosensitizers, and at all time points between 5 min and 3 h from the start of irradiation. Ergosterol did not react with either hydrogen peroxide or superoxide ion under our reaction conditions. Inhibition studies with nitrogen, 2,5-dimethylfuran, beta-carotene, and tert-butanol confirmed the involvement of singlet oxygen in these reactions. The unstable hydroperoxide would be expected to have undesirable biological consequences if formed in vivo.

Studies on anabolic steroids--4. Identification of new urinary metabolites of methenolone acetate (Primobolan) in human by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The metabolism of methenolone acetate (17 beta-acetoxy-1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-3-one), a synthetic anabolic steroid, has been investigated in man. After oral administration of a 50 mg dose of the steroid to two male volunteers, twelve metabolites were detected in urine either in the glucuronide, sulfate or free steroid fractions. Methenolone, the parent steroid was detected in urine until 90 h after administration. Its cumulative urinary excretion accounted for 1.63% of the ingested dose. With the exception of 3 alpha-hydroxy-1-methylen-5 alpha-androstan-17-one, the major biotransformation product of methonolone acetate, metabolites were excreted in urine at lower levels, through minor metabolic routes. Most of methenolone acetate metabolites were isolated from the glucuronic acid fraction, namely methenolone, 3 alpha-hydroxy-1-methylen-5 alpha-androstan-17-one, 3 alpha-hydroxy-1 alpha-methyl-5 alpha-androstan-17-one, 17-epimethenolone, 3 alpha,6 beta-dihydroxy-1-methylen-5 alpha-androstan-17-one, 2 xi-hydroxy-1-methylen-5 alpha-androstan-3,17-dione, 6 beta-hydroxy-1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-3,17-dione, 16 alpha-hydroxy-1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-3,17-dione and 3 alpha,16 alpha-dihydroxy-1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-17-one. Interestingly, the metabolites detected in the sulfate fraction were isomeric steroids bearing a 16 alpha- or a 16 beta-hydroxyl group, whereas 1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-3,17-dione was the sole metabolite isolated from the free steroid fraction. Steroids identity was assigned on the basis of the mass spectral features of their TMS ether, TMS enol-TMS ether, MO-TMS, and d9-TMS ether derivatives and by comparison with reference and structurally related steroids. The data indicated that methenolone acetate was metabolized into several compounds resulting from oxidation of the 17-hydroxyl group and reduction of A-ring substituents, with or without concomitant hydroxylation at the C6 and C16 positions.

Identification by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of constituent long-chain fatty acids and alcohols from the meibomian glands of the rat and a comparison with human meibomian lipids

Constituent long-chain fatty acids and alcohols from the meibomian secretions of the rat were examined as trimethylsilyl (TMS) and methyl ester-TMS derivatives by capillary gas chromatography and by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The positions of double bonds and methyl branch points were determined by the mass spectra of picolinyl esters and nicotinates for long-chain fatty acids and alcohols, respectively. Fatty acids had chain lengths from C12 to C34 and were of the straight-chain iso, anteiso and monounsaturated types. The unsaturated acids had double bonds in the omega-7 and omega-9 positions. The alcohols had corresponding structures. In common with the constituent acids and alcohols of other meibomian secretions, the chain lengths of the constituents showed a biphasic distribution with maxima around C16-C18 and C25-C27. The profile was qualitatively similar to that obtained from human meibomian secretion but with some differences in the relative proportions of certain acids and alcohols.

Capillary column gas-liquid chromatographic resolution of oxidized cholesterol derivatives

Fused-silica capillary columns were evaluated for the resolution of oxidized cholesterol derivatives. Thermal instability of diol derivatives, epimeric 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroxy, 4 beta-hydroxy, and 25-hydroxycholesterol, was observed during gas chromatography. After derivatization as trimethylsilyl ethers the foregoing diols, alpha-epoxide, cholestane-triol, 7-ketocholesterol, and cholesta-3,5-dien-7-one were completely resolved on a DB-1 column. Each oxidized sterol revealed excellent response linearity as the trimethylsilylated sterol, enabling reliable quantification. The identity of each derivatized sterol was confirmed by mass spectrometry.

Identification of steroids by chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra of various natural and synthetic steroids have been studied using methane, isobutane, ammonia, trideuterioammonia and hydroxy anion as reagent gases. The CI spectra of steroids give simple and well characterized ions, which provide information about molicular weight as well as functionalities in the molecules. Trideuterioammonia exchanges rapidly with active hydrogens (e.g., OH, SH, COOH, NH2) in steroid molecules in the CI reaction and thus provides a convenient means of active hydrogen determination by mass spectrometry, Application of various CI processes to the analysis of steroids and conjugates have been made. Low levels of hydroxycholesterols in biological samples and in cholesterol autoxidation products were identified by the 4 ion patterns, [M+NH4]+, [M-OH+NH3]+, [M-0H]+ and [M-H2 O-OH]+, in ammonia CI. The position of hydroxy functions in the cholesterol side chain can be identified from the methane CI of hydroxycholesterol trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives. Sterol carboxylic esters can be identified as the ammonium adduct ion of the intact molecule, [M+NH4]+, in ammonia CI. Isobutane and hydroxy anion CI spectra of the steroid esters give abundant ion fragments of both steroids and carboxylic acid moieties. Identification of free bile acids and steroid glycosides without derivatization is also feasible with the CI process when ammonia is used as reagent gas.

Influence of the 6-trimethylsilyl group on the fragmentation of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of some 6-hydroxy- and 3,6-dihydroxy-steroids and related compounds

The 25 eV mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of a number of 6-hydroxy and 3,6-dihydroxy steroids together with deuterium and 18O-labeled analogs have been examined to determine the influence of the 6-OTMS group on fragmentation patterns. Ions in the cholestane series at m/z 321 and 403 were the most characteristic ions derived from the 6-OTMS function; their relative abundances, although low in the spectra of 6-OTMS steroids themselves, were considerably elevated when a 3-OTMS or 3-oxo group was present. Similar ions were present in the spectra of androstane and pregnane derivatives. No correlation was found between the abundance of these ions and the stereochemistry at C3, C5, or C6. Fragmentation mechanisms and gas chromatographic data are discussed.

4-Desmethylsgerols in the seeds of Solanaceae

Thirteen 4-desmethylsterols: cholesterol, 24-methylcholesterol, 24-ethylcholesterol, stigmasterol, 24-methylcholesta-5,24-dienol, 24-ethylcholesta-5,24-dienol, 28-isofucosterol, 24-methylenecholesterol, cholestanol, 24-methylcholestanol, 24-ethylcholestanol, cholest-7-enol and 24-ethylcholest-22-enol, were identified in the seeds of solanaceous plants. The distribution of these 4-demethylsterols in the seeds of eleven plants among seven genera of the Solanaceae family was determined.

Mass spectra of sterically crowded trialkylsilyl ether derivatives of steroids

The electron-impact mass spectra of the title compounds have some important features which give these derivatives certain advantages over the widely studied trimethylsilyl analogues. There is significantly less extensive fragmentation, and abundant ions at (M - t.Bu)+ or (M - i.Pr)+ serve as indicators of molecular weight and should be useful for selected ion monitoring. From various precursors, the ease of elimination of HX2SiOH, via a proposed multi-centre transition state, appears to depend upon conformational and stereochemical factors, as well as the position of the parent silyloxy group, RX2SiO, on the steroid skeleton. This particular fragmentation appears to be a powerful diagnostic method for distinguishing between stereoisomers, being especially useful for differentiation between epimers. In addition, the presence of a 17-silyloxy function promotes a characteristic cleavage of ring B in a skeletally saturated steroid. Elimination of silanol, RX2SiOH, at various stages in the fragmentations of bis-silylated steroids is also an important process, but other familiar features of the spectra of steroid trimethylsilyl ethers, though usually present, are very much suppressed.

[Study fo sterols from brown seaweeds of the genus Cytoseira. Identification by gas-liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (author's transl)]

All the samples of brown seaweeds (Cystoseria) that we have studied present the same deltas sterols fucosterol, 22 trans-dehydrocholesterol, brassicasterol, 24-methylene cholesterol as well as cystosterol, a new C27 sterol. This sterol has been submitted to gas-liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis.

High-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis of tobacco and marijuana sterols

Components of the sterol fraction of tobacco and marijauna were resolved as trimethylsilyl derivatives by gas chromatography with glass capillary columns. Ten phytosterols in tobacco and five in marijuana were identified by comparisons of their retention with authentic compounds on three different stationary phases and through mass-spectral data.

Sterols of the cockle Cerastoderma edule. Evaluation of thermostable liquid phases for the gas-liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of the trimethylsilyl ethers of marine sterols

Some recent liquid phases for gas-liquid chromatography with improved thermostability have been evaluated for their use in the gas-liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis of the complex mixtures of sterol trimethylsilyl ethers obtained, often in small amounts, from marine organisms. A combination of Dexsil 300 GC, SE-30 "ultraphase" and Silar 5CP is recommended for use in this technique because of the excellent separating efficiency and the very low substrate bleed. GC-MS analysis of the sterol trimethylsilyl ethers obtained from the cockle Cerastoderma edule has established the identity and relative proportions of the eleven sterols present.