Development of a fully automated sequential injection solid-phase extraction procedure coupled to liquid chromatography to determine free 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulphonic acid in human urine

Environmentally relevant concentrations of benzophenones exposure disrupt intestinal homeostasis, impair the intestinal barrier, and induce inflammation in mice

The aim of this study is to investigate the adverse effects of benzophenones (BPs) on the intestinal tract of mice and the potential mechanism. F1-generation ICR mice were exposed to BPs (benzophenone-1, benzophenone-2, and benzophenone-3) by breastfeeding from birth until weaning, and by drinking water after weaning until maturity. The offspring mice were executed on postnatal day 56, then their distal colons were sampled. AB-PAS staining, HE staining, immunofluorescence, Transmission Electron Microscope, immunohistochemistry, Western Blot and RT-qPCR were used to study the effects of BPs exposure on the colonic tissues of offspring mice. The results showed that colonic microvilli appeared significantly deficient in the high-dose group, and the expression of tight junction markers Zo-1 and Occludin was significantly down-regulated and the number of goblet cells and secretions were reduced in all dose groups, and the expression of secretory cell markers MUC2 and KI67 were decreased, as well as the expression of intestinal stem cell markers Lgr5 and Bmi1, suggesting that BPs exposure caused disruption of intestinal barrier and imbalance in the composition of the intestinal stem cell pool. Besides, the expression of cellular inflammatory factors such as macrophage marker F4/80 and tumor necrosis factor TNF-α was elevated in the colonic tissues of all dose groups, and the inflammatory infiltration was observed, which means the exposure of BPs caused inflammatory effects in the intestinal tract of F1-generation mice. In addition, the contents of Notch/Wnt signaling pathway-related genes, such as Dll-4, Notch1, Hes1, Ctnnb1and Sfrp2 were significantly decreased in each high-dose group (P < 0.05), suggesting that BPs may inhibit the regulation of Notch/Wnt signaling pathway. In conclusion, exposure to BPs was able to imbalance colonic homeostasis, disrupt the intestinal barrier, and trigger inflammation in the offspring mice, which might be realized through interfering with the Notch/Wnt signaling pathway.

An Overview of the Analytical Methods for the Determination of Organic Ultraviolet Filters in Cosmetic Products and Human Samples

UV filters are a group of compounds commonly used in different cosmetic products to absorb UV radiation. They are classified into a variety of chemical groups, such as benzophenones, salicylates, benzotriazoles, cinnamates, p-aminobenzoates, triazines, camphor derivatives, etc. Different tests have shown that some of these chemicals are absorbed through the skin and metabolised or bioaccumulated. These processes can cause negative health effects, including mutagenic and cancerogenic ones. Due to the absence of official monitoring protocols, there is an increased number of analytical methods that enable the determination of those compounds in cosmetic samples to ensure user safety, as well as in biological fluids and tissues samples, to obtain more information regarding their behaviour in the human body. This review aimed to show and discuss the published studies concerning analytical methods for the determination of organic UV filters in cosmetic and biological samples. It focused on sample preparation, analytical techniques, and analytical performance (limit of detection, accuracy, and repeatability).

Comparison of two online extraction systems and development of the online SPE-HPLC-DAD method to simultaneously determine ten β-amino alcohol drugs in plasma

Multiple comparisons of two online pretreatment systems were conducted, which provided a reference for choosing a suitable solution.

A simple and automated online SPE-LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of olanzapine, fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in human plasma and its application in therapeutic drug monitoring

An integration of sample pretreatment automation using online SPE technique could provide an easy to use, efficient, sensitive and high quality methods for TDM.

Simultaneous determination of some phthalate metabolites, parabens and benzophenone-3 in urine by ultra high pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Phthalates, parabens and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone or benzophone-3 are thought to act as endocrine disrupting chemicals, being able to disrupt the endocrine balance and therefore able to lead to some hormonal diseases. Numerous large-scale biomonitoring studies have detected the biomarkers of these compounds in more than 75% of the general population. To assess the exposure to these chemicals, we developed an analytical method based on a Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) prior to ultra high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous measurement of seven phthalate metabolites (monobenzyl phthalate, mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-iso-butyl phthalate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate, monoethyl phthalate), four parabens (methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, n-propyl paraben, n-butyl parabens) and benzophenone-3 in human urine. The distinction between unconjugated, glucuro- and sulfoconjugated forms was achieved using different enzymatic hydrolyses. The whole procedure was validated according to the total error approach, and was demonstrated to be linear (regression coefficient ranging from 0.987 to 0.998) and accurate (inter and intra assay precision <17.71%, relative bias <5.87%) in the dosing range of concentrations. The limits of quantification (LOQs) obtained ranged between 0.30 and 1.23ng/ml depending on the analyte. The reliability of the method was proven in passing successfully the German External Quality Assessment Scheme (G-EQUAS). Moreover, the urine from 25 volunteers were analyzed for the determination of glucuro-, sulfo- and free species separately. Phthalate metabolites, parabens and benzophenone-3 were positively detected in almost all urine samples, with detection rates ranging from 40 to 100%. Levels measured ranged from <LOQ to 2207ng/ml varying widely depending on the compound and the individual. In our small participating population, most of the phthalate metabolites were excreted predominately as glucuroconjugated forms while parabens and benzophenone-3 were detected as glucuro- and sulfoconjugated species in variable proportions according to the target compound.

Simultaneous determination of a broad range of cardiovascular drugs in plasma with a simple and efficient extraction/clean up procedure and chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis

A simple, easy to use and efficient method was described for simultaneous determination of ten cardiovascular drugs with a broad range of physicochemical properties in rat plasma via online SPE and HPLC-MS/MS.

Chemometrics assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for quantification of seven UV filters in urine samples by HPLC-DAD

In the present study, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection has been developed as simple, rapid, accurate, and efficient sample preparation method for simultaneous determination of seven organic UV filters in urine samples. The influence of the main effects as well as their interactions was studied through a 2((6-2)) fractional factorial design. The candidate parameters were: type and volume of dispersant and extraction solvents, sample pH, and salt concentration. Under final optimal conditions, the analytes were extracted from 5 mL of samples by addition of 0.5 mL of acetonitrile (dispersing solvent) containing 70 μL of carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent), without modifying the pH of the solution and applying the (+1) level of salt concentration (10% w/v NaCl). The assay was linear (R(2) > 0.997), relative recoveries ranged from 86.9 up to 97.3% and the LOQs between 3 and 45 ng mL(-1) were obtained. The intra- and interday RSDs were lower than 5 and 8% at the middle point of the linear range, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to different volunteer urine samples and it was shown that the extraction efficiency was not affected by the type of urine samples.

Optimization of on-line solid phase extraction and HPLC conditions using response surface methodology for determination of WM-5 in mouse plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic study

Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized for rapid and systematic optimization of on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) parameters to maximize the response and separation of WM-5. The optimization was performed with Box-Behnken designs. Four major parameters were investigated for their contributions to the response and separation of WM-5, with a total of 29 experiments being performed for each instrument, respectively. Quantitative determination of WM-5 in mouse plasma was performed to evaluate the statistical significance of the parameters on chromatographic response. A fully automated on-line SPE and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) method was developed for the determination of WM-5 in mouse plasma. Calibration curve with good linearity (r=0.9989) was obtained in the range of 20-4000 ng/mL in mouse plasma. The limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of the assay were 6 ng/mL and 20 ng/mL, respectively. The overall intra-day and the inter-day variations were less than 1.90%. The recovery of the method was in the range of 93.74-96.33% with RSD less than 3.06%. The optimized method demonstrated good performance in terms of specificity, LLOQ, linearity, recovery, precision and accuracy, and was successfully applied to quantify WM-5 in mouse plasma to support the pharmacokinetic study.

The degradation products of UV filters in aqueous and chlorinated aqueous solutions

Ultraviolet (UV) filters are vital constituents of sunscreens and other personal care products since they absorb, reflect and/or scatter UV radiation, therefore protecting us from the sun's deleterious UV radiation and its effects. However, they suffer degradation, mainly through exposure towards sunlight and from reactions with disinfectant products such as chlorine. On the basis of their increasing production and use, UV filters and their degradation products have already been detected in the aquatic environment, especially in bathing waters. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the work done so far as to identify and determine the by-products of UV filter photodegradation in aqueous solutions and those subsequent to disinfection-induced degradation in chlorinated aqueous solutions, namely swimming pools.