Comparison of an organic polymeric column and a silica-based reversed-phase for the analysis of basic peptides by high-performance liquid chromatography

Quantitative analysis of therapeutic proteins in biological fluids: recent advancement in analytical techniques

Pharmaceutical application of therapeutic proteins has been continuously expanded for the treatment of various diseases. Efficient and reliable bioanalytical methods are essential to expedite the identification and successful clinical development of therapeutic proteins. In particular, selective quantitative assays in a high-throughput format are critical for the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of protein drugs and to meet the regulatory requirements for new drug approval. However, the inherent complexity of proteins and many interfering substances presented in biological matrices have a great impact on the specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness of analytical assays, thereby hindering the quantification of proteins. To overcome these issues, various protein assays and sample preparation methods are currently available in a medium- or high-throughput format. While there is no standard or universal approach suitable for all circumstances, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay often becomes a method of choice for the identification and quantitative analysis of therapeutic proteins in complex biological samples, owing to its high sensitivity, specificity, and throughput. Accordingly, its application as an essential analytical tool is continuously expanded in pharmaceutical R&D processes. Proper sample preparation is also important since clean samples can minimize the interference from co-existing substances and improve the specificity and sensitivity of LC-MS/MS assays. A combination of different methods can be utilized to improve bioanalytical performance and ensure more accurate quantification. This review provides an overview of various protein assays and sample preparation methods, with particular emphasis on quantitative protein analysis by LC-MS/MS.

Evaluation of multiple hydrophilic interaction chromatography columns and surrogate matrix for arginine quantification in saliva by high-resolution mass spectrometry

Arginine, a pivotal ingredient in many biochemical synthetic pathways, can be used as a biomarker for many oral care clinical applications. It is still a challenge to develop a sensitive and reliable chromatographic method to quantify arginine as a biomarker in saliva, with or without arginine product pretreatment. The current method solved two critical issues for arginine quantitation in human saliva. The first issue was how to optimize arginine peak shape. A hydrophilic interaction chromatography method based on the column selection, pH and pK_a relationship, mobile phase ionic strength, organic solvent consideration, and temperature effects was developed. An optimized chromatographic condition for arginine quantitation in the saliva matrix was obtained. The second issue was how to build confidence in the use of a simple surrogate matrix methodology to replace the more complex traditional standard addition methodology. The surrogate matrix methodology we developed is applicable to the measurement of arginine as a potential non-invasive biomarker in human saliva. The method detection and quantification limit reached 2 and 6 ng/mL. The tailing factor was within the 0.9-1.1 range even though arginine had three pK_a values at 2.18, 9.09, and 13.2.

Overloading study of basic compounds with a positively charged C18 column in liquid chromatography

While tailing and overloading of basic compounds remain problematic on most RP columns, a new kind of positively charged RP column named XCharge C18 was found to be superior good for the separation of alkaloids in our practical use. In this work, the surface charge property of the XCharge C18 column was evaluated by the retention of NO(3)(-) under different pH values and buffer concentrations. A considerable and pH-dependent positive charge was confirmed on the column. Then overloading behaviors of bases were systematically studied using amitriptyline as a basic probe. Good peak shapes (Tf<1.5) and extra high loadability with a C(0.5) of about 30,000 mg/L were observed on the column, with commonly used 0.1% formic acid as mobile phase additive. However, increasing the ionic strength of buffer with phosphates led to tailing peaks at high sample amount and sharp decline in loadability (C(0.5) of 2000-3000 mg/L), although it brought higher column efficiency at low sample amount. Higher pH also induced worse performance and lower loadability. The overall results demonstrated the importance of an appropriate level of ionic repulsion for the XCharge C18 column to achieve the good performance for bases, which could be explained by the multiple-site adsorption theory as ionic repulsion would shield the solute from occupying high-energy sites deeper in C18 layer.

Monolithic columns in high-performance liquid chromatography

Monolithic media have been used for various niche applications in gas or liquid chromatography for a long time. Only recently did they acquire a major importance in high-performance column liquid chromatography (HPLC). The advent of monolithic silica standard- and narrow-bore columns and of several families of polymer-based monolithic columns has considerably changed the HPLC field, particularly in the area of narrow-bore columns. The origin of the concept, the differences between their characteristics and those of traditional packed columns, their advantages and drawbacks, the methods of preparation of monoliths of different forms, and the current status of the field are reviewed. The actual and potential performance of monolithic columns are compared with those of packed columns. Monolithic columns have considerable advantages, which makes them most useful in many applications of liquid chromatography. They are extremely permeable and offer a high efficiency that decreases slowly with increasing flow velocity.