Inversion of type of separation system in planar chromatography of peptides, using C18 silica-based adsorbents

High Performance (High Pressure) Layer Electrochromatography Separation Technique: Equipment and Preliminary Results

We present a new prototype device and propose a new analytical technique: high performance (high pressure) layer electrochromatography (HPLEC). The equipment provides a combination of overpressured layer chromatography (OPLC) and pressurized planar electrochromatography (PPEC), yet it still enables researchers to perform each of these analyses separately. In comparison to PPEC, HPLEC provides hydrodynamic flow of the mobile phase, irrespective of the voltage used and the mobile phase composition. The advantages of HPLEC over OPLC include the possibility of the use of the electrophoretic effect to influence the selectivity of separation and the use of the electroosmotic effect to facilitate the mobile phase flow in order to decrease backpressure and increase the flow velocity. Many operational parameters can be freely adjusted and optimized independently. The equipment is fully automated and can work in various separation/operational modes, including combinations of online/offline sample application and detection. We present preliminary results of simultaneous, fully online, multichannel HPLEC separation of analgesic drugs (including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and tramadol) as an example of increasing analysis throughput.

Comparison of Overpressured-Layer Chromatography and High-Performance/High-Pressure Layer Electrochromatography Using the New Prototype Equipment in Various Operational Modes

In our previous paper we have presented the new prototype equipment and introduced a new analytical technique—high-performance/high-pressure layer electrochromatography (HPLEC), a combination of overpressured-layer chromatography (OPLC) and pressurized planar electrochromatography (PPEC). In this paper, the work of the equipment in various operational modes is investigated. Some difficulties and challenges related to various aspects of separation are discussed. The OPLC and HPLEC techniques are compared in terms of selectivity and performance. The results show that our equipment can be successfully used for singe- and multichannel OPLC and HPLEC separations in various sample application and detection modes. It includes the high-throughput, multichannel, and fully automated online separation of multiple samples simultaneously. The equipment allows for the independent optimization of various operational parameters. HPLEC combines the advantages of column/capillary and planar separation techniques while overcoming their limitations. It also combines the advantages and overcomes the drawbacks of OPLC and PPEC. It provides hydrodynamic flow of the mobile phase, irrespective of the voltage used and/or the mobile phase composition. Thus, any optimization of the composition and the voltage can be used independently. Both can be used to obtain the required selectivity of separation. The voltage can be used to facilitate the mobile phase flow and accelerate the analysis.

Benzyl isothiocyanate-modified α-lactalbumin - Two-dimensional high-performance thin-layer chromatography for analyzing modified peptides

In complex food matrices, non-directed reactions between food proteins and secondary plant metabolites (SPM) are conceivable. In this study, the interaction between the bioactive metabolite from garden cress (Lepidium sativum) and selected Brassicaceae - benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) - and the dairy protein α-lactalbumin (α-LA) was investigated. It was focused on monitoring the proteolytic degradation behaviour of unmodified and BITC-modified α-LA with two-dimensional high-performance thin-layer chromatography (2D-HPTLC). The two-dimensional approach of HPTLC offers high resolution in the separation of complex peptide mixtures and might enable differentiation of protein modifications. Based on the specific peptide patterns of native and modified peptides, conclusions can be drawn about differences in protein/peptide polarity, location of a modification, and digestibility. The aim was to characterize tryptically hydrolyzed unmodified and BITC-modified peptides using the 2D method and to investigate the influence of BITC modification of α-LA on polarity and digestibility. To determine the repeatability of peptide separation by 2D-HPTLC, the unmodified and BITC-modified protein hydrolyzates were separated six times. The absolute standard deviations between the retardation factors of the individual peptide spots varied between 0.52 and 4.79 mm for the x-coordinates and between 0.41 and 6.47 mm for the y-coordinates for all three samples. Here, the mean relative standard deviations ranged from 5.80 to 10.4% for the x-coordinates and from 5.91 to 18.3% for the y-coordinates. The results of the tryptic hydrolysis indicated that, depending on the concentration of BITC used, the modification sterically hinders the cleavage sites for the enzyme, resulting in a reduced digestibility. Covalent binding of the hydrophobic BITC altered the digestibility and polarity of the protein, leading to a difference in peptide patterns between the unmodified and modified α-LA. It was concluded that the reaction was undirected, resulting in a mixture of unmodified and modified peptides, and that elongated modified peptides were formed by BITC blocking of trypsin cleavage sites.

Two-dimensional high-performance thin-layer chromatography for the characterization of milk peptide properties and a prediction of the retention behavior - a proof-of-principle study

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a suitable method for the analysis of peptides and proteins due to a wide selection of stationary and mobile phases and various detection options. Especially, two-dimensional HPTLC (2D-HPTLC) enables a higher resolution compared to one-dimensional HPTLC in the separation of complex peptide mixtures. Similar to 2D electrophoresis, characteristic peptide patterns can be obtained, allowing a differentiation of ingredients based on varying protein origins. The aim of this study was to evaluate 2D-HPTLC with regard to its suitability for the characterization of proteins/peptides and to verify whether it is possible to predict the retention behavior of peptides based on their properties. As models, the five most abundant milk proteins α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, α-, β-, and κ-Casein were used. In order to determine the repeatability of the peptide separation by 2D-HPTLC, each tryptic protein hydrolyzate was separated eight times. The standard deviations of the retardation factors for the separated peptides varied between 1.0 and 11.1 mm for the x-coordinate and 0.5-7.3 mm for the y-coordinate. It was also shown that after the chromatographic separation, peptides of the individual protein hydrolyzates were located in specific areas on the HPTLC plate, so that a clustering could be obtained for the whey proteins' as well as the caseins' hydrolyzates. For establishing correlations between the properties of the peptides and their retardation factors, 51 of 85 selected peptides were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS/MS). On this basis, statistically significant correlations (α = 0.05) between the retardation factors of the peptides and their isoelectric points, as well as the percentage of anionic and non-polar amino acids in the peptides were established. Finally, it was investigated, whether the retardation factors for peptides can be predicted on the basis of a linear regression of the percentage of non-polar amino acids in a peptide. For this purpose, a mixture of artifical (synthetic) peptides (n = 14) was separated by 2D-HPTLC and the measured retardation factors were compared with the corresponding retardation factors calculated. Absolute deviations of 0.3-17.9 mm were obtained. In addition, the universal applicability of the method to other protein sources other than milk proteins (animal protein) was tested using a mixture of pea peptides (plant protein, n = 3) resulting in absolute deviations of 0.7-8.6 mm.

Pressurized planar electrochromatography of DNS amino acids derivatives in silica gel and silanized silica gel systems with formic acid addition to the water mobile phase

Pressurized planar electrochromatography (PPEC) of dansyl (DNS) derivatives of amino acids in normal- and reversed-phase systems is presented. The results have been obtained for mobile phases with different acetonitrile (ACN) concentrations (0–85%). The data obtained show differences in separation selectivity between high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and PPEC systems. These differences originate from the electrophoretic effect which is involved in the PPEC system, contrary to the HPTLC one.

Comparison of Phenolic Compound Separations by HPTLC and PPEC with SDS as the Mobile Phase Component

The application of the surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) as the component of the water-organic mobile phase in thin-layer chromatography and pressurized planar electrochromatography is presented. The influence of various variables on the separation of various phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) as model compounds with systems containing surfactant is discussed. The effect of concentration of butanol and SDS as well as pH of the mobile phase buffer on migration distance of the solute zones is investigated. The presence of SDS in the eluent affects the butanol solubility in the mobile phase. It allows using higher organic solvent concentration systems compared with the mode without surfactant. The amount of SDS in the eluent has the effect on the solute retention, whereas the eluent buffer pH affects the migration distances of ionisable phenolic acids both in HPTLC and PPEC. The migration distances of flavonoid glycosides are considerably longer than those of pure flavonoids. Considering second group of investigated solutes, derivatives of the benzoic acid migrate longer distances in comparison with the cinnamic acid ones. In addition, in the majority of experiments, ionisable compounds (phenolic acids) migrate longer distances in PPEC than nonionisable compounds (flavonoids). Additionally, the order of solutes differs in the PPEC and HPTLC system.