Temperature-controlled micro-TLC: a versatile green chemistry and fast analytical tool for separation and preliminary screening of steroids fraction from biological and environmental samples

Investigation of Hybrid Methods for Elimination of Brilliant Blue Dye from Water Phase Using Various Nanomaterials Combined with Activated Sludge and Duckweed

The main goal of this experimental work is screening of different natural and synthetic nanomaterials and biopolymers that may improve elimination of stable micropollutants from water phase. In this work, as a target chemical acting as the micropollutant molecule, the Brilliant Blue (BB) dye was selected. We tested different active matrices dispersed in water phase including activated carbon (AC), lyophilized graphene oxide (GO), β-cyclodextrin (CD), raw dandelion pappus (DP), microcrystalline cellulose(MC), and raw pine pollen (PP), as well as two types of Egyptian Blue mineral pigments (EB1 and EB2). Graphene oxide and Egyptian Blue nanomaterials were synthesized in our laboratory. We investigated potential application of such nanoparticles and biopolymer conglomerates as additives that may tune the activated sludge (AS) microorganisms or duckweed water plant (DW) and increase efficiency of micropollutants removal from wastewater. Studied nanomaterials/biopolymers were used in two different experimental modes involving real activated sludge microorganisms (24 h experiment) as well as duckweed plant (16 day experiment). Quantitative data of BB were obtained using microfluidic type device based on micro-TLC plate. This approach enabled direct determination of target component without sample pre-treatment like pre-concentration or pre-purification. Within single analytical run calibration line, retention standard spots (methyl red) and multiple samples were analyzed simultaneously. Due to the multivariate nature of these experiments, quantitative data were explored with chemometric tools including AHC (agglomerative hierarchical clustering), PCA (principal component analysis), and FA (factor analysis). Experimental data and multivariate calculations revealed that BB is strongly resistant on biodegradation, however, inclusion complexes formation with β-cyclodextrinmay induce degradation of this dye in the presence of duckweed. It is hoped that results of our experimental work can be used for designing of future experiments for fast screening of different additives and improvement of technological processes, focusing on purification of sewage and water from micropollutants.

Microbial Lipid Alternatives to Plant Lipids

Lipids are in high demand in food production, nutritional supplements, detergents, lubricants, and biofuels. Different oil seeds produced from plants are conventionally extracted to yield lipids. With increasing population and reduced availability of cultivable land, conventional methods of producing lipids alone will not satisfy increasing demand. Lipids produced using different microbial sources are considered as sustainable alternative to plant derived lipids. Various microorganisms belonging to the genera of algae, bacteria, yeast, fungi, or marine-derived microorganisms such as thraustochytrids possess the ability to accumulate lipids in their cells. A variety of microbial production technologies are being used to cultivate these organisms under specific conditions using agricultural residues as carbon source to be cost competitive with plant derived lipids. Microbial oils, also known as single cell oils, have many advantages when compared with plant derived lipids, such as shorter life cycle, less labor required, season and climate independence, no use of arable land and ease of scale-up. In this chapter we compare the lipids derived from plants and different microorganisms. We also highlight various analytical techniques that are being used to characterize the lipids produced in oleaginous organisms and their applications in various processes.

Analytical Techniques in Lipidomics: State of the Art

Current studies related to lipid identification and determination, or lipidomics in biological samples, are one of the most important issues in modern bioanalytical chemistry. There are many articles dedicated to specific analytical strategies used in lipidomics in various kinds of biological samples. However, in such literature, there is a lack of articles dedicated to a comprehensive review of the actual analytical methodologies used in lipidomics. The aim of this article is to characterize the lipidomics methods used in modern bioanalysis according to the methodological point of view: (1) chromatography/separation methods, (2) spectroscopic methods and (3) mass spectrometry and also hyphenated methods. In the first part, we discussed thin layer chromatography (TLC), high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The second part includes spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy (RS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The third part is a synthetic review of mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), hyphenated methods, which include liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and also multidimensional techniques. Other aspects are the possibilities of the application of the described methods in lipidomics studies. Due to the fact that the exploration of new methods of lipidomics analysis and their applications in clinical and medical studies are still challenging for researchers working in life science, we hope that this review article will be very useful for readers.

Recent advances in hopanoids analysis: Quantification protocols overview, main research targets and selected problems of complex data exploration

Pentacyclic triterpenoids, particularly hopanoids, are organism-specific compounds and are generally considered as useful biomarkers that allow fingerprinting and classification of biological, environmental and geological samples. Simultaneous quantification of various hopanoids together with battery of related non-polar and low-molecular mass compounds may provide principal information for geochemical and environmental research focusing on both modern and ancient investigations. Target compounds can be derived from microbial biomass, water columns, sediments, coals, crude fossils or rocks. This create number of analytical problems due to different composition of the analytical matrix and interfering compounds and therefore, proper optimization of quantification protocols for such biomarkers is still the challenge. In this work we summarizing typical analytical protocols that were recently applied for quantification of hopanoids like compounds from different samples. Main steps including components of interest extraction, pre-purification, fractionation, derivatization and quantification involving gas (1D and 2D) as well as liquid separation techniques (liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, planar and low resolution column chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography) are described and discussed from practical point of view, mainly based on the experimental papers that were published within last two years, where significant increase in hopanoids research was noticed. The second aim of this review is to describe the latest research trends concerning determination of hopanoids and related low-molecular mass lipids analyzed in various samples including sediments, rocks, coals, crude oils and plant fossils as well as stromatolites and microbial biomass cultivated under different conditions. It has been found that majority of the most recent papers are based on uni- or bivariate approach for complex data analysis. Data interpretation involves number of physicochemical parameters and hopanoids quantities or given biomarkers mass ratios derived from high-throughput separation and detection systems, typically GC-MS and HPLC-MS. Based on quantitative data reported in recently published experimental works it has been demonstrated that multivariate data analysis using e.g. principal components computations may significantly extend our knowledge concerning proper biomarkers selection and samples classification by means of hopanoids and related non-polar compounds.

Analytical methods in sphingolipidomics: Quantitative and profiling approaches in food analysis

In recent years, sphingolipidomics has emerged as an interesting omic science that encompasses the study of the full sphingolipidome characterization, content, structure and activity in cells, tissues or organisms. Like other omics, it has the potential to impact biomarker discovery, drug development and systems biology knowledge. Concretely, dietary food sphingolipids have gained considerable importance due to their extensively reported bioactivity. Because of the complexity of this lipid family and their diversity among foods, powerful analytical methodologies are needed for their study. The analytical tools developed in the past have been improved with the enormous advances made in recent years in mass spectrometry (MS) and chromatography, which allow the convenient and sensitive identification and quantitation of sphingolipid classes and form the basis of current sphingolipidomics methodologies. In addition, novel hyphenated nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) strategies, new ionization strategies, and MS imaging are outlined as promising technologies to shape the future of sphingolipid analyses. This review traces the analytical methods of sphingolipidomics in food analysis concerning sample extraction, chromatographic separation, the identification and quantification of sphingolipids by MS and their structural elucidation by NMR.

Biennial review of planar chromatography: 2011–2013

The most important advances in planar chromatography published between November 1, 2011 and November 1, 2013 are reviewed in this paper. Included are an introduction to the current status of the field; student experiments, books, and reviews; theory and fundamental studies; apparatus and techniques for sample preparation and TLC separations (sample application and plate development with the mobile phase); detection and identification of separated zones (chemical and biological detection, TLC/mass spectrometry, and TLC coupled with other spectrometric methods); techniques and instruments for quantitative analysis; preparative layer chromatography; and thin layer radiochromatography. Numerous applications to a great number of compound types and sample matrices are presented in all sections of the review.

Micro-TLC Approach for Fast Screening of Environmental Samples Derived from Surface and Sewage Waters

In this work we demonstrated analytical capability of micro-planar (micro-TLC) technique comprising one and two-dimensional (2D) separation modes to generate fingerprints of environmental samples originated from sewage and ecosystems waters. We showed that elaborated separation and detection protocols are complementary to previously invented HPLC method based on temperature-dependent inclusion chromatography and UV-DAD detection. Presented 1D and 2D micro-TLC chromatograms of SPE (solid-phase extraction) extracts were optimized for fast and low-cost screening of water samples collected from lakes and rivers located in the area of Middle Pomerania in northern part of Poland. Moreover, we studied highly organic compounds loaded in the treated and untreated sewage waters obtained from municipal wastewater treatment plant "Jamno" near Koszalin City (Poland). Analyzed environmental samples contained number of substances characterized by polarity range from estetrol to progesterone as well as chlorophyll-related dyes previously isolated and pre-purified by simple SPE protocol involving C18 cartridges. Optimization of micro-TLC separation and quantification protocols of such samples were discussed from the practical point of view using simple separation efficiency criteria including total peaks number, log(product ΔhR_F), signal intensity and peak asymmetry. Outcomes of the presented analytical approach, especially using detection involving direct fluorescence (UV366/Vis) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) visualization are compared with UV-DAD HPLC-generated data reported previously. Chemometric investigation based on principal components analysis revealed that SPE extracts separated by micro-TLC and detected under fluorescence and PMA visualization modes can be used for robust sample fingerprinting even after long-term storage of the extracts (up to 4 years) at subambient temperature (-20 °C). Such approach allows characterization of wide range of sample components that are present in given extract in high and middle concentration range. Due to protocol simplicity and low cost of analysis this method can be useful for preliminary sample screening.

Micro 2D-TLC of Selected Plant Extracts in Screening of Their Composition and Antioxidative Properties

Micro two-dimensional separations were performed on polar bonded stationary phases of the type cyanopropyl-silica using non-aqueous eluents (polar modifier dissolved in n-heptane) as the first direction eluents and aqueous eluents (organic modifier-MeOH dissolved in water) as the second direction eluents. The chromatographic process was performed in micro scale using 5 × 5 cm plates, small volumes of eluents and 10 μL of plant extracts to obtain satisfying separation. Plates developed in horizontal chambers were dried and observed in UV light (254 nm and 366 m) photographed by digital camera and derivatized by DPPH to detect antioxidants (free radical scavengers) or derivatized by Naturstoff reagent to detect phenolic compounds (characteristic luminescence of some phenolic compounds). The above experiments give the possibility to construct fingerprints for investigated Polygonum hydropiper, Betula verrucosa and Pulmonaria officinalis extracts. It can be used in quality control of the plant material and its antioxidative activity. Novelty of the paper is the micro-scale of the separation by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography mode. For the first time two-dimensional separation of plant extracts on 5 × 5 cm plates in two directions is performed.

Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices (μPADs) and Micro Total Analysis Systems (μTAS): Development, Applications and Future Trends

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices and micro total analysis systems are relatively new group of analytical tools, capable of analyzing complex biochemical samples containing macromolecules, proteins, nucleic acids, toxins, cells or pathogens. Within one analytical run, fluidic manipulations like transportation, sorting, mixing or separation are available. Recently, microfluidic devices are a subject of extensive research, mostly for fast and non-expensive biochemical analysis but also for screening of medical samples and forensic diagnostics. They are used for neurotransmitter detection, cancer diagnosis and treatment, cell and tissue culture growth and amplification, drug discovery and determination, detection and identification of microorganisms. This review summarizes development history, basic fabrication methods, applications and also future development trends for production of such devices.