Review role of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry in the analysis of oxidation products and antioxidants in biological systems

Interfacial Extraction to Trap and Characterize the Criegee Intermediates from Phospholipid Ozonolysis

Criegee intermediates (CIs) play a significant role in cell membrane peroxidation, but their identification remains elusive at the molecular level. Herein, we combined interfacial extraction and sonic spray ionization mass spectrometry to study the oxidation reaction of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (POPG) mediated by ozone (O₃) at/near the surface of a hung water droplet. On-line interfacial extraction and ionization provided a snapshot of the short-lived CIs. Experiments in which the content of water was varied provided evidence for the formation of CIs, which has not been previously observed. Capture experiments using 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) indicated that CIs could be selectively characterized, and the extracted ion current (EICs) of CIs vs DMPO-CI adducts further confirmed the successful observation of CIs. Theoretical calculation suggested that surface ozonolysis of POPG was mainly mediated by anti-CI. These results open a new route for aqueous surface reactive species identification, and benefit toward the understanding of disease development associated with cell oxidative stress mediated by CIs.

OUP accepted manuscript

HPLC-PDA, LC-MS/MS methods were developed for simultaneous determination of a group of oxidative stress biomarkers (OSBs); 2dA, 2dC, 2dU, 3NLT, 5HMU and 8OHdG in 10 simulated artificial body fluids. O-phosphoric acid and methanol composed mobile phases A and B for gradient elution in HPLC-PDA using ODS-2 column. Linearity obtained for 1.0×10-6-1.0×10-4M range. LODs were 1.73×10-6, 1.19×10-6, 2.59×10-6, 1.40×10-6, 2.21×10-6 and 4.07×10-6M for 2dU, 8OHdG, 2dA, 2dC, 5HMU and 3NLT, respectively. LOQs were 5.29×10-6, 4.02×10-6, 6.82×10-6, 4.02×10-6, 6.82×10-6 and 9.92×10-6M. About 10 mM aqueous ammonium acetate solution and methanol containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid composed mobile phases A and B for gradient elution in LC-MS/MS. Linearity obtained for 1.0×10-8-1.0×10-6M range. LODs were 2.88×10-10, 1.01×10-8, 3.38×10-9, 1.36×10-7, 1.81×10-7 and 1.40×10-8M for 2dU, 8OHdG, 2dA, 2dC, 5HMU and 3NLT, respectively. LOQs were 9.37×10-10, 3.22×10-8, 1.91×10-8, 4.53×10-7, 5.90×10-7 and 2.18×10-8M. Both methods were validated using ICH Q2(R1) guideline. Specificity, linearity, range, accuracy, precision, reproducibility, LOD, LOQ and recovery were achieved. Chemometric analysis was performed on raw PDA and MS data to check their significance for discrimination of OSBs. Sets of single and triple quadrupole fragmentations were evaluated for principle component analysis. Chosen number of PCs successfully distinguished OSBs of interest.

Validation of a sensitive LC/MSMS method for chloronucleoside analysis in biological matrixes and its applications

Myeloperoxidase promotes several kinds of damage and is involved in the development of various diseases (as atherosclerosis and cancers). An example of these damage is the chlorination of nucleic acids, which is considered as a specific marker of the MPO activity on those acids. This study aimed to develop and validate a method to analyze oxidized and MPO-specific chlorinated nucleosides in biological matrixes (cells, tissues and plasma). Although a lot of methods to quantify oxidized or chlorinated nucleosides have already been established, none of them took into account all these derivatives together. The new method used a Triple Quadrupole mass spectrometer fitted with a Jet Stream electrospray ionization source. This approach has two advantages compared with existing LC/MSMS analyses: it includes MPO-induced modifications in a unique analysis and obtains a better sensitivity. Our optimized method reached LOQs of 1.50pg and 1.42pg respectively for oxoG and oxo(d)G, being 4 times more sensitive than previous methods, and LOQs of 1.39pg, 1.30pg and 63.4 fg respectively for 5-chlorocytidine, 5-chloro-2'-deoxycytidine and 8-chloroguanosine. Developed method is also 25 times more sensitive for chloroguanosine than the best existing method. Nevertheless, this method is not specific enough for 8-chloro-(2'-deoxy)adenosine analysis. Examples of applications demonstrate the interest of this validated method. Indeed analysis of plasma from healthy donors highlighted exclusively the presence of 5-chlorocytidine (1.0±0.2nM) whereas analysis of treated endothelial cells by HOCl showed chlorination of guanosine and cytidine in cytoplasmic pools and chlorination of (deoxy)cytidine in DNA and RNA. In conclusion, this study shows that 5-chloro-2'-deoxycytidine, 5-chlorocytidine and 8-chloroguanosine are good markers allowing us to detect the MPO activity in biological fluids. The robust, specific and sensitive developed method enables future studies on MPO implications in human diseases.

Validation of a new LC-MS/MS method for the detection and quantification of phenolic metabolites from tomato sauce in biological samples

Tomato is a good source of bioactive molecules such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Up to now, only a few studies have evaluated the bioavailability of phenolic compounds from tomato. This paper presents the optimization of a method for the determination of phenolics in tomato and their metabolites in human urine and plasma after ingestion of tomato sauce. The sample preparation includes a SPE step to obtain cleaner extracts for injection in the LC-MS/MS system. The mean recovery of analytes ranged from 73 to 104% in plasma and from 65 to 106% in urine, the accuracy was between 90.3 and 115.0% in urine and between 85.7 and 115.0% in plasma, and the precision coefficient of variation was <15%. The method allowed detection and quantification limits of 0.5-29 and 2.0-90 ng mL⁻¹ in urine, respectively, and 0.5-30 and 2.0-105 ng mL⁻¹ in plasma, respectively, for the same phenolic compounds.

Peptide and protein drugs: the study of their metabolism and catabolism by mass spectrometry

Peptide and protein drugs have evolved in recent years into mainstream therapeutics, representing a significant portion of the pharmaceutical market. Peptides and proteins exhibit highly diverse structures, broad biological activities as hormones, neurotransmitters, structural proteins, metabolic modulators and therefore have a significant role as both therapeutics and biomarkers. Understanding the metabolism of synthetic or biotechnologically derived peptide and protein drugs is critical for pharmaceutical development as metabolism has a significant impact on drug efficacy and safety. Although the same principles of pharmacokinetics and metabolism of small molecule drugs apply to peptide and protein drugs, there are few notable differences. Moreover, the study of peptide and protein drug metabolism is a rather complicated process which requires sophisticated analytical techniques, and mass spectrometry based approaches have provided the capabilities for efficient and reliable quantification, characterization, and metabolite identification. This review article will focus on the current use of mass spectrometry for the study of the metabolism of peptide and protein drugs.

Analysis of nordihydroguaiaretic acid in Larrea divaricata Cav. extracts by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

INTRODUCTION

Larrea divaricata Cav. is a common shrub used in folk medicine to treat a variety of diseases. The main product extracted from this bush is nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDG), which is a potent antioxidant.

OBJECTIVE

In this paper we propose a novel method for the quantification of NDG in different extracts of Larrea divaricata. The concentration of NDG in two different aqueous extracts (I and D) and an ethanolic extract (Eet) was analysed, in order to evaluate the safe use of the extracts for pharmacological purposes.

METHODOLOGY

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was performed under the following conditions: the background electrolyte used consisted of 20  mm phosphate buffer (pH 7.5), 10  mm sodium dodecyl sulphate and 10% acetonitrile.

RESULTS

The limits of detection and quantitation of NDG were 4.54 × 10(-4) and 10.6 × 10(-4)   mg/mL, respectively. The concentration of this acid in both aqueous extracts was within the safe levels. However, the decoction must be used carefully because the concentration of the acid was almost over the recommended limit. In the case of ethanolic extracts, the amount of NDG was above the safe concentration, which is in agreement with the solubility of the active compound in ethanol.

CONCLUSIONS

The conclusions of this study demonstrate that most of these plant extracts should be used with care, especially those which are used with medicinal purposes. This is the first research on the quantification of NDG using MEKC in jarilla extracts.

Reactivity of Tyr-Leu and Leu-Tyr dipeptides: identification of oxidation products by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The exposure of peptides and proteins to reactive hydroxyl radicals results in covalent modifications of amino acid side-chains and protein backbone. In this study we have investigated the oxidation the isomeric peptides tyrosine-leucine (YL) and leucine-tyrosine (LY), by the hydroxyl radical formed under Fenton reaction (Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2)). Through mass spectrometry (MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-MS) and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS(n)) measurements, we have identified and characterized the oxidation products of these two dipeptides. This approach allowed observing and identifying a wide variety of oxidation products, including isomeric forms of the oxidized dipeptides. We detected oxidation products with 1, 2, 3 and 4 oxygen atoms for both peptides; however, oxidation products with 5 oxygen atoms were only present in LY. LY dipeptide oxidation leads to more isomers with 1 and 2 oxygen atoms than YL (3 vs 5 and 4 vs 5, respectively). Formation of the peroxy group occurred preferentially in the C-terminal residue. We have also detected oxidation products with double bonds or keto groups, dimers (YL-YL and LY-LY) and other products as a result of cross-linking. Both amino acids in the dipeptides were oxidized although the peptides showed different oxidation products. Also, amino acid residues have shown different oxidation products depending on the relative position on the dipeptide. Results suggest that amino acids in the C-terminal position are more prone to oxidation.

Strategies for comprehensive analysis of amino acid biomarkers of oxidative stress

Despite the wide interest in using modified amino acids as putative biomarkers of oxidative stress, many issues remain as to their overall reliability for early detection and diagnosis of diseases. In contrast to conventional single biomarker studies, comprehensive analysis of biomarkers offers an unbiased strategy for global assessment of modified amino acid metabolism due to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This review examines recent analytical techniques amenable for analysis of modified amino acids in biological samples reported during 2003-2007. Particular attention is devoted to the need for validated methods applicable to high-throughput analysis of multiple amino acid biomarkers, as well as consideration of sample pretreatment protocols on artifact formation for improved clinical relevance.

Identification of specific protein carbonylation sites in model oxidations of human serum albumin

Human serum albumin (HSA) was subjected to oxidative stress and the locations of the resulting protein carbonyls were determined using mass spectrometry in conjunction with a hydrazide labeling scheme. To model oxidative stress, HSA samples were subjected to metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) conditions or treated with hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Oxidation led to the conversion of lysine residues to 2-aminoadipic semi-aldehyde residues, which were subsequently labeled with biotin hydrazide. Analysis of the tryptic peptides from the samples indicates that the oxidations are highly selective. Under MCO conditions, only two of the 59 lysine residues appeared to be modified (Lys-97 and Lys-186). With HOCl, five different lysine modification sites were identified (Lys-130, Lys-257, Lys-438, Lys-499, and Lys-598). These results strongly suggest that the preferred site of modification is dependent on the nature of the oxidant and that the process relies on specific structural motifs in the protein to direct the oxidation. The high selectivity seen here provides insights into the factors that in vivo drive the selective carbonylation of specific proteins in systems under oxidative stress.

Analytical separation and detection methods for flavonoids

Flavonoids receive considerable attention in the literature, specifically because of their biological and physiological importance. This review focuses on separation and detection methods for flavonoids and their application to plants, food, drinks and biological fluids. The topics that will be discussed are sample treatment, column liquid chromatography (LC), but also methods such as gas chromatography (GC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC), various detection methods and structural characterization. Because of the increasing interest in structure elucidation of flavonoids, special attention will be devoted to the use of tandem-mass spectrometric (MS/MS) techniques for the characterization of several important sub-classes, and to the potential of combined diode-array UV (DAD UV), tandem-MS and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection for unambiguous identification. Emphasis will be on recent developments and trends.

Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry: the future of DNA adduct detection

Over the past 40 years considerable emphasis has been placed on the development of accurate and sensitive methods for the detection and quantitation of DNA adducts. The formation of DNA adducts resulting from the covalent interaction of genotoxic carcinogens with DNA, derived from exogenous and endogenous sources, either directly or following metabolic activation, can if not repaired lead to mutations in critical genes such as those involved in the regulation of cellular growth and subsequent development of cancer. The major analytical challenge has been to detect levels of DNA adducts at the level of 0.1-1 adducts per 10(8) unmodified DNA bases using only low microgram amounts of DNA, and with high specificity and accuracy, in humans exposed to genotoxic carcinogens derived from occupational, environmental, dietary and life-style sources. In this review we will highlight the merits as well as discuss the progress made by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry as a method for DNA adduct detection.

Recent applications of capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry in drug analysis

A critical review of applications for the period 2000-2004, taken from the Web of Knowledge database, of the technique capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS) in drug analysis is presented. The review is concerned with molecules of mass less than 500 Da, chosen according to selected structural classes in which they give ESI signals primarily as [M+H](+) ions although other ions, such as [M-H](-), [M+Na](+), and [M+NH(4)](+), are also reported. These structural classes are drugs with amine-containing side chains, drugs with N-containing saturated ring structures, 1,4-benzodiazepines, other heterocyclic hypnotics, carbohydrates, sulphonylureas, anthracyclines, sulphonamides, penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, nitrocatechols, steroids, flavonoids/polyphenols, cannabinols, and miscellaneous molecules. Details are given on the fragmentations, where available, that these ionic species exhibit in-source and in ion-trap, triple quadrupole, and time of flight-mass spectrometers. The review gives a critical evaluation of these recent CE-ESI-MS analytical methods in drug analysis. Analytical information on, for example, sample concentration techniques, CE separation conditions, recoveries from biological media and limits of detection (LODs) are provided. Potential applications of CE-MS to particular drugs or drug classes are also briefly discussed in the text.