Capillary Electrophoresis

Analytical Methods for the Determination of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Solid and Liquid Environmental Matrices: A Review

Among the various compounds regarded as emerging contaminants (ECs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are of particular concern. Their continuous release into the environment has a negative global impact on human life. This review summarizes the sources, occurrence, persistence, consequences of exposure, and toxicity of PPCPs, and evaluates the various analytical methods used in the identification and quantification of PPCPs in a variety of solid and liquid environmental matrices. The current techniques of choice for the analysis of PPCPs are state-of-the-art liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS2). However, the complexity of the environmental matrices and the trace levels of micropollutants necessitate the use of advanced sample treatments before these instrumental analyses. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) with different sorbents is now the predominant method used for the extraction of PPCPs from environmental samples. This review also addresses the ongoing analytical method challenges, including sample clean-up and matrix effects, focusing on the occurrence, sample preparation, and analytical methods presently available for the determination of environmental residues of PPCPs. Continuous development of innovative analytical methods is essential for overcoming existing limitations and ensuring the consistency and diversity of analytical methods used in investigations of environmental multi-class compounds.

Investigation of Cytotoxic Activity of Mitoxantrone at the Individual Cell Level by Using Ionic-Liquid-Tag-Enhanced Mass Spectrometry

A novel mitoxantrone conjugate was synthesized by coupling mitoxantrone with ionic liquid tags, and cytotoxic behavior of the designed conjugate was studied in normal and cancer cell lines. The synthesized mitoxantrone conjugate was oil at physiological temperatures and demonstrated high aqueous solubility. Sensitivity of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to the mitoxantrone conjugate was improved by an order of magnitude, in comparison with original mitoxantrone dihydrochloride. The observed ESI-MS signals were shifted to a "clearer" lower-mass region of the spectrum, which allowed investigation of the drug at the level of individual cells. The ionic liquid tags proposed in the present work consist of an easily available imidazolium salt residue and show a number of key advantages from the points of view of drug conjugate synthesis, drug delivery and analytic detection.

Categorizing Cells on the Basis of their Chemical Profiles: Progress in Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry

The chemical differences between individual cells within large cellular populations provide unique information on organisms' homeostasis and the development of diseased states. Even genetically identical cell lineages diverge due to local microenvironments and stochastic processes. The minute sample volumes and low abundance of some constituents in cells hinder our understanding of cellular heterogeneity. Although amplification methods facilitate single-cell genomics and transcriptomics, the characterization of metabolites and proteins remains challenging both because of the lack of effective amplification approaches and the wide diversity in cellular constituents. Mass spectrometry has become an enabling technology for the investigation of individual cellular metabolite profiles with its exquisite sensitivity, large dynamic range, and ability to characterize hundreds to thousands of compounds. While advances in instrumentation have improved figures of merit, acquiring measurements at high throughput and sampling from large populations of cells are still not routine. In this Perspective, we highlight the current trends and progress in mass-spectrometry-based analysis of single cells, with a focus on the technologies that will enable the next generation of single-cell measurements.

Capillary electrophoresis coupled with in-column fiber-optic laser-induced fluorescence detection for the rapid separation of neodymium

In this study, in-column fiber-optic (ICFO) laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection technique is coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the rapid separation of neodymium for the first time. The effects of buffer concentration, buffer pH, and separation voltage on the CE behaviors, including electrophoretic efficiency and detection sensitivity, are investigated in detail. Under the optimal condition determined in this study (15 mM borate buffer, pH 10.50, separation voltage 24 kV), neodymium could be separated effectively from the neighboring lanthanides (praseodymium and samarium) within several minutes, and the limit of detection for neodymium is estimated to be at the ppt level. The ICFO-LIF-CE system assembled in this study exhibits unique performance characteristics such as low cost and flexibility. Meanwhile, the separation efficiency and detection sensitivity of the assembled CE system are comparable to or somewhat better than those obtained in the previous traditional CE systems, indicating the potential of the assembled CE system for practical applications in the fields of spent nuclear fuel analysis, nuclear waste disposal/treatment, and nuclear forensics.

Multiplex detection and genotyping of pathogenic bacteria on paper-based biosensor with a novel universal primer mediated asymmetric PCR

Traditionary multiplex asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be applied to detect multiplex target organisms simultaneously, but complex optimizations of primer concentrations and staggered additions of primers are required to achieve equal amplification of multiplex genes. To overcome this shortcoming, we propose a novel method based on multiplex asymmetric PCR and paper-based nucleic acid diagnostics (PBNAD). In the asymmetric PCR, a universal primer was introduced to break the bottlenecks of low sensitivity and self-inhibition among different sets of primers. Amplification using the novel multiplex asymmetric PCR boosted the quantity of single-stranded amplicons, and the amplified products contained the same sequence at the 5' end. Therefore, only one gold nanoparticle-based signal probe was needed for the simultaneous detection of three genes using the PBNAD platform, and the detection signals could be observed with the naked eye. With this highly efficient, novel multiplex asymmetric PCR, as little as 1 pg/μL genomic DNA can be detected. This method can also be applied to genotyping for reliable epidemiological investigations. This proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of the PBNAD platform for cost- and labor-effective applications in the detection of pathogenic bacteria.

Baseline separation of amino acid biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma by polyvinylpyrrolidone-filled capillary electrophoresis with light-emitting diode-induced fluorescence in the presence of mixed micelles

Separation of amino acid biomarkers could be performed by polyvinylpyrrolidone-filled capillary electrophoresis in the presence of mixed micelles.

Capillary and microchip electrophoretic analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants which can reach the environment and food in different ways. Because of their high toxicity, two international regulatory institutions, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Authority, have classified PAHs as priority pollutants, generating an important demand for the detection and identification of PAHs. Thus, sensitive, fast, and cheap methods for the analysis of PAHs in environmental and food samples are urgently needed. Within this context, electrophoresis, in capillary or microchip format, displays attractive features. This review presents and critically discusses the published literature on the different approaches to capillary and microchip electrophoresis analysis of PAHs.

Recent advances in enrichment techniques for trace analysis in capillary electrophoresis

CE is gaining great popularity as a well-established separation technique for many fields such as pharmaceutical research, clinical application, environmental monitoring, and food analysis, owing to its high resolving power, rapidity, and small amount of samples and reagents required. However, the sensitivity in CE analysis is still considered as being inferior to that in HPLC analysis. Diverse enrichment methods and techniques have been increasingly developed for overcoming this issue. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in enrichment techniques containing off-line preconcentration (sample preparation) and on-line concentration (sample stacking) to enhancing sensitivity in CE for trace analysis over the last 5 years. Some relatively new cleanup and preconcentration methods involving the use of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, supercritical fluid extraction, matrix solid-phase dispersion, etc., and the continued use and improvement of conventional SPE, have been comprehensively reviewed and proved effective preconcentration alternatives for liquid, semisolid, and solid samples. As for CE on-line stacking, we give an overview of field amplication, sweeping, pH regulation, and transient isotachophoresis, and the coupling of multiple modes. Moreover, some limitations and comparisons related to such methods/techniques are also discussed. Finally, the combined use of various enrichment techniques and some significant attempts are proposed to further promote analytical merits in CE.

Carbon nanotubes in capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography and microchip electrophoresis

Carbon nanotubes are among the plethora of novel nanostructures developed since the 1980s. Nanotubes have attracted considerable interest by the scientific community thanks to their extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Research areas have flourished in recent years and now include the nano-electronic, (bio)sensor and analytical field along with many others. This review covers applications of carbon nanotubes in capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography and microchip electrophoresis. First, carbon nanotubes and a range of electrophoretic techniques are briefly introduced and key references are mentioned. Next, a comprehensive survey of achievements in the field is presented and critically assessed. The merits and downsides of carbon nanotube addition to the various capillary electrophoretic modes are addressed. The different schemes for fabricating electrochromatographic stationary phases based on carbon nanotubes are discussed. Finally, some future perspectives are offered.

Characterization of Gellan Gum by Capillary Electrophoresis

Gellan gums were characterised for the first time using free-solution capillary electrophoresis (CE) or CE under critical conditions (CE-CC). CE-CC is a fast method that separates the polysaccharide. Gellan gums are shown to be heterogeneous in terms of their electrophoretic mobility at 55°C revealing: oligomer peak(s), broad peaks of polymers with a random coil conformation with different degrees of acylation (composition), aggregates, and polymers with double-helix conformation. CE-CC is complementary with the rheological analysis also performed in this work. Sonication of gellan gums is shown to decrease the viscosity of gellan gum mainly by breaking up aggregates. The effect of sonication is stronger on the high-acyl gellan gum since the latter has a far higher tendency to aggregate.

Single-molecule analysis enables free solution hydrodynamic separation using yoctomole levels of DNA

Single-molecule free solution hydrodynamic separation (SML-FSHS) cohesively integrates cylindrical illumination confocal spectroscopy with free solution hydrodynamic separation. This technique enables single-molecule analysis of size separated DNA with 100% mass detection efficiency, high sizing resolution and wide dynamic range, surpassing the performance of single molecule capillary electrophoresis. Furthermore, SML-FSHS required only a bare fused silica microcapillary and simple pressure control rather than complex high voltage power supplies, sieving matrices, and wall coatings. The wide dynamic range and high sizing resolution of SML-FSHS was demonstrated by separating both large DNA (23 vs 27 kbp) and small DNA (100 vs 200 bp) under identical conditions. Separations were successfully performed with near zero sample consumption using as little as 5 pL of sample and 240 yoctomoles (∼150 molecules) of DNA. Quantitative accuracy was predominantly limited by molecular shot noise. Furthermore, the ability of this method to analyze of single molecule nanosensors was investigated. SML-FSHS was used to examine the thermodynamic equilibrium between stochastically open molecular beacon and target-bound molecular beacon in the detection of E. coli 16s rRNA targets.