Photostability of amino acids: Internal conversion versus dissociation

Differentiation of Dihydroxylated Vitamin D3 Isomers Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Vitamin D compounds are a group of secosteroids derived from cholesterol that are vital for maintaining bone health in humans. Recent studies have shown extraskeletal effects of vitamin D, involving vitamin D metabolites such as the dihydroxylated vitamin D₃ compounds 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃. Differentiation and characterization of these isomers by mass spectrometry can be challenging due to the zero-mass difference and minor structural differences between them. The isomers usually require separation by liquid chromatography (LC) prior to mass spectrometry, which adds extra complexity to the analysis. Herein, we investigated and revisited the use of fragmentation methods such as collisional induced dissociation (CID), infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD), electron induced dissociation (EID), and ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD), available on a 12T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) to generate characteristic fragments for the dihydroxylated vitamin D₃ isomers that can be used to distinguish between them. Isomer-specific fragments were observed for the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, which were clearly absent in the 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ MS/MS spectra using all fragmentation methods mentioned above. The fragments generated due to cleavage of the C-6/C-7 bond in the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ compound demonstrate that the fragile OH groups were retained during fragmentation, thus enabling differentiation between the two dihydroxylated vitamin D₃ isomers without the need for prior chromatographic separation or derivatization.

Photostability of l-tryptophan in aqueous solution: Effect of atmosphere and antioxidants addition

l-Tryptophan (l-Trp) is an amino acid important in nutrition, and mainly provided by food supplements. However, it is known to be unstable under light irradiation, which is an issue for the nutrition and feed industry. In the present study, the photostability of l-Trp was studied in acidic aqueous solutions under air and under an inert atmosphere, N₂. The photodegradation was followed using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy after photolysis. Moreover, molecular orbitals and bond dissociation energies calculations, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy were performed. From all these results, a photodegradation occurring through a free radical pathway was suggested. Interestingly, several antioxidants were tested to improve the photostability of l-Trp, especially during irradiation under air, since the l-Trp was evidenced to be much less stable under air than under N₂. The results showed that sodium benzoate or EDTA were not efficient, but antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid or potassium sorbate improved significantly the photostability of l-Trp in acidic solutions.