Determination of Free and Total Choline and Carnitine in Infant Formula and Adult/Pediatric Nutritional Formula by Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS): Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2015.10

Plicosepalus acacia Extract and Its Major Constituents, Methyl Gallate and Quercetin, Potentiate Therapeutic Angiogenesis in Diabetic Hind Limb Ischemia: HPTLC Quantification and LC-MS/MS Metabolic Profiling

Plicosepalus acacia (Fam. Loranthaceae) has been reported to possess hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed the presence of a high content of polyphenolic compounds that are attributed to the therapeutic effects of the crude extract. In addition, methyl gallate and quercetin were detected as major phytomedicinal agents at concentrations of 1.7% and 0.062 g%, respectively, using high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The present study investigated the effect of the P. acacia extract and its isolated compounds, methyl gallate and quercetin, on hind limb ischemia induced in type 1 diabetic rats. Histopathological examination revealed that treatment with P. acacia extract, methyl gallate, and quercetin decreased degenerative changes and inflammation in the ischemic muscle. Further biochemical assessment of the hind limb tissue showed decreased oxidative stress, increased levels of nitric oxide and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and enhancement of the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the groups treated with methyl gallate and quercetin. Expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), VEGF, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and miR-146a were upregulated in the muscle tissue of methyl gallate- and quercetin-treated groups along with downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). In conclusion, P. acacia extract and its isolated compounds, methyl gallate and quercetin, mediated therapeutic angiogenesis in diabetic hind limb ischemia.

Determination of L-Carnitine in Infant Powdered Milk Samples after Derivatization

Herein, a novel analytical method using a high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector (HPLC/FLD) is developed for rapidly measuring an L-carnitine ester derivative in infant powdered milk. In this study, solid-phase extraction cartridges filled with derivatized methanol and distilled water were used to effectively separate L-carnitine. Protein precipitation pretreatment was carried out to remove the protein and recover the analyte extract with a high recovery (97.16%–106.56%), following which carnitine in the formula was derivatized to its ester form. Precolumn derivation with 1-aminoanthracene (1AA) was carried out in a phosphate buffer using 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) as the catalyst. Method validation was performed following the AOAC guidelines. The calibration curves were linear in the L-carnitine concentration range of 0.1–2.5 mg/L. The lower limit of quantitation and limit of detection of L-carnitine were 0.076 and 0.024 mg/L, respectively. The intra- and interday precision and recovery results were within the allowable limits. The results showed that our method helped reduce the sample preparation time. It also afforded higher resolution and better reproducibility than those obtained by traditional methods. Our method is suitable for detecting the quantity of L-carnitine in infant powdered milk containing a large amount of protein or starch.

Determination of 8 Endogenous Alkaloid Components inBoletusUsing Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography Combined with Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

A ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 8 endogenous alkaloid compounds inBoletus.Boletussamples were extracted by 50% (V/V) methanol-water solution, then separated by CORTECS UPLC HILIC column using a binary solvent system by gradient elution. The analytes were determined by Q-TOF/MS in TOF MS and information dependent acquisition (IDA)-MS/MS mode. The results showed that mass accuracy error of the 8 endogenous alkaloids were lower than 5.0 × 10−6, good linear relationship was got in range of 0.2–500 μg/L, and correlation coefficient was higher than 0.9990. The limit of detection was in the range of 0.002–0.100 mg/kg and the limit of quantification was in the range of 0.004–0.200 mg/kg. Recovery of the method was in range of 80.1%–101.5% with spike levels of 0.004–2.00 mg/kg, relative standard deviations were lower than 10%. The method was simple, specific, and reliable. It could be used for the rapid screening and quantitative analysis of 8 endogenous alkaloids inBoletus.

The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

Carnitine can be considered a conditionally essential nutrient for its importance in human physiology. This paper provides an updated picture of the main features of carnitine outlining its interest and possible use. Particular attention has been addressed to its beneficial properties, exploiting carnitine's properties and possible use by considering the main in vitro, in animal, and human studies. Moreover, the main aspects of carnitine-based dietary supplements have been indicated and defined with reference to their possible beneficial health properties.

Evolution of reference materials for the determination of organic nutrients in food and dietary supplements-a critical review

For over 40 years, food-matrix certified reference materials (CRMs) have been available for determination of trace element content, and a wide variety of materials are available from most producers of CRMs. However, the availability of food-matrix CRMs for organic nutrients has been more limited. The European Commission (EC) Bureau Communautaire de Référence (BCR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) introduced food-matrix CRMs with values assigned for vitamins and other organic nutrients such as fatty acids and carotenoids in the 1990s. The number of organic nutrients for which values were assigned has increased significantly in the past decade, and the approach and analytical methods used for assignment of the certified values have also evolved. Recently, dietary supplement-matrix CRMs such as multivitamin tablets with values assigned for vitamins and carotenoids, and fish and plant oils with values assigned for fatty acids have appeared. The development, evolution, and improvement of food- and dietary supplement-matrix CRMs for determination of vitamins, carotenoids, and fatty acids are described, with emphasis on CRMs made available in the past 10 years. Recent food and dietary supplement CRMs for the determination of organic nutrients include infant formula, multivitamin tablets, milk and egg powders, breakfast cereal, meat homogenate, blueberries, soy flour, fish and plant oils, dry cat food, and protein drink powder. Many of these food- and supplement-matrix CRMs have values assigned for over 80 organic and inorganic nutrients, toxic elements, proximates, and contaminants. The review provides a critical assessment of the challenges and evolving improvements in the production and the analytical methods used for value assignment of these CRMs. The current status and future needs for additional food- and dietary supplement-matrix CRMs for organic nutrients are also discussed. Graphical abstract Food Composition Triangle with currently-available food-matrix certified reference materials (CRMs) for the determination of organic nutrients positioned according to fat, protein, and carbohydrate composition.