Fibers coated with molecularly imprinted polymers for solid-phase microextraction

The simplicity and flexibility of solid-phase microextraction have been combined with the selectivity of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Silica fibers were coated reproducible with a 75-microm layer of methacrylate polymer either nonimprinted or imprinted with clenbuterol to compare their extraction characteristics under various conditions. Although the template molecule could be removed effectively from the imprinted polymer, structural analogues of clenbuterol were used for evaluation. The influence of pH on the extractability of brombuterol was investigated. Extraction yields up to approximately 80% were obtained when both types of fibers were used to extract brombuterol from phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). In contrast, yields of about 75 and <5% were obtained when extraction was performed from acetonitrile with imprinted and nonimprinted polymers, respectively, which demonstrates the selectivity of the MIP-coated fiber. Time sorption profiles were measured for the extraction of brombuterol from buffer and acetonitrile at the 10 and 100 ng/mL level with both types of fibers in order to compare extraction characteristics. Equilibrium times of about 30 and 90 min were found for the extraction of brombuterol from acetonitrile and buffer, respectively. The MIP-coated fibers were capable of extracting five structural analogues of clenbuterol from both buffer and acetonitrile, which suggests that the amine alcohol part of these molecules is responsible for interaction with the imprinted polymer. To achieve selective extraction of brombuterol from human urine, MIP-coated fibers were washed with acetonitrile after the extraction. Clean extracts and yields of approximately 45% were obtained, demonstrating the suitability of MIP-coated fibers for the analysis of biological samples.

Solid-phase microextraction for the analysis of biological samples

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has been introduced for the extraction of organic compounds from environmental samples. This relatively new extraction technique has now also gained a lot of interest in a broad field of analysis including food, biological and pharmaceutical samples. SPME has a number of advantages such as simplicity, low cost, compatibility with analytical systems, automation and the solvent-free extraction. The last few years, SPME has been combined with liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, besides the generally used coupling to gas chromatography, and has been applied to various biological samples such as, e.g., urine, plasma and hair. The objective of the present paper is a survey of the application of SPME for the analysis of biological samples. Papers about the analysis of biologically active compounds are categorised and reviewed. The impact of SPME on various analytical fields (toxicological, forensic, clinical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, and natural products) is illustrated. The main features of SPME and its modes are briefly described and important aspects about its application for the determination of pharmaceuticals, drugs of abuse and compounds of clinical and toxicological interest are discussed. SPME is compared with other sample pretreatment techniques. The potential of SPME and its main advantages are demonstrated. Special attention is paid to new trends in applications of SPME in bioanalysis.

Multiple solid-phase microextraction

Theoretical aspects of multiple solid-phase microextraction are described and the principle is illustrated with the extraction of lidocaine from aqueous solutions. With multiple extraction under non-equilibrium conditions considerably less time is required in order to obtain an extraction yield that is equal to that of one extraction at equilibrium. On the other side, the extraction yield can be increased if multiple extraction is performed with the same total time as is needed for one extraction at equilibrium time. The effect of multiple extraction is strongly dependent on the value of the partition constant and for practical use the length of the desorption time is important. A good agreement between theoretical and experimental data has been obtained. Chromatograms are presented showing the potential of multiple solid-phase microextraction.

Determination of lidocaine in plasma by direct solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography

Direct-immersion solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has been used to extract the local anesthetic lidocaine from human plasma. A simplified model shows the relationship between the total amount of drug in plasma and the amount of drug extracted. The model takes into account that the drug participates between the fiber, sample and proteins. Therefore the model can also be used to obtain a good approximation of the drug-protein binding. Extraction yields of lidocaine in plasma are <1%, and the protein binding of lidocaine was found to be about 74% at pH 9.5. A SPME method has been developed for the determination of the total amount of lidocaine in plasma. The protein binding was reduced by acidification and, subsequently, the sample was deproteinized with trichloroacetic acid. With a 100-microm polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber and addition of sodium chloride to the sample an extraction yield of about 12% at equilibrium (45 min) has been obtained. The relative standard deviation of this method is <10%. A linear range was found from 25 to 2000 ng ml(-1) lidocaine in plasma (r=0.998) with a detection limit of 5 ng ml(-1) in plasma. An extraction yield of about 80% could be obtained after an overnight extraction by use of a 65-microm polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene-coated fiber. If an extraction time of 10 min is used with this fiber, the same yield is obtained as with the single-phase fiber in 45 min. However, the drawback of this mixed-phase fiber is its much shorter lifetime.

Degradation kinetics of antagonist [Arg6, D-Trp7,9, MePhe8]-substance P [6-11] in aqueous solutions

Antagonist [Arg6, D-Trp7,9, MePhe8]-substance P {6-11} was subjected to a systematic stability study in which kinetic parameters were obtained for the degradation of this hexapeptide under several well-defined conditions. The influences of pH, temperature, ionic strength, buffer concentration, and initial concentration of the peptide on the reaction rate constant, kobs, were investigated with a stability-indicating reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic system. From the pH-log kobs degradation profile, obtained at 63 degrees C, it appears that antagonist [Arg6, D-Trp7,9, MePhe8]-substance P {6-11} shows its maximum stability around pH 4.2. The half-life at this pH and temperature is 150 days. In both the hydroxyl- and proton-catalyzed parts of the pH-log kobs degradation profile, the influence of temperature was investigated and Arrhenius plots were constructed. The activation energies in both parts were comparable; however, the frequency factor in the hydroxyl-catalyzed part was 3.3 x 10(4) times higher than in the proton-catalyzed part. Eyring analysis of the data reveals that in both acidic and alkaline media the overall degradation was endotherm (delta H++ as well as delta G++ positive between 273 and 373 degrees K) and the entropy was negative. Increasing ionic strengths in acidic media causes an increase in kobs, while in alkaline media the kobs decreases with increasing ionic strength. Increasing buffer concentrations of acetate, phosphate, and carbonate led to an increase of kobs values. Drug concentrations up to 1 mg/ml at pH 10.8 and constant temperature and ionic strength have no influence on the overall degradation rate. At higher concentrations, above 1 mg/ml, kobs decreases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis in the stability study of the neuropeptide growth factor antagonist [Arg6,D-Trp7,9,MePhe8]-substance P (6-11): a comparative study

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis are widely used in protein and peptide analysis. Degradation of the basic peptide [Arg6,D-Trp7,9,MePhe8]-substance P (6-11) (antagonist G) was monitored with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, free capillary zone electrophoresis, and capillary zone electrophoresis with a capillary cationic coating. Capillary zone electrophoresis with a dynamically coated capillary provided better separation between antagonist G and its degradation products (formed at pH/Hv 13) than high-performance liquid chromatography and free zone capillary electrophoresis. Rate constants of the alkaline degradation of antagonist G measured with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis with a dynamic coated capillary wall are similar whereas the values measured with free zone capillary electrophoresis are lower. Rate constants for the degradation of antagonist G in acidic media are comparable for the three techniques. It is concluded that capillary zone electrophoresis using a dynamic coating with Fluorad is the most suited of the above-mentioned techniques in analyzing antagonist G and its degradation products.