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Eight new generation amide insecticide residues analysis by multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNs) cleanup, combined with QuEChERS and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and successfully applied in complex matrix such as orange, celery, onion, litchi, mango, shallot, chives, avocado, garlic. The matric effect of MWCNs is optimized and compared with ordinary cleanup materials. The results show that the performance of MWCNs is fine and effectively reduce matrix interference. Through chemical structure skeletons analyzed, chlorantraniliprole, bromoantraniliprole, and cyantraniliprole can cause same product ions of m/z 286.0 or 177.1 in the ESI+ mode, then tetrachlorantraniliprole and cyclaniliprole can produce collective ions of m/z 146.9 in the ESI− mode. The coefficients (R2) were greater than 0.9990, the limit of quantification ranges from 0.03 to 0.80 μg/kg, the recovery rate ranges from 71.2 to 120%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranges from 3.8 to 9.4%. The method is fast, simple, sensitive, and suitable for the rapid determination of amide pesticides in complex matrix agricultural food.

A convenient, cost-effective and fast method using dynamic microwave-assisted extraction and liquid phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating drop was proposed to analyze organochlorine pesticides in grains including rice, maize and millet. Twelve samples can be processed simultaneously in the method. During the extraction process, 10% acetonitrile-water solutions containing 110 μL of n-hexadecane were used to extract organochlorine pesticides. Subsequently, 1.0 g sodium chloride was placed in the extract, and then centrifuged and cooled. The n-hexadecane drops containing the analytes were solidified and transferred for determination by gas chromatography-electron capture detector without any further filtration or cleaning process. Limits of detection for organochlorine pesticides were 0.97–1.01 μg/kg and the RSDs were in the range of 2.6%–8.5%. The developed technology has succeeded in analyzing six real grains samples and the recoveries of the organochlorine pesticides were 72.2%–94.3%. Compared with the published extraction methods, the developed method was used to analyze organochlorine pesticides in grains, being more environmentally friendly, which is suitable for the daily determination of organochlorine pesticides.

A rapid analytical method was first developed to detect organophosphorus pesticides(OPPs) in cereals, which used dynamic microwave assisted extraction(DMAE) coupled online with a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe(QuEChERS) method. Cereals samples were mixed with a certain amount of quartz, C18 and primary second amine(PSA), and extracted successively with the acetonitrile-water solution(80%, V/V) under microwave irradiation. The obtained eluate was directly introduced into a collection tube containing NaCl and MgSO4. Finally, the supernate was evaporated and reconstructed, and determined by gas chromatographic spectrometry. Some factors affecting the experimental results were studied and optimized. The extraction and purification processes were carried out coinstantaneously and 12 samples could be treated in one step in 4 min. Low limits of detection(0.43–1.31 µg/kg) for OPPs were obtained in cereals. The relative standard deviations(RSDs) were 2.1%–9.3%. The recoveries of OPPs ranged from 76.1% to 100.2%. By combining the advantages of DMAE with QuEChERS, the sample pretreatment process was simple to operate, with little amount of organic solvent. The whole extraction process was completed in a closed environment, therefore it was very appropriate for daily analysis of OPPs in cereals.

Background No single pure enantiomeric pesticide residues was investigated and set regulations for tea quality safety and risk assessment. Objective Due to lack of chiral pesticide analysis method and data, the Maximum residue limits (MRLs) about the chiral pesticides in tea was unknown. Method An analytical method for the determination of chiral pesticide residues by QuEChERS combined chiral liquid chromatography quadruple/linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS-Qtrap) was developed and applied to the analysis of various teas. Results The mean recoveries for pesticides enantiomers ranged from 75.9% to 112.4%. Reproducibility represented by relative standard deviation percentage was 10% or less. Good linearity was achieved for all enantiomers with determination coefficients (r2) greater than 0.99. The detection of limit (CCα) and quantification of limit (CCβ) were 0.2 ∼1 µg/kg and 0.5∼5 µg/kg, respectively. Conclusions The method was suitable for monitoring the enantiomeric pesticide residues in various teas. Highlights Enantioselective multiclass pesticide residues were determined in various teas by LC-MS/MS-Qtrap, additional Qtrap scan functions greatly enhance the performance of screening, confirmation, and identification of chiral pesticides.

The simultaneous determination method of 8 amide pesticides by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNs) cleanup, combined with QuEChERS method and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and successfully applied in complex matrix such as green onions, celery, leeks, citrus, lychees, avocado. The matric effect of MWCNs is optimized and compared with QuEChERS materials. The results show that MWCNs can effectively reduce the matrix effect in sample extraction. The mass spectrometry is optimized, through their chemical structure skeletons, the ESI+ and ESI- mode are simultaneously scanned in the method. The coefficient (r) is greater than 0.9990, the limit of quantification ranges from 0.03 to 0.80 μg/kg, the recovery rate ranges from 71.2% to 120%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranges from 3.8% to 9.4%. The method is fast, simple, sensitive, and has good purification effect. It is suitable for the rapid determination of amide pesticides in complex matrix agri-food.

Four dummy templates (bisphenol B, bisphenol F, tetrabromobisphenol A, and 4-tert-butylphenol) were selected as template molecules to prepare a dummy-template molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for BPA analysis. The four of dummy-template MIP micro solid phase extraction bars showed good selectivity for bisphenol compounds and could be used to extract BPA present in real water samples. Furthermore, the strong bonding force between dummy-template and 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP) was further verified by the theoretical calculations. It was found that the difference of the value coming from the system of dummy template and 4-VP was larger than that of BPA with 4-VP, revealing the strongest electronic interactions between the dummy template and 4-VP. Meanwhile, it also reveals that dummy-template MIPs are equally effective and even stronger in bonding bisphenol in complex samples. The dummy-template MIP micro solid phase extraction bars were suitable for trace BPA analysis in water samples without being affected by template leakage. The recoveries of BPA from pond water and sewage samples were 65.56–88.84% with the relative standard deviation of 1.30–8.93%. The linear range was 0.01–15 μg·L−1 (r2 = 0.9998). The limit of detection was 0.003 μg·L−1 (signal-to-noise ratio (S/N = 3)). The limit of quantification, which was the lowest concentration that could be quantitatively detected, was found to be 0.01 μg·L−1 (S/N = 10). The proposed sample preparation method is easy, simple, and reproducible.

The present study aims at building a miniature mass method for the simultaneous determination of 12 phenols including the subtypes of bibenzyl, phenanthrene, and fluorenone, which was used to evaluate the quality of Dendrobium chrysotoxum. Through the full scan mode, new compounds were elucidated. The new compounds were quantified by carrying out the analysis of the ratio of the standard solution areas to new compound areas versus analyte concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for phenols were 0.5 µg/mL–1 µg/mL and 1 µg/mL–2 µg/mL, respectively. Average recoveries of phenols were ranged from 83.2% to 97.5%. Reproducibility represented by the RSD percentage was from 2.3% to 8.7%. The average content of the four analytes, erianin, chrysotobibenzyl, confusarin, and moscatilin, were more than 200 mg/kg, and the content of bibenzyl compounds was found to be the highest in Dendrobium chrysotoxum. Among these bibenzyl compounds, erianin was determined as the typical chemical marker from Dendrobium chrysotoxum. The newly established UPLC with a miniature mass detector method was found to be an appropriate tool for the quality assessment of Dendrobium chrysotoxum.

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies have been routinely characterized at intact, subunit and peptide levels by LC-MS. Papain and pepsin have been the enzymes commonly used to cleave IgG into various fragments to facilitate in-depth characterization. However, non- specific cleavage for both papain and pepsin and the need for a reducing reagent for papain has limited their usage. In contrast, IdeS has gained popularity due to its specificity and independence of reducing reagent. Results presented in the current study demonstrated that the readily available endoprotease Lys-C can cleave IgG2 at a specific peptide bond in CH2 domain to generate a homogeneous F(ab')2 fragment, and the Fc regions was digested to peptides under limited digestion condition. The generated F(ab)2 fragment is suitable for further analysis because of its homogeneity. The posttranslational modifications located in the Fc region including glycosylation, deamidation and C-terminal heterogeneity can be rapidly analyzed by LC-MS.

In-depth characterization of the commonly observed variants is critical to the successful development of recombinant monoclonal antibody therapeutics. Multiple peaks of a recombinant monoclonal antibody were observed when analyzed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and imaged capillary isoelectric focusing. The potential modification causing the heterogeneity was localized to F(ab')2 region by analyzing the antibody after IdeS digestion using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. LC-MS analysis identified asparagine deamidation as the root cause of the observed multiple variants. While the isoelectric focusing method is expected to separate deamidated species, the similar profile observed in hydrophobic interaction chromatography indicates that the single site deamidation caused differences in hydrophobicity. Forced degradation demonstrated that the susceptible asparagine residue is highly exposed, which is expected as it is located in the light chain complementarity determining region. Deamidation of this single site decreased the mAb binding affinity to its specific antigen.

Using magnetic hydrophilic–lipophilic balanced adsorbent (HLB), with divinylbenzene n-vinylpyrrolidone polymer as monomers and Fe3O4@C nanoparticles as magnetic material, a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method is proposed for veterinary residue analysis in milk. The magnetic Fe3O4@C-HLB adsorbent was fabricated via simple co-mixing method based on an “aggregate wrap” mechanism, which enabled magnetic solid-phase extraction. Thus, the resultant material can be separated from the solvent rapidly and conveniently by a magnet. The residues of regulatory interest in milk include β-lactams, aminoglyside, and macrolides. The analytes were quantified by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring modes. The decision limit (CCα) was 0.1–0.8 µg/L, and the detection capability (CCβ) was 0.2–2 µg/L. The method was accurate with recoveries ranging from 70.5 to 98%. Good intra-precision and intermediate precision were obtained with RSD better than 10%.

LC-MS peptide mapping is the most commonly used method to analyze protein modifications. The proteins are generally digested using trypsin at a slightly basic pH at 37 °C from several hours to overnight. Assay-induced artifacts can be generated during this procedure, potentially causing false-positive or false-negative results for a given modification. Unfortunately, for the analysis of succinimide, both false-negative and false-positive results can be generated within the same procedure. This study evaluates the stability of succinimide during the peptide mapping procedure and has demonstrated that up to 13% of pre-existing succinimide was lost during a 4 h trypsin digestion at pH 5.0 which was previously determined to be optimal for the detection of succinimide. The same procedure was able to simultaneously generate approximately 3% succinimide. Using the optimized procedure, it was also found that two aspartate residues that are followed by glycine residues in the conserved Fc region of a recombinant monoclonal antibody were not prone to isomerization. On the other hand, an aspartate residue followed by a glycine in the heavy chain variable domain was highly susceptible to isomerization. Interestingly, the antibody containing the succinimide eluted from an SEC column after the monomer peak.

An efficient strategy to characterize recombinant monoclonal antibody charge variants was established using weak anion exchange chromatography, LC-MS and IdeS digestion to allow subunit level characterization. Significantly higher resolution was achieved at subunit levels by weak anion exchange chromatography and LC-MS. In addition, subunit analysis localized potential modifications to either F(ab')2 or Fc fragments to facilitate further characterization. Peptide mapping of fractions from various charge variants after IdeS digestion identified aspartate isomerization, asparagine deamidation and glycation as the modifications. Although, aspartate isomerization does not generate net charge difference directly, it does generate antibody basic species. Antibodies with either isoaspartate or aspartate from deamidation showed different retention times by chromatography. Even more interestingly, the antibody contained succinimide as the isomerization intermediate, which though more basic compared to aspartate, eluted off the weak anion exchange column as an acidic species. The results demonstrated not only the utility of subunit level characterization but also the unpredictable chromatographic behavior of antibody charge variants.

A fiber array extraction method based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as fiber coatings for the simultaneous enrichment of three classes of environmental estrogens (EEs) was proposed. The MIP fiber array mainly relies on the selective recognition of MIPs for target analytes and their structural analogs and utilizes the prepared fibers to develop an effective extraction device that can simultaneously adsorb multiple estrogens. The MIP fiber array showed increased adsorption throughput and greatly improved detection sensitivity in comparison with single MIP fiber. The proposed fiber array extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was also used to analyze three types of EEs in environmental water, and satisfactory recoveries of 80.8%-114.1% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.8%-12.4% were achieved. The detection limits of bisphenols (BPs) and parabens (PBs) were identical at 0.003 μg L−1, and the detection limits of phthalates (PEs) were 0.016 μg L−1. The MIP fiber array is an effective strategy to simultaneously enrich environmental pollutants, especially endocrine disruptors and can be successfully used to identify and quantify multiple estrogens.

A simple, accurate, and highly sensitive analytical method was developed in this study for the determination of nine β-agonists in milk. In this method, a new magnetic adsorbent of molecularly imprinted polymers/magnetic nanoparticles prepared by simple physical blending was adopted, which enabled magnetic solid-phase extraction. Thus, the resultant material can be separated from the solvent rapidly and conveniently by a magnet. Two kinds of molecularly imprinted polymer/magnetic nanoparticles materials were fabricated, and the characteristics of materials such as the ratio, pH, amount, desorption, and regeneration were investigated. The analytes were quantified by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring modes. The detection limit of the method was 0.003-0.3 μg/L, and the detection capability was 0.01-0.3 μg/L. The recoveries of these compounds were 65.7-114% at three spiked levels. Reproducibility represented by relative standard deviation was 11.2% or less. The method was successfully applied to the screening of real samples obtained from local markets and confirmation of the suspected target analytes.

Light exposure is one of several conditions used to study the degradation pathways of recombinant monoclonal antibodies. Tryptophan is of particular interest among the 20 amino acids because it is the most photosensitive. Tryptophan degradation forms several products, including an even stronger photosensitizer and several reactive oxygen species. The current study reports a specific peptide mapping procedure to monitor tryptophan degradation. Instead of monitoring peptides using UV 214 nm, fluorescence detection with an excitation wavelength of 295 nm and an emission wavelength of 350 nm was used to enable specific detection of tryptophan-containing peptides. Peaks that decreased in area over time are likely to contain susceptible tryptophan residues. This observation can allow further liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis to focus only on those peaks to confirm tryptophan degradation products. After confirmation of tryptophan degradation, susceptibility of tryptophan residues can be compared based on the peak area decrease.

An analytical method for the determination of asymmetric carbon, phosphorus and sulfur atoms in chiral pesticide residues by magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotube sample pretreatment combined with chiral ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/Qtrap) was developed and applied to chiral pesticide residues analysis in Chinese herbals. Eleven different chiral pesticides were found, and 36.4% were positive in Chinese herbals. Three plants containing detectable pesticide residues were observed in Dendrobium nobile, Panax notoginseng flowers and honeysuckle, in the order of decreasing detected concentration. High detection frequencies of 26.1% for (R/S)-(±)-difenoconazole and 14.5% for (R/S)-(±)-metalaxyl and (R/S)-(±)-propiconazole were observed, the residual amount for (R/S)-(±)-difenoconazole, (R/S)-(±)-metalaxyl and (R/S)-(±)-propiconazole were 0.32 ~ 2.5 mg/kg, 0.022 ~ 0.23 mg/kg, 0.62 ~ 3.21 mg/kg respectively. The EF value of (R/S)-(±)-difenoconazole was 0.506 ± 0.046. The EF value of (R/S)-(±)-metalaxyl was lower than 0.5 in Dendrobium nobile, Panax notoginseng flowers, Panax notoginseng roots and hawthorn. The EF of (R/S)-(±)-propiconazole was not significantly enantioselective in honeysuckle and Panax notoginseng flowers. The enantioselectivity of various pesticide residues in different plants cannot be predicted from our existing knowledge and may closely depend on plant growth, environmental conditions or molecular structure.

Charge variants, especially acidic charge variants, of recombinant monoclonal antibodies have been challenging to fully characterize despite the fact that several posttranslational modifications have already been identified. The acidic species of a recombinant monoclonal antibody were collected using weak cation exchange (WCX)-10 chromatography and characterized by LC-MS at multiple levels. In this study, methionine oxidation and asparagine deamidation are the only two modifications identified in the acidic species. Incubation of the collected main chromatographic peak with hydrogen peroxide generated acidic species, which confirmed that acidic species were enriched in oxidized antibody. Differences observed between the original acidic species and the oxidization-induced acidic species indicate that different mechanisms are involved in the formation of acidic species. Additionally, acidic species were generated by thermal stress of the collected main peak from the original sample. Thermal stress of the collected main peak in pH 9 buffer or ammonium bicarbonate generated chromatograms that are highly similar to those from the analysis of the original molecule. LC-MS analysis identified oxidation of the same methionine residue and deamidation of the same asparagine in the corresponding acidic fractions generated by thermal stress; however, relatively lower levels of methionine oxidation and higher levels of asparagine deamdiation were observed. The results support the use of stressed conditions to generate low abundance species for detailed characterization of recombinant monoclonal antibody charge variants, but with caution.

Glycation is a common modification of proteins both in vitro and in vivo. To aid identification and comparative quantitation, a method of stable isotope labeling followed by LC–MS analysis was proposed. The samples were reduced using sodium borohydride or sodium borodeuteride. Reduction of the Schiff base between the amine group and the reducing sugars resulted in a molecular weight increase of 2 Da using sodium borohydride or a molecular weight increase of 3 Da using sodium borodeuteride. The molecular weight difference of 1 Da between peptides containing glycated lysine residue reduced using sodium borohydride or sodium borodeuteride was used to identify glycated peptides and to calculate the glycation difference between samples. The method was used to investigate glycation of a recombinant human IgG1 antibody under native and denaturing conditions. The result demonstrated a good correlation between glycation propensity of lysine residues and their solvent exposure levels.

A simple, sensitive and reliable analytical method was developed for the detection of benzo[a]pyrene in fried food using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with an isotope-labelled internal standard. Samples were directly extracted and purified by the ultrasound-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) procedure. The simple pretreatment procedures were tested with different absorbents (C18, NH2, Oasis, and SiO2). The optimal ultrasonication-assisted MSPD was achieved by MSPD-SiO2 and sonication for 10 min in an ultrasonic bath. The samples were quantified using benzo[a]pyrene-d12 as the internal standard. An analysis of the samples spiked with different levels of benzo[a]pyrene showed recoveries ranging from 84.6 to 103.2 %, with an RSD of 3.21–8.32 %, depending on the spiking level. This method was thus shown to be suitable for the detection of benzo[a]pyrene in fried food.

Confirmation of the correct disulfide linkage and demonstration of the lack of a significant level of scrambled disulfide bonds are critical to ensure the appropriate folding and structure of recombinant monoclonal antibodies. Currently these are typically achieved by carrying out multiple experiments, most commonly via the comparison of the samples before and after reduction by LC-MS and MS/MS. The data are then analyzed by searching across all the possible disulfide linkages manually or with the aid of computer algorithms. To eliminate the need of multiple experiments and complicated data analysis, a simple LC-MS-based method coupled with post-column partial reduction was developed. Using a recombinant monoclonal IgG1 antibody as an example, this method demonstrates the ability to confirm the correct disulfide linkage and the ability to detect scrambled disulfide bonds from a single experiment with a simple data analysis strategy.

A simple, accurate and highly sensitive multiresidues method was developed for the determination of 9 anabolic steroids and 16 β-agonists in milk. Target compounds were extracted and separated by a modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) method with Primary secondary amine (PSA) and Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles as adsorbents. The analytes were determined by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to an electro-spray ionization tandem mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS) operating in negative/positive multiple reaction monitoring mode. The effect of QuEChERS including organic solvent, amount of ZnO nanoparticle was evaluated. Good linearity was obtained for the analytes in the concentration range of 0.1-200μg/L with a correlation coefficients higher than 0.994. Decision limits (CCα) was from 0.007μg/kg-0.1μg/kg, and detection capabilities (CCβ) was in the range of 0.02-0.4μg/kg. The recoveries of these compounds were between 63% and 126% at three fortified levels. Reproducibility represented by RSD was with 10% or less. The method was successfully applied to screening of real milk samples obtained from local markets and confirmation of the suspected target analytes.

A method was developed for the determination of residual amantadine and rimantadine in eggs and chickens by dispersive solid phase extraction-ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Egg and chicken samples were extracted with ammonia water-acetonitrile (2:98, v/v). The extraction solution was dried to 1 mL under nitrogen, and then purified by dispersive solid phase extraction method with C18 and NH2 sorbents. After purification, the extraction solution was filtered through a filter. The target compounds were analyzed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) on a ZORBAX C18 column using a mixture of 1 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution (containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid) and methanol as mobile phases with gradient elution. The mass spectrometer was operated under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode in positive mode. The good linearities were obtained for amantadine and rimantadine at a concentration range of 0.15-10.0 μg/L. The limits of detection for amantadine and rimantadine were all 0.05 μg/kg, and the limits of quantification were 0.20 μg/kg. The recoveries of amantadine and rimantadine in eggs and chickens at three spiked levels (0.2, 1.0 and 2.0 μg/kg) age of 89%-108% with the relative standard deviations of 5.0%-8.6%. The results demonstrated that the method is suitable for the determination of amantadine and rimantadine in eggs and chickens.

The existence of multiple variants with differences in either charge, molecular weight or other properties is a common feature of monoclonal antibodies. These charge variants are generally referred to as acidic or basic compared with the main species. The chemical nature of the main species is usually well-understood, but understanding the chemical nature of acidic and basic species, and the differences between all three species, is critical for process development and formulation design. Complete understanding of acidic and basic species, however, is challenging because both species are known to contain multiple modifications, and it is likely that more modifications may be discovered. This review focuses on the current understanding of the modifications that can result in the generation of acidic and basic species and their affect on antibody structure, stability and biological functions. Chromatography elution profiles and several critical aspects regarding fraction collection and sample preparations necessary for detailed characterization are also discussed.

A simple, rapid method was developed for simultaneous extraction of trigonelline, nicotinic acid, and caffeine from coffee, and separation by two chromatographic columns in series. The trigonelline, nicotinic acid, and caffeine were extracted with microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The optimal conditions selected were 3 min, 200 psi, and 120°C. The chromatographic separation was performed with two columns in series, polyaromatic hydrocarbon C18 (250 × 4.6 mm id, 5 μm particle size) and Bondapak NH2 (300 × 3.9 mm id, 5 μm particle size). Isocratic elution was with 0.02 M phosphoric acid–methanol (70 + 30, v/v) mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. Good recoveries and RSD values were found for all analytes in the matrix. The LOD of the three compounds was 0.02 mg/L, and the LOQ was 0.005% in the matrix. The concentrations of trigonelline, nicotinic acid, and caffeine in instant coffee, roasted coffee, and raw coffee (Yunnan Arabica coffee) were assessed by MAE and hot water extraction; the correlation coefficients between concentrations of the three compounds obtained were close to 1.

A simple, reliable, and rapid hydrolysis method for quantitative determination of lutein and zeaxanthin in marigold and poultry feed was developed and analyzed by UPLC. Faster analysis time and better resolution were obtained by analysis columns with 1.7-µm particle materials in UPLC. The mean recovery for marigold was 85.4%–100% and for poultry feed was 83.4%–106.3%, relative standard deviation (RSD) was 8.75% or less. The concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin in 20 marigold samples were assessed by the UPLC method and the HPLC method. The regression coefficients between concentrations of lutein obtained under the two methods were close to 1, and the regression coefficients of zeaxanthin were 0.96. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of lutein in the two methods were the same values of 0.02 mg/100 g and 0.1 mg/100 g, whereas LOD and LOQ for zeaxanthin in UPLC were twofold lower than values of 0.04 mg/100 g and 0.2 mg/100 g in HPLC.

A method including protein A purification, limited Lys-C digestion, and mass spectrometry analysis was used in the study to quantify a recombinant monoclonal antibody in cynomolgus monkey serum. The same antibody that was isotopically labeled was used as an internal standard. Interferences from serum proteins were first significantly reduced by protein A purification and then by limited Lys-C digestion of protein A bound IgG, including both monkey and the recombinant IgG. Fab fragment of the recombinant human IgG was analyzed directly by LC-MS, while monkey IgG and the Fc fragment of the recombinant human IgG remained bound to protein A resin. Quantitation was achieved by measuring the peak intensity of the Fab from the recombinant human IgG and comparing it to that of the Fab from the stable isotope-labeled internal standard. The results were in good agreement with the values from ELISA. LC-MS can therefore be used as a complementary approach to ELISA to quantify recombinant monoclonal antibodies in serum for pharmacokinetics studies and it can also be used where specific reagents such as antigens are not readily available for ELISA.

A new residue method for quantification of abamectin and ivermectin in vegetable is described in the article. The derivative process is devised that acylating chemical is firstly performed by N-methylimidazole (MI) and trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA), then which reacted with hydroxyl function of abamerctin to make fluorescence. The influence of triethylamin (TEA) is examined. Separation is resolute by a short column of 1.7 μm size and operated at high pressure values (10.000 psi). The optimal chromatographic condition and the highest sensitivity are achieved by acetonitrile: water (95: 5), 0.4 mL/min, 0.2 μL injector. The detection limits of abamectin and ivermectin are 1 μg/kg respectively.

A method for the determination of bisultap in tropical fruits was developed by modified QuEChERS method and ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The tropical fruit samples were twice extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% (v/v) acetic acid, and purified by 200 mg of primary secondary amine (PSA), 100 mg of C18, 300 mg of MgSO4 and 500 mg of disodium hydrogen citrate. The analyte was separated on a CAPCELL CORE PC hydrophilic column, detected in the negative ion multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, and quantified by external standard method. A good linear relationship in the range of 0.1-10.0 μg/L was obtained with the correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.9993. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.015 μg/kg and 0.05 μg/kg, respectively. The spiked recoveries were in the range of 81.0%-88.3% with the relative standard deviations from 3.9% to 6.2%. The method has good purification effect and high sensitivity, and is suitable for the rapid analysis of the bisultap residues in tropical fruits.

A low percentage of free sulfhydryl is a common feature of recombinant monoclonal antibodies although, in theory, all cysteine residues should be involved in disulfide bonds. A differential alkylation method was developed to determine the percentage of free sulfhydryl at each cysteine residue of four recombinant monoclonal antibodies. Free sulfhydryl was first alkylated with 12C iodoacetic acid. Free sulfhydryl, resulting from the reduction of disulfide bonds, was then alkylated with 13C iodoacetic acid. Cysteine containing peptides that were modified by 13C iodoacetic acid showed a molecular weight that was 2 Da higher than the same peptide that was modified by 12C iodoacetic acid. Peptides, containing the same cysteine residues that were modified with both alkylation reagents, coeluted on reversed-phase chromatography. Analysis by mass spectrometry resulted in two partially overlapped m/z series for each cysteine containing peptide, corresponding to modification by iodoacetic acid with 12C or 13C. The percentage of free sulfhydryl was then calculated using the two m/z series at each cysteine site. A low percentage of free sulfhydryl was detected at every cysteine residue in the four antibodies studied. Although different antibodies contained different levels of free sulfhydryl, similar distribution of free sulfhydryl in the domain structures was observed in the four antibodies.

Glycosylation of the conserved asparagine residue in CH2 domains of IgG molecules is an important post-translational modification. The presence of oligosaccharides is critical for structure, stability and biological function of IgG antibodies. Effect of the glycosylation states of recombinant monoclonal antibodies on protein A and protein G chromatography was evaluated. Antibodies lacking oligosaccharides eluted later from protein A and earlier from protein G columns than antibodies with oligosaccharides using a gradient of decreasing pH. Interestingly, different types of oligosaccharides also affected the elution of the antibodies. Antibodies with high mannose type oligosaccharides were enriched in later eluting fractions from protein A and earlier eluting fractions from protein G. While antibodies with more mature oligosaccharides, such as core fucosylated biantennary complex oligosaccharides with zero (Gal 0), one (Gal 1) or two (Gal 2) terminal galactoses, were enriched in earlier eluting fractions from protein A and in the later eluting fractions from protein G. However, analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that antibody binding affinity to protein A and protein G was not affected by the absence or presence of oligosaccharides. It was thus concluded that the elution difference of antibodies with or without oligosaccharides and antibodies with different types of oligosaccharides were due to differential structural changes around the CH2-CH3 domain interface under the low pH conditions used for protein A and protein G chromatography.

Oxidation of methionine (Met) residues of a recombinant fully human monoclonal antibody after exposure to light was investigated and compared with chemically induced oxidation using tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (tBHP). Met256 and Met432 in the Fc region in the samples exposed to light or incubated with tBHP were oxidized. The Fc mass spectra of the antibody exposed to light showed mainly peaks with a molecular weight (MW) increase of 32 Da, however the sample treated with tBHP showed peaks with increase of only 16 Da. These results suggested that either oxidation of one Met residue (either Met256 or Met432) catalyzed the oxidation of the second Met residue on the same heavy chain (HC) or Met residues of one HC were preferentially oxidized when the antibody was exposed to light, while Met256 and Met432 were randomly oxidized when the antibody was incubated with tBHP.

A sensitive, specific, accurate, and reproducible GC–MS method with selected ion monitoring for quantitative determination of (−)-shikimic acid (SA) in Chinese star anise, using benzoic acid as internal standard, has been developed and validated. The homogeneity of the sample was evaluated by one way analysis of variance. The extraction efficiency of ultrasound-assisted and Soxhlet extraction was compared. Results showed that ultrasonic extraction was as efficient as Soxhlet extraction but was more rapid and simpler. Linearity and recovery were good. The method was used for analysis of (−)-SA in Chinese star anise from different areas in Wenshan state, Yunnan province. It was found that Chinese star anise collected from Pingbian and Funing counties contained more (−)-SA than other samples, with two plants from Pingbian county containing >15% (−)-SA.

Antibody fragmentation in the hinge region and other regions, and the impact of pH on the level and pattern of antibody fragmentation were investigated by reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Extensive fragmentation was observed in the hinge and in regions other than the hinge of a recombinant monoclonal antibody that was incubated in buffers of various pH at 40 degrees C for 10 weeks. Peptide bonds that were susceptible to hydrolysis were located mainly around the domain-domain interfaces close to or in the loop structures. The sites as well as the level of peptide bond hydrolysis were affected by the buffer pH. In agreement with previous findings when only the hinge region fragmentation was monitored, pH 6 was optimal for slowing down antibody fragmentation in regions other than the hinge. It also demonstrated that analysis by RPLC-MS provided a better assessment of the susceptible regions of recombinant monoclonal antibodies than size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) followed by fraction collection and mass spectrometry identification.

Limited proteolytic digestion is a method with a long history that has been used to study protein domain structures and conformational changes. A method of combining limited proteolytic digestion, stable isotope labeling, and mass spectrometry was established in the current study to investigate protein conformational changes. Recombinant monoclonal antibodies with or without the conserved oligosaccharides, and with or without oxidation of the conserved methionine residues, were used to test the newly proposed method. All of the samples were digested in ammonium bicarbonate buffer prepared in normal water. The oxidized deglycosylated sample was also digested in ammonium bicarbonate buffer prepared in 18 O-labeled water. The sample from the digestion in 18 O–water was spiked into each sample digested in normal water. Each mixed sample was subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The molecular weight differences between the peptides digested in normal water versus 18 O–water were used to differentiate peaks from the samples. The relative peak intensities of peptides with or without the C-terminal incorporation of 18 O atoms were used to determine susceptibility of different samples to trypsin and chymotrypsin. The results demonstrated that the method was capable of detecting local conformational changes of the recombinant monoclonal antibodies caused by deglycosylation and oxidation.

Asn deamidation is a common post-translational modification of proteins with significant biological consequences. Asn deamidation can cause changes in structure, stability and function of proteins. LC-MS peptide mapping is the most widely used method to detect and quantify Asn deamidation. However, a significant amount of deamidation can occur during sample preparation for peptide mapping, making it challenging to accurately determine the original level of deamidation. Although several protocols to reduce procedure-induced deamidation have been reported, they either require special procedural steps or are not optimal for maintaining trypsin activity. In the current study, several commonly used buffers that are optimal for trypsin activity were evaluated. The results demonstrated that much lower levels of Asn deamidation artifacts were observed when Tris buffer was used, especially at lower concentrations. The addition of 10% acetonitrile further reduced the levels of Asn deamidation artifacts. The utility of the optimized procedure was demonstrated by the digestion of a recombinant monoclonal antibody. The proposed procedure can be readily applied to any laboratory settings as it does not require any special reagents or procedures.

Oligosaccharides are critical for structural integrity, stability, and biological functions of recombinant monoclonal antibodies. It is relatively easy to characterize, quantify, and determine the impact of major glycoforms. While challenging to detect and quantify, certain low abundance oligosaccharides are highly relevant to the stability and functions of recombinant monoclonal antibodies. Methods were established in this study based on enzymatic digestion to consolidate peaks of the same type of oligosaccharides by removing heterogeneity and thus increase detectability of low abundance peaks. Endo H was used to collapse high mannose oligosaccharides to a single peak of GlcNAc for ease of detection and quantitation. β-Galactosidase and β-N-acetylhexosaminidase were used to convert complex oligosaccharides into two peaks containing either GlcNAc2Man3Fuc or GlcNAc2Man3, which simplified the chromatograms and data analysis. More importantly, low abundance hybrid oligosaccharides can only be detected and qualified after β-galactosidase and β-N-acetylhexosaminidase digestion. Detection and quantitation of low abundance oligosaccharides can also be achieved using a combination of all three enzymes. These methods can be applied to the development of recombinant monoclonal antibody therapeutics.

A simple, accurate, and highly sensitive analytical method was developed for determining the paclobutrazol residue in potato and soil, the dynamics dissipation in soil. Extraction was carried out by low temperature partitioning and analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). For a favor extraction yield, the parameters such as temperature and solvent were optimized. The result showed that sample would be easily frozen and separated using acetonitrile under −20°C for 10 min. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5 μg/kg, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 2 and 5 μg/kg for potato and soil, respectively. The influence of paclobutrazol residue in potato was evaluated. The possible contamination of paclobutrazol from surface can be rinsed by distilled water or peeled off, but the paclobutrazol in potato harvest comes mainly from absorption and transport, which could not be removed by peeling. The half-life of paclobutrazol in soil was 20.64 days, and the residue was below 0.22 mg/kg on 50th day after spraying. According to the risk assessment with Need Maximum Daily Intake (NEDI) and Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), a Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of paclobutrazol in potato was recommended as 1.0 mg/kg.

The susceptible degradation sites of therapeutic proteins are routinely assessed under accelerated conditions such as exposure to chemicals or incubation at elevated temperature or a combination of both. A fully human monoclonal IgG 1 antibody was characterized after incubation at 40 °C for 6 months by employing mass spectrometry and chromatography analyses. It was found that deamidation, fragmentation and N-terminal glutamate cyclization to form pyroglutamate are the major degradation pathways. Three major deamidation sites were identified and one site in a small tryptic peptide accounted for more than 80% of the total. Peptide cleavage was observed at several positions between different pairs of amino acids. Most of the cleavage sites were located in the hinge or other flexible regions of the IgG molecule.

A method capable of detecting both native and scrambled disulfide bonds has been established. Nonreduced protein digests were separated using a reversed-phase C18 column, partially reduced by post-column addition of a reducing reagent, and then analyzed by mass spectrometry. Disulfide bond linkage was established by matching the retention times of cysteine-containing peptides and confirmed by the detection of the molecular weight of the disulfide-linked peptides. The application of this method was demonstrated by determination of the disulfide bond structures of an immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) molecule and lysozyme and by the detection of four scrambled disulfide bonds in the IgG1 molecule.

Cyclization of N-terminal glutamine to pyroglutamate is a common modification of recombinant monoclonal antibodies that has often been identified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis using separated fractions. An alternative approach of using glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase to convert the N-terminal glutamine to pyroglutamate was developed in the current study. Enzymatic conversion of the N-terminal glutamine to pyroglutamate not only provides an identification of the N-terminal amino acids without fraction collection but also can significantly simplify the chromatograms to assist fraction collections for the characterization of other antibody variants.

The sites and levels of Asn deamidation in proteins are often determined by LC-MS analysis of peptides obtained from enzymatic digestion. However, deamidation that occurs during sample preparation steps results in overestimation of the original level of deamidation. The inherent deamidation and those introduced by sample preparation can be differentiated by preparing samples in (18)O water. When using H(2)(18)O, the formation of isoAsp and Asp by Asn deamidation during sample preparation results in a molecular weight increase of 3 Da due to the incorporation of the (18)O atom to the side chains of isoAsp or Asp; in contrast, inherent deamidation only results in a molecular weight increase of 1 Da. In addition, up to two (18)O atoms can also be incorporated into the peptide C-terminal carboxyl group during enzymatic digestion. Therefore, the 2 Da molecular weight difference at the deamidation sites can only be used to differentiate deamidation that occurs prior to or during sample preparation under conditions that a fixed number of (18)O atoms are incorporated into the peptide C-terminal carboxyl groups. Otherwise, it is challenging to apply this procedure because of the resulting complicated isotopic distributions. Here, a new procedure of using (18)O-water for sample preparation coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was established to calculate the deamidation artifacts. In this method, b ions were used for the calculation of Asn deamidation that occurred prior to or during sample preparation, which eliminated the complicated factor of various number of (18)O-atoms to the peptide carboxyl groups. This procedure has the potential to be applied under the general peptide mapping conditions.

Nonenzymatic asparagine (Asn) deamidation is one of the commonly observed posttranslational modifications of proteins. Recent development of several specific analytical methods has allowed for efficient identification and differentiation of the deamidation products (i.e., isoaspartate [isoAsp] and aspartate [Asp]). Isotope labeling of isoAsp and Asp that are generated during sample preparation by 18O has been developed and can differentiate isoAsp and Asp as analytical artifacts from those present in the samples prior to sample preparation for an accurate quantitation. However, the 18O labeling procedure has a limitation due to the additional incorporation of up to two 18O atoms into the peptide C-terminal carboxyl groups. Variability in the incorporation of 18O atoms into the peptide C-terminal carboxyl groups results in complicated mass spectra and hinders data interpretation. This limitation can be overcome by the dissection of the complicated mass spectra using a calculation method presented in the current study. The multiple-step calculation procedure has been successfully employed to determine the levels of isoAsp and Asp that are present in the sample prior to sample treatment.

N-glycan analysis of recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) usually requires the removal of oligosaccharides by PNGase F followed by 2-AB labeling, normal phase high performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) separation and fluorescence detection. Alternatively antibodies can be completely digested by trypsin to generate glycopeptides for analysis by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Here, we report the development of a rapid digestion procedure to generate glycopeptides for quantitative LC–MS analysis. Recombinant monoclonal antibodies were digested using a combination of Lys-C and trypsin at 37 °C for 15 min. The glycan profiles from this rapid digestion procedure are in good agreement with those from LC–MS analysis of glycopeptides from completely digested antibodies and those from NP-HPLC analysis of 2-AB labeled PNGase F released oligosaccharides. This rapid digestion procedure was applied to the comparison of oligosaccharides of two different antibodies. Glycopeptides from the two antibodies were differentially labeled with stable isotopes and analyzed simultaneously after a 1:1 mixing. The combination of the rapid digestion procedure and differential stable isotope labeling significantly reduced the turnaround time.

Saponification of lutein and zeaxanthin was performed by microwave-assisted hydrolysis (MAH) and analysed by ultra performance liquid chromatography. The optimal condition of MAH was studied, and the degradation or isomerization of lutein and zeaxanthin were estimated under MAH. The concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin in 20 marigold samples were assessed by saponification using traditional heater and MAH, the regression coefficient of lutein obtained by two methods was 0.9688 and that of zeaxanthin was 0.9527. The limit of detection for lutein and zeaxanthin was 0.05 and 0.1 μg/ml, respectively, and the limit of quantification for lutein and zeaxanthin was 0.05 mg/100 g and 0.1 mg/100 g, respectively.

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) has been widely used to detect antibody aggregates, monomer, and fragments. SEC coupled to mass spectrometry has been reported to measure the molecular weights of antibody; antibody conjugates, and antibody light chain and heavy chain. In this study, separation of antibody light chain and heavy chain by SEC and direct coupling to a mass spectrometer was further studied. It was determined that employing mobile phases containing acetonitrile, trifluoroacetic acid, and formic acid allowed the separation of antibody light chain and heavy chain after reduction by SEC. In addition, this mobile phase allowed the coupling of SEC to a mass spectrometer to obtain a direct molecular weight measurement. The application of the SEC-MS method was demonstrated by the separation of the light chain and the heavy chain of multiple recombinant monoclonal antibodies. In addition, separation of a thioether linked light chain and heavy chain from the free light chain and the free heavy chain of a recombinant monoclonal antibody after reduction was also achieved. This optimized method provided a separation of antibody light chain and heavy chain based on size and allowed a direct measurement of molecular weights by mass spectrometry. In addition, this method may help to identify peaks eluting from SEC column directly.

Artemisinin (an antimalaric compound) is isolated as the active compound of the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. A simple, rapid, and high-efficient method of extraction is developed, in which it is extracted by matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) and directly analyzed by post-column derivatization high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The quantitation results from the MSPD method are compared with two conventional liquid solvent extraction processes, Soxhlet and ultrasonic wave by F-test, and the result indicates no significant difference. The production rate of Artemisinin during wild plant growth (tested over two years, acquired from Yunnan, provincial Yuan Yan country) is determined. The recovery range of determination is 88.1-91.2%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) is 4.55-6.43%. The limits of detection are 0.1 microg/mL, and the limits of quantitation are 0.5 microg/mL.

Oxidation of methionine (Met) residues is one of the most common protein degradation pathways. Two Met residues, Met256 and Met432, of a recombinant fully human monoclonal IgG1 antibody have been shown to be susceptible to oxidation. Met256 and Met432 are located in the antibody CH2-CH3 interface and in close proximity to protein A and protein G binding sites. The effect of oxidation of these susceptible Met residues on the binding to protein A and protein G was investigated in the current study. Incubation of the antibody with 5% tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) resulted in a nearly complete oxidation of Met256 and Met432, while incubation with 1% tBHP resulted in mixed populations of the antibody with different degrees of Met oxidation. Oxidation of Met256 and Met432 resulted in earlier elution of the antibody from protein A and protein G columns when eluted with a gradient of decreasing pH. Analysis by ELISA and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) revealed decreased binding affinity of the oxidized antibody to protein A and protein G. It is therefore concluded that oxidation of the Met256 and Met432 residues of the recombinant monoclonal antibody altered its interaction with protein A and protein G resulting in a decrease in binding affinity.

To determine the relative importance of direct hydrolysis and beta-elimination, two common mechanisms of antibody hinge region fragmentation, and the impact of the conserved N-linked oligosaccharides in affecting antibody fragmentation under various pH.A recombinant monoclonal antibody was incubated in buffers of various pH at 40 degrees C for 5 weeks. The level of fragmentation was measured using size-exclusion-chromatography (SEC). The specific sites of fragmentation were determined by analyzing SEC fractions using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS).Direct hydrolysis was accelerated by acidic and basic pH, while beta-elimination contributed to hinge region fragmentation at pH 7 and above. In addition, a shift of the major peptide bond hydrolysis sites in the hinge region towards the C-terminal direction with the decrease of sample pH from 9 to 5 was observed. At pH 4, the major cleavage site shifted outside the hinge region and was localized in the CH2 domain. Oligosaccharides did not affect hinge region fragmentation in the pH range of 5-9, however, at pH 4 oligosaccharides slowed down fragmentation in the CH2 domain.Antibody fragmentation level, sites and mechanisms were affected by pH. Oligosaccharides only affected the rate of fragmentation at pH 4.