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Aerial parts containing cannabidiol can be purchased in a legal way but cannabis used as recreational drug is illegal in most European countries. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol is one of the main cannabinoids responsible for the psychotropic effect. European Union countries and Switzerland authorize a concentration of THC of 0.2 % and 1.0 % w/w, respectively, for smoking products and industrial hemp. Public health inspectors and law enforcement officers need to check the legality of samples. Therefore there is a need for innovative approaches, allowing quality control of these products in an easy way and preferably on site. In many countries, cultivation of industrial hemp is permitted if the THC content does not exceed 0.2 % w/w. A portable equipment could be a useful measuring tool for farmers to check for the THC content at regular time. In this work, 189 samples were analysed with a benchtop and a handheld NIR device in order to create two classification methods according to European and Swiss laws. All samples were also analysed by GC-FID to determine their THC concentration. Supervised analysis was applied in order to establish the best model. For the first classification, the accuracy was 91% for the test set with the benchtop data and 93 % for the test set with the handheld data. For the second classification, the accuracies were respectively 91 % and 95 %. The obtained models, hyphenating spectroscopic techniques and chemometrics, enable to discriminate legal and illegal cannabis samples according to European and Swiss laws.

Quality control of CBD oils on the Belgium market showed that the CBD content not always corresponds to the label claim. There is a pressing need to develop new analytical methods specifically developed to the assay of such oily samples. Analytical issues are, however, encountered for routine analyses due to the matrix complexity, high cost of cannabinoid standards and low Δ9-THC concentrations. An oily matrix could cause technical damages to analytical instruments and reduce the lifetime of the chromatographic columns. This paper proposes a procedure combining a sample cleanup by QuEChERS, removing the oily matrix, followed by a validated MRM GC-MS/MS method for the routine analysis of CBD oil samples. Eighteen CBD samples were selected on the Belgium market for analysis. This method allows the quantification of CBD, the legality check for the Δ9-THC content by a CBN standard and the screening of seven other cannabinoids namely CBN, CBDV, CBT, CBC, Δ8-THC, THCV and CBG. The method was validated at three concentration levels (0.5–1–2% (w/v)) for CBD and (0.05–0.1–0.2% (w/v)) for CBN. The detection limits for CBT, CBD, CBC, Δ8-THC, CBN and for the other cannabinoids of interest, were 10 and 14 ng/mL respectively. The accuracy profile values for CBD and CBN showed that the β-expectation tolerance intervals did not exceed the acceptance limits of ± 20%, meaning that 90% of future measurements will be included within this error range.

Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to an electrochemical (EC) detector is a complementary analytical tool compared to LC coupled with optical or mass spectrometry detectors (LC-MS). LC-EC can be applied to the determination of molecules difficult to be analyzed by other commercially available detectors. New EC detector design and new working electrode material have extended the scope of application in the field of pharmaceutical compounds analysis. Combining EC with LC-MS offers additional advantages compared to optical detectors in terms of drug stability and drug metabolism mimicry studies. Selected literature devoted to pharmacologically active compounds in their dosage forms, herbal drugs in natural products, drug residues in feed and/or in biological samples are reported in this review.

This review is devoted to analytical methods published in the scientific literature in the last 10 years for the determination of emerging contaminants in aquatic media. The article is mainly focused on sample preparation and on instrumental techniques most used for the detection and quantification of the analytes of interest. The sample preparation techniques include classical liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction, but also recent microextraction techniques such as solid-phase microextraction, stir-bar sorptive extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction, or microextraction by packed sorbent. Most studies focus on minimizing the number of analysis steps and on the use of the lowest amount of solvents in the sample treatment step. Liquid chromatography and gas chromatography mainly coupled to tandem mass spectrometry are usually the employed analytical techniques. A large number of multiresidue methods are being developed for the determination of several families of these compounds with only one extraction step to minimize sample handling and treatment.

Ethoxyquin (EQ) is widely used as a synthetic antioxidant in animal feed, an antiscalding agent in apples and pears and as a color preservative in some spices. Since the presence of EQ in food products could cause negative health effects it is necessary to develop reliable analytical methods to evaluate the risk of human exposure. In this work, a sensitive, selective and accurate method based on solid-liquid extraction followed by clean-up with solid sorbent and liquid chromatography–electrochemical detection analysis with boron doped diamond electrode (LC–EC) for the determination of ethoxyquin and its dimer (EQDM) in pear skin and salmon samples, was developed. The method was validated according to the European Commission guidelines. The main variables of extraction were accurately optimized. The amounts of solid sorbents for clean-up procedure were optimized by using experimental design. A Box-Behnken design to obtain the optimum conditions was applied. For validation, a matrix-matched calibration was established and a recovery assay with spiked samples was carried out. The limits of detection (LODs) found were 0.05 and 0.1 mg kg −1 for EQ and its dimer, respectively. The precision (as relative standard deviation, RSD) was lower than 15% with recoveries of compounds close to 100% in spiked samples.

Ethoxyquin (EQ) is an antioxidant widely used in the food industry. Some concerns for human health have been reported since its utilization in animal feed may lead to residues in human food such as salmon samples. This work aimed to investigate the electrochemical behavior of EQ and its major oxidation products namely a dimer of EQ (EQDM) and ethoxyquin quinone imine (EQI) by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at a carbon screen printed electrode (cSPE). The stability of these products and their reactivity against glutathione (GSH) were also studied. Oxidized products and thiol adducts were identified by a microelectrolysis of an EQ solution onto a cSPE in the absence and in the presence of GSH. The products were analyzed off-line, by liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (LC-MS). One of the generated product (EQI) was shown to be highly reactive towards GSH. Based on the redox pattern of EQ, a flow injection analysis with a dual cSPE was developed in order to detect in a rapid manner EQ in salmon samples. Since matrix effects were observed, matrix-matched calibration curves with spiked samples were built. A linear response was obtained between 20–100 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 7.5 μM (8.2 mg/kg of salmon). Trueness was assessed with recovery assays at three levels of concentration. The recovery was close to 100 %. Precision was determined as RSD (%) with values lower than 6 % in all cases.

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified by electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) for subsequent dsDNA immobilization. The interaction of cisplatin with dsDNA was studied at this modified electrode. Quantitative investigations were performed by adsorptive transfer stripping voltammetry (AdTSV) using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The morphology and structure of graphene oxide (GO) and ERGO modified GCEs (GO/GCE and ERGO/GCE, respectively) were characterized by UV-vis, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Compared with the bare GCE and the GO/GCE, the ERGO/GCE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of dsDNA due to guanine and adenine groups, testified by high oxidation peak currents and decreased oxidation potentials. The interaction of micromolar concentrations of cisplatin with surface confined dsDNA was readily detected as inferred from the decrease of the voltammetric oxidation peaks of guanine and adenine. This trend was significantly greater at the ERGO/GCE compared to the GO/GCE. The interaction of cisplatin with dsDNA was also studied in solution phase by AdTSV with detection at the ERGO/GCE.

Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to an electrochemical detector was applied for the determination of small thiols such as cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH) and dithiothreitol (DDT) and the free thiol content in a protein. The thio-compounds were first derivatized by 2,2-dipyridyldisulfide (DPDS) at pH4.5 to yield the corresponding disulfide and 2-thiopyridone (2-TP). The reaction mixture was separated isocratically on a reversed-phase C-18 column with amperometric detection (AD) at a carbon paste electrode modified with silver microparticles and polarized at 0.080V versus Ag/AgCl. The LC-AD response corresponding to the generated 2-TP allowed for the indirect determination of the studied thiol derivatives in the 1x10(-5)-1x10(-4)M range for Cys and GSH and 5x10(-6)-5x10(-5)M range for DTT. The LOD and LOQ values were in the range of 9x10(-7)-4x10(-6)M and 3x10(-6--)5.5x10(-6)M, respectively for the three studied compounds. Application to the determination of the free thiol content of human and bovine serum albumin as model proteins was realized. The LC-AD results were validated with respect to a developed spectrophotometric method performed under identical experimental derivatization conditions.

Antibodies or immunoglobulins (Ig) are proteins produced by the immune system to protect the body by identifying and neutralizing pathogens. The determination of antibodies is an important area in bioanalysis because their presence provides information about pathologies such as infections, allergies, auto-immune diseases and cancers. Antibodies can be readily detected and quantified by using immunosensors. This review provides an up-to-date overview of immunosensors for the determination of antibodies which can be implemented in the clinical area, for point-of care applications or in routine laboratories.

Coffee is a beverage widely consumed in the world. The coffee species most commercialized worldwide are Arabica (Coffea arabica) and Robusta (Coffea canephora). Roasted coffee beans are the most used, but coffee leaves are also consumed as infusion in several countries for traditional medicinal purposes. They contain several interesting phenolic antioxidant compounds mainly belonging to chlorogenic acids (CGAs). In the present work, a liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (LC-EC) method was developed for the determination of three main chlorogenic acid isomers, namely 3-, 4-, and 5-caffeoylquinic acids (CQA), in coffee leaves aqueous extracts. Samples from eight coffee species, namely, Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, Coffea liberica, Coffea humilis, Coffea mannii, Coffea charrieriana, Coffea anthonyi, and Coffea liberica var. liberica, were grown and collected in tropical greenhouses. Linearity of the calibration graphs was observed in the range from the limit of quantification to 1.0 &times, 10&minus, 5 M, with R2 equal to 99.9% in all cases. High sensitivity was achieved with a limit of detection of 1.0 &times, 8 M for 3-CQA and 5-CQA (i.e., 3.5 &micro, g/L) and 2.0 &times, 8 M for 4-CQA (i.e., 7.1 &micro, g/L). The chromatographic profile of the samples harvested for each Coffea species was studied comparatively. Obtained raw data were pretreated for baseline variations and shifts in retention times between the chromatographic profiles. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the pretreated data. According to the results, three clusters of Coffea species were found. In the water sample extracts, 5-CQA appeared to be the major isomer, and some species contained a very low amount of CQAs. Fluctuations were observed depending on the Coffea species and harvesting period. Significant differences between January and July were noticed regarding CQAs content. The species with the best CQAs/caffeine ratio was identified. The LC-EC data were validated by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS).

Accumulating evidence suggests that the bactericidal activity of some antibiotics may not be directly initiated by target inhibition. The activity of isoniazid (INH), a key first-line bactericidal antituberculosis drug currently known to inhibit mycolic acid synthesis, becomes extremely poor under stress conditions, such as hypoxia and starvation. This suggests that the target inhibition may not fully explain the bactericidal activity of the drug. Here, we report that INH rapidly increased Mycobacterium bovis BCG cellular ATP levels and enhanced oxygen consumption. The INH-triggered ATP increase and bactericidal activity were strongly compromised by Q203 and bedaquiline, which inhibit mycobacterial cytochrome bc1 and FoF1 ATP synthase, respectively. Moreover, the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) but not 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPOL) abrogated the INH-triggered ATP increase and killing. These results reveal a link between the energetic (ATP) perturbation and INH's killing. Furthermore, the INH-induced energetic perturbation and killing were also abrogated by chemical inhibition of NADH dehydrogenases (NDHs) and succinate dehydrogenases (SDHs), linking INH's bactericidal activity further to the electron transport chain (ETC) perturbation. This notion was also supported by the observation that INH dissipated mycobacterial membrane potential. Importantly, inhibition of cytochrome bd oxidase significantly reduced cell recovery during INH challenge in a culture settling model, suggesting that the respiratory reprogramming to the cytochrome bd oxidase contributes to the escape of INH killing. This study implicates mycobacterial ETC perturbation through NDHs, SDHs, cytochrome bc1, and FoF1 ATP synthase in INH's bactericidal activity and pinpoints the participation of the cytochrome bd oxidase in protection against this drug under stress conditions., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

International audience; Coffee bean extracts are consumed all over the world as beverage and there is a growing interest in coffee leaf extracts as food supplements. The wild diversity in Coffea (Rubiaceae) genus is large and could offer new opportunities and challenges. In the present work, a metabolomics approach was implemented to examine leaf chemical composition of 9 Coffea species grown in the same environmental conditions. Leaves were analyzed by LC-HRMS and a comprehensive statistical workflow was designed. It served for univariate hypothesis testing and multivariate modeling by PCA and partial PLS-DA on the Workflow4Metabolomics infrastructure. The first two axes of PCA and PLS-DA describes more than 40% of variances with good values of explained variances. This strategy permitted to investigate the metabolomics data and their relation with botanic and genetic informations. Finally, the identification of several key metabolites for the discrimination between species was further characterized.

Adsorptive stripping differential pulse voltammetry (AdSDPV) was applied to the assay of sorafenib in human serum sample. Cyclic voltammetry at a carbon based screen printed electrode (SPE) permitted to detect the irreversible oxidation of SOR with formation of a new compound reversibly oxidized at a lower potential. Quantitative assays were realized using a chitosan/carboxylic acid functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode in 0.1M phosphate buffer pH 7.0 in the presence of 50% methanol. The AdSDPV method provided two linear responses within the concentration ranges 1 x 10(-8)-8 x 10(- 8) M and 1 x 10(-7)-8 x 10(-7) M in serum with LOQ and LOD of 3.2 x 10(-9) and 9.6 x 10(-10) of lower linear range, respectively. The recovery of sorafenib in spiked serum was 97.5%.

A silver amperometric detector coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) was used for the determination of 6-thioguanine (6-TG) and two of its metabolites, thiouric acid (TU) and 2-amino-6-mercaptopurine riboside (6-TGR). The silver detector coupled to LC operated at a low applied potential (0.08 V vs Ag/AgCl) and offered a chromatogram with peak responses corresponding to molecules interacting with silver, namely, chloride ions and small soluble biothiols in addition to the organothiol drug compounds investigated. Online electrochemical surface cleaning permitted the improvement of the repeatability and peak shape of the recorded signal compared to direct current amperometric detection (AD) when operating in chloride containing media. The studied molecules were eluted isocratically within 5 min on a reversed-phase C18 column without interference from endogenous biothiols present in urine samples. Diluted urine samples (1:1) were directly injected in the LC setup; a linear calibration curve was obtained between peak area and analyte concentration between 0.1 and 10 mu M for all the studied molecules. Limits of detection (LODs) were 0.03, 0.008, and 0.01 mu M, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.1, 0.02, and 0.03 mu M for TU, 6-TG, and 6-TGR, respectively. Within-day RSDs were 2%, 0.8%, and 1% and between-day RSDs were 2%, 0.9%, 2% for TU, 6-TG, and 6-TGR, respectively. Recoveries in spiked urine were 99.8%, 99.9%, and 99.0% for TU, 6-TG, and 6-TGR, respectively.

A commercially available thin-layer flow-through amperometric detector, with the sensing block customized in an original design, was applied to the screening of drug compounds known as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. AChE from electric eel was covalently immobilized onto a cysteamine modified gold disk adjacent to a silver disk working electrode. On-line studies were performed by flow injection analysis (FIA) in PBS buffer pH 7.4. Seven commercially available AChE inhibitors used in the medical field, namely neostigmine, eserine, tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, pyridostigmine and galantamine as well as two natural compounds, quercetin and berberine, were investigated. The same trend of inhibitory potency as described in the literature was observed. Of particular interest and in addition to the determination of the IC50 values, this flow-through system allowed the study of both, the stability of the enzyme-inhibitor complex and the kinetic of the enzyme activity recovery.

An original self-contained enzymatic microreactor − detector in a thin layer flow-through configuration has been developed for the screening of tyrosinase inhibitors. The microreactor- detector consisted of a gold disk for tyrosinase immobilization adjacent to a glassy carbon disk as working electrode (GCE). Using l -tyrosine as substrate, the enzymatic product formed (dopaquinone) was detected amperometrically at the GCE. Experimental parameters most affecting the l -tyrosine response were optimized with a central composite design. Measurements were performed in phosphate buffer pH 6.0 with an applied potential of +50 mV vs Ag/AgCl and a flow rate of 100 μL/min. The determined Km app was 1.9 ± 0.1 mM. The setup permitted the determination of the efficiency and the duration of inhibition of twelve compounds known as tyrosinase inhibitors namely kojic acid, gallic acid, azelaic acid, benzoic acid, l -ascorbic acid, hydroquinone, glabridine, resveratrol, quercetin dihydrate, captopril, l -cysteine and l -glutathione reduced. l -Ascorbic acid and kojic acid were found to be the most potent inhibitors for the two studied criteria with IC 50 of 32 μM and 156 μM, respectively.

Abundant literature has been devoted to coffee beans (green or roasted) chemical description but relatively few studies have been devoted to coffee leaves. Given the fact that coffee leaves are used for food and medicinal consumption, it was of interest to develop a rapid screening method in order to identify coffee leaves taxa. Investigation by Fourier - Transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIRS) was performed on nine Coffea taxa leaves harvested over one year in a tropical greenhouse of the Botanic Garden Meise (Belgium). The only process after leaves harvesting was an effective drying and a homogeneous leaves grinding. FT-NIRS with SIMCA analysis allowed to discriminate the spectral profiles across taxon, aging stage (mature and senescence coffee leaves) and harvest period. This study showed that it was possible (i) to classify the different taxa, (ii) to identify their aging stage and (iii) to identify the harvest period for the mature stage with a correct classification rate of 99%, 100% and 90%, respectively.

A selective and sensitive electroanalytical method was developed for arsenic determination based on a nanogold (AuNP) modified solid carbon paste working electrode (SCPE) modified in two steps (i) physisorption and (ii) additional electrodeposition of nanogold particles in the presence of iodide. Copper(II) interference was solved by covering the gold layer by a self assembled mono layer (SAM) of glutathione. Using DPASV a linear response of the signal was obtained as a function of As(III) in the concentration range 0.05–20 µM (4–1498 ppb) with a limit of detection of 0.01 µM (0.9 ppb). Sample stirring and degassing were not needed. Application to the determination of arsenic(III) and (V) in underground water samples from Burkina Faso was successfully achieved.

A chip format sandwich-type immunoassay based on Nanobodies(®) (Nbs) with the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER2) extracellular domain as antigen model has been developed. The HER2 is considered as an important biomarker because its overexpression causes an aggressive type of breast cancer. Nbs are single domain antigen-binding fragments derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies. The strategy of the presently developed sandwich immunoassay takes advantage of the small size of Nbs for the detection of the electroactive redox tracer onto the screen printed electrode (SPE). A capture anti HER2 Nb was covalently immobilized onto the SPE, and the detection Nb, raised against another epitope of HER2, was labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The biosensor signal corresponded to the electroreduction of para-quinone generated at the SPE by the HRP in the presence of hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide. The best performing and optimized immunoassay conditions consisted of 2 and 20 min for the first and the second incubation times, respectively. The amperometric signal obtained was proportional to the logarithm of HER2 concentration between 1 and 200 µg/mL and the modified SPE storage stability lasted for at least three weeks. Determination of HER2 in human cells has been realized.

Electrochemical reduction and determination of montelukast (MKS) was studied in methanol - 0.1M HCl solution (1:1, v/v) by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at chitosan modified carbon paste electrode. The linear range was 1.70×10-7-1.83×10-5M for DPV analysis. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 5.32×10-8M and 1.61×10-7M, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of MKS in tablets and spiked human plasma. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using a reported spectrofluorimetric technique. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Due to its production of potent antimicrobial oxidants including hypochlorous acid, human myeloperoxidase (MPO) plays a critical role in innate immunity and inflammatory diseases. Thus MPO is an attractive target in drug design. (Aminoalkyl)fluoroindole derivatives were detected to be very potent MPO inhibitors; however, they also promote inhibition of the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) at the same concentration range. Via structure-based drug design, a new series of MPO inhibitors derived from 3-alkylindole were synthesized and their effects were assessed on MPO-mediated taurine chlorination and low-density lipoprotein oxidation as well as on inhibition of SERT. The fluoroindole compound with three carbons in the side chain and one amide group exhibited a selectivity index of 35 (Ki/IC50) with high inhibition of MPO activity (IC50 = 18 nM), whereas its effect on SERT was in the micromolar range. Structure-function relationships, mechanism of action, and safety of the molecule are discussed.

This paper describes the use of a commercially available thin-layer flow through a detector with the sensing block customized in an original design for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) immobilization and suitable for inhibition studies by flow injection analysis (FI). AChE was chemically linked onto a gold disk substrate adjacent to a silver disk electrode. The downstream positioned silver electrode, poised at 0.08 V vs. Ag/AgCl, KCl 3M, permitted the sensitive amperometric detection of liberated thiocholine (TCh) using acetylthiocholine (ATCh) as enzyme substrate. A typical Michaelis-Menten curve was obtained for ATCh within the concentration range 1×10(-5)-1×10(-2)M with a Kmapp of 5.93×10(-4)M. ATCh quantification was achieved with a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.3×10(-6)M. The utility of the developed FI setup was demonstrated for AChE inhibition studies using neostigmine as model compound. The IC50 for neostigmine was obtained to be 1.45×10(-7)M.

The presence of specific volatile and aminothiols in wine is associated with quality, worth, price, and taste. The identification of specific thiol-containing compounds in various wines has been reported in many valuable and interesting works. In this study, a novel foodomics assay of thiol-containing compounds, such as free aminothiols and related conjugates, was developed using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with fluorescence (FL) and electrospray (ESI) time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOF/MS) detections. FL specific derivatization was applied along with multivariate statistical analysis. First, the optimal experimental conditions were studied using representative thiols, such as l-cysteine, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, cysteamine, and l-glutathione, and then the UPLC-FL derivatization and separation steps were fixed for the subsequent screening of unknown thiol-containing compounds. The screening assay consisted of monitoring the UPLC-TOF/MS peaks of unknown thiols, which decreased due to the derivatization as compared to the nonderivatized thiols. The principal component analysis of the UPLC-TOF/MS data could be well-differentiated and categorized into two groups. The orthogonal signal correction partial least-squares discriminant analysis, the so-called S-plot, showed that the quality differentiation is directly related to the decrease of native thiols and increase of derivatized thiols. With this strategy, the mass difference from the derivatization reagent (+m/z 198) could be utilized for the identification of these thiols using the FL peaks retention time and metabolomics-databases. The presence of l-glutathione in rice wine was for the first time reported on the basis of the available metabolomics-databases and standard matching. This novel concept based on foodomics could be applied in food analysis for the ready screening of specific functional compounds by exploiting the various derivatization modes available.

The assay of acetaminophen (APAP) and ascorbic acid (AA) was performed by liquid chromatography (LC) with amperometric detection at a screen printed carbon based electrode poised at +0.6 V versus Ag pseudoreference electrode. A microparticle based conventional RP-C18 and a monolithic RP-C18 column were studied comparatively for the analytes separation using a mobile phase based on 0. 1 M phosphate buffer-methanol 91:9 (v/v) at pH 6.5. The linear calibration range for both compounds was comprised within 2×10-7-1×10-4 M. Limit of detection (LOD) for APAP and AA was 2×10-7 and 5×10-7 M, respectively and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 5. 10-7and 1×10-6 M, respectively. Square wave voltammetry at a Nafion modified glassy carbon electrode was developed and applied to the determination of APAP in order to validate the results obtained by the monolithic LC method for drug formulations. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enzyme Immobilized Magnetic Nanoparticles (EMNPs) were injected and magnetically retained, as a microreactor, in the capillary of a capillary electrophoresis (CE) setup with UV detection. The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was chemically immobilized onto commercially available magnetic 300 nm diameter nanoparticles. Paracetamol (acetaminophen: N-acetyl-p-aminophenol), a common analgesic drug, was used as model drug compound. The enzymatic reaction was studied in-line by CE in 12.5 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.4 containing 20 mg/ml sulfated- beta -cyclodextrin and 0.1 mM hydrogen peroxide. By means of the developed setup, the apparent Michaelis Menten constant between HRP and acetaminophen (APAP) was determined as K(m)(app) = 53+/-5 microM. This approach was found to be of interest for enzyme kinetics studies with short time resolution condition. Based on our results and from literature data, it was possible to infer that the in-line generated product was an APAP dimer. Higher enzyme immobilized beads loading in the CE setup generated the APAP dimer with two additional minor peaks likely attributed to APAP trimer and tetramer. N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) was not generated during APAP short time migration through the in-line microreactor.

The simultaneous determination of four para-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens) in shampoos was studied by liquid chromatography (LC) with amperometric (LC-AD) and coulometric (LC-CD) detection. The parabens were separated on an ODS C18 reversed column by isocratic elution with a mobile phase based on methanol-0.1M acetic acid (60:40%, v/v) with 0.02M NaClO4 at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min-1. The limit of detection (S/N>3) for the analytes was in the 15 -25 pg (injected mass) range at an applied potential of 1.20 V vs. Ag/AgCl using the LC-AD and in the 2 -3 pg range at a potential of 0.790 V vs. Pd using the LC-CD. The peak ratio of the internal standard peak (IS: 4-hydroxybenzoic acid secbutyl ester) versus the analyte peak was found to be related to the amount injected from 0.1 ng to 100ng (r=0.996 -0.999) with the LC-AD and from 0.050 ng to 100 ng range (r=0.999 -1.000) with the LC-CD. The relative standard deviation (RSD, n=10) was comprised between 1.8 to 3.5% by LC-AD (5 ng injected) and between 2.0 to 2.4% by LC-CD (0.5 ng injected). The determination of four most used parabens in ten different shampoos was successfully realized. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH&Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Two amperometric biosensors with immobilized horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were developed for the investigation of the clozapine drug oxidation and for thiols screening based on biosensor signal inhibition. The HRP was retained either in magnetized nanoporous silica microparticles (MMPs) or in a carbon paste (CP). The latter served for the carbon paste electrode while the MMPs were attracted in close proximity of a magnetized carbon electrode. The potential use of these configurations for drug oxidation and inhibition studies was illustrated by the enzymatic oxidation of clozapine (CLZ) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The biosensor signal corresponded to the electro-reduction of CLZ oxidation products namely a nitrenium ion (CLZox) generated by the enzyme HRP. Several thiols reactive towards CLZox were investigated and the biosensor signal inhibition (IC(50)) was comparatively determined. A protective effect of the nanoporous silica and carbon paste matrices towards HRP inactivation was inferred by comparing the biosensor inhibition results with those obtained with the free enzyme in solution.

Mercury (II) measurements were performed thanks to a newly developed electrochemical method using a disposable gold modified screen printed carbon electrode. The method has a wide dynamic range (1-100 µg/L), a good accuracy and a limit of detection in compliance with WHO standards. The application of the method to several groundwater samples made it possible to identify, for the first time, mercury content higher than the recommended WHO standard value in a gold mining activity area in the northern part of Burkina Faso. The accuracy of the assay was checked by ICP/MS.

An immunoassay for the determination of anti-tetani antibodies has been developed using a screen printed electrode (SPE) as solid support for toxoid (antigen) immobilization. The assay was performed in guinea pig serum. The immunoreaction and the subsequent amperometric detection occurred directly onto the SPE surface. The assay consisted of spiking the anti-tetani sample directly onto the toxoid modified SPE, and then a second antibody, i.e. a HRP-labeled anti-immunoglobulin G, was deposited onto the biosensor. Subsequent amperometric detection was realized by spiking 10 µL of a hydroquinone (HQ) solution into 40 µL of buffer solution containing hydrogen peroxide. An experimental design approach was implemented for the optimization of the immunoassay. The variables of interest, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) concentration, incubation times and labeled antibody dilution, were optimized with the aid of the response surface methodology using a circumscribed central composite design (CCCD). It was observed that two factors exhibited the greatest impact on the response, i.e. the anti-tetani incubation time and the dilution factor of the labeled antibody. It was discovered that in order to maximize the response, the dilution factor should be small, while the anti-tetani antibody incubation time should be long. The BSA concentration and the HRP-anti-IgG incubation had very limited influence. Under the optimized conditions, the immunoassay had a limit of detection of 0.011 IU/mL and a limit of quantification of 0.012 IU/mL. These values were below the protective human antibody limit of 0.06 IU/mL.

All analytical techniques have experienced major progress since the last ten years and electroanalysis is also involved in this trend. The unique characteristics of phenomena occurring at the electrode-solution interface along with the variety of electrochemical methods currently available allow for a broad spectrum of applications. Potentiometric, conductometric, voltammetric and amperometric methods are briefly reviewed with a critical view in terms of performance of the developed instrumentation with special emphasis on pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Magnetized nanoporous silica based microparticles (MMPs) were used for horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilization and applied for amperometric peroxidase-based biosensor development. A magnetized carbon paste electrode permitted the MMPs attraction. The biosensor was applied to the investigation of the enzymatic oxidation of acetaminophen (paracetamol). The biosensor operated at low applied potential and the signal corresponded to the electroreduction of N-acetylbenzoquinoneimine (NAPQI) generated by the enzyme HRP in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The biosensor allowed performing the quantitation of acetaminophen in the micromolar concentration range and the comparative study of thiols which inhibited the biosensor response. Distinct inhibition results were observed for HRP entrapped in the silica microparticles compared to the soluble HRP. © 2006 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The characteristics of new types of coated wire potentiometric sensors based on composite coatings were compared with classical potentiometric sensors. The composite sensors contained respectively the clay montmorillonite (MM) and the zeolite NaY as the ionically conducting components, embedded in PVC based rubber phase membranes. The behavior of 20 basic medicinal drugs and 5 biogenic amines was studied on 9 potentiometric sensors of different composition. The behavior of 3 composite sensors, and 6 more classical PVC based sensors either of the "inner solution" or "coated wire" type were studied. The analytes were chosen to cover a wide log P range of, e.g. -1.54 (noradrenaline) up to +5.55 (promethazine). All sensors were tested using a high-throughput FIA-based method. The results were interpreted via statistical data analysis. The responses of all electrodes had a very high correlation to the log P of the analytes. This was also the case for the ion-pair based electrodes containing a specific cationic drug as the counterion. Classical ion-pair based sensors containing tetrakis (p-chlorophenyl) borate (TCPB) and a counterion with a high log P value (e.g. promazine) were the least sensitive. The composite-based sensors were the most sensitive. Coated wire electrodes were statistically shown to behave in the same way (selectivity and sensitivity) as inner solution electrodes. The results are discussed using a physico-chemical model. Practical applications of the most performant (composite) sensors are shown in HPLC detection of the pharmaceutical drugs and the biogenic amines. Detection limits in the 10-7 M regio (injected concentrations) are obtained for lipophilic drugs (log P > 2). © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The construction and electrochemical response characteristics of two types of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane sensors for the determination of amodiaquine hydrochloride (ADQ.2HCl) are described. The sensing membrane comprised an ion-pair formed between the cationic drug and sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) or potassium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl) borate (KTCPB) in a plasticized PVC matrix. Eight PVC membrane ion-selective electrodes were fabricated and studied. Several plasticizers were studied namely, dioctyl phthalate (DOP), 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE), dioctyl phenylphosphonate (DOPP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (EHA). The sensors display a fast, stable and near-Nernstian response over a relative wide ADQ concentration range (3.2 x 10(-6) to 2.0 x 10(-2) M), with slopes comprised between 28.5 and 31.4 mV dec(-1) in a pH range comprised between pH 3.7 and 5.5. The assay of amodiaquine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical dosage forms using one of the proposed sensors gave average recoveries of 104.3 and 99.9 with R.S.D. of 0.3 and 0.6% for tablets (Malaritab) and a reconstituted powder containing ADQ.2HCl, respectively. The sensor was also used for dissolution profile studies of two drug formulations. The sensor proved to have a good selectivity for ADQ.2HCl over some inorganic and organic compounds, however, berberine chloride interfered significantly. The results were validated by comparison with a spectrophotometric assay according to the USP pharmacopoeia.

Magnetised silica-based microparticles (MMPs) (5 μm) with a high density of nanopores were used for horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilization and amperometric biosensor development in batch conditions. The resulting biosensor was applied to study the peroxidation of clozapine (CLZ) which is a dibenzoazepine drug often used in the treatment of neurological disorders. The amperometric response corresponded to the electroreduction of CLZ-oxidized products namely a nitrenium cation and quinoneimine derivative of CLZ. Despite a relatively low amount of immobilized HRP (0.3 μmol/g), clozapine quantification in the micromolar concentration range was achieved by the use of a magnetized solid paraffin carbon paste electrode for microparticles attraction. Diffusion of substrate and products of the enzyme reaction within the nanopores were identified as limiting factors in the biosensor response. This amperometric biosensor configuration has number of interesting advantages such as ease and reproducible microparticle layer renewing, low enzyme consumption, controlled surface immobilization, protective enzyme microenvironment etc.

Gold modified nanoporous silica based magnetic microparticles have been prepared as support for the immobilization of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The enzyme modified gold microparticles were retained onto the surface of a solid carbon paste electrode with the help of a permanent magnet. The analytical performances of the resulting biosensor were characterized by studying hydroquinone (HQ) and hydrogen peroxide. The former was monitored by the direct electroreduction of the biocatalytically generated quinone. Several experimental parameters influencing the biosensor response were investigated. A linear response to HQ was obtained in the concentration range comprised between 5×10−7 and 4.5×10−6 M with a detection limit of 4×10−7 M. The enzyme electrode provided a linear response to hydrogen peroxide over a concentration range comprised between 5×10−7−1.3×10−4 M with a detection limit of 4×10−7 M. The inhibition of the biosensor response in the presence of thiols e.g. cysteine, captopril, glutathione and Nacystelyn (NAL) has been pointed out.

Biosensors are, by definition, sensing devices comprising a biological component (enzyme, antibody, animal or plant cell, oligonucleotide, lipid, microorganisms, etc.) intimately connected to a physical transducer (electrode, optical fiber, vibrating quartz, etc.). This dual configuration permits a quantitative study of the interaction between a drug compound and an immobilized biocomponent. Ideally, biosensors should be readily implemented and allow for low reagent and energy consumption. Enzyme‐based biosensors can be applied in the pharmaceutical industry for monitoring chemical parameters in the production process (in bioreactors). Affinity biosensors are suitable for high‐throughput screening of bioprocess‐produced antibodies and for candidate drug screening. They are suitable for selective and sensitive immunoassays in clinical laboratories and for decentralized detection of drug residues. Enzyme‐based biosensors may be used in hospitals for bedside drug testing, emergency control, in patie...

Enzyme-immobilized magnetic microparticles (EMMP) have been prepared for use as a microreactor in flow injection analysis (FI). The microparticles were directly injected into the FI system. Their retention occurred within the flow line by small permanent magnets located near the detector. The analytical utility of this concept was illustrated by the assay of glucose using glucose oxidase (GOx), immobilized microparticles, and amperometric detection of liberated hydrogen peroxide. The microparticles were derived from silica gel (nominal pore diameter, 15-80 nm) by impregnation with a citric acid/ethanol solution and a ferric nitrate/ethanol solution and then by calcination in a nitrogen atmosphere to produce ferrimagnetic fine particles of spinel-type iron oxide (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) inside the pore. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The calibration curve of the glucose sample (2 microL injected) was linear between 2.5 x 10(-6) and 5 x 10(-4) mol/L (R = 0.9995), and the detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-6) mol/L or 0.36 ng of injected glucose (S/N = 3). The repeatability for a 5 x 10(-4) mol/L glucose solution was RSD = 1.5% (n = 6). Application to the assay of glucose in a fermentation broth is illustrated. The GOx MMP were stable and active for more than eight months when kept at 10 degrees C.

A horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilized electrode was developed for the assay of the antipsychotic compound clozapine (CLZ). The biosensor was made of HRP crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and bovine serum albumin (BSA) and blended in the electrode matrix. The latter was a carbon paste based on solid paraffin and graphite particles. A dialysis membrane was secured at the tip of the enzyme based electrode. Cyclic voltamperometry at the solid carbon paste electrode (sCPE) permitted to point out a reversible pattern for CLZ electrooxidation attributed to a relatively stable nitrenium ion. The formation of the latter and of a newly generated species, was inferred at the biosensor. The electroreduction of these generated species was performed at the biosensor at an applied potential of 0.0 V vs. Ag/AgCL 3 M KCl. Several experimental parameters influencing the biosensor response were studied such as pH, buffer composition, and detection potential. The resulting biosensor offered, at pH 4.5 in Britton–...