Determination of sulfonamides by liquid chromatography, ultraviolet diode array detection and ion-spray tandem mass spectrometry with application to cultured salmon flesh

Isolation and identification of ten new sildenafil derivatives in an alleged herbal supplement for sexual enhancement

A sexual enhancer dietary supplement in pre-commercialization phase was analyzed. It contained the two phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) sildenafil and methisosildenafil as major adulterants. Fourteen more sildenafil derivatives were detected and after isolation, their structures were elucidated thanks to NMR, high resolution and tandem mass spectrometry, and UV spectroscopy. Ten of them were never described. All these compounds are probably by-products of different reaction steps during the synthesis of the two PDE-5i that were not properly eliminated during the purification procedure. The total amount of sildenafil-related compounds was estimated at 68 mg per capsule, sildenafil and methisosildenafil accounting for 20 mg and 38 mg respectively.

Incidence, stability and risk assessment for sulfonamides and tetracyclines in aqua-cultured Nile Tilapia fish of Egypt

The current study was conducted to determine sulfonamides (SAs) and tetracyclines (TCs) residuals in farmed Nile Tilapia fish (Orechromis niloticus) using the solid phase extraction (SPE) technique and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). As well, to assess the potential health risk due to the consumption of contaminated fish following its household thermal processing. Tilapia samples were collected from four governorates in Egypt; El-Fayoum, Giza, Cairo, and Alexandria. The results showed that 56.3 % (27 out of 48 samples) of fish samples were free of antibiotics, while 10.4 % and 33.3 % of samples were contaminated by SAs and TCs, respectively. Besides, oxytetracycline (OTC) showed the highest detected concentrations ranged from 52.8 to 658.5 (μg/kg), followed by chlortetracycline (OTC) (35.89-109.76 μg/kg), and tetracycline (TC) (68.8-96.7 μg/kg). While the detected SAs were between 32.89 μg/kg (sulfamethazine: SMT) and 136.43 μg/kg (sulfadimethoxine: SDM). As well, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) showed an average concentration of 52.41 μg/kg. Notably, only 7 samples (out of 21 positive samples) had residual levels exceeded the permissible limits. The study also concluded that freezing fish at -18 °C for one week had no significant effect on the stability of SAs and TCs. As well, SAs showed more stability than TCs against the thermal processing for fish. Indeed, the stability of SAs and TCs antibiotics was arranged in a descending order, shown as follows: SMT > SDM > SMX > CTC > TC > OTC. Eventually, no potential risk to the Egyptian population was found from the consumption of the contaminated fish samples by SAs and TCs.

Structural characterization of product ions by electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry to support regulatory analysis of veterinary drug residues in foods

RATIONALE

Monitoring of veterinary drug residues in foods is often conducted using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Results have high economic stakes for producers, but the ions monitored are usually selected due to signal intensities without structural interpretation. In this study, the ion transitions were characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry.

METHODS

The 62 veterinary drugs from the LC/MS/MS method consisted of sulfonamides, β-lactams, phenicols, macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteroids. They were individually infused into a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer using electrospray ionization (ESI) operated in positive mode. The MS and collision-induced dissociation (CID) MS/MS spectra for each analyte were obtained for structural elucidation. The Q-TOF instrument was calibrated to obtain a mass accuracy error <5 ppm for the MS and MS/MS spectra.

RESULTS

The use of high-resolution ESI-Q-TOF-MS for the generation of the MS/MS product ions allowed for the determination of chemical formulae for the analytes, some of which led to new findings. Assigned structures were based on rational interpretation of the most stable possible products with comparison with the scientific literature. In difficult cases, isotopically labeled drugs or hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments were used to help confirm the structures of the product ions.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of ESI-Q-TOF-MS in this study has allowed structure elucidation of 186 MS/MS product ions previously selected for the LC/MS/MS analysis of 62 veterinary drugs. This serves to reduce the chances of false positives and negatives in the monitoring program, and provides justification and defense in regulatory enforcement actions.

Structural elucidation of sulfaquinoxaline metabolism products and their occurrence in biological samples using high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry

Four previously unreported metabolism products of sulfaquinoxaline (SQX), a widely used veterinary medicine, were isolated and analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Metabolites were structurally elucidated, and a fragmentation pathway was proposed. The combination of high-resolution MS(2) spectra, linear ion trap MS(2), in-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation, and photolysis were used to analyze SQX and its metabolites. All metabolism products identified showed a similar fragmentation pattern to that of the original drug. Differential product ions were produced at m/z 162 and 253 which contain the radical moiety with more 16 Da units than sulfaquinoxaline. This occurs by a hydroxyl attachment to the quinoxaline moiety. With the exception of two low-intensity compounds, all the mass errors were below 5.0 ppm. The distribution of these metabolites in some animal species are also presented and discussed.

Gas-phase fragmentations of anions derived from N-phenyl benzenesulfonamides

In addition to the well-known SO2 loss, there are several additional fragmentation pathways that gas-phase anions derived from N-phenyl benzenesulfonamides and its derivatives undergo upon collisional activation. For example, N-phenyl benzenesulfonamide fragments to form an anilide anion (m/z 92) by a mechanism in which a hydrogen atom from the ortho position of the benzenesulfonamide moiety is specifically transferred to the charge center. Moreover, after the initial SO2 elimination, the product ion formed undergoes primarily, an inter-annular H2 loss to form a carbazolide anion (m/z 166) because the competing intra-annular H2 loss is significantly less energetically favorable. Results from tandem mass spectrometric experiments conducted with deuterium-labeled compounds confirmed that the inter-ring mechanism is the preferred pathway. Furthermore, N-phenyl benzenesulfonamide and its derivatives also undergo a phenyl radical loss to form a radical ion with a mass-to-charge ratio of 155, which is in violation of the so-called "even-electron rule."

The implication of mediators for enhancement of laccase oxidation of sulfonamide antibiotics

In this study, the transformation of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs, 50 mg L(-1)) was investigated in systems consisting of a fungal laccase (6 IU) and six mediators (1mM). The results illustrate that the laccase had limited effect on the removal of sulfadimethoxine and sulfamonomethoxine. However, laccase oxidation with the mediators (LMS) led to significant declines of the SAs. Two mediators, 2-2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and violuric acid, provided the fastest transformations of SAs in LMS, with t(1/2)s of 1.8-4.1 min; slower transformations in syringaldehyde and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, with t(1/2)s of 19.0-131 min; and the slowest or no significant decline in 4-hydroxyacetophenone and 4-cyanophenol, with t(1/2)s > 330 min. The decline of the re-added SAs in LMS was slower than that of the first addition. De-aniline and oxidative coupling are the two detectable pathways for the transformation of SAs. The results indicated that some mediators enhanced laccase oxidation of the SAs.

Liquid Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Collision-induced Dissociation Mass Spectrometry of Sulfonamide Derivatives of meso-Tetraphenylporphyrin

Liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) were used for the characterization of sulfonamide derivatives of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP). The spectra obtained using LSIMS show abundant molecular ions and fragment ions from losses of the sulfonamide moieties. The main fragmentation observed in the LSI mass spectra and in the CID spectra of the protonated or cationized molecules involves the loss of one sulfonamide group. In addition, in the CID spectra of these compounds the fragment ions formed by the elimination of two, three and/or four sulfonamide groups are also observed. The CID spectra of the protonated or cationized molecules of these derivatives do not display the ions formed by the cleavage of the S - N bond which have been reported for other sulfonamide compounds. The LSI mass spectra and CID spectra of sulfonamide derivatives of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin provide an easy and reliable means of identification of the number and nature of sulfonamide groups in the porphyrinic ring.

Identification of isobaric amino-sulfonamides without prior separation

RATIONALE

Direct analysis mass spectrometry (DAMS) techniques offer increased speed of analysis without the need for sample preparation or prior separation. A feature of these techniques is that all ionisable species will typically be analysed at the same time which makes the ability to distinguish between isobaric compounds increasingly important.

METHODS

Investigations have been carried out to distinguish isomeric compounds by mass spectrometry only, without the use of any separation technique, in order to further understand the capabilities of DAMS techniques. The work focused on commercially available isomeric amino-sulfonamides, i.e. sulfalene, sulfameter, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfamonomethoxine, sulfadoxine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfisomidine, sulfamethazine, sulfamerazine, sulfaperine, sulfadiazine and sulfapyrazine.

RESULTS

All the isomeric compounds investigated could be distinguished from each other based on their tandem mass (MS/MS) spectrum or failing that, based on their MS(3) spectrum. Common fragmentation patterns/pathways were observed for groups of the sulfonamides and a rationale for the fragmentations observed is proposed. For the sulfonamides which contain a methoxy group on the pyrimidinyl, pyridazynil, or pyrazinyl ring, the fragmentation-directing feature is the positioning of the methoxy group in the ortho position of the ring with respect to the sulfonamide bond. The presence of an ortho substituent precludes the formation of the product ion resulting from the loss of aniline.

CONCLUSIONS

This work has demonstrated the usefulness of MS(n) fragmentation data in identifying and distinguishing isobaric structural isomers without the need for separation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), allowing the identification of compounds by DAMS techniques. This work has also highlighted patterns in the product ion data which has led to a postulation of how the protonation preference of a molecule can affect the product ions observed and how the presence of ortho substituents can affect this initial protonation preference.

Evaluation of atmospheric pressure ionization interfaces for quantitative measurement of sulfonamides in honey using isotope dilution liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry techniques

A comparison was made between electrospray, atmospheric pressure chemical and atmospheric pressure photospray ionizations to evaluate the MS/MS responses of standard sulfonamides and honey spiked samples. The sample preparation entails an acidic hydrolysis followed by a liquid/liquid extraction. Full method validation was realised by LC-APPI-MS/MS. Decision limit and detection capability were calculated for each analyte (at 50 microg/kg) and ranged between 53.6 and 56.9 and 57.5 and 63.2 microg/kg, respectively. Limits of detection and of quantification ranged, respectively, at 0.4-4.5 and 1.2-15.0 microg/kg. Precursor ion scan experiments of m/z 92 were also carried out as a survey experiment, linked with an enhanced product ion scan experiment to potentially identified additional sulfonamides via a library search.

Metabolism of 14C-labelled and non-labelled sulfadiazine after administration to pigs

The behaviour of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and its metabolites was investigated by administering the (14)C-labelled veterinary drug to fattening pigs. The excretion kinetics were determined after daily collection of manure. Two known metabolites, N-acetylsulfadiazine and 4-hydroxysulfadiazine, and two hitherto unidentified minor metabolites were recovered. Various mass spectrometric techniques such as parent, product ion scans and accurate mass measurement were used. The new compounds were identified as N-formylsulfadiazine (For-SDZ) and N-acetyl-4-hydroxysulfadiazine (Ac-4-OH-SDZ). The identification of SDZ, Ac-SDZ and For-SDZ was confirmed by comparison of the spectroscopic and chromatographic data of the synthesized authentic references. The identification of the hydroxylated compounds 4-OH-SDZ and Ac-4-OH-SDZ was performed by MSn, and accurate mass measurements. Only 4% of the administered radioactivity remained in the pig after ten days and SDZ accounted for 44% of the 96% radioactivity excreted. More than 93% of the labelled compounds were detected and identified in the manure. The key analytical problem, namely a high concentration of matrix in sample extracts, was overcome by advanced measurement techniques and with the use of a suitable internal standard. The mean recoveries for all compounds were >or=96%. Linearity was established over a concentration range of 0.5 to 10,000 microg kg(-1) manure with a correlation coefficient>or=0.99. The same experiment was carried out simultaneously with non-labelled SDZ to obtain manure for outdoor soil experiments.

Accelerated solvent extraction and confirmatory analysis of sulfonamide residues in raw meat and infant foods by liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

This paper describes a new method for the rapid extraction and unequivocal confirmation of 13 sulfonamides (SAs) in raw meat and infant foods. The highly automated extraction procedure is based on accelerated solvent extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as a confirmatory analysis. After 1 g of food matrix was blended with 2 g of C18 as a solid support material, the mixture was packed into the extraction cell and the SAs were extracted with 10 mL of hot water at 160 degrees C and 100 atm; 100 microL of the extract was directly injected into the LC-MS system. The analytes were ionized in an electrospray interface operating in the positive ion mode and were identified by selecting two multireaction monitoring transitions, which guaranteed method specificity. Typical recoveries from crude meat and baby food samples ranged from 70 to 101% at a fortification level of 100 ppb, corresponding to the maximum residue limits established by the European Union and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The interday method precision was less than 8.5%, and the limits of detection were below 2.6 ppb. This study has taken matrix-induced suppression of ionization into account, by comparing standard and matrix-matched calibration curves. Four of the 13 monitored SAs have been detected in some baby foods and raw meat samples, bought from Roman supermarkets and butchers' shops, using the described methodology.

Robustness of the extraction step when parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is used to quantify sulfonamides in kidney by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD)

The robustness of a multiresidue method has been analysed for the extraction and quantification of sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfamethoxazole and sulfadimethoxine in porcine kidney by HPLC-DAD through a Plackett-Burman design. Two experimental responses were examined, the mean recovery from three replicates (accuracy) and their standard deviation (precision). Three factors were tested: the volume of phosphoric acid (pH) added in the extraction step, the time used for passing the sample through the solid-phase extraction cartridge (flow rate) and methanol volume to elute the analytes from the cartridge. Due to the non-specificity of the chromatograms (unknown matrix interferences coelute with each sulfonamide) the PARAFAC model was employed to evaluate the concentration recovered in the experiments of the Plackett-Burman design as well as to identify the spectra of the substances according to the criteria set in the European Decision 2002/657/EC for the analysis of residues. The extraction step was concluded to be robust to the recovery and the standard deviation of all three analytes.

Development of a liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric assay for a new endothelin receptor antagonist, and its application to dog plasma samples generated after simultaneous i.v. and p.o. administration of the unlabeled and deuterium-labeled forms of this antagonist

An assay was developed and applied to determine the bioavailability of a new endothelin receptor antagonist after simultaneous p.o. and i.v. administration of the drug and its stable isotope-labeled analogue. The drug, its main metabolite and the stable isotope-labeled analogues of the drug and the main metabolite were quantified in dog plasma samples using a structural analogue as internal standard. In addition to the calculation of the bioavailability, the formation of the metabolite after p.o. and i.v. administration could be followed independently. The assay covered the concentration range 0.25-1000 ng ml(-1) using sample aliquots of only 50 micro l. Plasma samples were processed after protein precipitation with on-line solid-phase extraction, narrow-bore high-performance liquid chromatography and subsequent tandem mass spectrometric detection. Detection was accomplished with ionspray in the positive ion selected reaction monitoring mode. The inter-assay precision and accuracy of the assay were in the range 4.7-14.2% and 90.3-113.3%, respectively, and the intra-assay precision and accuracy were in the range 1.4-11.5% and 88.4-112.5%, respectively. The fragmentation of the drug was investigated and showed an unexpected shift of a methyl group. Data from MS(n), medium-resolution exact mass tandem mass spectrometry and H-D exchange experiments were employed to clarify the mechanism.

Comparison of separation conditions and ionization methods for the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of sulfonamides

The effects of the type and concentration of buffer, composition of the mobile phase and the ionization mode, used for the separation and detection of sulfonamides with LC-MS, were studied. Five typical sulfonamides were selected as target compounds and beef meat was selected as a matrix sample. For the separation of sulfonamides, 0.05 M NH4Ac in 13-15% aqueous acetonitrile, APCl ionization was more effective than ESI with regard to separation efficiency and the detection sensitivity.

Fragmentation pathways of sulphonamides under electrospray tandem mass spectrometric conditions

Sulphonamides are antibacterial compounds used extensively in farming and veterinary practice. Residues are commonly found in meat and milk. The growing concern about antibiotic resistance of bacteria led to a lowering of the legal concentration limits of sulphonamides in food. A range of analytical methods, employing tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM), have been developed to allow screening at the limit of detection (LOD) levels. Interest was drawn to the fragment ions produced by the sulphonamides, some involving complex rearrangements that have not previously been looked at. Here we report an investigation into the fragmentation pattern of sulphonamides under electrospray (ES) MS/MS conditions using ion trap and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometers. Structures are proposed for the main fragment ions observed for a range of sulphonamides, the effects of the functional groups in the dissociation pathway of the compounds are investigated, and the mechanisms leading to the main fragment ions are explored.

Approaches towards the automated interpretation and prediction of electrospray tandem mass spectra of non-peptidic combinatorial compounds

Combinatorial chemistry is widely used within the pharmaceutical industry as a means of rapid identification of potential drugs. With the growth of combinatorial libraries, mass spectrometry (MS) became the key analytical technique because of its speed of analysis, sensitivity, accuracy and ability to be coupled with other analytical techniques. In the majority of cases, electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) has become the default ionisation technique. However, due to the absence of fragment ions in the resulting spectra, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is required to provide structural information for the identification of an unknown analyte. This work discusses the first steps of an investigation into the fragmentation pathways taking place in electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The ultimate goal for this project is to set general fragmentation rules for non-peptidic, pharmaceutical, combinatorial compounds. As an aid, an artificial intelligence (AI) software package is used to facilitate interpretation of the spectra. This initial study has focused on determining the fragmentation rules for some classes of compound types that fit the remit as outlined above. Based on studies carried out on several combinatorial libraries of these compounds, it was established that different classes of drug molecules follow unique fragmentation pathways. In addition to these general observations, the specific ionisation processes and the fragmentation pathways involved in the electrospray mass spectra of these systems were explored. The ultimate goal will be to incorporate our findings into the computer program and allow identification of an unknown, non-peptidic compound following insertion of its ES-MS/MS spectrum into the AI package. The work herein demonstrates the potential benefit of such an approach in addressing the issue of high-throughput, automated MS/MS data interpretation.

Application of liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry to the detection of 10 sulfonamides in honey

Liquid chromatography (LC) in combination with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) has been applied to the separation and detection of 10 different sulfonamides in honey. The methodology encompasses a simple hydrolysis of the honey sample to liberate sugar-bound sulfonamides followed by liquid-liquid extraction of the 10 analytes, filtration, and analysis by LC-MS-MS. Conditions for reversed-phase LC and electrospray ionization (ESI) MS-MS in the positive ion mode were optimized for the 10 compounds under study, monitoring two characteristic mass transitions simultaneously for each analyte. The procedure is a qualitative confirmatory method for 10 sulfonamides at the low microg/kg level in honey. Typical recoveries of the analytes in honey ranged from 44 to 73% at a fortification level of 50 microg/kg. This study also addresses the issue of matrix-induced suppression of ionization, an effect often encountered in trace residue analysis of food matrices using LC-ESI-MS-MS based methods.

Liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods for analyzing antibiotic and antibacterial agents in animal food products

Public health agencies in many countries rely on detection by mass spectrometry for unambiguous identification of residues of antibiotic and antibacterial agents in animal food products for human consumption. The introduction of relatively inexpensive and robust LC-MS systems has given a strong impulse to develop determinative and confirmatory methods for the above medicines in foodstuffs. This impulse has been also dictated by thermal instability and lack of volatility of many antibiotics and antibacterials that makes the GC-MS technique of difficult application. Analytical methods developed for analyzing components of the major classes of the medicines mentioned above are here reviewed. The discussion is focused on both sample treatment and final LC-MS analysis.

Identification of incurred sulfonamide residues in eggs: methods for confirmation by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and quantitation by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

Two complementary methods for identifying and measuring sulfonamide residues in eggs were developed for use in surveying eggs for potential drug residues. The first method uses liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) to confirm the presence of sulfonamide residues in eggs. During its validation the limit of confirmation was estimated to be 5-10 ng/g (ppb) depending on the drug. Also, a method for measuring residue level by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (LC-UV) was validated using the same extraction procedure as the confirmatory method. The determinative method was validated over the 50-200 ppb range. Samples were prepared by homogenizing whole egg, extracting with acetonitrile, and cleaning up with a C(18) solid-phase extraction cartridge. For confirmation, analytes were separated by gradient LC on a C(18) column, ionized by electrospray ionization (ESI), and detected by MS-MS with an ion trap mass spectrometer. For determination, analytes were separated by a different gradient LC procedure and detected by UV at 287 nm. Fifteen drugs were dosed individually in laying hens, and residues of parent drug and/or metabolites were found in eggs for all the drugs. Validation was based on repetitive analyses of control samples, control samples fortified at 100 ppb sulfonamides, and samples of blended incurred eggs.

Determination of selected sulfonamide antibiotics and trimethoprim in manure by electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of sulfonamides and trimethoprim in the complex matrix liquid manure has been developed using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) tandem mass spectrometry. A comparison was made between electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. APCI proved to be more robust and less sensitive to matrix effects. High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation of the analytes was achieved in less than 7 min. The compounds were extracted with ethyl acetate and the extracts were cleaned up by solid-phase extraction on an aminopropyl column. Recoveries were not dependent on the concentration level. The mean recoveries were as follows: trimethoprim 79.0%, sulfadiazine 80.5%, N(4)-acetylsulfadiazine 91.0%, sulfamerazine 78.6%, sulfadimidine 77.2% and sulfamethoxazole 82.8%. Linearity was established over a concentration range of 5 to 5000 microg/kg with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The method had a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 5 microg/kg manure.

Analysis of trace levels of sulfonamide and tetracycline antimicrobials in groundwater and surface water using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method has been developed for the trace analysis of two classes of antimicrobials consisting of six sulfonamides (SAs) and five tetracyclines (TCs), which commonly are used for veterinary purposes and agricultural feed additives and are suspected to leach into ground and surface water. The method used solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) with positive ion electrospray. The unique combination of a metal chelation agent (Na2EDTA) with a macroporous copolymer resulted in quantitative recoveries by solid-phase extraction (mean recovery, 98 +/- 12%) at submicrogramper-liter concentrations. An ammonium formate/formic acid buffer with a methanol/water gradient was used to separate the antimicrobials and to optimize the signal intensity. Mass spectral fragmentation and ionization characteristics were determined for each class of compounds for unequivocal identification. For all SAs, a characteristic m/z 156 ion representing the sulfanilyl fragment was identified. TCs exhibited neutral losses of 17 amu resulting from the loss of ammonia and 35 amu from the subsequent loss of water. Unusual matrix effects were seen only for TCs in this first survey of groundwater and surface water samples from sites around the United States, requiring that TCs be quantitated using the method of standard additions.

Detection and identification of sulphonamide drugs in municipal waste water by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with positive-ion electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry was used for the determination and confirmation of 13 sulphonamide drugs in environmental water samples in the low ng/L-range. Enrichment with concentration factors of 130-670 was performed by solid phase extraction, achieving recoveries of 50 to 90%. After gradient elution HPLC, detection and quantification was performed using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) with limits of detection between 0.2 and 3.7 microg/L. Confirmation was obtained by either SRM transitions of collision induced dissociation reactions or daughter ion mass spectra. Primary and secondary effluents of municipal waste water treatment plants and different surface waters were examined. The compounds sulphamethoxazole and sulphadiazine were detected and confirmed with concentrations ranging between 30-2000 ng/L and 10-100 ng/L, respectively. The compound sulphamethizole was detected in low amounts but could not be positively confirmed.

HPLC/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectroscopy of eight regulated sulfonamides

Reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with on-line atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry, HPLC,APCI-MS, has been applied to a mixture of eight sulfonamides. In full scan mode, extracted ion chromatograms produced minimum detectable quantities (MDQ) of 0.8 ng on column, for six of the eight regulated sulfonamides investigated. Selected ion monitoring yielded a 50 pg MDQ for sulfamerazine, sulfadiazine and sulfamethazine, while, the other compounds presented higher values. Analysis of supercritical fluid extracts of chicken liver containing sulfadimethoxine were found to be easily detected by HPLC/APCI-MS. In extracts of chicken liver spiked with 25 microg/kg(-1) (25 ppb) of sulfadimethoxine this compound could be detected in selected ion mode, while 100 pg/microl(-1) was detectable in either full scan or single ion modes. The analysis method for extracted sulfadimethoxine also demonstrated good linearity and reproducibility in both single ion and scan mode.

Analysis of antibiotics by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The current status of the application of LC-MS in the analysis of antibiotic and antibacterial compounds is reviewed. The main application area of LC-MS in this field is the confirmation of identity in animal food products for human consumption at maximum residue levels, set by the regulatory authorities. LC-MS is found to play an important role in the determination and confirmation of sulphonamides, beta-lactam antibiotics, (fluoro) quinolone antibiotics, as well as various other groups including aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, ionophore antibiotics, 5-nitrofuran derived compounds and macrolide antibiotics. Currently available data on these compound classes are reviewed, with special emphasis on important aspects especially relevant to LC-MS and on the mass spectral information obtained.

Use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in the analysis of residues of antibiotics in meat and milk

The advent of affordable LC-MS systems has led to a massive increase in a number of publications describing quantitative methods for the analysis and confirmation of veterinary drug residues. The lack of volatility and thermal instability of many antibiotics makes LC-MS the method of choice for their analysis. In the review, analytical methods for the determination of residues of each of the major classes of antibiotics are presented.

Migration behavior and separation of sulfonamides in capillary zone electrophoresis. I. Influence of buffer pH and electrolyte modifier

The influence of buffer pH and electrolyte modifier on the migration behavior and separation of thirteen sulfonamides was investigated by capillary zone electrophoresis. The results indicate that precise optimization of buffer pH is crucial in improving the separation of some closely migrating sulfonamides. On the addition of either an appropriate amount of an organic modifier (methanol or acetonitrile) or a low concentration of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD, 0.5 mM) to a phosphate-borate buffer at pH 6.85 and an applied voltage of 20 kV, the resolution of peaks between sulfathiazole and sulfamethoxypyridarine is markedly enhanced and effective separations of thirteen sulfonamides are achieved within a relatively short time. Methanol gives better resolution than acetonitrile as an organic modifier. Weak inclusion complexation occurs between beta-CD and sulfonamides, with the exception of sulfathiazole. The formation constants of thirteen sulfonamides with beta-CD are reported.

Applications of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry interfacing systems in food analysis: pesticide, drug and toxic substance residues

This paper reviews applications of different LC-MS techniques for the determination of xenobiotic substances in foods. Specific examples of contaminants discussed are pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and drugs; concerning toxic substances, mycotoxins, phycotoxins, cyanobacterial toxins, mutagenic and heterocyclic amines and beta-carbolines, arsenic, tin and inorganic halogen compounds, packaging materials and various epoxy resins are considered. Advantages and limitations are outlined for the different LC-MS interfacing systems (particle beam, thermospray, atmospheric pressure ionization with electrospray, ionspray and heated pneumatic nebulizer). The impact of developments in instrumental analysis on methodology and the limitations of the various LC-MS methods are discussed. Further, the coupling of LC with element-selective detection systems such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is discussed, with emphasis on speciation of trace toxic elements in foods.

Biomedical and biochemical applications of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

This review centres on the application of various LC-MS and LC-MS-MS techniques to the study and solution of practical problems in biomedical research. For this purpose it covers a selection of publications in this area included in the MEDLINE database for the period 1991-mid-1994. As shown herein, LC-MS is increasingly gaining in importance in the biomedical field, especially after the revolution brought about by the introduction of the new liquid-phase atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques, such as electrospray (ES) and ionspray. The information in this database shows that thermospray (TS), which clearly dominated LC-MS coupling in the 1980s, is on a downward trend relative to the more modern API techniques which will certainly dominate this application field in the present decade. Studies on drug metabolism, therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacology have been traditionally carried out by GC-MS. However, LC-MS has lately been replacing classical GC-MS techniques in many of these applications. For instance, LC-ES-MS has greatly facilitated the application of both qualitative and quantitative LC-MS methods to highly polar molecules. This is possible without the need to resort to elaborate sample handling and derivatization procedures for relatively high-molecular-mass compounds such as drug conjugates, biosynthetic and natural peptides and therapeutic proteins obtained by recombinant DNA technology, all of them formerly totally inaccessible to the standard GC-MS or LC-MS methods. With regard to studies on metabolism and biochemical phenomena of endogenous compounds, LC-ES-MS is also becoming very strong in the analysis of structural biopolymers such as peptides, proteins, glycoproteins and glycolipids, and also lower molecular mass compounds such as fatty acids, vitamins, steroids and nucleic acids. For example, structural verification of post-translational modifications in proteins can be efficiently obtained in the time frame of an LC run and suitable MS methods for the location of glycopeptide-containing fractions in proteolytic digests of glycoproteins have been developed. Interesting examples are also shown of the use of LC-MS in clinical studies and the determination of biological markers of disease.

Confirmation of sulfonamide residues in kidney tissue by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The development of a method to confirm the presence of sulfonamide residues in kidney tissues at levels at or above the maximum residue limit (MRL, 100 ng g-1 total sulfonamide) using a tandem mass spectrometer [i.e., mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (MS-MS)] interfaced to a high-performance liquid chromatography is described. Although sulfonamides can be determined using a single quadrupole mass spectrometer with pseudo-MS-MS, advantages in interfacing to a tandem mass spectrometer are demonstrated.

Comparison of the determination of four sulphonamides and their N4-acetyl metabolites in swine muscle tissue using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectral detection

A discharge-assisted LC-MS method has been developed and validated for the analysis of four sulphonamides (sulphathiazole, sulphadiazine, sulphamerazine and sulphadimidine) and their N4-acetyl metabolites in the muscle of swine treated with Polysulpha-Complex, which contains all four drugs. The clean-up procedure developed involved chloroform-acetone extraction followed by Sep-Pak silica solid-phase extraction. In parallel a LC-UV method was validated using the same clean-up procedure. Blank tissue was fortified at levels between 20 and 100 micrograms/kg. [13C]sulphadimidine was used as internal standard. The samples were analysed with thermospray LC-MS. The [M + H]+ ion was the major ion in all cases and was employed for single-ion monitoring. The limits of detection (LOD) were below 25 micrograms/kg and the limits of quantification (LOQ) for most sulphonamides were ca. 100 micrograms/kg. Incurred muscle tissues were measured by both LC methods and the concentrations of the sulphonamides were found to be similar. However, the LC-MS procedure is more suitable for confirmatory analysis due to its specificity.