Evaluation of on-line solid-phase extraction parameters for hyphenated, high-performance liquid chromatography–solid-phase extraction–nuclear magnetic resonance applications

Chemical constituents of açai berry pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) by LC-UV-BPSU/NMR and LC-UV-SPE/NMR

The techniques LC-UV-BPSU and LC-UV-SPE/NMR were applied for the first time in the analysis of açai berry (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp extracts. Those techniques allowed the identification of twenty-three metabolites: Valine (1), citric acid (2), tachioside (3), isotachioside (4), α-guaiacylglycerol (5), syringylglycerol (6), uridine (7), adenosine (8), dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (9), koaburaside (10), protocatechuic acid (11), eurycorymboside B (12), 7',8'-dihydroxy-dihydrodehydroconiferyl alcohol-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (13), orientin (14), homoorientin (15), dihydrokaempferol-3-glucoside (16), isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (17), 5'-methoxyisolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (18), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (19), cyandin-3-O-rutenoside (20), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester (21), linolenic acid (22), and 1,2-di-O-α-linolenoyl-3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-sn-glycerol (23). In this plant, compounds 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 17, 18, 21, and 23 are reported for the first time. All the structures were determined through extensive analyses of 1D and 2D NMR data, mass spectrometry, and comparison with published data. This methodology has proven to be an efficient alternative to the analysis of complex extracts containing a large variety of compounds.

NMR-Based Chromatography Readouts: Indispensable Tools to “Translate” Analytical Features into Molecular Structures

Gaining structural information is a must to allow the unequivocal structural characterization of analytes from natural sources. In liquid state, NMR spectroscopy is almost the only possible alternative to HPLC-MS and hyphenating the effluent of an analyte separation device to the probe head of an NMR spectrometer has therefore been pursued for more than three decades. The purpose of this review article was to demonstrate that, while it is possible to use mass spectrometry and similar methods to differentiate, group, and often assign the differentiating variables to entities that can be recognized as single molecules, the structural characterization of these putative biomarkers usually requires the use of NMR spectroscopy.

The integration of LC-MS and NMR for the analysis of low molecular weight trace analytes in complex matrices

This review discusses the integration of liquid chromatography (LC), mass spectrometry (MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the comprehensive analysis of small molecules from complex matrices. We first discuss the steps taken toward making the three technologies compatible, so as to create an efficient analytical platform. The development of online LC-MS-NMR, highlighted by successful applications in the profiling of highly concentrated analytes (LODs 10 μg) is discussed next. This is followed by a detailed overview of the alternative approaches that have been developed to overcome the challenges associated with online LC-MS-NMR that primarily stem from the inherently low sensitivity of NMR. These alternative approaches include the use of stop-flow LC-MS-NMR, loop collection of LC peaks, LC-MS-SPE-NMR, and offline NMR. The potential and limitations of all these approaches is discussed in the context of applications in various fields, including metabolomics and natural product discovery.

Metabolomics in the Context of Plant Natural Products Research: From Sample Preparation to Metabolite Analysis

Plant-derived natural products have long been considered a valuable source of lead compounds for drug development. Natural extracts are usually composed of hundreds to thousands of metabolites, whereby the bioactivity of natural extracts can be represented by synergism between several metabolites. However, isolating every single compound from a natural extract is not always possible due to the complex chemistry and presence of most secondary metabolites at very low levels. Metabolomics has emerged in recent years as an indispensable tool for the analysis of thousands of metabolites from crude natural extracts, leading to a paradigm shift in natural products drug research. Analytical methods such as mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are used to comprehensively annotate the constituents of plant natural products for screening, drug discovery as well as for quality control purposes such as those required for phytomedicine. In this review, the current advancements in plant sample preparation, sample measurements, and data analysis are presented alongside a few case studies of the successful applications of these processes in plant natural product drug discovery.

Identification of PTP1B and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Serrulatanes from Eremophila spp. by Combined use of Dual High-Resolution PTP1B and α-Glucosidase Inhibition Profiling and HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR

According to the International Diabetes Federation, type 2 diabetes (T2D) has reached epidemic proportions, affecting more than 382 million people worldwide. Inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) and α-glucosidase is a recognized therapeutic approach for management of T2D and its associated complications. The lack of clinical drugs targeting PTP1B and side effects of the existing α-glucosidase drugs, emphasize the need for new drug leads for these T2D targets. In the present work, dual high-resolution PTP1B and α-glucosidase inhibition profiles of Eremophila gibbosa, E. glabra, and E. aff. drummondii "Kalgoorlie" were used for pinpointing α-glucosidase and/or PTP1B inhibitory constituents directly from the crude extracts. A subsequent targeted high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry-solid-phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HPLC-HRMS-SPE-NMR) analysis and preparative-scale HPLC isolation led to identification of 21 metabolites from the three species, of which 16 were serrulatane-type diterpenoids (12 new) associated with either α-glucosidase and/or PTP1B inhibition. This is the first report of serrulatane-type diterpenoids as potential α-glucosidase and/or PTP1B inhibitors.

Identification of phenanthrene derivatives in Aerides rosea (Orchidaceae) using the combined systems HPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS and HPLC-DAD-MS-SPE-UV-NMR

INTRODUCTION

In our continued efforts to contribute to the general knowledge on the chemical diversity of orchids, we have decided to focus our investigations on the Aeridinae subtribe. Following our previous phytochemical study of Vanda coerulea, which has led to the identification of phenanthrene derivatives, a closely related species, Aerides rosea Lodd. ex Lindl. & Paxton, was chosen for investigation.

OBJECTIVE

To identify new secondary metabolites, and to avoid isolation of those already known, by means of the combined systems HPLC-DAD(diode-array detector) with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS) and HPLC-DAD-MS-SPE(solid-phase extraction)-UV-NMR.

METHODS

A dereplication strategy was developed using a HPLC-DAD-HRMS/MS targeted method and applied to fractions from A. rosea stem extract. Characterisation of unknown minor compounds was then performed using the combined HPLC-DAD-MS-SPE-UV-NMR system.

RESULTS

The dereplication method allowed the characterisation of four compounds (gigantol, imbricatin, methoxycoelonin and coelonin), previously isolated from Vanda coerulea stem extract. The analyses of two fractions permitted the identification of five additional minor constituents including one phenanthropyran, two phenanthrene and two dihydrophenanthrene derivatives. The full set of NMR data of each compound was obtained from microgram quantities.

CONCLUSION

Nine secondary metabolites were characterised in A. rosea stems, utilising HPLC systems combined with high-resolution analytical systems. Two of them are newly described phenanthrene derivatives: aerosanthrene (5-methoxyphenanthrene-2,3,7-triol) and aerosin (3-methoxy-9,10-dihydro-2,5,7-phenanthrenetriol).

Two-dimensional countercurrent chromatography × high performance liquid chromatography for preparative isolation of toad venom

In this work, a new on-line two-dimensional chromatography coupling of flow programming counter-current chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (2D CCC×HPLC) was developed for preparative separation of complicated natural products. The CCC column was used as the first dimensional isolation and a preparative ODS column operated in reversed-phase (RP) mode as the second dimension. The CCC was operated at a controlled flow rate to ensure that each fraction eluted within one hour, corresponding to the isolation time of the 2nd dimensional preparative HPLC. The eluent from the 1st dimensional CCC was diluted using a makeup pump and trapped onto holding column, before been eluted and transferred to the 2nd dimensional HPLC. The performance of the holding column was evaluated, in terms of column size, dilution ratio and diameter-height ratio, as well as system pressure, for the solution to the issue of online trapping of low pressure eluent from a CCC column. Satisfactory trapping efficiency and tolerable CCC pressure can be achieved using a commercially available 15mm×30mm i.d. ODS pre-column. The present integrated system was successfully applied in a one-step preparative separation of 12 compounds, from the crude methanol extract of venom of Bufo bufo gargarizans. Compounds 1-12 were isolated in overall yield of 1.0%, 0.8%, 2.0%, 1.3%, 2.0%, 1.5%, 1.9%, 3.6%, 6.1%, 4.8%, 3.5% and 4.1%, with HPLC purity of 99.9%, 99.7%, 90.6%, 99.9%, 77.0%, 99.9%, 90.4%, 99.9%, 52.0%, 99.9%, 99.3%, and 85.0%, respectively. All the results demonstrate that the flow programming CCC×HPLC method is an efficient and convenient way for the separation of compounds from toad venom and it can also be applied to isolate other complex multi-component natural products.

Use of diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy and HPLC-UV-SPE-NMR to identify undeclared synthetic drugs in medicines illegally sold as phytotherapies

The informal (and/or illegal) e-commerce of pharmaceutical formulations causes problems that governmental health agencies find hard to control, one of which concerns formulas sold as natural products. The purpose of this work was to explore the advantages and limitations of DOSY and HPLC-UV-SPE-NMR. These techniques were used to identify the components of a formula illegally marketed in Brazil as an herbal medicine possessing anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. DOSY was able to detect the major components present at higher concentrations. Complete characterization was achieved using HPLC-UV-SPE-NMR, and 1D and 2D NMR analyses enabled the identification of known synthetic drugs. These were ranitidine and a mixture of orphenadrine citrate, piroxicam, and dexamethasone, which are co-formulated in a remedy called Rheumazim that is used to relieve severe pain, but it is prohibited in Brazil because of a lack of sufficient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information.

Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy: modern high-end detectors for high resolution separation techniques--state of the art in natural product HPLC-MS, HPLC-NMR, and CE-MS hyphenations

Current natural product research is unthinkable without the use of high resolution separation techniques as high performance liquid chromatography or capillary electrophoresis (HPLC or CE respectively) combined with mass spectrometers (MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. These hyphenated instrumental analysis platforms (CE-MS, HPLC-MS or HPLC-NMR) are valuable tools for natural product de novo identification, as well as the authentication, distribution, and quantification of constituents in biogenic raw materials, natural medicines and biological materials obtained from model organisms, animals and humans. Moreover, metabolic profiling and metabolic fingerprinting applications can be addressed as well as pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic issues. This review provides an overview of latest technological developments, discusses the assets and drawbacks of the available hyphenation techniques, and describes typical analytical workflows.

Direct (13)C NMR detection in HPLC hyphenation mode: analysis of Ganoderma lucidum terpenoids

Solid phase extraction (SPE) was introduced as a crucial step in the HPLC-SPE-NMR technique to enable online analyte enrichment from which proton-detected NMR experiments on submicrogram amounts from complex mixtures were possible. However, the significance of direct-detected (13)C NMR experiments is indubitable in simplifying structural elucidations. In the current study, we demonstrated direct (13)C NMR detection of triterpenoids from a Ganoderma lucidum extract in hyphenation mode. The combined advantage of a cryogenically cooled probe, miniaturization, and multiple trapping enabled the first reported application of HPLC-SPE-NMR analysis using direct-detected (13)C NMR spectra. HPLC column loading, accumulative SPE trappings, and the effect of different elution solvents were evaluated and optimized. A column loading of approximately 600 μg of a prefractionated triterpenoid mixture, six trappings, and an acquisition time of 13 h resulted in spectra with adequate signal-to-noise ratios to detect all C-13 signals.

Liquid chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance coupling as alternative to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry hyphenations: curious option or powerful and complementary routine tool?

Combining the most powerful separation techniques, i.e. liquid chromatography (LC) or capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a information rich detection system - the mass spectrometer or the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer - has been pursued for more than three decades. This compilation shall provide an overview of the advantages and limitations of the LC-NMR hyphenation in the light of its most valued application-the unequivocal analyte identification. Especially the post LC trapping of analytes with an in-line solid phase extraction (SPE) device prior to transferring the analyte of interest to the NMR spectrometer (LC-SPE-NMR) proved to be a robust installation allowing a significant cut-down of the amount of analyte needed for the generation of high quality heteronuclear NMR shift correlation data. Different available technical realizations will be discussed and typical application examples from natural product research and from industrial settings will be given.

A strategy for fast structural elucidation of metabolites in small volume plant extracts using automated MS-guided LC-MS-SPE-NMR

In many metabolomics studies, metabolite identification by mass spectrometry (MS) often is hampered by the lack of good reference compounds, and hence, NMR information is essential for structural elucidation, especially for the very large group of secondary metabolites. The classical approach for compound identification is to perform time-consuming and laborious HPLC fractionations and purifications, before (re)dissolving the molecules in deuterated solvents for NMR measurements. Hence, a more direct and easy purification protocol would save time and efforts. Here, we propose an automated MS-guided HPLC-MS-solid phase extraction-NMR approach, which was used to fully characterize flavonoid structures present in crude tomato plant extracts. NMR spectra of plant metabolites, automatically trapped and purified from LC-MS traces, were successfully obtained, leading to the structural elucidation of the metabolites. The MS-based trapping enabled a direct link between the mass signals and NMR peaks derived from the selected LC-MS peaks, thereby decreasing the time needed for elucidation of the metabolite structures. In addition, automated 1H NMR spectrum fitting further speeded up the candidate rejection process. Our approach facilitates the more rapid unraveling of yet unknown metabolite structures and can therefore make untargeted metabolomics approaches more powerful.

Integrated countercurrent extraction of natural products: a combination of liquid and solid supports

An integrated online column-switching countercurrent chromatography (CCC) with a solid-phase trapping/preconcentration interface is presented. The interface is systematically evaluated in terms of sorbent type, column size, and kinetic factor from the view of the unique CCC process. Results indicate that satisfactory trapping efficiency can be achieved using a 25 mm x 10 mm i.d. column packed with Oasis HLB materials. In addition to the analyte focusing effect, large volume injection is avoided, thereby allowing the use of totally different biphasic liquid systems to enhance the system orthogonality. The present integrated system simply combines the liquid and solid supports and is successfully applied in a one-step preparative separation of four antioxidative compounds from the ethyl acetate extract of traditional Chinese herbal medicine Rubia cordifolia L. (Rubiaceae), exhibiting great advantages in peak resolution, peak capacity, and instrument integration compared with conventional CCC separations.

Analysis of RP-HPLC loading conditions for maximizing peptide identifications in shotgun proteomics

Substantial energy and resources have been invested in improving mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation, upstream sample preparation protocols, and database search strategies to maximize peptide and protein identifications. The role of HPLC sample loading methods in maximizing MS identifications has been largely overlooked, and there exists an immense heterogeneity in the methods employed in the proteomics literature. We sought to optimize loading methods by testing multiple loading conditions (buffer composition, resin, initial gradient) using tryptic digests of an 18 protein mixture and whole yeast lysate. The loading buffer acetonitrile (ACN) concentration greatly affected peptide identifications: up to a 26% increase in peptide identifications was observed by decreasing the ACN concentration from 5 to 2% during sample loading. Hydrophilic peptides were the main contributors to the increase in peptide identifications and, at higher ACN concentrations, were washed from the precolumn during desalting. Sampling of the hydrophilic peptides was enhanced by using a shallow initial ACN gradient. The results were found to be resin-specific and not generalizable. Our investigation demonstrates the often unappreciated importance of optimizing sample loading conditions to reflect the aims of the research and the characteristics of the LC configurations employed.

Identification of adulterants in a Chinese herbal medicine by LC-HRMS and LC-MS-SPE/NMR and comparative in vivo study with standards in a hypertensive rat model

Based on anecdotal evidence of anti-hypertensive effect of Gold Nine Soft Capsules, an in vivo study of this complex Chinese "herbal-based" medicine was initiated. Dosage of the content of Gold Nine capsules in spontaneous hypertensive rats showed a remarkably good effect. This led to further investigation of the components of the preparation and eventual identification of three known anti-hypertensive drugs; amlodipine, indapamide and valsartan, which were not declared on the label. Compounds were rapidly identified using LC-HRMS and LC-MS-SPE/NMR, quantified by HPLC, and the in vivo activity of a combination of commercially purchased standards was shown to be equivalent to that of the capsule content. Adulteration of herbal remedies and dietary supplements with synthetic drugs is an increasing problem that may lead to serious adverse effects. LC-MS-SPE/NMR as a method for the rapid identification of such adulterants is highlighted in this case study.

Accelerated dereplication of crude extracts using HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR: quinolinone alkaloids of Haplophyllum acutifolium

Direct hyphenation of analytical-scale high-performance liquid chromatography, photo-diode array detection, mass spectrometry, solid-phase extraction and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR) has been used for accelerated dereplication of crude extract of Haplophyllum acutifolium (syn. Haplophyllum perforatum). This technique allowed fast on-line identification of six quinolinone alkaloids, named haplacutine A-F, as well as of acutine, haplamine, eudesmine, and 2-nonylquinolin-4(1H)-one. Acutine and haplacutine E, isolated by preparative-scale HPLC, showed moderate antiplasmodial activity with IC(50) values of 2.17+/-0.22 microM and 3.79+/-0.24 microM, respectively (chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain).

FTICR-MS and LC-UV/MS-SPE-NMR applications for the rapid dereplication of a crude extract from the sponge Ianthella flabelliformis

Dereplication of a methanolic extract of the marine sponge Ianthella flabelliformis using FTICR-MS accurate mass determination and MS(n) techniques enabled rapid and unambiguous detection of a new compound among a plethora of known compounds. Isolation of this compound and the known 19-deoxy analogue using the hyphenated technique LC-UV/MS-SPE-NMR was undertaken, and the structures were confirmed, from a single chromatographic run, as 19-hydroxyaraplysillin-I N(20)-sulfamate (1) and araplysillin-I N(20)-sulfamate (2).

Combining HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR with circular dichroism for complete natural product characterization in crude extracts: levorotatory gossypol in Thespesia danis

Despite recent demonstration of the power of HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR (high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode-array detection-mass spectrometry-solid-phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance) in structure determination of natural products directly from minute amounts of crude extracts, this technique leaves chirality of the compounds uncharacterized. In this work we demonstrate that postcolumn SPE is a useful method of analyte concentration and accumulation not only for NMR but also for CD (circular dichroism) spectroscopy. Thus, use of HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR in combination with CD allowed rapid detection of ( R)-(-)-gossypol [( R)- 1] in Thespesia danis, providing a very rare example of the predominance of the levorotatory enantiomer of gossypol. Enantioselectivity of the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of gossypol was also demonstrated; the IC50 value of ( R)- 1 was 4.5 +/- 0.2 microM, with the eudismic ratio of about 2.5. No gossypol was detected in Gossypioides kirkii.