A simple reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for polysorbate 80 quantitation in monoclonal antibody drug products

Validation, measurement uncertainty, and determination of polysorbate-labeled foods distributed in Korea

This study reports the improvement and validation of a colorimetric method to quantify polysorbates (20, 60, 65, and 80) in food by measuring absorbance at 620 nm using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The method was validated for linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), precision, accuracy, and measurement uncertainty. The coefficient of determination was linear (r 2 ≥ 0.9991) over the measured concentration range of 50-1000 mg/L. The LOD and LOQ were 2.3-4.9 and 7.0-15.0 mg/kg, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision were 91.9-104.1% and 0.1-1.1% RSD, and 91.6-103.8% and 0.4-5.0% RSD, respectively. The result of inter-laboratory recovery was 90.9-99.8% and the measurement uncertainty was < 16% with the compliance of the CODEX recommendation. Sauce, bread, whipped cream, rice cake, ice cream, and various other polysorbate-labeled food products (n = 229, detection range; N.D.-16,442.3 mg/kg) distributed in Korea were analyzed to confirm the applicability of the analytical method.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-024-01544-w.

Monitoring polysorbate 80 degradation in protein solutions using Total Holographic Characterization

The degradation of polysorbate surfactants can limit the shelf life of biologic pharmaceutical products. Polysorbate is susceptible to degradation via either oxidation or hydrolysis pathways which releases free fatty acids (FFA) and other complex polymers. Degradants from Polysorbate 80 (PS80) can form particles and impact drug product quality. PS80 degradation products appear at low concentrations, and their refractive indexes are similar to that of the buffer, making them very challenging to detect. Furthermore, aggregates of FFA are similar in size and refractive index to protein aggregates adding complexity to characterizing these particles in protein solutions. Total Holographic Characterization (THC) is used in this work to characterize FFA particles of oleic acid and linoleic acid, the two most common degradation products of PS80. We demonstrate that the characteristic THC profile of the FFA oleic acid emulsion droplets can be used to monitor the degradation of PS80. THC can detect oleic acid at a concentration down to less than 100 ng/mL. Using the characteristic THC signal of oleic acid as a marker, the degradation of PS80 in protein solutions can be monitored quantitatively even in the presence of other contaminants of the same size, including silicone oil emulsion droplets and protein aggregates.

Effect of cationic surfactant on the physicochemical and antibacterial properties of colloidal systems (emulsions and microemulsions)

Colloidal systems have been used to encapsulate, protect and release essential oils in mouthwashes. In this study, we investigated the effect of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) on the physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of oil-in-water colloidal systems containing tea tree oil (TTO) and the nonionic surfactant polysorbate 80. Our main aim was to evaluate whether CPC could improve the antimicrobial activity of TTO, since this activity is impaired when this essential oil is encapsulated with polysorbate 80. These systems were prepared with different amounts of TTO (0-0.5% w/w) and CPC (0-0.5% w/w), at a final concentration of 2% (w/w) polysorbate 80. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results revealed the formation of oil-swollen micelles and oil droplets as a function of TTO concentration. Increases in CPC concentrations led to a reduction of around 88% in the mean diameter of oil-swollen micelles. Although this variation was of only 20% for the oil droplets, the samples appearance changed from turbid to transparent. The surface charge of colloidal structures was also markedly affected by the CPC as demonstrated by the transition in zeta potential from slightly negative to highly positive values. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies showed that this transition is followed by significant increases in the fluidity of surfactant monolayer of both colloidal structures. The antimicrobial activity of colloidal systems was tested against a Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureaus) bacteria. Our results revealed that the inhibition of bacterial growth is observed for the same CPC concentration (0.05% w/w for E. coli and 0.3% w/w for S. aureus) regardless of TTO content. These findings suggest that TTO may not act as an active ingredient in polysorbate 80 containing mouthwashes.

Polysorbate 80 and histidine quantitative analysis by NMR in the presence of virus‐like particles

Polysorbate‐80 (PS80) and histidine are common excipients in vaccine and therapeutic protein formulation. A simple quantitative NMR method to measure both PS80 and histidine in human papillomavirus (HPV) virus‐like particle (VLP) vaccine for aqueous and alum‐containing samples is described. The new NMR method is compared to current colorimetric methods for PS80 and RP HPLC for histidine. The new NMR method is comparable to current assays with an advantage of a simpler sample treatment for PS80. The efficiency is also increased because one method can now provide two assay results instead of two separate methods. Furthermore, the NMR method can detect PS80 stability due to hydrolysis and oxidation when PS80 is stored in a stainless steel container by observing a change of its NMR line shape profile.

Development of a simple high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) method to determine Polysorbate 80 in a pharmaceutical formulation

The amount of polysorbate 80 in pharmaceutical formulations affects the product quality and efficacy. A reliable test method is required to quantify the amount of Polysorbate 80 present in the drug product formulations. The test method for the determination of Polysorbate 80 may be used during process development and final product quality assessment. A simple, fast and efficient quantitative method, making use of HPLC-ELSD and a C18 column without sample pretreatment was developed. The developed method demonstrated specificity to polysorbate 80 with high precision as indicated by percent relative standard deviation (%RSD) of 3.0% for six determinations. The accuracy of this method for the determination of polysorbate 80 in a pharmaceutical formulation was demonstrated with an overall recovery of 94.9%.

Screening of Polysorbate-80 Composition by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry with Rapid H/D Exchange

Polysorbate (PS) is a widely used polymeric excipient in biotherapeutic formulations to stabilize and protect protein drugs. Commercial PS is a highly heterogeneous mixture of structurally related components. PS composition can impact the stabilizer performance of PS in formulated protein drugs. Characterization of PS heterogeneity is, however, analytically challenging. In this work, a high-throughput screening protocol is presented for the profiling of the PS-80 polysorbate form using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) coupled with a rapid hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange in deuterated methanol. The protocol takes advantage of accurate mass measurements from HRMS analysis and utilizes H/D exchange-induced mass shifts that are characteristic to structures (particularly the number of terminal hydroxyl groups) of PS molecules to definitively identify species. In particular, mass shifts caused by deuterium uptake were used (1) to confirm molecular identities assigned by accurate mass measurements (which adds an extra level of identification confidence) and (2) to differentiate isomers that have an identical mass (thus, undistinguishable by high mass accuracy), but differ in the number of terminal hydroxyls. These data were input to an automated searching algorithm against a molecular mass database covering over 17000 potential PS-80 molecular species. The identified species were then visualized with Kendrick Mass Defect plots. The analysis protocol identified and profiled over 180 species from PS-80 samples in a high-throughput fashion without requiring chromatographic separation to reduce complexity of mixtures or tandem mass spectrometric analysis to conduct structural elucidation.

Component-based biocompatibility and safety evaluation of polysorbate 80

Components in polysorbate 80 are separated and classified into nine groups, which are investigated on their purity, safety and biocompatibility.

Universal method for the determination of nonionic surfactant content in the presence of protein

A new analytical method has been developed for the quantitative determination of ethylene glycol-containing nonionic surfactants, such as polyethylene glycol 8000, polysorbate 80, and Pluronic F-68. These surfactants are commonly used in pharmaceutical protein preparations, thus, testing in the presence of protein is required. This method is based on the capillary gas chromatographic analysis of ethylene glycol diacetate formed by hydrolysis and acetylation of surfactants that contain ethylene glycol. Protein samples containing free surfactants were hydrolyzed and acetylated with acetic anhydride in the presence of p-toluene sulfonic acid. Acetylated ethylene glycol was extracted with dichloromethane and analyzed by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector. The amount of nonionic surfactant in the sample was determined by comparing the released ethylene glycol diacetate signal to that measured from calibration standards. The limits of quantitation of the method were 5.0 μg/mL for polyethylene glycol 8000 and Pluronic F-68, and 50 μg/mL for polysorbate 80. This method can be applied to determine the polyethylene glycol content in PEGylated proteins or the final concentration of polysorbate 80 in a protein drug in a quality control environment.

Characterization and stability study of polysorbate 20 in therapeutic monoclonal antibody formulation by multidimensional ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detection-mass spectrometry

Polysorbate 20 is a nonionic surfactant commonly used in the formulation of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to prevent protein denaturation and aggregation. It is critical to understand the molecular heterogeneity and stability of polysorbate 20 in mAb formulations as polysorbate can gradually degrade in aqueous solution over time by multiple pathways losing surfactant functions and leading to protein aggregation. The molecular heterogeneity of polysorbate and the interference from proteins and the excipient in the formulation matrix make it a challenge to study polysorbate in protein formulations. In this work, the characterization and stability study of polysorbate 20 in the presence of mAb formulation sample matrix is first reported using two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2DLC) coupled with charged aerosol detection (CAD) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection. A mixed-mode column that has both anion-exchange and reversed-phase properties was used in the first dimension to separate protein and polysorbate in the formulation sample, while polysorbate 20 esters were trapped online and then analyzed using an reversed-phase ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UHPLC) column in the second dimension to further separate the ester species. The MS served as the third dimension to further resolve as well as to identify the polysorbate ester subspecies. Another 2DLC method using a cation-exchange column in the first dimension and the same RP-UHPLC method in the second dimension was developed to analyze the degradation products of polysorbate 20. Stability samples of a protein drug product were studied using these two 2DLC-CAD-MS methods to separate, identify, and quantify the multiple ester species in polysorbate 20 and also to monitor the change of their corresponding degradants. We found different polysorbate esters degrade at different rates, and importantly, the degradation rates for some esters are different in the protein formulation compared to a placebo that has no protein. The multidimensional UHPLC-CAD-MS approach provides insights into the heterogeneous stability behaviors of polysorbate 20 subspecies in real-time stability samples of a mAb formulation.

Food emulsifier polysorbate 80 increases intestinal absorption of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in rats

The aim of the present research was to explore whether food emulsifier polysorbate 80 can enhance the absorption of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its possible mechanism. We established the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for detecting DEHP and its major metabolite, mono-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) in rat plasma, and then examined the toxicokinetic and bioavailability of DEHP with or without polysorbate 80 in rats. The study of its mechanism to increase the absorption of phthalates demonstrated that polysorbate 80 can induce mitochondrial dysfunction in time- and concentration-dependence manners in Caco-2 cells by reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, diminishing the production of the adenosine triphosphate, and decreasing the activity of electron transport chain. Our results indicated that food emulsifier applied in relatively high concentrations in even the most frequently consumed foods can increase the absorption of DEHP, and its role may be related to the structure and function damages of mitochondria in enterocytes.

Analysis of polysorbate 80 and its related compounds by RP-HPLC with ELSD and MS detection

The chemical composition of polysorbate 80 strongly influences the physicochemical properties and performance of many products. Consequently, a reliable characterization of polysorbate 80 is crucial for many applications. However, the exact composition of these chemical mixtures cannot be determined by colorimetry, hydrolysis, size-exclusion chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance or mass spectrometry (MS). Meanwhile, due to the strong retention of higher esters on the reversed-phase (RP) column, the published high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods suffered from inadequate elution. In the present paper, an HPLC-evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) and an HPLC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS method were developed and validated for the separation and identification of the chemical composition of polysorbate 80. A full separation of the entire composition was achieved in 45 min. In the HPLC-ESI-MS spectra, each class of the compound in polysorbate 80 was directly confirmed and identified by [M + NH(4)](+) and [M + 2NH(4)](2+) ions. The number of polyoxyethylene groups and their distribution within the molecule were determined, in addition to the dehydration and esterification degree of sorbitol. Analysis showed that polysorbate 80 contained different proportions of components (polyoxyethylene sorbitan, polyoxyethylene isosorbide, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate-dioesters-trioleates-tetraoleates and polyoxyethylene isosorbide monoester-dioesters). It was concluded that HPLC-ESI-MS is a useful tool for establishing the compositional profile of polysorbate 80.

Evaporative light scattering detection based HPLC method for the determination of polysorbate 80 in therapeutic protein formulations

An evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) based high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method is developed for the determination of polysorbate 80 (tween 80) in therapeutic protein formulations. The method is simple and overcomes the difficulties associated with specificity and sensitivity. The method is suitable for the quantitation of polysorbate 80 in the usual formulation range (0.01-0.1%) as well as in trace amounts ≥13 µg/mL. The analysis is based on the removal of protein first by solid-phase extraction using Oasis HLB cartridges followed by HPLC analysis using Inertsil ODS-3 C 18 column (4.6×150 mm, 5 µm) using reversed-phase conditions. The detector response changes exponentially with an increase in polysorbate concentration. A very good linear fit of log ELSD response against log polysorbate 80 concentration is observed. The specificity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy of the method are suitable for the quantitation of polysorbate 80 in protein formulations.

Mixed-mode and reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodologies to study composition and base hydrolysis of polysorbate 20 and 80

Polysorbate 20 (polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate) and polysorbate 80 (polyoxyethylenesorbitan monooleate) used in protein drug formulations are complex mixtures that have been difficult to characterize. Here, two HPLC methods are used with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) and mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize polysorbate from commercial vendors. The first HPLC method used a mixed-mode stationary phase (Waters Oasis MAX, mixed-mode anion exchange and reversed-phase sorbent) with a step gradient to quantify both the total polyoxyethylene sorbitan ester and polyoxyethylene sorbitan (POE sorbitan, a non-surfactant) in polysorbate. The results indicated POE sorbitan was present from 16.0 to 27.6 and 11.1 to 14.5% (w/w) in polysorbate 20 and 80, respectively. The second HPLC method used a reversed-phase stationary phase (Zorbax SB-300 C(8)) with a shallow gradient to separate, identify, and quantify the multiple ester species present in polysorbate. For all lots of polysorbate 20 analyzed, only 18-23% of the material was the expected structure, polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate. Up to 40% and 70% (w/w) di- and triesters were found in polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 respectively. Likewise, polyoxyethylenesorbitan monooleate accounted for only 20% of polysorbate 80. A variability of 3-5% was observed for each ester species between multiple lots of polysorbate 20. The reversed-phase method was then used to determine the rate of hydrolysis for each polyoxyethylene sorbitan ester of polysorbate 20 in basic solution at room temperature. Increasing rates of hydrolysis were observed with decreasing aliphatic chain lengths in polysorbate 20.