Variability in the substitution pattern of hydroxypropyl cellulose affects its physico-chemical properties

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) is a water-soluble polymer with many applications in food, pharmaceutical, medical, or paints industries. Past studies have reported that differences in functionality can occur between products of similar pharmaceutical grades. Understanding the origin of these differences is a major challenge for the industry. In this work, the structure and physico-chemical properties of several HPC samples of the same commercial grade were studied. Structural analysis by NMR and enzymatic hydrolysis were performed to study molar substitution and distribution of substituents along the polymer chain respectively. Water-polymer interactions, surface properties as well as rheological and thermal behavior were characterized to tentatively correlate them with the structure, and gain new insights into the structure-function relationship of this polymer. The differences in structure revealed between the samples affect their properties. The unexpected behavior of one sample was attributed to a more heterogeneous substitution pattern, with the coexistence of highly and weakly substituted regions along the same polymer chain. The more block-like distribution of substituents has a great effect on the clouding behavior and surface tension reduction ability of the polymer.

Predicting gas chromatography relative retention times for polychlorinated biphenyls using chlorine substitution pattern contribution method

Various quantitative structure retention relationships have been published in an effort to understand and predict chromatographic retention times. This work presents a chlorine substitution pattern contribution (Cl-SPC) model for relative retention times (RRT) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), using 27 sets of previously published gas chromatography RRT data. The Cl-SPC model calculates the contribution factors (βk) for each of 19 chlorine substitution "patterns" (such as 2-, 2,4-, 2,3,6-, 2,3,4,5,6-, etc.) using multiple linear regression (MLR). The 27 separate MLRs had R(2) values ranging from 0.961 to 1.000; the average absolute errors were 0.55% for the training sets and 0.95% for the test sets. Cross-validation of the model was carried out by splitting each data set into training and test sets for groupings based on nine PCB congener mixes commercialized by AccuStandard. No weakening of the model performance was observed when the size of data set used to develop the model was decreased from 209 to 39 congeners. In addition to the separate models, a single mixed model was fit combining all 27 data sets. The estimated random effects, which reflect the impact of GC configuration and operational conditions on RRTs, are minor compared with the fixed effects estimated for the βk values. The major advantages of the Cl-SPC model are its unmatched simplicity and equally excellent robustness when compared with other quantitative structure retention relationship models.

Mass spectrometric behavior of phenolic acids standards and their analysis in the plant samples with LC/ESI/MS system

Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) is one of analytical techniques to obtain accurate results of low molecular weight aromatic compounds in biological samples of different origin. The interpretations of mass spectra of these aromatic compounds in the negative spectra registered in the full scan MS mode may be uneasy due to presence of deprotonated molecules [M-H](-) from different co-eluting entities, fragment ions created after the break-up of precursor ions and also ions representing modified molecules clusters. Thus, the first aim of this study was to evaluate general parameters during analysis performed in the full scan MS or MS/MS mode. Secondly, to set general fragmentation rules for aromatic compounds and entities in a complex biological matrix. We established that different groups of low molecular weight phenolic acids form unique adduct ions and additionally registration LC/MS/MS spectra with two different collision energies may allow for differentiating isomeric or isobaric molecules. These findings together with some general fragmentation rules can facilitate identifications of aromatic acids as we outlined in the sample of cold-pressed rose-hip oil and lupine leaves extract.

Comparison of xanthans by the relative abundance of its six constituent repeating units

Five xanthans were hydrolyzed to their repeating units using cellulases. Hydrophilic interaction chromatography with online electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry and evaporative light scattering detection was used to analyze the oligomers released. It was concluded that six different pentamer repeating units (RUs) exists within a xanthan sample. The most abundant RU shows acetylation on the inner mannose and pyruvylation on the outer mannose. The second most abundant RU shows acetylation on both the inner and the outer mannose. It becomes clear that more variations in the xanthan structure exist than generally recognized. Comparison of five different xanthan samples revealed that, although the molecular composition of xanthan samples can be exactly the same, the ratio in which the RUs occur can differ significantly. It is, therefore, concluded that xanthan samples should be characterized for both, their molecular composition and the relative abundance of the RUs present.