Mariane Gonçalves Santos

Quantitation of drugs via molecularly imprinted polymer solid phase extraction and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: benzodiazepines in human plasma.

The association of solid phase extraction with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is applied to the direct extraction and quantitation of benzodiazepines in human plasma. The target analytes are sequestered by MIP and directly analyzed by ESI-MS. Due to the MIP highly selective extraction, ionic suppression during ESI is minimized; hence no separation is necessary prior to ESI-MS, which greatly increases analytical speed. Benzodiazepines (medazepam, nitrazepam, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, clonazepam and midazolam) in human plasma were chosen as a proof-of-principle case of drug analyses by MIP-ESI-MS in a complex matrix. MIP-ESI-MS displayed good figures of merits for medazepam, nitrazepam, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide and midazolam, with analytical calibration curves ranging from 10 to 250 μg L(-1) (r > 0.98) with limit of quantification <10 μg L(-1) and acceptable within-day and between-day precision and accuracy.

Molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction of urinary diethyl thiophosphate and diethyl dithiophosphate and their analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

An analytical method involving molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the analysis of organophosphates metabolites (diethyl thiophosphate--DETP and diethyl dithiophosphate - DEDTP) in human urine samples. A DETP molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized using 4-vinylpiridine as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker. The conditioning step of the MISPE was conducted by running 3 mL of acetonitrile, 3 mL of 0.1 mol L⁻¹ dibasic phosphate buffer at pH 11 and 2 mL of water through the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) cartridge. The extraction step was executed using 1.0 mL of a urine sample, with the pH previously adjusted to 3.0. Finally, the analytes were eluted with 3 mL of acetonitrile and derivatized with 3% 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl bromide solution at room temperature for 1h. The sample was analyzed by GC-MS in the SIM (selected ion monitoring) mode. Analytical calibration curves for DETP and DEDTP were constructed using a pool of urine samples and six levels of concentration. The method was found to be linear from 10 to 500 μg L⁻¹ (r>0.99) with limits of quantification of 10 μg L⁻¹ for both analytes. The within-day and between-day precisions were evaluated (as %RSD) and all the results were <15% for both analytes. The method was accurate (relative error<±15%), with good robustness.

Solid-phase extraction of triazole fungicides from water samples using disks impregnated with carbon nanotubes followed by GC-MS analysis

ABSTRACT Triazole fungicides are pesticides widely employed in the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and grains. However, their ability to change the steroid hormone biosynthesis may result in endocrine complications for mammals, as well as changes in cholesterol and triglyceride levels and hepatotoxicity. The analysis of the triazole fungicides in superficial waters is important in order to monitor the risk for the biota. However, the use of efficient extraction procedures has been necessary in order to concentrate these pesticides before the analysis. In-disk solid-phase extraction (SPE) can be highlighted as a potential pre-concentration technique, mainly because the possibility to extract the analytes from a large sample volume, increasing the method detectability. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been often used as solid extraction phase due to their high sorption capacity, surface area and internal volume, as well as mechanical, chemical and thermal stability. In this paper, we proposed the preparation of a new SPE disk impregnated with CNTs for the extraction of triazole fungicides from environmental water samples. The disks were obtained by acid corrosion of a cellulose membrane followed by its impregnation with CNTs. The developed method was validated for the analysis of triadimenol, tebuconazole and epoxiconazole, according to international validation protocols. The limits of quantification obtained for triadimenol, tebuconazole and epoxiconazole were 0.1, 0.1 and 0.05 µg L−1, respectively. The linearity ranged from 0.05 to 10.00 µg L−1 for epoxiconazole and from 0.1 to 10.00 µg L−1 for triadimenol and tebuconazole, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.999 for all of them. The precisions, expressed as relative standard deviation, were lower than 12%. The accuracies were within −12.07% to 17.7% (expressed as relative error).

Analysis of tricyclic antidepressants in human plasma using online-restricted access molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction followed by direct mass spectrometry identification/quantification

The use of a new class of hybrid materials, called restricted access molecularly imprinted polymers (RAMIPs) seems to present a good strategy for the sample preparation of complex matrices, since these materials combine good protein elimination capacity with high degree selectivity. Mass spectrometers (MS) have been successfully used for polar drug identification and quantification. In order to combine the advantages of both RAMIPs and mass spectrometry, we proposed a study that joins these properties in a single system, where we could analyse tricyclic antidepressants from human plasma, without offline extraction or chromatographic separation. A RAMIP for amitriptyline was synthesised by the bulk method, using methacrylic acid as a functional monomer and glycidilmethacrylate as a hydrophilic co-monomer. Then, epoxide ring openings were made and the polymer was covered with bovine serum albumin (BSA). A column filled with RAMIP-BSA was coupled to a MS/MS instrument in an online configuration, using water as loading and reconditioning mobile phase and a 0.01% acetic acid aqueous solution: acetonitrile at 30:70 as elution mobile phase. The system was used for on-line extraction and simultaneous quantification of nortriptyline, desipramine, amitriptyline, imipramine, clomipramine and clomipramine-d3 (IS) (from 15.0 to 500.0μgL-1) from plasma samples. The correlation coefficient was higher than 0.99 for all analytes. The CV (coefficient of variation) values ranged from 1.34% to 19.13% for intra assay precision and 1.32-19.77% for inter assay precision. The E% (relative error) values ranged from -19.15% to 19.51% for intra assay accuracy and from -9.04% to 16.22% for inter assay accuracy.

LC-PDA and LC-MS studies of donepezil hydrochloride degradation behaviour in forced stress conditions

The aim of this work was to study the intrinsic stability of donepezil hydrochloride in conditions of forced degradation (acid stress, alkaline stress, oxidant stress, light exposure and dry heat). The degradation profile of donepezil was characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection (LC-PDA). According to the results, the degradation products were separated and detected in acid and alkaline solutions. After seven days at room temperature, the recovery of donepezil in alkaline solution (0.1 mol L-1 NaOH) was about 42%, and three degradation products were detected. In acid solution (0.1 mol L-1 HCl), the drug recovery was about 86%, and three degradation products were detected. Thus, it was possible to propose a rapid and selective stability-indicating assay method using reversed-phase liquid chromatography for analysis of donepezil and their degradation products.

Study of the correlation between blood cholinesterases activity, urinary dialkyl phosphates, and the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in rats exposed to disulfoton

Os organofosforados (OPs) sao amplamente usados como praguicidas e a atividade da colinesterase sanguinea bem como os metabolitos urinarios desses praguicidas tem sido reportados como biomarcadores eficazes para avaliar casos de exposicao. Alem disso, os OPs podem induzir mutagenese e o teste de micronucleo de medula ossea e uma boa alternativa para avaliar os danos cromossomicos. Esse artigo reporta um estudo sobre a correlacao entre a exposicao a dissulfoton, a atividade da colinesterase sanguinea, a excrecao urinaria de dietil tiofosfato e dietil ditiofosfato e a frequencia de micronucleos em eritrocitos policromaticos. Quatro grupos de ratos (n=12) foram expostos a dissulfotom nas doses de 0, 2,8, 4,7, e 6,6 mg kg-1 de peso corporeo. A atividade da colinesterase sanguinea as concentracoes urinarias de dietil tiofosfato e dietil ditiofosfato e a frequencia de micronucleos foram determinadas. Os resultados demonstraram que as atividades da colinesterase plasmatica e eritrocitaria diminuiram de 2,9 para 0,5% e de 35,9 para 3,3% , respectivamente, quando a dose de dissulfoton foi aumentada de 0 para 6,6 mg kg-1 (correlacao de 0,99). As concentracoes urinarias de dietil tiofosfato e dietil ditiofosfato bem como a frequencia de micronucleos aumentaram de 0 a 6,56 µg mL-1, 0 a 0.04 µg mL-1 e de 0 a 1.4%, respectivamente, quando a dose de dissulfotom foi aumentada de 0 a 6,58 mg kg-1.

Characterization and application of restricted access carbon nanotubes in online extraction of anticonvulsant drugs from plasma samples followed by liquid chromatography analysis

Anticonvulsant drugs are often used in the treatment of epilepsy. However, their therapeutic monitoring is often necessary in order to obtain an appropriate dose adjustment, due to the proximity between their therapeutic and toxic ranges. The aim of this study was to carry out the synthesis, characterization and use of restricted access carbon nanotubes (RACNTs) in an online method for the analyses of phenobarbital and carbamazepine and primidone from untreated human blood plasma by column switching liquid chromatography. Therefore, the synthesis of RACNTs was carried out through coating commercial Carbon nanotubes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) to subsequently use them as adsorbents in a column switching system operating in the backflush mode. This material was evaluated through the construction of the kinetic and isotherm curves. The experimental data for the interaction of primidone with RACNTs were adequately adjusted to the chemisorption and Sips models for the kinetic and adsorption studies, respectively. The analytical curves ranged from 2.0 to 40.0mgL-1, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99, for all the analytes. The LODs of 0.1, 0.1 and 0.01μgmL-1 were defined for PHB, PRM and CBZ, respectively. The relative standard deviation values ranged from 1.0% to 8.4% for the intra assay precision and from 2.7% to 7.6% for inter assay precision. The relative error values ranged from -13.4% to 7.7% for the intra assay accuracy and from -8.6% to 2.5% for the inter assay accuracy. The method was adequately used in the therapeutic monitoring of anticonvulsant drugs in human plasma samples.