Polar lipids and fatty acids of three wild cyanobacterial strains of the genus Chroococcidiopsis.

The occurrence of n-saturated, branched, and unsaturated fatty acids of 3 wild terrestrial strains of the genus Chroococcidiopsis (Order Chroococcales): C. supralittoralis, C. umbratilis, and C. versatilis collected from Lake Kinneret, Dead Sea, and Ein Kerem (Jerusalem) was investigated and individual compounds identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Polar lipids also were examined. Among polar lipids (studied using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography) were as major glycolipids isolated: monogalactosyl-diacylglycerols, digalactosyl-diacylglycerols, 6-sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerols and phosphatidylglycerol. Nonphosphorus betaine-containing lipid, viz. N,N,N-trimethylhomoserin-4-O-yl-diacylglycerol, was found for the first time in cyanobacterial species.

Identification of Streptomyces odor spectrum.

The chemical composition of odors produced by nine strains of Streptomyces was determined. Strains Streptomyces aureofaciens, S. avermitilis, S. cinamomensis, S. coelicolor, S. griseus, S. lividans, S. rimosus, S. spectabilis, S. virginiae (as representatives of producers of biologically active compounds) were cultivated at the same time statically in dishes and in shaken flasks at similar cultivation conditions. According to the GC-MS analysis of odor compounds, more than twenty noteworthy volatile chemical individuals were identified. As the main component of odor spectrum geosmin and homologues of oxolones (dihydrofuranones) were found; the other compounds (pyrazine derivatives, acetoin and its homologues, aromatic esters, furan derivatives, etc.) were in minority.

Caffeine as main interfering compound in radioimmunoassay of aflatoxin B1 in coffee samples.

The content of caffeine in coffee extracts prepared for radioimmunoassay of aflatoxin B1 was determined by gas chromatography. The extracts from coffee beans and decaffeinated coffee contained 1.76-4.60 and 0.71-0.85 g caffeine/kg, respectively. These concentrations of caffeine caused false results in radioimmunoassay of aflatoxin B1 in the range 1.0-2.8 micrograms/kg for coffee beans and 0.3-0.4 micrograms/kg for decaffeinated coffee.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric investigation of phenoxypropanoic acid derivatives possessing herbicidal activity.

Fluazifop-butyl, haloxyfop-ethoxyethyl and quizalofop-ethyl, active ingredients of new selective herbicidal preparations, as well as their metabolites converted in to corresponding methyl esters were separated on several gas chromatographic columns. Bromination of fluazifop esters increased significantly the response of the electron-capture detector. Electron impact mass spectra of all the compounds investigated were recorded, and characteristic ions suitable for selected ion monitoring are given.

Use of gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for triazine herbicide residues analysis in forage and milk.

Residual s-triazines were isolated from forage and milk samples by methanol/chloroform extraction followed by column purification. The evaporated extracts were dissolved in acetone and analysed by gas chromatography with NPD detection and mass spectrometry. The detection limits for both methods were found to be about 5 approximately 10 ng of each s-triazine. The selective ions of the 10 s-triazines investigated (simazine, atrazine, propazine, terbuthylazine, cyanazine, desmetryne, ametryne, prometryne, terbutryne and methoprotryne) were chosen on the basis of an electron impact mass spectrometry study of the s-triazine standards and the whole mass spectra are given. Special attention was paid to the fragmentation of cyanazine and the general cleavage pathways of the s-triazines under investigation.

Liquid ionization mass spectrometry of phospholipids.

Several phosphatidylcholines (PC) and a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were subjected to liquid ionization (LI) mass spectrometry, in which a sample is ionized through energy transfer from metastable argon atoms under atmospheric pressure. Commercially available and synthesized, saturated or unsaturated fatty acid containing phospholipids and their mixtures were studied. A sample either as a concentrated chloroform-methanol solution or with glycerol (matrix) gave characteristic peaks such as MH+ and four fragment ions. One of the fragment ions (e.g., m/z 551 of PC 16:0, 16:0) containing both fatty acid residues has been commonly observed with other ionization methods such as CI, FD, and FAB, but the other fragment ions have not been observed in other mass spectra with one exception on desorption CI. Ions b and d (e.g., m/z 464 and 328, respectively, for PC 16:0, 16:0) contain one fatty acyl residue and the other ion containing the phosphorylcholine moiety appears at m/z 196 for PC. Thus the masses of the MH+ ion and these fragment ions provide useful structural information even in the case of a mixture. The ion b (e.g., m/z 488 of PC 18:0, 18:2) observed during an early period of heating was formed mainly by the loss of one acyl group at sn-1 of the glycerol backbone and thus may be used to differentiate the positional specificities of the constituent fatty acids. The temperature of the sample, however, should be controlled precisely, because it has a significant effect on the mass spectrum. The present method (LI) also provided useful information for a mixture of PC and PE.