On-line liquid-chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-mass spectrometry coupling for the separation and characterization of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside isomers in flaxseed.

Two secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) diastereomers were extracted from flaxseed and liberated through alkaline hydrolysis. Anion-exchange and reversed-phase chromatography were successfully employed to purify the hydrolyzed flaxseed extract. On-line LC-NMR-MS analyses revealed the structure of the isolated and purified SDG diastereomers, [2R,2'R]-2,3-bis[(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-methyl]-1,4-butanediyl-bis-beta-glucopyranoside the predominant flaxseed lignan and [2R,2'S]-2,3-bis[(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-1,4-butanediyl-bis-beta-glucopyranoside, a previously incompletely characterized minor flaxseed lignan. Circular dichroism (CD) analyses confirmed the presence of two distinguished optically active compounds present in the flaxseed extract.

Synthesis and separation of structural isomers of 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrasubstituted phthalocyanines.

The 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrasubstituted metalphthalocyanines 1-7 (M = In, Ni, Zn) were synthesized, as mixtures of four different structural isomers, from the corresponding 4-alkoxy-1,2-dicyanobenzenes and the appropriate metal salts. Separation of the four structural isomers was successfully achieved on a C30 alkyl phase by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The determination of the point groups of the structural isomers was carried out for 1 and 3, the composition of the structural isomers of 4-7 was accomplished by comparing their retention times and UV/Vis spectra with the data of 1 and 3. For the phthalocyanines 8-10 and the naphthalocyanines 11 and 12 only the C4h and D2h isomers could be separated.

Isolation and identification of clozapine metabolites in patient urine.

Biotransformation products of the atypical neuroleptic clozapine were isolated from urine samples of three schizophrenic patients by solid-phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction for the separation of unpolar and polar metabolites, and thin-layer chromatography followed by final purification by high-performance liquid chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by mass spectrometry and (1)H NMR spectroscopy and in some cases by enzymatic deconjugation. Besides the known metabolites desmethylclozapine, clozapine N-oxide, 8-deschloro-8-hydroxyclozapine, and 8-deschloro-8-hydroxydesmethylclozapine, the unpolar fraction contained 7-hydroxyclozapine and a compound in which the piperazine ring of clozapine was partially degraded to an ethylenediamine derivative. Novel metabolites identified in the polar fraction were the sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of 7-hydroxyclozapine N-oxide, 8-deschloro-8-hydroxyclozapine-O-glucuronide, and the O-glucuronide of N-hydroxydesmethylclozapine; further conjugates were tentatively identified as 9-hydroxydesmethylclozapine-O-sulfate and 6-hydroxyclozapine-O-sulfate. In addition, the previously described conjugates 7-hydroxydesmethylclozapine-O-sulfate, 7-hydroxyclozapine-O-glucuronide and -O-sulfate, 8-deschloro-8-hydroxydesmethylclozapine-O-glucuronide, and the quaternary ammonium glucuronide of clozapine were detected.

Combined HPLC-MS and HPLC-NMR on-line coupling for the separation and determination of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in spinach and in retina.

The determination and unambiguous identification of carotenoid stereoisomers from biological tissues, avoiding isomerization and oxidation due to the extraction process, is still a major challenge. Particularly, the analysis of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers is of great importance, as these are the main constituents of the macula lutea, the central part of the human retina, and act as possible agents in the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). By combining a mild and quick extraction technique such as matrix solid-phase dispersion together with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the extremely light and oxygen sensitive lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers are extracted, enriched, and separated directly from the solid plant or tissue samples, excluding preparation of artifacts. HPLC separations are performed with C30 phases due to their enhanced shape selectivity compared to C18 phases and on-line coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. By using HPLC-MS with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, the lutein stereoisomers can be distinguished from the zeaxanthin stereoisomers within one chromatographic run in the upper picogram range, whereas HPLC-NMR coupling allows the unequivocal identification of each stereoisomer with a concentration in the upper nanogram range. This article provides an analytical method for the artifact-free determination of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers directly from the solid biological tissue spinach as a source of carotenoids and retina as the sphere of activity for AMD. In addition, the structures of these stereoisomers were unambiguously elucidated by employing hyphenated analytical techniques.

Planifolin, a new naphthopyranone dimer and flavonoids from Paepalanthus planifolius.

A new naphthopyranone dimer (1) named planifolin was isolated from a methylene chloride extract of the capitula of Paepalanthus planifolius. The structure of 1 has been determined by chemical and spectroscopic means. In addition, a known dihydronaphthopyranone glycoside and seven known flavonoids were isolated from an ethanolic extract of the leaves of P. planifolius.

Contribution of trifluoperazine metabolites to the in vivo (19)F NMR spectrum of rat brain.

Fluorine-19 NMR spectra were acquired from extracts of tissues from heads of rats given the antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine (TFP). Contributions to the in vivo (19)F spectra from tissues other than brain were negligible. The in vivo (19)F resonance at -62.3 ppm from CCl(3)F consisted of 6-8 resolved resonances in vitro. Some in vitro resonances were assigned to previously identified TFP metabolites. Multiple resonances in vitro partially explain the relatively large line width seen in vivo for TFP. Unidentified metabolites were observed at about -74 to -75 ppm in a number of spectra of extracts of brain and muscle.

Application of HPLC-NMR coupling using C30 phase in the separation and identification of flavonoids of taxonomic relevance.

The on-line separation and identification of two important taxonomic markers for plant species of the Paepalanthus genus, the flavonoids 6-methoxykaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 6-methoxykaempferol-3-O-beta-D-6"(p-coumaroyl)glucopyranoside, has been performed with an HPLC-NMR coupling using C30 phase. 1D spectra have been recorded in the stopped-flow mode for the two predominant chromatographic peaks. This is the first application of HPLC-NMR coupling using C30 phase to a taxonomic problem. The technique drastically reduces the required amount of sampling for structure determination.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic identification of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in bovine retina using a C30 bonded phase.

An efficient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with ultraviolet detection at 450 nm for simultaneous determination of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in bovine retina is described. The procedure involves rapid and careful one-step hexane extraction of the carotenoids from the homogenized liquid and enrichment by on-line solid phase extraction on a polystyrene cartridge. The substances were eluted at a flow rate of 1 ml/min with acetone-water (85:15, v/v) on a C30 reversed-phase column. C30 phases exhibit superior shape selectivity for the separation of carotenoid stereoisomers compared with conventional C18 phases. For comparison a mixture of iodine-isomerized lutein and zeaxanthin standards was separated.