• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.384-391
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• 2001

In this study, a new quantitative analytical method has been developed for the rapid determination of acylcarnitines and amino acids in human blood using electrospray ionization / tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Acylarmitines and amino acids were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry after conversion to their butylesters through treatment with 3N butanolic hydrogen chloride. Acylcrnitines were analyzed using precursor 85 ion scan and alanine, valine, leucine/isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid were analyzed using neutral loss 102 scan, ornitine and citrulline were analyzed neutral loss 119 scan, glycine was analyzed using neutral loss 56 scan, arginine was analyzed using neutral loss 161 scan and argininosuccinic acid was analyzed product ion 459 scan. This method reduced sample preparation time compared to that with conventional amino acid analyzer and liquid chromatography, with high sensitivity and good reproducibility.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.568-576
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• 2015

The marine microalga Pavlova viridis can grow fast and has the ability to accumulate essential nutrients for culturing marine animals, such as EPA and DHA, and it has been used as food for raring larval fish and prawn. The symbiotic relationship between the flagellate microalga Pavlova viridis and its associated bacteria was investigated. An axenic culture of P. viridis was obtained by repeated treatment of the microalga with an antibiotic cocktail. The axenic status was confirmed after sub-culturing three times in a sterile f/2 medium without an antibiotic. The axenic alga was then co-inoculated with five bacteria, arbitrarily designated as I1–I5, isolated from the alga to test the growth promotion of the algae. All bacterial strains promoted the growth of P. viridis, and bacterial isolate I3 was the most effective among the five bacteria tested. The cell number of P. viridis in the co-culture with I3 was significantly higher than that of the control culture. A sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene isolated from I3 revealed a 97% nucleotide sequence similarity to that of Citrobacter sp. The growth of strain I3 was also significantly enhanced by co-culturing with P. viridis, indicating a symbiotic relationship between the microalga and its associated bacterium. The association between the microalga and bacterium was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.