• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.959-967
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• 2010

Down syndrome (DS) is an abnormality of the 21st chromosome that commonly occurs in children born to older women. Thus, amniotic fluid (AF) is usually collected from such women for prenatal diagnosis. This study analyzed human AF supernatants (AFS) using a mass spectrometric (MS) approach to search for candidate biomarkers of a DS pregnancy. The AFS were collected from older pregnant women at weeks 16-18 of their gestation by amniocentesis for cytogenetic analysis. The AFS from the pregnancies carrying DS (n=4) or chromosomally normal (n=6) fetuses, as revealed by the cytogenetic analysis, were then subjected to global protein profiling based on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Affinity chromatography was also applied prior to the LC-ESI-MS/MS to minimize the masking effect of highly abundant albumin and immunoglobulin and thereby increase the diversity of the identified proteins. As a result, at least 30 new AFS proteins were identified and 44 AFS proteins were found to be differentially expressed between the DS and normal cases, where 6 of the proteins were unique to the DS cases and 11 were unique to the chromosomally normal cases. In addition, in the DS cases, 19 AFS proteins were downregulated and 8 were upregulated to varying degrees. A Western blot analysis confirmed the LC-ESI-MS/MS data, indicating that the combined detection of apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) could be a potential tool for diagnosing DS cases.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.20-23
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the in vitro metabolism of hesperetin, a bioflavonoid. Hesperetin was incubated with rat liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH and UDP-glucuronic acid for 30 min. The reaction mixture was analyzed by liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometer and the chemical structures of hesperetin metabolites were characterzed based on their MS/MS spectra. As a result, a total of five metabolites were detected in rat liver microsomes. The metabolites were identified as a de-methylated metabolite (eriodictyol), two hesperetin glucuronides, and two eriodictyol glucuronides.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.25-35
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• 2023

Plants are a traditional source of many chemicals used as biochemical, flavors, food, color, and pharmaceuticals in various countries, especially India. Most herbal medicines and their derivatives are often made from crude extracts containing a complex mixture of various phytochemical chemical components (secondary metabolites of the plants). This study aimed to identify bioactive compounds from the different parts of the plant from the ethanolic extract of Gymnema sylvestre, Senna auriculata, and Cissus quadrangularis (leaves, flower, stem) by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The gas chromatography - mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of various compounds like 3,4-dimethylcyclohexanol, hexanoic acid, D-mannose, and N-decanoic acid. Hence, the Gymnema sylvestre, Senna auriculata, and Cissus quadrangularis may have chemopreventive, anti-cancer, anti-microbial activity, antioxidant, anti-diabetic activity, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal due to the presence of secondary metabolites in the ethanolic extract. These phytochemicals are supported for traditional use in a variety of diseases.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.108-111
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• 2019

The hydrolysis of penicillin G, carbenicillin and ampicillin in pure water at room temperature was studied by high pressure liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Hydrolysis of ampicillin did not occur under these conditions; however, penicillin G and carbenicillin were completely hydrolyzed after seven days. A short interpretation of this difference is proposed. The mass spectrometric behaviour, namely ESI response and fragmentation pathway, of hydrolyzed penicillin G and hydrolyzed carbenicillin have been also discussed.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.178-185
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• 2023

QuEChERS is used worldwide as a universal sample preparation method with many benefits, such as being quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe. This study examined whether QuEChERS can be employed in isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID-MS) for accurate analysis of pesticides in food. The ratios of fortified values and measured values of malathion and fenitrothion using the QuEChERS method were compared with those using the solid phase extract (SPE) method which was previously used in this laboratory. The separations of the two pesticides on DB-5MS and VF-1701MS columns were compared. Malathion and fenitrothion were fortified into kimchi cabbage and pretreated with the QuEChERS method and the SPE method. The results obtained using the DB-5MS column varied according to the sample preparation method, column and pesticide level. Using the VF-1701 column, ratios were 98-102% by both QuEChERS and Carb/NH₂ SPE method for all fortification level. Malathion and fenitrothion were fortified into strawberry samples for comparison with kimchi cabbage. The results for the strawberry samples indicated that the ratios were not influenced by the sample preparation methods or GC column. The QuEChERS method could be acceptable in the ID-MS method for pesticide residue analysis in food, however other conditions should be carefully considered for accurate determination, such as the column, amount of analyte and food matrix.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.89-93
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• 2014

Lincomycin is one of the major species among the Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) detected from the four major rivers in Korea. The structure characterization was performed of six degradation products of lincomycin formed under the irradiation of electron beam, and the degradation efficiency as a function of the various irradiation dose and sample concentration was investigated. Electron beam (10 MeV, 0.5 mA and 5 kW) experiments for the structural characterization of degradation products that are fortified with lincomycin, were performed at the dose of 10 kGy. The separation of degradation products and lincomycin was carried out using a C18 column ($2.1{\times}100$ mm, $3.5{\mu}m$), using gradient elution with 20 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile. The structures of six degradation products of lincomycin were proposed by interpretation of mass spectra and chromatograms by LC-MS/MS. The mass fragmentation pathways of mass spectra in tandem mass spectrometry were also proposed. Experiments were performed of the degradation efficiency as a function of the irradiation dose intensity and the initial concentration of lincomycin in an aqueous environment. In addition, increased degradation efficiency was observed with a higher dose of electron beam and lower concentration.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.709-714
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• 2014

Protein tyrosine nitration is considered as an important indicator of nitrosative stresses and as one of the main factors for pathogenesis of inflammation and neuronal degeneration. In this study, we investigated various nitrosative modifications of bovine carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) through qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis using the combined strategy of Fourier transformation ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (IT-MS/MS). FT-ICR MS and its spectra were used for the search of the pattern of nitrosative modifications. Identification of nitrosatively modified tyrosine sites were executed through IT-MS/MS. In addition, we also tried to infer the reason for the site-specific nitrosative modifications in CAII. In view of the above purpose, we have explored- i) the side chain accessibility, ii) the electrostatic environment originated from the acidic/basic amino acid residues neighboring to the nitrosatively modified site and iii) the existence of competing amino acid residues for nitration.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.212-217
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• 2005

Desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry (DIOS-MS) is a relatively new laser desorption/ionization technique for mass spectrometry without employing an organic matrix. This present study was carried to survey the experimental factors to improve the efficiency of DIOS-MS through electrochemical etching condition in structure and morphological properties of the porous silicon. The porous structure of silicon structure and its properties are crucial for the better performance of DIOS-MS and they can be controlled by the suitable selection of electrochemical conditions. The fabrication of porous silicon and ion signals on DIOS-MS were examined as a function of silicon orientation, etching time, etchant, current flux, irradiation, pore size, and pore depth. We have also examined the effect of pre- and post-etching conditions for their effect on DIOS-MS. Finally, we could optimize the electrochemical conditions for the efficient performance of DIOS-MS in the analysis of small molecule such as amino acid, drug and peptides without any unknown noise or fragmentation.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2010

The high-throughput identification and accurate quantification of proteins are essential strategies for exploring cellular functions and processes in quantitative proteomics. Stable isotope tagging is a key technique in quantitative proteomic research, accompanied by automated tandem mass spectrometry. For the differential proteome analysis of mouse neuronal cell lines, we used a multiplexed isobaric tagging method, in which a four-plex set of amine-reactive isobaric tags are available for peptide derivatization. Using the four-plex set of isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) reagents, we analyzed the differential proteome in several stroke time pathways (0, 4, and 8 h) after the mouse neuronal cells have been stressed using a glutamate oxidant. In order to obtain a list of the differentially expressed proteins, we selected those proteins which had apparently changed significantly during the stress test. With 95% of the peptides showing only a small variation in quantity before and after the test, we obtained a list of eight up-regulated and four down-regulated proteins for the stroke time pathways. To validate the iTRAQ approach, we studied the use of oxidant stresses for mouse neuronal cell samples that have shown differential proteome in several stroke time pathways (0, 4, and 8 h). Results suggest that histone H1 might be the key protein in the oxidative injury caused by glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 cells.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2014

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods have been used extensively in clinical steroid analyses. Evaluating the metabolic ratios of precursors to products by accurate quantification of individual steroid levels in biological samples can reveal the activities of enzymes associated with steroid metabolism. This review article discusses the impact of GC-MS-based steroid profiling on our understanding of the biochemical role of steroids and their metabolic enzymes in hormone-dependent diseases, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), cortisol-mediated hypertension, apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME), male-pattern baldness, and breast and thyroid cancers. Steroid profiling is a comprehensive analytical technique that can be applied whenever the highest specificity is required and may be a reasonable initial diagnostic approach.