• FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCE
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• no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.15
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• 2024

The Avantor® ACE® UltraCore series encompasses High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) columns designed to deliver high throughput and high-efficiency ultra-fast separations. Utilizing ultra-inert solid-core silica particles with monodisperse particle distribution, these columns combine the high efficiency of UHPLC with the operability of HPLC instrumentation, yielding lower backpressure and high-resolution separations suitable for a broad spectrum of analytes. The Avantor® ACE® UltraCore range includes three primary product types: • UltraCore BIO: Designed for large biomolecules (≥5 kDa), these columns offer exceptional performance in separating biologically derived compounds. • UltraCore: Ideal for standard small organic molecules, providing rapid separations for both synthetic and natural mixtures. • UltraCore Super: Equipped with encapsulated bonding technology for small organic molecules in extreme pH conditions, optimal for high pH buffer requirements. The Avantor® ACE® UltraCore columns present a versatile and high-efficiency solution for chromatographic separation needs, accommodating a wide range of molecular sizes and providing enhanced resolution and reduced analysis time. Their adaptability to both HPLC and UHPLC systems, combined with the advantages of solid-core technology, makes them an invaluable tool in analytical and preparative chromatography.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1698-1704
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• 2009

Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug used to treat a variety of solid tumors. The drug is rapidly inactivated by cytidine deaminase in plasma and its hydrophilicity restricts the extent of quantification that is possible using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. In this paper, we report a rapid and precise method to analyze velocity and peak efficiency using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with a reversed-phase column. The retention periods of gemcitabine and 2'-deoxycytidine at 283 nm were 3.2 and 2.1 min, respectively. The assay provided highly linear results in the range of $0.1{\sim}20{\mu}g/ml$ ($r^2$ > 0.999). The coefficients of variation of the intra-day and inter-day assays were less than 10.0%. We observed that the estimated average concentrations of the intra-day and inter-day assays ranged from 97.3 to 113.5% to verify the accuracy. These results suggest that this new reversed-phase UPLC method is a rapid and reliable way of determining gemcitabine levels.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.539-549
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• 2019

Background: 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD), the aglycone part of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides, possesses antidepressant activity among many other pharmacological activities. It is currently undergoing clinical trial in China as an antidepressant. Methods: In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass tandem mass spectrometry method was established to identify the metabolites of PPD in human plasma and urine following oral administration in phase IIa clinical trial. Results: A total of 40 metabolites in human plasma and urine were identified using this method. Four metabolites identified were isolated from rat feces, and two of them were analyzed by NMR to elucidate the exact structures. The structures of isolated compounds were confirmed as (20S,24S)-epoxydammarane-12,23,25-triol-3-one and (20S,24S)-epoxydammarane-3,12,23,25-tetrol. Both compounds were found as metabolites in human for the first time. Upon comparing our findings with the findings of the in vitro study of PPD metabolism in human liver microsomes and human hepatocytes, metabolites with m/z 475.3783 and phase II metabolites were not found in our study whereas metabolites with m/z 505.3530, 523.3641, and 525.3788 were exclusively detected in our experiments. Conclusion: The metabolites identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in our study were mostly hydroxylated metabolites. This indicated that PPD was metabolized in human body mainly through phase I hepatic metabolism. The main metabolites are in 20,24-oxide form with multiple hydroxylation sites. Finally, the metabolic pathways of PPD in vivo (human) were proposed based on structural analysis.

• FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCE
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• no.1
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• pp.8.1-8.3
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• 2024

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) systems are integral to modern analytical laboratories, necessitating careful maintenance and operation protocols to ensure optimal performance. This document provides comprehensive guidelines for the proper shutdown and reactivation of UHPLC systems to prevent damage and maintain operational efficiency. • Shutdown: Remove the column and replace it with a union to avoid blockages. Flush the system with a compatible solvent mix, clean mobile phase reservoirs to prevent microbial growth, flush the pump with storage solvent, and clean the autosampler, including the needle and injection port. • Reactivation: Inspect the system for wear or damage, gradually reintroduce mobile phases starting with a weak solvent, reinstall the column securely, and perform system checks on baseline stability, pressure consistency, and detector performance. By adhering to these guidelines, laboratories can ensure the longevity and reliability of their UHPLC systems, maintaining high analytical performance and minimizing downtime. These procedures help prevent common issues such as blockages, contamination, and component wear, thereby supporting efficient and accurate analytical operations.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.194-204
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• 2017

Direct injection (DI) and solid phase extraction (SPE) methods for the simultaneous determination of pendimethalin (PDM) and dinoseb (DNS) in environmental water have been optimized using the ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of PDM and DNS were $0.01{\mu}g/L$ using the DI method and $0.0001-0.0002{\mu}g/L$ using the SPE method. The precision by SPE UPLC-MS/MS was less than 11 % for intra-day and inter-day analyses. When the proposed SPE method was used to analyze two analytes in environmental water, PDM was detected in a concentration range of $0.0002-0.011{\mu}g/L$ in 31 samples of the 114 surface water samples, and DNS was detected in a concentration range of $0.0005-0.045{\mu}g/L$ in 17 samples of the 114 surface water samples analyzed. When the DI method was used to analyze target compounds in the same samples, the detected concentrations of the two analytes were within 21% in samples with concentrations above $0.01{\mu}g/L$. The DI UPLC-MS/MS method can thus be used for the routine monitoring of PDM and DNS in environmental water, and the SPE LC-MS/MS method can be used for the determination of the ultra-trace PDM and DNS residues in environmental water.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2017

Our study aims to determine the metabolism and excretion of novel pulmonary-targeting docetaxel liposome (DTX-LP) using the in vitro and in vivo animal experimental models. The metabolism and excretion of DTX-LP and intravenous DTX (DTX-IN) in New Zealand rabbits were determined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We found DTX-LP and DTX-IN were similarly degraded in vitro by liver homogenates and microsomes, but not metabolized by lung homogenates. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry identified two shared DTX metabolites. The unconfirmed metabolite $M_{un}$ differed structurally from all DTX metabolites identified to date. DTX-LP likewise had a similar in vivo metabolism to DTX-IN. Conversely, DTX-LP showed significantly diminished excretion in rabbit feces or urine, approximately halving the cumulative excretion rates compared to DTX-IN. Liposomal delivery of DTX did not alter the in vitro or in vivo drug metabolism. Delayed excretion of pulmonary-targeting DTX-LP may greatly enhance the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the systemic toxicity in the chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer. The identification of $M_{un}$ may further suggest an alternative species-specific metabolic pathway.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.77-80
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• 2018

The focus of this paper is to present techniques to overcome certain difficulties in quantitative analysis with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). The method is based on conventional solid-phase extraction, followed by reversed-phase ultra high performance liquid chromatography of the extract, and mass spectrometric analysis. The target compounds included atenolol, atrazine, caffeine, carbamazepine, diclofenac, estrone, ibuprofen, naproxen, simazine, sucralose, sulfamethoxazole, and triclosan. The matrix effects caused by high concentrations of organic compounds in wastewater are especially significant in electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. Internal-standard calibration with isotopically labeled standards corrects the results for many matrix effects, but some peculiarities were observed. The problems encountered in quantitation of carbamazepine and triclosan, due to nonlinear calibration were solved by changing the internal standard and using a narrower mass window. With simazine, the use of a quadratic calibration curve was the best solution.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.220-228
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• 2016

Background: Among the various ginseng strains, Shizhu ginseng is endemic to China, mainly distributed in Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County (Liaoning Province, China); however, not much is known about the compounds (especially saponins) in Shizhu ginseng. Methods: A rapid, sensitive, and reliable ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with MS/MS (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed to separate and identify saponins in Shizhu ginseng. Results: The separation was carried out on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ column ($100mm{\times}2.1mm$, $1.7{\mu}m$) with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase under a gradient elution at $40^{\circ}C$. The detection was performed on a Micromass Quattro Micro API mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source in both positive and negative modes. Under the optimized conditions, a total of 31 saponins were identified or tentatively characterized by comparing retention time and MS data with related literatures and reference substances. Conclusion: The developed UHPLC-MS/MS method was suitable for identifying and characterizing the chemical constituents in Shizhu ginseng, which provided a helpful chemical basis for further research on Shizhu ginseng.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.914-937
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• 2023

The objective of this study was to establish a multi-residue quantitative method for the analysis of anthelmintic and antiprotozoal drugs in various livestock products (beef, pork, and chicken) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Each compound performed validation at three different levels i.e., 0.5, 1, and 2× the maximum residue limit according to the CODEX guidelines (CAC/GL 71-2009). This study was conducted according to the modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure. The matrix-matched calibrations gave correlation coefficients >0.98, and the obtained recoveries were in the range of 60.2%-119.9%, with coefficients of variation ≤32.0%. Furthermore, the detection and quantification limits of the method were in the ranges of 0.03-3.2 and 0.1-9.7 ㎍/kg, respectively. Moreover, a survey of residual anthelmintic and antiprotozoal drugs was also carried out in 30 samples of beef, pork, and chicken collected in Korea. Toltrazuril sulfone was detected in all three samples. Thus, our results indicated that the developed method is suitable for determining the anthelmintic and antiprotozoal drug contents in livestock products.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.371-378
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• 2013

Serum and liver metabolites in rats fed red ginseng (RG) were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The mass data were analyzed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to discriminate between control and RG groups and identify metabolites contributing to this discrimination. The RG group was clearly separated from the control group on PLS-DA scores plot for serum samples, but not liver samples. The major metabolites contributing to the discrimination included lipid metabolites (lysophosphatidylcholine, acyl-carnitine, and sphingosine), isoleucine, nicotinamide, and corticosterone in the serum; the blood levels of all but isoleucine were reduced by RG administration. Not all metabolites were positively correlated with the health benefits of RG. However, the blood levels of lysophosphatidylcholine, which stimulate various diseases, and long-chain acylcarnitines and corticosterone, which activate the stress response, were reduced by RG, suggesting long-term RG might relieve stress and prevent physiological and biological problems.