• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1684-1688
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• 2013

A rapid and sensitive method for determining usnic acid of Lethariella cladonioides in rat was established using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) tandem mass (MS/MS). Rat plasma was pretreated by mixture of acetonitrile and chloroform to precipitate plasma proteins. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a column ($50{\times}2.1$ mm, $5{\mu}m$) with a mobile phase consisting of water (containing $5{\times}10^{-3}$ M ammonium formate, pH was adjusted to 3.0 with formic acid) and acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. A tandem mass spectrometric detection with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface was conducted via collision induced dissociation (CID) under negative ionization mode. The MS/MS transitions monitored were m/z 343.0448 ${\rightarrow}$ m/z 313.2017 for usnic acid and m/z 153.1024 ${\rightarrow}$ m/z 136.2136 for protocatechuic acid (internal standard). The linear range was calculated to be 2.0-160.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 3.0 pg/mL. The inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision were within ${\pm}7.0%$. Pharmacokinetic study showed that the apartment of usnic acid in vivo confirmed to be a two compartment open model. The method was fully valid and will probably be an alternative for pharmacokinetic study of usnic acid.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.289-294
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• 2011

A rapid and specific high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass (LC/MS/MS) method for the analysis of montelukast in human plasma has been developed and validated. After cold acetonitrile-induced precipitation of the plasma samples, montelukast and glipizide (internal standard, IS) were eluted on a reverse-phase $C_{18}$ column by isocratic mobile phase consisted of 10 mM ammonium formate buffer (adjusted to pH 3.5 with formic acid) and acetonitrile (3:97, v/v). Acquisition was performed with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by monitoring the transitions: m/z 587.2${\rightarrow}$ 423.2 for montelukast and m/z 446.0${\rightarrow}$321.2 for IS. Ranges of concentration for calibration curves (10-1000 ng/mL) showed correlation coefficients ($r^2$) were better than 0.9948. Precision of intra- and inter-day ranged from 3.70 to 11.68% and from 3.04 to 12.95%, accuracy of intra-day and inter-day ranged from 93.34 to 102.75% and from 100.79 to 107.63%, respectively. The described method provides a fast and sensitive analytical tool for determining montelukast levels in plasma, and was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in 16 healthy human subjects after oral administration of 10mg tablet formulation of montelukast sodium under fasting conditions.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2013

An ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor was developed from Aspergillus oryzae N159-1, which was screened from traditional fermented Korean foods. The intracellular concentration of the inhibitor reached its highest level when the fungus was cultured in tryptic soy broth medium at $27^{\circ}C$ for five days. The inhibitor was purified using a series of purification steps involving ultrafiltration, Sephadex G-25 gel permeation chromatography, strong cation exchange solid phase extraction, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, and size exclusion chromatography. The final yield of the purification was 1.9%. Results of the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis indicated that the purified ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor was a tri-peptide, Pro-Phe-Pro, with the molecular weight of 360.1 Da. The IC50 value of the peptide against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity was 3.1 mg/mL. Using Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis, the inhibition pattern indicated that the inhibitor acts as a mixed type inhibitor.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.62-62
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• 2023

Zanthoxylum piperitum ("chopi" in Korean) has been used as traditional medicinal plants with high anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antifungal activities. The aims of the study were to identify marker compounds and to investigate metabolites variation of chopi according to different parts and harvest times. Every month from June to September, chopi were harvested with three different parts: leaves, leaf-twig mixtures, twigs. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), two main marker compounds (quercitrin and quercetin-3-O-glucoside) were characterized in 70% ethanol extracts of chopi. Quantification of the two marker compounds were subsequently conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), representing that contents of these compounds were higher in leaves and leaf-twig mixtures rather than twigs. For the comprehensive analysis of metabolites associated with production of marker compounds, 35 primary metabolites were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Multivariate analysis results represented that plant parts were main contributors to the separation of chopi. However, significant differences were not observed between leaves and leaf-twig mixtures samples. The partial least square (PLS) predictive model revealed that monosaccharides (fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose) and branched-chain amino acids (isoleucine, valine, leucine) were important determinants for the production of marker compounds together with alanine, inositol, GABA, and theronic acid. This study could be extended to stabilize and utilize chopi as an industrial material, as well as to find good candidates with various nutritional traits.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.58-83
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• 2022

We developed analytical methods using high performance chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of 80 unapproved compounds in dietary supplements. The target compounds for analysis were unapproved ingredients (e.g., pharmaceuticals) that have potential adverse effects on consumers owing to accidental misuse, overuse, and interaction with other medication in dietary supplement. Two analytical methods were tested to identify the optimal validation results according to AOAC guideline. As a result, limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.14-0.5 ㎍ mL^-1; linearity (r²) was ≥ 0.99; accuracy (expressed as recovery) was 78.9-114%; precision (relative standard deviation) was ≤ 4.28% in the HPLC method. In the LC-MS/MS method, LOQ was 0.01-2 ng mL^-1, linearity (r²) was ≥0.98, accuracy was 71.7-119%; precision was ≤ 12.5%. The developed methods were applied to 51 dietary supplements collected from 2019 to 2021 through MFDS alert system. Based on our previous monitoring study, major compounds were icariin, sibutramine, yohimbine, sildenafil, tadalafil, sennosides (A, B), cascarosides (A, B, C, D), and phenolphthalein. In this study, we re-analyzed samples of detected compounds, and evaluated the statistical difference using Bland-Altman analysis to compare two analytical approaches between HPLC and LC-MS/MS. These results showed a good agreement between two methods that can be used to monitor the unapproved ingredients in dietary supplements. The developed two methods are complementarily suitable for monitoring the adulteration of 80 unapproved compounds in dietary supplements.

• Journal of Biomedical and Translational Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.130-139
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• 2018

This study aimed to analyze a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation using a pentafluorophenyl column of parent drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and its active metabolite, desethylhydroxchloroquine (DHCQ) applying to determine bioequivalence of two different formulations administered to patients. A rapid, simple, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for bioanalysis of HCQ and its metabolite DHCQ in human whole blood using deuterium derivative $hydroxychloroquine-D_4$ as an internal standard (IS). A triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated using electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Sample preparation involves a two-step precipitation of protein techniques. The removed protein blood samples were chromatographed on a pentafluorophenyl (PFP) column ($50mm{\times}4.6mm$, $2.6{\mu}m$) with a mobile phase (ammonium formate solution containing dilute formic acid) in an isocratic mode at a flow rate of 0.45 mL/min. The standard curves were found to be linear in the range of 2 - 500 ng/mL for HCQ; 2 - 2,000 ng/mL for DHCQ in spite of lacking a highly sensitive MS spectrometry system. Results of intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were within acceptable limits. A run time of 2.2 min for HCQ and 2.03 min for DHCQ in blood sample facilitated the analysis of more than 300 human whole blood samples per day. Taken together, we concluded that the assay developed herein represents a highly qualified technology for the quantification of HCQ in human whole blood for a parallel design bioequivalence study in a healthy male.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.544-552
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop an analytical method for determining 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of EU priority using gas chromatography (GC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS). The PAHs in ground coffee were analyzed after being extracted using methods such as saponification-liquid-liquid extraction, Soxhlet extraction, and solid-liquid extraction. The solid-liquid extraction method showed the greatest repeatability and most efficient reduction of the matrix effect. GC-tandem MS for the quantification of the 15 PAHs showed better resolution and lower limit of detections (LODs) than GC-MS-selected ion monitoring (SIM) and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. LODs of this method for the ground coffee types were 0.002-0.1 ${\mu}g/kg$ and limit of quantifications (LOQs) were 0.006-0.2 ${\mu}g/kg$ The recoveries ranged from 52.6 to 93.3%. Forty-six commercial types of ground coffee were analyzed to determine their PAHs contamination levels. PAHs concentration ranged from ND to 5.988 ${\mu}g/kg$. This study was conducted with toxicity equivalence factors, the U.S. EPA recommendation to identify dietary risks for PAHs in different types of coffee. The estimated average daily dose of PAHs was $5.24{\times}10^{-8}$ mg/kg body weight/day.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.366-372
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• 2024

Background: The biological activity and pharmacological effects of rare ginsenosides have been proven to be superior to those of the major ginsenosides, but they are rarely found in ginseng. Methods: Ginsenoside Rb1 was chemically transformed with the involvement of methanol molecules by a synthesized heterogeneous catalyst 12-HPW@MeSi, which was obtained by the immobilization of 12-phosphotungstic acid on a mesoporous silica framework. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to identify the transformation products. Results: A total of 18 transformation products were obtained and identified. Methanol was found to be involved in the formation of 8 products formed by the addition of methanol molecules to the C-24 (25), C-20 (21) or C-20 (22) double bonds of the aglycone. The transformation pathways of ginsenoside Rb1 involved deglycosylation, addition, elimination, cycloaddition, and epimerization reactions. These pathways could be elucidated in terms of the stability of the generated carbenium ion. In addition, 12-HPW@MeSi was able to maintain a 60.5% conversion rate of Rb1 after 5 cycles. Conclusion: Tandem and high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis allowed rapid and accurate identification of the transformation products through the characteristic fragment ions and neutral loss. Rare ginsenosides with methoxyl groups grafted at the C-25 and C-20 positions were obtained for the first time by chemical transformation using the composite catalyst 12-HPW@MeSi, which also enabled cyclic heterogeneous transformation and facile centrifugal separation of ginsenosides. This work provides an efficient and recyclable strategy for the preparation of rare ginsenosides with the involvement of organic molecules.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.143-152
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• 2015

Vitamin D contents in agricultural products and foods were quantified by high performance liquid chromomatography (HPLC) with a UV/Vis detector, using external standard methods. The results were confirmed with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After homogenization, samples were hydrolyzed by direct alkali saponification. Thereafter, fat-soluble components were extracted with n-hexane containing 0.01% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Vitamin D contents in cereals were found to be in the range of $1.882{\sim}4.856{\mu}g/100g$. Juda's ear and oak mushroom contained high amounts of vitamin D, at 363.85 and $199.42{\mu}g/100g$ of edible portion, respectively.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2021

Cephalexin, a semi-synthetic cephalosporin antibiotic, has long been used in fish aquaculture in various countries under legal authorization. The drug is thus widely available for use in other aquatic species except fishes like the crustacean whiteleg shrimp. This study aims to develop a sensitive method for laboratory residue studies to adopt in withdrawal period determinations. Through repeated trials from the existing methods developed for other food animal tissues, it was possible to achieve a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method. The results showed that at a concentration of 0.1 mg/kg, the recovery rate was 81.79%, and C.V. value was 8.2%, which meet the recovery rate and C.V. recommended by Codex guideline. After satisfactory validation of analytical procedures, applicability to the shrimp tissue was confirmed in experimentally cephalexin-treated whiteleg shrimp. As a result, most muscle samples were detected below the limit of quantification (0.05 mg/kg) after day 3, and most hepatopancreas samples were detected below the limit of quantification after day 14. In particular, the limit of quantification 0.05 ppm with the presently developed method suggests sufficient sensitive over the current legal maximum residue limit of 0.2 mg/kg set for fishes.