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Giovanni D'Orazio

Publications and source records attributed to Giovanni D'Orazio.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Separation of basic compounds of pharmaceutical interest by using nano-liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS) was evaluated for the separation of basic compounds of pharmaceutical interest. The separation of selected beta-blockers, namely nadolol, oxprenolol, alprenolol and propranolol in the presence of terbutaline was performed using two 75 microm I.D. capillaries packed with two different RP18 stationary phases (SP). The best results concerning resolution and efficiency were achieved using the SP where free silanol groups were not present. As expected, this latter SP proved to be very efficient and symmetry factors were observed mainly in the case of the more retained analytes. Baseline resolution of all studied basic compounds was achieved with the Cogent bidentate C18 silica phase (CBC18) eluting analytes at 800 nL/min with a mobile phase containing 500 mM ammonium acetate pH 4.5-water-methanol (1:8:91, v/v/v). The separated basic compounds were revealed using on-column UV detector at 205 nm and electrospray-ion-trap mass spectrometer (ESI-MS). The packed capillary was connected to the MS through a commercial sheath liquid interface or a sheathless nano-spray interface and in both cases the sensitivity was studied and the results compared. Limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.1 ng/mL was measured for nadolol using the sheathless nano-spray interface and the capillary column packed with the CBC18 stationary phase.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Low- and high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterisation of hyaluronan-based native and sulfated hydrogels.

Hyaluronan-based hydrogels were synthesised using different crosslinking agents, such as 1,3-diaminopropane (1,3-DAP) and 1,6-diaminohexane (1,6-DAE). The hydrogels were sulfated to provide materials (Hyal-1,3-DAP, Hyal-1,6-DAE, HyalS-1,3-DAP and HyalS-1,6-DAE) that were characterised by both high- and low-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The (13)C NMR spectra of the materials were analysed to identify, characterise and study the crosslinking degree of the hydrogels. The crosslinking degree was also determined by potentiometric titration and the effectiveness of the two techniques was compared. Measurements of longitudinal relaxation times (spin-lattice) and of NOE enhancement were used to study the mobility of the hydrogels. Low-resolution NMR studies allowed the determination of the water transport properties in the hydrogels. In addition, the swelling degree for the various hydrogels was calculated as a function of the longitudinal and transversal relaxation times of the water molecules. Lastly, the self-diffusion coefficients of the water in interaction with the four polysaccharides were measured by the pulsed field gradient spin echo (PFGSE) sequence.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

Enantiomeric separation of some demethylated analogues of clofibric acid by capillary zone electrophoresis and nano-liquid chromatography.

The enantiomeric separation of some demethylated analogues of clofibric acid, namely 2-(6-chloro-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-, 2-(6-methoxy-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)-, 2-(quinolin-2-yloxy)-, 2-(6-chloro-quinolin-2-yloxy)-, 2-(7-chloro-quinolin-4-yloxy)-propionic acid (compounds A-E, respectively), has been studied by CZE and nano-LC using for the first technique two beta-CD derivatives and vancomycin added to the BGE and vancomycin-modified silica particles for the second one, with the aim to find the optimum experimental conditions for the baseline resolution. The type and the concentration of the chiral selector added to the BGE, the buffer pH, the type of organic modifier and its concentration, the capillary temperature and the applied voltage played a very important role in the enantioresolution of the analysed compounds. The use of 6-monodeoxy-6-monoamino-beta-CD allowed to achieve baseline resolution of four of five clofibric acid derivatives in less than 10 min while heptakis-(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-CD partially resolved the same compounds in their enantiomers. Employing vancomycin as the chiral selector in CZE, the counter-current partial filling method was chosen achieving baseline resolution of four analytes. All the studied compounds were enantioresolved employing a capillary column packed with vancomycin stationary phase by nano-LC, and the resolution was strongly influenced by the concentration of the organic modifier and by the pH of the mobile phase. The best results were achieved at pH 4.5 in presence of 60% of methanol (MeOH). However, longer analysis times were observed in the experiments carried out by nano-LC.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

On-line CE-MS using pressurized liquid junction nanoflow electrospray interface and surface-coated capillaries.

A simple and cost-effective laboratory-made liquid junction interface was used for coupling of CE with MS. In this device the capillary column and the spray tip were positioned in the electrode vessel containing appropriate spray liquid. The electrospray potential was applied on the electrode inside the liquid junction. A stable electrospray was produced at nanoliter per minute flow rates generated in the emitter tip without using an external pump. This arrangement provided high durability of the spray tip and independent optimization of the CE separation (use of coated capillaries) and ESI conditions. CE-MS analysis of mixtures of drugs, peptides, tryptic digests of proteins and biological fluids was optimized with respect to the effects of the distance between the separation capillary and electrospray tip and pressure applied on the liquid junction. The sensitivity of the system, in terms of the LOD (base peak monitoring) was below 10 ng/mL for the beta-blocker drugs and below 200 ng/mL for peptide analysis.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Use of tert-butylbenzoylated tartardiamide chiral stationary phase for the enantiomeric resolution of acidic compounds by nano-liquid chromatography.

Several racemic acidic compounds of pharmaceutical and environmental interest have been separated into their enantiomers by nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) employing a tert-butylbenzoylated tartardiamide chiral stationary phase (CHI-TBB). CHI-TBB was packed into a fused silica capillary of 100 microm id and retained by two frits made with a heated wire; detection was on-column at a window (about 0.5 cm) prepared by removing the polyimide layer. The normal phase mode was selected for eluting the studied acidic compounds and therefore n-hexane/2-propanol/acetic acid (89/10/1, v/v/v) was used as mobile phase. Working at a flow rate of 220 nL/min a good resolution was obtained for mecoprop, dichlorprop, diclofop, fenoxaprop (herbicides) and for DF 1738Y, DF 1770Y, DF 2008Y (drugs under evaluation). In order to optimize the chiral resolution we modified the polarity of the mobile phase by adding several polar additives such as ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, tert-butyl methyl ether. Better results were obtained for some herbicides on working with 2-propanol/CH2Cl2/n-hexane/acetic acid (8/4/87/1, v/v/v/v). The influence of the capillary temperature on chiral resolution was studied for two herbicides with different chemical structures, namely mecoprop and haloxyfop in the temperature range between 10 and 40 degrees C and with n-hexane/2-propanol/1% acetic acid (89/10/1, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. Linear correlation of ln k vs 1/T and In alpha vs 1/ T was observed; deltaH degrees values were negative, demonstrating that retention of analytes was an exothermic process. A decrease in resolution was observed with rising temperature, showing that enantioresolution was mainly influenced by selectivity factors.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

Use of teicoplanin stationary phase for the enantiomeric resolution of atenolol in human urine by nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) was used for the enantiomeric resolution of atenolol employing a teicoplanin modified silica stationary phase prepared in our laboratory. Experiments were carried out in a fused silica capillary of 75 microm i.d. packed with chiral modified silica particles of 5 microm diameter. Separated enantiomers were revealed by on-line UV detector at 205 nm or electrospray-ion-trap mass spectrometer (ESI-MS). Atenolol enantiomers were eluted utilizing a mobile phase with the following composition: 500 mM ammonium acetate pH 4.5/methanol/acetonitrile 1:60:39 (v/v/v) allowing to achieve good enantioresolution in a reasonable analysis time (about 8 min) with a flow rate of about 900 nL/min. After comparing the sensitivity of the nano-LC method using a conventional UV detector for capillary electrophoresis, a zeta cell (3 nL volume) employed in nano-LC and the ion-trap MS the method was validated with the MS detector offering the highest sensitivity (limit of detection (LOD)=50 ng/mL; limit of quantification (LOQ)=400 ng/mL for each atenolol enantiomer). (-)-Psi-Nor-ephedrine was used as the internal standard. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of atenolol enantiomers present in human urine samples of a patient under atenolol therapy.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Rapid assay of vitamin E in vegetable oils by reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography.

A rapid capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) method for the analysis of vitamin E in vegetable oils is reported. Vitamin E consists of a group of eight isomers, tocopherols (TOHs) and tocotrienols. The separation of four TOHs (alpha-, gamma-, delta-TOH), alpha-tocopherol acetate (alpha-TOH-Ac), and an antioxidant compound, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) used to prevent TOH autoxidation, was optimized. The CEC experiments were carried out in a 75 microm inner diameter (ID) fused-silica capillary, partially packed with 3 microm C(18 )stationary phase (33 cm total length, 8.4 cm and 7 cm effective and packed lengths, respectively). The optimum mobile phase was a polar organic phase composed of a mixture of methanol-acetonitrile in the ratio 50/50 v/v containing 0.01% ammonium acetate, applying a voltage and temperature set at -25 kV and 20 degrees C, respectively. The tocopherols and the BHT were successfully separated within 2.5 min using the short-end injection method. Under these experimental conditions, repeatability of retention time and peak area, analyte detection and quantitation limits, linearity, precision, and accuracy were studied. The CEC method was applied to determine the content of TOHs in different commercially available oils of virgin olive, hazelnut, sunflower, and soybean. The extraction of vitamin E isomers from oil samples was achieved using methanol and a methanol-isopropanol mixture.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene↗

Enantiomeric separation of mirtazapine and its metabolites by nano-liquid chromatography with UV-absorption and mass spectrometric detection.

Mirtazapine (MIR) and two of its main metabolites, namely, 8-hydroxymirtazapine and N-desmethylmirtazapine, were separated in totheir enantiomers by nanoLC in a laboratory-made fused-silica capillary column (75 microm ID) packed with a vancomycin-modified silica stationary phase. The simultaneous separation of the three couples of the studied enantiomers was achieved in less than 33 min, using an experimentally optimized mobile phase delivered in the isocratic mode. Optimization of the mobile-phase composition was achieved by testing the influence of the buffer pH and concentration, the water concentration, the organic modifier type and concentration, and on the retention and resolution of the analytes. The optimum mobile-phase composition contained 500 mM ammonium acetate pH 4.5/water/MeOH/MeCN, 1:14:40:45 v/v/v/v. Using a UV detector at 205 nm, the method was validated studying several experimental parameters such as LOD and LOQ, intraday and interday repeatability, and linearity. Good results were achieved: LOD and LOQ were in the range 5-15 and 10-40 microg/mL, respectively (the highest value was obtained for the DEMIR enantiomers); correlation coefficients, 0.9993-0.9999; the intraday and interday precision was acceptable (RSD < 2%) using an internal standard. The method was tested for the separation of the studied enantiomers in an extracted (solid-phase) serum sample spiked with standard racemic mixture of MIR and its two metabolites. Finally, the nanoLC system was connected to a mass spectrometer through a nanoelectrospray interface and the MS, MS2, and MS3 spectra were acquired showing the potential of the system used for characterization and identification of the separated analytes.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Use of nano-liquid chromatography for the analysis of glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid in licorice roots and candies.

Glycyrrhizin (G) and glycyrrhetic acid (GA) were separated by using nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) in a fused silica capillary packed with RP18 stationary phase (75 microm ID, effective length 33 cm, packed 23 cm) eluting at 300 nL/min in a gradient mode. The mobile phase was a mixture of water-MeOH-MeCN-acetic acid (29:35:35:1, v/v/v/v) that was delivered for one minute and after this was modified by reducing the water content (14:42.5:42.5:1, v/v/v/v). The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (of retention time and peak area) were satisfactory (lower than 2.9 and 4%, respectively). The linearity of the nano-LC method was assessed in the range 0.62-5.00 microg/mL and 80-200 microg/mL for GA and G, with R2 = 0.996 and 0.995, respectively. The licorice was extracted with a mixture of ethanol-water, diluted with the mobile phase, and injected for the analysis.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Evaluation of cyclodextrins modified with dichloro-, dimethyl-, and chloromethylphenylcarbamate groups as chiral stationary phases for capillary electrochromatography.

Capillary electrochromatography using cyclodextrins modified with dichloro-, dimethyl-, and chloromethylcarbamate groups were used for the enantiomeric separation of standard analytes. The chiral selector was chemically bonded to aminopropylsilanized silica particles, and these chiral stationary phases (CSPs), mixed with aminopropylsilanized silica (1:1 wt:wt), were packed into 100-microm-i.d. fused-silica capillaries. The effect of the type of cyclodextrin, the nature and position of the substituents on the phenyl ring, and the binding mode of cyclodextrin phenylcarbamates onto the silica gel surface on the chiral recognition were studied. Experimental parameters such as organic solvent concentration were varied in order to better understand the mechanism contributing to the chiral recognition of these CSPs. Good enantioseparations were achieved for a racemic flavanone (FLA) and trans-cyclopropanedicarboxylic acid dianilide (CAD).

Carbamates↗

Use of a hepta-Tyr antibiotic modified silica stationary phase for the enantiomeric resolution of D,L-loxiglumide by electrochromatography and nano-liquid chromatography.

Hepta-Tyr antibiotic modified silica stationary phase was used for the chiral resolution of D,L-loxiglumide, a new drug under investigation proposed for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The chiral stationary phase was packed into fused silica capillaries of 75 microm i.d. for a length of only 7 cm and used for both capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) running the experiments with the same instrumentation; in order to increase the electroosmotic flow (EOF) the antibiotic stationary phase was mixed with amino-silica particles (3:1, w/w) generating a relatively high reversed EOF. The enantiomeric resolution of loxiglumide by CEC was strongly influenced by several experimental parameters such as applied electric field, mobile phase composition, capillary temperature, etc. Optimum experimental conditions were found applying 15 kV at 20 degrees C and eluting with acetonitrile-sodium phosphate buffer at pH 6 (1:1, v/v). The same capillary was tested for nano-LC experiments. Good chiral separation of loxiglumide was achieved selecting the appropriate mobile phase considering the type and concentration of organic modifier. The nano-LC optimised method was therefore validated and applied to the analysis of a pharmaceutical formulation declared to contain only D-loxiglumide.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Analysis of ketorolac and its related impurities by capillary electrochromatography.

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was employed for the assay of ketorolac (KT) and its known related impurities [1-hydroxy analog of ketorolac (HK), 1-keto analog of ketorolac (KK), ketorolac decarboxylated (DK)] in both drug substance and coated tablets. Detection was made at 323 nm and flufenamic acid was selected as internal standard. The experiments were performed in a 100 microm i.d. capillary packed with RP-18 silica particles (33.0, 24.5, 23.0 cm total, effective and packed lengths, respectively). The composition of the mobile phase was optimised by changing pH of the buffer and acetonitrile (ACN) content and by addition of other organic modifiers (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol) in order to evaluate the effect of these factors on the method performance (efficiency, retention and resolution). The optimum mobile phase consisted of a mixture of 50 mM ammonium formate buffer pH 3.5-water-acetonitrile (10:20:70, v/v/v), while voltage and temperature were set at 30 kV and 20 degrees C, respectively. Applying these conditions, all peaks were baseline resolved and the analysis was performed in less than 9 min. Selectivity, repeatability of retention time and peak area, detection and quantitation limits, linearity and range, precision and accuracy were also investigated. R.S.D. and bias values obtained for all the analytes were below 5% and sensitivity was satisfactory, thus the method was deemed suitable for pharmaceutical quality control. Applying the method to coated tablets, a recovery of 98.5+/-0.8% and an R.S.D. of 0.5% were found.

Calibration↗

Separation of tocopherols by nano-liquid chromatography.

Nanoliquid chromatography (nano-LC) was used for the separation of tocopherols (delta-, gamma-, alpha-TOH), alpha-tocopherol acetate (alpha-TOH-Ac) and an antioxidant compound, namely butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) used to prevent TOHs autoxidation. The separation was carried out in a fused silica capillary of 100 microm I.D. and 375 microm O.D. packed in our laboratory with RP18 silica stationary phase of either 5- or 3-microm diameter (23-cm long). The mobile phase was composed by mixtures of methanol (MeOH), acetonitrile (MeCN) and water. Typical analyses time for the separation of all the five components of the mixture were 6-9 min depending on the composition of the mobile phase. Efficiency and resolution were strongly influenced by the particle diameter and the highest Rs and N/m values were observed using 3-microm RP18 particles. Experiments performed with capillaries packed with 3-microm RP18 particles provided good limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) (for delta-, gamma-TOH, alpha-TOH-Ac were 4 and 8 microg/ml, while for alpha-TOH were 6 and 10 microg/ml, respectively). The optimized method was applied to extracts of serum and pharmaceutical preparation containing alpha-TOH and alpha-TOH-Ac.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Enantiomeric separation of chlorophenoxy acid herbicides by nano liquid chromatography-UV detection on a vancomycin-based chiral stationary phase.

Enantiomeric separation of mecoprop, dichlorprop, and fenoprop herbicides in their acid form, commonly used to control the growth of broad-leaved weeds, was carried out by nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) at a flow rate of 60 nL/min, using a packed capillary column with vancomycin-modified silica particles of 5 microm. The length of chiral stationary phase was 21 cm, while the total and effective lengths were 43 and 33cm, respectively. Inner diameter was 0.075 mm. Separated peaks were detected at 195 nm. Several mixtures of methanol, water, and 500 mM ammonium acetate buffer at different pH's were tested as mobile phase, and experimental parameters such as resolution (Rs), capacity factor (k), efficiency (N/m), and enantioselectivity factor (alpha) were measured under all the test conditions. Baseline enantiomeric separation was obtained for the three studied herbicides with alpha in the range 1.6-1.9, using as the mobile phase aqueous solutions containing 85% methanol, 5% of 500mM ammonium acetate pH4.5 buffer, and 10% water. Experimental results show that the vancomycin stationary phase presents a great enantiorecognition capability towards chlorophenoxy acid herbicides on using nano-LC.

Chromatography, Liquid↗