This study establishes a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of acetate content in hemodialysis solutions and dialysis concentrates. In this study, Synergi Polar-RP column is utilized. Phosphate buffered saline (50 mmol/L, pH=2.5) is used as a mobile phase. The flow rate is 1.0 mL/min. The wavelength of detection is 212 nm. Results show that the linear relationship of acetate is good in the range of 0.1~20 mmol/L, r =0.999 9 and the spike recoveries are from 98.9%~99.5%, RSD<0.5% ( n=3). This method can easily and accurately determine the acetate content in hemodialysis solutions and dialysis concentrates, and can be applied to quality control in the production and use of such products.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Acetates/analysis* ; Hemodialysis Solutions/analysis* ; Dialysis Solutions/analysis* ; Renal Dialysis

A method for determining volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from medical molecular sieve oxygen concentrators was developed using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). The oxygen concentrator gas was sampled at a flow rate of 0.5 L/min through a branched sampling system onto Tenax GR/carbopack B adsorption tubes. The adsorbed compounds were desorbed and introduced using a programmed temperature vaporization inlet system, followed by chromatographic separation on an SH-I-624Sil MS column. Four VOCs (BHT-Q, PTBP, BHT-quinol, and EHB) were detected in the medical oxygen concentrator using this method. Calibration curves for these compounds exhibited excellent linearity ( R ²>0.99) within the range of 3~100 ng. With a sampling volume of 20 L, the detection limit of the four VOCs ranged from 0.003 9 to 0.022 2 μg/m ³. Spike recovery rates for the four VOCs were between 95% and 115%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 5% ( n=6). The method is simple, rapid, highly sensitive, and accurate, making it suitable for VOCs detection in medical molecular sieve oxygen concentrators.
Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Oxygen

OBJECTIVES: Tiletamine, a veterinary anesthetic, has emerged as a novel psychoactive substance and has been abused in many parts of the world, causing great harm to public health. However, the sensitivity of existing detection methods cannot meet the needs of forensic practice. This study aims to establish an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of tiletamine and its metabolite desethyltiletamine in human biological samples, and to verify its applicability in forensic practice. METHODS: SKF_525A was used as the internal standard. Biological samples were extracted with acetonitrile containing 1 ng/mL SKF_525A, vortexed for 10 min, ultrasonicated for 20 min, centrifuged at 10 000 r/min for 10 min, and 500 μL of the supernatant was filtered through a 0.22 μm membrane. Analyses were performed using an ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS system and an XEVO TQ-S Micro triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. An ACQUITY UPLC^® BEH C18 (1.7 µm, 2.1 mm×100 mm) column at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min was used, and four mobile phase systems were tested to optimize separation. Detection used positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, with quantifier ion transitions of mass to charge 224.043→179.016 for tiletamine and mass to charge 196.08→151.06 for desethyltiletamine. Calibration curves were established over 0.1-200 ng/mL in spiked blood samples. The linear range, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ) were determined. Low (5 ng/mL), medium (20 ng/mL), and high (100 ng/mL) concentrations of tiletamine were spiked into blood, liver, and kidney to evaluate precision, accuracy, matrix effect, recovery, and stability. Finally, actual forensic case samples were tested to validate applicability. RESULTS: The established UPLC-MS/MS method achieved simultaneous detection of tiletamine and desethyltiletamine in human biological samples, with retention times of 3.42 min and 2.82 min, respectively. Using mobile phase A (20 mmol/L ammonium acetate and 0.1% formic acid in water) and mobile phase B (acetonitrile) produced the best separation. In blood, tiletamine showed good linearity from 0.1-200 ng/mL (r=0.992, R²=0.983), LOD 0.03 ng/mL, LOQ 0.1 ng/mL, recovery 92%-107%, and matrix effect 71%-99%. In liver and kidney, recoveries were 91%-98% and 93%-104%, and matrix effects were 69%-96% and 72%-100%, respectively. Intra- and inter-day precision [expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD)] and accuracy [expressed as relative error (RE)] were within 15%, and samples were stable at -20 ℃. Tiletamine was detected in actual case samples at 0.37 μg/mL (blood), 0.15 μg/g (liver), 0.11 μg/g (kidney) in case 1, and 8.75 ng/mL (blood) in case 2; desethyltiletamine was also detected in blood. CONCLUSIONS The UPLC-MS/MS method is efficient, accurate, and sensitive, and is suitable for detecting tiletamine and desethyltiletamine in human biological samples.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Humans ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods* ; Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) represents a significant traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that exhibits both notable pharmacological effects and toxicity. Various processing methods are implemented to reduce the toxicity of raw Fuzi by modifying its toxic and effective components, primarily diterpenoid alkaloids. To comprehensively analyze the chemical variations between different Fuzi products, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS) was employed to systematically characterize Shengfuzi, Heishunpian and Baifupian. A total of 249 diterpenoid alkaloids present in Shengfuzi were identified, while only 111 and 61 in Heishunpian and Baifupian were detected respectively, indicating substantial differences among these products. An untargeted metabolomics approach combined with multivariate statistical analysis revealed 42 potential chemical markers. Through subsequent validation using 52 batches of commercial Heishunpian and Baifupian samples, 8 robust markers distinguishing these products were identified, including AC1-propanoic acid-3OH, HE-glucoside, HE-hydroxyvaleric acid-2OH, dihydrosphingosine, N-dodecoxycarbonylvaline and three unknown compounds. Additionally, the MS imaging (MSI) technique was utilized to visualize the spatial distribution of chemical constituents in raw Fuzi, revealing how different processing procedures affect the chemical variations between Heishunpian and Baifupian. The distribution patterns of different diterpenoid alkaloid subtypes partially explained the chemical differences among products. This research provides valuable insights into the material basis for future investigations of different Fuzi products.
Diterpenes/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Aconitum/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Metabolomics ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Molecular Structure

This study aims to establish a high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) method for determining the content of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) E2 protein and screen the optimal stabilizer to enhance the stability of this protein. The optimal detection conditions were determined by optimizing the composition of the mobile phase, and characteristic chromatographic peaks were identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The specificity, repeatability, precision, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the method were assessed. The method established was used to determine the content of CSFV E2 protein antigen and vaccine. Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) was employed to screen the buffer system, pH, and salt ion concentrations, and sugar, amino acid, and alcohol stabilizers were further screened. The results showed that using a 200 mmol/L phosphate buffer provided the best column efficiency. An antigen-specific chromatographic peak appeared at the retention time of 18 min, which was identified as the CSFV E2 protein by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The method exhibited high specificity for detecting the CSFV E2 protein, with no absorbance peak observed in the blank control. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the peak area for six repeated injections of the CSFV E2 protein was 0.74%, indicating good repeatability of the method. The RSD for repeated detection of two different concentrations of CSFV E2 protein samples by different operators at different time points was less than 2%, suggesting good intermediate precision of the method. The peak area of the CSFV E2 protein was linearly related to its concentration, with the regression equation showing R² of 1.000. The LOD and LOQ of the method were 14.88 μg/mL and 29.75 μg/mL, respectively. Application of the developed method in the detection of three batches of CSFV E2 protein antigen and three batches of vaccine demonstrated results consistent with those from the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay, which meant that the method could accurately determine the content of CSFV E2 protein antigen and vaccine. The DSF method identified 50 mmol/L Tris-HCl at pH 8.0 as the optimal buffer, and the addition of sugar and alcohol stabilizers further improved the stability of the CSFV E2 protein. The HPSEC method established in this study is simple, fast, and exhibits good accuracy and repeatability, enabling precise measurement of the CSFV E2 protein content. It is expected to play a crucial role in the quality control of the CSFV E2 vaccine. Furthermore, the strategy for improving the CSFV E2 protein stability, identified through DSF screening, has significant implications for enhancing the stability of the CSFV E2 vaccine.
Classical Swine Fever Virus/chemistry* ; Chromatography, Gel/methods* ; Animals ; Swine ; Viral Envelope Proteins/immunology*

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has a unique structure that makes monoclonal antibody (mAb) preparation challenging. This study aims to develop a method for preparing HbA1c mAbs and establish a fluorescent immunochromatographic assay (FICA) for rapid detection of HbA1c. Three glycosylated peptides were synthesized and used to prepare complete antigens, which were identified by dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The complete antigens and natural HbA1c were used for cross-immunization of mice, and the optimal complete antigen was selected. The mouse with the highest serum titer was chosen for mAb preparation. The purity and specificity of the mAbs were verified, and a FICA method was developed. The optimal complete antigen, with a titer of 1:512 000, was successfully prepared and selected. Fusion with splenocytes resulted in four specific HbA1c antibodies (purity > 90%). The best antibody exhibited a binding constant (Ka) of 1.67×10¹⁰ L/mol with the antigen. Based on this antibody, a FICA method was successfully established, capable of producing results within 15 min. The method demonstrated a good linear range (3%-13% HbA1c, y=0.071 3x+0.005 6, R²=0.993 7), recovery rates of 98%-102%, precision < 10.00%, and no nonspecific reactions. Clinical testing of 210 samples showed positive agreement of 96.36%, negative agreement of 97.00%, and overall agreement of 96.68%. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis yielded an area under curve (AUC) of 0.980 9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.961 0-1.000 0], with high consistency verified in multicenter studies. We successfully developed a key technique for preparing HbA1c monoclonal antibodies and established a FICA method for rapid detection of HbA1c. It will provide an efficient and convenient detection method for the early diagnosis and long-term management of diabetes and its complications.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis* ; Animals ; Mice ; Glycated Hemoglobin/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Humans ; Antibody Specificity ; Chromatography, Affinity/methods* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods* ; Female

As the need for antibody production rises, there is an urgent need to lower the costs and enhance the efficiency of the separation process. Currently, the chromatographic media used for antibody separation and purification often focus on individual properties of antibodies, such as affinity, hydrophobicity, and charge, leading to issues like low purification efficiency or inadequate adsorption capacity. To address this, an electrostatically coupled polypeptide affinity medium (FD7-3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid n-sepharose, FD7-DA-Sepharose) was developed for rapid purification of antibodies from cell culture supernatant. This medium utilized 3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid as a spacer to attach the heptapeptide-affinity ligand (FYEILHD, FD7) to agarose microspheres. Antibodies could be adsorbed through charge interactions with the carboxyl functional group of the FD7-DA-Sepharose spacer, while FD7 enhanced electrostatic coupling and affinity adsorption through synergistic effects, significantly increasing the adsorption capacity while maintaining the affinity and specificity. The influences of pH and ionic strength on adsorption capacity were investigated with human immunoglobulin as a model protein. The static adsorption capacity (Q_m) of FD7-DA-Sepharose in the solution of pH 6.0 reached 67.73 mg/mL, representing a 52.68% increase compared with that (44.36 mg/mL) of the commercial Protein A affinity medium. Furthermore, the elution conditions for FD7-DA- Sepharose were mild (20 mmol/L PB, 0.5 mol/L NaCl, pH 6.0), in contrast to the harsh acidic elution (pH 2.7-3.6) typically associated with Protein A, which can damage antibody integrity. The FD7-DA-Sepharose medium was then employed to purify antibodies from cell culture supernatant, achieving the yield of 94.8% and the purity of 98.4%. The secondary structure of the purified antibody was determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that FD7-DA-Sepharose enabled efficient purification of antibodies from cell culture supernatant, which provided a cost-effective solution (approximately one-third the price of commercial Protein A affinity medium) with gentle elution conditions that preserve the natural conformation of antibodies. This approach paves a novel, economical, and efficient way for the separation and purification of antibodies from cell culture supernatant.
Chromatography, Affinity/methods* ; Static Electricity ; Humans ; Sepharose/analogs & derivatives* ; Peptides/chemistry* ; Adsorption ; Antibodies/isolation & purification*

Processing for deodorization is widely used in the production of animal-derived Chinese medicinal materials. In this study, Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas-phase electronic nose combined with chemometrics was employed to analyze the overall odor difference of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum(focusing on that derived from Cervus nippon Temminck in this study) before and after processing. The results showed that the electronic nose effectively distinguished between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. HS-GC-MS was used to identify and quantify the volatile components in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, and 35 and 37 volatile components were detected in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces, respectively. The medicinal materials and decoction pieces contained 28 common volatile components contributing to the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor activity value(OAV) of each volatile component was calculated based on the olfactory threshold and relative content. The results showed that there were 17 key odor substances such as isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, isobutyraldehyde, hexanal, and methanethiol in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. All of them had bad odor and were the main source of the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The results of principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) showed that there were significant differences in volatile components between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. Based on the thresholds of P<0.05 and Variable Importance in Projection(VIP)>1, 21 differential volatile odor components were screened out. Among them, isopentanol, isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, n-nonanal, and dimethylamine were the key differential odor compounds between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor compounds and their relative content reduced, and some flavor substances such as esters were produced after processing with wine, which was the main reason for the reduction of the odor after processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum.
Odorants/analysis* ; Electronic Nose ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Animals ; Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis* ; Deer ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*

Based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS) technology and network pharmacology, this study explored the pharmacodynamic substances and potential mechanisms of Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction in the treatment of gouty arthritis(GA). UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS technology was used to identify the components in Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction, and the qualitative analysis of its active ingredients was carried out, with a total of 184 active ingredients identified. A total of 897 active ingredient targets were screened through the PharmMapper database, and 491 GA-related disease targets were obtained from the OMIM, GeneCards, CTD databases. After Venn analysis, 60 intersecting targets were obtained. The component target-GA target network was constructed through the Cytoscape platform, and the STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction network, with 16 core targets screened. The core targets were subjected to Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, and the component-target-pathway network was constructed. It was found that the main active ingredients of the formula for the treatment of GA were phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids, and the key targets were SRC, MMP3, MMP9, REN, ALB, IGF1R, PPARG, MAPK1, HPRT1, and CASP1. Through GO analysis, it was found that the treatment of GA mainly involved biological processes such as lipid response, bacterial response, and biostimulus response. KEGG analysis showed that the pathways related to the treatment of GA included lipids and atherosclerosis, neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs), IL-17, and so on. In summary, phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids may be the core pharmacodynamic substances of Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction in the treatment of GA, and the pharmacodynamic mechanism may be related to SRC, MMP3, MMP9, and other targets, as well as lipids and atherosclerosis, NETs, IL-17, and other pathways.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Arthritis, Gouty/metabolism* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*

This study established a high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprint of Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different producing areas and screened its potential differential components for producing areas by chemometrics. Furthermore, the content of the above differential components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different producing areas was measured and compared. Then, the geoherbalism markers(geo-markers) that can be used to distinguish Dao-di and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma were excavated by chemometrics. In fingerprint studies, a total of 27 common peaks were determined, and the fingerprint similarity for 37 batches of Chuanxiong Rhizoma samples from different producing areas was above 0.968. The orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) was capable of distinguishing Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Sichuan and from three other provinces, as well as Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from Dujiangyan) and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from other producing areas) in Sichuan province. Meanwhile, 14 potential differential components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different provinces and 16 potential differential components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different producing areas in Sichuan were screened by the variable importance in projection(VIP) analysis under OPLS-DA. The reference standards were used to identify 10 potential differential components in the common peaks, and subsequent content determination verified that the content of the above 10 potential differential components was different among different producing areas. Then, the OPLS-DA and VIP analysis were performed with the content of the 10 potential differential components as variables. The results showed that Z-ligustilide, chlorogenic acid, and the ratio of butylidenephthalide/senkyunolide A were the geo-markers that can distinguish Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Sichuan and Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Shaanxi, Hebei, and Jiangxi, while Z-ligustilide, n-butylphthalide, and the ratios of Z-ligustilide/senkyunolide A and butylidenephthalide/senkyunolide A were the geo-markers that can distinguish Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from Dujiangyan) and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from other producing areas) in Sichuan province. This study elucidated the differences in material basis of Dao-di and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma based on fingerprinting and content determination combined with chemometrics, which provides a reference for the study of material basis of Dao-di traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Chemometrics/methods* ; Quality Control