Simultaneous determination of phenyl- and sulfonyl-urea herbicides in river water at sub-parts-per-billion level by on-line preconcentration and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A method based on on-line preconcentration followed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of three sulfonyl-urea (thifensulfuron, metsulfuron, chlorsulfuron) and two phenyl-urea (isoproturon and chlortoluron) herbicides in water at sub-ppb concentration ranges. Preconcentration was accomplished using on-line enrichment on a C18 cartridge; the procedure was optimized by an evaluation of the breakthrough volumes for the target analytes. Subsequently, LC-ESI-MS/MS was adopted for analytes separation and detection.

Evaluation of the thermal history of bovine milk from the lactosylation of whey proteins: an investigation by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ESI-MS) has been used for analysis of the native and lactosylated forms of the main whey proteins, alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulins A and B, in commercial bovine milk samples after different thermal treatment (pasteurisation and ultra high-temperature, UHT, treatment), of different lipid content, and of different brands, to find markers of the thermal history of the milk. A new quantification strategy was developed, based on peak-area integration after multiple ion current extraction and considering all the ions detectable in the multi-charge ESI mass spectrum for each type of protein. Validation of the procedure for native forms was first accomplished by calibration with model solutions.

Photocatalytic degradation of phenyl-urea herbicides chlortoluron and chloroxuron: characterization of the by-products by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

The first stages of the photocatalytic degradation of the compounds chlortoluron [3-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] and chloroxuron [3-[4-(4-chlorophenoxy)phenyl]-1,1-dimethylurea], belonging to the class of phenyl-urea herbicides, were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS/MS). Degradation was accomplished under solar radiation, using TiO2 embedded into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transparent matrix as a heterogeneous photocatalyst. Aliquots of the chlorinated herbicide solutions were withdrawn at different times and subjected to gradient elution, reversed-phase HPLC separations, specifically optimized to obtain the highest resolution between peaks related to the herbicide degradation by-products.

Profiling urinary metabolites of naproxen by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry.

Glucuronidation, an important metabolic process for the biotransformation of drugs into easily eliminable water-soluble detoxification products, can also lead to biologically active or toxic glucuronide conjugates. The present work describes a liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) approach for the characterization of naproxen and O-6-desmethylnaproxen glucuronides. The method is fast and efficient and permitted to individuate alpha and beta isomers of both naproxen and O-6-desmethylnaproxen glucuronides.