Multiplatform metabolomic interlaboratory study of a whole human stool candidate reference material from omnivore and vegan donors.

Introduction: Human metabolomics has made significant strides in understanding metabolic changes and their implications for human health, with promising applications in diagnostics and treatment, particularly regarding the gut microbiome. However, progress is hampered by issues with data comparability and reproducibility across studies, limiting the translation of these discoveries into practical applications.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the fit-for-purpose of a suite of human stool samples as potential candidate reference materials (RMs) and assess the state of the field regarding harmonizing gut metabolomics measurements.

Detection of 26 Drugs of Abuse and Metabolites in Quantitative Dried Blood Spots by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

A method was developed for the determination of 26 drugs of abuse from different classes, including illicit drugs in quantitative dried blood spots (qDBSs), with the aim to provide a convenient method for drug testing by using only 10 μL of capillary blood. A satisfactory limit of quantification (LOQ) of 2.5 ng/mL for 9 of the compounds and 5 ng/mL for 17 of the compounds and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.

Dried urine spot (DUS) applied for sampling prior to the accurate HILIC-MS/MS determination of 14 amino acids.

Urine amino acid analysis has proven valuable for an array of clinical or nutritional studies. However, transportation of liquid urine sample shows certain disadvantages, such as possible leakage, need for cold chain and thus higher costs for their transport. Utilization of dried urine spots (DUS) can offer an interesting alternative.

Pediatric and Geriatric-Friendly Buccal Foams: Enhancing Omeprazole Delivery for Patients Encountering Swallowing Difficulties.

Buccal foams containing omeprazole (OME) have been developed as potential drug delivery systems for individuals encountering swallowing difficulties, particularly pediatric and geriatric patients. The buccal foams were formulated from lyophilized aqueous gels of maltodextrin, used as a sweetener, combined with various polymers (alginate, chitosan, gelatin, tragacanth) to fine tune their structural, mechanical, and physicochemical properties. Consistent with the requirements for efficient drug delivery across buccal epithelium, the foam comprised of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and alginate (HPMC-Alg-OME), exhibited moderate hardness and high mucoadhesion resulting to prolonged residence and increased transport of the active across porcine epithelium.

Ceramides biomarkers determination in quantitative dried blood spots by UHPLC-MS/MS.

A method was developed for the analysis of four ceramide species; namely C16:0, C18:0, C24:0 and C24:1 in quantitative Dried Blood Samples (qDBS) by LC-MS/MS and validated with the aim to give prominence to an interesting application of at-home blood microsampling for health monitoring. Ceramides, being key-role metabolites implicated in regulation of diverse cellular processes have been considered as emerging biomarkers for different disease states, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and others. Here, Capitainer device was utilized to provide accurate and consistent volumes of samples, ideal for accurate determinations.

UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines NNN and NNK for use in preclinical studies.

A new method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in two different tests matrices: porcine buccal epithelium tissue and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) extracts of smokeless tobacco products. The novelty of this work is in the development of a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method that can provide simultaneous quantification of trace levels of TSNAs and high concentrations of nicotine in biological media. Precision, accuracy, and stability were evaluated during method validation to ensure the method was fit for purpose.

Machine Learning Algorithm to Predict Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Insights from the CorLipid Trial.

Developing risk assessment tools for CAD prediction remains challenging nowadays. We developed an ML predictive algorithm based on metabolic and clinical data for determining the severity of CAD, as assessed via the SYNTAX score. Analytical methods were developed to determine serum blood levels of specific ceramides, acyl-carnitines, fatty acids, and proteins such as galectin-3, adiponectin, and APOB/APOA1 ratio.

Correlation of Serum Acylcarnitines with Clinical Presentation and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease.

Recent studies support that acylcarnitines exert a significant role in cardiovascular disease development and progression. The aim of this metabolomics-based study was to investigate the association of serum acylcarnitine levels with coronary artery disease (CAD) severity, as assessed via SYNTAX Score. Within the context of the prospective CorLipid trial (NCT04580173), the levels of 13 circulating acylcarnitines were accurately determined through a newly developed HILIC-MS/MS method in 958 patients undergoing coronary angiography in the AHEPA University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece.

A HILIC-MS/MS method development and validation for the quantitation of 13 acylcarnitines in human serum.

Acylcarnitines are essential diagnostic markers for complex diseases and fatty acid metabolism disorders, and play an important role in cardiovascular diseases. Herein, a HILIC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the rapid quantitation of the acylcarnitines C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C8, C10, C12, C14, C16, C18, C18:1 and C18:2 in human serum. RPLC and HILIC modes were tested, and HILIC was selected since it provided optimum analyte separation.

Plasma Lipidomic and Metabolomic Profiling after Birth in Neonates Born to SARS-CoV-19 Infected and Non-Infected Mothers at Delivery: Preliminary Results.

Pregnant women are among the high-risk populations for COVID-19, whereas the risk of vertical transmission to the fetus is very low. Nevertheless, metabolic alternations described in COVID-19 patients may also occur in pregnant women and their offspring. We prospectively evaluated the plasma lipidomic and metabolomic profiles, soon after birth, in neonates born to infected mothers (cases, = 10) and in the offspring of uninfected ones at delivery (controls, = 10).

Development and validation of LC-MS/MS method for the determination of UV-filters across human skin in vitro.

A novel High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of the in vitro skin permeation profile of four UV filters. The sunscreen products contained the following components: octocrylene (OC), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzonate (DHHB) and ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS). The target compounds were analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS method in positive ionization electrospray (ESI) in Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode.

In Vitro Evaluation of Self-Nano-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SNEDDS) Containing Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTILs) for the Oral Delivery of Amphotericin B.

Amphotericin B (AmpB), one of the most commonly used agents in the treatment of severe fungal infections and life-threatening parasitic diseases such as visceral Leishmaniasis, has a negligible oral bioavailability, primarily due to a low solubility and permeability. To develop an oral formulation, medium chain triglycerides and nonionic surfactants in a self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) containing AmpB were combined with room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) of imidazolium. The presence of ionic liquids significantly enhanced the solubility of AmpB, exhibited a low toxicity and increased the transport of AmpB across Caco-2 cell monolayers.