• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2014

Lipids play important roles in biological systems; they store energy, play a structural role in the cell membrane, and are involved in cell growth, signal transduction, and apoptosis. Phospholipids (PLs) in particular have received attention in the medical and lipidomics research fields because of their involvement in human diseases such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, and many cancers associated with lipid metabolic disorders. Here I review experimental strategies for PL analysis based on nanoflow liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MSn). In particular, discussed are lipid extraction methods, nanoflow LC separation of PLs, effect of ionization modifiers on the ESI of PLs, influence of chain lengths and unsaturation degree of acyl chains of PLs on MS intensity, structural determination of the molecular structure of PLs and their oxidized products, and quantitative profiling of PLs from biological samples such as tissue, urine, and plasma in relation to cancer and coronary artery disease.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.435-440
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• 2012

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was used for determining perchlorate in the Gum-River surface water. Sample was directly injected into LC-ESI-MS/MS after the filtrations using PTFE filter paper. The coefficient of variation of perchlorate was less than 3% and the limit of quantification was 0.17 ${\mu}g/L$. Water samples were collected from thirty-five basins of Gum-River on February, April and June 2012, respectively. As a result, perchlorate was detected in the concentration range of 0.23-3.73 ${\mu}g/L$ (mean 0.20 ${\mu}g/L$) in the frequency of 15% in general surface water and in the concentration range of 0.36-25.10 ${\mu}g/L$ (mean 1.69 ${\mu}g/L$) in the frequency of 36% in surface water samples near industry area.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.90-97
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• 2017

Androgenic anabolic steroids (AASs) are synthetic derivatives of testosterone with a common structure containing cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene nucleus. Their use enhances the muscle building capacity and is beneficial during performance. The AASs are one of the most abused group of substances in horse doping. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry ($LC/MS^n$) has been successfully applied to the detection of anabolic steroids in biological samples. However, the saturated hydroxysteroids viz: nandrolone, $5{\alpha}-estrane-3{\beta}$, $17{\alpha}-diol$ exhibit lower detection responses in electrospray ionisation (ESI) because of their poor ionisation efficiency. To overcome this limitation pre-column chemical derivatization has been introduced to enhance their detection responses in $LC-ESI-MS^n$ analysis. The aim of present study was to develop a sensitive method for identification and confirmation of nandrolone and its metabolite in horse urine incorporating pre-column derivatization using picolinic acid. The method consists of extraction of targeted steroid conjugates by solid phase extraction (SPE). The eluted steroid conjugates were hydrolysed by methanolysis and free steroids were recovered with liquid-liquid extraction. The resulting steroids were derivatized to form picolinoyl esters and identification was done using LC-ESI-MS/MS in positive ionization mode. The picolinated steroid adduct enhanced the detection levels in comparison to underivatized steroids.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2015

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was used for determining seven pesticides (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, methomyl, aldicarb, 2-methyl- 4-chlorophenoxy- acetic acid, molinate, carbaryl and carbofuran) and two synthetic materials (quinoline and bisphenol-A) in surface water. The analytes were extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE). The eluate was concentrated by nitrogen gas. 100 microliters of 30% (v/v) methanol aqueous solution were used to dissolve the residue and an aliquot of the reconstituted solution was directly injected into LC-ESI-MS/MS after the filtration using 0.2 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) syringe filter. Under the established condition, the calibration curves of the analytes were linear with correlation coefficients of above 0.997. The quantification limit was 0.002~0.011 μg/L and the relative standard deviations were less than 16.4%. In addition, accuracy was in the range of 84~107% and the recoveries were values between 56.2 and 98.6%. In this study, the developed method was applied to the analysis of real surface water samples.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.737-744
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• 2007

An isotope dilution-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric method was developed as a candidate reference method for the accurate determination of acrylamide in potato chips, starch-rich foodstuff cooked at high temperature. Sample was spiked with 13C3-acrylamide and then extracted with water. The extract was further cleaned up with an Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge and an Oasis mixed-phase cation exchange (MCX) SPE cartridge. The extract was analyzed by using LC/ESI/Tandem MS in positive ion mode. LC with a medium reversed-phase (C4) column was optimized to obtain adequate chromatographic retention and separation of acrylamide. MS was operated to selectively monitor [M+H]+ ions of the analyte and its isotope analogue at m/z 72 and m/z 75, respectively. Sample was also analyzed by the LC/MS with selectively monitoring the collisionally induced dissociation channels of m/z 72 → m/z 55 and m/z 75 → 58. Compared to the LC/MS chromatograms, the LC/MS/MS chromatograms showed substantially reduced background chemical noises coming from solvent clusters formed during ESI spray processes and interferences from sample matrix. Repeatability and reproducibility studies showed that the LC/MS/MS method is a reliable and reproducible method which can provide a typical method precision of 1.0% while the LC/MS results are influenced by chemical interferences.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.626-632
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• 2011

Phoxim, which is one of veterinary drugs, is a well-known antiparasitic agent in wide use. In this paper, phoxim was extracted from cattle and pig tissue using solid-phase extraction (SPE) employing a silica cartridge with acetonitrile. Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) for the analysis of phoxim from animal tissue was presented. Phoxim was detected on a $C_{18}$ column ($2.1{\times}100\;mm$, $3.5\;{\mu}m$) using a mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. A linear correlation observed in the calibration curves for cattle (0.0048~2.0 mg/kg) and pig (0.0055~2.0 mg/kg) showed above $r^2$=0.995. Accuracy measured at concentrations ranging from 0.0048 to 0.2 mg/kg was the range of 68.2~106.9%. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were the range of 0.0014~0.0017 mg/kg and 0.0048~0.0055 mg/kg, respectively. The precision (RSD%) was below 11.2%.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.299-307
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• 2015

In May 2012, a safety hazard issue arose because some kiwifruit growers in New Zealand had sprayed streptomycin to prevent kiwifruit canker. Therefore, for food safety management, analytical methods to determine streptomycin residues in kiwifruits are required. We developed an analytical method to determine streptomycin residues in kiwifruit samples using liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Streptomycin residues in samples were extracted using 1% formic acid in methanol, centrifugation for 10 min, and subsequent supernatant filtration. Purified samples were subjected to LC-ESI-MS/MS to confirm presence of and quantify streptomycin residues. Average streptomycin recoveries (6 replicates each sample) were in the range of 94.8%-110.6% with relative standard deviations of <10%. The linearity of the concentration range of 0.01-5.0 mg/kg using a matrix-matched calibration gave R² = 0.9995. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.01 mg/kg. Results showed that our analytical method is rapid, simple, and sensitive, with easy sample preparation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.372-379
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• 2007

A high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization (HPLC-ESI) tandem MS was developed for the rapid and simultaneous determination of forbidden medicines in dietary supplements. Thirteen medicinal components such as PDE-5 inhibitors and their analogues, and the newly identified dimethylsildenafil and xanthoanthrafil, were included in this study. After tentative standardization of molecular ions in both polarities using thirteen references on the mass spectrometer, with ESI-continuous infusion via the syringe pump method, the relative intensity of the ions present in the resulting spectra was quantitatively compared. From the results, the ion mode was selected depending on each reference's characteristics. A HPLC method coupled with the ESI mode was developed considering the matrix effect and interference depending on the type of sample. The validation test of the developed method was followed by carrying out precision, accuracy, recovery, sensitivity and linearity, etc. The method showed sufficiently high sensitivity, reproducibility, and specificity, and produced 4 times faster results when compared with the existing HPLC/UV method for the determination of forbidden compounds in dietary supplements.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.535-542
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• 2008

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS/MS) method was developed for the determination and confirmation of clenbuterol in bovine muscle and milk. Clenbuterol and clenbuterol-D9 using as an internal standard in samples were extracted with ethyl acetate after hydrolysis and evaporated to dryness. The extracts were dissolved in 20% methanol and cleaned using HLB solid-phase extraction cartridge. The analytes were detected by LC-ESI/MS/MS on a $C_{18}$ column. Mass spectral acquisition was done in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) in positive ion mode to provide a high degree of sensitivity. Using MS/MS with SRM mode, the transitions (precursor to product) monitored were m/z 277${\rightarrow}$203 for clenbuterol, and m/z 286${\rightarrow}$204 for internal standard. The limits of quantitation (LOQ) and mean recoveries of clenbuterol in bovine muscle were $0.2{\mu}g/kg$ and 84.3~91.1%, respectively. The LOQ and mean recoveries in milk were $0.05{\mu}g/kg$ and 87.7~98.3%, respectively.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.65-68
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• 2011

The effects of column length and particle size on the efficiency of separation and characterization of phospholipids (PLs) are investigated using nanoflow liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS-MS). Since PLs are associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, and signal transduction, it is of increasing interests in lipidomics to establish reliable analytical methods for the qualitative and quantitative profiling of PLs related to biomarker development in adult diseases. Due to the complexity of PLs, the preliminary separation of PLs is necessary prior to MS analysis. In this study, length of capillary column and the particle size of reversed phase ($C_{18}$) packing materials are varied to find a reliable condition for the high speed and high resolution separation using 8 PL standard mixtures. From experiments, it was found that a capillary column of nLC-ESI-MS-MS analysis for PL mixtures can be minimized to a 5 cm long pulled tip column packed with 3 ${\mu}m$ $C_{18}$ particles without losing resolution.