Capillary electrophoretic (CE) separations were successfully coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOFMS) detection for the analysis of three families of biological compounds that act as mediators and/or indicators of disease, namely, catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine) and their O-methoxylated metabolites (3-methoxytyramine, norepinephrine, and normetanephrine), indolamines (serotonin, tryptophan, and 5-hydroxytryptophan), and angiotensin peptides. While electrophoretic separation techniques provided high separation efficiency, mass spectrometric detection afforded specificity unsurpassed by other types of detectors. Both catecholamines and indolamines are present in body fluids at concentrations that make it possible for them to be determined by capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to TOFMS without employing any preconcentration scheme beyond sample work up by solid phase extraction (SPE). Using this hyphenated approach, submicromolar levels of catecholamines and metanephrines in normal human urine and indolamines in human plasma were detected after the removal of the analytes from their biological matrices and after preconcentration by SPE on mixed mode cation-exchange sorbents. The CE-TOFMS and SPE methods were individualized for each group of compounds. While catecholamines and metanephrines in urine samples were quantitated using 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine as an internal standard, deuterated isotopes, considered ideal internal standards, were used for the quantitation of indolamines. Because the angiotensin peptides are present in biological fluids at much lower concentrations than the previous two families of analytes, their analysis required the application of additional preconcentration techniques. In this work, the coupling of either of two types of electrophoretic preconcentration methods - field amplified injection (FAI) and isotachophoresis (ITP) - to capillary zone electrophoresis with both UV and MS detection was evaluated. Using FAI-CE-UV, angiotensins were detected at ~1 nM concentrations. Using similar conditions but TOFMS detection, the detection limits were below 10 nM. ITP was evaluated in both single-column and two-column comprehensive arrangements. The detection limits achieved for the ITP-based techniques were approximately one order of magnitude higher than for the FAI-based preconcentration. While the potential usefulness of these techniques was demonstrated using angiotensins standards, substantial additional research would be required to allow these approaches to be applied to plasma as part of clinical assays.

The thesis presents experimental study on application of various polypropylene membranes (with different thicknesses, porosity and pore size) for direct coupling of membrane microextractions with capillary electrophoresis. No comprehensive study, which describes effect of these membrane parameters on extraction recoveries, was published in the past. Previous scientific works prefer application of 100 µm polypropylene membranes for their easy handling and satisfactory extraction efficiencies. Experimental part includes examination of selected polypropylene membranes as supported liquid membranes in-line coupled to capillary electrophoresis for analysis of basic drugs from complex samples. Membranes with three thicknesses (25, 100 and 170 µm) were tested. The highest extraction recoveries were achieved for the 25µm thick polypropylene membrane. Various pH conditions of donor and acceptor operational solutions were examined for extractions from real complex matrices (urine, plasma). The optimal extraction conditions were 10 mM NaOH as donor phase and 10 mM HCl as acceptor phase. 25µm membranes offer higher extraction recoveries, reduced consumption of organic solvents for membrane impregnation, similar mechanical stability and similar clean-up ability compared to thicker polypropylene membranes.

Dependence of glutathione concentration on the amount of thallium in the plant was studied. Observed plant was maize (Zea mays) which was divided to two parts – root and overground. Two culture procedures were elaborated where seeds and young seedlings were cultivated in a solution of thallium of concentration 0, 1, 3, 5, 8, a 10 µmol/l. Extraction agents used during extraction were phosphate buffer and solution of ascorbic acid. Determination of glutathione was realized by capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Diode array detector (DAD) was used in both methods. Quantification of the thallium amount in the plant was done by method of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).

My thesis is based on an assessment of the suitability of thermal spring in the Southern Moravia for a relaxing, therapeutic purposes. By capillary electrophoresis are measured concentration of natural substancies, which are used in thermal waters and are searched for therapeutic effects.

The diploma thesis is dealing with the determination of caseins in lyophilised samples of milk using the method of capillary electrophoresis (CE). This method was optimised and verified by Ivana Micikova in her diploma thesis in 2009. The theoretical part of the diploma thesis gives information about the chemical compound of cow's milk. Caseins and their usage in the food and non-food industries are described in a separate unit. Impact of both the nutritional and non-nutritional factors on the composition of the milk is discussed further. The description and the principles of the CE and a list of the methods of CE used in the last several years are stated at the end of this part. The experimental part is focused on the preparation of the solutions, process of casein isolation and its analysis. It summarises the setting of the experiment, sampling and sample processing and the composition of the feeding mixtures. The diploma thesis has arisen on the basis of the cooperation of the Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology and the Research Institute for Cattle Breeding, Ltd., Department of Animal Nutrition Physiology in Pohorelice.

Tato práce je zaměřena jak na cílený tak na přehledný přístup ve studiu proteomiky. Cílená proteomika přináší informace o přítomnosti proteinu a jeho lokalizaci v buňce či tkáni pomocí luminiscenčních značek na bázi kvantových teček, zatímco přehledná proteomika se zabývá identifikací změn v proteomu dvou nebo více jedinců stejného druhu vystavených různým podmínkám. Protože proteomika vyžaduje vysoce citlivé separační a identifikační techniky, byly v této práci ověřeny různé metody zlepšení citlivosti kapilární elektroforézy s hmotnostní detekcí. Použití rozhraní s kapalinovým spojem pro spojení těchto dvou technik, které zajišťuje vyšší citlivost analýz, bylo také ověřeno analýzou metabolitů etanolu a kokainu v lidské moči. Zavedené techniky instrumentace jsou využitelné při posouzení vlivu významných faktorů životního prostředí na živé systémy jak na buněčné tak na molekulární úrovni.

Ce travail de thèse a été consacré au développement de nouvelles méthodologies de caractérisation des affinités intermoléculaires par le biais de la calorimétrie de titration isotherme (ITC), après validation de systèmes modèles par l'intermédiaire des spectroscopies UV-visible, RMN et de l'électrophorèse capillaire. Nous avons en particulier montré que la mise en place et le couplage d'expériences non conventionnelles avec les protocoles classiques permettait d'améliorer la caractérisation calorimétrique, avec notamment une diminution parfois spectaculaire des incertitudes liées aux paramètres thermodynamiques. Ce potentiel de l'analyse globale d'expériences différenciées a été évalué sur un plan théorique, permettant ainsi la définition et l'optimisation des expériences à mettre en oeuvre en fonction du type de complexe étudié. L'exploitation expérimentale de ces stratégies a également permis l'étude de complexations problématiques sur le plan analytique, dans le cadre de complexes impliquant des molécules telles que les cyclodextrines ou l'albumine, et s'inscrivant dans des applications liés aux domaines de l'environnement et de la santé. Ainsi, nos stratégies ont levé les difficultés liées aux complexes athermiques, aux complexes de faibles affinités, aux équilibres multiples et aux faibles solubilités de l'un ou l'autre des partenaires de la complexation. Enfin, l'évaluation d'un nouveau modèle de traitement thermo-cinétique du thermogramme ITC a été réalisée, accroissant encore le potentiel de cette technique vis-à-vis de la caractérisation des interactions moléculaires. / This work was dedicated to the development of new isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) methodologies for the characterization of intramolecula affinities, after validation of model system via capillary electrophoresis, UV-visible and NMR spectroscopy. We have demonstrated that the coupling of unconventional experiments with the conventional protocols generally improves the calorimetric characterization, with a dramatic decrease of the uncertainties on thermodynamic parameters. The potential of global analysis applied to differentiated experiments was evaluated on a theoretical level, allowing the definition of optimal experiments, depending on the type of studied complex. These strategies also enabled, on a experimental point of view, the study of complexations which cannot be analyzed by conventional approaches, in the case of complexes involving cyclodextrins or albumin. Indeed, our strategies overcomes the difficulties associated with athermic complexes, with complexes of low affinity, with multiple equilibria and with the low solubility of interacting partners. Finally, the evaluation of a new thermo-kinetic treatment of ITC thermograms has been achieved, further increasing the potential of this technique in the characterization of molecular interactions.

In the first part of this doctoral thesis, a new analytical HPLC-MS/MS method for monitoring of concentration changes of 17β-estradiol (βE2) during in vitro mouse sperm capacitation was developed. Capacitation was performed for three initial concentrations of βE2 (200, 20 and 2 μg/L). For all the concentrations a similar trend for the total unbound βE2 was observed. In general, the βE2 concentration decreased to reach its minimum and then increased again. The position of the minimum differed for the individual tested βE2 concentrations. Experimentally obtained results were subjected to the kinetic analysis. The curves fitted through the experimentally determined points displayed an autocatalytic character. For the agreement between the curves obtained by fitting through the experimental points and the theoretical calculated curves, it is necessary to assume that the first step is adsorption of βE2 onto the surface of the sperm controlled by Langmuir isotherm. The kinetic study was also used to study the effects of fluorides and aluminium fluoride complexes on the capacitation of mouse sperm. The experimental points were in very good agreement with the shape of the theoretical curves and this fact verifies the mechanism of the mouse sperm capacitation kinetics. In the second part of this work, two...

This thesis is focused on the study of boron coordination compounds, specifically boron pyrogallol and 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene ligand complexes. In the introductory part of the work are discussed the properties of boron compounds, their preparation, the possibility of separation by capillary electrophoresis and methods of structural characterization. In the first part of the thesis, the methods of preparation of complexes are discussed and for each complex the optimal yield response is chosen. The resulting products were studied by low resolution mass spectrometry. In the second part of the thesis, structures of complexes, including their modeling in the Gaussian program, were described more precisely. Furthermore, the complexes were characterized by high resolution mass spectrometry. The complexes were also studied by 11 B, 1 H and 1 H COSY NMR and IR spectroscopy. The third part was devoted to the separation of these substances from the mixture after the reaction. CE-UV and CE-MS techniques were used for this purpose. To convert the results, the separation method was developed in ammonium formate buffers that are compatible with both instruments. The equilibration between complexes and ligands was also monitored by CE-UV. A special chapter is the study of pyrogallol autooxidation by UV-VIS and...

Capillary electrophoresis is one of the prominent analytical separation methods. Currently, many computer programs exist which are able to predict the result of an electrophoretic experiment. Firstly, there are programs based on numerical solving of corresponding continuity equations and equations of chemical equilibria. Secondly, there are programs based on approximative models of capillary electrophoresis. Programs belonging to the first group are applicable to a wide range of modes of capillary electrophoresis and provide a precise solution. Their disadvantage is though a considerable time demand. On the other hand, the approximative models give the results almost immediately and, in addition, provide some theoretical relationships which are useful for optimization of the separation process. This dissertation thesis is focused on improvement and extension of validity of existing approximative models of capillary electrophoresis. As a part of this thesis, a model capable of a full-blown description of capillary electrokinetic chromatography is introduced. This model is implemented into program PeakMaster 6. The attention is also paid to a nonlinear model of electromigration without diffusion. This model enables a very good description of electromigration dispersion including effects related to...