During the industrialization of the 19th century the negative health effects of vitamin D was discovered as children in the cities developed osteomalacia or more commonly known as rickets caused by vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is produced in the skin from 7-dehydrocholesterol during sun-exposure and enhances intestinal phosphor and calcium absorption thus enhancing the bone remodeling process. Now, in the 21st century, Vitamin D is still relevant as positive health effects have been recognized and with it an increased number of samples and a demand for accurate analyzing. Vitamin D is commonly believed to be sensitive to ultraviolet radiation in serum and blood samples and therefore have traditionally been kept protected from light exposure from the time of sampling until the finished analyze. However recent studies have proven 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) to be stable in both whole blood and serum. As previous studies have been primarily conducted in research laboratories with the aim to study vitamin D under specific research-laboratory conditions the aim of this study was to study the stability of 25[OH]D in serum and whole blood within both primary care- and hospital laboratories under normal and exaggerated conditions with the purpose to evaluate possible pre-analytical issues with everyday handling processes. The assay used was high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, HPLCMS/MS, and the sought analytes 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, 25[OH]D2 and 25[OH]D3. The results showed that 25-hydroxyvitamin D is stable in serum for 24 hours at room temperature whilst exposed to light both ultraviolet and fluorescent. The analyte is also stable for up to four freeze-thaw cycles rendering the process of light-protection and samples frozen immediately after centrifugation superfluous. The results also ensure reliable results even if samples are accidently left on benchtops or saved refrozen to be reanalyzed at a later date. / Under den industriella revolutionen på 1800 talet upptäcktes de negativa hälsoeffekterna av vitamin D-brist då barnen i städerna utvecklade rakit (osteomalaci) eller engelska sjukan som sjukdomen också kallas på grund av brist på sol och D-vitamin. Vitamin D produceras i huden från 7-dehydrokolesterol vid solexponering och ökar upptaget av fosfor och kalcium i tarmen som i sin tur förbättrar återuppbyggnaden av skelettet. Vitamin D är fortfarande aktuell även nu i vår tid men då för dess nyupptäckta hälsofrämjande egenskaper som till exempel förebyggandet av coloncancer. Detta medför även en ökning av antalet analyser och kräver därmed en adekvat analysmetod. Traditionellt har det antagits att vitamin D är ljuskänsligt i alla former därför har blod och serum ljusskyddats, från provtagningstillfället fram tills dess att analysen är utförd. Dock har nya studier visat att 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) är mycket stabilt bundet till vitamindbindande protein i både serum och helblod. Syftet med studien var att utvärdera om 25[OH]D i serum och helblod behöver ljusskddas genom att studera stabiliteten hos 25[OH]D i både serum och helblod under normala primärvårdslaboratorie- och sjukhuslaboratorieförhållanden samt under extrema förhållanden för att utvärdera eventuella preanalytiska problem eller fel relaterade till den vardagliga hanteringen av vitamin D prover. Proverna analyserades med högupplösande vätskekromatografi-tandem masspektrometri, HPLC-MS/MS, och de sökta analyterna var 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, 25[OH]D2 och 25[OH]D3. Resultat från studien visade att 25-hydroxyvitamin D är stabilt i serum i 24 timmar i rumstemperatur med ljusexponering från både ultraviolett och fluorescerande ljus. 25-hydroxyvitamin D är även stabil i serum upp till fyra frys- och tiningscykler. Detta gör att provhanteringen kan förenklas genom att dessa prover inte behöver ljusskyddas samt att serumet ej behöver frysas in direkt efter centrifugering. Resultatet säkerställer även tillförlitliga resultat om prover lämnas framme på bänken av misstag eller om prover behöver sparas och frysas om för att analyseras vid senare tillfälle.

Acrylamide is an undesirable carcinogenic component of thermally processed foods being formed from reducing saccharides and asparagine. In this work, the effect of ammonium and sodium raising agents themselves or in their combination with L-asparaginase enzyme catalyzing the conversion of asparagine into aspartic acid resulting in the reduction of acrylamide in gingerbreads was studied. Also, the influence of selected inorganic salts on the content of acrylamide in a model matrix simulating a composition of cereal products was observed. Simultaneously, the impact of these salts on activity of L-asparaginase was examined to find optimal conditions for its application in cereal technology. Based on experiments it was found, that addition of L-asparaginase reduces acrylamide content by 40 % while inorganic salts addition decreases acrylamide content in the range of 30 - 99 % when the most effective compounds were NH4Cl and CaCl2.

L’étude chimique de 11 plantes du Gabon, dont certaines utilisées en médecine traditionnelle, a été réalisée à la recherche de composés antiplasmodiaux de structures nouvelles. Deux Apocynaceae (Pleiocarpa mutica Benth., Callichilia inaequalis Stapf) et une Gelsemiaceae (Mostuea brunonis Didr.) ont été plus spécifiquement étudiées, via une stratégie de déréplication fondée sur des réseaux moléculaires générés à partir de données CLHP-MS/MS (Molecular Networking) et annotés avec une base de données d’alcaloïdes indolomonoterpéniques mise au point au laboratoire (MIADB). Cette investigation a guidé un travail de fractionnement et d’isolement, qui a permis l’obtention d’alcaloïdes indolomonoterpéniques très originaux, en termes de décorations ou de modes d’assemblage.Des écorces de tiges de P. mutica, 7 dimères indolomonoterpéniques non décrits dans la littérature ont été obtenus : 5 sont des bis-aspidofractanes dont 4 sont reliés par un pont méthylène (pléiokomenines A-D) ; deux sont des dimères du type aspidofractane-éburnamine, analogues de la pléiomutine.Les tiges et les racines de C. inaequalis ont livré 2 bis-indoles nouveaux, analogues de la criophylline, dont le premier porteur d’un sulfate dans cette classe d’alcaloïdes, ainsi que l’inaequalisine A, premier indolomonoterpène monomérique lié à un reste phénylpropène via une liaison C-C.L’étude des tiges et des feuilles de M. brunonis a conduit à l’isolement de quatre nouveaux composés : un monomère de type sarpagine (16-epi-méthylester-panarine) et 3 dimères bis-vobasines inédits à pont sulfide (théionbrunonines A-C). Des molécules connues, mais pas toujours identifiées dans les genres étudiés, ont également été isolées. Plusieurs des composés nouveaux présentent une activité antiplasmodiale de l’ordre du µM in vitro sur une souche de Plasmodium falciparum chloroquino-résistante. / The chemical study of 11 Gabonese plant species, some being used in traditional medicine, was performed in search of antiplasmodial compounds with new structures. Two Apocynaceae (Pleiocarpa mutica Benth., Callichilia inaequalis Stapf) and a Gelsemiaceae (Mostuea brunonis Didr.) were more specifically investigated, using LC-MS/MS data in a dereplicative approach based on the “molecular networking” strategy, with an annotation performed using an “in-house” monoterpene indole alkaloids database (MIADB). This approach was used to guide the isolation of original alkaloids, in terms of substitution patterns or of linkage. From the stem bark of P. mutica, 7 previously undescribed bis-indoles were obtained: five are bis-aspidofractanes, four of them being linked by a methylene bridge (pleiokomenines A-D); Two are aspidofractane-eburnane dimers analogous to pleiomutine. The twigs and roots of C. inaequalis yielded 2 new bis-indoles analogous to criophylline, among which one is the first natural sulfate-bearing indole monoterpene. Inaequalisine A, the first monomeric indole monoterpene linked to a phenylpropene moiety by a C-C linkage was also obtained.The study of the twigs and leaves of M. brunonis lead to 4 new compounds: A monomeric sarpagine (16-epi-methylester-panarine) and 3 unknown bis-vobasines which constituting monomers are linked by a sulfide bridge (theionbrunonines A-C).Known compounds were also isolated, some of which were previously undescribed in the genera studied here. Several of the new molecules exhibited antiplasmodial in vitro activity in the micromolar range against a chloroquine-resistant strain of P. falciparum.

Resin found within Canaanite amphorae from the Late Bronze Age shipwreck discovered off the coast of southwest Turkey at Uluburun has previously been identified as Pistacia sp. Although evidence from Egypt suggests that this resin was in high demand and typically transported in such amphorae, it has also been proposed that the amphorae contained wine, with the resin used to seal the interior surfaces and to flavour and/or preserve the wine. To attempt to resolve this question, we have analysed five samples of pistacia resin found in amphorae from the shipwreck using a range of analytical techniques which have used in the past for the analysis of wine residues: spot tests, FT-IR, and HPLC-MS-MS. As well as the archaeological samples, we have analysed modern samples of pistacia resin, leaves and fruit to determine the effectiveness of each technique and to exclude the possibility of false positive results. In addition to the analyses for wine we also detail analysis (GC-MS) of the terpenoids for the purpose of further molecular characterisation of the resin. Bulk stable isotope analysis was used in comparison with similar resins to attempt to identify the geographical origin of the resin.

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, ein enantiomerenspezifisches Analysenverfahren für die Bestimmung von Hexabromcyclododecan (HBCD) in Biota-Proben zu entwickeln und die bei erhöhten Temperaturen auftretende Isomerisierung der HBCD-Stereoisomere zu untersuchen. Als erstes wurden die sechs HBCD-Enantiomere isoliert, mittels Einkristallstrukturanalyse, NMR- und IR-Spektroskopie charakterisiert und erstmals die spezifischen Drehwinkel der reinen Enantiomere mit den absoluten Konfigurationen und der Elutionsreihenfolge auf einer chiralen beta-PM-Cyclodextrin-Phase korreliert. Die Untersuchungen der HBCD-Enantiomere in Biota-Proben wurden mit einem HPLC-Tandem-MS-System unter Verwendung einer Kombination aus einer C18- und einer chiralen beta-PM-Cyclodextrin-Phase durchgeführt. Das entwickelte Analysenverfahren wurde validiert und ein Messunsicherheitsbudget erstellt. Die mittlere Wiederfindung für die internen Standards lag im Bereich von 96 - 104 % und die Nachweisgrenzen lagen zwischen 6 und 21 pg/g. Mit Hilfe dieses Analysenverfahrens wurden sowohl maritime als auch Süßwasser Biota-Proben von verschiedenen Probenahmepunkten in Europa untersucht. Die ermittelten Enantiomeren-Verhältnisse, die in allen Fällen vom (±)-alpha-HBCD dominiert wurden, zeigten signifikante Abweichungen von den razemischen Zusammensetzungen. Auffällig hierbei war, dass eine bevorzugte Anreicherung der zuerst eluierenden HBCD-Enantiomere ((-)-alpha-, (-)-beta- und (+)-gamma-HBCD) stattfand. Im Ergebnis der Untersuchungen zur thermisch induzierten intramolekularen Isomerisierung der HBCD-Stereoisomere konnten die verschiedenen Isomerisierungsreaktionen eindeutig aufgeklärt und die jeweiligen Geschwindigkeitskonstanten bei einer Temperatur von 160 °C ermittelt werden. Ergänzend wurde die Isomerisierung mit Hilfe der statistischen Thermodynamik unter Verwendung eines neuen Ansatzes für die klassische Hybrid Monte-Carlo-Simulation untersucht. / The major objectives of this thesis were the development of an analytical procedure for the enantio-specific determination of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in biota samples and the investigation of the interconversion of the individual HBCD isomers at elevated temperatures. The six HBCD enantiomers were isolated, characterised by X-ray diffractometry, NMR- and IR-spectroscopy and the sense of rotation was correlated for the first time with the absolute configurations of the HBCD enantiomers as well as their order of elution on a chiral beta-PM-cyclodextrine-phase. Trace quantification of the individual HBCD enantiomers was achieved by means of high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry equipped with a combination of a C18- and a chiral analytical column. Validation data and an uncertainty budget were determined. The mean recoveries of the different enantiomeric internal standards ranged from 96 to 104 % and the limits of detection are in the range of 6 to 21 pg/g. The analytical procedure was successfully applied to marine and freshwater biota samples from different European sites. The enantiomeric pattern of the six HBCD enantiomers, with (±)-alpha-HBCD as the dominant diastereomer, was determined for all biota samples and showed in most cases a significant deviation from the technical racemate. In these cases a preferential enrichment of the first eluted enantiomers ((-)-alpha-, (-)-beta- and (+)-gamma-HBCD) could be observed. The unambiguous elucidation of the individual isomerisation reactions as well as the quantification of all respective rate constants for the interconversion of the HBCD stereoisomers at 160 °C was done. A mechanistic explanation for the differences of the rate constants which govern the composition of HBCD diastereomers at equilibrium was given. Additionally, the interconversion was investigated by means of statistical thermodynamics using a new approach to classical hybrid Monte-Carlo simulations.

Os eicosanoides, produtos do metabolismo do ácido araquidônico, apresentam papel importante na homeostasia e na patogênese de diversas doenças humanas. A biossíntese desses compostos pode ser estimulada por agentes farmacológicos como ionóforos e inibidores da Ca2+-ATPase, e também por agonistas naturais como o formil-metionil-leucil-fenialanina (fMLP). Considerando os interesses em avaliar e comparar o perfil de mediadores lipídicos, como os leucotrienos (LTs), as prostaglandinas (PGs), os ácidos epoxieicosatrienoicos (EETs), os ácidos dihidroxitetraenoicos (DiHETEs) e os ácidos hidroxieicosatetraenoicos (HETEs), na saúde e na doença, o objetivo deste trabalho foi padronizar um método analítico para determinar do perfil de eicosanoides em plasma humano após estimulação do sangue total, e assim observar diferenças entre indivíduos saudáveis e doentes. Dessa forma, um método por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência acoplada à espectrometria de massas sequencial (HPLC-MS/MS) foi validado para quantificação de 22 eicosanoides em plasma de indivíduos saudáveis. A análise por HPLCMS/ MS foi realizada em modo negativo pelo modo de varredura por monitoramento de reações múltiplas (MRM). A linearidade do método apresentou coeficiente de correlação (r) maior que 0,98 para todos os eicosanoides analisados. A precisão e exatidão intra e inter-ensaios tiveram desvio padrão e erro relativo menores que 15%, exceto para o limite inferior de quantificação cujos valores foram menores que 20%. Para estimulação das células do sangue total, quatro estímulos (fMLP, ionomicina, A23187 e tapsigargina) foram utilizados. A análise estatística mostrou que o A23187 e a tapsigargina foram os estímulos mais potentes na indução da produção de eicosanoides. Em seguida, comparamos o perfil de eicosanoides em amostras de plasma de indivíduos saudáveis com pacientes com anemia falciforme (AF), em tratamento com hidroxiureia (HU) ou transfusão sanguínea crônica. Os resultados demonstraram que o método é preciso para determinação de diferenças entre os pacientes e indivíduos saudáveis quanto à produção dos mediadores lipídicos 5-HETE, 12-HETE, LTB4, LTE4, TXB2 e PGE2. Portanto, nosso método analítico é sensível, específico e reprodutível para identificar e quantificar diferenças no perfil de eicosanoides em amostras de sangue estimuladas in vitro, e poderá contribuir para o estabelecimento do perfil de mediadores lipídicos em diferentes doenças inflamatórias e infecciosas. / Eicosanoids, products from arachidonic acid metabolism, play an important role in the homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Pharmacological agents such as Ca2+ ionophores and Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors, as well as natural agonists such as fMet-leu-Phe (fMLP) can stimulate eicosanoid biosynthesis. Considering the interests in evaluate and compare the profile of lipid mediators, as leukotriens (LTs), prostaglandins (PGs), epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), dihydroxytetraenoic acids (DiHETEs) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), in healthy and disease, the aim of this work was to standardize a method to determine the eicosanoid profile of human plasma samples after whole blood stimulation, and to assess differences between healthy and sick individuals. For this purpose, a liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was validated for the quantification of 22 eicosanoids using human plasma from healthy volunteers. In addition, we optimized a method for the stimulation of eicosanoids in human whole blood. LC-MS/MS analyses were performed by negative electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring. An assumption of linearity resulted in a regression coefficient > 0.98 for all eicosanoids tested. The mean intra-assay and inter-assay accuracy and precision values had relative standard deviations and relative errors of < 15%, except for the lower limit of quantification, where these values were < 20%. For whole blood stimulation, four stimuli (fMLP, ionomycin, A23187, and thapsigargin) were used. Results of the statistical analysis showed that A23187 and thapsigargin were potent stimuli to induce the production of eicosanoids. We next compared the eicosanoid profiles of healthy volunteers to those of patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) under treatment with hydroxyurea (HU) or after chronic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. The results indicate that the method was sufficient to find a difference between lipid mediators released in whole blood of SCA patients compared to healthy subjects for 5-HETE, 12-HETE, LTB4, LTE4, TXB2, and PGE2. In conclusion, our analytical method is sensitive, specific and reproducible for indentify and quantify changes in eicosanoid profiles in whole blood stimulated in vitro, which can contribute to establishing the eicosanoid profiles associated with different inflammatory and infectious diseases.

No description available.

Os eicosanoides, produtos do metabolismo do ácido araquidônico, apresentam papel importante na homeostasia e na patogênese de diversas doenças humanas. A biossíntese desses compostos pode ser estimulada por agentes farmacológicos como ionóforos e inibidores da Ca2+-ATPase, e também por agonistas naturais como o formil-metionil-leucil-fenialanina (fMLP). Considerando os interesses em avaliar e comparar o perfil de mediadores lipídicos, como os leucotrienos (LTs), as prostaglandinas (PGs), os ácidos epoxieicosatrienoicos (EETs), os ácidos dihidroxitetraenoicos (DiHETEs) e os ácidos hidroxieicosatetraenoicos (HETEs), na saúde e na doença, o objetivo deste trabalho foi padronizar um método analítico para determinar do perfil de eicosanoides em plasma humano após estimulação do sangue total, e assim observar diferenças entre indivíduos saudáveis e doentes. Dessa forma, um método por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência acoplada à espectrometria de massas sequencial (HPLC-MS/MS) foi validado para quantificação de 22 eicosanoides em plasma de indivíduos saudáveis. A análise por HPLCMS/ MS foi realizada em modo negativo pelo modo de varredura por monitoramento de reações múltiplas (MRM). A linearidade do método apresentou coeficiente de correlação (r) maior que 0,98 para todos os eicosanoides analisados. A precisão e exatidão intra e inter-ensaios tiveram desvio padrão e erro relativo menores que 15%, exceto para o limite inferior de quantificação cujos valores foram menores que 20%. Para estimulação das células do sangue total, quatro estímulos (fMLP, ionomicina, A23187 e tapsigargina) foram utilizados. A análise estatística mostrou que o A23187 e a tapsigargina foram os estímulos mais potentes na indução da produção de eicosanoides. Em seguida, comparamos o perfil de eicosanoides em amostras de plasma de indivíduos saudáveis com pacientes com anemia falciforme (AF), em tratamento com hidroxiureia (HU) ou transfusão sanguínea crônica. Os resultados demonstraram que o método é preciso para determinação de diferenças entre os pacientes e indivíduos saudáveis quanto à produção dos mediadores lipídicos 5-HETE, 12-HETE, LTB4, LTE4, TXB2 e PGE2. Portanto, nosso método analítico é sensível, específico e reprodutível para identificar e quantificar diferenças no perfil de eicosanoides em amostras de sangue estimuladas in vitro, e poderá contribuir para o estabelecimento do perfil de mediadores lipídicos em diferentes doenças inflamatórias e infecciosas. / Eicosanoids, products from arachidonic acid metabolism, play an important role in the homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Pharmacological agents such as Ca2+ ionophores and Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors, as well as natural agonists such as fMet-leu-Phe (fMLP) can stimulate eicosanoid biosynthesis. Considering the interests in evaluate and compare the profile of lipid mediators, as leukotriens (LTs), prostaglandins (PGs), epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), dihydroxytetraenoic acids (DiHETEs) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), in healthy and disease, the aim of this work was to standardize a method to determine the eicosanoid profile of human plasma samples after whole blood stimulation, and to assess differences between healthy and sick individuals. For this purpose, a liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was validated for the quantification of 22 eicosanoids using human plasma from healthy volunteers. In addition, we optimized a method for the stimulation of eicosanoids in human whole blood. LC-MS/MS analyses were performed by negative electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring. An assumption of linearity resulted in a regression coefficient > 0.98 for all eicosanoids tested. The mean intra-assay and inter-assay accuracy and precision values had relative standard deviations and relative errors of < 15%, except for the lower limit of quantification, where these values were < 20%. For whole blood stimulation, four stimuli (fMLP, ionomycin, A23187, and thapsigargin) were used. Results of the statistical analysis showed that A23187 and thapsigargin were potent stimuli to induce the production of eicosanoids. We next compared the eicosanoid profiles of healthy volunteers to those of patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) under treatment with hydroxyurea (HU) or after chronic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. The results indicate that the method was sufficient to find a difference between lipid mediators released in whole blood of SCA patients compared to healthy subjects for 5-HETE, 12-HETE, LTB4, LTE4, TXB2, and PGE2. In conclusion, our analytical method is sensitive, specific and reproducible for indentify and quantify changes in eicosanoid profiles in whole blood stimulated in vitro, which can contribute to establishing the eicosanoid profiles associated with different inflammatory and infectious diseases.

The identification of the hydrolysis and photodegradation products of flexible polyurethane foams (PUFs) with addition of biooriginated and biodegradable additive was the first topic of this dissertation work. Separation of polyurethane foam hydrolysis degradation products, designed for ecotoxicological tests, was managed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). The degradations product structure was elucidated by tandem mass spectrometry (MSn). PUF photodegradation products were obtained by exposure of materials by irradiation at 254 nm. Semi-volatile degradation products were isolated from the exposed polyurethane by n-hexane extraction; volatile compounds were collected by solid phase microextraction (SPME). Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and complete orthogonal tandem gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GCxGC/TOF MS) was used for separation and identification of photodegradation products. The influence of the bio-filler on the character of degradation products and the possible effect of PUF degradation products on the environment was discussed at the end of this section. The determination of isoprostanes – markers of oxidative stress in tissues of beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) was the subject of the second topic. F2-isoprostanes were synthesized from the arachidonic acid. With thereby prepared isoprostanes the method of determination by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) was developed and optimized. The isoprostane isolation process from the Actinia equina tissues was optimized with solid phase extraction (SPE). The resulting methodology was used to quantify isoprostanes in tissues of anemones, which were exposed to both moderate and high temperature changes. The temperature changes were used to initiate the oxidative stress in organisms. In addition, concentration levels of unknown compounds were also monitored. These unknown compounds were extracted from tissues together with F2-isoprostanes and their identity is discussed in this dissertation work too. The possibility of using isoprostane levels in the Anthozoa tissues for the oxidative stress monitoring is discussed in the conclusion of this work.

No description available.