Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry最新文献

{"title":"A network analysis framework for Traditional Chinese Medicine in treating Alzheimer’s disease: From core herbal pairs to key component networks","authors":"Fanjing KONG ,&nbsp;Weiming ZHANG ,&nbsp;Tianyu WU ,&nbsp;Jingyi DAI ,&nbsp;Ying XU ,&nbsp;Tao SUN","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder for which traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown potential therapeutic advantages. This study aimed to explore the medication patterns and core herbal pairs used in the treatment of AD by integrating data mining, network pharmacology, and molecular docking techniques. Relevant literature on TCM interventions for AD was retrieved from five major databases, and core herbal pairs were identified. To further investigate the multi-target and multi-pathway mechanisms of these pairs and their key components, a comprehensive network was constructed. A core herbal pair—Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma-Polygalae Radix was selected, and its component–target–pathway network was established. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted to elucidate biological functions and signaling pathways, while molecular docking was performed to validate the interactions between key compounds and their targets. A total of 482 TCM formulas for AD were analyzed, identifying Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma-Polygalae Radix as the most representative core pair. Its major active components, including phenylpropanoids (e.g., caffeic acid, <em>β</em>-asarone) and saponins (e.g., tenuigenin), were found to modulate inflammation, apoptosis, and synaptic plasticity through critical pathways such as MAPK and PI3K-Akt. Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinities between these key components and pivotal targets such as AKT1 and MAPK3. This study establishes a multi-layered framework, from big data analysis to functional validation of specific components, offering a clear pathway for investigating the structure-effect relationships in TCM. Furthermore, it proposes an innovative computational approach for analyzing the complex mechanisms of TCM, providing new insights into optimizing TCM formulations and developing novel drugs for AD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 8","pages":"Article 100560"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144654221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality assessment and stoichiometric analysis of fresh Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’ peels based on flavonoids spectrum, bioactivity, and ultra high performance liquid chromatography-fingerprint analysis","authors":"Yanyan MIAO ,&nbsp;Ruifei MA ,&nbsp;Zhanming TANG ,&nbsp;Chao CHEN ,&nbsp;Wensheng ZHANG","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dried and matured pericarp of <em>Citrus reticulata</em> 'Chachi' (CRC), also known as <em>Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae</em> Chachiensis, is a traditional Chinese medicine renowned for its expectorant properties and extensively studied for its efficacy in alleviating cough and asthma symptoms. Ensuring the quality control of fresh CRC is crucial for its efficacy and safety. This study evaluated the quality and efficacy of CRC from the main production areas in Xinhui District. First, multi-wavelength fusion technology was employed to establish ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) fingerprint analysis. Second, the <em>in vitro</em> antioxidant activity of fresh CRC peel samples was assessed using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) scavenging assays. Additionally, grey relational analysis (GRA) and partial least squares (PLS) modeling were used to correlate fingerprint patterns with efficacy parameters. Eleven major flavonoid compounds and total flavonoids were quantified across 26 samples. Finally, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) analysis comprehensively evaluated the overall quality of fresh CRC peels from these production areas. The results demonstrated a high degree of similarity among the 26 samples, ranging from 0.850 to 0.997. Notably, 21 peaks were identified as significant contributors (variable importance in the projection (VIP) &gt; 0.7), including hesperidin, didymin, 3′-demethylnobiletin, and demethylnobiletin. Furthermore, TOPSIS and entropy weight analysis indicated that Gujing, Daze, and Luokeng exhibited superior overall quality. This study provides scientific evidence to support quality control and efficacy evaluation of fresh CRC peels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100552"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144203687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanisms of radix rehmanniae praeparata in treating blood deficiency: A study on chemistry, metabolomics, and gut microbiota","authors":"RuXi GAO,&nbsp;FanYi WANG,&nbsp;Xiang LIU,&nbsp;Chu YUAN,&nbsp;GuoShun SHAN","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the mechanism of Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata (RRP) in treating blood deficiency syndrome (BDS) by analyzing the changes in chemical components before and after processing, and its effects on metabolomics and gut microbiota in BDS mice.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographyquadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed to screen differential components before and after the processing of Radix Rehmanniae (RR). Pharmacodynamic studies were conducted to validate the therapeutic effects. Additionally, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, headspace sampling-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS), and 16sRNA sequencing were used to investigate the regulatory effects of RRP on metabolomics and the gut microbiota in BDS mice.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The primary differential components identified were iridoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, sugars, benzaldehydes, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and its derivatives. RRP effectively ameliorated blood and energy metabolism in BDS mice. It regulates the biosynthesis pathway of unsaturated fatty acids, increases the abundance of Firmicutes to elevate butyric acid levels, and reduces the abundance of Bacteroidetes to downregulate acetic and propionic acid levels, thereby exerting therapeutic effects on BDS.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>RRP attenuated the metabolic state of BDS mice by modulating metabolic pathways and gut microbiota balance, providing a scientific basis for its clinical application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100548"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Screening of urate-lowering components in TongFengTangSan using an integrated strategy of affinity ultrafiltration, molecular docking and in vitro validation","authors":"Junying WU ,&nbsp;Qiong AN ,&nbsp;Zhenggen LIAO ,&nbsp;Yulin FENG ,&nbsp;Wuliang YANG ,&nbsp;Haifang CHEN ,&nbsp;Wugang ZHANG","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hyperuricemia arises from an imbalance between uric acid production and excretion, resulting in elevated systemic uric acid levels. Consequently, therapeutic strategies targeting both production and excretion pathways offer a promising approach for managing hyperuricemia. TongFengTangSan (TFTS) has been frequently utilized as the Tibetan prescription in treating hyperuricemia or gout, and its anti-hyperuricemia effect has been confirmed in our previous study. However, the urate-lowering components still remain unclear. Therefore, an integrative strategy was constructed to screen potential urate-lowering components from TFTS by combination with affinity ultrafiltration, molecular docking and <em>in vitro</em> validation. In the present study, the main active fraction of TFTS with xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect was screened out by xanthine oxidase inhibitory assay. The potential ligands in main active fraction were identified by affinity ultrafiltration experiment combined with enzyme channel blocking technology and explored by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Then, the screened ligands were further validated by <em>in vitro</em> xanthine oxidase inhibitory assay and molecular docking technique. Furthermore, the regulation effect on uric acid transporters of xanthine oxidase inhibitors was further evaluated by the over-expression of uric acid transporters in uric acid stimulated human Kidney-2 cell model by Western blot assay. In this study, the 60% ethanol-eluted fraction from the ethanol extract of TFTS was confirmed as the main fraction of TFTS with the best xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect. Three potential xanthine oxidase inhibitors were screened out from the 60% ethanol-eluted fraction, including 1,3,6-trigalloylglucose, 1,2,3,6-tetragalloylglucose and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloylglucose. Half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 1,3,6-trigalloylglucose, 1,2,3,6-tetragalloylglucose and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloylglucose for xanthine oxidase were 54.46, 15.91, 6.58 μg/mL, respectively. 1,3,6-trigalloylglucose, 1,2,3,6-tetragalloylglucose and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloylglucose were identified as mixed-type xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Additionally, these compounds demonstrated inhibitory effects on urate transporters 1 and glucose transporter 9. The combination strategy is suitable for screening active components with dual properties of inhibiting uric acid production and promoting uric acid excretion. 1,3,6-trigalloylglucose, 1,2,3,6-tetragalloylglucose and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloylglucose were identified as a potential urate-lowering drug and exhibited dual-target characteristics in uric acid metabolism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100551"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144170000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling the mechanism of kaempferol in RSV-induced lung inflammation through metabolomics and network pharmacology","authors":"Sha ZHANG ,&nbsp;Kemeng CAO ,&nbsp;Peipei ZHAO ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan WANG ,&nbsp;Qiuyue XU ,&nbsp;Bin YUAN ,&nbsp;Mingchen JIANG","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100547","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100547","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading pathogens associated with hospitalization for childhood pneumonia and is associated with substantial morbidity and fatality among young children and infants. There are no specific antiviral treatments for RSV infections. Kaempferol, a flavonoid present in traditional Chinese medicines, possesses antiviral activity and may affect RSV-induced lung inflammation; however, this relationship remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We employed network pharmacology to forecast the mechanism of kaempferol in the treatment of RSV pneumonia, and used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to examine the metabolic profiles in serum. We then integrated the analysis of differential metabolites with potential targets using MetScape and assessed the interactions between kaempferol and the key targets through molecular docking. Molecular biology experiments confirmed these predictions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our results demonstrated that kaempferol alleviated RSV-induced lung inflammation, inhibited viral replication, and reduced lung damage, possibly by modulating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Kaempferol primarily alleviates metabolic disorders by targeting amino acid metabolism. Molecular docking analysis indicated a strong binding affinity of kaempferol for AKT1, CASP3, SRC, EGFR, STAT1, and IL-2.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Kaempferol ameliorated the metabolic disruptions caused by RSV in the amino acid metabolism, via the JAK-STAT signaling cascade and mitigated the inflammatory response associated with RSV infection. This study not only provides foundational data for the broad application of kaempferol in anti-RSV research but also offers novel insights into the exploration of therapeutic mechanisms for RSV infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100547"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144108259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative tissue distribution analysis of Achyranthes bidentata Blume saponins via intragastric, intraperitoneal, and intravenous administration using simultaneous UPLC-MS/MS detection","authors":"Genhua ZHU ,&nbsp;Liji ZHONG ,&nbsp;Yonggui SONG ,&nbsp;Youhui ZHANG ,&nbsp;Luting YAN ,&nbsp;Zhifu AI ,&nbsp;Ming YANG ,&nbsp;Yali LIU ,&nbsp;Yuhui PING ,&nbsp;Huihui LIANG ,&nbsp;Dan SU","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Saponins, the primary bioactive components of <em>Achyranthes bidentata Blum</em>e (AB), exhibit neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the lack of pharmacokinetic (PK) data, particularly on tissue distribution and first-pass effects, critically hinders their therapeutic development. Therefore, a rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method (9-min run time) was validated to simultaneously quantify five AB saponins in mice tissues (brain, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney; n = 5 per time point) at 10, 30, 60, 120, 240 min post-administration. The method demonstrated excellent linearity (<em>R</em>² &gt; 0.99, 1–2500 ng/mL), precision (RSD ≤ 7.04 %), accuracy (85%–115 %), and recovery rates (86.6%–97.2 %, RSD ≤ 11.39 %) per ICH M10 guidelines. The results demonstrate that the saponin concentrations in various tissues after IG and IP administration were lower compared to those after IV administration, with levels reaching only 10 % of the latter. Although all these compounds are pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins with an oleanane skeleton, their tissue distribution <em>in vivo</em> varies significantly. The elimination of achyranthoside D, ginsenoside R0, and araloside A is relatively slow in various tissues. In contrast, chikusetsusaponin IVa is rapidly eliminated from various tissues. The ability of four saponins to cross the blood-brain barrier is highly beneficial for the development of therapeutic drugs for central nervous system diseases. Additionally, the results from different administration routes indicate that AB saponins may exhibit a pronounced gastrointestinal and hepatic first-pass effect <em>in vivo</em>, which should be considered in future research. This study can guide multi-route study of AB saponins provides critical insights for formulation optimization and dosing regimen design to mitigate first-pass effects</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100549"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality control methods established in view of the characteristics of component type of Yuhuang Shengji ointment based on HPLC, ICP-MS and GC e-nose","authors":"Kewei WANG ,&nbsp;Ying ZHANG ,&nbsp;Xilong QIAN ,&nbsp;Zheng LIU ,&nbsp;Weihua ZHANG ,&nbsp;Liu ZHOU ,&nbsp;Yanqiong PAN ,&nbsp;Liwen ZHENG ,&nbsp;Fang FANG ,&nbsp;Yang ZHANG ,&nbsp;Yehuang WANG ,&nbsp;Bin JIANG ,&nbsp;Shengjin LIU","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Yuhuang Shengji ointment (YSO) is a traditional Chinese medicine clinical prescription from Professor Wang Yehuang, a famous Chinese medicine professor in Jiangsu Province, China. It is used for the treatment of postoperative healing of anal fistula in clinic practice. It is composed of Corydalis Rhizoma, Radix Sanguisorbae Carbonisata, Natrii Sulfas, Alumen Ustum, Plant Soot and Borneolum. It has the effects of eliminating dampness, astringing sores, hemostasis, pain relief, detumescence and muscle regeneration. According to the characteristics that YSO mainly contains inorganic, organic and volatile components, the comprehensive quality control of the ointment was achieved by different analytical methods. The organic components in the ointment were qualitatively analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) to determine the main chemical components. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of the organic components of the ointment was further established. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technology is used to analyze the inorganic elements in ointment, which provides data support for the quality control of inorganic components. The flash GC e-nose is used for rapid detection of volatile substances in ointment, and the fingerprint of volatile components is established. The comprehensive use of these analytical techniques not only reflects the overall chemical characteristics of the ointment, but also helps to evaluate the consistency between different batches of products. This study successfully established a comprehensive quality analysis method, which provided a basis for the quality control of YSO. At the same time, it provides a more comprehensive quality control strategy for ointment which mainly contains organic, inorganic and volatile components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100550"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144169999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of carbon dots based on chitosan and melamine and their application in detecting vanadate (V) anions","authors":"Farida ALLAMBERGENOVA ,&nbsp;Zulayho SMANOVA ,&nbsp;Nigora QUTLIMUROTOVA ,&nbsp;Abdurakhman ABDREYMOV ,&nbsp;Fotima SOBIROVA ,&nbsp;Ruhiya QUTLIMUROTOVA ,&nbsp;Khusan YAKHSHINOROV","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vanadium is considered a microelement of great industrial, environmental, biological, and pharmacological importance. Vanadium-containing complexes have been widely used as biologically active compounds. Outside cells, vanadium exists in the form of the vanadate anion, while inside cells, it primarily exists as the tetravalent vanadyl cation. Both a deficiency and an excess of vanadium in the human body can lead to various diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study is to detect vanadium (V) ions using fluorescent carbon dots, which are capable of rapid and sensitive detection. In this study, carbon dots synthesized from chitosan and melamine were used as fluorescent reagents. Fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) were synthesized by hydrothermally treating 99.95% pure chitosan with melamine at 180 °C for 5 h, followed by freeze-drying in a lyophilizer, and purification using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These dots were found to emit bright green fluorescence. The formation of green fluorescence is associated with the incorporation of nitrogen into the carbon materials, which were then used for the detection of vanadium (V) ions. The C-dots and their complexation with vanadium (V) were fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy and spectrofluorometry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100538"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel coumarin-thiazole conjugated ICT fluorescent probe for cysteine specific detection in food samples, living cells and zebrafish","authors":"Xiaoyan CAO,&nbsp;Yifan WEI,&nbsp;Yingyue DING,&nbsp;Yichi ZHANG,&nbsp;Chuanqing REN,&nbsp;Qin WANG","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inspired by the advantageous properties of coumarin and thiazole fluorophores, we rationally designed and developed a novel coumarin-thiazole conjugated fluorescent probe (PC), featuring an acryloyl ester group as the triggering and responding entity for the specific identification of cysteine (Cys). Probe PC exhibited a distinct color change (colorless to bright green), a large Stokes shift, excellent sensitivity, high selectivity, and strong anti-interference capabilities. the density function theory (DFT), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) assays further affirmed that the response mechanism encompasses an addition-cyclization reaction between the acryloyl domain of probe PC and the sulfhydryl and amino entities of Cys, engendering the liberation of a lustrous green fluorescent chromophore (PC<strong><img></strong>OH) that can be visually discerned. Compared with previous reports, this is a new scaffold based on coumarin that achieves the quantitative determination of Cys in different food matrices in real-time. Furthermore, probe PC is effectively employed for visual imaging of Cys in A549 cells and five-day-old zebrafish, exhibiting low cytotoxicity and favorable cellular permeability, which demonstrated its practical application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100542"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determination of illicit drugs in sediments using a modified QuEChERS method coupled with UPLC-MS/MS","authors":"Meng ZHANG,&nbsp;Changsheng GUO,&nbsp;Heng ZHANG,&nbsp;Yanghui DENG,&nbsp;Xu TAN,&nbsp;Ya GAO,&nbsp;Jian XU","doi":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The occurrence of illicit drugs in water has been extensively reported around the world, however, limited data are available in sediments, probably due to the lack of effective and robust analytical methods. This research established a sensitive method for determining 12 illicit drugs, including amphetamine, methamphetamine, methcathinone, ephedrine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-n-methamphetamine, norketamine, ketamine, benzoylecgonine, codeine, cocaine, and methadone in sediments. The combination of salt and solution (extraction step) and adsorbents (purification step) in the QuEChERS method was optimized to enhance the applicability and reliability of the analytical approach, which was subsequently combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The developed method demonstrated satisfactory linearity (<em>R</em>² &gt; 0.995) within 0.1 to 50 ng/g dry weight (dw), with limits of detection and quantification ranging from 0.0077 to 0.0299 ng/g dw and 0.0255 to 0.0996 ng/g dw, respectively. Recoveries of target drugs ranged from 60.5 % to 114.9 %, with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations below 10.9 % and 12.3 %, respectively, which are within the acceptable limits. Application of the validated method to sediments from the Beiyunhe River Basin, China revealed the presence of nine out of twelve targeted drugs. Total drug concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 1.18 ng/g dw, with ephedrine being predominant, followed by amphetamine and methadone. Ecological risk assessments indicated low biological hazards from the detected drugs to aquatic ecosystems. However, due to their high polarity and biological activity, continued attention to the ecological risks of illicit drugs would provide greater reassurance. This research presents the first application of QuEChERS for extracting illicit drugs from sediments. The optimized method elucidates these emerging contaminants' behavior and facilitates accurate environmental risk assessments. Due to its high sensitivity, good recovery and precision, the method is well-suited to routine monitoring of trace-level illicit drugs in complex sediment matrices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":277,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry","volume":"53 7","pages":"Article 100540"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}