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New Methodology for the Identification of Metabolites of Saccharides and Cyclitols by Off-Line EC-MALDI-TOF-MS

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2020-07-24
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
AuthorsGulyaim Sagandykova, Justyna Walczak‐Skierska, Fernanda Monedeiro, PaweƂ Pomastowski, BogusƂaw Buszewski
InstitutionsNicolaus Copernicus University
Citations7
AnalysisFull AI Review Included
  • Novel Methodology: A new off-line Electrochemistry (EC) coupled with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (EC-MALDI-TOF-MS) system was developed to simulate and identify Phase I oxidative metabolites of low molecular weight compounds (LMWC).
  • BDD Electrode Use: Boron-Doped Diamond (BDD) electrodes were successfully employed as the working electrode for the robust electrochemical conversion of saccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) and cyclitols (pinitol, inositols).
  • Metabolite Identification: The process generated numerous candidate metabolites, primarily through reactions mimicking Phase I metabolism, such as hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and hydroxylation. Cyclitols showed a greater variety of EC products than saccharides.
  • Structural Complexity: EC-treated analytes exhibited increased propensity for recombination, dimerization, and adduct formation (with sodium or matrix compounds), resulting in more complex MS spectra compared to the original compounds.
  • Data Correlation: Exploratory data analysis (HCA, Network Analysis) confirmed that EC processing increased the similarity (coincidence of fragments) between the MS spectra of the different analytes, indicating interconversion into common structural motifs.
  • Analytical Advantage: The DHB matrix in positive ionization mode provided the highest number of discriminating ions, while the HCCA matrix showed greater correlation between original and treated analytes.
ParameterValueUnitContext
Working Electrode MaterialBoron-Doped Diamond (BDD)N/AUsed for electrochemical conversion
EC Potential Range0 to 3000mVApplied potential for BDD electrode
EC Flow Rate10”L/minInfusion rate during electrochemical conversion
EC Oven Temperature37°CTemperature maintained during EC conversion
Analyte Concentration (Final)10”g/mLConcentration in 10 mM ammonium acetate solution
MALDI Laser Wavelength355nmNd:YAG laser (Smart beam IITM)
MALDI Laser Frequency2kHzLaser operation frequency
MALDI m/z Range (Reflective)60-1600m/zPositive and negative ionization modes
MALDI Fragmentation ModeLIFTN/AUsed for fragment spectra (50-1000 m/z range)
MALDI Matrix Concentration10mg/mLDHB (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid) and HCCA (α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid)
Matrix Solvent Composition30% ACN, 70% H2O, 0.1% TFAN/AStandard solution for matrix preparation
Statistical Significance (p)< 0.05N/ACriterion for Mann-Whitney U test
  1. Working Solution Preparation: Cyclitol and saccharide standards were prepared at 10 ”g/mL concentration in a neutral pH solution (10 mM ammonium acetate with 2 mL acetonitrile).
  2. Electrochemical Conversion (EC): The solutions were subjected to oxidation using the ROXYTMEC system. A BDD working electrode and a HyREF (Pd/H2) reference electrode were used, operating at 10 ”L/min flow rate and 37 °C.
  3. Fraction Collection: Two fractions were collected manually after EC conversion (Fraction 1: first 10 min; Fraction 2: next 7 min). Control samples were prepared identically but without EC treatment.
  4. Sample Processing: Collected fractions were evaporated to dryness (Centri Vap DNA concentrator), frozen, and subsequently re-dissolved in 50 ”L of methanol-water (1:1) mixture.
  5. MALDI Sample Preparation: 1 ”L of the processed sample was mixed with 1 ”L of MALDI matrix solution (DHB or HCCA, 10 mg/mL) and spotted onto an MTP AnchorChip 384 plate in triplicate.
  6. Mass Spectrometry Analysis: Spectra were acquired using MALDI-TOF-MS in both positive and negative reflective ionization modes (60-1600 m/z). Cesium triiodide-cluster (CsI3) was used for mass calibration.
  7. Data Analysis: Exploratory data analysis (Network Analysis, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Weighted Scatter Plots) was performed in R environment to visualize correlations and identify statistically significant changes in ion intensity after EC treatment.
  • Drug Metabolism and Pharmacological Design: The methodology provides a rapid, non-enzymatic simulation of Phase I oxidative metabolism, crucial for identifying potential drug metabolites early in the development pipeline.
  • Bioactive Compound Screening: Applicable for assessing the biological activity and toxicity of natural compounds (like cyclitols and sugars) by characterizing their transformation products, which may possess different bioactivities than the parent molecule.
  • Advanced Analytical Chemistry: The use of BDD electrodes in EC systems offers a robust platform for simulating high-potential redox reactions, valuable for generating and studying reactive intermediates in complex organic mixtures.
  • Metabolomics Research: Provides a high-throughput tool for identifying candidate LMWC metabolites, complementing traditional LC-MS approaches, particularly where chromatographic separation is challenging.
  • Food Science and Nutrition: Used for characterizing the fragmentation and transformation pathways of carbohydrates and related compounds (sugars, inositols) in food extracts, aiding in quality control and nutritional science.
View Original Abstract

A combination of electrochemistry (EC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (off-line EC-MALDI-TOF-MS) was applied for determination of the studied biologically active compounds (D-glucose, D-fructose, D-galactose, D-pinitol, L-chiro-inositol, and myo-inositol) and their possible electrochemical metabolites. In this work, boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) was used as a working electrode. MALDI-TOF-MS experiments were carried out (both in positive and negative ion modes and using two matrices) to identify the structures of electrochemical products. This was one of the first applications of the EC system for the generation of electrochemical products produced from saccharides and cyclitols. Moreover, exploratory data analysis approaches (correlation networks, hierarchical cluster analysis, weighted plots) were used in order to present differences/similarities between the obtained spectra, regarding the class of analyzed compounds, ionization modes, and used matrices. This work presents the investigation and comparison of fragmentation patterns of sugars, cyclitols, and their respective products generated through the electrochemistry (EC) process.

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