title: Multielement trace-element speciation in metal-biomolecules by chromatography coupled with ICP-MS.
abstract: The state-of-the-art of multi-element speciation in biological materials by hybrid techniques with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) detection is critically reviewed with special attention to multi-metal speciation in metallothioneins (MT) and metallothionein-like proteins (MLP). The most common separation techniques used for the purpose include conventional size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) (with off-line detection) and anion-exchange (AE) or reversed-phase (RP) HPLC coupled on-line to ICP-MS. Advantages and limitations of the different commercial element-selective ICP-MS detectors, including the quadrupole (Q), double focusing (DF), and time-of-flight (TOF) mass analysers, are discussed. Procedures reported for speciation analysis, by use of hybrid techniques, for multi-metal speciation in mussel MLP and rabbit liver MT are illustrated with special emphasis on work performed in the authors' laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, C/ Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ferrarello
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fernández de la Campa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanz-Medel
mesh_terms: D001671:Biochemistry / Q000379:methods; D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014131:Trace Elements; D008668:Metallothionein