Cranberries are a rich source of bioactive compounds that comprise a healthy diet. Cranberry is abundant in nutritional components and many bioactive compounds that have antioxidant properties. Both American (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and European (Vaccinium oxycoccus) cranberry species are rich in polyphenols such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins and flavonoids, and is one of the few fruits that is high in proanthocyanidins, which is linked to many health benefits. The review systematizes information on the chemical composition of cranberry, its antioxidant effect, and the beneficial impact on human health and disease prevention after cranberry consumption, and in particular, its effect against urinary tract inflammation with both adults and children, cardiovascular, oncology diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, tooth decay and periodontitis, Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach and other diseases. Additional research needs to study cranberry proteomics profiling, polyphenols interaction and synergism with other biologically active compounds from natural ingredients and what is important in formulation of new functional foods and supplements.

The research is devoted to the investigation of the selectivity detection of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), electron ionization (EI) GC-MS with atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPhI) and GC-MS atmospheric pressure photochemical ionization (APPhCI) when vapors of different substances (benzene, toluene and naphthalene) were used as gas reagents. Capillary columns of different lengths were used for the separation of the components of the mixture of 44 semi-volatile organic compounds. It was shown that the most-selective detection of 16 PAHs in a 44-component mixture was possible when GC-MS APPhCI was used. Only 16 PAHs were registered on the respective mass chromatograms and a fast detection of them was possible. The respective APPhI and APPhCI mass spectra consisted of only peak of the respective molecular ion, M^+• – the radical cation. Detection limits were 3 pg μL⁻¹ to 15 pg μL.

Electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra of methylphosphonic acid phosphates and phosphonates (surrogates of respective chemical war agents) and silyl derivatives and its O-alkyl esters (markers of hydrolysis products of chemical war agents) were investigated and respective limits of detection were determined by GC/MS (EI) and GC/MS (CI) in a single ion monitoring mode. Atmospheric pressure photo- and photochemical ionization (APPI/APPCI) mass spectra of the same compounds were investigated by GC/MS (APPI/APPCI) and conditions providing the registration of mass spectra consisting of only one peak, corresponding to the M⁺ or [M + H]⁺ ion, were chosen and the limits of detection in the single ion monitoring mode were determined. In addition, the limits of detection for all of the studied compounds by GC with a flameless thermionic detector (FTID) were determined. The limits of detection for phosphates and phosphonates by GC/MS (EI) (MS/MS), GC/MS (CI), GC/MS (APPI), and GC/MS (APPCI) and in the single ion monitoring mode were 0.2–1.0 pg, 1.0–6.0 pg, 10–30 pg, and 0.1–0.3 pg, respectively. For methylphosphonic acid silyl derivatives and its O-alkyl esters, the respective limits of detection were 0.2–4.0 pg, 1.0–5.0 pg, 10–25 pg, and 1.0–3.0 pg. The limits of detection for all the studied compounds by GC with FTID were 0.3–0.4 pg. This means that the rapid screening of the samples to be investigated should be based on the last named method and GC/MS must be used only for the selected samples.

Investigation of original drugs involves a study of pharmacokinetics and metabolism. Most investigations use HPLC/MS analysis. With the use of the active ingredient of a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic Fabomotizole [2-(2-morpholinoethylthio)-5-ethoxybenzylimidazole dihydrochloride)] and its metabolite as an example, it was found that capillary gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with positive ion chemical ionization can be applied to detect insignificant amounts of polar biologically active substances, which are chemically stable during the passage of the gas chromatographic system; however, the analytes can be lost at different stages of the analysis.

The study is devoted to the investigation of atmospheric pressure photochemical ionization mass spectra of binary organic solutions of a small set of the analytes (dibutyl ether, propyl acetate, amyl acetate) in the same solvent (acetone) in the vapor phase and in a nitrogen flow without their separation in dependence on the analyte concentration in the solution and in nitrogen. The study was carried out using a custom-made time-of-flight mass spectrometer combined with a custom-made atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPhI) ion source coupled to an exponential dilution flask. Solvent vapor concentration in the nitrogen flow was 10^–1–10^–4%. Analyte concentration in the same flow was 10^–3–10^–6%. Exponential dilution was carried out using a heated exponential dilution flask with a magnetic stirrer. The temperature of the flask, glass transfer line to the APPhI ion source, and of the ion source itself was 80°С. It was shown that, at the initial acetone and analyte concentrations in nitrogen equal to 10^–1 and 10^–3%, respectively, mass spectra of the solution vapors contained peaks of ions, such as [M–H]⁺, M^•+, [M + H]⁺, [2M + H]⁺, [M + Mа^• + H]⁺, [Mа + H]⁺, and [2Mа + H]⁺. When acetone and analyte concentrations in nitrogen were equal to 10^–3 and 10^–6%, respectively, mass spectra of each analyte revealed mainly peaks of the [M–H]⁺ ion for dibutyl ether and amyl acetate and peaks of [2M + H]⁺ and M^•+ ions for propyl acetate.