Development of a fiber-in-tube microextraction protocol for gas chromatography-electron capture detection of hexachlorocyclohexanes in water samples

A fiber-in-tube microextraction protocol was developed and coupled with gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) for determination of trace hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in water samples. The developed technique was performed by immersing a PTFE fiber-packed and organic solvent-filled PTFE tube in the stirred aqueous solution. Extraction took place between the solvent permeated fibers and sample solution. The extract was then analyzed by GC-ECD. The effects of fiber quantity, extraction time, agitation, addition of salt and pH of sample solution were investigated in detail. Extraction of the analytes in 8 ml aqueous solution for 20 min yielded enrichment factors of 221-538. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) and the limits of quantitation (S/N = 8) were 2-12 ng l⁻¹ and 6-32 ng l⁻¹, respectively. The precision (R.S.D.s, n = 5) was 0.1% for retention time and 1.8-4.8% for peak height. The developed methodology was applied to the determination of trace HCHs in local river water samples.     

Fiber-in-tube solid-phase microextraction: a fibrous rigid-rod heterocyclic polymer as the extraction medium

A novel “fiber-in-tube” configuration has been applied to the extraction tube of solid phase microextraction (SPME), and the direct coupling of the extraction process to liquid chromatography (LC) has been accomplished for the analysis of n-butylphthalate in wastewater. By using this fiber-in-tube SPME/LC system the preconcentration factor for the phthalate was about 160 with 20 min extraction and no interference peak was observed in the chromatogram. The results also showed the potential applications of this fiber-in-tube SPME/LC for the analysis of sub-ppb level (i.e., lower than 1 ng/mL) of various organic analytes in aqueous sample matrix without a large solvent consumption during the preconcentration process.     

Development of an extraction and cleanup procedure for a liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric method to analyze octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine in eggs

An efficient sample extraction and cleanup method was developed for determination of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) in eggs. The procedure included solvent extraction of HMX from eggs followed by cleanup using florisil and styrene-divinylbenzene (SDB) cartridges. Homogenized egg aliquots were thoroughly mixed with 10 mL acetonitrile and extracted with ultrasonication for 1 h. Each sample was centrifuged and all liquid was collected for cleanup. After concentration by N₂ evaporation, each extract was cleaned by florisil and SDB cartridges to remove endogenous interfering compounds. Finally, each extract was filtered through a 0.2 μm PTFE membrane and stored for liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric (LC-MS) analysis. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a reverse phase (RP) C18 column, with a mobile phase containing 60% methanol + 40% 1.0 mM acetic acid aqueous solution. Acetic acid was employed as mobile phase additive to form negatively charged adduct ions [M + CH₃COO]⁻, and m/z = 355 was quantified by selective ion monitoring (SIM). Overall recoveries from eggs containing 10, 50, 250 and 1000 ng/g of HMX were 84.0%, 88.0%, 90.6% and 87.4%. A method detection limit (MDL) of 0.15 ng/g was achieved.     

Study of [EMim][ESO4] ionic liquid as solvent in the liquid-liquid extraction of xylenes from their mixtures with hexane

The aim of this work is to determine if the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate is a good solvent for the separation of xylenes and hexane by liquid extraction. With this purpose, liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data for the ternary systems {hexane + o-xylene, or m-xylene, or p-xylene + 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate} were determined at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. Selectivity and solute distribution ratio, derived from the experimental equilibrium data, were calculated and used to determine if this ionic liquid can be used as a potential solvent for the extraction of xylenes from their mixtures with hexane. The experimental LLE data for the ternary systems were correlated using the NRTL and UNIQUAC models.     

Development of a new microextraction method based on a dynamic single drop in a narrow-bore tube: application in extraction and preconcentration of some organic pollutants in well water and grape juice samples

A novel sample preparation technique, the microextraction method based on a dynamic single drop in a narrow-bore tube, coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) is presented in this paper. The most important features of this method are simplicity and high enrichment factors. In this method, a microdrop of an extraction solvent assisted by an air bubble was repeatedly passed through a narrow-bore closed end tube containing aqueous sample. It has been successfully used for the analysis of some pesticides as model analytes in aqueous samples. Parameters affecting the method's performance such as selection of extraction solvent type and volume, number of extractions, volume of aqueous sample (tube length), and salt effect were studied and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors (EFs) for triazole pesticides were in the range of 141-214 and the limits of detection (LODs) were between 2 and 112 μg L⁻¹. The relative standard deviations (C = 1000 μg L⁻¹, n = 6) were obtained in the range of 2.9-4.5%. The recoveries obtained for the spiked well water and grape juice samples were between 71 and 106%. Low cost, relatively short sample preparation time and less solvent consumption are other advantages of the proposed method.     

On-line coupling of counter-current chromatography and macroporous resin chromatography for continuous isolation of arctiin from the fruit of Arctium lappa L.

In this work, we have developed a novel hybrid two-dimensional counter-current chromatography and liquid chromatography (2D CCC × LC) system for the continuous purification of arctiin from crude extract of Arctium lappa. The first dimensional CCC column has been designed to fractionalize crude complex extract into pure arctiin effluent using a one-component organic/salt-containing system, and the second dimensional LC column has been packed with macroporous resin for on-line adsorption, desalination and desorption of arctiin which was effluent purified from the first CCC dimension. Thus, the crude arctiin mixture has been purified efficiently and conveniently by on-line CCC × LC in spite of the use of a salt-containing solvent system in CCC separation. As a result, high purity (more than 97%) of arctiin has been isolated by repeated injections both using the ethyl acetate–8% sodium chloride aqueous solution and butanol–1% sodium chloride aqueous solution. By contrast with the traditional CCC processes using multi-component organic/aqueous solvent systems, the present on-line CCC × LC process only used a one-component organic solvent and thus the solvent is easier to recover and regenerate. All of used solvents such as ethyl acetate, n-butanol and NaCl aqueous solution are low toxicity and environment-friendly. Moreover, the lower phase of salt-containing aqueous solution used as mobile phase, only contained minor organic solvent, which will save much organic solvent in continuous separation. In summary, our results indicated that the on-line hybrid 2D CCC × LC system using one-component organic/salt-containing aqueous solution is very promising and powerful tool for high-throughput purification of arctiin from fruits of A. lappa.     

Air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction method as a novel microextraction technique; Application in extraction and preconcentration of phthalate esters in aqueous sample followed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection

A novel microextraction technique, air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction (AALLME), which is a new version of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) method has been developed for extraction and preconcentration of phthalate esters, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), from aqueous samples prior to gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) analysis. In this method, much less volume of an organic solvent is used as extraction solvent in the absence of a disperser solvent. Fine organic droplets were formed by sucking and injecting of the mixture of aqueous sample solution and extraction solvent with a syringe for several times in a conical test tube. After extraction, phase separation was performed by centrifugation and the enriched analytes in the sedimented phase were determined by GC–FID. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method showed low limits of detection and quantification between 0.12–1.15 and 0.85–4 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Enrichment factors (EFs) and extraction recoveries (ERs) were in the ranges of 889–1022 and 89–102%, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the extraction of 100 ng mL⁻¹ and 500 ng mL⁻¹ of each phthalate ester were less than 4% for intra-day (n = 6) and inter-days (n = 4) precision. Finally some aqueous samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and three analytes, DIBP, DNBP and DEHP, were determined in them at ng mL⁻¹ level.     

Reversed-phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with central composite design optimization for preconcentration and HPLC determination of oleuropein

A reversed-phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (RP-DLLME) method was developed for the preconcentration and direct HPLC determination of oleuropein in olive's processing wastewater (OPW) and olive leaves extracts. In conventional DLLME, the sedimented phase is a micro-drop of a chlorinated organic solvent that is not compatible with RP-HPLC. Therefore, solvent evaporation and reconstitution with an appropriate solvent is often required. In RP-DLLME, this problem was overcome by overturning the solvent polarity in the ordinary DLLME and replacing the organic solvent with water. A central composite chemometrics design was used for multivariate optimization of the effects of five different parameters influencing the extraction efficiency of the method. In the optimized conditions, a mixture of 1.4 mL of an ethyl acetate extract of sample and 40 μL water (pH 5.0) was rapidly injected into 5.3 mL of cyclohexane. After centrifugation of the formed cloudy mixture, a micro-drop of the aqueous phase was sedimented at the conical bottom of the centrifuge tube. This phase, that contained the preconcentrated and partially purified analyte, was directly injected into an RP-HPLC column for analysis. A mean extraction recovery of 102.5 (±4.5) % with enrichment factors exceeding 38, was obtained for five replicated analysis. The detection limit of the method (3σ) for OE was 0.02 μg L⁻¹ for OPW and 2 × 10⁻³ mg kg⁻¹ for olive leaves samples. The results showed that, RP-DLLME is a promising technique which is quick, easily operated and can be directly coupled to HPLC.     

Application of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and spectrophotometric detection to the rapid determination of rhodamine 6G in industrial effluents

A rapid and effective preconcentration method for extraction of rhodamine 6G was developed by using a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) prior to UV-vis spectrophotometry. In this extraction method, a suitable mixture of acetone (disperser solvent) and chloroform (extractant solvent) was injected rapidly into a conical test tube containing aqueous solution of rhodamine 6G. Therefore, a cloudy solution was formed. After centrifugation of the cloudy solution, sedimented phase was evaporated, reconstituted with methanol and measured by UV-vis spectrophotometry. Different operating variables such as type and volume of extractant solvent, type and volume of disperser solvent, pH of the sample solution, salt concentration and extraction time were investigated. The optimized conditions (extractant solvent: 300 μL of chloroform, disperser solvent: 3 mL of acetone, pH: 8 and without salt addition) resulted in a linear calibration graph in the range of 5-900 ng mL⁻¹ of rhodamine 6G in initial solution with R² = 0.9988 (n = 5). The Limits of detection and quantification were 2.39 and 7.97 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The relative standard deviation for 50 and 250 ng mL⁻¹ of rhodamine 6G in water were 2.88% and 1.47% (n = 5), respectively. Finally, the DLLME method was applied for determination of rhodamine 6G in different industrial waste waters.     

Online determination of copper in aluminum alloy by microchip solvent extraction using isotope dilution ICP-MS method

Isotope dilution mass spectroscopy (IDMS)/ICP-MS combined with microchip solvent extraction was successfully applied for the online determination of copper in an aluminum alloy. The microchip solvent extraction was developed for the separation of Cu from major element, and optimal pH range was wider than that of the batchwise extraction method. The dimensions of the microchip were 30 mm × 70 mm and that of micro-channel on the microchip was 180 μm wide and 40 μm deep. The copper complex with 8-hydroxyquinoline was extracted into o-xylene at pH 5.5 and back extracted with 0.1 mol l⁻¹ nitric acid at flow rate of 20 μl min⁻¹. The total extraction efficiency (water/organic solvent/nitric acid) was around 40%. IDMS/ICP-MS was coupled with solvent extraction for precise determination of Cu. The extraction and back-extraction on the microchip took about 1 s and the total measurement time for the IDMS/ICP-MS was about 40 s/sample. The blank value of this method was 0.1 ng g⁻¹. The proposed method was used for the determination of Cu in Al standard materials (JSAC 0121-C, The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry and 7074 Al alloy, Nippon Light Metal Co. Ltd.). The obtained analytical results are in good agreement with the certified values.     

Miniaturized fiber-in-tube solid-phase extraction as the sample preconcentration method for microcolumn liquid-phase separations

Miniaturized fiber-in-tube solid-phase extraction (fiber-in-tube SPE) has been developed as a solventless sample preconcentration technique for microcolumn liquid-phase separation methods. Short capillaries packed with polymer filaments were employed as the extraction tube and the preconcentration power for phthalates in aqueous solutions was studied. On the basis of the successful on-line coupling of this preconcentration method with liquid chromatography (LC), a more miniaturized extraction cartridge, which is installed in the rotor of the micro-injector, has been developed. With a modified commercially available valve, on-line coupling of this sample preconcentration method to capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was also investigated.     

Examination of n=2 reaction mechanisms that reproduce pH-dependent reduction potentials

This work describes a new sampling method termed directly suspended droplet microextraction (DSDME) was developed. In this technique a free microdroplet of solvent is delivered to the surface of an immiscible aqueous sample while being agitated by a stirring bar placed on the bottom of the sample cell. After some time, the microdroplet of solvent is withdrawn by a syringe and analyzed. Under the proper stirring conditions, the suspended droplet can remain in a top-center position of the aqueous sample. The droplet can become partly engulfed within the sample while maintaining a stable shape with mechanical equilibrium and the mass transfer could be effectively intensified. Using 1,8-dioxyanthraquinone as a model compound and 1-octanol as the solvent, the extraction performance was investigated using HPLC. Since DSDME is based on a self-stable single microdroplet system, there are no requirements for special equipment or other supporting material like hollow fibers. Other advantages include ease of operation, free from cross contamination, quick to reach extraction equilibrium, and the ability to be combined with various analysis instruments. In our experiments, good linearity (r² = 0.9992) and precision (R.S.D. < 1%, n = 5) were achieved. DSDME is a promising pre-treatment method for the fast analysis of trace components in complicated matrices.     

A high-throughput approach for the determination of pesticide residues in cucumber samples using solid-phase microextraction on 96-well plate

A high-throughput solid-phase microextraction (SPME) on 96-well plate together with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was developed for the determination of some selected pesticides in cucumber samples. Pieces with the length of 1.0 cm of silicon tubing were precisely prepared and then coated on the end part of stainless steel wires. The prepared fibers were positioned in a home-made polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based constructed ninety-six holes block to have the possibility of simultaneous immersion of the SPME fibers into the center of individual wells. Pesticides such as diazinon, penconazol, tebuconazol, bitertanol, malathion, phosalone and chlorpyrifos-methyl were selected for their highly application in cucumber field. The performances of the SPME fibers, such as intra and inter-fibers reproducibility, were evaluated and the results showed a good similarity in extraction yields. A volume of 1 mL of the aquatic supernatant of the cucumber samples was transferred into the 96-well plate and the array of SPME fibers was applied for the extraction of the selected pesticides. The important parameters influencing the whole extraction process including, organic solvent percent, salt addition, dilution factor, stirring rate and extraction time were optimized. The inter- and intra-day RSD% were found to be less than 15.4%. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were below 60 and 180 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The coefficient of determination was satisfactory (r² > 0.99) for all the studied analytes. The developed method was successfully applied to the monitoring of several samples gathered from local markets.     

Determination of 3-nitroaniline in water samples by directly suspended droplet three-phase liquid-phase microextraction using 18-crown-6 ether and high-performance liquid chromatography

Liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction (LLLME) with directly suspended droplet in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been applied as a new, rapid and easy method for the determination of 3-nitroaniline in environmental water samples. The target compound was extracted from the aqueous sample solution (donor phase, pH 13) into an organic phase and then was back-extracted into a directly suspended droplet of an acidic aqueous solution (acceptor phase, pH 0.3). In this method, without using a microsyringe as supporting device, an aqueous large droplet is freely suspended at the top-center position of an immiscible organic solvent, which is laid over the aqueous sample solution while being agitated. Then, the droplet was withdrawn into the microsyringe and directly was injected into the HPLC system with UV detection at 227 nm. Up to 148-fold enrichment of the analyte could be obtained under the optimal conditions [i.e. donor phase: 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution (4.5 mL); organic phase: o-xylene/1-octanol (90:10, v/v; 250 μL); acceptor phase: 0.5 M hydrochloric acid and 500 mM 18-crown-6 ether (6 μL); extraction time: 60 s; back-extraction time: 6 min and stirring rate: 600 rpm]. The limit of detection was 1 μg/L (n = 7) and the relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 5) was 4.9 at S/N = 3. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 5–1500 μg/L with r = 0.9983. All experiments were carried out at room temperature (22 ± 0.5 °C).     

Determination of haloethers in water with dynamic hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction using GC-FID and GC-ECD

Dynamic hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) coupled with gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and GC-electron capture detecion (GC-ECD) was used for quantification of toxic haloethers in lake water. The analytes were extracted from 5 ml of aqueous sample using 4 μl of organic solvent through a porous polypropylene hollow fiber. The effects on extraction performance of solvent selection, agitation rate, extraction time, extraction temperature, concentration of salt added and volumes of solvent for extraction and injection were optimized. The proposed method provided a good average enrichment factor of up to 231-fold, reasonable reproducibility ranging from 9 to 12% (n = 3), and good linearity (R² ≧ 0.9973) for spiked water samples. Method detection limits (MDLs) ranged from 0.55 to 4.30 μg/l for FID and 0.11-0.34 μg/l for ECD (n = 7).     

Determination of gaseous carbonyl compounds by their pentafluorophenyl hydrazones with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A sensitive and reliable method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 20 airborne carbonyl compounds in the C₁-C₁₀ range. The carbonyls were collected onto solid sorbent coated with pentafluorophenyl hydrazine (PFPH), followed by solvent extraction and gas chromatographic (GC)/mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of the PFPH derivatives. The sorbent is packed into two separate sections in a glass sampling tube. The two-section design allows convenient checking of collection efficiency and breakthrough. The sampling tube, with a coating amount of 971 nmol PFPH per 100 mg Tenax TA and operated at a sampling flow rate of 80 mL min⁻¹, collects the 20 carbonyls with efficiencies above 95%. Hexane extracts the collected carbonyls in their PFPH derivatives in the sampling tube with better than 95% extraction efficiency. It is necessary to let the sampling tube sit at ambient temperature for 3 days before solvent extraction to ensure complete derivatization of the carbonyls. The limits of detection (LODs) of the tested carbonyls are in the range of 3.7-11.6 ng per sample. The method has been field-tested both in ambient environment and in an indoor environment from burning mosquito-repellent incense. Eighteen carbonyls were detected in the ambient air samples with the exception of o-tolualdehyde and m-tolualdehyde, while all the 20 target carbonyls were found in the incense smoke. Compare field test with classical DNPH-HPLC/UV method, good agreement exited between the two methods for lower molecular carbonyls but PFPH method is found to be a better analytical method for determination of high molecular weight carbonyls.     

Excess and deviation properties for the binary mixtures of methylcyclohexane with benzene, toluene, p-xylene, mesitylene, and anisole at T = (298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K

Experimental data on density, viscosity, and refractive index at T = (298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K, while speed of sound values at T = 298.15 K are presented for the binary mixtures of (methylcyclohexane + benzene), methylbenzene (toluene), 1,4-dimethylbenzene (p-xylene), 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (mesitylene), and methoxybenzene (anisole). From these data of density, viscosity, and refractive index, the excess molar volume, the deviations in viscosity, molar refraction, speed of sound, and isentropic compressibility have been calculated. The computed values have been fitted to Redlich-Kister polynomial equation to derive the coefficients and estimate the standard errors. Variations in the calculated excess quantities for these mixtures have been studied in terms of molecular interactions between the component liquids and the effects of methyl and methoxy group substitution on benzene ring.     

Determination of phenylurea herbicides in aqueous samples using partitioned dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction

Partitioned dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (PDLLME), using THF as the dispersive solvent and dichloromethane as the extraction solvent, was utilized to isolate and concentrate phenylurea herbicides (PUHs) from aqueous samples. In PDLLME, a dispersive solvent should be able to partition in the organic extractant droplets to effectively extract the polar organic compounds from aqueous samples. The mixture of the water-immiscible extractant and the partitioned dispersive solvent was obtained by centrifugation, dried under low pressure, reconstituted in methanol-water mixture (1:1), and injected into a HPLC system for the determination of PUHs. The enrichment factors of the PUHs ranged from 68 to 126 under the optimal conditions. The linear range was 0.5-100 ng ml⁻¹ for each analyte, the relative standard deviations of PUHs were in the range of 1.5-5.9% (n = 5), and the detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) ranged from 0.10 to 0.28 ng ml⁻¹ for the herbicides. The range of intraday precision (n = 5) for PUHs at the levels of 0.5, 5, and 50 ng ml⁻¹ were 3.0-5.9%, 1.8-3.3%, and 2.2-3.6%, respectively. The range of interday precision (n = 5) at 0.5, 5, and 50 ng ml⁻¹ were 0.4-1.8%, 1.2-2.4%, and 0.9-2.3%, respectively. The recoveries of PUHs from three spiked river water samples, at a level of 10 ng ml⁻¹, were 91.2-104.1%. Due to its rapidity, ease of operation, and high recovery, PDLLME can be utilized to isolate and concentrate organic environmental contaminants such as PUHs from aqueous samples.     

A green deep eutectic solvent-based aqueous two-phase system for protein extracting

As a new type of green solvent, deep eutectic solvent (DES) has been applied for the extraction of proteins with an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) in this work. Four kinds of choline chloride (ChCl)-based DESs were synthesized to extract bovine serum albumin (BSA), and ChCl-glycerol was selected as the suitable extraction solvent. Single factor experiments have been done to investigate the effects of the extraction process, including the amount of DES, the concentration of salt, the mass of protein, the shaking time, the temperature and PH value. Experimental results show 98.16% of the BSA could be extracted into the DES-rich phase in a single-step extraction under the optimized conditions. A high extraction efficiency of 94.36% was achieved, while the conditions were applied to the extraction of trypsin (Try). Precision, repeatability and stability experiments were studied and the relative standard deviations (RSD) of the extraction efficiency were 0.4246% (n = 3), 1.6057% (n = 3) and 1.6132% (n = 3), respectively. Conformation of BSA was not changed during the extraction process according to the investigation of UV–vis spectra, FT-IR spectra and CD spectra of BSA. The conductivity, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to explore the mechanism of the extraction. It turned out that the formation of DES–protein aggregates play a significant role in the separation process. All the results suggest that ChCl-based DES-ATPS are supposed to have the potential to provide new possibilities in the separation of proteins.     

Continuous determination of total flavonoids in Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco by dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line derivatization and ultraviolet-visible detection

This paper describes a new method for the determination of total flavonoids in Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco. The method was based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction (DMAE) coupled with on-line derivatization and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) detection. The influence of the experimental conditions was tested. Maximum extraction yield was achieved using 80% aqueous methanol of extraction solvent; 80 W of microwave output power; 5 min of extraction time; 1.0 mL min⁻¹ of extraction solvent flow rate. The derivatization reaction between aluminium chloride and flavonoid is one of the most sensitive and selective reactions for total flavonoids determination. The optimized derivatization conditions are as follows: derivatization reagent 1.5% aluminium chloride methanol solution; reaction coil length 100 cm; derivatization reagent flow rate 1.5 mL min⁻¹. The detection and quantification limits obtained are 0.28 and 0.92 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (R.S.D.) obtained are 1.5% and 4.6%, respectively. Mean recovery is 98.5%. This method was successfully applied to the determination of total flavonoids in P. orientalis (L.) Franco and compared with heat reflux extraction. The results showed that the higher extraction yield of total flavonoids was obtained by DMAE with shorter extraction time (5 min) and small quantity of extraction solvent (5 mL).