Sodium dodecyl sulfate sensitized switchable solvent liquid‐phase microextraction for the preconcentration of protoberberine alkaloids in Rhizoma coptidis

A sodium dodecyl sulfate sensitized switchable solvent liquid‐phase microextraction method was developed and applied to the preconcentration of active alkaloids in Rhizoma coptidis followed by high performance liquid chromatography determination. Before extraction, nonionic triethylamine was converted to its cationic form in the presence of carbon dioxide. Then, the ionic solvent carrying target analytes was once more reverted to its nonionic form by adding sodium hydroxide, as well as phase separation and analytes enrichment were realized simultaneously. Several parameters affecting the approach, such as concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate, extraction solvent volume, sodium hydroxide concentration, sample phase pH, injection solvent type, and extraction time, were investigated and optimized. The possible microextraction mechanism of double micelle supramolecular inclusion was explored. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors of four protoberberine alkaloids were from 101.8 to 152.0. The linear ranges (with r² ≥ 0.990) were 0.032–4.23, 0.031–4.33, 0.0026–10.04, and 0.0013–4.13 μg/mL for epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, and berberine, respectively. The detection limits were in the range of 0.16–0.32 ng/mL. Satisfactory accuracies (recoveries 98.8–104.6%) and precisions (RSDs 1.9–10.9%) were also obtained. The results showed that the approach is rapid, effective, eco‐friendly, and easy‐to‐handle for the enrichment and detection of active alkaloids in Rhizoma coptidis.     

Rapid and cost‐effective method for the simultaneous quantification of seven alkaloids in Corydalis decumbens by microwave‐assisted extraction and capillary electrophoresis

A rapid and cost‐effective method based on microwave‐assisted extraction followed by capillary electrophoresis was developed for simultaneous quantification of seven alkaloids in Corydalis decumbens for the first time. The main parameters affecting microwave‐assisted extraction and capillary electrophoresis separation were investigated and optimized. The optimal microwave‐assisted extraction was performed at 40°C for 5 min using methanol/water (90:10, v/v) as the extracting solvent. Electrophoretic separation was achieved within 15 min using an uncoated fused‐silica capillary (50 μm internal diameter and 27.7 cm effective length) and a 500 mM Tris buffer containing 45% v/v methanol (titrated to pH^* 2.86 with H₃PO₄). The developed method was successfully applied to the quantification of seven alkaloids in Corydalis decumbens obtained from different regions of China. The combination of microwave‐assisted extraction with capillary electrophoresis was an effective method for the rapid analysis of the alkaloids in Corydalis decumbens .     

Simultaneous determination of 13 carbohydrates using high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and mass spectrometry

A simple, accurate, and highly sensitive method was developed for the determination of 13 carbohydrates in polysaccharide of Spirulina platensis based on high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and mass spectrometry. Samples were extracted with deionized water using ultrasonic‐assisted extraction, and the ultrasound‐assisted extraction conditions were optimized by Box–Behnken design. Then the extracted polysaccharide was hydrolyzed by adding 1 mol/L trifluoroacetic acid before determination by high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and confirmed by high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection method was performed on a CarboPac PA20 column by gradient elution using deionized water, 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution, and 0.4 mol/L sodium acetate solution. Excellent linearity was observed in the range of 0.05–10 mg/L. The average recoveries ranged from 80.7 to 121.7%. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for 13 carbohydrates were 0.02–0.10 and 0.2–1.2  μg/kg, respectively. The developed method has been successfully applied to ambient samples, and the results indicated that high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and mass spectrometry could provide a rapid and accurate method for the simultaneous determination of carbohydrates.     

One-pot synthesis of magnetic sulfonated covalent organic polymer for extraction of protoberberine alkaloids in herbs and human plasma

A novel magnetic sulfonated covalent organic polymer was prepared for magnetic solid-phase extraction of protoberberine alkaloids. The magnetic sulfonated covalent organic polymer was rapidly synthesized under mild conditions. The physicochemical properties of the prepared materials were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Several extraction parameters were systematically investigated, including desorption time, pH of sample solution, acetonitrile content, acetic acid content in the eluent, extraction time, and sample volume. By coupling magnetic solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography, an efficient and sensitive method for the extraction and determination of protoberberine alkaloids in complex samples was developed. The proposed method showed great linearity (r > 0.9989), low limits of detection (0.2–0.3 ng/ml), and high precision (relative standard deviations ≤ 5.74%). The proposed method was further applied to the analysis of protoberberine alkaloids in Cortex phellodendri and human plasma samples. The recoveries were 91.50%–110.31% with relative standard deviations less than 6.63% in Cortex phellodendri and 96.12%–111.20% with relative standard deviations lower than 5.56% in plasma samples.     

Boron nitride nanosheet-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction of alkaloids from lotus plumule by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS)-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion method was established to microextract alkaloids from medicinal plants. The target compounds were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. During the experimental process, several important parameters, including the type of dispersant, the amount of dispersant, the grinding time, and the type of elution solvent, were optimized. Finally, the BNNSs were chosen as the best dispersant, and their microcosmic morphologies were identified by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Because of the special property of BNNSs, the cost of this experiment was greatly reduced, especially in elution volume, sample amount (50 mg), and extraction time (2 min). Under the best conditions, 50 mg of sample powder was dispersed with 50 mg of BNNSs, the grinding time was 120 s, the mixed powder was eluted with 200 μL of methanol, and good linearity (r² > 0.9993) and satisfactory recoveries (80–100%) were obtained. The inter- and intraday precisions were acceptable, with RSDs lower than 2.01 and 4.84%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 2.54 to 15.00 ng/mL, and the limits of quantitation were 8.47 to 50.00 ng/mL. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of liensinine, isoliensinine, and neferine in lotus plumule.     

Quantitation and identity confirmation of residues of quinolones in tilapia fillets by LC-ESI-MS-MS QToF

A method for simultaneous determination of flumequine (FLM), oxolinic acid (OXO), sarafloxacin (SAR), danofloxacin (DAN), enrofloxacin (ENR), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) in tilapia (Orechromis niloticus) fillets, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS QToF) is presented. The quinolones were extracted from the food matrix with a solution of 10% trichloroacetic acid-methanol (80:20 v/v) with ultrasonic assistance. Clean-up of the extract solution was performed by using polymeric solid-phase extraction cartridges. The LC separation was carried out on an octadecyl hybrid silica column (C₁₈, 150 mm × 3 mm, 5 μm). The column temperature was set at 30 °C, and gradient elution (0.2 mL min⁻¹) was performed using water and acetonitrile, both containing 0.1% of acetic acid, as mobile phase components. The analytes were ionized using electrospray in the positive polarity mode. The following analytical results were obtained: linearity was about 0.99 for all the quinolones; intra and inter-assay precision (RSD%) were lower than 12.7 and 20%, respectively; and recoveries were from 89 to 112%. The quantitation limits were below the maximum residue limits established for the analytes. The method is suitable for the determination of quinolone residues in fish fillets and the QToF technique made it possible to obtain m/z ratios with less than 10 ppm of error for each analyte.     

Using magnetic core‐shell nanoparticles coated with an ionic liquid dispersion assisted by effervescence powder for the micro‐solid‐phase extraction of four beta blockers from human plasma by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection

In this work, a novel, efficient, and green sorbent, SiO₂@Fe₃O₄ has been created and functionalized with 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as an ionic liquid. This sorbent was applied for microextraction of four beta blockers, propranolol, metoprolol, atenolol, and alprenolol with bupivacaine as internal standard from human plasma followed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. A mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate was used as an extractant dispersive agent (effervescent power) to enhance the interaction between the magnetic sorbent and analytes. Main affecting parameters on microextraction and elution were optimized. Figures of merit for dispersive solid phase extraction with ionic liquid coated magnetic nanoparticles assisted by effervescent powder were calculated under the optimized conditions. The detection limits for propranolol, metoprolol, atenolol, and alprenolol were found at 0.33, 0.62, 0.03, and 0.44 ng/mL, respectively. For all analytes, good linearity was obtained. Intra‐ (n = 5) and interday (n = 10) precision were both under 6.3% while the preconcentration factors were obtained in the range between 15–18. The extraction efficiencies for each analyte ranged from 75 to 91%. The method was successfully applied for determination of trace amounts of the beta blockers in human plasma samples.     

Direct preparation of a graphene oxide modified monolith in a glass syringe as a solid‐phase extraction cartridge for the extraction of quaternary ammonium alkaloids from Chinese patent medicine

Packed cartridges have been widely used in solid‐phase extraction. However, there are still some drawbacks, such as they are blocked easily and the method is time‐consuming. In view of the advantages of monoliths, a monolithic extraction material has been directly synthesized in a glass syringe without any gap between the monolith and syringe inner wall. The monolithic syringe was modified with graphene oxide by loading graphene oxide dispersion onto it. The content of graphene oxide and the surface topography of the monolith have been evaluated by elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, which confirmed the successful modification. This prepared graphene oxide‐modified monolithic syringe was directly used as a traditional solid‐phase extraction cartridge. As expected, it shows good permeability and excellent capability for the extraction of quaternary ammonium alkaloids. The sample loading velocity (1–6 mL/min) does not affect the recovery. Under the optimal conditions, good linearities (R  = 0.9992–0.9998) were obtained for five quaternary ammonium alkaloids, and the limits of detection and quantification were 0.5‐1 and 1–2 μg/L, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the analysis of quaternary ammonium alkaloids in Chinese patent medicine.     

Molecularly imprinted polymer solid‐phase microextraction coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for rapid analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbal medicine

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are the most widely distributed natural toxins, and pyrrolizidine alkaloid‐containing herbal medicines are probably the most common poisonous plants affecting humans. We reported pyrrolizidine alkaloid‐molecularly imprinted polymer solid‐phase microextraction for the selective adsorption of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids from herbal medicine. A sulfonic compound, sodium allylsulfonate, was chosen as the functional monomer to interact with pyrrolizidine alkaloids through strong ionic interaction. To avoid template leakage and for the aim of cost saving, a relatively cheap dummy template was used for the fabrication of molecularly imprinted polymer‐solid‐phase microextraction fibers. The obtained fibers showed selective adsorption ability for four pyrrolizidine alkaloids, including europine, echimidine, lasiocarpine, and heliotrine. The extraction parameters, such as extraction time, extraction temperature, shaking speed, elution solvent and elution time, were optimized. Then ultra high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry coupled with molecularly imprinted polymer‐solid‐phase microextraction method was developed for the fast and efficient analysis of four pyrrolizidine alkaloids from the model herbal plant Farfarae Flos. The established method was validated and exhibited satisfactory accuracy and precision. The present method provides an innovative and fast analytical strategy for the determination of trace toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in complicated samples.     

Development of a microextraction by packed sorbent with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry method for quantification of nitroexplosives in aqueous and fluidic biological samples

A new method for quantification of 12 nitroaromatic compounds including 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene, its metabolites and 2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl‐N‐methylnitramine with microextraction by packed sorbent followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometric detection in environmental and biological samples is developed. The microextraction device employs 4 mg of C₁₈ silica sorbent inserted into a microvolume syringe for sample preparation. Several parameters capable of influencing the microextraction procedure, namely, number of extraction cycles, washing solvent, volume of washing solvent, elution solvent, volume of eluting solvent and pH of matrix, were optimized. The developed method produced satisfactory results with excellent values of coefficient of determination (R² > 0.9804) within the established calibration range. The extraction yields were satisfactory for all analytes (> 89.32%) for aqueous samples and (> 87.45%) for fluidic biological samples. The limits of detection values lie in the range 14–828 pg/mL.     

Rapid determination of nosiheptide in feed based on dispersive SPE coupled with HPLC

A novel, simple, and reliable method based on high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection has been developed for the determination of nosiheptide in feed. The feed samples were extracted with acetonitrile 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and then purified via a dispersive solid‐phase extraction procedure using silica gel powder as the sorbent. Using a mixture of acetonitrile and 5 mM ammonium acetate solution (containing 0.1% formic acid) as the mobile phase, good separation and peak shape were obtained for nosiheptide on a Poroshell C₈ column (250 × 4.6 mm id, 4 μm) via the isocratic elution program. The resulting calibration curve shows high levels of linearity (r² > 0.999) for nosiheptide concentrations of 50–1000 μg/L. At three spiked levels, i.e., 0.500, 2.50 and 5.00 mg/kg, the intra‐ and interday recoveries of nosiheptide in five types of feed ranged from 78.5–96.8 and 84.9–94.2%, respectively. The intra‐ and interday relative standard deviations were less than 10.8%. The limits of quantification for nosiheptide in complete feed and premixes were measured as 50 and 100 μg/kg, respectively. Compared with other common adsorbents, silica gel presents stronger recovery and purification results for feed samples during the dispersive solid‐phase extraction process.     

Preparation of flower-like molybdenum disulfide for solid-phase extraction of N-nitrosoamines in environmental water samples

In this paper, a flower-like molybdenum disulfide material was prepared by hydrothermal method and was first used as adsorbents in the solid-phase extraction process for enriching N-nitrosoamines. Molybdenum disulfide exhibited three-dimensional petal-like microspheres with about 500 nm in diameter. The relevant analyte extraction and elution parameters (sample volumes, solution pH, washing solvents, elution solvents, and elution volumes) were optimized to improve the solid-phase extraction efficiency. The solid-phase extraction process coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining N-nitrosoamines in environmental water samples was established. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.01–0.05 ng/mL. The satisfactory recoveries (68.9–106.1%) were obtained at three different spiked concentrations (2, 5, and 8 ng/mL) in water samples, and the relative standard deviations were between 1.96 and 8.38%. This proposed method not only showed high sensitivity and good reusability but also provided a new adsorbent for enriching trace N-nitrosoamines in environmental water samples.     

Dispersive admicelle solid‐phase extraction based on sodium dodecyl sulfate coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the selective adsorption of three alkaloids in Gegen‐Qinlian oral liquid before high‐performance liquid chromatography

A novel dispersive admicelle solid‐phase extraction method based on sodium dodecyl sulfate‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was developed for the selective adsorption of berberine, coptisine, and palmatine in Gegen‐Qinlian oral liquid before high‐performance liquid chromatography. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical coprecipitation method and characterized by using transmission electron microscopy. Under acidic conditions, the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was coated with sodium dodecyl sulfate to form a nano‐sized admicelle magnetic sorbent. Owing to electrostatic interaction, the alkaloids were adsorbed onto the oppositely charged admicelle magnetic nanoparticles. The quick separation of the analyte‐adsorbed nanoparticles from the sample solution was performed by using Nd‐Fe‐B magnet. Best extraction efficiency was achieved under the following conditions: 800 μL Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles suspension (20 mg/mL), 150 μL sodium dodecyl sulfate solution (10 mg/mL), pH 2, and vortexing time 2 min for the extraction of alkaloids from 10 mL of diluted sample. Four hundred microliters of methanol was used to desorb the alkaloids by vortexing for 1 min. Satisfactory extraction recoveries were obtained in the range of 85.9–120.3%, relative standard deviations for intra‐ and interday precisions were less than 6.3 and 10.0%, respectively. Finally, the established method was successfully applied to analyze the alkaloids in two batches of Gegen‐Qinlian oral liquids.     

Determination of organophosphorous flame retardants in fish tissues by matrix solid-phase dispersion and gas chromatography

Organophosphate esters (OPEs), utilized as flame retarding agents and/or plasticizers, are almost ubiquitous in environmental compartments, and biota and foods could be contaminated by bioaccumulation or during the treatment processes. A multiresidue method is proposed for the determination of 13 OPEs in fish tissues: analytes were simultaneously extracted and purified using the matrix solid phase dispersion technique and then determined by gas chromatography with nitrogen–phosphorus detection. The main parameters affecting extraction yield and selectivity, such as the type of dispersant material, clean-up co-sorbent, rinse and elution solvents, were evaluated to obtain lipid-free extracts and quantitative recoveries for OPEs. Under optimal conditions, 0.5 g of samples was dispersed with 2 g Florisil and 1 g anhydrous sodium sulphate and transferred to a solid phase extraction cartridge containing 1 g alumina. The lipids were removed using 5 mL n-hexane/dichloromethane (1:1) and analytes were recovered with 10 mL n-hexane/acetone (6:4) and directly analysed. The method developed provided recoveries between 70 and 110% for different kinds of fish, and the day-to-day variability was between 1 and 9%. This procedure constitutes the first analytical method for the analysis of OPEs in a food matrix and it is applicable to analyse a large number of samples to evaluate the occurrence and sources of OPEs in biota and foods.     

Developing a miniaturized setup for in‐tube simultaneous determination of three alkaloids using electromembrane extraction in combination with ultraviolet spectrophotometry

Herein, electromembrane extraction was combined with ultraviolet spectrophotometry using a customized manifold for preconcentration and simultaneous determination of morphine, codeine, and papaverine in water and human urine samples. Absorption spectra of the extracts were recorded inside the lumen of the hollow fiber using two fiber optics connected to a miniature spectrophotometer. Partial least squares regression was applied to resolve the overlapped spectra of the analytes. Performance of the model was validated by an independent test set. Central composite design was applied to optimize the extraction parameters. The optimized extraction conditions are as follows; supporting liquid membrane: 2‐nitrophenyl octyl ether containing 15% v/v bis(2‐ethylhexyl) phosphate, applied voltage: 80 V, donor pH: 3.0, acceptor pH: 1.0, extraction time: 20 min. Finally, the optimized extraction method was validated for determination of the mentioned alkaloids in human urine samples. The method showed good linearity (R² > 0.995) for all of the mentioned alkaloids. The limits of detection for morphine, codeine, and papaverine in diluted human urine were found to be 0.6, 1.1, and 0.6 ng/mL, respectively with acceptable relative standard deviations. Enrichment factors of 104, 108, and 102 were achieved for morphine, codeine, and papaverine, respectively.     

Cetylpyridinium chloride functionalized silica‐coated magnetite microspheres for the solid‐phase extraction and pre‐concentration of ochratoxin A from environmental water samples with high‐performance liquid chromatographic analysis

A new method based on cetylpyridinium chloride coated ferroferric oxide/silica magnetic microspheres as an efficient solid‐phase adsorbent was developed for the extraction and enrichment of ochratoxin A. The determination of ochratoxin A was obtained by high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. In the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride, the adsorption capacity of ferroferric oxide/silica microspheres was 5.95 mg/g for ochratoxin A. The experimental parameters were optimized, including the amounts of ferroferric oxide/silica microspheres (20 mg) and cetylpyridinium chloride (0.18 mL, 0.5 mg/mL), pH value of media (9), ultrasonic time (5 min), elution solvent and volume [2(1 + 1) mL (washed twice, 1 mL each time) 1% acetic acid acetonitrile]. Under optimal experiment conditions, ochratoxin A had good linearity in the range of 2.5–250.0 ng/L in water samples with correlation coefficient of the calibration curve 0.9995. The limit of detection for ochratoxin A was 0.83 ng/L, and the recoveries were 89.8–96.8% with the relative standard deviation of 1.5–3.5% in environmental water samples. Furthermore, ferroferric oxide/silica microspheres show excellent reusability during extraction procedures for no less than six times.     

Solid‐phase extraction using chloropropyl functionalized sol–gel hybrid sorbent for simultaneous determination of organophosphorus pesticides in selected fruit samples

A new sol–gel hybrid methyltrimethoxysilane‐chloropropyltriethoxysilane was prepared as sorbent for solid‐phase extraction. The extraction efficiency of the prepared sol–gel hybrid methyltrimethoxysilane‐chloropropyltriethoxysilane was assessed by using three selected organophosphorus pesticides, namely, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, and malathion. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used for detection of organophosphorus pesticides. Several vital parameters were optimized to identify the best extraction conditions. Under the optimum extraction conditions, solid‐phase extraction‐methyltrimethoxysilane‐chloropropyltriethoxysilane method showed good linearity range (0.05‐1 μg/mL) with coefficient of determination more than 0.995. The limits of detection obtained were in the range of 0.01–0.07 μg/mL and limits of quantification ranging from 0.03 to 0.21 μg/mL. The limits of detection obtained for the developed method were 2.3–6.5× lower than the limits of detection of commercial octadecyl silica sorbent. Real samples analysis was carried out by applying the developed method on red apple and purple grape samples. The developed method exhibited good recoveries (88.33–120.7%) with low relative standard deviations ranging from 1.6 to 3.3% compared to commercial octadecyl silica sorbent, which showed acceptable recoveries (70.3–100.2%) and relative standard deviations (6.3–8.8%). The solid‐phase extraction‐methyltrimethoxysilane‐chloropropyltriethoxysilane method is presented as an alternative extraction method for determination of organophosphorus pesticides.     

Primary secondary amine as a sorbent material in dispersive solid‐phase extraction clean‐up for the determination of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental water samples by gas chromatography with electron capture detection

A simple, rapid, and novel method has been developed and validated for determination of seven indicator polychlorinated biphenyls in water samples by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. 1 L of water samples containing 30 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate was first liquid–liquid extracted with an automated Jipad‐6XB vertical oscillator using n‐hexane/dichloromethane (1:1, v/v). The concentrated extract was cleaned up by dispersive solid‐phase extraction with 100 mg of primary secondary amine as sorbent material. The linearity of this method ranged from 1.25 to 100 μg/L, with regression coefficients ranging between 0.9994 and 0.9999. The limits of detection were in the ng/L level, ranging between 0.2 and 0.3 ng/L. The recoveries of seven spiked polychlorinated biphenyls with external calibration method at different concentration levels in tap water, lake water, and sea water were in the ranges of 85–112, 76–116, and 72–108%, respectively, and with relative standard deviations of 3.3–4.5, 3.4–5.6, and 3.1–4.8% (n =  5), respectively. The performance of the proposed method was compared with traditional liquid–liquid extraction and solid‐phase extraction clean‐up methods, and comparable efficiencies were obtained. It is concluded that this method can be successfully applied for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in different water samples.     

High-performance liquid chromatography quantitative analysis of ephedrine alkaloids in Ephedrae Herba on a perfluorooctyl stationary phase

Ephedrae Herba is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines, and it has been shown that most of the clinical efficacy for cold and asthma is exerted by its alkaloidal components. A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed using a perfluorooctyl column for the simultaneous determination of five alkaloids (norephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and methylephedrine) in Ephedrae Herba. The mobile phase comprising acetonitrile and 15 mM ammonium trifluoroacetate was used to elute the targets in isocratic elution mode. The method was validated for linearity (R² > 0.999), repeatability, intraday and interday precision, recoveries with trueness (93.87–110.99%), limits of detection (5.35–5.76 µg/mL), and limits of quantification (20 µg/mL). The quantitative results revealed that the developed method was precise and accurate. Then it was successfully applied to determine the difference in the contents of three batches of Ephedrae Herba from three pharmaceutical companies.     

Response surface optimization for determination of pesticide residues in grapes using MSPD and GC-MS: assessment of global uncertainty

In this work, a simple and low-cost method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) and gas chromatography to determine eight multi-class pesticides such as vinclozolin, dichlofluanid, penconazol, captan, quinoxyfen, fluquinconazol, boscalid, and pyraclostrobin in grapes is described. Fungicide residues were identified and quantified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode (GC-MS, SIM). The experimental variables that affect the MSPD method, such as the amount of solid phase, solvent nature and elution volume were optimized using an experimental design. The best results were obtained using 0.5 g of grapes, 1.0 g of silica as clean-up sorbent, 1.50 g of C₁₈ as bonded phase and 10 mL of dichloromethane/ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v) as eluting solvent. Significant matrix effects observed for most of the pesticides tested were eliminated using matrix-matched standards. The pesticide recoveries in grapes samples were better than 80% except for captan. Intra-laboratory precision in terms of Horwitz ratio of the pesticides evaluated was below 0.5, suggesting ruggedness of the method. The quantification limits of the pesticides were in the range of 3.4–8.7 μg kg⁻¹, which were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of the pesticides in grapes samples established by the European legislation. Decision limits (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) have been calculated. The expanded uncertainties at two levels of concentration were <20% for all analytes.