Application of surfactants and microemulsions to the extraction of pyrene and phenanthrene from soil with three different extraction methods

In the present work, the use of surfactants and oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions as alternative extractants in accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pyrene and phenanthrene) from soils was investigated. In particular, the effect of each individual component within the microemulsions, i.e., oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactatnt, and extraction conditions on the percentage recovery was systematically studied. When compared to the water and organic solvent, the important findings were that the common surfactant solutions at the concentrations above their critical micelle concentrations (CMC) were shown to enhance the percentage recovery at the lower extraction temperature. Moreover, the highest percentage recovery can be obtained using microemulsion as the extractant. The chemical component within the microemulsions and relative amounts of the oil phase appeared to play a much more significant role in ensuring high percentage recovery. Finally, an overall comparison between the percentage recoveries obtained with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ASE using organic solvents, surfactants and microemulsions as extractants was exhibited.     

Arsenic extraction in marine biological materials using pressurised liquid extraction

A pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) procedure, by using methanol/water mixture, was developed for extracting arsenical species from marine biological material (mussel and fish) and standard reference materials (CRMs). A Plackett-Burman 2⁸ × 3/64 designs (PBD) was used as a multivariate strategy for the evaluation of the effects of several variables (MeOH/H₂O solvent mixture, temperature, static time, extraction steps, pressure, mean particle size and diatomaceous earth (DE) mass/sample mass ratio) on the extracting procedure. Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was used to determine the total As concentration on the methanolic extracts. The accuracy of the optimised extraction procedure was verified by analysing several CRMs (GBW-08751, BCR-278R and DORM-2). The precision obtained (between 4.5 and 6.2%) was adequate. The extracted arsenic species (mainly arsenobetaine (AsB)) were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet cracking and hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-UV-HG-AFS). The analytical performances obtained were adequate for the arsenic speciation in marine biological samples; LOD between 10 and 35 ng g⁻¹. The accuracy was verified for AsB using DORM-2. Finally, the proposed method (PLE followed by HPLC-UV-HG-AFS) was applied to mussel and fish samples.     

Focused ultrasound solid-liquid extraction and selective pressurised liquid extraction to determine bisphenol A and alkylphenols in sewage sludge by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new method for determining endocrine disrupter compounds (EDCs) in sewage sludge is described in this paper. EDCs studied were bisphenol A (BPA) and alkylphenols (APs). In order to obtain a fast and simple method, selective pressurised liquid extraction (SPLE) and focused ultrasound solid-liquid extraction (FUSLE) were tested. Best results for SPLE were obtained using Florisil as clean-up sorbent and dichloromethane as extraction solvent, while temperature was the only significant variable. Analyte extraction by SPLE was completed in only one extraction cycle of 1 min at 130 °C. FUSLE was carried out in one step of 20 s at 75% power (0.5 cycles) and with 8 mL of ethyl acetate. Although the optimised FUSLE process was faster, simpler and cheaper, SPLE provided higher recovery values (ranging from 81 to 105%) and therefore SPLE-based method was selected and validated. The SPLE and GC-MS method showed an LOD of 10.7 ng/g for BPA and LODs between 1.2 and 41.6 ng/g for APs. Relative standard deviation values lower than 6% were obtained for all analytes. As a result, an efficient, fast and simple method based on SPLE and GC-MS for the determination of BPA and APs in sewage sludge is proposed.     

Correlation between different clean-up methods and analytical techniques performances to detect Ochratoxin A in wine

Three different clean-up methods and two analytical techniques were compared to determine Ochratoxin A (OTA) in wines. The first clean-up used a MycoSep column, the second an immunoaffinity column (IAC) and the third consisted in a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) using dichloromethane in acid conditions. Meanwhile, two different OTA determination techniques were also evaluated: a HPLC analysis using a fluorescence detector and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) method.Correlations between clean-up methods and analytical techniques to determine OTA in wine were made evaluating linearity, accuracy and precision.Both the two first clean-up methods (solid-phase extraction, SPE) showed a good linear fit (r² = about 0.9999), followed by LLE. The use of immunoaffinity columns showed the best recoveries, even if also the SPE with MycoSep showed good recoveries while the LLE recoveries were the worst ones. The HPLC analysis showed good precision and accuracy, while ELISA method, even with a sufficient linearity, generally underestimated OTA content in wines.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定宠物食品中赭曲霉毒素A和B

建立了同时测定宠物食品中赭曲霉毒素A和B的液相色谱-串联质谱分析方法。样品经乙腈/水(1∶1,V/V)提取,HLB固相萃取柱净化。采用Agilent ZOBRAX C_(18)柱(150×2.1mm,5μm)分离,以0.1%甲酸水溶液-乙腈作为流动相,梯度洗脱。目标化合物在多反应监测模式(MRM)下进行检测,外标法定量。在优化的条件下,赭曲霉毒素A和B在0.1~10.0ng·mL~(-1)范围内呈良好的线性关系,相关系数均不低于0.9993,方法定量限分别为0.1μg·kg~(-1)和0.05μg·kg~(-1)。方法平均回收率为78.3%~107.5%,相对标准偏差不大于9.5%。该方法前处理简单、选择性好、灵敏度高,可用于宠物食品中赭曲霉毒素A和B的测定。     

核酸适配体识别-荧光法检测赭曲霉素A

建立了核酸适配体识别-荧光探针技术检测赭曲霉素A(OTA)的新方法.基于微孔板上固定的核酸适配子与目标物质OTA结合时构象发生变化,导致预先与其互补杂交的FAM标记短链DNA解离,引起荧光信号发生变化,据此可实现对OTA的定量检测.当微孔板包被亲和素浓度为25 mg/L、适配子浓度为50 nmol/L,FAM标记互补短...     

Comparison of different extraction techniques for the determination of chlorinated pesticides in animal feed

The performances of Soxhlet extraction, dive-in Soxhlet extraction, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), fluidized-bed extraction (FBE), and ultrasonic extraction (UE) for the analysis of organochlorine pesticides in animal feed have been investigated. ASE and MAE provided significantly better extraction efficiency than Soxhlet extraction. The concentrations were 126.7 and 114.8%, respectively, of the values obtained by classical Soxhlet extraction, whereas the results from FBE and dive-in Soxhlet were comparable with those from the standard Soxhlet procedure. The reproducibility of FBE was the best, with RSDs ranging from 0.3 to 3.9%. Under the investigated operation conditions UE was not efficient, with the recoveries of target compounds being about 50% less than Soxhlet. Additionally, the performances of Soxhlet, dive-in Soxhlet, MAE, ASE and FBE were validated by determination of the certified reference material BCR-115. The results from the extraction techniques were in good agreement with the certified values.     

Comparison of different trapping methods for pressurised hot water extraction

Four trapping methods for pressurised hot water extraction were compared in terms of recovery and selectivity. Also, robustness, repeatability and solvent consumption of the trapping systems were investigated. The trapping methods were collection into solvent following liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase trapping into Tenax TA (SPE), flat sheet microporous membrane liquid-liquid extraction and hollow fibre microporous membrane liquid-liquid extraction. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were extracted with these systems from four soil and sediment matrices and the extracts were analysed by GC-MS and size-exclusion chromatography. Clear differences were observed in the selectivity and extraction efficiencies of the trapping systems.     

Ochratoxin A non-conventional exposure sources — A review

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most studied mycotoxins, with great public health and agroeconomic significance. The exposure of both humans and animals to this fungal toxin has been associated to food matrices since its discovery. However, according to recent reports, OTA may also represent a potential airborne hazard, in water-damaged buildings, or occupational contamination, in workplaces with high mould exposure, such as agricultural, farm and alimentary industries. Further, in addition to the conventional studied food matrices, worldwide consumed, there are increasing reports on different and less obvious sources of alimentary exposure. These include traditional and home-made food products, highly consumed by specific groups of populations that thus might be at risk. This paper aims to spotlight the current knowledge on these non-conventional OTA exposure sources.     

用于赭曲霉毒素A检测的电化学适配体生物传感器的研究进展

赭曲霉毒素(Ochratoxin)是一类主要由曲霉菌和青霉菌产生的次生代谢产物,其中赭曲霉毒素A(OTA)的毒性最强。OTA相当稳定,常规的食品加工难以去除,若摄入受OTA污染的食品或药物会对人类造成严重的危害。实现对OTA的灵敏和快速检测是及早发现和处置OTA污染的关键。近年来,核酸适配体因其独特的优点,被作为抗体的替代物用于构建OTA电化学生物传感器。本文介绍了经典的OTA检测方法和基于适配体的电化学生物传感检测方法,从OTA电化学适配体传感器的适配体优化、新型材料应用以及生物信号放大技术的应用等三个方面总结了该生物传感技术的研究现状,并对其未来的发展进行了展望。     

Optimisation of microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of nonylphenols and phthalate esters in sediment samples and comparison with pressurised solvent extraction

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of nonylphenols (NP), nonylphenol mono- and diethoxylates (NP1EO and NP2EO, respectively) and phthalate esters was optimised using an experimental design approach. A D-optimal mixture design was used to optimise the pressure inside the extraction vessel (110-207 kPa), the extraction time (5-25 min) and the extraction solvent (methanol, acetone or n-hexane) or the solvent mixture for the microwave-assisted extraction. Percentage of microwave power (80%) and solvent volume (15 ml) were fixed in all the experiments. As a consequence, the optimum extraction of these compounds was carried out at an intermediate pressure (159 kPa) with pure methanol and during 15 min. Moreover, solid phase extraction was also optimised for the clean-up of the extracts and C-18, LiChrolut^® and Oasis^® cartridges were studied in order to obtain the best recoveries of the compounds of interest. The highest recoveries were obtained with LiChrolut^® cartridges after the elution with ethyl acetate. The cleaned extracts were analysed in a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric detection and in a liquid chromatograph with diode array and fluorescence detection (HPLC-DAD-UV-FLD). The same sediment was also extracted twice in order to check that an exhaustive extraction of the analytes had occurred. Finally, the optimised extraction method was compared with pressurised solvent extraction (PSE), using an estuarine sediment sample.     

Ochratoxin A in wines-assessing global uncertainty associated with the results

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin (potentially carcinogenic secondary metabolite derived from fungal contamination), produced by some Aspergillus and Penicillium strains. Although present and legislated in different food sources in the human diet, the regulation for wine intake is still under discussion. The Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) recommended maximum levels in wine of 2 μg l⁻¹. Some reports refer to OTA contamination in wines up to 15 μg l⁻¹ and a special incidence in red wines from the southern regions of Europe and the north of Africa, but the majority of the data available are below 1 μg l⁻¹. When working at such low concentrations, the problem of the uncertainty of the results becomes decisive towards the implementation of legal limits. In order to assess the global uncertainty associated with OTA determination in wines and widen the data set and knowledge of the situation in Portugal, 340 wines were analysed (189 Port Wine, 85 Vinho Verde and 66 wines from other regions in the country) by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorescence detection (FD) method using immunoaffinity columns for clean up. OTA was detected in 69 wines by the method used, but in concentrations below 0.5 μg l⁻¹, except for two which showed levels up to a maximum of 2.1 μg l⁻¹. However, the global uncertainty for OTA is close to 37% for concentrations above 0.5 μg l⁻¹, and therefore, such value can be below or exceed the OIV limit. In the vicinity of the limit of detection, 0.084 μg l⁻¹, the global uncertainty rises exponentially to a maximum of about 70%. This can be an obstacle when discussing safety intake limits. Ethanol and glucose content did not interfere in the clean up of OTA by immunoaffinity columns.     

Horseradish peroxidase-screen printed biosensors for determination of Ochratoxin A

This work summarizes the manufacturing procedure of Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) based biosensors for the determination of the mycotoxin Ochratoxin A (OTA). The biosensors have been fabricated using the single technology of screen-printing. That is to say, an HRP containing ink has been directly screen-printed onto carbon electrodes, which offers a higher rapidity and simplicity in the manufacturing process of biosensors for OTA determination. The formal redox potential of the Fe(III/II) moiety of HRP has been used to demonstrate the effective loading of enzyme into the ink. The chronoamperometric oxidation current registered has been successfully related to the concentration of OTA in solution from different samples, including beer ones. Under the optimum conditions of the experimental variables, precision in terms of reproducibility and repeatability has been calculated in the concentration range from 23.85 to 203.28 nM. A relative standard deviation for the slopes of 10% (n = 4) was obtained for reproducibility. In the case of repeatability, the biosensor retained a 30% of the initial sensitivity after the third calibration. The average capability of detection for 0.05% probabilities of false positive and negative was 26.77 ± 3.61 nM (α = 0.05 and β = 0.05, n = 3).     

Determination of Ochratoxin A in Poultry Feed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Monolithic Column

A monolithic column with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultraviolet detector was investigated for the determination of ochratoxin A in poultry feed. A systematic study was performed using solid phase extraction with a C₁₈ cartridge for sample pretreatment with three solvent systems. Ethyl acetate:methanol:formic acid (95:5:0.5) was found to be the most suitable. Pretreated samples were injected separately into packed and monolithic columns. The effects of the mobile phases on the chromatographic figures of merits were evaluated. Better peak symmetry, improved separation, and more theoretical plates were observed using an acetonitrile:water:formic acid (99:99:2) mobile phase. The repeatability and accuracy of the method were statistically evaluated and found to be satisfactory with a limit of detection of 40 µg L^?1. The use of a monolithic column in conjunction with sample pretreatment provided good results for the determination of ochratoxin A in poultry feed.     

Extraction by solvent using microwave and ultrasound-assisted techniques followed by HPLC analysis of Harpagoside from Harpagophytum procumbens and comparison with conventional solvent extraction methods

This research paper presents a quick and ecofriendly technique for the extraction of harpagoside (HS), the active marker of Harpagophytum procumbens (HP), along with a comparison with conventional methods so as to propose an efficient HPLC method. HP is widely used as an anti-inflammatory in phytotherapy. The quality control of the herbal drug and extract calls for a time consuming method of conventional extraction, which involves a high consumption of solvents. In this study, HP has been extracted using conventional ultrasound (UAE) and microwave (MAE)-assisted methods. The effects have been examined based on several parameters of HS extraction efficiencies. An HPLC method with a core-shell column was developed in order to calculate the HS in HP. The flow rate was reduced by 4. The method of validation used is specific, linear, precise and accurate. MAE and UAE saved solvent consumption, time and energy. It has, therefore, been found that the combined UAE-HPLC process is convenient and appropriate for the quality control of HP.     

Selective recovery of rosmarinic and carnosic acids from rosemary leaves under ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction procedures

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) are currently amongst the foremost green techniques for accelerating extraction processes. Several methods for the efficient recovery of the phenolic compounds from rosemary leaves have so far been proposed, but little data are available on the use of UAE and MAE. The aim of this work is to investigate the efficiency and selectivity of these techniques in recovering fractions of specific phenolic compounds from dried rosemary leaves using solvents that are suitable for food applications. UAE has been carried out by means of a probe system equipped with a titanium horn working at 19.5 kHz (140 W). MAE has been performed in a closed multimode reactor under N₂ (20 bar) at 100 °C. All obtained extracts were dissolved in a defined solvent volume and the solutions were directly analyzed using a combination of the HPLC-DAD-MS and TOF techniques. MAE and UAE in ethanol and acetone dramatically increased phenol yield (more than three times) as compared to more traditional solid–liquid extraction processes. In terms of selectivity, remarkably high rosmarinic acid content (6.8% of the dried extract) was obtained in ethanol under ultrasound (US). Even more impressive is the selectivity of UAE in n-hexane which gave the highest carnosic acid content, up to 13% of the dried extract. In conclusion, non-conventional energy sources and, in particular, high-intensity US have proven themselves to be rapid, efficient, and selective techniques for rosemary leaf extraction and provide fractions with high rosmarinic and carnosic acid contents.     

Gold Nanoparticle-Based Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Aptasensor for Ochratoxin A Detection

In this paper, a sensitive and specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) aptasensor for the detection of Ochratoxin A (OTA) was developed based on a dye-tagged ssDNA hybridized with aptamer-conjugated Au nanoparticles (Au NPs). The binding between the aptamer-Au NPs conjugate and the dye-labeled ssDNA leads to the fluorescence quenching of FAM due to its close proximity. The addition of OTA results in fluorescence recovery, attributed to the formation of a quadruplex-OTA complex, which detaches from the surface of Au NPs. Under optimal conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity (ΔI) is proportional to the concentration of the OTA in the range of 5 × 10^?12 to 5 × 10^?9 g/mL, with a detection limit of 2 × 10^?12 g/mL. The proposed method was successfully applied to measure the concentration of OTA in naturally contaminated maize samples and validated using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. This work demonstrates that the combination of an aptamer that has a high binding affinity for the analyte with highly sensitive Au NPs that undergo FRET is a promising approach for the detection of small molecule toxins.     

光学适配体传感器检测赭曲霉毒素A的研究进展

赭曲霉毒素A(Ochratoxin A,OTA)是真菌产生的次级代谢产物,性质稳定,不易去除,人体摄入后将产生严重的健康危害。数十年来,核酸适配体不断发展,成为生物传感器的重要识别元件之一,适体传感器被广泛用于生物、医药、疾病等分析检测。本文总结了用于检测OTA的经典方法和基于核酸适配体的生物传感器方法,并主要从光学适配体传感器方面阐述了近年用于检测赭曲霉毒素A的适配体传感器,并对其进行了总结和展望。     

固相萃取-高效液相色谱检测葡萄酒中赭曲霉毒素A

使用C18小柱固相萃取, C18反相柱(250 mm×4.6 mm i.d.)分离,V(乙腈):V(水):V(乙酸)＝99:99:2为流动相,荧光检测器(激发波长333 nm,发射波长460 nm)检测,测定葡萄酒中赭曲霉毒素A.其质量浓度在6.25～200 ng/mL范围内呈良好线性,相关系数为0.9997.样品经浓缩60倍后,方法检出限为0.027 ng/mL.对红葡萄酒、干红及白葡萄酒进行了加标回收实验,回收率为80.1%～109.8%.平行7份样品加标回收率相对标准偏差为5.9%.对市售6种葡萄酒进行了赭曲霉毒素A的测定.     

Comparison of off- and in-line solid-phase extraction for enhancing sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis using ochratoxin as a model compound

This paper proposes and compares two approaches based on off- and in-line solid-phase extraction (SPE), intended to enhance sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection (CE-UV) using as a model the determination of ochratoxin A (OA) in river water samples. In the off-line SPE mode, the reversed-phase sorbent (octadecilsylane, C₁₈) selectively retains the target analyte (OA) and allows large volumes of the sample (70 mL) to be introduced and subsequently eluted in a small volume (0.1 mL) of an appropriate solution. In the in-line SPE mode, a custom-made microcartridge is inserted near the inlet of the capillary, which is filled with the same C₁₈ sorbent. This solid phase selectively retains OA present in a sample volume as low as approximately 640 μL for subsequent elution with ca. 135 nL of an appropriate eluent. The limit of detection (LOD) obtained with the in-line SPE method was 1 ng L^-1, which is 3 orders of magnitude lower than that obtained with CE-UV and roughly 1 order lower than that provided by the off-line SPE-CE-UV method.