Comparison of accelerated solvent extraction with microwave-assisted extraction and Soxhlet for the extraction of chlorinated biphenyls in soil samples

The extraction and determination of chlorinated biphenyls (CBs) in soils and solid wastes is an ongoing subject of study. This is an overview article that compares the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) techniques. The extraction of CBs by ASE has been optimised taking into account the variation of pressure, temperature and extraction time by means of experimental design and the Simplex approach. The recoveries obtained under the optimum conditions are compared and discussed with those obtained from MAE and Soxhlet extractions.     

Focused microwave-assisted Soxhlet extraction: devices and applications

An overview of a new extraction technique called focused microwave-assisted Soxhlet extraction (FMASE) is here presented. This technique is based on the same principles as conventional Soxhlet extraction but using microwaves as auxiliary energy to accelerate the process. The different devices designed and constructed so far, their advantages and limitations as well as their main applications on environmental and food analysis are discussed in this article.     

The determination of organochlorine pesticides based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line solid-phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid technique based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line solid-phase extraction of high-performance liquid chromatography (DMAE-SPE-HPLC) has been developed. A TM₀₁₀ microwave resonance cavity built in the laboratory was applied to concentrate the microwave energy. The sample placed in the zone of microwave irradiation was extracted with 95% acetonitrile (ACN) aqueous solution which was driven by a peristaltic pump at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. The extraction can be completed in a recirculating system in 10 min. When a number of extraction cycles were completed, the extract (1 mL) was diluted on-line with water. Then the extract was loaded into an SPE column where the analytes were retained while the unretained matrix components were washed away. Subsequently, the analytes were automatically transferred from the SPE column to the analytical column and determined by UV detector at 238 nm. The technique was used for determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in grains, including wheat, rice, corn and bean. The limits of detection of OCPs are in the range of 19-37 ng g⁻¹. The recoveries obtained by analyzing the four spiked grain samples are in the range of 86-105%, whereas the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values are <8.7% ranging from 1.2 to 8.7%. Our method was demonstrated to be fast, accurate, and precise. In addition, only small quantities of solvent and sample were required.     

Closed-vessel miniaturised microwave-assisted EDTA extraction to determine trace metals in plant materials

The demonstration of an innovative miniaturised closed-vessel microwave-assisted extraction (µMAE) method under the use of EDTA (µMAE-EDTA) for determination of trace metal contents in grassland (Lolio-Cynosuretum) was examined by ICP-OES. The evaluation of the method was done by comparison of the results with another miniaturised closed-vessel microwave HNO₃ method (µMAE-H) and with a macro-scale microwave procedure (MAE-H). Concerning their homogeneity certified plant reference materials (CRMs) were used for validation of the applicability of µMAE-EDTA procedure. For CRMs and 72 real plant samples, no significant differences were found between µMAE-EDTA and MAE-H in the determination of Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents. Recovery rates achieved from µMAE-EDTA for CRMs ranged between 100.0–102.6% for the investigated elements. The key characteristics of µMAE-EDTA for determination of trace metal contents in plant samples are: (i) suitability as a high-throughput procedure; (ii) consumption of minimum volume of extracting agent and minimum amount of sample; and (iii) combination of fast, safe and environmentally friendly extraction procedure.     

Focused microwave-assisted solvent extraction and HPLC determination of effective constituents in Eucommia ulmodies Oliv. (E. ulmodies)

A new focused microwave-assisted solvent extraction method using water as solvent has been developed for leaching geniposidic and chlorogenic acids from Eucommia ulmodies Oliv. The extraction procedures were optimized using a two indexes orthogonal experimental design and graphical analysis, by varying irradiation time, solvent volume, solvent composition and microwave power. The optimum extraction conditions were obtained: for geniposidic acid, 50% micorwave power, 40 s irradiation, and 80% (v/v) aqueous methanol as extraction solvent (20 ml g⁻¹ sample); and for chlorogenic acid, 50% micorwave power, 30 s irradiation, and 20% aqueous methanol (20 ml g⁻¹ sample). The composition of the extraction solvent was optimized and can be directly used as the mobile phase in the HPLC separation. Quantification of organic acids was done by HPLC at room temperature using Spherigel C₁₈ chromatographic column (, i.d. 5 μm), the methanol:water:acetic acid (20:80:1.0, v/v) mobile phase and UV detection at 240 nm. The R.S.D. of the extraction process for geniposidic and chlorogenic acid were 3.8 and 4.1%, respectively.     

On-line coupling of dynamic microwave-assisted extraction to solid-phase extraction for the determination of sulfonamide antibiotics in soil

A rapid technique based on dynamic microwave-assisted extraction (DMAE) coupled on-line with solid-phase extraction (SPE) was developed for the determination of sulfonamides (SAs) including sulfadiazine, sulfameter, sulfamonomethoxine and sulfaquinoxaline in soil. The SAs were first extracted with acetonitrile under the action of microwave energy, and then directly introduced into the SPE column which was packed with neutral alumina for preconcentration of analytes and clean-up of sample matrix. Subsequently, the SAs trapped on the alumina were eluted with 0.3% acetic acid aqueous solution and determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The DMAE parameters were optimized by the Box-Behnken design. Maximum extraction efficiency was achieved using 320 W of microwave power; 12 mL of extraction solvent and 0.8 mL min⁻¹ of extraction solvent flow rate. The limits of detection and quantification obtained are in the range of 1.4-4.8 ng g⁻¹ and 4.6-16.0 ng g⁻¹ for the SAs, respectively. The mean values of relative standard deviation of intra- and inter-day ranging from 2.7% to 5.3% and from 5.6% to 6.7% are obtained, respectively. The recoveries of SAs obtained by analyzing four spiked soil samples at three fortified levels (20 ng g⁻¹, 100 ng g⁻¹ and 500 ng g⁻¹) were from 82.6 ± 6.0% to 93.7 ± 5.5%. The effect of standing time of spiked soil sample on the SAs recoveries was examined. The recoveries of SAs decreased from (86.3-101.9)% to (37.6-47.5)% when the standing time changed from one day to four weeks.     

Evaluation of Soxhlet extraction, accelerated solvent extraction and microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and fish samples

Three commonly applied extraction techniques for persistent organic chemicals, Soxhlet extraction (SE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), were applied on soil and fish samples in order to evaluate their performances. For both PCBs and PBDEs, the two more recent developed techniques (ASE and MAE) were in general capable of producing comparable extraction results as the classical SE, and even higher extraction recoveries were obtained for some PCB congeners with large octanol-water partitioning coefficients (K_ow). This relatively uniform extraction results from ASE and MAE indicated that elevated temperature and pressure are favorable to the efficient extraction of PCBs from the solid matrices. For PBDEs, difference between the results from MAE and ASE (or SE) suggests that the MAE extraction condition needs to be carefully optimized according to the characteristics of the matrix and analyte to avoid degradation of higher brominated BDE congeners and improve the extraction yields.     

Extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides from soils: a comparison between Soxhlet extraction, microwave-assisted extraction and accelerated solvent extraction techniques

The methods of simultaneous extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from soils using Soxhlet extraction, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) were established, and the extraction efficiencies using the three methods were systemically compared from procedural blank, limits of detection and quantification, method recovery and reproducibility, method chromatogram and other factors. In addition, soils with different total organic carbon contents were used to test the extraction efficiencies of the three methods. The results showed that the values obtained in this study were comparable with the values reported by other studies. In some respects such as method recovery and reproducibility, there were no significant differences among the three methods for the extraction of PAHs and OCPs. In some respects such as procedural blank and limits of detection and quantification, there were significant differences among the three methods. Overall, ASE had the best extraction efficiency compared to MAE and Soxhlet extraction, and the extraction efficiencies of MAE and Soxhlet extraction were comparable to each other depending on the property such as TOC content of the studied soil. Considering other factors such as solvent consumption and extraction time, ASE and MAE are preferable to Soxhlet extraction.     

Dynamic microwave-assisted extraction coupled with on-line spectrophotometric determination of safflower yellow in Flos Carthami

A rapid dynamic microwave-assisted extraction and on-line detection by spectrophotometry is proposed for the determination of safflower yellow in Flos Carthami. A high pressure and a peristaltic pump were used to deliver the solvent. A TM₀₁₀ microwave resonance cavity was applied to concentrate the microwave energy and the forward power about 60 W was enough for the extraction. Other extraction conditions also were examined and optimized. In this work, the extraction process can be monitored by measuring the absorption of safflower yellow in the extract, which would be convenient for rapid optimization of the extraction process. The detection and quantification limits are 8 and 27 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The within-day and between-day precision (R.S.D.) are 1.6-3.2% and 2.8-4.2%, respectively. Compared with off-line detection, the proposed method may provide more rapid measurement and is more convenient for obtaining continuous measurements.     

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of hydrocarbons in marine sediments: comparison with the Soxhlet extraction method

Microwave energy was applied to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and linear aliphatic hydrocarbons (LAHs) from marine sediments. The influence of experimental conditions, such as different extracting solvents and mixtures, microwave power, irradiation time and number of samples extracted per run has been tested using real marine sediment samples; volume of the solvent, sample quantity and matrix effects were also evaluated. The yield of extracted compounds obtained by microwave irradiation was compared with that obtained using the traditional Soxhlet extraction. The best results were achieved with a mixture of acetone and hexane ¶(1?:?1), and recoveries ranged from 92 to 106%. The extraction time is dependent on the irradiation power and the number of samples extracted per run, so when the irradiation power was set to 500 W, the extraction times varied from 6 min for 1 sample to 18 min for 8 samples. Analytical determinations were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet-visible photodiode-array detector for PAHs and gas chromatography (GC) using a FID detector for LAHs. To test the accuracy of the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique, optimized methodology was applied to the analysis of standard reference material (SRM 1941), obtaining acceptable results.     

Development of a microwave-assisted extraction of atropine and scopolamine from Solanaceae family plants followed by a QuEChERS cleanup procedure

In this work, a novel method based on the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), the QuEChERS dispersive solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of atropine and scopolamine in plant samples from Datura and Brugmansia genera, which belong to the Solanaceae family. The experimental conditions for MAE, such as temperature, time of extraction, and volume of the extracting solvent as well as extract purification procedure parameters were optimized by the Doehlert uniform shell design and the response surface methodology. For quantitative analysis and validation, a standard addition calibration method was used to reduce the matrix effect. The limits of detection from 3.0 to 3.4 µg g^?1 of dry matter and the linearity of the calibration dependence were suitable for the analysis of plant extracts. The repeatability and intermediate precision for both analytes were found to be acceptable (<15%). The developed method was successfully applied to the samples of leaves and seeds of Datura and Brugmansia.     

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of hydrocarbons in marine sediments: comparison with the Soxhlet extraction method

Microwave energy was applied to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and linear aliphatic hydrocarbons (LAHs) from marine sediments. The influence of experimental conditions, such as different extracting solvents and mixtures, microwave power, irradiation time and number of samples extracted per run has been tested using real marine sediment samples; volume of the solvent, sample quantity and matrix effects were also evaluated. The yield of extracted compounds obtained by microwave irradiation was compared with that obtained using the traditional Soxhlet extraction. The best results were achieved with a mixture of acetone and hexane (1:1), and recoveries ranged from 92 to 106%. The extraction time is dependent on the irradiation power and the number of samples extracted per run, so when the irradiation power was set to 500 W, the extraction times varied from 6 min for 1 sample to 18 min for 8 samples. Analytical determinations were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet-visible photodiode-array detector for PAHs and gas chromatography (GC) using a FID detector for LAHs. To test the accuracy of the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique, optimized methodology was applied to the analysis of standard reference material (SRM 1941), obtaining acceptable results.     

Focused microwave-assisted micellar extraction combined with solid-phase microextraction--gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine chlorophenols in wood samples

This work describes the utilization of the focused microwave-assisted micellar extraction in combination with the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to determine chlorophenols in wood samples. The influence of the nature of the surfactant in the extraction process, the optimization of the variables of the focused-microwave system, and the effect of the ageing time of the samples in the extraction efficiency of the method, have been assessed in this study. The overall method using the non-ionic surfactant POLE as extracting medium allows us to determine chlorophenols in wood samples achieving an average extraction efficiency of 104.1%, limits of detection ranging from 2 to 120 ng g⁻¹, and intermediate precision values ranging between 3.5 and 13.2%. The proposed method is also characterized by short analysis times (around 5 min for the microwaves extraction step) and by avoiding the use of organic solvents.     

An efficient and fast microwave-assisted extraction method developed for the simultaneous determination of 18 organochlorine pesticides in sediment

An efficient and fast microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method followed by gas chromatographic separation with mass spectrometric detection (GC–MS) was developed for the extraction of 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from sediment. Parameters affecting the MAE procedure such as the type and volume of the extraction solvent, irradiation power, temperature and irradiation time were successfully optimised. Under the optimal conditions, extraction efficiencies in the range of 73.4–119% were obtained with THF–HEX (9:1, v/v) for all OCPs studied. The method was linear over the range of 2.9–5000 ng g^?1 with determination coefficients (r²) higher than 0.992 for all analytes. The limits of detection, LODs (S/N = 3), obtained varied from 1.0 to 2.2 ng g^?1 and limits of quantification, LOQs (S/N = 10) were between 2.9 and 6.8 ng g^?1. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of real sediment samples and acceptable recoveries from 70.1 to 124% with RSDs ≤14.8% were obtained. 10 OCPs were determined below their LOQ and 8 OCPs in the range of 124–2830 ng g^?1. The MAE method was compared with Soxhlet, shake flask and ultrasonic solvent extraction techniques. Thus, the MAE–GC–MS method could efficiently be used for selective extraction and quantification of the target analytes from the complex sediment matrices.     

微波辅助-顶空液相微萃取在线联用-高效液相色谱法测定环境水样中的敌敌畏

基于微波辅助-顶空液相微萃取联用(MAE-HS-LPME)这一样品前处理方法,采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)对水样中的敌敌畏残留量进行了测定。对影响萃取的因素如萃取剂、微波辐射功率、萃取时间、离子强度和样品基质的pH值等进行了考察。萃取条件为: 选用二甲苯作萃取剂,萃取时间为15 min,微波辐射功率300 W,NaCl含量为5%,pH为2.5。在最佳条件下,敌敌畏的检出限(信噪比为3时)为0.96 μg/L,定量限(信噪比为10时)为3.20 μg/L,萃取富集倍数为54,实际水样的加标回收率为87.4%～103%。与传统的前处理方法相比,本方法具有简便、快速、高效、节省溶剂、选择性好、应用范围广的特点。     

Dynamic ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenols in tobacco

A novel extraction method, namely dynamic ultrasound-assisted extraction, is investigated. This technique is efficient with respect to both time and solvent consumption because it utilizes ultrasonic energy in dynamic mode during extraction. Polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, esculetin, rutin, scopoletin, and quercitrin) are extracted from a tobacco (Nicotina tobaccum L.) sample for 10 min with 6 mL of solvent. Fresh solvent is continuously pumped through the sample, with which the analytes can be rapidly extracted, and the possibility of degradation efficiently avoided. Methanol involving 0.5% w/v ascorbic acid was used as extraction solvent; optimal flow rate and extraction time were investigated. The extract was cleaned up by C18 disposable cartridge. The spiked and nonspiked tobacco samples were used for the evaluation of the proposed method. Recoveries obtained were varied from 96 to 108% and RSDs from 2.0 to 4.6%. This extraction technique was revealed to recover larger amounts of polyphenols from tobacco, compared to the static ultrasound-assisted extraction method.     

Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Curcuma longa L. Oil: Optimization,Chemical Structure and Composition,Antioxidant Activity and Comparison with Conventional Soxhlet Extraction

Curcuma root (Curcuma longa L.) is a very important plant in gastronomy and medicine for its unique antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Conventional methods for the extraction of curcuma oil require long extraction times and high temperatures that can degrade the active substances. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were: (i) first, to optimize the extraction yield of curcuma oil by applying a Box-Behnken experimental design using surface response methodology to the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique (the independent variables studied were reaction time (10–30 min), microwave power (150–200 W) and curcuma powder/ethanol ratio (1:5–1:20; w/v); and, (ii) second, to assess the total phenolic content (TPC) and their antioxidant activity of the oil (at the optimum conditions point) and compare with the conventional Soxhlet technique. The optimum conditions for the MAE were found to be 29.99 min, 160 W and 1:20 w/v to obtain an optimum yield of 10.32%. Interestingly, the oil extracted by microwave-assisted extraction showed higher TPC and better antioxidant properties than the oil extracted with conventional Soxhlet technique. Thus, it was demonstrated that the method applied for extraction influences the final properties of the extracted Curcuma longa L. oil.     

Evaluation of vacuum microwave-assisted extraction technique for the extraction of antioxidants from plant samples

In the present work, vacuum microwave-assisted extraction (VMAE) was to perform microwave-assisted extraction in vacuum. Two well-known antioxidants, vitamin C from guava and green pepper, and vitamin E (α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol) from soybean and tea leaves, which were easy to be oxidized, were chosen as representative target compounds for the evaluation of VMAE. The extraction yields of vitamin C, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in VMAE and those in MAE performed in atmosphere (air-MAE) were compared and the effects of extraction time, extraction temperature and sample matrix were studied. Moreover, the effects of the oxygen and subpressure invacuo were also discussed via performed MAE in N₂ atmosphere (N₂-MAE). The extraction yields of vitamin C, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in VMAE were higher than that in air-MAE, 35% increments of vitamin C from green pepper, 22% increments of α-tocopherol and 47% increments of γ-tocopherol from tea leaves were obtained, respectively. The comparable increased extraction yields of vitamin C, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in N₂-MAE to that in air-MAE confirmed that oxygen in system was the crucial factor for the oxidation of vitamin C and vitamin E, VMAE was beneficial for the extraction of these oxygen-sensitive compounds. In addition, the subpressure invacuo in the VMAE system also showed positive affect on the extraction yields. On the basis of preventing oxidation and improving extraction efficiency of target compounds because of less oxygen and subpressure invacuo in the extraction system, VMAE has good potential for the extraction of oxygen-sensitive and thermosensitive compounds from plant samples.     

Ionic liquid-based microwave-assisted extraction of essential oil and biphenyl cyclooctene lignans from Schisandra chinensis Baill fruits

Ionic liquid-based microwave-assisted extraction (ILMAE) has been successfully applied in extracting essential oil and four kinds of biphenyl cyclooctene lignans from Schisandra chinensis Baill. 0.25 M 1-lauryl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ionic liquid is selected as solvent. The optimum parameters of dealing with 25.0 g sample are 385 W irradiation power, 40 min microwave extraction time and 1:12 solid-liquid ratio. The yields of essential oil and lignans are 12.12±0.37 ml/kg and 250.2±38.2 mg/kg under the optimum conditions. The composition of the essential oil extracted by hydro-distillation, steam-distillation and ILMAE is analyzed by GC-MS. With ILMAE method, the energy consumption time has not only been shortened to 40 min (hydro-distillation 3.0 h for extracting essential oil and reflux extraction 4.0 h for extracting lignans, respectively), but also the extraction efficiency has been improved (extraction of lignans and distillation of essential oil at the same time) and reduces the environmental pollution. S. chinensis materials treated by different methods are observed by scanning electronic microscopy. Micrographs provide more evidence to prove that ILMAE is a better and faster method. The experimental results also indicate that ILMAE is a simple and efficient technique for sample preparation.