Solid phase extraction of food contaminants using molecular imprinted polymers

Food contamination from natural or anthropogenic sources poses severe risks to human health. It is now largely accepted that continuous exposure to low doses of toxic chemicals can be related to several chronic diseases, including some type of cancer and serious hormonal dysfunctions.Contemporary analytical methods have the sensitivity required for contamination detection and quantification, but direct application of these methods on food samples can be rarely performed. In fact, the matrix introduces severe disturbances, and analysis can be performed only after some clean-up and preconcentration steps. Current sample pre-treatment methods, mostly based on the solid phase extraction technique, are very fast and inexpensive but show a lack of selectivity, while methods based on immunoaffinity extraction are very selective but expensive and not suitable for harsh environments. Thus, inexpensive, rapid and selective clean-up methods, relaying on “intelligent” materials are needed. Recent years have seen a significant increase of the “molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction” (MISPE) technique in the food contaminant analysis. In fact, this technique seems to be particularly suitable for extractive applications where analyte selectivity in the presence of very complex and structured matrices represents the main problem. In this review, several applications of MISPE in food contamination analysis will be discussed, with particular emphasis on the extraction of pesticides, drugs residua, mycotoxins and environmental contaminants.     

Application of solid phase microextraction for the determination of soil fumigants in water and soil samples

The potential of solid phase microextraction (SPME) for the determination of the soil fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-DCP) and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) in environmental samples such as soil and water samples has been investigated. Direct immersion SPME followed by GC/ECD/NPD analysis allowed the rapid determination of the two fumigants in water samples, with very little sample manipulation, giving an LOD of 0.5 microg L(-1). Precision, calculated as relative standard deviation (RSD) for six replicates at three concentration levels, was found to be lower than 20% at the concentration levels tested. For the analysis of soil samples, headspace (HS)-SPME combined with GC/ECD/NPD analysis has been applied. Quantification using matrix-matched calibration curves allowed determination of both analytes (MITC and 1-3-DCP) with a LOD of 0.1 microg kg(-1) (RSD < 10%) for the two concentration levels assayed (0.02 and 0.2 mg kg(-1)). The HS-SPME procedure developed in this paper was applied to soil samples from experimental green house plots treated with metham-Na, a soil disinfestation agent that decomposes in soil to MITC. The absence of sample manipulation as well as the low solvent consumption in SPME methodology are among the main advantages of this analytical approach.     

Novel and highly sensitive mixed-polymeric electrokinetic chromatography system for determination of contaminants and impurities of heparin samples

A mixed‐polymeric electrokinetic chromatography system has been developed for the simultaneous determination of a contaminant like oversulfated condroitin sulfate (OSCS) and impurities expressed as dermatan (Der) in heparin (Hep) samples. The EKC system consisted of 0.5% w/v polymeric β‐CD, 0.4% w/v tetronic^® 1107 and 400 mM tris‐phosphate buffer at pH 3.5. The optimized electrophoretic conditions included the use of an uncoated‐silica capillary of 50 cm of total length and 75 μm id, an applied voltage of ?7 kV, a temperature of 30°C and 200 nm UV‐detection. The highly sensitive method developed showed low values of LOD, 0.07% w/w (0.07 μg/mL) (OSCS) and 0.1% w/w (0.1 μg/mL) (Der), and values of LOQ 0.2% w/w (0.2 μg/mL) (OSCS) and 0.3% w/w (0.3 μg/mL) (Der) with a concentration level of Hep sample as low as 0.1 mg/mL. Additional parameters of validation such as specificity, linearity, accuracy, and robustness were evaluated according to international guidelines. Owing to its simplicity, high sensitivity, and reliability, the proposed method can be an advantageous alternative to the traditional methodologies for the analysis of Hep in raw material and specially in finished products because of the low amounts of Hep sample required.     

Selenium determination in tissue samples of Nile tilapia using ultrasound-assisted extraction

This paper proposes a method to determine selenium in samples of fish muscle and liver tissue using ultrasound assisted extraction process, and analysed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The selenium content was extracted by 0.10 M HCl at the optimal extraction conditions which were established as follows: sample mass of 100 mg; granulometry of the sample <60 μm; sonication time of five 40 s cycles; and sonication power of 136 W. The selenium determinations were performed by GFAAS, at a drying temperature of 120°C/250°C, pyrolysis temperature of 1300°C, atomization temperature of 2300°C, and cleaning temperature of 2800°C. Palladium nitrate was used as a chemical modifier coinjected with the samples, and tungsten as a permanent modifier. The concentration of selenium determined in the pool of fish muscle and liver tissue were 280.4±4.2 e 592.3±6.7 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The accuracy and precision of the proposed extraction method were evaluated using certified standard Bovine Muscle — NIST 8414. The results obtained by the ultrasonic extraction method were equivalent to those obtained by the method of acid mineralization of samples in a microwave oven     

Comparison of ultrasound-assisted leaching with conventional and acid bomb digestion for determination of metals in sediment samples

In this paper, a sample preparation method based on ultrasound assisted leaching of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Mn from river and pond sediment samples under ultrasonic effect has been described. Parameters influencing leaching such as sonication time, sample amount, particle size and extractant were fully optimized. Leachatants obtained upon sonication were directly nebulised into an air-acetylene flame for fast metal determination by atomic absorption spectrometry. The best conditions for metal leaching were as follows: a 25 min sonication time, a 0.5 g sample amount (in 25 mL solvent), a particle size < 63 μm and a mixture of concentrated HNO₃-HCIO₄-HF (2:1:1, v/v/v). Analytical results for the five metals by ultrasound-assisted leaching, acid bomb and conventional digestion methods showed a good agreement, thus indicating the possibility of using mild conditions for sample preparation instead of intensive treatments inherent with the digestion methods. In addition, this method reduces the time required for all treatments (leaching or digestion, heating to dryness, cooling and separation) with acid bomb digestion method (from ∼ 8 h to ∼ 1.5 h) and conventional acid digestion method (from ∼ 14 h to ∼ 1.5 h). The accuracy of the method was tested either by comparing obtained results with those of acid bomb and conventional digestion methods or by application on a standard reference materials. The average relative standard deviation of ultrasound assisted leaching method varied between 0.7-1.9% for N = 6, depending on the analyte.     

Rapid method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural soils by sonication-assisted extraction in small columns

A rapid method has been developed for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil based on their sonication-assisted extraction in small columns (SAESC) with a low volume of ethyl acetate and subsequent quantitation and identification by GC with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in the SIM mode (GC-MS-SIM). Spiked blank soil extracts were used as standards to counteract the matrix effect observed in the chromatographic determination. PAHs were confirmed at trace level by their retention times, their qualifier and target ions, and their qualifier/target abundance ratios. Recovery studies were performed at 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, and 10 microg/kg fortification levels for each PAH, and the recoveries obtained ranged from 91.2 to 99.8% with RSDs between 0.4 and 9.3%. The detection limits of the method ranged from 0.03 to 0.3 microg/kg for the different PAHs studied. The developed method is linear over the range assayed, 1-100 microg/L with determination coefficients higher than 0.996. PAH levels were determined using this method in soil samples taken from different agricultural areas of Spain. In general, PAH concentrations were low and the most frequently occurring PAHs were naphthalene, pyrene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene.     

Aptamer-targeted magnetic nanospheres as a solid-phase extraction sorbent for determination of ochratoxin A in food samples

A sorbent based on the aptamer for ochratoxin A was immobilized onto magnetic nanospheres (MNS) and used to develop a magnetic solid-phase extraction procedure to clean up food samples in conjunction with high-performance liquid chromatography separation and fluorescence detection. Specific retention of ochratoxin A by the sorbent was demonstrated, and the capacity of the MNS-aptamer sorbent was determined. The efficacy of this new approach was successfully evaluated through comparison with solid-phase extraction on commercial C18 cartridge. Several different food samples fortified in the range of with 2.5-50 μg/kg yielded mean recoveries from 67% to 90%, respectively. Finally, this oligosorbent was applied to the selective extraction of ochratoxin A from unfortified food samples.     

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil by ultrasonic assisted extraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil was developed. Soil samples were placed in small glass columns and PBDEs extracted from soil, with a low volume of ethyl acetate (5 mL, 2× 15 min), assisted by sonication. PBDEs were determined by gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC–MS–SIM) and residues were confirmed by their retention times, selected ions and qualifier–target abundance ratios. Recovery studies were performed at 10, 1, 0.1 and 0.05 μg/kg fortification levels, and the recoveries obtained ranged from 81 to 104% with a relative standard deviation between 1 and 9%. The detection limit of the method varied from 2 to 30 pg/g and the quantification limit ranged from 7 to 100 pg/g for the different PBDEs studied. The developed method was linear over the range assayed, 0.01–10 μg/kg with determination coefficients equal or higher than 0.997. The proposed method was used to determine PBDEs levels in soil samples from different areas of Spain and PBDEs were detected in some samples with values ranging from 1.3 to 5.6 μg/kg.     

Continuous ultrasound-assisted extraction coupled to on line filtration-solid-phase extraction-column liquid chromatography--post column derivatisation-fluorescence detection for the determination of N-methylcarbamates in soil and food

A dynamic ultrasound-assisted method for the extraction of N-methylcarbamates (oxamyl, dioxacarb, metolcarb, carbofuran, carbaryl and isoprocarb) from soils and foods is proposed. The main factors affecting the extraction efficiency have been optimised by means of a central composite design. Pure water can be used as leaching agent. A flow injection manifold coupled to the extractor allows automation of the several steps involved in the analytical process. The method allows extraction of the carbamates from soil and food at 1 microg/g spiked level, with recoveries similar to those provided by the EPA 8318 method, without degradation of the target compounds during the extraction and with drastic shortening of the time required for this step (2 min vs. 4 h). Recoveries of the target analytes were 77-95% for spiked soil and 85-101% for spiked food. The detection and quantification limits were 12 and 40 ng/g, respectively, for all analytes, except carbaryl (detection and quantification limits 3 and 10 ng/ng, respectively). The relative standard deviations for repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility were 3.1 and 7.5%, respectively.     

Extraction and determination of hexavalent chromium in soil samples

A procedure for the extraction of Cr(VI) from solid soil-like samples was presented in which the complexing properties of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) were exploited to extract insoluble compounds of Cr(VI). A concentration of DTPA in an ammonium sulphate/ammonium hydroxide buffer equal to 0.02 mol l⁻¹ was chosen. The conditions of extraction of insoluble Cr(VI) from solid samples were optimised using soil certified reference material spiked with known concentration of insoluble Cr(VI) added as PbCrO₄. The extracts were analysed by adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Validation of the proposed procedure of extraction was carried out by analysis of certified reference material (CRM) 545 and comparison of the results obtained using the proposed and other methods of extraction in the course of analysis of natural soil samples.     

Experimental design applied to the determination of several contaminants in Duero River by solid-phase microextraction

Several samples taken from Duero River source in Spain have been analysed to evaluate the potential risk of uncontrolled discharges from wood industries located in the surrounding area. Toluene, dodecane, tetradecane, naphthalene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, BHT, benzophenone, diisobutylphthalate (DiBP), dibenzofuran and fluoranthene have been selected as representative compounds from solvents and other components of varnishes or coatings, the most likely contamination origin. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with further GC-MS has been selected as analytical technique by both its versatility, high process speed, low cost and sensitivity. In order to reach the maximum overall performance, three fibres with different polarity: 100 μm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), 85 μm polyacrylate, and 65 μm Carbowax-divinylbenzene have been evaluated. In addition, and due to the high number of involved variables, a two-level full factorial experiment design has been applied for optimisation being sampling time (5-20 min), sorption temperature (room: 50 °C), desorption temperature (minimum recommended +10%, maximum recommended −10%) and salt concentration (NaCl, 0-1 M) as ionic strength modifier the variables under study. After statistical evaluation of experimental design sampling time proved to be the most significant variable, and a more detailed kinetic study has been carried out. The 85 μm polyacrylate fibre was shown to be the most efficient one. Optimum conditions as well as quantitative values are shown and discussed. Toluene, dodecane, tetradecane, benzophenone, BHT and DiBP were found in the concentration range from 2 to 141 ng ml⁻¹.     

Homogeneous stopped-flow fluorimmunoassay for gliadin determination in food samples

A homogeneous competitive immunoassay for gliadin determination is described for the first time. Gliadins are labeled with a terbium(III) chelate to form the tracer which competes with unlabeled gliadins for the active sites of anti-gliadin antibodies. The terbium(III) is released from the tracer by means of an “acidic enhancement solution” and the initial rate of the dissociation reaction is monitored using the stopped-flow mixing technique. Initial rate values obtained are different depending upon whether tracer is free or bound to antibody which can be correlated with the analyte concentration. The use of the fixed-time method has been also assayed, but it is not suitable as the results depend on the sample matrix. The detection limit of the assay using standards is 4 ng ml⁻¹, which is equivalent to 4 μg g⁻¹ in food samples, and the dynamic range of the method is 0.008-0.36 μg ml⁻¹. The precision, expressed as the percentage of relative standard deviation, was 5-6.2%. The method has been applied to the analysis of gluten-containing and gluten-free food samples, with recoveries ranging from 83.8 to 115.1%.     

An on-line cloud point extraction system for flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace manganese in food samples

The development of an on-line preconcentration system with cloud point extraction for the determination of manganese is described. The system was used to determine manganese levels in food samples using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). All steps of the cloud point extraction procedure were performed on-line, from the mixing of reagents to detection. The manganese ions are complexed in a mixture of the reagent 2-[2′-(6-methyl-benzothiazolylazo)]-4-bromophenol (Me-BTABr) and Triton X-114. The components are retained on a minicolumn and then desorbed with eluent acid to subsequent detection of manganese by FAAS. Under the optimized conditions, the method presented a detection limit of 0.7 μg L^− 1 and an enrichment factor of 17 to a volume of 3000 μL. The sampling frequency was 30 h^− 1. The accuracy of the method was tested by evaluating the amount of Mn in certified reference materials (apple leaves NIST 1515 and spinach leaves NIST 1570a). The proposed procedure was applied to food samples (shrimp powder, flaxseed flour, wheat flour, soy flour and oat), and the results agreed with those obtained by the determination of Mn in foods by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization (ETAAS).     

Application of differential pulse stripping voltammetry and chemometrics for the determination of three antibiotic drugs in food samples

A reliable method for simultaneous determination of three antibiotic drugs(levofloxacin,gatifloxacin and lomefloxacin) by differential pulse stripping voltammetry(DPSV) in Britton-Robinson buffer(pH 7.96) was presented.The method is based on adsorptive accumulation of the antibacterial drugs on a hanging mercury dropping electrode(HMDE),followed by the reduction of the adsorptive species by the technique of DPSV.Optimal conditions,the deposition time of 80 s,the deposition potential of—1250 mV,and the scan rate of 25 mV/s,were obtained.The linear concentration ranges of 0.010-0.080μg/mL were obtained for all these three antibiotic drugs,while the detection limits were 2.38,3.20 and 1.60ng/mL for levofloxacin,gatifloxacin and lomefloxacin,respectively.In this work,chemometrics methods,such as classical least squares(CLS),partial least squares(PLS), principle component regression(PCR) and radial basis function-artificial neural networks(RBF-ANN),were used to quantitatively resolve the overlapping signals.It was found that PCR gave the best results with total relative prediction error(RPE_T) of 7.71%.The proposed method was applied to determine these three drugs in several commercial food samples with spiked method and yielded satisfactory recoveries.     

Application of ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction for the determination of triazine herbicides in soil samples by high performance liquid chromatography

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction was applied to extract the herbicides simazine, atrazine, prometon, ametryn and prometryn from soil samples. They then were determined by HPLC with diode-array detection. Parameters that affect the extraction efficiency, such as the kind and volume of the extraction solvent, emulsification time and addition of salt, were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the following analytical figures of merits are found: enrichment factors between 145 and 222, limits of detection between 0.1 to 0.5 ng g^?1, analytical linearity in the range from 1.0 to 200 ng g^?1, correlation coefficients (r) between 0.9989 and 0.9998, relative standard deviations from 2.8% to 3.6% (at n?=?5, intraday) and 3.7% to 4.3% (interday), and recoveries (at spiking levels of 5.0 and 50.0 ng g^?1) from 82.6% to 92.0%. The technique is simple, practical, rapid, and environmentally friendly.     

Microwave-assisted extraction performed in low temperature and in vacuo for the extraction of labile compounds in food samples

In this study, low temperature vacuum microwave-assisted extraction, which simultaneous performed microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) in low temperature and in vacuo environment, was proposed. The influencing parameters including solid/liquid ratio, extraction temperature, extraction time, degree of vacuum and microwave power were discussed. The predominance of low temperature vacuum microwave-assisted extraction was investigated by comparing the extraction yields of vitamin C, β-carotene, aloin A and astaxanthin in different foods with that in MAE and solvent extraction, and 5.2–243% increments were obtained. On the other hand, the chemical kinetics of vitamin C and aloin A, which composed two different steps including the extraction step of analyte transferred from matrix into solvent and the decomposition step of analyte degraded in the extraction solvent, were proposed. All of the decomposition rates (K₂) for the selected analyte in low temperature, in vacuo and in nitrogen atmosphere decreased significantly comparing with that in conventional MAE, which are in agreement with that obtained from experiments. Consequently, the present method was successfully applied to extract labile compound from different food samples. These results showed that low temperature and/or in vacuo environment in microwave-assisted extraction system was especially important to prevent the degradation of labile components and have good potential on the extraction of labile compound in foods, pharmaceutical and natural products.     

Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the analysis of chemical food contaminants in food

Since its introduction, desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry (MS) has been mainly applied in pharmaceutical and forensic analysis. We expect that DESI will find its way in many different fields, including food analysis. In this review, we summarize DESI developments aimed at controlling chemical contaminants in food. Data are given for analysis of pesticides, natural toxins, veterinary drugs, food additives, adulteration, packaging migrants, and for applications of food forensics.We discuss practical aspects of DESI, including its strengths and weaknesses, highlighting specific features of performing chemical reactions during the desorption/ionization process in order to enhance sensitivity and selectivity.Finally, we discuss the position of DESI with respect to current food-analysis regulation and legislation. We envisage that DESI can be a rapid, qualitative or semi-quantitative, screening tool, ultimately being applied on site prior to sampling and transport of samples to food-control laboratories.     

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.     

Development of a green chromatographic method for determination of colorants in food samples

A green chromatographic analytical method for determination of Tartrazine, Brilliant Blue and Sunset Yellow in food samples is proposed. The method is based on the modification of a C18 column with a 0.25% (v/v) Triton X-100 aqueous solution at pH 7 and in the usage of the same surfactant solution as mobile phase without the presence of any organic solvent modifier. After the separation process on the chromatographic column, the colorants are detected at 430, 630 and 480 nm, respectively. The chromatographic procedure yielded precise results and is able to run one sample in only 8 min, consuming 15.0 mg of Triton X-100 and 38.8 mg of phosphate. When the flow rate of the mobile phase is 1 ml min⁻¹ the retention times are 2.1, 3.6 and 7.0 min for Tartrazine, Brilliant Blue and Sunset Yellow, respectively; and all peak resolutions are ca. 2. The analytical curves present the following linear equations: area = 7.44 10⁵ + 2.71 10⁵ [Tartrazine] (R = 0.998, n = 7); area = 1.09 10⁵ + 3.75 10⁵ [Brilliant] (R = 0.9995, n = 7) and area = −7.34 10⁴ + 2.33 10⁵ [Sunset] (R = 0.998), n = 7) and, the limits of detection for Tartrazine, Brilliant Blue and Sunset Yellow were estimated as 0.125, 0.080 and 0.143 mg l⁻¹. When the proposed method is applied to food samples analysis, precise results are obtained (R.S.D. < 5%, n = 3) and in agreement with those obtained by using the classical spectrophotometric method. The traditional usage of organic solvent as mobile phase in HPLC is not used here, which permits to classify the present method as green.