A comparison of the Kjeldahl and Dumas methods for the determination of protein in foods,using data from a proficiency testing scheme

Both the Kjeldahl and the Dumas methods for the determination of protein in foodstuffs are currently in use, but the empirical nitrogen factors used to convert the determined nitrogen content to protein content are based on the Kjeldahl method alone. Non-equivalence between the two methods could therefore result in some laboratories reporting an incorrect protein content. We report here a study using data accumulated over several years in the results of a proficiency testing scheme. On average the Dumas method provided results that were relatively higher by about 1.4% than the Kjeldahl method, but the difference between the methods depended on the type of foodstuff. The methodology of looking for bias between analytical methods is critically discussed.     

Bestimmung von stickstoff in refraktärmetallen—I molybdän und wolfram

This is a report on round-robin tests concerning the determination of nitrogen traces in molybdenum and tungsten, which were carried out by the refractory metals group of the chemistry section of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Metallhütten- und Bergleute. The following methods were used: classical and modified Kieldahl methods (in particular, a newly developed micro-Kjeldahl method), inert-gas fusion, vacuum fusion and ultrahigh-vacuum diffusion extraction. As the nitrogen values obtained by the first round-robin test exhibited considerable scatter, possible shortcomings of the various Kjeldahl methods, as well as the quantitative nitrogen recovery by the extraction methods, were carefully examined. The second round-robin test then gave the following results: the nitrogen content of the investigated molybdenum sheet was 2 ppm, the content of the tungsten sheet 0.5 ppm. Classical Kjeldahl methods are not applicable to the determination of nitrogen contents below 10 ppm. Frequently, detection limits of Kjeldahl methods range considerably above 10 ppm, mainly because of contamination by reagents and/or the laboratory atmosphere. The micro-Kjeldahl method and the hot-extraction and fusion-extraction methods are capable of determining nitrogen contents down to 1 ppm at best. The only method available for nitrogen determinations in metals at sub-ppm levels is by ultrahigh-vacuum diffusion extraction. The good agreement between the nitrogen values obtained for molybdenum by the micro-Kjeldahl method and by the various extraction methods is the most reliable proof of the quantitative nitrogen recovery by the extraction methods.     

Comparison of the Kjeldahl method and a combustion method for total nitrogen determination in animal feed

The features of the Dumas combustion method (CM) and those of the Kjeldahl method (KM) were compared as they apply to total nitrogen determination in animal feed. Both methods achieved similar repeatability (S.D., 0.11-0.38 from Kjeldahl and 0.15-0.36 from combustion) and similar intra-laboratory reproducibility (S.D., 0.11-0.39 from Kjeldahl and 0.15-0.37 from combustion). R.S.D. is always below 2%. These results show that the CM is suitable for the analysis of protein content in animal feed (5-75% protein content). The CM is recommended owing to its shorter analysis time, its cost and its environmental suitability.     

磷酸铵镁沉淀法测定聚马来酸酐氨化体系中的铵离子

通过甲醛法、四苯硼钠沉淀法以及磷酸铵镁沉淀法(MAP)测定模拟体系中铵离子含量,分析比较确定了聚马来酸酐(PMA)与氨气反应产物中铵离子的测定方法,即利用磷酸氢二钠和氯化镁结合铵离子形成磷酸铵镁沉淀,并通过凯式定氮法确定体系中铵离子含量。结果表明,pH值为9.0时,铵离子测定得到了较好的结果,测定平均值为5.50mmol/g,测定平均误差为2.1%,方法有很好的精密度和准确度,能够满足实际测试要求。     

Rapid determination of protein in plant material by flow injection spectrophotometry with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid

The rapid determination of protein in plant material based on spectrophotometric determination of amino acids in protein hydrolysates with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid has been adapted to flow injection analysis. With the manifold described, a routine sampling rate of 120 samples/h is possible, though this, as well as sensitivity, can easily be varied. The method was calibrated against the Kjeldahl method and a good correlation was obtained between the two methods over a wide range of protein values for beans.     

Bestimmung von stickstoff in refraktärmetallen—II Titan

This is a report on round-robin tests concerning the determination of nitrogen in titanium, which were carried out by the refractory-metals group of the chemical board of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Metallhütten- und Bergleute. The following methods were used: classical and modified Kjeldahl methods, inert gas fusion and vacuum fusion extraction. With the platinum (or palladium) flux technique (noble metal to sample ratio ～ 20 : 1, temperature ? 2000°) the reductive fusion methods are capable of determining nitrogen contents ? 20 ppm. Under special conditions, contents higher than 10–40 ppm can be determined by the Kjeldahl method (the lower limit varies from laboratory to laboratory). With a micro circulating distillation and determination apparatus, and dissolution of the sample within the pressure vessel, the detection limit can be lowered to 1 ppm. Because of possible interferences by reducible nitrogen compounds from the laboratory air, blanks must be determined with high-purity aluminium. The results from 7 laboratories (Kjeldahl 4; reductive fusion 3) for a titanium sample containing 138 ppm nitrogen were in good agreement (standard deviation 5 ppm).     

Quantification of cow’s milk percentage in dairy products – a myth?

The substitution of ewe's and goat's milk for cheaper cow's milk is still a fraudulent practice in the dairy industry. Moreover, soy-based products (e.g., soy milk, yoghurt) have to be checked for cow's milk as they are an alternative for people suffering from an allergy against bovine milk proteins. This work reports the evaluation of different protein-based electrophoretic methods and DNA-based techniques for the qualitative detection as well as the quantitative determination of cow's milk percentage in dairy and soy milk products. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of γ-caseins using an optimized pH gradient was appropriate not only for the detection of cow's milk, but also for an estimation of cow's milk percentage in mixed-milk cheese varieties. Urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) proved the method of choice to detect cow's milk in soy milk products, whereas IEF and SDS-PAGE of proteins were not applicable due to false-positive results. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was used to confirm the results of protein-based electrophoretic methods. Problems inherent in quantitative analysis of cow's milk percentage using protein-based techniques and even more using DNA-based methods were emphasized. Applicability of quantitative real-time PCR for the determination of cow's milk percentage in mixed-milk cheese was shown to be hampered by several factors (e.g., somatic cell count of milk; technological parameters influencing the final DNA concentration in ripened commercial cheese samples). The implementation of certified reference standards (of major relevant cheese groups) containing 50% cow's milk was urgently recommended to enable at least a yes/no decision in commercial mixed-milk cheese samples.     

Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Metal Elements in Tobaccos by High Performance Ion Chromatography

A simple method, developed primarily for simultaneous determination of total nitrogen and inorganic cations by high performance ion chromatographic (HPIC), was optimized for digestion of flue‐cured tobaccos, and compared with the traditional Kjeldahl method and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Nitrogen determination by either Dumas method or Kjeldahl method is time‐consuming and tedious. Metal elements determination by either inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) or AAS may be more expensive and requires specialist equipment. The use of HPIC to simultaneous determine total nitrogen as ammonium ion and metal elements as inorganic cations after sample digestion significantly improves the speed of the analysis compared with the conventional methods. The cation‐exchange column and suppressed conductivity detector was used for determination of ammonium and inorganic cations in the presence of the elevated levels of sulfuric acid found in digested sample. The propsoed digestion method was accurate and precise, and required little investment. The determination of ammonium and inorganic cations was linear from 15 pg·L^?1 up to 25 ng·L^?1. The results obtained by the HPIC method were compared with those for the conventional methods approach for the determination of total nitrogen and metal elements. The application of the HPIC method is also demonstrated for a variety of other plant samples matrices.     

全自动凯氏定氮仪测定化肥中的含氮量

建立全自动凯氏定氮仪检测化肥中氮含量的分析方法。称取总氮量在0.03~0.3 g范围的样品,经消解仪消解及全自动凯氏定氮仪碱化蒸馏,以硼酸为接收液,用0.15~0.20 mol/L的盐酸标准溶液进行自动滴定。该方法加标回收率为99.0%~101.5%,测定结果的相对标准偏差小于1.0%(n=6)。与国标GB/T 8527–2010法测定结果无显著性差异,全自动凯式定氮仪法的准确度、精密度均优于国标方法,而且所用试剂少、分析时间短,满足实验室快速检测大批量化肥中含氮量的需要。     

Determination of the total nitrogen content of hard, semihard, and processed cheese by the Kjeldahl method: collaborative study

The objective of this collaborative study was to determine interlaboratory performance statistics for a modified and optimized version of AOAC Method 920.123 for the determination of the total nitrogen content of hard, semihard, and processed cheese by Kjeldahl analysis. Details included addressing the issues of material homogeneity, test portion size (1 g), quantitative transfer (weighing on to filter paper), ensuring system suitability (nitrogen recoveries), and using AOAC Method 991.20 as the basis for nitrogen analysis. Fifteen laboratories tested 18 pairs of blind duplicate cheese materials with a crude protein content between 18 and 36%. Materials represented hard, semihard, and processed commercial cheeses with a wide range of composition. Statistical performance parameters expressed as crude protein (nitrogen x 6.38), g/100 g, with invalid and outlier data removed were mean = 26.461, repeatability standard deviation (Sr) 0.111, reproducibility standard deviation (S(R)) = 0.153, repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) = 0.42%, reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSDR) = 0.58%, repeatability (r) = 0.312, and reproducibility (R) = 0.428. The interlaboratory study results were acceptable and comparable to those for the milk Kjeldahl nitrogen method on a relative nitrogen basis. The Study Directors recommend that this modified method for the determination of total nitrogen in hard, semihard, and processed cheese by Kjeldahl analysis be adopted First Action as an improved method to replace Method 920.123.     

Dosage de l'azote dans l'uranium : Définition d'un échantillon de référence

Traces of nitrogen can be determined in uranium by reductive fusion in vacuum or in a current of helium. The two methods gave similar results, and these were confirmed by the Kjeldahl method. The excellent agreement between the values obtained made it possible to establish a reference standard.     

Spectrophotometric determination of organic nitrogen by a modified Lassaigne method and its application to meat products and baby food

A modified Lassaigne method was developed for N determination based on fusion of the organic substance with metallic Na, conversion of the cyanide in the aqueous leachate to thiocyanate by ammonium polysulfide treatment, and colorimetric measurement of the thiocyanate formed by the addition of excessive ferric ions in acidic medium. The mean molar absorptivity of the Fe(NCS)2+ complex at 480 nm is 2.96 x 10(3) L/mol x cm, enabling quantitation of 0.25-7.72 ppm N (linear range) in the final solution. The relative amounts of Na, (NH4)2S2, and Fe(III) with respect to nitrogen in the analyte were optimized. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of N in various brands of baby food, and it was compared statistically with the conventional Kjeldahl and elemental analysis methods. Protein nitrogen in a number of meat products was also precisely determined by the developed method. Thus, the total digestion time of the conventional Kjeldahl method was reduced considerably (e.g., to approximately 15 min for a dried sample) with a relatively simple spectrophotometric method requiring no sophisticated instrumentation.     

Optimisation of focused-microwave assisted digestion procedure for Kjeldahl nitrogen determination in bean samples by factorial design and Doehlert design

In the present paper a focused-microwave Kjeldahl digestion procedure without metal catalyst for nitrogen determination in bean samples was developed. Temperature at which the decomposition plateau occurs, mass of potassium sulphate and either volume of sulphuric acid or hydrogen peroxide were optimised. Results of the two-level full factorial design (2⁴) based on an analysis of variance demonstrated that only the decomposition plateau temperature and the sulphuric acid volume were statistically significant. Optimal conditions for the digestion of bean samples were obtained by using Doehlert design. The modified digestion procedure of 0.25 g of bean samples has been performed in 27 min at optimised conditions. The accuracy of the developed procedure by the analysis of the two certified reference materials, peach leaves (NIST 1547) and apple leaves (NIST 1515). The t-test applied to the results revealed that they are in agreement (p > 0.05) with the certified values. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was of 0.96% for four successive Kjeldahl nitrogen determinations. In addition, interlaboratory exercises were performed with several bean samples in reference Brazilian food control laboratory.     

Individual sample conditioning in flow analysis. Determination of N-total in plant materials

A flow-batch system allowing in-line individual sample matrix matching is proposed for analysis of sample lots with high variability in acidity. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in the spectrophotometric determination of total nitrogen in Kjeldahl digests, using a column with a slightly soluble reagent (AgCl). The solutions are sequentially injected by means of an 8-port selecting valve and processed in a mixing chamber that is also used as a monitoring unit. The system yields reproducible results (r.s.d. usually < 2.5%) and the sampling rate is 14 samples/h. The analytical curve is linear within 1.00 and 6.00% N (dry basis), and the regression coefficient is > 0.999 (n = 6). Results are in agreement with certified values of standard reference materials and with results obtained by conductometry.     

Beitrag zur Stickstoffbestimmung in Metallen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Kjeldahlmethode

Zusammenfassung Bei der Bestimmung des Stickstoffgehaltes von Metallen treten zwischen den Ergebnissen verschiedener Laboratorien häufig dann Differenzen auf, wenn unterschiedliche analytische Verfahren angewandt werden. Die Ursache dafür ist auf Eichprobleme und systematische Fehler zurückzuführen, die wegen des Fehlens geeigneter Standards bei den meist angewandten instrumentellen Relativverfahren (Heißextraktion, Aktivierungsanalyse u. a.) nur schwer erkannt werden können. Mit dem Kjeldahlverfahren steht jedoch ein chemisches Absolutverfahren zur Verfügung, das in einer modifizierten Form zur Stickstoffbestimmung in Refraktär- und Sondermetallen (z. B. Ti, Zr, Nb, Ta, W, Mo) im allgemeinen und zur Erfassung niedriger Stickstoffgehalte im besonderen den üblichen Heißextraktionsverfahren an Nachweisvermögen und Genauigkeit überlegen ist. Probleme, die im Zusammenhang mit den Aufschlußbedingungen, der Höhe und der Beeinflussung von Blindwerten auftreten, werden diskutiert und Ergebnisse vergleichender Untersuchungen an Stahlstandards und einigen Nichteisenmetallen vorgelegt.

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Contributions to the determination of nitrogen especially with regard to the Kjeldahl method

Summary In the determination of nitrogen in metals the results of various analytical laboratories frequently differ if diverse analytical methods are used. The reasons lie in calibration problems, and in systematic errors which can hardly be traced in the instrumental methods (e. g. fusion extraction, activation analysis) for lack of reliable standard reference materials. For the determination of nitrogen in refractory metals and especially for trace analysis a modified Kjeldahl method has proved to be superior to fusion extraction with respect to power of detection and accuracy. Problems in connection with dissolution of the sample, and size and influence of blanks are discussed. The results of comparative determinations are presented by means of standard steels and some non-ferrous metals.

     

A microscale Kjeldahl nitrogen determination for environmental waters

A microscale Kjeldahl system has been designed which has been homemade reduced. The digestor unit of a macroKjeldahl system and a modified glassware microdistillation unit have been used. The optimal conditions for digestion and distillation have been established for ammonium and methylamine as model compound of organic amino nitrogen. The optimised procedure has been applied to the determination of Kjeldahl nitrogen in water samples. Recoveries near 100% and good precision have been achieved. This procedure combines nitrogen miniaturized system and the use of a selective ion electrode for ammonia detection. The analysis time was reduced 4.8 times and the analysis cost 6.6 times compared with classical procedure. The residues generated have been also markedly minimized. A preconcentration factor of 4 instead of 1.5 obtained by the macroscale design has been achieved.     

Preparation and certification of creatinine and urea reference materials with certified purity as a traceability source in clinical chemical measurements

Purity certified reference materials (CRMs) are playing a key role in metrological traceability, because they form the basis for many traceability chains in chemistry. Recently, the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) has developed two purity CRMs for creatinine (NMIJ CRM 6005-a) and urea (NMIJ CRM 6006-a), because the concentrations of these two compounds are frequently measured in clinical laboratories for monitoring the renal functions. In the certification of purity CRMs, it is essential that the materials have been thoroughly characterized for purity, and the purity should preferably be determined directly by a primary method of measurements. In the development of these two CRMs, we used the purified materials as candidates. The certified values were assigned based on the results of two different methods; acidimetric titration and nitrogen determination by the Kjeldahl method. Since both methods cannot distinguish some impurities from the target compounds, major impurities in the candidate materials were also identified, quantified, and subtracted. These CRMs can provide a traceability link between routine clinical methods and SI units. Presented at BERM-11, October 2007, Tsukuba, Japan.     

过硫酸钾氧化吸光光度法测定植物总氮

提出植物样经Ｈ２ＳＯ４＋Ｈ２Ｏ２凯氏消煮,试液中和后用过硫酸钾碱性溶液氧化,在酸性条件下用紫外吸光光度法测定包括铵态氮、硝态氮及亚硝态氮的总氮含量。对植物标准物质ＧＢＷ０７６０３作平行试验,分析结果与标准值的相对误差为４．７％;方法的相对标准偏差为３．３％。用该法作了批量分析,操作简便,数据可靠。     

Rapid determination of moisture/solids and fat in dairy products by microwave and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis

A peer-verified method is presented for the determination of percent moisture/solids and fat in dairy products by microwave drying and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. The method involves determining the moisture/solids content of dairy samples by microwave drying and using the dried sample to determine the fat content by NMR analysis. Both the submitting and peer laboratories analyzed various dairy products by using a CEM SMART system (moisture) and the SMART Trac (fat). The samples included milks, creams, ice cream mix, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese, and mozzarella, Swiss, and cheddar cheeses. These samples represented a range of products that processors deal with in daily plant operations. The results were compared with moisture/solids and fat values derived from AOAC-approved methods.     

Individual sample conditioning in flow analysis. Determination of N-total in plant materials

A flow-batch system allowing in-line individual sample matrix matching is proposed for analysis of sample lots with high variability in acidity. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in the spectrophotometric determination of total nitrogen in Kjeldahl digests, using a column with a slightly soluble reagent (AgCl). The solutions are sequentially injected by means of an 8-port selecting valve and processed in a mixing chamber that is also used as a monitoring unit. The system yields reproducible results (r.s.d. usually < 2.5%) and the sampling rate is 14 samples/h. The analytical curve is linear within 1.00 and 6.00% N (dry basis), and the regression coefficient is > 0.999 (n = 6). Results are in agreement with certified values of standard reference materials and with results obtained by conductometry. Received: 5 April 2000 / Revised: 6 June 2000 / Accepted: 13 June 2000