13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine olive oil grades

¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used in a first attempt to differentiate olive oil samples by grades. High resolution ¹³C NMR Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) spectra of 137 olive oil samples from the four grades, extra virgin olive oils, olive oils, olive pomace oils and lampante olive oils, were measured. The data relative to the resonance intensities (variables) of the unsaturated carbons of oleate (C-9 and C-10) and linoleate (L-9, L-10 and L-12) chains attached at the 1,3- and 2-positions of triacylglycerols were analyzed by linear discriminant analysis. The 1,3- and 2- carbons of the glycerol moiety of triacylglycerols along with the C-2, C-16 and C-18 resonance intensities of saturated, oleate and linoleate chains were also analyzed by linear discriminant analysis. The three discriminanting functions, which were calculated by using a stepwise variable selection algorithm, classified in the true group by cross-validation procedure, respectively, 76.9, 70.0, 94.4 and 100% of the extra virgin, olive oil, olive pomace oil and lampante olive oil grades.     

Identification and quantification of the main organic components of vinegars by high resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy

A detailed analysis of the proton high-field NMR spectra of vinegars (in particular of Italian balsamic vinegars) is reported. A large number of organic substances belonging to different classes, such as carbohydrates, alcohols, organic acids, volatile compounds and amino acids, were assigned. The possibility of quantification of the substances identified in the whole vinegar sample, without extraction or pre-concentration steps, was also tested. The data validity was demonstrated in terms of precision, accuracy, repeatability and inter-day reproducibility. The effects of the most critical experimental parameters (sample concentration, water suppression and relaxation time) on the analysis response were also discussed. ¹H NMR results were compared with those obtained by traditional techniques (GC-MS, titrations), and good correlations were obtained. The results showed that ¹H NMR with water suppression allows a rapid, simultaneous determination of carbohydrates (glucose and fructose), organic acids (acetic, formic, lactic, malic, citric, succinic and tartaric acids), alcohols and polyols (ethanol, acetoin, 2,3-butanediol, hydroxymethylfurfural), and volatile substances (ethyl acetate) in vinegar samples. On the contrary, the amino acid determination without sample pre-concentration was critical. The ¹H NMR method proposed was applied to different samples of vinegars, allowing, in particular, the discrimination of vinegars and balsamic vinegars.     

In situ complexation of rhodium(II) tetracarboxylates with some derivatives of cysteine and related ligands studied by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The complexation of N-phthaloyl, N-formyl, and N,N-dimethyl derivatives of S-methylcysteine methyl ester (both racemic and optically pure) with three dimeric rhodium(II) salts, acetate Rh₂AcO₄, trifluoroacetate Rh₂TFA₄, and (R)-(+)-α-methoxy-α-trifluoromethylphenylacetate Rh₂Mosh₄ was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) at room and lower temperatures. The complexation was carried out in situ, in CDCl₃ solution using titration procedure; the results were examined by the analysis of ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shift change (Δδ). The complexation of free S-methyl cysteine and hydrochloride salt of its methyl ester was performed in D₂O solution. For comparison, complexation of some derivatives of leucine, phenylalanine, and proline was examined.

N-phthaloyl and N-formyl derivatives of cysteine formed 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 axial complexes with all dirhodium salts. Rhodium substrates were bonded via sulfur. In one case, the complexation of Rh₂TFA₄ by both sulfur and N-formyl oxygen was noted. Similar complexation of Rh₂TFA₄, via CHO group, was found for N-formyl derivatives of leucine, phenylalanine, and proline. For N,N-dimethyl derivative of cysteine, both N and S atoms were involved in bonding. At room temperature, in all cases, ligand exchange was fast on the NMR timescale.     

13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for determining the different components of epicuticular waxes of olive fruit (Olea europaea) Dritta cultivar

¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) was applied to determine the different components of apolar and polar fractions which were isolated by column chromatography from the crude chloroform-soluble waxes of olive fruits (Olea europaea) Dritta cultivar.¹³C NMR enabled the determination in the wax apolar fraction, of aliphatic aldehydes, and of benzyl, alkyl and glyceryl esters. In particular, the fatty acid composition of alkyl esters, comprising saturated and unsaturated oleic and linoleic acids, was determined. Acyl chain composition and the chain composition of 1,3- and 2-glycerol positions were also determined for triacylglycerols of olive fruit waxes.Oleanolic and maslinic acids were confirmed to be the major components of wax polar fraction. Complete assignments of ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of oleanolic and maslinic acids as a mixture were achieved by using homonuclear correlation spectroscopy with gradient (g-COSY), attached proton test (APT), inverse-detected heteronuclear single-quantum coherence with gradient (g-HSQC), high-resolution heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (HETCOR) for C-H directly attached pairs and C-H long-range-coupled experiments.     

Gas chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry for profiling of phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oil

A new analytical approach based on gas chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry was evaluated for its applicability for the analysis of phenolic compounds from extra-virgin olive oil. Both chromatographic and MS parameters were optimized in order to improve the sensitivity and to maximize the number of phenolic compounds detected. We performed a complete analytical validation of the method with respect to its linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy and possible matrix effects. The LODs ranged from 0.13 to 1.05ppm for the different tested compounds depending on their properties. The RSDs for repeatability test did not exceed 6.07% and the accuracy ranged from 95.4% to 101.5%. To demonstrate the feasibility of our method for analysis of real samples, we analyzed the extracts of three different commercial extra-virgin olive oils. We have identified unequivocally a number of phenolic compounds and obtained quantitative information for 21 of them. In general, our results show that GC-APCI-TOF MS is a flexible platform which can be considered as an interesting tool for screening, structural assignment and quantitative determination of phenolic compounds from virgin olive oil.     

A set of triple-resonance nuclear magnetic resonance experiments for structural characterization of organophosphorus compounds in mixture samples

The ¹H, ¹³C correlation NMR spectroscopy utilizes J_CH couplings in molecules, and provides important structural information from small organic molecules in the form of carbon chemical shifts and carbon-proton connectivities. The full potential of the ¹H, ¹³C correlation NMR spectroscopy has not been realized in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) related verification analyses due to the sample matrix, which usually contains a high amount of non-related compounds obscuring the correlations of the relevant compounds. Here, the results of the application of ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P triple-resonance NMR spectroscopy in characterization of OP compounds related to the CWC are presented. With a set of two-dimensional triple-resonance experiments the J_HP, J_CH and J_PC couplings are utilized to map the connectivities of the atoms in OP compounds and to extract the carbon chemical shift information. With the use of the proposed pulse sequences the correlations from the OP compounds can be recorded without significant artifacts from the non-OP compound impurities in the sample. Further selectivity of the observed correlations is achieved with the application of phosphorus band-selective pulse in the pulse sequences to assist the analysis of multiple OP compounds in mixture samples. The use of the triple-resonance experiments in the analysis of a complex sample is shown with a test mixture containing typical scheduled OP compounds, including the characteristic degradation products of nerve agents sarin, soman, and VX. The viability of the approach in verification analysis is demonstrated in the analysis of the 30th OPCW Proficiency Test sample.     

Quantitative analysis of malic and citric acids in fruit juices using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

¹H NMR spectroscopy was applied to the quantitative determination of malic and citric acids in apple, apricot, pear, kiwi, orange, strawberry and pineapple juices. Aspartic acid was studied as a potential interference. The effect of the sample pH on the chemical shifts of signals from malic, citric and aspartic acids was examined and a value of 1.0 was selected to carry out the determination. Integration of NMR signals at 2.89-2.95 and 3.00-3.04 ppm were used for calculating the concentration of malic and citric acids, respectively. At this pH the integrated signals were not overlapped. Sodium 3-(trimethylsilyl)tetradeuteropropionate (TSP) was used as an internal reference. The obtained results applying NMR procedures to analyze the juices from different fruits were compared to those obtained using enzymatic methods and both were in close agreement. The intra- and inter-day repeatability was tested for apple juice (7.86 g l⁻¹ malic acid, 0.32 g l⁻¹ citric acid) and apricot juice (5.06 g l⁻¹ malic acid, 4.79 g l⁻¹ citric acid) obtaining coefficients of variation lower than 3.4% for intra-day measures (n = 10) and lower than 3.8% for inter-day measures (n = 20).     

Monitoring of the insecticide trichlorfon by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy

Trichlorfon is an organophosphorus insecticide, which is extensively being used for protection of fruit crops. Trichlorfon is a thermal labile compound, which cannot be easily determined by gas chromatography (GC) and has no suitable group for sensitive detection by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this study, a ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P NMR) has been described for monitoring of trichlorfon without any separation step. The quantitative works of ³¹P NMR spectroscopy has been performed in the presence of an internal standard (hexamethylphosphoramide). Limit of detection (LOD) for this method has been found to be 55 mg L⁻¹, without any sample preparation, and the linear working range was 150-5500 mg L⁻¹. Relative standard deviation (R.S.D.%) of the method for three replicates within and between days was obtained ≤9%. The average recovery efficiency was approximately 99-112%. This method was applied for monitoring trichlorfon in a commercial insecticide sample and tomato sample.     

Analysis of glycans in glycoproteins by diffusion-ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Enzymatically cleaved glycans from sub-milligram quantities of erythropoietin (EPO) and ovalbumin have been analyzed, without further purification, by two-dimensional diffusion-ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. At NMR sample concentrations below 50 μmol L⁻¹ the major components of the oligosaccharide fractions could be distinguished by their anomeric proton chemical shift and their size-dependent diffusion coefficients. Figure ¹H NMR diffusion decay curves of anomeric protons in the EPO glycan fraction     

Investigation of the inclusion of the herbicide cycluron in native cyclodextrins by X-ray diffraction,nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry

The formation of inclusion complexes between the native cyclodextrins (CDs) and the urea herbicide cycluron has been investigated both in solution and in the solid state. Single-crystal X-ray structures of both the uncomplexed guest and the β-CD·cycluron complex were determined while powder X-ray diffraction was used to confirm complexation between γ-CD and cycluron in the solid state. Solution-state complexation between the herbicide and α-, β- and γ-CD was established using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). From the ¹H NMR spectroscopic studies 1:1 complex stoichiometry was indicated in all cases and association constant values (K) were determined as 228, 3254 and 155 for the complexes α-CD·cycluron, β-CD·cycluron and γ-CD·cycluron, respectively. Assigning a 1:1 host–guest ratio, the ITC technique produced K values of the same order as those determined using the spectroscopic method. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG obtained using ITC provide insights into the driving forces involved during complex formation.     

Quality assessment of Radix Codonopsis by quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance

Radix Codonopsis (Dangshen) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine and has long been used for replenishing energy deficiency, strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure and improving appetite in China, Japan and Korea. A highly specific quantification method using ¹H NMR has been developed for the simultaneous determination of novel quaternary ammonium alkaloids codotubulosine A and B, adenosine and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural in Radix Codonopsis materials Codonopsis pilosula, C. pilosula var. modesta, C. tangshen, C. tubulosa, C. subglobosa, C. clematidea, C. lanceolota and Campanumoea javanica collected from different regions of China and Taiwan. A solid-phase extraction with C-18 cartridge followed by elution with water can easily remove sugars the major components that may affect the determination of target constituents. In the ¹H NMR spectrum, the signals of N-CH₃ of codotubulosine A (δ 2.75) and B (δ 2.83), H-8 of adenosine (δ 8.15), and CHO signal of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (δ 9.49) are well separated from other signals in [²H₄]methanol. The quantity of the compounds was calculated by the relative ratio of the integral values of the target peaks of each compound to the known amount of internal standard pyrazine. The described NMR method is found to be relatively simple, specific, precise and accurate for the quality control of Radix Codonopsis herbs and no reference compounds are required for calibration curves, in comparison to conventional HPLC methods, for instance.     

Characterizing phosphorus in environmental and agricultural samples by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P-NMR) spectroscopy has advanced our knowledge of organic phosphorus (P) in soils and environmental samples more than any other technique. This paper reviews the use of ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy for soil, water and other environmental samples. The requirements for a successful solid-state or solution ³¹P-NMR experiment are described, including experimental set-up, sample preparation, extractants, experimental conditions, and post-experimental processing. Next, the literature on solid-state and solution ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy in environmental samples is reviewed, including papers on: methods; P transformations; agricultural, forest and natural ecosystem soil studies; humic acid and particle size separations; manure, compost and sludge studies; and water research, including freshwater, estuary and marine studies. Future research needs are also discussed as well as suggestions to improve results, such as increased standardization among research groups.     

Prediction of phenolic compounds in red wine fermentations by visible and near infrared spectroscopy

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to simultaneously predict the concentrations of malvidin-3-glucoside (M3G), pigmented polymers (PP) and tannins (T) in red wine. A total of 495 samples from 32 commercial scale red wine fermentations over two vintages using two grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz), and also including as additional variables two types of fermenters, two different yeasts, and three fermentation temperatures were used. Samples were scanned in transmission mode (400-2500 nm) using a monochromator instrument (NIRSystems6500). Calibration equations were developed from high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and NIR data using partial least squares (PLS) regression with internal cross validation. Using PLS regression, very good calibration statistics (R_cal²>0.80) were obtained for the prediction of M3G, PP and T with standard deviation (S.D.)/standard error in cross validation (SECV) ratio (residual predictive deviation, RPD)) ranging from 1.8 to 5.8. It was concluded that near infrared spectroscopy could be used as rapid alternative method for the prediction of the concentration of phenolic compounds in red wine fermentations.     

Different types of water in the film formation process of latex dispersions as detected by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

 The properties of polymer films prepared from latex dispersions are influenced by the drying or film formation process. In order to investigate this process, various systems of aqueous latex dispersions were dried until a specific solid content was reached. The samples investigated were based on vinyl acetate, vinyl acetate/ethylene and pure acrylics employing different surfactants and polyelectrolytes as stabilisers of the dispersions. The role of water in these partially dried films was investigated using ¹H and ²H solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Different types of water could be distinguished in the spectra. The drying latex films were found to contain interfacial external water, water at ionic and nonionic groups at surfactants in the polymer/water interface and also water inside the swollen polymer. These different types of water were examined separately using various NMR techniques. Received: 22 October 1999/Accepted in revised form: 19 November 1999     

Quality assessment and authentication of virgin olive oil by NMR spectroscopy: A critical review

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy has been extensively used for the analysis of olive oil and it has been established as a valuable tool for its quality assessment and authenticity. To date, a large number of research and review articles have been published with regards to the analysis of olive oil reflecting the potential of the NMR technique in these studies. In this critical review, we cover recent results in the field and discuss deficiencies and precautions of the three NMR techniques (¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P) used for the analysis of olive oil. The two methodological approaches of metabonomics, metabolic profiling and metabolic fingerprinting, and the statistical methods applied for the classification of olive oils will be discussed in critical way. Some useful information about sample preparation, the required instrumentation for an effective analysis, the experimental conditions and data processing for obtaining high quality spectra will be presented as well. Finally, a constructive criticism will be exercised on the present methodologies used for the quality control and authentication of olive oil.     

Computer-aided carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for identification of terpenoid mixtures

The procedure for identifying triterpenes in mixtures is based on the simulation of ¹³C-NMR spectra for probable mixtures and comparison of these with a specialized spectral data bank. The system was designed to facilitate the analysis of complex mixtures of terpenoid compounds. A special matching procedure was developed and its efficiency is discussed. The method is demonstrated for a mixture of five triterpenes isolated from Vernonia cognata.     

Comparisons of the interactions between two analytes and two structurally similar chiral stationary phases using high-performance liquid chromatography, suspended-state high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

A study of the retention behaviour of the enantiomers (R)- and (S)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diol as well as (+) and t-)-O,O'-dibenzoyl-tartaric acid was performed using the two chiral stationary phases (CSPs) Kromasil-DMB and Kromasil-TBB. Detailed information about the interactions between the analytes and the two CSPs was obtained from suspended-state HR/MAS transferred NOESY NMR experiments as well as suspended-state HR/MAS 1H NMR titration experiments. Good correlation between the suspended-state HR/MAS NMR experiments and the corresponding HPLC experiments was obtained. This shows that suspended-state HR/MAS NMR as well as solid-state CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy can be used to investigate interactions between stationary phases and analytes under conditions that are similar to those used in HPLC.     

New CE-ESI-MS analytical method for the separation, identification and quantification of seven phenolic acids including three isomer compounds in virgin olive oil

A sensitive and expeditious CE-ESI-MS analytical method for the separation, identification and determination of seven selected antioxidants (cinnamic and benzoic acids), including three isomers of coumaric acid (ortho-, meta- and para-) has been developed. In order to obtain the analytical separation, capillary electrophoresis and CE-MS interface parameters (e.g., buffer pH and composition, sheath liquid and gas flow rates, sheath liquid composition, electrospray voltage, etc.) were carefully optimized.The polar fraction containing the selected phenolic acids was obtained using a previously optimized SPE pretreatment. An MS detector in order to extract structural information about the target compounds and facilitate their qualitative analysis was used in the negative ion mode. The proposed off-line SPE CE-ESI-MS method was validated by assessing its precision, LODs and LOQs, linearity range and accuracy.The optimized and validated method was used in order to quantify the selected antioxidants in various samples of virgin olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil obtained from the main olive varieties cropped in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Salicylic acid was used as internal standard throughout in order to ensure reproducibility in the quantitative analysis of the oil samples.The results confirmed the presence of hydroxyphenyl acetic, p-coumaric, ferulic and vanillic acids in substantial amounts (μg g⁻¹ level) in all samples.     

Quality evaluation and species differentiation of Rhizoma coptidis by using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Rhizoma coptidis, a broadly used traditional Chinese medicine, derives from the dried rhizomes of Coptis chinensis Franch, Coptis deltoidea C.Y. Cheng et Hsiao and Coptis teeta Wall. Quantitative determination of protoberberine alkaloids in R. coptidis is critical for controlling its quality. In this study, a rapid, simple and accurate quantitative ¹H NMR (qNMR) method was developed for simultaneous determination of berberine, jatrorrhizine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine and columbamine in R. coptidis from the three species. Method validation was performed in terms of selectivity, precision, repeatability, stability, accuracy, robustness and linearity. The average recoveries obtained were in the range of 96.9–102.4% for all the six alkaloids. In addition, the qNMR data were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), and the results showed that the contents of the active alkaloids have significant difference among the three species. Compared with the conventional HPLC approach, the proposed qNMR method was demonstrated to be a powerful tool for quantifying the six alkaloids due to its unique advantages of high robustness, rapid analysis time and no need of standard compounds for calibration curves preparation. These findings indicate that this method has potential as a reliable method for quality evaluation of herb medicines, especially for protoberberine alkaloid-containing ones.     

1H NMR Spectroscopy as an Effective Method for Predicting Molecular Weight of Polyaminoamine Dendrimers and Their Derivatives

We established two formulas to predict molecular weight of polyaminoamine dendrimers and their alkylated derivatives, based on the theoretical number of protons at specific positions in the dendrimers and the true value of the integral values of these protons appearing in proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Calculated results indicated that molecular weight of the dendrimers is approximately equal to results from mass spectrometry. Degrees of alkylation were easily calculated for each dendrimer-alkylated derivative. According to the obtained results, we confirm that the use of the proton spectra can be an effective method to predict molecular weight of dendrimers.