Comparison of different extraction methods for the determination of α‐ and β‐thujone in sage (Salvia officinalis L.) herbal tea

Salvia officinalis L. (sage) is an important industrial plant used both for food and pharmaceutical purposes. The terpene fraction of this plant is responsible for many of its therapeutic and culinary properties. We used different extraction methods Tenax TA® purge and trap, headspace (HS) solid‐phase microextraction, HS sorptive extraction, and stir bar sorptive extraction to analyze the terpene fraction extracted from sage tea by GC–MS. Twenty compounds were identified, including α‐, β‐thujone, and several other oxygenated monoterpenes (1,8‐cineole, linalool, camphor, boneol, and bornyl acetate) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene oxide, viridiflorol, humulene epoxide I, II, and III). Tenax TA® and HS sorptive extraction extracted a lower number of identified compounds, whereas HS solid‐phase microextraction allowed the complete extraction of volatiles with particular reference to α‐ and β‐thujone. The importance of the determination of thujones content in sage herbal tea is also discussed.     

Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE) in the Headspace Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants

A new sampling technique, Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE), is here applied for the first time to the headspace sampling of medicinal and aromatic plants. The analyte partition coefficient between HSSE‐PDMS stir bar and sample headspace (K₁), the concentration factor (CF), the reproducibility, and the minimum recoverable amount were determined by analyzing standard solution of high volatility C₅–C₇ compounds with different polarities and structures (cyclohexane, propyl acetate, hexanal, 1‐hexen‐3‐ol, isoamyl acetate, and 2‐heptanol). Four aromatic and medicinal plants, viz. rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) were analyzed by HSSE‐GC with PDMS stir bars, and their concentration capacity was compared with those of S‐HS and HS‐SPME with different fibers. HSSE showed very high concentration capability with both standard and real sample components.     

Influence of polydimethylsiloxane outer coating and packing material on analyte recovery in dual-phase headspace sorptive extraction

Dual phase twisters (DP twisters), consisting of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) outer coating and a second complementary (ad)sorbent as inner packing, have recently been shown to extend the applicability of headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE). In comparison to HSSE using PDMS only, the recovery of analytes from the headspace of a solid or liquid matrix is increased by combining the concentration capabilities of two sampling materials operating on different mechanisms (sorption and adsorption). This study compares the performance of DP twisters consisting of different PDMS outer coatings and different packing materials, including Tenax GC, a bisphenol-PDMS copolymer, Carbopack coated with 5% of Carbowax and beta-cyclodextrin, for the analysis of the headspace of roasted Arabica coffee, dried sage leaves and an aqueous test mixture containing compounds with different water solubility, acidity, polarity and volatility as test samples. In general, DP twisters showed a higher concentration capability than the corresponding conventional PDMS twisters for the analytes considered. The highest recoveries were obtained with DP twisters consisting of 0.2mm thick PDMS coating combined with Tenax GC, a bisphenol-PDMS copolymer and Carbopack coated with 5% of Carbowax as inner adsorption phase.     

Sol–gel polydimethylsiloxane/poly(vinylalcohol)‐coated stir bar sorptive extraction of organophosphorus pesticides in honey and their determination by large volume injection GC

A PDMS/poly(vinylalcohol) (PDMS/PVA) film prepared through a sol–gel process was coated on stir bars for sorptive extraction, followed by liquid desorption and large volume injection–GC–flame photometric detector (LVI–GC–FPD) for the determination of five organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) (phorate, fenitrothion, malathion, parathion, and quinalphos) in honey. The preparation reproducibility of PDMS/PVA‐coated stir bar ranged from 4.3 to 13.4% (n = 4) in one batch, and from 6.0 to 12.6% (n = 4) in batch to batch. And one prepared stir bar can be used for more than 50 times without apparent coating loss. The significant parameters affecting stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) were investigated and optimized. The LODs for five OPPs ranged from 0.013 (parathion) to 0.081 μg/L (phorate) with the RSDs ranging from 5.3 to 14.2% (c = 1 μg/L, n = 6). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of five OPPs in honey.     

Use of volatile organic solvents in headspace liquid‐phase microextraction by direct cooling of the organic drop using a simple cooling capsule

A low‐cost and simple cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction device for the extraction and determination of 2,6,6‐trimethyl‐1,3 cyclohexadiene‐1‐carboxaldehyde (safranal) in Saffron samples, using volatile organic solvents, was fabricated and evaluated. The main part of the cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction system was a cooling capsule, with a Teflon microcup to hold the extracting organic solvent, which is able to directly cool down the extraction phase while the sample matrix is simultaneously heated. Different experimental factors such as type of organic extraction solvent, sample temperature, extraction solvent temperature, and extraction time were optimized. The optimal conditions were obtained as: extraction solvent, methanol (10 μL); extraction temperature, 60°C; extraction solvent temperature, 0°C; and extraction time, 20 min. Good linearity of the calibration curve (R² = 0.995) was obtained in the concentration range of 0.01–50.0 μg/mL. The limit of detection was 0.001 μg/mL. The relative standard deviation for 1.0 μg/mL of safranal was 10.7% (n = 6). The proposed cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction device was coupled (off‐line) to high‐performance liquid chromatography and used for the determination of safranal in Saffron samples. Reasonable agreement was observed between the results of the cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction high‐performance liquid chromatography method and those obtained by a validated ultrasound‐assisted solvent extraction procedure.     

Development of a new stir bar sorptive extraction coating and its application for the determination of six pesticides in sugarcane juice

In this article, a novel polydimethylsiloxane/activated carbon (PDMS‐ACB) material is proposed as a new polymeric phase for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). The PDMS‐ACB stir bar, assembled using a simple Teflon^®/glass capillary mold, demonstrated remarkable stability and resistance to organic solvents for more than 150 extractions. The SBSE bar has a diameter of 2.36 mm and a length of 2.2 cm and is prepared to contain 92 μL of polymer coating. This new PDMS‐ACB bar was evaluated for its ability to determine the quantity of pesticides in sugarcane juice samples by performing liquid desorption (LD) in 200 μL of ethyl acetate and analyzing the solvent through gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). A fractional factorial design was used to evaluate the main parameters involved in the extraction procedure. Then, a central composite design with a star configuration was used to optimize the significant extraction parameters. The method used demonstrated a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.5–40 μg/L, depending on the analyte detected; the amount of recovery varied from 0.18 to 49.50%, and the intraday precision ranged from 0.072 to 8.40%. The method was used in the analysis of real sugarcane juice samples commercially available in local markets.     

Development of single‐drop microextraction and simultaneous derivatization followed by GC‐MS for the determination of aliphatic amines in tobacco

In this work, for the first time, headspace (HS) single‐drop microextraction and simultaneous derivatization followed by GC‐MS was developed to determine the aliphatic amines in tobacco samples. In the HS extraction procedure, the mixture of derivatization reagent and organic solvent was employed as the extraction solvent for HS single‐drop microextraction and in situ derivatization of aliphatic amine in the samples. Fast extraction and simultaneous derivatization of the analytes were performed in a single step, and the obtained derivatives in the microdrop extraction solvent were analyzed by GC‐MS. The optimized experiment conditions were: sample preparation temperature of 80°C and time of 30 min, HS extraction solvent (the mixture of benzyl alcohol and 2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorobenzaldehyde) volume of 2.0 μL, extraction time of 90 s. With the optimal conditions, the method validations were also studied. The method has good linearity (R² more than 0.99), accepted precision (RSD less than 13%), good recovery (98–104%) and low limit of detection (0.11–0.97 μg/g). Finally, the proposed technique was successfully applied to the analyses of aliphatic amines in tobacco samples of seven different brands. It was further demonstrated that the proposed method offered a simple, low‐cost and reliable approach to determine aliphatic amines in tobacco samples.     

Sulfonated poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) modified with amines and the application for pipette‐tip solid‐phase extraction of carbendazim in apples

Sulfonated poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) modified with five kinds of amine functional groups was applied to the determination of carbendazim in apple samples with a pipette‐tip solid‐phase extraction method. The structures of the polymers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Five different modifications of the solid‐phase extraction sorbent based on sulfonated poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) were tested under static and pipette‐tip solid‐phase extraction conditions. The polymer modified with p‐methoxyaniline showed the best recognition capacity and adsorption amount for carbendazim. Under the optimum conditions, 3.00 mg of the adsorbent, 1.00 mL of ethyl acetate as washing solvent, and 1.00 mL of ammonia/acetonitrile (5:95, v/v) as elution solvent were used in the pretreatment procedure of apple samples. The calibration graphs of carbendazim in methanol were linear over 5.00–200.00 μg/mL, and the limits of detection and quantification were 0.01 and 0.03 μg/mL, respectively. The method recoveries of carbendazim were in the range of 91.31–98.13% with associated intraday relative standard deviations of 0.76–2.13% and interday relative standard deviations of 1.10–1.85%. Sulfonated poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) modified with p‐methoxyaniline showed satisfactory results (recovery: 97.96%) and potential for the rapid purification of carbendazim in apple samples combined with the pipette‐tip solid‐phase extraction.     

Development of a fabric phase sorptive extraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection method for the analysis of alkyl phenols in environmental samples

A novel analytical method has been developed and validated for the quantification of alkyl phenols in aqueous and soil samples. Fabric phase sorptive extraction, a new sorptive microextraction technique, has been employed for the preconcentration of some endocrine‐disruptor alkylphenol molecules, namely, 4‐tert‐butylphenol, 4‐sec‐butylphenol, 4‐tert‐amylphenol, and 4‐cumylphenol, followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Various parameters influencing the fabric phase sorptive extraction performance, namely, extraction time, eluting solvent, elution time and pH of the sample matrix, were optimized. The chromatographic separation was carried out with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/water (60:40 v/v) at an isocratic flow rate of 1.0 mL/min using a reversed‐phase C₁₈ column at λ_max 225 nm. The calibration curves of target analytes were prepared in the concentration range 5–500 ng/mL with good coefficient of determination values (R² > 0.992). Extraction efficiency values were 74.0, 75.6, 78.0, and 78.3 for 4‐tert‐butylphenol, 4‐sec‐butylphenol, 4‐tert‐amylphenol, and 4‐cumylphenol, respectively. The limits of detection range from 0.161 to 0.192 ng/mL. Subsequently, the new fabric phase sorptive extraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection was successfully applied for the recovery of alkyl phenols from spiked ground water, river water, and treated water from a sewage treatment plant, and soil and sludge samples.     

Impact of phase ratio, polydimethylsiloxane volume and size, and sampling temperature and time on headspace sorptive extraction recovery of some volatile compounds in the essential oil field

This study evaluates concentration capability of headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE) and the influence of sampling conditions on HSSE recovery of an analyte. A standard mixture in water of six high-to-medium volatility analytes (isobutyl methyl ketone, 3-hexanol, isoamyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, linalool and carvone) was used to sample the headspace by HSSE with stir bars coated with different polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) volumes (20, 40, 55 and 110 microL, respectively), headspace vial volumes (8, 21.2, 40, 250 and 1000 mL), sampling temperatures (25, 50 and 75 degrees C) and sampling times (30, 60 and 120 min, and 4, 8 and 16 h). The concentration factors (CFs) of HSSE versus static headspace (S-HS) were also determined. Analytes sampled by the PDMS stir bars were recovered by thermal desorption (TDS) and analysed by capillary GC-MS. This study demonstrates how analyte recovery depends on its physico-chemical characteristics and affinity for PDMS (octanol-water partition coefficients), sampling temperatures (50 degrees C) and times (60 min), the volumes of headspace (40 mL) and of PDMS (in particular, for high volatility analytes). HSSE is also shown to be very effective for trace analysis. The HSSE CFs calculated versus S-HS with a 1000 mL headspace volumes at 25 degrees C during 4 h sampling ranged between 10(3) and 10(4) times for all analytes investigated while the limits of quantitation determined under the same conditions were in the nmol/L range.     

Stir bar sorptive extraction for the analysis of short‐chain chlorinated paraffins in water

An optimised method using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and a thermal desorption‐GC‐electron capture detector (GC‐ECD) for the determination of short‐chain chlorinated paraffins from water samples was developed. Recoveries near to 100% were obtained by using 20 mm×0.5 mm (length×film thickness) PDMS commercial stir bars from 200 mL spiked water samples and 20% methanol addition with an extraction period of 24 h. Method sensitivity, linearity and precision were evaluated for surface water and wastewater spiked samples. A LOD of 0.03 and 0.04 μg/L was calculated for surface and wastewater, respectively. The precision of the method given as an RSD was below 20% for both matrices. The developed method was applied for the analysis of two real samples from a contaminated river and a wastewater treatment plant. Results were in accordance with those obtained using a previously developed method based on solid phase microextraction (SPME).     

Comparison of four extraction methods for analysis of volatile hop‐derived aroma compounds in beer

The volatile organic compound profile in beer is derived from hops, malt, yeast, and interactions between the ingredients, making it very diverse and complex. Due to the range and diversity of the volatile organic compounds present, the choice of the extraction method is extremely important for optimal sensitivity and selectivity. This study compared four extraction methods for hop‐derived compounds in beer late hopped with Nelson Sauvin. Extraction capacity and variation were compared for headspace solid‐phase micro extraction, stir bar sorptive extraction, headspace sorptive extraction, and solvent‐assisted flavor evaporation. Generally, stir bar sorptive extraction was better suited for acids, headspace sorptive extraction for esters and aldehydes, while headspace solid‐phase microextraction was less sensitive overall, extracting 40% fewer compounds. Solvent‐assisted flavor evaporation with dichloromethane was not suitable for the extraction of hop‐derived volatile organic compounds in beer, as the profile was strongly skewed towards alcohols and acids. Overall, headspace sorptive extraction is found to be best suited, closely followed by stir bar sorptive extraction.     

Trace determination of parabens in cosmetics and personal care products using fabric‐phase sorptive extraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection

A simple, fast, and sensitive analytical protocol using fabric‐phase sorptive extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection has been developed and validated for the extraction of five parabens including methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and benzylparaben. In the present work, sol‐gel polyethylene glycol coated fabric‐phase sorptive extraction membrane is used for the preconcentration of parabens (polar) from complex matrices. The use of fabric‐phase sorptive extraction membrane provides a high surface area which offers high sorbent loading, shortened equilibrium time, and overall decrease in the sample preparation time. Various factors affecting the performance of fabric‐phase sorptive extraction, including extraction time, eluting solvent, elution time, and pH of the sample matrix, were optimized. Separation was performed using a mobile phase consisting of water:acetonitrile (63:37; v/v) at an isocratic elution mode at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min with wavelength at 254 nm. The calibration curves of the target analytes were prepared with good correlation coefficient values (r² > 0.9955). The limit of detection values range from 0.252 to 0.580 ng/mL. Finally, the method was successfully applied to various cosmetics and personal care product samples such as rose water, deodorant, hair serum, and cream with extraction recoveries ranged between 88 and 122% with relative standard deviation <5%.     

Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric determination of vinyl acetate levels in air

The determination of vinyl acetate at parts per 10⁹ by volume (ppbv) levels in air by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was achieved by optimizing the GC conditions and choosing specific extraction solvents that are sufficiently pure. The ideal solvent should not give rise to fragment ions at m/z 43, in order to rule out any possible interference during the monitoring of the same vinyl acetate ion. Traces of acetone and butan-2-one in solvents suitable for this GC/MS determination may also mislead the detection of vinyl acetate. A 440 μl volume of a mixture of tetrachloroethylene containing 9% acetonitrile allowed the recovery of more than 90% of the ester with a detection limit of 1.5 ppbv in air together with a good linearity of response.     

Comparison of different extraction methods for the determination of essential oils and related compounds from aromatic plants and optimization of solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography

Different extraction methods for the subsequent gas chromatographic determination of the composition of essential oils and related compounds from marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), caraway (Carum carvi L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) have been compared. The comparison was also discussed with regard to transformation processes of genuine compounds, particularly in terms of expenditure of time. Hydrodistillation is the method of choice for the determination of the essential oil content of plants. For investigating the composition of genuine essential oils and related, aroma-active compounds, hydrodistillation is not very useful, because of discrimination and transformation processes due to high temperatures and acidic conditions. With cold solvent extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction, discrimination of high and non-volatile aroma-active components as well as transformation processes can be diminished, but non-aroma-active fats, waxes, or pigments are often extracted, too. As solid-phase microextraction is a solvent-free fully automizable sample preparation technique, this was the most sparing to sensitive components and the most time-saving method for the rapid determination of the aroma compounds composition in marjoram, caraway, sage, and thyme. Finally, solid-phase microextraction could be successfully optimized for the extraction of the aroma components from the plants for their subsequent gas chromatographic determination.     

A novel HS-SBSE system coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the analysis of organochlorine pesticides in water samples

A methodology to analyze organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water samples has been accomplished by using headspace stir bar sorptive extraction (HS-SBSE). The bars were in house coated with a thick film of PDMS in order to properly work in the headspace mode. Sampling was done by a novel HS-SBSE system whereas the analysis was performed by capillary GC coupled mass spectrometric detection (HS-SBSE-GC-MS). The extraction optimization, using different experimental parameters has been established by a standard equilibrium time of 120 min at 85 degrees C. A mixture of ACN/toluene as back extraction solvent promoted a good performance to remove the OCPs sorbed in the bar. Reproducibility between 2.1 and 14.8% and linearity between 0.96 and 1.0 were obtained for pesticides spiked in a linear range between 5 and 17 ng/g in water samples during the bar evaluation.     

A simple and inexpensive "solvent in silicone tube extraction" approach and its evaluation in the gas chromatographic analysis of pesticides in fruits and vegetables

A novel, simple, and inexpensive approach to sorptive extraction, which we call solvent in silicone tube extraction (SiSTEx), was applied to pesticide residue analysis and its effectiveness and efficiency were evaluated. In SiSTEx, which is a form of open tubular sorptive extraction, a piece of silicone tubing (4 cm long, 1.47 mm ID, 1.96 mm OD in this study) is attached to the cap of a 20 mL glass vial that contains the aqueous sample. The tubing is plugged at the end dangling in the sample solution, and MeCN (e.g., 40 microL) added by syringe to the inner tube volume through a septum in the cap. A stir-bar is used to mix the sample for a certain time (e.g., 60 min), which allows chemicals to partition into the tubing where they diffuse across the silicone and partition into the MeCN. The final MeCN extract is then analyzed for the concentrated analytes. In this study, the SiSTEx approach was evaluated for the analysis of organophosphorus (OP) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides in fruits and vegetables using GC/pulsed flame photometric (PFPD) and halogen specific (XSD) detectors for analysis. The produced samples were initially extracted by a rapid MeCN procedure, and 5 mL of the initial extract was diluted four-fold with water to undergo sorptive extraction for 60 min. The final extract was analyzed by GC/PFPD + XSD for 14 OP and 22 OC pesticides. This simple approach was able to detect 26 of the 36 pesticides at 10 ng/g or less original equivalent sample concentration with average reproducibility of 11% RSD. For those 26 pesticides, a 44-fold lower detection limit on average was achieved in matrix extracts using SiSTEx despite the four-fold dilution with water.     

First separation of four aromatic acids and two analogues with similar structures and polarities from Clematis akebioides by high‐speed counter‐current chromatography

In this paper, we report an efficient method by high‐speed counter‐current chromatography for the first separation of four aromatic acids and two analogs with similar structures and polarities from Clematis akebioides. First, the ethyl acetate extract was treated by silica gel column chromatography to enrich the target compounds. And then the fraction with target compounds were purified by high‐speed counter‐counter chromatography using a two‐phase solvent system consisting of chloroform/acetonitrile/water (10:6:4, v/v). The results showed high‐speed counter‐current chromatography could be a powerful technology for the separation of compounds with similar structures and polarities. Besides, it was found acetonitrile could be a good methanol substitute when a chloroform/methanol/water system could not provide a good separation factor. This study provides a reference for the separation of compounds from Clematis akebioides.     

Automated stir plate (bar) sorptive extraction coupled to high‐performance liquid chromatography for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Automated methods of PDMS/β‐CD/divinylbenzene‐coated stir plate sorptive extraction (SPSE) coupled to HPLC‐fluorescence detector were reported for the first time. Three automation modes, static SPSE, circular flow SPSE and continuous flow SPSE, were evaluated and critically compared with stir bar sorptive extraction by using six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as model analytes. It was found that the operable sample volume for circular flow SPSE and continuous flow SPSE was larger than that for static SPSE. Under the same extraction conditions, continuous flow SPSE exhibited the highest extraction efficiencies in all automated modes and manual stir bar sorptive extraction for the target compounds. Compared with the manual operation (approximately 5–10 min), automated SPSE required a relatively short time (117–180 s) to finish sampling, washing and sample loading. Besides being labor‐saving and time‐saving, automated SPSE has other advantages, such as no time limit and non‐attended operation. The proposed continuous flow PDMS/β‐CD/divinylbenzene‐coated SPSE‐HPLC‐fluorescence detector was successfully applied to environmental water analysis.     

Chemical composition of mate tea leaves (Ilex paraguariensis): a study of extraction methods

The objective of this work was to investigate the extraction of Ilex paraguariensis leaves by means of three extraction techniques: pressurized liquid extraction (PLE, also called accelerated solvent extraction – ASE), maceration, and sonication. Samples of mate tea leaves were collected from an experiment conducted under agronomic control at Indústria e Comércio de Erva‐Mate Bar?o LTDA, Brazil. Six solvents with increasing polarities (n‐hexane, toluene, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol) were used in this investigation. Chemical analysis of the extracts was performed by GC coupled with a mass spectrometer detector. The identification and quantification were accomplished by coinjections of certified standards. The results showed that no significant differences in the qualities of the extracts were noticed regarding the extraction methods. On the other hand, the PLE technique was found to be more effective for the extractions of caffeine, phytol, palmitic, and stearic acid. The use of PLE led to a significant decrease in the total extraction time, amount of solvent consumption, and manipulation of samples compared to maceration and ultrasound‐assisted extraction methods.