Ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography determination of amitrole in apple after solid-phase extraction and precolumn derivatization

A novel method based on solid-phase extraction was studied for the extraction of amitrole (3-amino-1,2,4-triazole), and its residue determination in apples has been developed. The samples were derivatized with 4-chloro-3,5-dinitrobenzotrifluoride (CNBF). The derivatization conditions and the influence of elution composition on the separation were investigated. In pH 9.5 H₃BO₃–Na₂B₄O₇ media, the reaction of amitrole with CNBF was complete at 60°C after 30 min. The separation of derivatized amitrole was achieved at room temperature within 13 min by gradient elution mode with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in mobile phase as ion-pair reagent. The method correlation coefficient was 0.9996, in concentrations ranging from 1.66 to 415 mg L⁻¹. The calculated recoveries of the proposed method were from 94.17% to 105.67%, and relative standard deviations were 1.57% to 6.44% in the application to the quantitative determination of amitrole in apples. The detection limit of amitrole was 0.10 mg L⁻¹ with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Figure Residue determination of amitrole in apple by ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography