A review of recent advances in melamine detection techniques

Simultaneous Enhancement of Bioactivity and Stability of Laccase by Cu2+/PAA/PPEGA Matrix for Efficient Biosensing and Recyclable Decontamination of Pyrocatechol

Simultaneously enhancing the catalytic bioactivity and stability of enzyme is still an intractable issue in the enzymatic study. Herein, a facile and effective approach was designed to immobilize and modify laccase on a Cu²⁺-adsorbed pyrene-terminated block copolymer [poly(acrylic acid)/poly(poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate)] (PAA/PPEGA), which was prepared via well-controlled reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. PAA provided the supporting matrix for firm immobilization of Cu²⁺, an enzyme bioactivity inducer, onto the microstructure of laccase, while avoiding any contamination of the heavy metal Cu²⁺ into the following application system. The water-soluble, biocompatible, and nontoxic PPEGA was used as an ideal modifier to improve the laccase stability. Accordingly, the modified laccase exhibited enhanced catalytic bioactivity and stability simultaneously to 447% and 237%, respectively. The modified laccase was immobilized on the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface and large-area graphene papers through π-π stacking interactions between the pyrene moiety of PAA/PPEGA and the π-conjugated graphenelike surface. The as-prepared portable solid-state electrochemical laccase biosensor showed lowest detection limit of 50 nM (S/N ≥ 3) and long-term stability for pyrocatechol detection. Besides, the laccase immobilization on graphene paper provided efficient pyrocatechol decontamination platform with convenience and recyclability, which could retain the laccase bioactivity of 176% after 8 consecutive operations.

Rapid Quantification of Melamine in Different Brands/Types of Milk Powders Using Standard Addition Net Analyte Signal and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Multivariate calibration (MVC) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy have demonstrated potential for rapid analysis of melamine in various dairy products. However, the practical application of ordinary MVC can be largely restricted because the prediction of a new sample from an uncalibrated batch would be subject to a significant bias due to matrix effect. In this study, the feasibility of using NIR spectroscopy and the standard addition (SA) net analyte signal (NAS) method (SANAS) for rapid quantification of melamine in different brands/types of milk powders was investigated. In SANAS, the NAS vector of melamine in an unknown sample as well as in a series of samples added with melamine standards was calculated and then the Euclidean norms of series standards were used to build a straightforward univariate regression model. The analysis results of 10 different brands/types of milk powders with melamine levels 0~0.12% (w/w) indicate that SANAS obtained accurate results with the root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) values ranging from 0.0012 to 0.0029. An additional advantage of NAS is to visualize and control the possible unwanted variations during standard addition. The proposed method will provide a practically useful tool for rapid and nondestructive quantification of melamine in different brands/types of milk powders.

Sample Preparation of Eggs From Laying Hens Using QuEChERS Dispersive Extraction for the Simultaneous Determination of Melamine and Cyromazine Residues by HPLC-DAD

A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) dispersive extraction method is proposed herein for the isolation and cleanup of melamine and cyromazine from chicken egg yolk. Analytes are determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using photodiode array detector after separation on a LiChroCART® (250 × 4 mm)—LiChrospher® RP-8e, 5 μm analytical column using a mobile phase of 0.1% trifluoracetic acid and methanol (80:20 v/v) delivered isocratically at a flow rate of 1 mL/minute. Extraction of isolated compounds was achieved by methanol and acetonitrile mixture (1:1 v/v). Recovery rates ranged between 74.5% and 115.8%. The method was validated in terms of 657/2002/EC decision. The within-laboratory reproducibility, expressed as a relative standard deviation, was <11%. Decision limits (CCalfa) were 2.56 mg/kg for melamine and 0.22 mg/kg⁻¹ for cyromazine, and the corresponding results for detection capability (CCbeta) were 2.8 mg/kg for melamine and 0.24 mg/kg for cyromazine. Ruggedness was estimated according to the Youden approach studying egg yolk mass, sorbent mass, centrifugation time, organic solvents volume, evaporation temperature, and vortex time.