Development and application of chemometric-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of suspected fragrance allergens in water samples

Updating the status quo on the extraction of bioactive compounds in agro-products using a two-pot multivariate design. A comprehensive review

Extraction is regarded as the most crucial stage in analyzing bioactive compounds. Nonetheless, due to the intricacy of the matrix, numerous aspects must be optimized during the extraction of bioactive components. Although one variable at a time (OVAT) is mainly used, this is time-consuming and laborious. As a result, using an experimental design in the optimization process is beneficial with few experiments and low costs. This article critically reviewed two-pot multivariate techniques employed in extracting bioactive compounds in food in the last decade. First, a comparison of the parametric screening methods (factorial design, Taguchi, and Plackett-Burman design) was delved into, and its advantages and limitations in helping to select the critical extraction parameters were discussed. This was followed by a discussion of the response surface methodologies (central composite (CCD), Doehlert (DD), orthogonal array (OAD), mixture, D-optimal, and Box-Behnken designs (BBD), etc.), which are used to optimize the most critical variables in the extraction of bioactive compounds in food, providing a sequential comprehension of the linear and complex interactions and multiple responses and robustness tests. Next, the benefits, drawbacks, and possibilities of various response surface methodologies (RSM) and some of their usages were discussed, with food chemistry, analysis, and processing from the literature. Finally, extraction of food bioactive compounds using RSM was compared to artificial neural network modeling with their drawbacks discussed. We recommended that future experiments could compare these designs (BBD vs. CCD vs. DD, etc.) in the extraction of food-bioactive compounds. Besides, more research should be done comparing response surface methodologies and artificial neural networks regarding their practicality and limitations in extracting food-bioactive compounds.

Determination of Droplet-Bound and Free Gas-Phase Fragrances Using a Filter-Incorporated Needle-Trap Device and Solid-Phase Microextraction Technologies

Some of the fragrance compounds in aerosols tend to remain trapped inside the droplets. The ability to capture these droplets would make it possible to desorb and transfer the analytes dissolved within for determination. In this study, we design a novel filter-incorporated needle-trap device and use it to capture fragrance compounds in droplets as well as the gas phase of seven aerosol spray samples. For comparison, thin-film and solid-phase microextraction were also employed to extract gas-phase-borne fragrances from the same sprays. The results revealed that the filter-incorporated needle-trap device enables the extraction of total concentrations due to its ability to trap fragrance-containing droplets, whereas thin-film and solid-phase microextraction are only able to extract unbound compounds present in the gas phase. In addition, the developed needle-trap device provided acceptable results, proving its applicability for the analysis of aroma in other samples, such as beer and soda.

A simple and efficient Solid-Phase Microextraction - Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry method for the determination of fragrance materials at ultra-trace levels in water samples using multi-walled carbon nanotubes as innovative coating

The occurrence of emerging contaminants is becoming of increasing importance to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities onto the environment. The present study reports for the first time the development and validation of an efficient method for the simultaneous determination of fragrance materials in water samples based on the use of a novel multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-based solid-phase microextraction coating. Helical MWCNTs were selected as adsorbent material due to their outstanding extraction performance. The multicriteria method of desirability functions allowed the optimization of the experimental conditions in terms of extraction time and extraction temperature. Validation proved the reliability of the method for the determination of the analytes at ultra-trace levels, obtaining detection limits in the 0.2-13 ng/L range, good precision, with relative standard deviations lower than 20% and recovery rates in the 80 ± 12%-111 ± 11%. Superior enrichment factors compared to commercial fibers were also calculated. Finally, applicability to real sample analysis was demonstrated.

Optimizing Mass Spectrometry Analyses: A Tailored Review on the Utility of Design of Experiments

Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a tool that can analyze nearly all classes of molecules, with its scope rapidly expanding in the areas of post-translational modifications, MS instrumentation, and many others. Yet integration of novel analyte preparatory and purification methods with existing or novel mass spectrometers can introduce new challenges for MS sensitivity. The mechanisms that govern detection by MS are particularly complex and interdependent, including ionization efficiency, ion suppression, and transmission. Performance of both off-line and MS methods can be optimized separately or, when appropriate, simultaneously through statistical designs, broadly referred to as "design of experiments" (DOE). The following review provides a tutorial-like guide into the selection of DOE for MS experiments, the practices for modeling and optimization of response variables, and the available software tools that support DOE implementation in any laboratory. This review comes 3 years after the latest DOE review (Hibbert DB, 2012), which provided a comprehensive overview on the types of designs available and their statistical construction. Since that time, new classes of DOE, such as the definitive screening design, have emerged and new calls have been made for mass spectrometrists to adopt the practice. Rather than exhaustively cover all possible designs, we have highlighted the three most practical DOE classes available to mass spectrometrists. This review further differentiates itself by providing expert recommendations for experimental setup and defining DOE entirely in the context of three case-studies that highlight the utility of different designs to achieve different goals. A step-by-step tutorial is also provided.

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the simultaneous determination of fragrance allergens in cosmetics and water

A simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly method based on ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction followed by solidification of floating organic drop and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of 18 potentially allergenic fragrance substances. Several parameters affecting the microextraction process were investigated in detail by the "one-variable-at-a-time" approach. Optimal conditions were the following: 50 μL of 2-dodecanol as extraction solvent, 10 mL of sample containing 150 g/L of salt, and 5 min of sonication at 35°C. Under the optimized conditions, method showed good linearity in the selected ranges, with squared correlation coefficients ranging from 0.948 to 0.999. Limits of detection ranged from 0.001 to 0.154 μg/mL and enrichment factors from 9 to 237. Precision of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation, was checked at two levels obtaining good results (3.3-14.4%). Recovery studies were made in baby bath water and in eau de cologne showing acceptable accuracy. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to different commercial cosmetic and water samples. The most commonly found analyte was linalool followed by cinnamal and lilial. Most of the analyzed samples contained at least one of the target compounds.