Comparison of stir bar sorptive extraction and membrane-assisted solvent extraction for the ultra-performance liquid chromatographic determination of oxazole fungicide residues in wines and juices

Miniaturized sample preparation techniques and ambient mass spectrometry as approaches for food residue analysis

Analytical methods such as liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) are widely used techniques for the analyses of different classes of compounds. This is due to their highlighted capacity for separating and identifying components in complex matrices such food samples. However, in most cases, effective analysis of the target analyte becomes challenging due to the complexity of the sample, especially for quantification of trace concentrations. In this case, miniaturized sample preparation methods have been used as a strategy for analysis of complex matrices. This involves removing the interferents and concentrating the analytes in a sample. These methods combine simplicity and effectiveness and given their miniaturized scale, they are in accordance with green chemistry precepts. Besides, ambient mass spectrometry represents a new trend in fast and rapid analyses, especially for qualitative and screening analysis. However, for complex matrix analyses, sample preparation is still a difficult step and the miniaturized sample preparation techniques show great potential for an improved and widespread use of ambient mass spectrometry techniques. . This review aims to contribute as an overview of current miniaturized sample preparation techniques and ambient mass spectrometry methods as different approaches for selective and sensitive analysis of residues in food samples.

Recent Trends in the Development of Green Microextraction Techniques for the Determination of Hazardous Organic Compounds in Wine

Background:

The sample preparation is the most crucial step in the analytical method development. Taking this into account, it is easily understood why the domain of sample preparation prior to detection is rapidly developing. Following the modern trends towards the automation, miniaturization, simplification and minimization of organic solvents and sample volumes, green microextraction techniques witness rapid growth in the field of food quality and safety. In a globalized market, it is essential to face the consumers need and develop analytical methods that guarantee the quality of food products and beverages. The strive for the accurate determination of organic hazards in a famous and appreciated alcoholic beverage like wine has necessitated the development of microextraction techniques.

Objective:

The objective of this review is to summarize all the recent microextraction methodologies, including solid phase extraction (SPE), solid phase microextraction (SPME), liquid-phase microextraction (LPME), dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), single-drop microextraction (SDME) and dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) that were developed for the determination of hazardous organic compounds (pesticides, mycotoxins, colorants, biogenic amines, off-flavors) in wine. The analytical performance of the techniques is evaluated and their advantages and limitations are discussed.

Conclusion:

An extensive investigation of these techniques remains vital through the development of novel strategies and the implication of new materials that could upgrade the selectivity for the extraction of target analytes.

Molecular classification of pesticides including persistent organic pollutants, phenylurea and sulphonylurea herbicides

Pesticide residues in wine were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Retentions are modelled by structure–property relationships. Bioplastic evolution is an evolutionary perspective conjugating effect of acquired characters and evolutionary indeterminacy–morphological determination–natural selection principles; its application to design co-ordination index barely improves correlations. Fractal dimensions and partition coefficient differentiate pesticides. Classification algorithms are based on information entropy and its production. Pesticides allow a structural classification by nonplanarity, and number of O, S, N and Cl atoms and cycles; different behaviours depend on number of cycles. The novelty of the approach is that the structural parameters are related to retentions. Classification algorithms are based on information entropy. When applying procedures to moderate-sized sets, excessive results appear compatible with data suffering a combinatorial explosion. However, equipartition conjecture selects criterion resulting from classification between hierarchical trees. Information entropy permits classifying compounds agreeing with principal component analyses. Periodic classification shows that pesticides in the same group present similar properties; those also in equal period, maximum resemblance. The advantage of the classification is to predict the retentions for molecules not included in the categorization. Classification extends to phenyl/sulphonylureas and the application will be to predict their retentions.

QSPR prediction of chromatographic retention times of pesticides: partition and fractal indices

The high-performance liquid-chromatographic retentions of red-wine pesticide residues are modeled by structure-property relationships. The effect of different types of features is analyzed: geometric, lipophilic, etc. The properties are fractal dimensions, partition coefficient, etc., in linear and nonlinear correlation models. Biological plastic evolution is an evolutionary perspective conjugating the effect of acquired characters and relations that emerge among the principles of evolutionary indeterminacy, morphological determination and natural selection. It is applied to design the co-ordination index that is used to characterize pesticide retentions. The parameters used to calculate the co-ordination index are the molar formation enthalpy, molecular weight and surface area. The morphological and co-ordination indices barely improve the correlations. The fractal dimension averaged for non‑buried atoms, partition coefficient, etc. distinguishes the pesticide molecular structures. The structural and constituent classification is based on nonplanarity, and the number of cycles, and O, S, N and Cl atoms. Different behavior depends on the number of cycles.

Comparison of the selectivity of different sorbent phases for bar adsorptive microextraction--application to trace level analysis of fungicides in real matrices

Bar adsorptive micro-extraction combined with liquid desorption followed by large volume injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operating in the selected-ion monitoring acquisition mode (BAμE-LD/LVI-GC-MS(SIM)) was developed for the determination of trace levels of ten fungicides (azoxystrobin, difenoconazole, metalaxyl-M, myclobutanil, penconazole, tebuconazole, flusilazole, cyprodinil, procymidone and benalaxyl) in aqueous matrices. By comparing different sorbent coatings (two activated carbons, two styrene-divinylbenzene and one modified pyrrolidone polymers) through BAμE, the latter phase showed much higher selectivity and capacity offering multiple mechanisms of interaction, even against polydimethylsiloxane by stir bar sorptive extraction. Assays performed on 25 mL of water samples spiked at the 0.8 μg/L level, yielded recoveries ranging from 100.0 to 107.8%, under optimized experimental conditions; BAμE(modified pyrrolidone) - equilibrium time: 4h (1000 rpm), pH 5.5; LD - solvent:methanol/acetonitrile (1/1), 15 min with sonification. The analytical performance showed convenient detection limits (4.0-30.0 ng/L) and excellent linear dynamic ranges (0.04-1.60 μg/L) with remarkable correlation coefficients (r(2)>0.9980). Excellent repeatability was also achieved through intraday (RSD<13.7%) and interday (RSD<9.9%) assays. By using the standard addition methodology, the application of the present analytical approach on tap and ground water, as well as, wine samples revealed good sensitivity and absence of matrix effects. The proposed method operating under floating sampling technology proved to be a suitable sorption-based static microextraction alternative to monitor fungicides in real matrices, showing to be easy to implement, reliable, sensitive, requiring low sample volume and the possibility to choose the most selective sorbent coating according to the targets of interest.

Generic sample treatment method for simultaneous determination of multiclass pesticides and mycotoxins in wines by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

In this work, a generic sample treatment method for simultaneous determination of multiclass pesticides and mycotoxins in wines is presented. The proposed method is based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) using polymeric-type SPE cartridges. To evaluate the proposed sample treatment, a liquid chromatography electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry method was used for testing 60 selected representative multiclass pesticides and 9 mycotoxins. Two different polymeric sorbents were evaluated, with hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced (HLB) polymer cartridges being selected (Oasis HLB) as the most suitable for the present study. The identification and confirmation of the compounds was based on retention time and accurate mass measurements of the protonated molecules ([M+H](+)). Limits of detection were below 1 μg L(-1) for the 87% of the studied compounds. With the selected 4:1 preconcentration factor, 70% of the target compounds showed relatively low matrix effects, corresponding to signal suppressions lower than 30%. Recovery studies (n=10) were carried out at two concentration levels, 2.5 μg L(-1) and 25 μg L(-1), obtaining mean recovery rates between 70 and 120% for the 90% of studied analytes. The relative standard deviation (RSD%) values of the entire procedure were below 15% in most cases (97% of the studied analytes). The proposed method was successfully applied to 24 red wine samples produced in different regions of Spain. The concentration levels of the target compounds found in the studied samples were in compliance with the current regulations. Aflatoxin B(2) and metalaxyl were the most detected compounds (75% and 50% of the studied samples, respectively).

Determination of pesticide residues in wine by membrane-assisted solvent extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The determination of pesticides in food products is an essential issue to guarantee food safety and minimise health risks of consumers. A protocol based on membrane-assisted solvent extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) that allows the determination of 18 pesticides in red wine at minimum labour effort for sample preparation was developed and validated. Ten millilitres of wine were extracted using 100 μL of toluene filled in a non-porous polyethylene membrane bag which is immersed in the wine sample. After 150 min extraction under stirring, an aliquot of the extraction solution is analysed using HPLC-MS/MS. The limits of quantification ranged from 3 ng/L for Pirimicarb to 1.33 μg/L for Imidacloprid. Quantification by matrix-matched calibration provided relative standard deviations ≤16 % for most of the target pesticides. The linearity of calibration was given over three to four orders of magnitude, which enables the reliable measurement of a broad range of pesticide concentrations, and for each target pesticide, the sensitivity of the protocol meets the maximum residue levels set by legislations at least for wine grapes. Good agreement of results was found when the new method was compared with a standard liquid-liquid extraction protocol. In five wine samples analysed, Carbendazim and Metalaxyl were determined at micrograms per litre concentrations, even in some of the organic wines. Tebuconazol and Cyprodinitril were determined at lower abundance and concentration, followed by Spiroxamin and Diuron.

Determination of hymexazol in cucumber and soil samples by derivatization using GC-FPD

A sensitive and effective analytical method for the determination of hymexazol in cucumber and soil samples by gas chromatography with a flame photometric detector was developed. This method was validated with fortified at three different levels of 0.2, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/kg. Average recoveries obtained from cucumber and soil samples at three fortified levels were 94.0%-107.8% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of less than 11.4%. Limits of quantification (LOQ) in cucumber and soil were 0.2 mg/kg. The method was successfully applied to determine hymexazol in real samples of cucumber and soil under open fields.

[Advance of stir bar sorptive extraction]

Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) is an environmentally-friendly technology of sample preparation which combines extraction, cleanup and enrichment together, and it has been developed rapidly and widely applied to the trace enrichment of various target analytes in environmental, food and biological samples. Based on our research, the advance of SBSE, especially, the development of new coatings, are reviewed. At the same time, the possible development orientations of SBSE are discussed.

Bioassay guided discovery of apoptosis inducers from gamboge by high-speed counter-current chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A screening system, composed of high-speed counter-current chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, was established to find bioactive lead compound. This system succeeded in discovering apoptosis inducers from gamboge, the resin of Garcinia hanburyi. High-speed counter-current chromatography was used to provide well-separated fractions for bioassay and the resulted active fractions were rapidly identified using high-pressure liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The solvent system of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water was optimized to the ratio of 7:3:7:3 (v/v/v/v) by a K value analysis. As a result, two active fractions were obtained. They showed apoptosis inducing effects as potent as that of taxol (500 nM) at the concentration of 1 microg/ml. Gambogenic acid (72.1%) and epimeric isogambogic acids (25.3%) were identified in one of the fractions. The other active fraction mainly contained two epimeric mixtures, gambogic acids (68.7%) and gambogoic acids (26.9%). Among them, gambogenic acid, without epimerization, has priority to be lead compound.