Deep eutectic solvent-based hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction for quantification of Q-markers of cinnamic acid derivatives in traditional Chinese medicines and research of their plasma protein binding rates

Hydroxyl-rich ferrofluid for efficient liquid phase microextraction of cinnamic acid derivatives in traditional Chinese medicine

In this study, a hydroxyl-rich ferrofluid was prepared by dispersing silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles into a methyltrioctylammonium chloride-glycerol deep eutectic solvent and then employed in the preconcentration of trace-level of cinnamic acid derivatives (caffeic acid, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid) in traditional Chinese medicine prior to high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The structures of the synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The experimental parameters affecting the extraction performance, such as deep eutectic solvent composition, dosage of ferrofluid, pH of aqueous sample solution, salt concentration, extraction time, type, and volume of desorption solvent, were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors of four cinnamic acid derivatives were in the range of 107-114. Low detection limits (0.2-0.9 ng/mL), good precisions (relative standard deviations 1.2%-9.5%), and satisfactory recoveries (96.0%-104.7%) were achieved. Subsequently, the possible microextraction mechanism of the proposed method was explored and elucidated. It showed that the prepared ferrofluid is easily dispersed in the aqueous sample and achieved recovery after the extraction. The developed approach is a simple, convenient, and efficient method for preconcentration and determination of cinnamic acid derivatives in complex matrices.

Applications of deep eutectic solvents in microextraction and chromatographic separation techniques: Latest developments, challenges, and prospects

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently sparked considerable attention in a variety of scientific and technological fields. The unique properties of DESs include biodegradability, easy preparation, low cost, and tuneability, rendering them a new and prospective alternative to hazardous solvents. Analytical chemistry is one of the most appealing fields where DESs proved to be applicable in either sample preparation or chromatographic separation. This review summarizes the new horizons dedicated to the application of DESs in microextraction and chromatographic separation. The utilization of DESs in microextraction, in chromatography as mobile phase additives, and in chromatographic material preparation processes is outlined. The enhancements in chromatographic performance achieved using DESs and any potential explanations deduced from the experimental findings were primarily discussed. An additional brief discussion on DESs preparation, characterization, and properties is addressed in this work. Finally, current challenges and future trends are also presented, supplying evidence for distinct possibilities regarding new research approaches involving DESs. This review can represent a guide and stimulate further research in this field.

Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents as Greener Substitutes for Conventional Extraction Media: Examples and Techniques

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are multicomponent designer solvents that exist as stable liquids over a wide range of temperatures. Over the last two decades, research has been dedicated to developing noncytotoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible DESs to replace commercially available toxic organic solvents. However, most of the DESs formulated until now are hydrophilic and disintegrate via dissolution on coming in contact with the aqueous phase. To expand the repertoire of DESs as green solvents, hydrophobic DESs (HDESs) were prepared as an alternative. The hydrophobicity is a consequence of the constituents and can be modified according to the nature of the application. Due to their immiscibility, HDESs induce phase segregation in an aqueous solution and thus can be utilized as an extracting medium for a multitude of compounds. Here, we review literature reporting the usage of HDESs for the extraction of various organic compounds and metal ions from aqueous solutions and absorption of gases like CO₂. We also discuss the techniques currently employed in the extraction processes. We have delineated the limitations that might reduce the applicability of these solvents and also discussed examples of how DESs behave as reaction media. Our review presents the possibility of HDESs being used as substitutes for conventional organic solvents.

A switchable deep eutectic solvent for the homogeneous liquid-liquid microextraction of flavonoids from "Scutellariae Radix"

A homogeneous liquid-liquid microextraction (HLLME) was established based on a switchable deep eutectic solvent (DES) for the preconcentration and determination of six flavonoids with different polarity in "Scutellariae Radix" combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A switchable DES composed of N,N-dimethylethanolamine (DMEA) and heptanoic acid was used as an extraction solvent in the HLLME method, which was miscible thoroughly with the aqueous sample phase initially, and then underwent rapid phase transition induced by the addition of an inorganic acid. After the extraction, the upper hydrophobic layer was recovered for HPLC analysis. Different experimental parameters were optimized, and the optimal extraction conditions were as follows: the switchable DES extraction phase, 90 µL of DMEA-heptanoic acid (1:1 mole ratio); phase-switching trigger, 100 µL of 5 mol/L HCl; 10% (w/v) of salt concentration in sample phase; extraction time, 0.3 min. Furthermore, the structures of the switchable DES and the upper hydrophobic layer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry to illustrate the phase-switching mechanism of the extraction phase during the extraction process. Under the optimized conditions, the enrichment factors for six target analytes were between 0.4 and 104. The calibration curves were linear (r≥0.9866) in the range of 0.033-8.65 mg/L for scutellarin, 0.022-5.77 mg/L for baicalin, 0.0033-0.865 mg/L for scutellarein and wogonoside, and 0.0022-0.577 mg/L for baicalein and wogonin, respectively. Low detection limits (≤8.0 × 10^-3 mg/L) and quantification limits (≤2.4 × 10^-2 mg/L) as well as good precisions (relative standard deviations lower than 9.2%) and acceptable accuracies (spiked recoveries 89.3-114.4%) were also obtained. The proposed method is a simple, fast, and eco-friendly sample pretreatment method.

Deep eutectic solvent as acceptor phase in three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction for determination of pyrethroid insecticides from environmental water samples prior to HPLC

In this study, a deep eutectic solvent as acceptor phase was applied in three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (DES-HF-LPME) for the microextraction of two pyrethroids (Permethrin as well as deltamethrin) from environmental water samples prior to HPLC-UV. The deep eutectic solvent was synthesized of tetrabutylammonium bromide/decanoic acid (ratio of 1:2) as an acceptor phase, and 1-decanol was applied as a supported liquid membrane. Some main variables affecting the extraction recoveries, comprising the types/content of extraction solvent and acceptor phase, stirring speed, sample phase pH, and extraction time, were checked out and became optimal. In optimum circumstances, the detection limits and limits of quantitation determined were 0.09-0.12 μgL^-1 and 0.29-0.39 μgL^-1 for deltamethrin and permethrin, respectively. The enrichment factors were 627 and 613, while the relative standard deviations (RSD%, n=5) were calculated to be 4.8% and 5.7%, for deltamethrin and permethrin, respectively. The created technique was satisfyingly assessed to ascertain the two pyrethroid poisons (permethrin and deltamethrin) in environmental water samples.

Determination of nerve agent biomarkers in human urine by a natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent-parallel artificial liquid membrane extraction technique

Alkyl methyl phosphonic acids (AMPAs) are the major metabolites of organophosphorus nerve agents. A method based on the use of natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents as supported liquid membrane in parallel artificial liquid microextraction (PALME) combined with LC-MS/MS analysis was developed and applied to their extraction from urine samples. PALME is a miniaturized liquid-phase extraction method performed in a multiwell plate format where the aqueous sample and the aqueous acceptor phase are separated by a flat membrane impregnated with an organic solvent. In this study, we investigated the possibility of replacing the harmful conventional organic solvent by an emerging green solvent, a coumarin/thymol-based deep eutectic solvent, in ordered to raise the greenness of the sample preparation method. Linear response was obtained in an interval of 0.5, 5 or 10-100 ng/ml depending on the AMPAs with a determination coefficients (R²s) ranging from 0.9751 to 0.9989 for their determination in not treated urine samples. Enrichment factors (EFs) up to 12.65 were obtained, and repeatability was within 8.90-16.28% RSD (n = 12). The limit of quantifications (LOQs: S/N ≥ 10) of the whole analytical procedure were in the range from 0.04 to 5.35 ng/ml. In addition to its good sensitivity, the presented method permitted the treatment of 192 samples in 120 min (equivalent to 37.5 s/sample), which places it as one of the most powerful preparation technique for biomonitoring of civilian or military people exposed to nerve agents in case of public health emergency. Indeed, the developed procedure combined sensitivity, high-throughput, greenness, simplicity and practicality for the determination of five acidic polar AMPAs in urine samples.

The Potential of Microextraction Techniques for the Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Food

For a long time, the importance of sample preparation and extraction in the analytical performance of the most diverse methodologies have been neglected. Cumbersome techniques, involving high sample and solvent volumes have been gradually miniaturized from solid-phase and liquid-liquid extractions formats and microextractions approaches are becoming the standard in different fields of research. In this context, this review is devoted to the analysis of bioactive compounds in foods using different microextraction approaches reported in the literature since 2015. But microextraction also represents an opportunity to mitigate the environmental impact of organic solvents usage, as well as lab equipment. For this reason, in the recent literature, phenolics and alkaloids extraction from fruits, medicinal herbs, juices, and coffee using different miniaturized formats of solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid microextraction are the most popular applications. However, more ambitious analytical limits are continuously being reported and emergent sorbents based on carbon nanotubes and magnetic nanoparticles will certainly contribute to this trend. Additionally, ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents constitute already the most recent forefront of innovation, substituting organic solvents and further improving the current microextraction approaches.

Combining DNA Barcoding and Chemical fingerprints to authenticate Lavender raw material

OBJECTIVE

This study was initiated and conducted by several laboratories, 3 of the main cosmetic ingredient suppliers and 4 brands of cosmetics in France. Its objective is to show the interest and robustness of coupling chemical and genetic analyses in the identification of plant species. In this study, the Lavandula genus was used.

METHODS

In this study, we used two analytical methods. Chemical analysis from UHPLC (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography) and genetic analysis from barcoding with genetic markers.

RESULTS

Eleven lavender species were selected (botanically authenticated) and analysed. The results show that three chemical compounds (coumaric acid hexoside, ferulic acid hexoside and rosmarinic acid) and three genetic markers (RbcL, trnH-psbA and ITS) are of interest for the differentiation of species of the genus lavandula.

CONCLUSION

The results show that the combination of complementary analytical methods is a relevant system to prove the botanical identification of lavender species. This first study, carried out on a plant of interest for cosmetics, demonstrates the need for authentication using a tool combining genetic and chemical analysis as an advance over traditional investigation methods used alone, in terms of identification and authentication reliability.

Microextraction Techniques with Deep Eutectic Solvents

In this review, the ever-increasing use of deep eutectic solvents (DES) in microextraction techniques will be discussed, focusing on the reasons needed to replace conventional extraction techniques with greener approaches that follow the principles of green analytical chemistry. The properties of DES will be discussed, pinpointing their exceptional performance and analytical parameters, justifying their current extensive scientific interest. Finally, a variety of applications for commonly used microextraction techniques will be reported.

Application of Hollow Fibre-Liquid Phase Microextraction Technique for Isolation and Pre-Concentration of Pharmaceuticals in Water

In this article, a comprehensive review of applications of the hollow fibre-liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) for the isolation and pre-concentration of pharmaceuticals in water samples is presented. HF-LPME is simple, affordable, selective, and sensitive with high enrichment factors of up to 27,000-fold reported for pharmaceutical analysis. Both configurations (two- and three-phase extraction systems) of HF-LPME have been applied in the extraction of pharmaceuticals from water, with the three-phase system being more prominent. When compared to most common sample preparation techniques such as solid phase extraction, HF-LPME is a greener analytical chemistry process due to reduced solvent consumption, miniaturization, and the ability to automate. However, the automation comes at an added cost related to instrumental set-up, but a reduced cost is associated with lower reagent consumption as well as shortened overall workload and time. Currently, many researchers are investigating ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents as environmentally friendly chemicals that could lead to full classification of HF-LPME as a green analytical procedure.