Analysis of CoQ10 in cultivated tobacco by a high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet method

Determination of Coenzyme Q10 Content in Food By-Products and Waste by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Diode Array Detection

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like compound found naturally in plant- and animal-derived materials. This study aimed to determine the level of CoQ10 in some food by-products (oil press cakes) and waste (fish meat and chicken hearts) to recover this compound for further use as a dietary supplement. The analytical method involved ultrasonic extraction using 2-propanol, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The HPLC-DAD method was validated in terms of linearity and measuring range, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), trueness, and precision. As a result, the calibration curve of CoQ10 was linear over the concentration range of 1-200 µg/mL, with an LOD of 22 µg/mL and an LOQ of 0.65 µg/mL. The CoQ10 content varied from not detected in the hempseed press cake and the fish meat to 84.80 µg/g in the pumpkin press cake and 383.25 µg/g in the lyophilized chicken hearts; very good recovery rates and relative standard deviations (RSDs) were obtained for the pumpkin press cake (100.9-116.0% with RSDs between 0.05-0.2%) and the chicken hearts (99.3-106.9% CH with RSDs between 0.5-0.7%), showing the analytical method's trueness and precision and thus its accuracy. In conclusion, a simple and reliable method for determining CoQ10 levels has been developed here.

An Overview of Analytical Methods for Quantitative Determination of Coenzyme Q10 in Foods

Food analysts have developed three primary techniques for coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) production: isolation from animal or plant matrices, chemical synthesis, and microbial fermentation; this literature review is focused on the first method. Choosing the appropriate analytical method for determining CoQ10 in a particular food product is essential, as this analyte is a quality index for healthy foods; various associations of extraction and quantification techniques are available in the literature, each having advantages and disadvantages. Several factors must be considered when selecting an analytical method, such as specificity, linear range, detection limit, quantification limit, recovery rate, operation size, analysis time, equipment availability, and costs. In another train of thought, the food sector produces a significant amount of solid and liquid waste; therefore, waste-considered materials can be a valuable source of CoQ10 that can be recovered and used as a fortifying ingredient or dietary supplement. This review also pursues identifying the richest food sources of CoQ10, and has revealed them to be vegetable oils, fish oil, organs, and meat.

Unraveling the Difference in the Composition/Content of the Aroma Compounds in Different Tobacco Leaves: For Better Use

The composition/content of aroma compounds in tobacco leaves in the different producing areas varies too much, and it is very meaningful to develop advanced analysis techniques to investigate the composition/content-producing area correlation. Here, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy (GC-IMS) was used to analyze the composition/content of aroma compounds in tobacco samples from eight different producing areas. With this technique, ion mobility spectrum, differential ion mobility spectrum, and fingerprint spectrum were constructed for two-dimensional analysis. Then, the principal component analysis (PCA) and similarity analysis were performed for the eight tobacco samples. The results showed that the GC-IMS can detect 197 volatile aroma compounds in tobacco leaves and 75 of them are well identified. The fingerprint spectrum directly showed the difference in the composition/content of volatile aroma compounds in tobacco leaves from different producing areas. PCA and similarity analysis can clearly distinguish tobacco samples from different producing areas. This work demonstrated that the application of GC-IMS in analyzing the composition/content of aroma compounds in tobacco leaves is efficient. GC-IMS is a very powerful tool to give a direct and visual comparison of the composition/content of aroma compounds in tobacco leaves from different producing areas. The relationship between the composition/content of aroma compounds and producing areas could be established by this advanced technology. This work offers the possibility of planting or grading tobacco with different taste and smell more precisely in the future.