Phenosafranin-Based Colorimetric-Sensing Platform for Nitrite Detection Enabled by Griess Assay

A facile and effective colorimetric-sensing platform based on the diazotization of phenosafranin for the detection of NO 2 - under acidic conditions using the Griess assay is presented. Diazotization of commercial phenosafranin produces a color change from purplish to blue, which enables colorimetric quantitative detection of NO 2 - . Optimal detection conditions were obtained at a phenosafranin concentration of 0.25 mM, HCl concentration of 0.4 M, and reaction time of 20 min. Under the optimized detection conditions, an excellent linearity range from 0 to 20 μM was obtained with a detection limit of 0.22 μM. Favorable reproducibility and selectivity of the colorimetric sensing platform toward NO 2 - were also verified. In addition, testing spiked ham sausage, bacon, and sprouts samples demonstrated its excellent practicability. The presented colorimetric sensing platform is a promising candidate for the detection of NO 2 - in real applications.

A review on spectroscopic methods for determination of nitrite and nitrate in environmental samples

Nitrate is an important pollutant found in environmental samples. Nitrate and nitrite pose various environmental as well as health hazards. Different methods of determining nitrate in various environmental samples developed during previous years include spectrophotometric, chemiluminescence, electrochemical detection, chromatographic, capillary electrophoretic, spectrofluorimetric methods. Out of these, methods based on spectroscopic detection of nitrate have been discussed in this review article due to their easy availability, high sensitivity, low detection limit, economical and facile nature. Methods based on spectrophotometry, Raman Spectroscopy, IR and FTIR Spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), fluorescence spectroscopy, chemiluminescence, mass spectroscopy, molecular emission cavity analysis (MECA), electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) have been reviewed. The basic principle, detection limits, detection range, RSD%, sample throughput/h, advantages and disadvantages have been discussed.

Re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives

The Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) provided a scientific opinion re‐evaluating the safety of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) when used as food additives. The ADIs established by the SCF (1997) and by JECFA (2002) for nitrite were 0–0.06 and 0–0.07 mg/kg bw per day, respectively. The available information did not indicate in vivo genotoxic potential for sodium and potassium nitrite. Overall, an ADI for nitrite per se could be derived from the available repeated dose toxicity studies in animals, also considering the negative carcinogenicity results. The Panel concluded that an increased methaemoglobin level, observed in human and animals, was a relevant effect for the derivation of the ADI. The Panel, using a BMD approach, derived an ADI of 0.07 mg nitrite ion/kg bw per day. The exposure to nitrite resulting from its use as food additive did not exceed this ADI for the general population, except for a slight exceedance in children at the highest percentile. The Panel assessed the endogenous formation of nitrosamines from nitrites based on the theoretical calculation of the NDMA produced upon ingestion of nitrites at the ADI and estimated a MoE > 10,000. The Panel estimated the MoE to exogenous nitrosamines in meat products to be < 10,000 in all age groups at high level exposure. Based on the results of a systematic review, it was not possible to clearly discern nitrosamines produced from the nitrite added at the authorised levels, from those found in the food matrix without addition of external nitrite. In epidemiological studies there was some evidence to link (i) dietary nitrite and gastric cancers and (ii) the combination of nitrite plus nitrate from processed meat and colorectal cancers. There was evidence to link preformed NDMA and colorectal cancers.

Re-evaluation of sodium nitrate (E 251) and potassium nitrate (E 252) as food additives

The Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) provided a scientific opinion re-evaluating the safety of sodium nitrate (E 251) and potassium nitrate (E 252) when used as food additives. The current acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for nitrate of 3.7 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day were established by the SCF (1997) and JECFA (2002). The available data did not indicate genotoxic potential for sodium and potassium nitrate. The carcinogenicity studies in mice and rats were negative. The Panel considered the derivation of an ADI for nitrate based on the formation of methaemoglobin, following the conversion of nitrate, excreted in the saliva, to nitrite. However, there were large variations in the data on the nitrate-to-nitrite conversion in the saliva in humans. Therefore, the Panel considered that it was not possible to derive a single value of the ADI from the available data. The Panel noticed that even using the highest nitrate-to-nitrite conversion factor the methaemoglobin levels produced due to nitrite obtained from this conversion would not be clinically significant and would result to a theoretically estimated endogenous N-nitroso compounds (ENOC) production at levels which would be of low concern. Hence, and despite the uncertainty associated with the ADI established by the SCF, the Panel concluded that currently there was insufficient evidence to withdraw this ADI. The exposure to nitrate solely from its use as a food additive was estimated to be less than 5% of the overall exposure to nitrate in food based on a refined estimated exposure scenario. This exposure did not exceed the current ADI (SCF, 1997). However, if all sources of exposure to dietary nitrate are considered (food additive, natural presence and contamination), the ADI would be exceeded for all age groups at the mean and the highest exposure.

Methods for the detection and determination of nitrite and nitrate: A review

Various techniques for the determination of nitrite and/or nitrate developed during the past 15 years were reviewed in this article. 169 references were covered. The detection principles and analytical parameters such as matrix, detection limits and detection range of each method were tabulated. The advantages and disadvantages of various methods were evaluated. In comparison to other methods, spectrofluorimetric methods have become more attractive due to its facility availability, high sensitivity and selectivity, low limits of detection and low-cost.

A new catalytic-spectrophotometric method for quantification of trace amounts of nitrite in fruit juice samples

A new kinetic method has been developed for the determination of nitrite in fruit juice samples. The method is based on the catalytic effect of nitrite with the oxidation of Nile Blue A (NBA) by KBrO(3) in the sulfuric acid medium. The optimum conditions obtained are 1.2 mM sulfuric acid, 0.034 mM of NBA, 2.8 × 10(-3) M KBrO(3), reaction temperature of 20 °C, and reaction time of 100 s at 595.5 nm. Under the optimized conditions, the method allowed the quantification of nitrite in a range of 0.2-800 μg/mL with a detection limit of 0.02 μg/mL. The method was applied to the determination of nitrite in 15 brands of fruit juice samples.