Facile fabrication of naphthalene-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for efficient extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water and fish samples.

In this study, naphthalene-modified magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Nap) were simply prepared based on specific chelation interaction between phosphate groups and metal ions on Fe3O4 surface. The resultant Fe3O4@Nap were characterized by FTIR, BET, SEM, TEM, NAM, TGA, and VSM techniques. With Fe3O4@Nap as adsorbent, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were efficiently extracted by magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) from environmental water and fish samples through the π-π interaction between modified naphthalene groups and PAHs, followed by their determination by GC-MS/MS. The key parameters influencing the extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the Fe3O4@Nap-based MSPE/GC-MS/MS method proposed in this paper was evaluated and applied for analyzing PAHs in environmental water and fish samples. And the proposed MSPE/GC-MS/MS method exhibited good linearities for water samples (in the range of 0.1-10 ng/mL, R2 >0.9945) and for fish samples (in the range of 1-100 ng/g, R2 > 0.9905). The limits of detection (LODs) for water and fish samples were 0.004-0.031 ng/mL and 0.07-0.28 ng/g, respectively. Additionally, this method exhibited desirable accuracy and precision. The PAH recovery values from water and fish samples ranged from 81.5% to 109.6% with inter- and intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) of less than 12.8%. The MSPE/GC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to the analysis of real environmental water and fish samples. Overall, the newly synthesized Fe3O4@Nap exhibited high sensitivity, specificity, reusability, repeatability, and it could efficiently extract PAHs from environmental water and fish samples by MSPE.

Flowerlike Ni-NiO composite as magnetic solid-phase extraction sorbent for analysis of carbendazim and thiabendazole in edible vegetable oils by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A rapid, selective, and sensitive method was developed for the detection of carbendazim and thiabendazole in edible vegetable oil. Two benzimidazole analytes were pre-concentrated by magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) using flowerlike Ni-NiO composite as sorbents and followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The flowerlike Ni-NiO composite sorbent displayed a high affinity towards benzimidazole analytes due to the reversible coordination interaction between the Ni(Ⅱ) ion and the electron-donating imidazole group. In comparison to the previous methods, this procedure is less time-consuming and simpler during sample preparation. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized in detail. The method was validated according to SANTE/12682/2019. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.001-0.003 mg•kg-1. The recoveries ranged from 89.3% to 110.7% with inter-day and inter-day precision less than 10.9%. The results indicate that flowerlike Ni-NiO composite might be a promising alternative for MSPE of benzimidazole compounds in foods.

[Determination of bongkrekic acid in tremella and auricularia auricular by improved QuEChERS method combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry].

An improved QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) method, combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), was used to determine bongkrekic acid (BA) in tremella and auricularia auricular. BA is a fat-soluble, fatal bacterial toxin produced by the aerobic gram-negative bacteria Burkholderia gladioli pathovar cocovenenans. Tremella and auricularia auricular, which have rich nutritional values, are traditional edible fungi in China that are very popular among Chinese consumers. However, tremella and auricularia auricular are easily contaminated by BA during storage and foaming, and this poses a great threat to food safety and human health. Therefore, establishing a rapid and efficient analysis method for detecting BA in tremella and auricularia auricular is of considerable significance. However, the BA concentration in the actual sample is very low, and the matrices of tremella fuciformis and auricularia auricular are very complex. Thus, it is necessary to employ appropriate sample pretreatment technology to extract and purify BA from tremella and auricularia auricular samples prior to instrumental analysis. In this study, the QuEChERS method, combined with UHPLC-MS/MS, was used to detect BA in tremella and auricularia auricular. The key parameters, such as extraction solvent, extraction method, and adsorbent used for cleanup, were optimized to obtain high extraction efficiency. The content of acetic acid in the extraction solution strongly influenced the extraction efficiency of BA, and acetonitrile with 5%(v/v) acetic acid was determined to be the optimum extraction solvent. After salting out, the acetonitrile extract was purified by dispersive solid phase extraction using 200 mg C18 as a cleanup adsorbent. The sample was then separated on a Waters HSS T3 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 µm), using a water solution containing 0.01% (v/v) formic acid and 0.05% (v/v) ammonia and methanol as mobile phases. MS analysis was performed using an electrospray ionization source in the negative and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes. Under the optimized conditions, the matrix effects of UHPLC-MS/MS in tremella and auricularia auricular were -6.3% and -11.5%, respectively; this indicated that the method had a significant purification effect, and the sample matrix did not affect the MS detection of BA. Further study showed that in the concentration range of 1-200 µg/L, the square of the regression coefficient of the linear equation (R2) was greater than 0.999. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.15 µg/kg and 0.5 µg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries in samples spiked with 0.5, 10, and 50 µg/kg BA in tremella ranged from 92.4% to 102.6%, and the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 4.3%-4.9% and 3.2%-3.5%, respectively. For auricularia auricular, the average recoveries ranged from 89.6% to 102.3%, and the intra-day and inter-day RSDs were 2.4%-9.5% and 3.6%-4.1%, respectively. These results indicate that the proposed method has satisfactory sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. Finally, the method showed good performance when applied to the analysis of real samples. Compared with other reported methods, the LOD and LOQ of our proposed method were lower, with satisfactory recovery and precision. Taken together, this study provides an effective detection technology for the monitoring and risk control of BA in tremella and auricularia auricular.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on a new hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for the determination of phenolic compounds in environmental water samples.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction has garnered increasing attention in sample preparation due to its rapid and efficient extraction process. In this study, a new terpineol-based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent was firstly synthesized by mixing α-terpineol with 1-octanoic acid, and then applied to analysis of phenols from water samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and diode array detection. Infrared spectroscopy indicated that hydrogen bonding was responsible for the formation of deep eutectic solvent between α-terpineol and 1-octanoic acid. After optimization of several parameters, such as the type and volume of deep eutectic solvent and the disperser, pH and ionic strength of sample solution, the developed method exhibited excellent extraction performance to the phenols with the enrichment factors from 27 to 32. Good linearity was acquired ranging from 5 to 5000 µg/L, and detection of limits of the proposed method for the phenols ranged from 0.15 to 0.38 µg/L. The recoveries measured by spiked samples at three concentration levels ranged from 81.6 to 99.3%, and precision was found with intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations less than 8.7 and 9.2%, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of the phenols in environmental water samples.

A novel deodorization method of edible oil by using ethanol steam at low temperature.

A novel deodorization method of edible oil by using ethanol steam at low-temperature was developed. We compared the chemical changes in predeodorized rapeseed oil after anhydrous ethanol steam distillation at low temperature (140 to 220 °C) (L-ESD) and conventional high-temperature (250 °C) water-steam distillation (H-WSD) in terms of odor characteristics, physicochemical properties, micronutrient contents, antioxidant performance, and fatty acid composition. Compared with H-WSD (250 °C for 60 min), L-ESD at 180 °C for 80 to 100 min resulted in lower response values of electronic nose, free fatty acid (0.03% to 0.07%), and peroxide value (0.00 to 0.67 meq/kg), but higher retention of tocopherols (554.93 to 551.59 mg/kg), total phenols (43.36 to 45.42 mgGAE/kg), total carotenoids (65.78 to 67.85 mg/kg), phytosterols (585.80 to 596.53 mg/100 g), polyunsaturated fatty acids (27.95 to 28.01%), and better antioxidant properties. In conclusion, L-ESD can mitigate the damage of oil and thus significantly improve the safety of vegetable oils with a high retention of nutrients compared with conventional H-WSD. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The present study aimed to compare the chemical changes in predeodorized rapeseed oil after anhydrous ethanol steam distillation at low temperature (140 to 220 °C) (L-ESD) and conventional high-temperature (250 °C) water-steam distillation (H-WSD) in terms of odor characteristics, physicochemical properties, micronutrient contents, antioxidant performance, and fatty acid composition. Results indicated that this finding supplies a theoretical basis for developing a method with retaining more micronutrients and producing less harmful substances for the deodorization of rapeseed oil.

Rapid and sensitive detection of the phenoxy acid herbicides in environmental water samples by magnetic solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Phenoxy acid herbicides are widely used herbicides that play an important role in improving the yield and quality of crops. However, some research has shown that this kind of herbicide is poisonous to human and animals. In this study, a rapid and sensitive method was developed for the detection of seven phenoxy acid herbicides in water samples based on magnetic solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Magnetic amino-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were prepared by mixing bare magnetic Fe3 O4 nanoparticles with commercial amino-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in water. Then the amino-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were used to enrich phenoxy acid herbicides from water samples based on hydrophobic and ionic interactions. The effects of experimental variables on the extraction efficiency have been studied in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the method validation was performed. Good linearities for seven phenoxy acid herbicides were obtained with squared regression coefficients ranging from 0.9971 to 0.9989. The limits of detection ranged from 0.01 to 0.02 µg/L. The method recoveries of seven phenoxy acid herbicides spiked at three concentration levels in a blank sample were from 92.3 to 103.2%, with inter- and intraday relative standard deviations less than 12.6%.

Preparation of mesoporous ZrO2-coated magnetic microsphere and its application in the multi-residue analysis of pesticides and PCBs in fish by GC-MS/MS.

A novel mesoporous ZrO2 immobilized magnetic Fe3O4 microsphere (m-ZrO2@Fe3O4) was successfully synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), nitrogen adsorption measurement (NAM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Then the resultant m-ZrO2@Fe3O4 and an n-octadecylphosphonic acid modified magnetic microsphere (Fe3O4-OPA) were employed as clean-up co-adsorbents of QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) method for the analysis of 42 pesticides and 7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish samples. Lipid co-extractives such as fatty acids in QuEChERS extracts could be efficiently removed through the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between m-ZrO2@Fe3O4 and carboxylic groups, while some other apolar interferents could be adsorbed through hydrophobic interaction by Fe3O4-OPA. Meanwhile, the magnetic property of adsorbents endows the clean-up procedure with manipulative convenience. Several parameters affecting the clean-up performance were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the modified QuEChERS method combined with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the multi-class, multi-residue analysis of pesticides and PCBs in fish samples was validated according to linearility, recovery and precision. Good linearities were obtained for all analytes with R(2) larger than 0.9903. Limits of detection (LODs) were found to be in the range of 0.02-4.40 ng/g. The method recoveries of all analytes spiked at three concentration levels in blank fish samples were from 69.8% to 117.1%, with the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 13.4% and 16.5%, respectively.

Determination of benzimidazole residues in animal tissue samples by combination of magnetic solid-phase extraction with capillary zone electrophoresis.

Benzimidazole drugs (BZDs) comprise a large number of synthetic anthelmintics, which are widely used in food-producing animals for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. To protect consumers from the risks related to BZDs residues, a simple, rapid, and efficient method for simultaneous determination of ten BZDs in animal tissues samples was developed. This analytical procedure involved extracting samples with magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) using magnetite/silica/poly (methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/poly (MAA-co-EGDMA)) magnetic microspheres, and determination by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). To improve the sensitivity of the method, we employed the electrokinetic injection with field-amplified sample stacking technique (FASS). Berbine solution was used as internal standard to minimize the fluctuation of analytical results. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good linearities were obtained for the ten BZDs with the correlation coefficients (R(2)) above 0.9920. The limits of detections (LODs) for ten BZDs were 1.05-10.42 ng/g in swine muscle and 1.06-12.61 ng/g in swine liver, respectively. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the developed method were less than 13.6%. The recoveries of the ten BZDs for the spiked samples ranged from 81.1% to 105.4% with RSDs less than 9.3%.

Molecular complex-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction: analysis of polar compounds in aqueous solution.

A novel molecular complex-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method was established via hydrogen bond interaction between the extractant and the analytes. In this approach, tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP), a Lewis base, was directly used, instead of the traditional water-immiscible organic solvents, as the extractant for DLLME. The phenols (p-benzenediol, m-benzenediol, o-benzenediol and phenol), which are typical Lewis acids, were successfully extracted from environmental aqueous samples. In addition, phase separation was achieved in a disposable polyethylene pipet with the open and narrow tip upside, for a collection of the above extractant layer, i.e. TBP. To achieve satisfactory extraction performance, several extraction parameters, such as type of extractant solvents, extractant volume, pH of sample solution, ionic strength of sample solution and extraction time, were optimized. Additionally, the proposed method was applied to environmental water samples. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection and limits of quantification for the phenols were 7-29 and 25-98 µg/L, respectively. The calibration curves showed good linearity (r(2)≥0.9961) over the investigated concentration range. The repeatability of the method was investigated by evaluating the intra- and inter-day precisions. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) obtained were lower than 11.2% and 13.9% at different concentration levels. The recoveries ranged from 83.2% to 117.8%, with RSDs less than 13.1%. The developed approach provides a new way to facilitate DLLME of organic polar compounds from aqueous solutions. Moreover, it enables a convenient collection of solvent less dense making use of a cheap and disposable polyethylene pipet.

Determination of benzimidazole residues in edible animal food by polymer monolith microextraction combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A sensitive method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 10 benzimidazole residues and some of their metabolites in egg, milk, chicken, and pork. This method is based on the combination of polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) technique with liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS). The extraction was performed with a poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MAA-co-EGDMA) monolithic capillary column. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good extraction efficiencies for the targets were obtained with no matrix interference in the subsequent detection. The LODs (S/N=3) for 10 benzimidazoles were found to be 0.56-2.76 ng g(-1) in egg, 0.50-1.41 ng mL(-1) in milk, 0.09-0.28 ng g(-1) in chicken, and 0.08-0.15 ng g(-1) in pork. The recoveries in egg, milk, chicken, and pork matrices ranged from 75.2 to 116.8% spiked at different levels with analytes, with RSDs of <13.7%. The method was later successfully applied for the determination of primary and metabolite residues in eggs after oral administration of albendazole to hens.

[Preparation of a strong cation-exchange polymer monolith and its application in determination of melamine in milk products].

A poly (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (AMPS-co-EDMA) monolith was prepared in a fused-silica capillary (530 microm i.d.) and applied for polymer monolith microextraction (PMME). With the optimal ratio of N, N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF, porogen) and polyethylene glycol (PEG, co-porogen), the resulting monolith exhibited satisfactory permeability, high mechanical strength and good stability in aqueous buffer. The effects of several parameters to PMME were investigated, such as pH value, inorganic salt and organic phase concentration of the sample matrix. It demonstrated that the melamine was captured on the poly (AMPS-co-EDMA) monolith mainly through strong cation-exchange and hydrophobic interactions. A novel approach is presented for the determination of melamine in milk products by coupling PMME to high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Because of the high extraction capacity of the monolith towards melamine, low detection limits (S/N = 3, 0.9 mg/kg) and quantification limits (S/N = 10, 0.3 mg/kg) were obtained. The method showed good linearity ranging from 0.5 to 80 mg/kg. Excellent reproducibility of the method was exhibited by intraday and interday precisions, yielding the relative standard deviations not larger than 7.5%. The proposed method is simple, rapid, sensitive, and low cost.