Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of benzoic acid and sorbic acid in foods: NMKL collaborative study

A gas-liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of benzoic acid and sorbic acid in foods was collaboratively studied by 8 laboratories. Benzoic and sorbic acids are isolated from food by successive extractions with ether, sodium hydroxide, and methylene chloride, converted to trimethylsilyl (TMS) esters, and determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Phenylacetic acid and caproic acid are used as internal standards for benzoic acid and sorbic acid, respectively. Seven samples were collaboratively studied: almond paste, fish homogenate, and apple juice with benzoic and sorbic acid levels from 0.04 to 2 g/kg. Average recoveries (%) for benzoic and sorbic acids were as follows: almond paste, 99.6 and 101.2; fish homogenate, 99.2 and 97.4; and apple juice 98.2 and 106.6. The reproducibility coefficients of variation (%) for benzoic and sorbic acids at 0.5-2 g/kg levels were 3.5-6.1 and 5.2-9.0; and at the 0.04 g/kg level, 14.7 and 23.3, respectively. The method has been adopted official first action at 0.5-2 g/kg levels.     

Reverse-phase liquid chromatographic determination of paraquat and diquat in agricultural products

A simple, rapid, highly sensitive liquid chromatographic method is described for the quantitative determination of paraquat and diquat residues in agricultural products. Paraquat and diquat are extracted with hot dilute hydrochloric acid and are cleaned up on an Amberlite CG-50 column, followed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography on an NH2 column, with ultraviolet detection at 257 nm (paraquat) and 310 nm (diquat). The minimum detectable concentration of both paraquat and diquat was 0.5 ng per injection, which corresponds to a lower detection limit of approximately 0.02 microgram/g in the original samples. Recoveries of paraquat and diquat added to various samples were greater than 79%, and averaged 91 and 90%, respectively, at the 0.1 and 1.0 microgram/g spiking levels.     

Reverse-phase liquid chromatographic analysis of cephalosporins

A simple and rapid reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method was developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of 13 cephalosporin compounds. A mixture of cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefamandole nafate, cefamandole sodium, cefazolin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefoxitin, ceftizoxime, cephalothin, cephalexin, cephapirin, and cephradine was resolved into its components in raw material and dosage form samples by using a C18 column, a methanol-water-acetic acid (30 + 70 + 0.1) mobile phase, and a UV detector set at 254 nm. The proposed method is suited both for the determination of cephalosporins in a wide variety of commercial dosage forms and for the investigation of related compounds and other impurities in samples of 7 of the cephalosporins.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of cinnamic and benzoic acids in benzoin preparations

A liquid chromatographic method for the individual determination of benzoic and cinnamic acids in 2 benzoin preparations is presented. The method specifies a reverse phase column and 0.01M KH2PO4-methanol (85 + 15) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.8 mL/min, with detection at 254 nm. The method has been applied to 2 benzoin preparations and the results were compared with those from the British Pharmacopoeia method.     

Reverse-phase liquid chromatographic determination of clioquinol in cream and ointment preparations: collaborative study

Seven laboratories participated in a collaborative study to analyze, in duplicate, 2 synthetic formulations and 2 commercial preparations, labeled to contain 3% clioquinol. Clioquinol is determined as its nickel (II) complex by reverse-phase liquid chromatography on a phenyl-bonded column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-water, containing ammonium acetate and nickel chloride. Detection is at 273 nm and diphenylamine is added as an internal standard. Mean recoveries were 99.1 and 101.1%, respectively, for the ointment and cream synthetic preparations and 96.7 and 99.7%, respectively, for the commercial ointment and cream. All results are consistent with the variability of other methods at this concentration range. The method has been approved interim official first action.     

Ion-pairing liquid chromatographic determination of benzimidazole fungicides in foods

A method is described for determining residues in foods of thiabendazole, thiophanate methyl, the di-oxygen analogue metabolite [dimethyl 4,4'-O-phenylene bis (allophanate)] that is the metabolite name of the latter, and methyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate, which is the major metabolite and fungitoxic principle common to both thiophanate methyl and benomyl. The residues are extracted from the product using methanol and are partitioned into dichloromethane after initial acidification and again after subsequent alkalinization of the extract. Residues are separated and quantified by reverse-phase liquid chromatography using an ion-pairing mobile phase with UV and fluorescence detectors in tandem. Recoveries from 7 different food crops fortified at 0.2-35 ppm levels ranged from 64 to 105%.     

Reverse-phase liquid chromatographic determination of lysine in complete feeds and premixes, using manual precolumn derivatization

A sample portion is hydrolyzed with 6N HCl for 23 h and cooled, the pH is adjusted to 7.7 with NaOH, and the solution is diluted with pH 7.7 borate buffer. An aliquot of the sample extract is derivatized with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (9-FMC). Lysine is separated from other amino acids by isocratic reverse-phase liquid chromatography (LC) using fluorescence detection: 260 nm excitation and 313 nm emission. The mobile phase is acetonitrile-0.1M acetic acid (pH 4.2) buffer (53 + 47). Linearity is satisfactory over a range of 0.4-24 micrograms/mL. Results from 9 feed samples (1.1-2.7% lysine) analyzed by both the LC method and an amino acid analyzer were not significantly different statistically. Recovery of standard lysine, spiked just before derivatization on these same 9 samples (in duplicate), was 100.9% with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.4%. A study of within-day and between-day method precision resulted in CVs of 1.1 and 1.8%, respectively. The variation of results was negligible when the method was tested for ruggedness on 7 factors.     

Ion chromatographic determination of sulfites in foods

Ion chromatography (IC) is shown to be a promising technique for the determination of sulfites (SO2, SO2/3-) in foods. Results of a 10 min flash distillation and 10 min IC determination compare favorably with the results from the conventional Monier-Williams method for total sulfite in a variety of food matrices. The IC technique also provides a wealth of additional information, such as (1) sulfite and sulfate (oxidized sulfite) content of the spiking or treatment solution, (2) residual sulfite applied to the food after oxidation losses in the treatment process, (3) free sulfite in foods, and (4) total sulfite in foods. As a further check on the Monier-Williams method, the sulfate content of the trapping solution can be determined by IC. Because the IC technique traps the liberated SO2 in a non-oxidizing rather than an oxidizing medium, it is considered free from interfering sulfides and organic sulfur-containing groups which can give false positives in the Monier-Williams method. IC thus offers a high speed, more sensitive, and cost-effective alternative to conventional techniques for the determination of sulfite in foods.     

Reverse-phase liquid chromatographic determination of dexamethasone acetate and cortisone acetate in bulk drug substance and dosage forms: collaborative study

A reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method for determination of dexamethasone acetate and of cortisone acetate was subjected to an interlaboratory study by 8 collaborators for each steroid acetate. Bulk drug substance, suspensions, and tablets were assayed. Bulk drug or dosage form is dissolved in an acetonitrile-buffer mixture and analyzed by an external standard method. The steroid acetate is resolved from extraneous components by reverse-phase chromatography and detected at 254 nm. The sample solutions are stable for at least 72 h. For dexamethasone acetate, coefficients of variation were 0.9 and less than or equal to 3.1% for the bulk drug substance and the suspensions, respectively. For cortisone acetate, coefficients of variation were 0.7% for bulk material, less than or equal to 2.0% for suspensions, and less than or equal to 2.5% for tablets. All dosage forms were commercial formulations. The 2 methods have been adopted official first action.     

Gas chromatographic determination of glucono-delta-lactone in foods

A method is described for the gas chromatographic (GC) determination of glucono-delta-lactone in foods. A sample was homogenized with 60-70 degrees C water and filtered. The filtrate was buffered with NH4OH-NH4Cl pH 10 solution, and was passed through a QAE-Sephadex A25 column. The column was washed with water and glucono-delta-lactone was eluted with 0.1N HCl. An aliquot of the eluate was evaporated to dryness and derivatized with pyridine, N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide, and trimethylchlorosilane at room temperature. GC separation of glucono-delta-lactone as the TMS derivative was performed on a 2% OV-17 column at 180 degrees C. Recoveries from bread, jelly, soybean curd, and other foods fortified with 0.1% glucono-delta-lactone ranged from 92 to 106%, with standard deviations from 2.2 to 9.8%. The detection limit was approximately 0.025%.     

Gas chromatographic determination of total iodine in foods

A gas chromatographic (GC) method has been developed for determination of total iodine in foods, based on the reaction of iodine with 3-pentanone. Organic matter of a sample is destroyed by an alkaline ashing technique. Iodide in a water extract of the ash residues is oxidized to free iodine by adding dichromate in the presence of sulfuric acid. Liberated iodine is reacted with 3-pentanone to form 2-iodo-3-pentanone, extracted into n-hexane, and then determined by gas chromatography with an electron-capture detector. Recoveries of iodide from spiked food samples ranged from 91.4 to 99.6%. Detection limit for iodine is 0.05 micrograms/g.     

Gas chromatographic determination of oxalic acid in foods

A new quantitative gas chromatographic (GC) method has been developed for the determination of oxalic acid in foods. Solid sample is extracted with water (soluble oxalic acid) or 2N hydrochloric acid (total oxalic acid) at room temperature. An aliquot of sample extract is evaporated to dryness, and the oxalic acid in the residue is methylated with 7% hydrochloric acid-methanol. The reaction mixture is extracted with chloroform, and dimethyl oxalate is quantitated by GC. Recovery of oxalic acid added to liquid samples averaged 100.6%; recoveries from extracts of solid samples were 96.2-99.5 and 97.2-100.1% for water and hydrochloric acid extractions, respectively. Results are shown for determination of oxalic acid in spinach and beverages. The technique is simple, rapid, and accurate, and small samples may be used. The limit of determination is 20 micrograms.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of sorbic acid and sodium benzoate in table sirup.

A gas-liquid chromatographic method is described for the simultaneous determination of sorbic acid and sodium benzoate in table sirup. The preservatives are extracted from acidified sirup with ethyl acetate and are analyzed on a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector and a glass column (4 ft X 4 mm id) containing 9% SP-1200 and 2% H3PO4 on Chromosorb W (AW). Coefficients of variation for sorbic acid and sodium benzoate are 0.62 and 0.41%, respectively. Analysis time is less than 20 min, with recoveries exceeding 90%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of vitamin B-6 in foods

Chromatographic analysis for vitamin B-6 in complex samples imposes certain requirements on the analyst, who must extract completely the bound, unstable vitamers without loss, remove interfering compounds, and provide clean extracts for analysis. The analyst also has to contend with the problems inherent in all methods, such as sample collection, storage, preparation, and homogenization. However, chromatography provides a means of identifying and quantitating all forms of the vitamin, and thus provides the possibility of addressing the problem of the bioavailability of specific vitamers. It also allows automation, which is absolutely essential in coping with the large numbers of samples that are generated in areas such as quality control. These factors are all addressed here, and chromatographic results for various meat and other food products are presented to illustrate the variations in vitamin content that occur from sample to sample, the agreement with microbiological results, and that liquid chromatography (LC) has come of age in dealing with complex biological samples, such as food and food products.     

Rapid quantitative method for simultaneous determination of benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and four parabens in meat and nonmeat products by liquid chromatography

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method for the simultaneous determinations of benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl-p-hydroxybenzoates) in meat and nonmeat products was developed. Benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and parabens were extracted from meat and nonmeat products with 70% ethanol. After filtration, extracts were analyzed by reverse phase liquid chromatography. Homogeneously ground samples of fresh sausage and hamburger were fortified with benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and each paraben at 5 different concentrations. Average recovery (after discarding outliers) for each preservative at all 5 levels was greater than 95% with a coefficient of variation less than 5%.     

Fast and simple liquid chromatographic determination of nonphosphorylated thiamine in infant formula, milk, and other foods

A very fast and simple method for determination of nonphosphorylated thiamine in infant formula products, milk, and other nonfortified foods using reverse-phase ion-pairing liquid chromatography (LC) has been developed. Sample preparation consists of merely acid treatment to precipitate protein, followed by gravity filtration. No concentration, extraction, derivatization, or preliminary column cleanup is necessary. The chromatography is done on muBondapack C18 with an aqueous mobile phase containing 0.15% sodium hexane sulfonate, 20% MeOH, 1.5% HOAc, and 0.1% EDTA at a flow rate of 2.5 mL/min. Ultraviolet detection at 248 nm is used. A typical run takes 7 min, and 60 samples can be processed in 4 h. Results average from 96 to 104% of theory for the infant formula products analyzed. A 99 to 103% recovery of spike has been demonstrated. Method precision is good (2 to 4% RSD, short-term, and 2 to 5% RSD, long-term, depending on sample type). Peak separation from thiamine phosphate esters is achieved. Specificity is demonstrated by UV spectral scan and absorbance ratios. Equivalency to a microbial method (validated against the official AOAC fluorometric method) was established. The method is used for high-volume quality control testing of milk-based infant formula products in the ready-to-use, concentrate, or powder form.     

Mass spectrometric identification and gas-liquid chromatographic determination of 2-chloroethyl esters of fatty acids in spices and foods.

The 2-chloroethyl esters of 5 fatty acids have been identified in spice and food samples by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GLC/MS). Twenty-four spice samples were analyzed for the 2-chloroethyl esters of fatty acids by AOAC official multiple residues pesticide procedure using GLC with microcoulometric detection. The esters of capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, and linoleic acids have been identified at levels up to 1400 ppm. 2-Chloroethyl linoleate was the most abundant ester in all samples. Several foods analyzed by the same procedures showed levels of 2-chloroethyl linoleate as high as 35 ppm. Recoveries from fortified samples ranged from 84 to 98% for the various esters. A method using an acid-catalyzed esterification reaction was developed to rapidly determine the fatty acid content of these spices. GLC analysis with microcoulometric detection was used. Recoveries from fortified samples ranged from 92 to 110%. After 2 spice samples found to be free of 2-chloroethyl esters were fumigated with ethylene oxide, the level of 2-chloroethyl linoleate reached 77 ppm. All levels of 2-chloroethyl esters were confirmed by GLC/MS.     

Comparison of paired-ion liquid chromatographic method with AOAC fluorometric and microbiological methods for riboflavin determination in selected foods

A paired-ion liquid chromatographic (LC) technique coupled with fluorometric detection to determine riboflavin in various food matrices is described. Chromatograms of many foods showed 2 peaks of interest due to presence of riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Relatively high levels of FMN were found in raw beef, corned beef, chicken liver, and canned mushrooms. When riboflavin and FMN contents were summed, LC values were comparable to those obtained by the AOAC standard procedures. The LC technique was sensitive, rapid, and simple, yielding a mean standard deviation of 3.1% which was comparable to the AOAC fluorometric method (3.0%) and better than the AOAC microbiological assay (9.6%). Mean spike recoveries were 91.8% for LC compared to 90.5% and 89.6% for the AOAC fluorometric and microbiological methods, respectively.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of total cholesterol in multicomponent foods.

A method is described for the determination of total cholesterol in multicomponent foods and also other products such as nonfat dry milk, dried whole egg solids, and certain candy bars. The lipid is extracted from the sample by a mixed solvent and saponified. The unsaponifiable fraction which contains the cholesterol and other sterols is extracted with benzene. An aliquot is evaporated to dryness and the residue is dissolved in dimethylformamide. The sterols are derivatized to form trimethylsilyl (TMS) ethers. The TMS-cholesterol derivative is quantitatively determined by gas-liquid chromatography, using 5alpha-cholestane as an internal standard. Nine laboratories participated in a collaborative study of the determination of total cholesterol in deviled ham sandwich spread, vegetable beef stew, corned beef hash, frozen chicken pot pie, pizza pepperoni, fish sticks, breaded shrimp, chocolate-covered candy bars, dried whole egg solids, and nonfat dry milk and the results are reported here. The coefficient of variation ranged from 5.64 to 23.2%, with an average coefficient of variation of 14.8%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of barbaloin (aloin) in foods

A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of barbaloin (aloin, 10-D-glucopyranosyl-1,8-dihydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-9(10H)-anthraceno ne) in foods. Barbaloin is extracted with water from foods containing aloe and the extract is cleaned up on a disposable cartridge by using methanol-water (55 + 45) as eluant. The eluted barbaloin is separated by liquid chromatography on a YMC A-302 column with methanol-water (50 + 50) mobile phase, and detected at 293 nm. Recoveries of barbaloin added to foods at the levels of 0.05 and 0.50 mg/g were 94.4-100%. Assay results for commercial food samples indicated that the present method is applicable to a variety of foods supplemented with aloe.