Ultrasonic-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion as an improved methodology for the determination of pesticides in fruits

Isolation of DNA from plant tissues using a miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion approach featuring ionic liquid and magnetic ionic liquid solvents

The isolation of high-quality plant genomic DNA is a major prerequisite in many plant biomolecular analyses involving nucleic acid amplification. Conventional plant cell lysis and DNA extraction methods involve lengthy sample preparation procedures that often require large amounts of sample and chemicals, high temperatures and multiple liquid transfer steps which can introduce challenges for high throughput applications. In this study, a simple, rapid, miniaturized ionic liquid (IL)-based extraction method was developed for the isolation of genomic DNA from milligram fragments of Arabidopsis thaliana plant tissue. This method is based on a modification of vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (VA-MSPD) in which the trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([P_6,6,6,14⁺][NTf₂^-]) IL or trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium tris(hexafluoroacetylaceto)nickelate(II) ([P_6,6,6,14⁺][Ni(hfacac)₃^-]) magnetic IL (MIL) was directly applied to treated plant tissue (∼1.5 mg) and dispersed in an agate mortar to facilitate plant cell lysis and DNA extraction, followed by recovery of the mixture with a qPCR compatible co-solvent. This study represents the first approach to use ILs and MILs in a MSPD procedure to facilitate plant cell lysis and DNA extraction. The DNA-enriched IL- and MIL-cosolvent mixtures were directly integrated into the qPCR buffer without inhibiting the reaction while also circumventing the need for additional purification steps prior to DNA amplification. Under optimum conditions, the IL and MIL yielded 2.87 ± 0.28 and 1.97 ± 0.59 ng of DNA/mg of plant tissue, respectively. Furthermore, the mild extraction conditions used in the method enabled plant DNA in IL- and MIL-cosolvent mixtures to be preserved from degradation at room temperature.

Review of extraction and detection techniques for the analysis of pesticide residues in fruits to evaluate food safety and make legislative decisions: Challenges and anticipations

Fruits are vital parts of the human diet because they include necessary nutrients that the body needs. Pesticide use has increased dramatically in recent years to combat fruit pests across the world. Pesticide usage during production, on the other hand, frequently results in undesirable residues in fruits after harvest. Consumers are concerned about pesticide residues since most of the fruits are directly consumed and even recommended for the patients as dietary supplements. As a result of this worry, pesticide residues in fruits are being randomly monitored to re-assess the food safety situation and make informed legislative decisions. To assess the degree of pesticide residues in fruits, a simple and quick analytical procedure is usually required. As a result, pesticide residue detection (using various analytical techniques: GC, LC and Biosensors) becomes critical, and regulatory directives are formed to regulate their amounts via the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). Over the previous two decades, a variety of extraction techniques and analytical methodologies for xenobiotic's efficient extraction, identification, confirmation and quantification have been developed, ranging from traditional to advanced. The goal of this review is to give readers an overview of the evolution of numerous extraction and detection methods for pesticide residue analysis in fruits. The objective is to assist analysts in better understanding how the ever-changing regulatory landscape might drive the need for new analytical methodologies to be developed in order to comply with current standards and safeguard consumers.

Silica gel impregnated with deep eutectic solvent-based matrix solid-phase dispersion followed by high-performance liquid chromatography for extraction and detection of triazine herbicides in brown sugar

A novel method was developed to determine six triazine herbicides from brown sugar samples using matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) based on silica gel impregnated with deep eutectic solvent (DES) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC/PDA). Several factors involved in the MSPD procedure such as DES type, DES content in impregnated silica gel, adsorbent-to-sample mass ratio, type and volume of washing solvent, type and volume of eluent, and grinding time were screened using single-factor experiments and then optimized using Box-Behnken design to accomplish the highest recoveries. The above method demonstrated a good linear range (20-1000 μg kg^-1) with a determination coefficient exceeding 0.9962, low limits of determination (1.59-3.77 μg kg^-1), acceptable limits of quantifications, and acceptable spiking recoveries (95.0-101.7%) for six triazines under optimized conditions. The proposed MSPD-HPLC/PDA method is a convenient, effective, and sensitive method for rapidly isolating and quantifying six triazines from brown sugar.

Carbonized biosorbent assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction for active compounds from functional food

In this study, mangosteen peel based activated carbon was prepared and first applied as adsorbent in matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for simultaneously extraction of flavonoids from Dendrobium huoshanense prior to their separation and determination by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS). The MSPD-UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS method was validated exhaustively. Good linearities (r² ≥ 0.9929) were obtained for all target analytes. The limits of detection was in the range of 0.00387-0.159 μg/g. Satisfactory recoveries of six target compounds were between 80.02 and 99.49% and 85.32-99.86% for the low and high spiked level, respectively. Furthermore, relative to other common sorbent, the prepared mangosteen peel based activated carbon was less expensive and more environmentally-friendly. Consequently, the proposed method was a simple, efficient, low-cost, eco-friendly, time-saving and sensitive approach that could be successfully applied to the extraction and determination of flavonoids compounds in complex matrix.

Micro Salting-Out Assisted Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion: A Simple and Fast Sample Preparation Method for the Analysis of Bisphenol Contaminants in Bee Pollen

In the present work, a novel sample preparation method, micro salting-out assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (μ-SOA-MSPD), was developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol B (BPB) contaminants in bee pollen. The proposed method was designed to combine two classical sample preparation methodologies, matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) and homogenous liquid-liquid extraction (HLLE), to simplify and speed-up the preparation process. Parameters of μ-SOA-MSPD were systematically investigated, and results indicated the significant effect of salt and ACN-H₂O extractant on the signal response of analytes. In addition, excellent clean-up ability in removing matrix components was observed when primary secondary amine (PSA) sorbent was introduced into the blending operation. The developed method was fully validated, and the limits of detection for BPA and BPB were 20 μg/kg and 30 μg/kg, respectively. Average recoveries and precisions were ranged from 83.03% to 94.64% and 1.76% to 5.45%, respectively. This is the first report on the analysis of bisphenol contaminants in bee pollen sample, and also on the combination of MSPD and HLLE. The present method might provide a new strategy for simple and fast sample preparation of solid and semi-solid samples.

Determination of benzotriazole and benzothiazole derivatives in marketed fish by double-vortex-ultrasonic assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

Benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTs) are two groups of emerging concern and high production volume contaminants. Via the biomagnification of the food web, they could jeopardize human health. In this work, rapid determining the presence of five BTRs and two BTs in marketed fish was performed by a novel double-vortex-ultrasonic assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (DVUA-MSPD) and UHPLC-electrospray ionization (+)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection. Unlike traditional MSPD, we simplified the method without the use of mortar/pestle and SPE-column procedures. The DVUA-MSPD factors were screened by a multilevel categorical design, and then optimized by Box-Behnken Design plus with response surface methodology. The limits of quantification were 0.15-2 ng g^-1 (dry weight). The satisfactory average recovery ranged from 70% to 93% with RSDs less than 9%. The developed method was successfully applied for the rapid determination of selected BTRs and BTs in fish samples at trace-level.

Assessing the feasibility of sugarcane bagasse as an alternative solid support for chlorpyrifos determination in tomato

The feasibility of sugarcane bagasse to be employed as an alternative solid support for clean-up is presented during the development and validation of an analytical method to determine chlorpyrifos (O,O-diethyl O-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothioate) (CP) in tomato by HPLC-DAD. The efficiency of the method consisting of ultrasonic assisted extraction with acetonitrile and dispersion with salts, followed by dispersive phase extraction with powdered sugarcane bagasse is presented for three spiking levels relating to the established CP maximum residue limit (MRL) for industrial tomato in Brazil, 0.5 mg kg^-1 (½ MRL, MRL and 2 MRL). Satisfactory results were obtained in terms of trueness (recovery range: 76.5-120.1%), intermediate precision (1.0-5.2%) and repeatability (4.7-12.8%), expressed as relative standard deviation. The proposed method has a limit of quantification of 0.25 mg kg^-1 and could be deployed as cost effective routine analysis to monitor CP in tomato samples in processed food industries.

Balls-in-tube matrix solid phase dispersion (BiT-MSPD): An innovative and simplified technique for multiresidue determination of pesticides in fruit samples

Sample preparation of complex matrices, like food samples, continues to be a challenge demanding great effort for improvements. In this study, a new technique named balls-in-tube matrix solid-phase dispersion (BiT-MSPD) is proposed based on a simplification of the conventional MSPD technique being all sample preparation performed directly in a closed extraction tube with the assistance of steel balls. An innovative method using BiT-MSPD was successfully established for the determination of 133 pesticide residues in apple, peach, pear and plum by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Several sorbents were evaluated as solid support in different proportions with the sample. The homogenization step using mortar, glass rod or steel balls, with methanol and acetonitrile as extraction solvent, was evaluated. Vortex and ultrasound assisted extractions were also tested. Best results were obtained with C18, homogenization with steel balls, acetonitrile as solvent and ultrasound assisted extraction. Validation presented adequate trueness and precision results for the evaluated pesticides with recovery results ranging from 72 to 113% and RSD ≤ 17%. Practical limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for the compounds were 3 and 10 µg kg^-1, respectively. The developed method proved to be easier and faster to perform than the MSPD, considering that extraction and clean-up are performed in the same tube without the need to transfer to cartridges, recipients or to use a separate clean-up step. The proposed BiT-MSPD technique was successfully applied to fruit samples and has great potential to be applied in other matrices, like cereals and meat, since the steel balls promote an efficient sample dispersion and extraction of pesticides. The BiT-MSPD permit a fully automation of the entire sample preparation step.

A Review on the Recent Progress in Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion

Matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) has proven to be an efficient sample preparation method for solid, semi-solid, and viscous samples. Applications of MSPD have covered biological, food, and environmental samples, including both organic and inorganic analytes. This review presents an update on the development of MSPD in the period 2015~June 2018. In the first part of this review, we focus on the latest development in MSPD sorbent, including molecularly imprinted polymers, and carbon-based nanomaterials etc. The second part presents the miniaturization of MSPD, discussing the progress in both micro-MSPD and mini-MSPD. The on-line/in-line techniques for improving the automation and sample throughput are also discussed. The final part summarizes the success in the modification of original MSPD procedures.

Simultaneous determination and qualitative analysis of six types of components in Naoxintong capsule by miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A simple and effective sample preparation process based on miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion was developed for simultaneous determination of phenolic acids (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylqunic acid, 1,5-dicaffeoylqunic acid, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, and salvianolic acid B), flavonoids (kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, calycosin, and formononetin), lactones (ligustilide and butyllidephthalide), monoterpenoids (paeoniflorin), phenanthraquinones (cryptotanshinone), and furans (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) in Naoxintong capsule by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography. The optimized condition was that 25 mg Naoxintong powder was blended homogeneously with 100 mg Florisil PR for 4 min. One milliliter of methanol/water (75:25, v/v) acidified by 0.05% formic acid was selected to elute all components. It was found that the recoveries of the six types of components ranged from 61.36 to 96.94%. The proposed miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography was successfully applied to simultaneous determination of the six types of components in Naoxintong capsules. The results demonstrated that the proposed miniaturized matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography could be used as an environmentally friendly tool for the extraction and determination of multiple bioactive components in natural products.

Quantitative analysis of sesquiterpenes and comparison of three Curcuma wenyujin herbal medicines by micro matrix solid phase dispersion coupled with MEEKC

A simple, efficient and environmental friendly method was proposed for determining five sesquiterpenoids of Curcuma wenyujin by MSPD extraction coupled with MEEKC separation. Molecular sieve was applied as a solid support for extraction of sesquiterpenoids for the first time. Various parameters affecting extraction and separation efficiency were investigated. The optimized conditions involved dispersing sample (200 mg) with 200 mg of TS-1 for 150 s and using 1000 μL of methanol to elute five target analytes. Finally, they were well separated by using a running buffer containing 1.3% SDS, 5.0% 1-butanol, 0.5% ethyl acetate and 10% acetonitrile in 10 mM borate buffer at pH 9.0. Consequently, the developed method was fully validated and successfully applied to determine the five sesquiterpenoids including curdine, curcumenol, germacrone, furanodiene and β-elemene in Curcuma wenyujin origin's Chinese herbal medicines. Furthermore, hierarchical cluster analysis was performed based on the contents of target compounds for distinguishing steamed and non-steamed drugs. The present study provided a promising method for fast investigation and discrimination of chemical difference in steam & non-steamed Chinese medicines from Curcuma wenyujin origin.

Microwave-assisted extraction and high-throughput monolithic-polymer-based micro-solid-phase extraction of organophosphorus, triazole, and organochlorine residues in apple

A high-throughput micro-solid-phase extraction device based on a 96-well plate was constructed and applied to the determination of pesticide residues in various apple samples. Butyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were copolymerized as a monolithic polymer and placed in the cylindrically shaped stainless-steel meshes of 96-micro-solid-phase extraction device and used as an extracting unit. Before the micro-solid-phase extraction, microwave-assisted extraction was employed to facilitate the transfer of the pesticide residues from the apple matrix to liquid media. Then, 1 mL of the aquatic samples was transferred into the 96-well plate and the 96-micro-solid-phase extraction device was applied for the extraction of the selected pesticides. Influential parameters, such as sorbent-to-sorbent reproducibility, microwave-assisted extraction time, ionic strength and micro-solid-phase extraction time, were optimized. The limits of quantitation were below 120 μg/kg, which are lower than the maximum residue limits. The developed method was successfully implemented for the extraction and determination of the selected pesticides from 20 different apple samples gathered from local markets. Phosalone was identified and quantified at the concentration level of 147 (±16.4) μg/kg in one of the samples.

Soxhlet-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion to extract flavonoids from rape (Brassica campestris) bee pollen

Soxhlet-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion (SA-MSPD) method was developed to extract flavonoids from rape (Brassica campestris) bee pollen. Extraction parameters including the extraction solvent, the extraction time, and the solid support conditions were investigated and optimized. The best extraction yields were obtained using ethanol as the extraction solvent, silica gel as the solid support with 1:2 samples to solid support ratio, and the extraction time of one hour. Comparing with the conventional solvent extraction and Soxhlet method, our results show that SA-MSPD method is a more effective technique with clean-up ability. In the test of six different samples of rape bee pollen, the extracted content of flavonoids was close to 10mg/g. The present work provided a simple and effective method for extracting flavonoids from rape bee pollen, and it could be applied in the studies of other kinds of bee pollen.

Combined determination and confirmation of ethylenethiourea and propylenethiourea residues in fruits at low levels of detection

In this work, a new method for the determination of ethylenethiourea (ETU) and propylenethiourea (PTU) in fruits and vegetables is presented. Different extraction and purification techniques, including matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) and solid-liquid extraction (SLE), followed by a clean-up step by solid phase extraction (SPE), were compared. The determination of ETU and PTU was performed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC/DAD) or by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC/MS). The effect of several parameters on the extraction, separation and detection was studied. The proposed method based on solid-liquid extraction with acetonitrile, clean-up with Envicarb II/PSA cartridges and subsequent analysis by HPLC/DAD was characterised and applied to the analysis of fruits and vegetables from different countries. Analytes recoveries were between 71% and 94% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 8% to 9.5%. Quantification limits obtained for ETU and PTU with the HPLC/DAD method were 7 and 16 μg kg⁻¹ in strawberries (fresh weight), respectively. For apples, they were 11 and 25 μg kg⁻¹, respectively.

Simplified miniaturized ultrasound-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion extraction and high performance liquid chromatographic determination of seven flavonoids in citrus fruit juice and human fluid samples: hesperetin and naringenin as biomarkers

In the present study, for the first time, a simplified miniaturized ultrasound-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (SM-USA-MSPD) method with a different application for liquid matrices was developed to extract different flavonoids (hesperidin, diosmin, eriocitrin, narirutin, naringin, hesperetin and naringenin) from citrus fruit juice and human fluid samples prior to their determination using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Different effective parameters were studied and under the optimum conditions (including sample volume: 150μL; solid phase: silica-based C18, 200mg; eluting solvent: methanol, 500μL; pH: 4; and sonication: 6min; at room temperature), limits of detection and limits of quantification were ranged from 23.3 to 46.8ngmL(-1) and 74.8 to 141.5ngmL(-1), respectively. Once optimized, analytical performance of the method was studied in terms of linearity (0.074-198.5μgmL(-1), r(2)>0.991), accuracy (recovery=84.6-101.5%), and precision (repeatability: intra-day precision<5.9%, and inter-day precision<7.2%). At the end, SM-USA-MSPD method was successfully applied to estimate the levels of hesperetin and naringenin in plasma and urinary excretion -after ingestion of orange, grapefruit and lime juices- and the obtained results confirmed that these compounds could be used as good biomarkers of citrus fruit juice intake.

Hybrid field-assisted solid-liquid-solid dispersive extraction for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in tobacco with gas chromatography

A novel one-step sample preparation technique termed hybrid field-assisted solid-liquid-solid dispersive extraction (HF-SLSDE) was developed in this study. A simple glass system equipped with a condenser was designed as an extraction vessel. The HF-SLSDE technique was a three-phase dispersive extraction approach. Target analytes were extracted from the sample into the extraction solvent enhanced by the hybrid field. Meanwhile, the interfering components were adsorbed by dispersing sorbent. No cleanup step preceded chromatographic analysis. The efficiency of the HF-SLSDE approach was demonstrated in the determination of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in tobacco with a gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Various operation conditions were studied systematically. Low detection limits (0.3-1.6 μg/kg) and low quantification limits (1.0-4.5 μg/kg) were achieved under the optimized conditions. The recoveries of OCPs ranged from 70.2% to 118.2%, with relative standard deviations of <9.6%, except for the lowest fortification level. Because of the effect of the hybrid field, HF-SLSDE showed significant predominance compared with other extraction techniques. The dispersing sorbent with good cleanup ability used in this study was also found to be a microwave absorption medium, which could heat the nonpolar extraction solvent under microwave irradiation. Different microstructures of tobacco samples before and after extractions demonstrated the mechanism of HF-SLSDE was based on an explosion at the cell level. According to the results, HF-SLSDE was proved to be a simple and effective sample preparation method for the analysis of pesticide residues in solid samples and could potentially be extended to other nonpolar target analytes in a complex matrix.

Current mass spectrometry strategies for the analysis of pesticides and their metabolites in food and water matrices

Analysis of pesticides and their metabolites in food and water matrices continues to be an active research area closely related to food safety and environmental issues. This review discusses the most widely applied mass spectrometric (MS) approaches to pesticide residues analysis over the last few years. The main techniques for sample preparation remain solvent extraction and solid-phase extraction. The QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) approach is being increasingly used for the development of multi-class pesticide residues methods in various sample matrices. MS detectors-triple quadrupole (QqQ), ion-trap (IT), quadrupole linear ion trap (QqLIT), time-of-flight (TOF), and quadrupole time-of-flight (QqTOF)-have been established as powerful analytical tools sharing a primary role in the detection/quantification and/or identification/confirmation of pesticides and their metabolites. Recent developments in analytical instrumentation have enabled coupling of ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and fast gas chromatography (GC) with MS detectors, and faster analysis for a greater number of pesticides. The newly developed "ambient-ionization" MS techniques (e.g., desorption electrospray ionization, DESI, and direct analysis in real time, DART) hyphenated with high-resolution MS platforms without liquid chromatography separation, and sometimes with minimum pre-treatment, have shown potential for pesticide residue screening. The recently introduced Orbitrap mass spectrometers can provide high resolving power and mass accuracy, to tackle complex analytical problems involved in pesticide residue analysis.

Miniaturization of Analytical Methods

This chapter highlights miniaturization in sample preparation as a valuable alternative for green analytical chemistry. The current state of the art is discussed on the basis of examples selected from representative application areas, including biomedical, environmental and food analysis, and involving conventional instrumental techniques for final determination of the target compounds. The emphasis is on those techniques and approaches that have already demonstrated their practicality by the analysis of real-life samples, and in particular on those dealing with the accurate determination of minor organic components. The potential of recent developments in this field for sample treatment simplification and complete hyphenation of analytical processes are discussed and the most pressing remaining limitations evaluated.

Screening of dimethoate in food by isotope dilution and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Crop control is an important issue in both developed and developing countries. An environmentally friendly approach is represented by the so-called Integrated Pest Management (IPM), whereby synthetic pesticides are only applied as a last resort, under the strict control of suitable experts. European and US regulatory authorities, such as the US EPA, are constantly assessing the risks of exposure to the organophosphate (OP) class of pesticides and, among these, specifically dimethoate. The use of dimethoate is still allowed in many crops, including olives, which once was based in the Mediterranean area but now is expanding rapidly throughout the world. An important aspect of IPM protocols is represented by the availability of reliable and sensitive methods to detect pesticides residues. This paper describes an isotope dilution dimethoate assay based on the application of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) by means of a deuterium-labeled internal standard.