Development of a method based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by partial vaporization of the extract for ultra-preconcentration of some pesticide residues in fruit juices

Pesticide residues in grapes and wine: An overview on detection, health risks, and regulatory challenges

Grapes are fruits widely grown and known throughout the world, and they have significant economic and nutritional value. However, grapes are highly susceptible to attack by pests and insects, which reduces production and product quality. Pesticides are the most utilized solution for meeting global consumption demands and avoiding losses, and they can be used at any production stage. Although the benefits of using pesticides in grape production are evident, the prescribed limits must be observed to minimize their harmful effects on human health, as the accumulation of these compounds in the body over the long term can decrease life expectancy. This review of the literature intends to give a comprehensive analysis of pesticide residues in grape juice and wine, investigate analytical methodologies for pesticide detection, and set maximum residue limits (MRLs). Furthermore, the impacts of pesticide use and exposure to residues on the gut microbiota and adverse effects on human health were examined. Finally, insights into advances in detection and removal methods to mitigate the impact of pesticide residues in grape wine were presented. This review considers future perspectives in the field, including the development of safe and sustainable pesticides, with the improvement of international regulations to ensure food safety, aiming to expand pre-existing knowledge to provide more sustainable agricultural practices, encouraging global wine production. The target audience for this review includes researchers and academics, professionals in the agricultural and wine industry, regulators and government authorities, health professionals, and health and food safety-conscious consumers.

Exploration of supramolecular solvent-based microextraction for crystal violet detecting in water samples

This approach highlights the advantages of supramolecular solvents in a new microextraction model. The distinct properties and behavior of this supramolecular solvent provide enhanced extraction capabilities for detecting crystal violet (CV) in water samples. The methodical experimentation was executed to optimize the critical process parameters, providing maximum efficiency of crystal violet extraction at optimal conditions with pH set at 2.7, 186 μL of extraction solvent, extraction time of 3.5 min, and a salt amount of 3.1 % w/v, yielding the best results. Analytical data from extraction experiments under these optimal conditions demonstrated a high extraction percentage. The extraction model exhibited a linear response within the range of 10-800 ng mL-1 of crystal violet, with a detection limit of 2 ng mL-1. This model enables the measurement of CV in water samples with recovery rates exceeding 97 %, offering a straightforward and accessible approach for analysis.

Advances on multiclass pesticide residue determination in citrus fruits and citrus-derived products - A critical review

The application of agrochemicals in citrus fruits is widely used to improve the quality of crops, increase production yields, and prolong post-harvest life. However, these substances are potentially toxic for humans and the ecosystem due to their widespread use, high stability, and bioaccumulation. Conventional techniques for determining pesticide residues in citrus fruits are chromatographic methods coupled with different detectors. However, in recent years, the need for analytical strategies that are less polluting for the environment has encouraged the appearance of new alternatives, such as sensors and biosensors, which allow selective and sensitive detection of pesticide residues in real time. A comprehensive overview of the analytical platforms used to determine pesticide residues in citrus fruits and citrus-derived products is presented herein. The review focuses on the evolution of these methods since 2015, their limitations, and possible future perspectives for improving pesticide residue determination and reducing environmental contamination.

An analytical approach to determine the health benefits and health risks of consuming berry juices

Food products composition analysis is a prerequisite for verification of product quality, fulfillment of regulatory enforcements, checking compliance with national and international food standards, contracting specifications, and nutrient labeling requirements and providing quality assurance for use of the product for the supplementation of other foods. These aspects also apply to the berry fruit and berry juice. It also must be noted that even though fruit juices are generally considered healthy, there are many risks associated with mishandling both fruits and juices themselves. The review gathers information related with the health benefits and risk associated with the consumption of berry fruit juices. Moreover, the focus was paid to the quality assurance of berry fruit juice. Thus, the analytical methods used for determination of compounds influencing the sensory and nutritional characteristics of fruit juice as well as potential contaminants or adulterations.

Magnetic deep eutectic solvent-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for determination of strobilurin fungicides in water, juice, and vinegar by high-performance liquid chromatography

In this study, a magnetic deep eutectic solvent coupled with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction using high-performance liquid chromatography (MDES-DLLME-HPLC) was developed to detect strobilurin fungicides. The green hydrophobic MDES synthesized by methyltrioctylammonium chloride, ferric chloride, and heptanoic acid was used as an extraction solvent, which was dispersed by vortex and separated by an external magnetic field. The use of toxic solvents was avoided, and the separation time was reduced. The best experimental results were obtained through single factor and response surface optimization. The method had a good linear relationship with R² > 0.996. The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.001 to 0.002 mg L^-1. The extraction recoveries were 81.9-108.9%. The proposed method was rapid and green, and it has been successfully applied to detection of strobilurin fungicides in water, juice, and vinegar.

Automatic Pretreatment of Dispersive Liquid Liquid Microextraction Based on Immunomagnetic Beads Coupled with UPLC-FLD for the Determination of Zearalenone in Corn Oils

Sample pretreatment is a vital step in the detection of mycotoxins, and traditional pretreatment methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive and generate much organic waste liquid. In this work, an automatic, high-throughput and environmentally friendly pretreatment method is proposed. Immunomagnetic beads technology and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction technology are combined, and the zearalenone in corn oils is directly purified and concentrated under the solubilization effects of surfactant. The proposed pretreatment method allows for the batch pretreatment of samples without pre-extraction using organic reagents, and almost no organic waste liquid is produced. Coupled with UPLC-FLD, an effective and accurate quantitative detection method for zearalenone is established. The recovery of spiked zearalenone in corn oils at different concentrations ranges from 85.7 to 89.0%, and the relative standard deviation is below 2.9%. The proposed pretreatment method overcomes the shortcomings of traditional pretreatment methods and has broad application prospects.

Unified Method for Target and Non-Target Monitoring of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Fruit Juices by Gas Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

A new polyvalent wide-scope analytical method, valid for both raw and processed (juices) fruits, combining target and non-target strategies, has been developed and validated to determine low concentrations of 260 pesticides, as well as many potential non-target substances and metabolites. The target approach has been validated according to SANTE Guide requirements. Trueness, precision, linearity, and robustness values were validated in raw fruit (apple) and juice (apple juice) as representative solid and liquid food commodities. Recoveries were between 70-120% and two ranges of linearity were observed: 0.5-20 μg kg^-1 (0.5-20 μg L^-1 apple juice) and 20-100 μg kg^-1 (20-100 μg L^-1 apple juice). The limits of quantification (LOQs) reached were lower than 0.2 μg kg^-1 in apple (0.2 μg L^-1 apple juice) in most cases. The developed method, based on QuEChERS extraction followed by gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS), achieves part-per-trillions lower limits, which allowed the detection of 18 pesticides in commercial samples. The non-target approach is based on a retrospective analysis of suspect compounds, which has been optimized to detect up to 25 additional compounds, increasing the scope of the method. This made it possible to confirm the presence of two pesticide metabolites which were not considered in the target screening, phtamlimide and tetrahydrophthalimide.

Efficient analyses of triazole fungicides in water, honey and soy milk samples by popping candy-generated CO2 and sugaring-out-assisted supramolecular solvent-based microextraction prior to HPLC determinations

An enrichment method, namely popping candy-generated CO₂ and sugaring-out-assisted supramolecular solvent-based microextraction (PGS-SUPRA), was investigated for the determination of triazole fungicide residues in water, honey and soy milk samples. The extraction process was carried out by adding popping candies into a centrifuge tube. Consequently, rapid dispersion and mass transfer of extractants can be achieved without using dispersants and auxiliary devices, and therefore, the extraction efficiency increased. The extraction parameters affecting the efficiency of the developed method were investigated. The presented method was then analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Under the selected condition, the wide linearity of triazole fungicides after preconcentration by the proposed microextraction method ranged from 30 to 1000 μg L^-1 for triadimefon and from 90 to 1000 μg L^-1 for myclobutanil, tebuconazole and hexaconazole, with a coefficient for determination (R ²) greater than 0.992. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) were in the range of 10-30 μg L^-1 and 30-90 μg L^-1, respectively. The precisions were assessed from the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the retention time and peak area obtained from intra- (n = 3) and inter-day (n = 3 × 5) experiments, and were greater than 1.66% and 13.52%, respectively. Moreover, the proposed method provided high enhancement factors (EnFs) ranging from 14 to 51 folds. This technique has been prosperously applied for the extraction of fungicide residues in water, honey and soy milk samples with a recovery within the range of 60-114%. Overall, the developed method was found to be advantageous as compared with other sample preparation methods.

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.

Simultaneous Preconcentration of Triazole Fungicide Residues Using In-Situ Coacervative Extraction Based on a Double-Solvent Supramolecular System Prior to High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis

An in situ coacervative extraction (IS-CAE) based on a double-solvent supramolecular system coupled to liquid–liquid microextraction is investigated for extraction and enrichment of triazole fungicides. The formation of a double-solvent supramolecular system was generated by in situ formation and used as an extraction solvent for the coacervative extraction method. No disperser solvent was required. This new double-solvent supramolecular system has a higher extraction ability than any of its components alone. The different factors that could affect the extraction capability were studied and optimized, including the type of double extractant and its volume, salt addition, vortex time, and centrifugation time. Under optimum extraction conditions, this method provides high enrichment factors (EFs) of 73–318 with low limits of detection (LODs) of 0.3–1 μg L⁻¹ and limits of quantitation (LOQs) of 1–3 μg L⁻¹. In addition, the proposed method was prosperously applied for the determination of triazole fungicides in water, fruit juice, and soy milk samples.

Rapid analysis of triazine herbicides in fruit juices using evaporation-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic droplets and HPLC-DAD

A rapid and convenient analytical procedure (evaporation-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic droplets) is advanced for determining the concentrations of triazine herbicide residues (e.g. simazine and atrazine) in fruit juices via HPLC-DAD. The technique involves adding 1-dodecanol (low density) and dichloromethane (high density) to the test solution to act as the extraction and volatile solvents, respectively. Calcium oxide is added to generate heat to accelerate the evaporation of dichloromethane, whereupon the 1-dodecanol quickly disperses into small droplets to complete the microextraction process. Thus, there is no need to use a dispersive solvent and heating equipment is also not required. The floating 1-dodecanol is subsequently frozen using an ice bath to facilitate its separation from the sample. Under optimal conditions (250 μL of 1-dodecanol (extraction solvent), 150 μL of CH₂Cl₂ (volatile solvent), 1250 mg of CaO, and an extraction time of 60 s) the detection procedure is linear over the range 0.05-5 μg mL^-1 (with R > 0.99). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were determined to be 0.0022-0.0034 μg mL^-1 and 0.0073-0.0113 μg mL^-1, respectively. The recovery of simazine and atrazine in three fruit juices ranged between 78.5% and 96.4% with a relative standard deviation <8.2%. Therefore, the proposed approach can be effectively adopted to analyze the triazine herbicide content in fruit juices. The method has been proved to be simple, reliable, and remarkably efficient.

Determination of multiple drugs of abuse in human urine using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and capillary electrophoresis with PDA detection

A new method was developed for pre-concentration and determination of multiple drugs of abuse in human urine using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) with photodiode array detection. The method was based on the formation of tiny droplets of an organic extractant in the prepared sample solution using water-immiscible organic solvent (chloroform) dissolved in water-miscible organic dispersive solvent (isopropyl alcohol). The organic phase, which extracted eight drugs of abuse from the prepared urine solution, was separated by centrifugation. The sedimented phase was transferred into a small volume CE auto-sampler vial with 10 µL of 1% HCl methanol solution and evaporated to dryness. The residue was reconstituted in lidocaine hydrochloride (internal standard) aqueous solution and introduced by electrokinetic injection into CE. Under the optimum conditions, acceptable linear relationship was observed in the range of 3.0–500 ng/mL with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9982–0.9994 for spiked urine samples. The limit of detection (LOD) (S/N = 3) was estimated to be 1.0 ng/mL. A recovery of 75.7%–90.6% was obtained for spiked samples. The mean relative error (MRE) was within ±7.0% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 6.9%. The proposed DLLME-CE procedure offers an alternative analytical approach for the sensitive detection of drugs of abuse in real urine samples.

Key points

The dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) was involved for the determination of drugs in urine with capillary electrophoresis with photodiode array detection (CE-PDA).

Good linearity, sensitivity, recovery and precision were achieved.

The proposed method was eco-friendly with microliter scale solvent consumption.