Monsalud del Olmo-Iruela

Convenient solid phase extraction of cephalosporins in milk using a molecularly imprinted polymer

In this paper, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for cephalosporin molecules (cephalexin (CFL) and cephapirin (CFP)), was prepared by non covalent molecular imprinting approach and applied to solid phase extraction (SPE). For MIP synthesis, a tributylammonium cefadroxil salt (TBA-CFD) was used as template with methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as monomer and cross-linker, respectively, in acetone-methanol 92/8 (v/v) mixture. The selectivity of MIP versus non imprinted polymer (NIP) was confirmed for CFL, CFD and CFP in standard solutions as well as in milk samples. The efficiency of the synthesized MIP was evaluated by means of the application of the proposed MIP-SPE procedure to spiked milk samples previous to the HPLC method for the detection of cephalosporins. The MIP-SPE recoveries were higher than 60% for the three target analytes in spiked milk.

Vortex-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in wine samples by capillary high-performance liquid chromatography.

A new sample treatment, namely vortex-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (VA-IL-DLLME), followed by capillary liquid chromatography has been developed for the determination of four sulfonylurea herbicides (SUHs): flazasulfuron (FS), prosulfuron (PS), primisulfuron-methyl (PSM) and triflusulfuron-methyl (TSM) in wine samples. The ionic liquid (IL) 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C6MIM][PF6]) was used as extraction solvent and was dispersed using methanol into the sample solution, assisted by a vortex mixer. Various parameters influencing the extraction efficiency, such as type and amount of IL, type and volume of disperser solvent, sample pH, salting-out effect, vortex and centrifugation time were studied. Under the optimum conditions, the limits of detection and quantification of the proposed method were in the ranges of 3.2-6.6 and 10.8-22.0 μg kg(-1), respectively; lower than the maximum residue limits set by the EU for these matrices. The proposed method was successfully applied to different wine samples and satisfactory recoveries were obtained.

Salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction combined with capillary HPLC for the determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in environmental water and banana juice samples

A salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) combined with capillary high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (capillary HPLC-DAD) was proposed for extraction and determination of residues of nine sulfonylurea herbicides (SUHs) in environmental water and banana juice samples. Various parameters affecting the extraction process such as the type and volume of the organic solvent, sample volume, type and amount of salt, pH of the sample and vortex time were optimized. Under optimum conditions, matrix matched calibration curves were established using river water and banana juice samples. Good linear relationships as well as low limits of detection, LODs (0.4-1.3 and 3-13 µg/L) and quantification, LOQs (1.3-4.3 and 10-43 µg/L) were obtained in water and banana juice samples, respectively. The precision (intra- and inter-day) of the peak areas expressed as relative standard deviations (%, RSD), at two concentration levels were below 10 % in both matrices. Recoveries obtained from spiked environmental waters (river water and groundwater) and banana juice samples, at two concentration levels, ranged from 72 to 115%. The results of the analysis revealed that the proposed SALLE-capillary HPLC method is simple, rapid, cheap and environmentally friendly, being successfully applicable for the determination of SUH residues in waters and banana juices.

On-line anion exchange solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection to determine quinolones in water and human urine.

An analytical method based on on-line solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection has been developed to determine quinolones in tap water and human urine. A home-made setup was used to percolate 10 mL of sample through a solid-phase extraction column. Analytes were retained onto the sorbent by an anion exchange mechanism which ensures an optimum compatibility with the subsequent chromatographic separation. A C-18 column containing core-shell particles (2.6 μm) was used to achieve peak efficiencies up to 200,000 plates/m, at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min and without the need for special pumps. The method allowed the determination of 11 quinolones directly in tap water samples in less than 20 min and with limits of detection ranging between 7 and 110 ng/L. The sensitivity achieved made possible the direct determination of 9 quinolones in human urine without any sample treatment, just dilution with water. Relative recoveries between 94 and 109% were obtained meaning that the matrix effect in human urine is negligible after dilution. Satisfactory results were also obtained in terms of precision since relative standard deviations were always below 13%.

Hollow-fiber liquid-phase microextraction combined with capillary HPLC for the selective determination of six sulfonylurea herbicides in environmental waters

A three-phase hollow-fiber liquid-phase microextraction combined with a capillary LC method using diode array detection was proposed for the determination of six sulfonylurea herbicides, triasulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, chlorsulfuron, flazasulfuron, chlorimuron-ethyl, and primisulfuron-methyl, in environmental water samples. Different factors that can affect the extraction process such as extraction solvent, acidity of the donor phase, composition and pH of the acceptor phase, salt addition, stirring speed, and extraction time were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, detection and quantitation limits between 0.1-1.7 and 0.3-5.7 μg/L, respectively, and enrichment factors ranging from 71 to 548 were obtained. The calibration curves were linear within the range of 0.3-40 μg/L. Intra- and interday RSDs were <6.3 and 8.4%, respectively. The relative recoveries of the spiked ground and river water samples were in the range of 69.4-119.2 and 77.4-111.7%, respectively. The results of the study revealed that the developed methodology involves an efficient sample pretreatment allowing the preconcentration of analytes, combined with the use of a miniaturized separation technique, suitable for the accurate determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in water.

Ion-paired extraction of cephalosporins in acetone prior to their analysis by capillary liquid chromatography in environmental water and meat samples

Ion-pair extraction of cephalosporins from aqueous solution into acetone by the addition of ammonium sulfate to a 1:2 (v/v) acetone-water solvent was carried out followed by their determination using reversed-phase capillary liquid chromatography. The analytes included are cephoperazone, cefquinome, cephalexin, cephapirin, cephaloniun, cephamandole, cephazolin and cephadroxile. In order to form the ion-pair, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was selected as cationic ion-pairing agent at a concentration of 0.9 mM using 10mM phosphate buffer at pH 8 as the optimum condition for the aqueous solution. The applied methodology, named salting-out assisted liquid/liquid extraction (SALLE) involves the use of 1.25 g of ammonium sulfate as salting-out agent. The separation of cephalosporins using a Luna C18 (150 mm × 0.3mm, 5 µm, 100 Å) column was achieved under the following conditions: a gradient program combining solvent A (0.1% formic acid in water, pH 4) and solvent B (acetonitrile-methanol (50:50, v/v)), at a flow rate of 20 µl min(-1), column temperature 35°C and injection volume 7 µl with UV detection at 250 nm. The limits of quantification for the studied compounds were between 4.3 and 22.7 μg/L for water samples and 4.1 and 73.3 μg/kg in the case of beef samples, lower than the maximum residue limits permitted by the EU for this kind of food. The developed methodology has demonstrated its suitability for the analysis of these widely applied antibiotics in environmental water and meat samples, including beef and pork muscle, with high sensitivity, precision and satisfactory recoveries.

Analysis of cephalosporin residues in environmental waters by capillary zone electrophoresis with off-line and on-line preconcentration

A sensitive and reliable method using capillary zone electrophoresis with UV-diode array detection (CZE-DAD) has been developed and validated for trace determination of cephalosporin antibiotics in spring water, groundwater and river water matrices. Due to the lack of sensitivity of the UV-Vis detection method, a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method has been applied for off-line preconcentration and cleanup of water samples, in combination with an on-line preconcentration methodology named large volume sample stacking (LVSS) with polarity switching. The simultaneous determination of five cephalosporins of veterinary use, namely cephalexin (CFL), cephoperazone (CFPR), ceftiofur (CFTF), cephapirin (CFP) and cephazolin (CFZ) has been accomplished in environmental water samples using 70 mM acetate buffer, pH 7.0, applying a voltage of 22.5 kV at 25 °C and using cephadroxil (a cephalosporin for human use) as the internal standard. For the SPE procedure a HLB sorbent column was used. The combination of both off-line and on-line preconcentration procedures provided a significant improvement in sensitivity, obtaining detection limits of 0.1 μg L−1 for CFL; 0.2 μg L−1 for CFPR, CFTF and CFP, and 0.3 μg L−1 for CFZ. The SPE-LVSS-CZE-DAD procedure is suitable for monitoring these compounds in water samples with high sensitivity and precision and satisfactory recoveries.

Capillary electrochromatography coupled with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the analysis of benzimidazole residues in water samples.

A novel method for the analysis of benzimidazole residues in water samples by capillary electrochromatography-UV detection (290nm), using laboratory-made packed columns is presented. Capillaries (25cm packed length×75µm inner diameter, 34cm total length, 25.5cm effective capillary length) were packed with C18 particles (5µm, non-encapped) following a high pressure packing procedure and using a compact steel unit designed for packing capillary columns. Acetone was employed as solvent to carry the particles through the capillary and pack it under a pressure of 42MPa. Outlet and inlet frits were made by sintering the particles of the stationary phase by heating the packed material with a nichrome ribbon connected to a 7V AC power supply. With the aim of achieving a good analytical performance, the variables that affected the separation were studied, using a mobile phase composition of 60:40 (v/v) acetonitrile/water containing ammonium acetate (1mM, pH 6.5), a separation voltage of 25kV and a temperature of 25°C. In addition, a combined hydrodynamic-electrokinetic injection mode was considered and samples were injected for 75s under a voltage of 12.5kV and a pressure of 11.5bar. Finally, the determination of benzimidazoles in water samples was accomplished by capillary electrochromatography using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction as sample treatment. Variables affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized, using chloroform and ethanol as extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. This method was applied to different water samples, obtaining satisfactory results in terms of linearity (R2≥0.990), repeatability (RSD≤1.2%), reproducibility (RSD≤2.2%) and trueness (R≥87.7%). Detection and quantification limits were lower than 2.8µgL-1 and 9.3µgL-1, respectively.

Validation of a new method based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS for the determination of betalactam antibiotics in infant dairy products

In this work a new multiresidue method has been developed for the determination of 15 betalactam antibiotics in infant milk and yogurt based on follow-on milk by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The separation was achieved in 6min, using a Kinetex Biphenyl Core-Shell column (50mmx2.1mm, 1.7µm), with a mobile phase of water with 0.05% acetic acid and methanol. The analytes were detected in ESI+ with multiple reaction monitoring mode and fragmentation conditions were optimized to obtain the highest sensitivity. The use of a biphenyl bonded column allowed to obtain a satisfactory selectivity for all the studied analytes. Moreover, ion-pair salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (IP-SALLE) has been proposed as sample treatment and optimized by means of experimental design. Under optimum conditions, the recoveries for fortified samples ranged from 79% to 93%, (RSD <7.5%). The limits of quantification were lower than 9.0µgkg-1, showing the high sensitivity and applicability of this fast and simple method. The results in terms of analysis time, sensitivity and accuracy showed the suitability of this procedure for the monitoring of betalactam residues in different infant foods.

Use of an ionic liquid-based surfactant as pseudostationary phase in the analysis of carbamates by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

The applicability of an ionic liquid‐based cationic surfactant 1‐dodecyl‐3‐methyl‐imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (C12MImBF4) as pseudostationary phase in MEKC has been evaluated for the analysis of 11 carbamate pesticides (promecarb, carbofuran, metolcarb, fenobucarb, aldicarb, propoxur, asulam, benomyl, carbendazim, ethiofencarb, isoprocarb) in juice samples. Under optimum conditions (separation buffer, 35 mM NaHCO3 and 20 mM C12MImBF4, pH 9.0; capillary temperature 25°C; voltage –22 kV) the analysis was carried out in less than 12 min, using hydrodynamic injection (50 mbar for 7.5 s) and detection at 200 nm. For the extraction of these CRBs from juice samples, a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) procedure has been proposed, by optimization of variables affecting the efficiency of the extraction. Following this treatment, sample throughput was approximately 12 samples per hour, obtaining a preconcentration factor of 20. Matrix‐matched calibration curves were established using tomato juice as representative matrix (from 5 to 250 μg/L for CBZ, BY, PX, CF, FEN, ETH, ISP, and 25–250 μg/L for ASL, ALD, PRC, MTL), obtaining quantification limits ranging from 1 to 18 μg/L and recoveries from 70 to 96%, with RSDs lower than 9%.