Determination of food colorants by microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography.
A microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) method was developed to analyze and detect eight food colorants (tartrazine, fast green FCF, brilliant blue FCF, allura red AC, indigo carmine, sunset yellow FCF, new coccine, and carminic acid), which are commonly used as food additives in various food products. The effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant, organic modifier, cosurfactant, and oil were examined in order to optimize the separation. The amount of organic modifier (acetonitrile) and SDS surfactant were determined as apparent influences on the separation resolution while the type of oil and cosurfactant rarely affected the separation selectivity of the eight colorants. A highly efficient MEEKC separation method, where the eight colorants were separated with baseline resolution within 14 min, was achieved by using a microemulsion solution of pH 2.0 containing 3.31% SDS, 0.81% octane, 6.61% 1-butanol, and 10% acetonitrile. This optimal MEEKC method has a higher separation efficiency and similar detection limit when compared to conventional capillary electrophoresis (CE) method. Furthermore, a sample pretreatment is rarely needed when this MEEKC technique is used to analyze colorants in food products, whereas a suitable sample pretreatment (for example solid-phase extraction) has to be employed prior to CE separation in order to eliminate matrix interferences resulting from the constituents of the food sample.
Huang
Hsi-Ya
HY
Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology at CYCU, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chuang
Chia-Ling
CL
Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology at CYCU, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chiu
Chen-Wen
CW
Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology at CYCU, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chung
Ming-Che
MC
Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology at CYCU, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, R.O.C.
D000097:Acetonitriles; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D020374:Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary / Q000379:methods*; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000379:methods; D004655:Emulsions; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009821:Oils; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D013501:Surface-Active Agents
D000097:Acetonitriles; D004655:Emulsions; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D009821:Oils; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; C032159:acetonitrile