title: Identification of benzalkonium chloride in commercial grapefruit seed extracts.
abstract: Commercial grapefruit seed extracts (GSE) were extracted with chloroform. The solvent was evaporated, and the resulting solid was subsequently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS), tandem mass spectrometry (ESI/MS/MS), and elemental analysis (by proton-induced X-ray emission analysis). Three major constituents were observed by HPLC and were identified as benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride, and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride. This mixture of homologues is commonly known as benzalkonium chloride, a widely used synthetic antimicrobial ingredient used in cleaning and disinfection agents.
authors.affiliation: Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Albany, California 94710, USA. grt@pw.usda.gov
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Takeoka
authors.forename: Lan T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Dao
authors.forename: Rosalind Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Harden
mesh_terms: D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D002725:Chloroform; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D032083:Citrus paradisi / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
chemical_list: D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002725:Chloroform