A novel deep eutectic solvent as an extractant for the determination of bisphenol compounds in edible oils by high-performance liquid-phase fluorescence detection

Abstract

In this study, an efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent (DES) was prepared using methanol and betaine, which was then employed as an extractant to detect BPA and BPF in several edible oils by high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) with good results. The electrostatic potentials of methanol, betaine, water and BPs were analyzed by quantum chemical computational techniques to explain the mechanism of DES extraction. Several important parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, composition, volume and extraction time of DES were optimized. The optimum conditions for the use of DES were the molar ratio of 1:30 (betaine: methanol), the volume of DES of 200 μL and the extraction time of 1.5 min. The results of the method evaluation showed a wide linear range (0.01–0.8 μg g−1) and a high linear correlation coefficient (R2 ≥0.994). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values ranged from 1.65 to 2.92 ng g−1 and 5.45–9.64 ng g−1, respectively. The greenness of the assay was evaluated by applying the green analytical procedure index method, and the results showed that the experimental method has the advantages of simple sample pre-treatment and low amount of waste generated during the assay. The experimental method has potential applications in the field of the detection of bisphenol compounds in edible oils.