Accurate and Sensitive Reverse Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Arbutin in Blueberries and Characterization of Its Stability in Simulated Gastric Fluid and under Ultraviolet Irradiation

Abstract

In this study, arbutin, an antibacterial skin-whitening agent was identified and quantified in blueberry samples using a developed high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. The best instrumental conditions were obtained by performing step-by-step optimization studies. The highest arbutin signal was observed at a wavelength of 220 nm with the ultraviolet detector. Arbutin was eluted through a C18 column by a mobile phase composed of 89:10:1 (v/v/v) water:methanol:0.10 M hydrochloric acid. The analytical figures of merit were calculated from a calibration plot developed across the concentration range from 0.010 to 250 mg/L under the optimum conditions with a coefficient of determination value of 0.9999. The limits of detection and quantification values were 2.0 and 6.6 µg/L, respectively. Spiked recovery measurements were used to ascertain the applicability of the analytical method in different blueberry samples, and the obtained recovery values ranged between 93 and 100%. The analyte was exposed to simulated gastric fluid and ultraviolet radiation to ascertain its stability under these conditions.