Microwave-assisted esterification and electro-enhanced solid-phase microextraction of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in eggs

Abstract

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), a type of fatty acid that has many health benefits, are of increasing concern. Herein, we developed a method for the rapid esterification and enrichment of ω-3 PUFAs in eggs, which includes microwave-assisted esterification (MAE) and electrically enhanced solid-phase microextraction (EE-SPME). Combined with gas chromatographic, efficient detection of ω-3 PUFAs was achieved in eggs. Under microwave radiation, the esterification efficiency exhibited a significant increase ranging from 5.06 to 10.65 times. The EE-SPME method reduced extraction time from 50 to 15 min. In addition, improvements in extractive fiber coating materials were explored, which ensured efficient extraction of ω-3 PUFAs. Under the optimal conditions, the method displayed a low detection limit (1.01–1.54 μg L−1), good recoveries (85.82%–106.01%), and wide linear range (7.5–1000 μg L−1), which was successfully applied to determine ω-3 PUFAs in real egg samples.