Abstract
Ferulic acid is an important phenolic antioxidant found in or added to diet supplements, beverages, and cosmetic creams. Two designs of paper-based platforms for the fast, simple and inexpensive evaluation of ferulic acid contents in food and pharmaceutical cosmetics were evaluated. The first, a paper-based electrochemical device, was developed for ferulic acid detection in uncomplicated matrix samples and was created by the photolithographic method. The second, a paper-based colorimetric device was preceded by thin layer chromatography (TLC) for the separation and detection of ferulic acid in complex samples using a silica plate stationary phase and an 85:15:1 (v/v/v) chloroform: methanol: formic acid mobile phase. After separation, ferulic acid containing section of the TLC plate was attached onto the patterned paper containing the colorimetric reagent and eluted with ethanol. The resulting color change was photographed and quantitatively converted to intensity. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection of ferulic acid was found to be 1 ppm and 7 ppm (S/N = 3) for first and second designs, respectively, with good agreement with the standard HPLC-UV detection method. Therefore, these methods can be used for the simple, rapid, inexpensive and sensitive quantification of ferulic acid in a variety of samples.
Highlights
Antioxidants are compounds required by most organisms, where they prevent the oxidative damage caused by free radicals, including in humans where they otherwise may contribute to various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and cataracts [1]
Sodium acetate (0.1 M) buffer, pH 5.0, was used as the supporting electrolyte because it provides a well-defined peak at the carbon electrode [23]
The precision between electrode and electrode was examined from a series of six repetitive measurements of a solution containing 50 ppm ferulic acid
Summary
Antioxidants are compounds required by most organisms, where they prevent the oxidative damage caused by free radicals, including in humans where they otherwise may contribute to various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and cataracts [1]. The detection limit for ferulic acid was 8.7 × 10−9 mol·L−1 These assays require laborious sample preparation steps, high equipment costs and a significant amount of labor and analytical resources, which can potentially cause substantial delays in obtaining the results. Efforts to extend the developed methodology and/or to create new sample preparation devices for ferulic acid detection have been challenging. The ferulic acid content in simple matrix samples (in this study, corn milk and corn cider) was directly determined electrochemically using the paper-based screen-printed electrode. Strong analytical figures with LOD in the low ppm range, good sensitivity, excellent response precision and stability were observed by both the electrochemical and colorimetric detection systems This innovative concept could contribute to the development of a practical, rapid, highly sensitive and accurate method for assaying ferulic acid levels in a variety of food and cosmetic samples
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