Generalized and rapid supramolecular solvent-based sample treatment for the determination of annatto in food

A supramolecular solvent (SUPRA) made up of octanoic acid aggregates is proposed for the microextraction of bixin and norbixin, the two major components of the natural food colouring annatto, in food. The procedure involved the extraction of sub-gram quantities (200 mg) of homogenized food with 0.8 mL of the supramolecular solvent. The overall sample treatment took about 20 min, and several samples could be simultaneously treated using conventional lab equipment. No clean-up or solvent evaporation were required. Extraction efficiencies mainly depended on the major components making up the SUPRAS (i.e. octanoic acid and tetrahydrofuran) and were not affected by the pH or the temperature in the ranges studied (1–4 and 10–80 °C, respectively). Bixin and norbixin in the extracts were quantified by liquid chromatography (LC) and diode array detection (DAD). They were separated in a Hypersil C18 column using a mobile phase consisting of 5% acetic acid and methanol (15:85, v/v). The retention times for norbixin and bixin standards were 5.1 and 8.6 min, respectively. Recoveries in samples ranged between about 78% and 113%. The precision of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation, was about 1.5% and the quantitation limits for bixin and norbixin were 0.19 and 0.23 mg kg−1, respectively, which were far below the maximum limits permitted by the European Union for the level of addition to food. Concentration of norbixin in samples belonging to the five major groups of food commodities defined in the literature, ranged between 3.75 and 43.8 mg kg−1 whereas bixin was only found in one snack sample (6.6 mg kg−1). The method is simple and rapid, while delivering accurate and precise results, and can be used for the routine determination of annatto in food for the control of the compliance of current legislation.

► Supramolecular solvent, made up of aggregates of octanoic acid, as extractant.
► Generalized sample treatment based on a single-step for the determination of bixin and norbixin in food.
► Low cost.