Extraction of acetanilide herbicides in naked oat (Avena nuda L.) by using ionic-liquid-based matrix solid-phase...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety

Background:

• Herbicides are widely used in agriculture, necessitating reliable methods for residue analysis in food crops.
• Naked oat (Avena nuda L.) is a significant crop, and monitoring herbicide contamination is crucial for consumer safety.
• Existing analytical methods may have limitations in sensitivity, efficiency, or environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel analytical method for the simultaneous determination of seven common herbicides in naked oat samples.
• To optimize extraction and separation parameters for enhanced herbicide recovery and detection.
• To ensure the safety and quality of naked oat by accurately quantifying herbicide residues.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ionic-liquid-based matrix solid-phase dispersion (IL-MSPD) for sample preparation.
• Employed solvent flotation for efficient herbicide separation.
• Coupled the sample preparation technique with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantitative analysis.
• Optimized experimental parameters using univariate and orthogonal experimental designs.

Main Results:

• Achieved a good linear relationship for herbicide quantification in the range of 5-5000 µg/kg (R² between 0.9989–0.9993).
• Established low quantification limits for seven herbicides, including alachlor, metazachlor, and butachlor, ranging from 2.62 to 7.28 µg/kg.
• Demonstrated high average recoveries (92.1–104.7%) and low relative standard deviations (≤2.9%) for acetanilide herbicides at various spiked concentrations.

Conclusions:

• The developed IL-MSPD-solvent flotation-HPLC method is highly effective and reliable for the simultaneous determination of multiple herbicides in naked oat.
• The method offers excellent sensitivity, accuracy, and precision, meeting the requirements for routine food safety monitoring.
• This approach contributes to ensuring the quality and safety of naked oat products by providing a robust tool for herbicide residue analysis.