Analysis of cyanide using fluorogenic derivatization and capillary electrophoresis

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Cyanide detection is crucial in food safety and biochemical analysis.
• Existing methods for cyanide quantification can be complex or lack sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and sensitive method for cyanide detection.
• To apply the method for quantifying free cyanide in apple seeds and detecting amygdalin.

Main Methods:

• Incubation of cyanide samples with 3-(2-furoyl)quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (FQ) and glutamic acid at 85°C.
• Analysis using capillary electrophoresis with post-separation laser-induced fluorescence detection.
• Enzymatic production of cyanide from amygdalin for detection.

Main Results:

• A 3-minute capillary electrophoresis separation time was achieved.
• The method demonstrated a linear response for cyanide from 50 nM to 1.5 μM.
• Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 26 nM and 87 nM, respectively.
• Free cyanide in apple seeds ranged from 12 to 86 ng/mg.
• Amygdalin was detected at 1 μM concentration.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a sensitive and efficient approach for cyanide quantification.
• The technique is applicable to real-world samples like apple seeds.
• The method can be utilized for the detection of amygdalin through enzymatic cyanide release.