Highly Efficient Enrichment of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Meat Products Using the Magnetic Metal-Organic...

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), known for their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, are formed during the heating of protein-rich food items. Detecting HAAs swiftly and accurately poses challenges due to complex food matrices and low HAA concentrations. In this study, a simple and efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) strategy was developed for the simultaneous isolation and enrichment of three HAAs such as 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) in processed meats, employing the magnetic covalent organic framework Fe₃O₄@MOF-545-AMSA as an adsorbent. It was synthesized via a solvothermal method, with Fe₃O₄ as the magnetic core. Its building blocks are as follows: zirconium (Zr) as the coordination metal ion, tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin and benzoic acid as organic ligands, and aminomethanesulfonic acid (AMSA). This composite captures targeted HAAs efficiently by exploiting the unique porous MOF-545-AMSA structure, specific metal-ligand coordination, and AMSA's amino and sulfonic acid groups. The quantification of HAAs was achieved through the combination of Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and MSPE, demonstrating satisfactory linearity (R² ≥ 0.9917), high recovery rates (83.7-111.0%), and low detection limits (0.1-1.0 μg/kg). Moreover, an automated high-throughput detection system was developed using MSPE to assess the presence of HAAs in meat products.