A Green UPLC-UV Method for L-Ascorbic Acid Determination Based on a Biodegradable Chelating Agent and Synergistic...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is a widely consumed dietary supplement requiring extensive quantitative testing.
• Current methods often use hazardous reagents, necessitating greener alternatives.
• Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) is crucial for mitigating the environmental impact of analytical testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a green ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method for determining L-ascorbic acid in dietary supplements.
• Utilize biodegradable reagents and minimize organic solvent consumption.
• Ensure the method is environmentally sustainable and efficient.

Main Methods:

• Employed a phosphate solution with oxalic acid (OA) for sample preparation.
• Utilized an AX-C18 column for separation in the UPLC system.
• Employed isocratic elution with a mobile phase of phosphoric acid in water and detected ascorbic acid at 245 nm.

Main Results:

• Oxalic acid (OA) effectively stabilized ascorbic acid, offering environmental benefits over conventional chelators.
• The UPLC method achieved a low limit of quantitation (0.02 μg/mL) and high recoveries (98.3%-101.2%).
• Analytical Eco-Scale and AGREE metrics confirmed the method's excellent environmental performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed method is robust for diverse sample matrices, offering an eco-friendly approach for vitamin C determination.
• It provides a precise, efficient, and green alternative for analyzing vitamin C in supplements and health foods.
• Minimized solvent use, faster analysis, and enhanced environmental compatibility characterize this novel method.