Chemical speciation of se in food supplements and Zn in fortified food using HPLC-ICP OES

• Grant number: 13/25377-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2014
• End date: May 26, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Vitoriano de Oliveira
• Grantee: Vivian Montes de Oca Carioni
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dietary supplementation and the fortification of foods are being intensively used worldwide with the aim of circumventing the deficiency of some essential elements, such as Se and Zn, in the diet of humans and animals. For this reason, the knowledge of the total concentrations of these elements in those products is very important. However, the total determination of elements is not always enough to access the desired information or the beneficial health effects assessment, since the bioavailability of these elements depends strongly on the chemical species in which are present in food. One of the biggest difficulties for studies involving chemical speciation is the lack of available methods in the literature, and still, the scarcity of routine methods adapted to the reality of Brazilian laboratories. In this case, it is necessary to develop methods employing low cost analytical techniques and easy of optimization. The use of HPLC-ICP OES can be a good alternative, once the ICP OES presents low cost when compared to ICP-MS and low limits of detection when consisting of detectors of type CID. In this way, this project aims the development of methods for analysis of speciation of Se in dietary supplement consisting of selenized yeast and Zn in fortified food for mice supplementation in gestational period by HPLC-ICP OES. As there are not many methods in the literature involving the coupling HPLC-ICP OES for studies of chemical speciation in foods, all conditions involving this coupling will be investigated and optimized. (AU)