New Approach of QuEChERS and GC-MS Triple-Quadrupole for the Determination of Ethyl Carbamate Content in Brazilian cachacas

Author(s)

Guerreiro, Tatiane Melina ^[1] ; Ozawa, Kumi Shiota ^[2] ; Lima, Estela de Oliveira ^[1] ; Odir Rodrigues Melo, Carlos Fernando ^[1] ; de Oliveira, Diogo Noin ^[1] ; do Nascimento Triano, Simone Pereira ^[2] ; Catharino, Rodrigo Ramos ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Innovare Biomarkers Lab, Sch Pharmaceut Sci, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Agilent Technol Brazil, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION; v. 5, APR 6 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Cachaca is a popular spirit produced in Brazil, obtained by distillation of fermented sugar cane. Among the contaminants arising from production, ethyl carbamate is a carcinogenic compound that occurs naturally in fermented foods and beverages; in Brazil, the maximum limit established by current legislation is 150 dig L-1. Quality control is usually performed using gas chromatography; however, robustness and reproducibility of quantitative results may be severely impaired, as the addition of 6-30 g L-1 of sucrose is a common procedure for taste standardization, directly interfering in the results. This work describes the development of a novel method to improve ethyl carbamate quantification in cachacas using a new approach of QuEChERS extraction based on salting-out phenomenon, to effectively separate ethanol from sugar-containing water. Eighteen different brands of cachaca were analyzed. The proposed methodology was able to eliminate components that contaminate the sample flow path in the gas chromatography system, while improving precision and accuracy by using a triple-quadrupole approach, in comparison with the methodology usually employed: direct analysis of cachaca samples with no sample prep. Results indicate that this approach is more effective due to the removal of sugar content, with no impact in costs per analysis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/50400-0 - Mitochondrial energy metabolism, redox state and functionality in cell death and cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative disorders
• Grantee: Aníbal Eugênio Vercesi
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/06809-1 - Determination of chemical markers in various bovine products using mass spectrometry
• Grantee: Rodrigo Ramos Catharino
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants