Category Archives: UVE

Simultaneous Analysis of B Vitamins in Protein Powders and Supplements

Our New Method Abstract, MA 239, describes the Simultaneous Analysis of Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 using post-column derivatization.

B vitamins are a group of water soluble vitamins that play an important role in cell metabolism. This group consists of a number of compounds including Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin and Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) and Pyridoxine and Pyridoxal (Vitamin B6). B vitamins are found in plant and animal food sources, such as legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, red meat and poultry. Many commercial food products are fortified with vitamin B complex and people could take multi-vitamins supplements to help fight vitamin B deficiencies.

Pickering Laboratories offers a method for simultaneous determination of Vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6 in supplements and protein powders. The method uses chemical and photochemical post-column derivatization with Fluorescence detection that increases sensitivity and selectivity of analysis. Photochemical derivatization required for Niacin and Nicotinamide and chemical derivatization is needed for Thiamine. Vitamins B2 and B6 have natural fluorescence.Mixed B Vitamins Chromatograms

METHOD Overview. (to download the complete Method Abstract click HERE)
Instrument set up

Connect the instruments in the following order:
– Pinnacle PCX post-column derivatization instrument
– UVE™ photochemical reactor
– Fluorescence detector

Sample Preparation
For protein powders:
To 0.5 g of samples add 50 mL of extraction buffer (0.1 N NaOH adjusted to pH 2 with Phosphoric acid). Homogenize using hand held homogenizer for 30 sec and heat on a water bath at 100 ºC for 30 min. Cool the solution down, filter through 0.45 um nylon filter and inject. Protect from light.

For multi-vitamins supplements tablets:
Blend at least 10 tablets to a fine powder and mix the entire sample thoroughly. Weigh 250 mg of sample and add 90 mL of DI water acidified to pH 2.6 with 0.1 N HCl. Stir using magnetic stirring plate for 2 hours, protecting from light. Make the volume up to 100 mL with acidified water. Filter the sample through a 0.45 um nylon filter and inject. Protect from light.

Analytical Conditions
Analytical Column: Thermo Hypersil, Aquasil C18 (4.6×150 mm)
Column Temperature: 40 ºC
Flow Rate: 1 mL/min
Mobile Phase:
Solvent A: Potassium Phosphate Monobasic in DI water, adjusted with KOH, brought to 1L DI water.
Solvent B: Acetonitrile.

Post-column Conditions
Post-column Derivatization System: Pinnacle PCX and UVE Photochemical Reactor
Reactor Volume: 0.5 mL
Reactor Temperature: 30 ºC
Reagent: Sodium Hydroxide in DI water, with Sodium Sulfite
Detection: FLD

 

Pickering Laboratories in 2013

By Wendy Rasmussen

In recent years, we have released several new products and applications, and with still more on the horizon, it occurred to me that now would be a great time to summarize the Pickering of today – our mindset and our wide variety of products & applications.

Acai Berries
Acai Berries

No longer are we simply the “Post-Column Company”. We are the “Automated-Sample Antioxidants” company.  Think of us as the new “super fruit.” The Acai berry, or perhaps the new Chia Seeds (incidentally, we do have a post-column application for the identification & quantitation of  Antioxidants in a variety of matrices).

We are still very active, and we as a company plan to be here for many years to come. We are still the company founded on chemistry and a desire to to teach, to spread our technical expertise, to support our customers.

It’s been a few years now since Pickering began distributing and supporting our LCTech Product line.  The products have shown an ever increasing interest here in the US and in Canada (our official Sales Territory for this product line). We are very proud to offer these products and we hope we can develop it further in the future.

Historically, we have provided the back-end of an analysis (post-column derivatization). Nowadays, we can provide the front-end of analysis as well (the sample-cleanup).

In thinking about our product offerings, I realized that a simple list does not effectively show the scope of the products we have to offer in 2013 – primarily because we have a lot of overlap between products and product lines.  We’re not a vertical company in that regard.  I suppose one could say our product offerings are more circular in that many do not fall into a single distinct category.  I am a very visual person, and for me, a Venn diagram and our overall “product scale” really helped to understand and clarify our products:

Venn Diagram of Pickering Laboratories
Venn Diagram of Pickering Laboratories
General "Product Scale" for Pickering Offerings
General “Product Scale” for Pickering Offerings
For those of who like lists, you can find one Here, on Pickering’s website, and on LCTech’s Website

For any Questions, please feel free to contact us:

Pickering Laboratories, Inc.
Mountain View, California
Email: sales@pickeringlabs.com
Phone: (direct) 650-694-6700 or (toll-free) 800-654-3330

 

Image of Acai Berries:  http://acaiberryeducation.com/

Aflatoxins in Edible Oils Collaborative Study Published

Pickering Laboratories, Inc was one of several laboratories who participated in a collaborative study, the results of which were published in the November-December issue of Journal Of AOAC International.

Here is the reference:

Determination of Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, and Sesame Oil using Immunoaffinity Column Cleanup, Post Column Derivatization and Liquid Chromatography/Fluorescence Detection: Collaborative Study.

Authors: Bao, Lei; Liang, Chengzhu; Trucksess, Mary W.; Xu, Yanli; Lv, Ning; Wu, Zhenxing; Jing, Ping; Fry, Fred S.

Source: Journal of AOAC International, Volume 95, Number 6, November-December 2012, pp. 1689-1700(12)

Participating laboratories could use Photochemical Derivatization or electrochemical derivatization.  The sample clean-up was performed using Immunoaffinity clean-up columns.

Pickering has many great tools for the analysis of Aflatoxins, including the UVE Photochemical Reactor, our Pinnacle PCX, immunoaffinity clean-up columns, HPLC columns, and column handling equipment such as the FREESTYLE SPE, AcceCLEAN, and EluVac.

On-Demand Webinar: Rugged and Sensitive Analysis of Mycotoxins in Food Matrices

If you missed the live webinar last summer, you can still hear the Webinar On-Demand! Just click on the links below to launch the presentation.
On August 14th, 2012, in collaboration with Thermo Scientific, Pickering Laboratories participated in a free webinar titled: Rugged and Sensitive Analysis of Mycotoxins in Food Matrices
 
The webinar was hosted by LC/GC Magazine and Thermo Scientific.
 
Live Webcast: Tuesday, August, 14, 2012 at 8:00 am PDT; 11:00 am EDT; 15:00 GMT

Register Free at http://www.chromatographyonline.com/foodmatrices
EVENT OVERVIEW
Mycotoxins are found in a staggering range of matrices, from grains to fruits, spices and nuts to animal feed. They are of major concern for their negative impact on the worldwide economy from product revenue losses, their toxicity to animals and humans, and their persistence throughout multiple food processing steps.Learn how Pickering Laboratories addresses this challenge and meets guidelines set by the FDA using sensitive and rugged Thermo Scientific UHPLC methods to effectively detect Aflatoxins as well as other key classes of Mycotoxins. These easy-to-use methods utilize immunoaffinity clean-up and post-column derivatization.

Also join us to discover the benefits of a Thermo Scientific LC-MS/MS method using automated Turbulent Flow sample extraction to separate Mycotoxins from complex food matrices. A highly efficient solution used in high throughput laboratories that eliminates manual sample preparation, improves method reliability and drives down cost per sample.

Who Should Attend
Analytical Chemists
Lab Managers
Food Science Researchers
Presenters
Wendy E. Rasmussen
Wendy E. Rasmussen
Technical Expert
Food, Agricultural and Environmental Markets
Pickering Laboratories
Markus M. Martin
Markus M. Martin
Solutions Manager LC/MS
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dr. Yang Shi
Dr. Yang Shi
Senior Applications Scientist
LC/MS Applications
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Laura Bush
Moderator:
Laura Bush
Editorial Director
LCGC North America
Presented by
Sponsored by
LC/GC Logo
Thermo Logo
 

New Mycotoxin Cleanup Columns!

Also on display this year at Pittcon were the a couple of NEW! Mycotoxin clean-up columns available from Pickering Laboratories:
AflaCLEAN SMART
The immunoaffinity column AflaCLEAN SMART is designed for sample clean-up for subsequent Aflatoxin analysis. 
This columns is smaller than the other counterparts on the market – it uses only a fraction of the solvent and yet has 100ng loading capacity as specified by the AOAC methods. 
During extraction, dilution, washing, sample loading and elution, more than 80% of the solvents can be saved.

The final elution volume is only 400uL instead of the typical 2mL – and yet has the same final concentration as with other columns.  As most methods inject only 20-50uL of sample onto the autosampler, this volume is more than enough for analysis. 

These columns can also be used with the very convenient and affordable EluVac vacuum manifold.

If you would like additional information, please email us: sales@pickeringlabs.com

DONeX
The DONeX column can be used in the sample preparation for the analysis of the mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (Vomitoxin), which is often found on contaminated cereals and grains such as corn. 
The column is ideally suited to many common matrices such as corn, barley, oat, wheat, rye or cereal-based feed. The advantage of DONex is that these columns can also be used with complex matrices and one can stll obtain excellent recovery rates. 
DONeX is used with a sample load of 1 g for HPLC / post column / fluorescence detection or LC / MS.  By increasing the matrix load up to 4 g on column, users with HPLC / UV detection systems can reach detection limits as low as 200 ppb. 
Unlike our other Mycotoxin clean-up columns, DONeX is not an immunoaffinity column, and so it can be stored on the shelf and has an undefined shelf-life.
The DONeX clean-up column is based on a 3mL standard form and thus perfectly suitable for automated handling in the LCTech systems AcceCLEANTM and FREESTLYETM SPE
If you are interested in any additional information or would like to try a sample, please send us an email: sales@pickeringlabs.com

Pickering Products

Mycotoxins: Clean-up Columns, ELISA Kits, Post-Column Derivatization Instruments & Methods, SPE manifolds (manual & automated) for the analysis of:

Aflatoxins
Ochratoxin A
DON
Nivalenol
Fumonisin FB1, FB2
Zearalenone
Ergot Alkaloids

Post-Column Derivatization: Pinnacle PCX, Vector PCX, UVE Photochemical Reactor, Columns, Reagents, Eluants for the analysis of:

Antioxidants
Mycotoxins (individual and multi-residue)
Amino Acids
Biogenic Amines
Paralytic Shellfish Toxin
Polyether Antibiotics
Hexavalent Chromium
Vitamins
Sugars
Nitrate/Nitrite
Bromate
Carbamate Pesticides
Glyphosate Herbicide
NDELA
Formaldehyde

Sample Preparation (clean-up) Instruments:

FREESTYLE for SPE, GPC, online-concentration
FREESTYLE ThermELUTE for Aflatoxin analysis (direct inject onto HPLC)
AcceCLEAN for SPE (incl. Immunoaffinity columns)
EluVAC vacuum manifold for SPE (incl. Immunoaffinity columns)
GPC QUATTRO for manual GPC Cleanup
DECS System for the cleanup of samples for Dioxin analysis

Chemistry Products:

Artificial Perspiration
Artificial Saliva
High Purity Water

Stand-Alone OEM Syringe Pump:

For any applications requiring an inert flow path, volumes up to 70mL, and pressures up to 500psi

For More Information visit:

www.pickeringlabs.com

or email: sales@pickeringlabs.com

Pickering Laboratories Introduces Key Products to Herbal Supplements Market

By Mike Gottschalk

The Supplyside West Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada October 19-23, is a very important Herbal Supplement Industry event. It provides important educational and networking opportunities to this $29 billion market. Since the FDA sent out required current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) in 2007, the Herbal Supplement producers are working to meet the new requirements before the FDA audits. These regulations are intended to insure the quality, purity and safety of the Herbal Supplement products available today. Pickering Laboratories had a booth at the show to assist the producers and laboratories with the instrumentation, chemistry, methods, and support for the analysis and clean-up of samples for Amino Acids, Aflatoxins, Carbamate pesticides, Glyphosate Herbicides, and 23 other methods.

Click on the links to see our Latest Method Abstracts, introduced at the show:
1) MA 215: Clean-up and Determination of Alfatoxins in Peanuts and Peanut Butter 

2) MA 218: Clean-up and Analysis of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Herbs and Spices 


The annual meeting of the AOAC International in Orlando, Florida on September 20-25, also had a strong emphasis on Herbal Supplements testing. The AOAC organization is central to FDA efforts to provide analytical structure to testing methods for this newly regulated industry. Pickering Laboratories participated in the AOAC sponsored Single Laboratory Validation of Multi-residue Mycotoxin Analysis in Corn. For this work, Pickering Laboratories was awarded the “Single Lab Validation of the Year”. This pivotal work in the analysis of Mycotoxins continues in Herbal Supplements as well as agricultural products.

Send us an email to support@pickeringlabs.com to request a copy of our poster: “Clean-up and Determination of Alfatoxins in Peanuts and Peanut” from the AOAC show.

Our next show is Pittcon 2011 on March 13-18 in Atlanta, Georgia.

See you there!