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Enhancement by copper(II) of the Voltammetric signal of vitamin B2 applied to Its determination in breakfast cereals

  • Rashid O. Kadara
    ,
  • Arnold G. Fogg
    ,
  • Barry Haggett
    ,
  • Brian J. Birch
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Abstract

Addition of copper(II) to breakfast cereal samples was shown to significantly enhance the analytical signal obtained by electrochemical reduction of vitamin B2 using linear sweep voltammetry on disposable carbon electrodes. The enhancement was observed only when dissolved oxygen was present. In model solutions the analytical signal was linear in the concentration range 6−150 ng/mL with a calculated limit of detection of 5 ng/mL (S/N = 3). This compared favorably with earlier work using a similar measurement approach—but in the absence of copper—in which the limit of detection was calculated to be 900 ng/mL. The effects of potential interferents commonly found in cereals were examined. In addition to signal attenuation by both sugar and starch (already reported), folic acid was found to increase (+6%) and iron to decrease (−11%) the analytical signal when present in the maximum concentration ratios, with respect to vitamin B2, that are normally found in breakfast cereals. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the approach was potentially attractive for near-line quality control applications in manufacturing. The utility of the measurement approach was demonstrated by the addition of excess copper(II) sulfate to determine vitamin B2 in aqueous extracts of breakfast cereals. The results agreed well with those provided by the cereal manufacturer who used an established HPLC method.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 804-806

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Volume 57, Issue 3)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 11/02/2009

Publication status

Published - 11/02/2009

ISSN

0021-8561

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/225276
  • Scopus: 61449238291

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