Análise por injeção em batelada com detecção amperométrica da astaxantina e da capacidade antioxidante em alimentos

Abstract

In this thesis, we present the development of electrochemical methods using batch injection analysis (BIA) with amperometric detection to determine the antioxidant capacity of tea samples and plant extracts and determination of astaxanthin in salmon. The first method was developed to determine the antioxidant capacity of tea samples and plant extracts based on the extent of the consumption of DPPH radicals, since this radical is electroactive. In this method the effective concentration or EC50 value corresponding to the required concentration of sample or standard capable of consuming 50% of DPPH radicals was measured. For the exact determination of the EC50, the samples were incubated with DPPH radical for 1 h, since many polyphenolic compounds typically found in plants and responsible for the antioxidant activity exhibit slow kinetics. The BIA system with amperometric detection using a vitreous carbon electrode showed high precision (RSD = 0.7%, n = 12), low detection limit (1 μmol L-1) and DPPH radical selectivity (free of antioxidant interferences). These results contributed to low detection limits for the antioxidants gallic acid and butylhydroxytoluene (0.015 and 0.19 μmol L-1, respectively). The second method developed was based on the electrochemical oxidation of the antioxidant astaxanthin on a glassy carbon electrode for its amperometric determination in salmon samples. The method consisted of the injection of 80 μL of sample extract directly into the vitreous carbon electrode immersed in a solution composed of acetone, dichloromethane and water (80:10:10 v/v) containing 0.1 mol L-1 HClO4. This method presented advantages that include high accuracy (RSD of 2.4%), analytical frequency of 240 h-1 and low detection limit (0.3 μmol L-1, corresponding to 0.1 μg g-1) for The analysis of salmon samples extracted with acetone. Recovery values between 83 and 97% were obtained. In addition, both proposed methods are promising because they bring the possibility of using portable systems since the instrumentation used (electronic micropipette and potentiostat) is commercially available.