Determination of the alcoholic content in whiskeys using micellar electrokinetic chromatography on microchips

Food Chem. 2020 Nov 1:329:127175. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127175. Epub 2020 May 30.

Abstract

This report describes the development of a methodology based on micellar electrokinetic chromatography for the separation of alcohols on chip-based systems aiming the determination of alcoholic content in whiskey samples. The separation conditions were optimized the best results were achieved using 50 mmolL-1 phosphate buffer containing 30 mmolL-1 sodium dodecyl sulfate. The alcoholic content was determined in 16 seized whiskey samples from 4 different brands as well as in the original samples. The methodology presented herein allowed the correct classification of 75% of the seized samples as adulterated and the data obtained did not statistically differ from those recorded by a reference technique. The proposed analytical approach emerges as a promising tool to provide a rapid screening of the beverages authenticity and it may be useful to be widely explored for the quality control.

Keywords: Adulteration; Beverages; Contactless conductivity detection; Forensic chemistry; Microchip electrophoresis; Microfluidic devices.

MeSH terms

  • Alcoholic Beverages / analysis*
  • Buffers
  • Butanols / isolation & purification
  • Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary / instrumentation
  • Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary / methods*
  • Ethanol / isolation & purification
  • Food Analysis / methods*
  • Food Quality
  • Pentanols / isolation & purification
  • Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

Substances

  • Buffers
  • Butanols
  • Pentanols
  • Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
  • Ethanol