Effective extraction method through alkaline hydrolysis for the detection of starch maleate in foods

Chia-Fen Tsai ^a, Guan-Yan Wu ^a, Ching-Hao Kuo ^a, Yung-Wei Lin ^a,
Chun-Hsiung Chang ^a, Su-Hsiang Tseng ^a, Ya-Min Kao ^a,
Lih-Ching Chiueh ^a, Ting-Jang Lu ^c, Daniel Yang-Chih Shih ^b,*

 

^a Department of Food Chemistry, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
^b Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
^c Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

 

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of maleic acid which was released from starch maleate (SM) through the alkaline hydrolysis reaction. The proper alkaline hydrolysis conditions and LC separation are reported in this study. The starch samples were treated with 50% methanol for 30 minutes, and then hydrolyzed by 0.5N KOH for 2 hours to release maleic acid. A C18 column and
gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.1% phosphoric acid and methanol at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/minute were used for separation. The method showed a good linearity in the range of 0.01−1.0 ı`g/mL, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) at 10 mg/kg in starch. The recoveries in corn starch, noodle, and fish balls were between 93.9% and 108.4%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of precision was <4.9% (n ＝ 3). This valid method was rapid, sensitive,
precise, and suitable for routine monitoring of the illegal adulteration of SM in foods.

 

Keywords: HPLC, LC-MS/MS, maleic acid, starch, starch maleate