A Microextraction Liquid-Chromatographic Determination of Aristolochic Acid I in Urine, Flour, and Aristolochiaceae Fruit

Abstract

Introduction: Aristolochic acid I, a potent human nephrotoxic and carcinogenic compound produced by aristolochia plants, it is responsible for Balkan endemic nephropathy and is associated with urothelial carcinoma. Method and Materials: A new method named air-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction has been developed for enrichment of analyte. The mixture of organic extractant and aqueous solution containing the analyte was sucked into a 5-mL glass syringe and pushed into the tube for times. This action produced a cloudy solution which indicated dispersion of organic solvent into aqueous solution, thereupon extraction procedure. The chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 column and mobile phase consist of 15% methanol, 20% acetonitrile, and 65% aqueous acetate buffer solution (pH=5.3). Flow rate of 1 mL min-1 and wavelength of 254 nm were used in analysis. Results: The limits of detection and quantification were obtained as 0.16 and 0.53 mu g L-1, respectively. Intra- and inter-day precisions were calculated as relative standard deviations and obtained as 0.66% and 0.72% for 10 mu g L-1, respectively.