Simultaneous Determination of Caffeine and Asparta

Authors: Malgorzata Grembecka Piotr Szefer

Publish Date: 2011/11/30

Volume: 5, Issue: 5, Pages: 1010-1017

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Abstract

A method for the simultaneous determination of caffeine and aspartame in various diet supplements and nonalcoholic beverages is presented The analytes were analysed by highperformance liquid chromatography coupled to a charged aerosol detector Corona CAD and ultravioletdiode array detector UVDAD simultaneously connected in series The method was validated using a Thermo Hypersil GoldC18 column packed with 5 μm shell particles 150 × 46 mm and acetonitrile–water 15/85 v/v mobile phase at a flow rate of 100 mL/min The elaborated method was validated for linearity precision and accuracy The rapid HPLC–CAD–UVDAD technique is suitable for quantifying caffeine and aspartame in the range of 025–75 μg/mL in diet supplements and nonalcoholic beverages The limit of detection for caffeine and aspartame was 62 and 43 ng/mL for Corona CAD and 31 and 30 ng/mL for UVDAD detector respectively Each analyte calibration curve had a correlation coefficient of at least 0999 and was linear in the defined range The accuracies of CAD and UVDAD detection were all acceptable with the mean value of 100 for aspartame and 983 for caffeine Precision values ranged from 009 to 112 The work has demonstrated that charged aerosol detector can be successfully used in a rapid screening technique for biologically active substances in nonalcoholic beverages and diet supplementsFood additives are strongly required by the modern food technologies which try to fulfill consumers’ demands for variety choice and convenience These substances are used in food to maintain its nutritive quality enhance its keeping quality and make it attractive or to aid in its processing packaging or storage Among them caffeine and aspartame are widely used throughout the worldCaffeine is one of a group of stimulants called methylxanthine or xanthine that occurs naturally in some plants Products containing caffeine such as coffee tea soft drinks and chocolate are used and enjoyed by many people throughout the world Besides natural occurrence caffeine is also used as a food additive regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration Food and beverage manufacturers are legally obliged to list caffeine on their products’ label only when caffeine has been added However when caffeine is naturally present in other ingredients used in the production process need not be on the label Caffeine can also be found listed as an active ingredient in some stimulants cold remedies and various pain killers Pawełczyk 1986This methylxanthine exhibits a number of biological effects resulting from its diuretic and stimulant properties Some sensitive individuals experience side effects such as insomnia headaches irritability and nervousness when consuming caffeine therefore it is recommended to limit caffeine consumption Pohler 2010 Wierzejska and Jarosz 2003Aspartame lalphaaspartyllphenylalanine methyl ester is a lowcalorie sweetener used to sweeten a wide variety of lowcalorie foods and reduce calorie foods and beverages including lowcalorie tabletop sweeteners Upon digestion aspartame breaks down into three components aspartic acid phenylalanine and methanol which are then absorbed into the blood and used in normal body processes Neither aspartame nor its components accumulate in the body These components are used in the body in the same ways as when they are derived from common foods Butchko et al 2002 Magnuson et al 2007Although aspartame can be safely consumed by most healthy individuals it has long been recognised that excessive intake of phenylalanine one of the constituent amino acids of aspartame can pose a hazard to individuals suffering from an inherited metabolic disorder called phenylketonuria Butchko et al 2002 Magnuson et al 2007 For this reason all foods containing aspartame must be indicated on the label for the presence of phenylalanineCurrently aspartame is consumed by over 200 million people around the world and is found in more than 6000 products including carbonated soft drinks powdered soft drinks chewing gum confections gelatins dessert mixes puddings and fillings frozen desserts yogurt tabletop sweeteners and some pharmaceuticals such as vitamins and sugarfree cough drops European Parliament and Council Directive 94/35/EC 2011 The Food and Drug Administration the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives JECFA of the World Health Organization the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Community and regulatory agencies in more than 100 countries have reviewed aspartame and found it safe for use Butchko et al 2002 Magnuson et al 2007Lowcalorie sweeteners provide consumers with many benefits both psychological and physiological Health professionals and consumers believe lowcalorie sweeteners are effective for the following purposes weight maintenance weight reduction management of diabetes reduction of dental caries and reduction in the risks associated with obesity Butchko et al 2002

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