Abstract:

A simultaneous determination method of water-soluble sugars (rhamnose, xylose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose) and sorbitol in tobacco flavourings and casings based on high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light-scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) was established. The analytes were extracted with ultrasonic assisted extraction into water and cleaned-up by Isolute ENV+solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, and then separated on Prevail Carbohydrate ES column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) with acetonitrile and water (75:25, v/v) as mobile phase. The temperature of the drift tube in ELSD was 79 ℃ and the flow rate of carrier gas of nitrogen was 2.0 L/min. The calibration curves were plotted on the double logarithmic scales with the mass concentrations of analytes in the range of about 0.06~1.2 g/L. The limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 12~26 mg/L. And the spiked recoveries in real samples were 88%~109%. Based on the double logarithmic calibration of analytes, experiments were carried out to indicate that the physical and chemical characteristics of analytes, the retention behaviors on column and the elution ability of mobile phase can all influence the response of ELSD.

Key words: double logarithmic calibration curve, evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD), sorbitol, tobacco flavourings and casings, water-soluble sugar, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)