Validation of Rapid Enzymatic Quantification of Acetic Acid in Vinegar on Automated Spectrophotometric System.

Vinegar is produced from the fermentation of agricultural materials and diluted acetic acid (diluted with water to 4-30% by volume) via sequential ethanol and acetic acid fermentation. The concentration of acetic acid must be measured during vinegar production. A Community method for analyzing acetic acid in vinegar is a non-specific method based on the assumption that the total acid concentration of the vinegar is attributable to the acetic acid. It consists of titration with a strong base in the presence of an indicator. This test is laborious and has a time-consuming character. In this work, a highly specific automated enzymatic method was validated, for the first time, to quantify the acetic acid in the wine vinegar, in terms of linearity, precision, repeatability, and uncertainty measurement. The results were compared to the Community method of analysis. Regression coefficient ≅ 1 and the normal distribution of residuals in the ANOVA test confirmed the method's linearity. LLOD (0.946 ppm) and LLOQ (2.00 ppm) defined the method's sensitivity. The results of the tested and the Community methods, linearly distributed in the Shapiro-Wilk test, confirmed the method's repeatability. The few anomalous data in the Huber test were due to random errors. The high selectivity of the enzymatic method, which exclusively measures acetic acid concentration, determined the significant differences between the two tests, examined in the accuracy determination. The enzymatic method can be considered applicable since its precision and uncertainty were lower than the Community method values (relative percentage deviations = 10%). The enzymatic method compared to the Community method reduces the analysis time and the risk of errors due to operators (avoid pipetting errors and wrong calculations), minimizes solvent and the sample consumption and guarantees assay quality through method standardization.

Novel highly regioselective VO(acac)2/TBHP mediated oxidation of o-alkenyl phenols to o-hydroxybenzyl ketones.

A novel mild methodology for the preparation of o-hydroxybenzyl ketones is described starting from o-alkenyl phenols and based on the VO(acac)(2)/TBHP (2 mol %/1.2 equiv) system. VO(acac)(2) first catalyzes the epoxidation of o-alkenyl phenols and then the rearrangement of the epoxyphenols to ketones via the selective benzylic C-O cleavage and 1,2 hydride migration. The protocol has also been applied to set up a useful and easy one-pot conversion of o-alkenyl phenols to benzo[b]furans by means of the sequential addition of TFA, after the generation of the intermediate o-hydroxybenzyl ketones.