Selective solid-phase extraction using molecularly imprinted polymer as a sorbent for the analysis of fenarimol in food samples.

In the present communication, a non-covalent fenarimol-imprinted polymer was synthesized by precipitation polymerization technique using methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross-linker, and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator in different porogenic solvent. Binding study of molecularly imprinted and non-imprinted polymer (MIP and NIP) showed that MIP possesses a higher affinity towards this analyte compared to NIP. The binding affinity of MIP was calculated by static and kinetic adsorption study. Further, a MIP based cartridge was designed to use in extraction process, necessary for specific determination and quantification of the fungicide in food matrices. Under the optimum conditions, developed method was found to be linear (R(2)=0.9999-0.9994). Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) in samples were 0.03-0.06 and 0.12-0.21 µg mL(-1), respectively. The rate of recovery of fenarimol was 91.16-99.52% on MIPs. The validated method of molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) cartridge was successfully applied to the food matrices and compared with commercial sorbent (RP18 and Oasis HLB). However we feel, this method has promising applications in the routine analysis of food samples in industry.

Disposition and acute toxicity of imidacloprid in female rats after single exposure.

Single dose of imidacloprid (IMI-20mg/kg bodyweight) was orally administered in female rats. Its disposition along with two metabolites 6-chloro nicotinic acid (6-CNA) and 6-hydroxy nicotinic acid (6-HNA) was monitored in organs (brain, liver, kidney, and ovary) and bodily fluids (blood, urine) at 6, 12, 24 and 48h and faeces at 24 and 48h. Maximum concentration (Cmax) of IMI and metabolites in each organ and bodily fluid occurred after 12h. Area under curve (AUC) of IMI ranged from 35 to 358µg/ml/h; 6-CNA: 27.12-1006.42µg/ml/h and 6-HNA: 14.98-302.74µg/ml/h in different organs and bodily fluids. Clearance rate of IMI was maximum in ovary followed by kidney, liver, brain, faeces, blood and urine. Percent inhibition of acetyl-cholinesterase (AChE) was comparable in brain and Red Blood Cells (RBC) at 6-48h which suggests the RBC-AChE as valid biomarker for assessing IMI exposure. It is evident that IMI was absorbed, metabolized, and excreted showing increased level of serum enzymes like Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), Glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and biochemical constituents like billirubin and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) at 48h. These data suggest that IMI is widely distributed, metabolized and induced toxicology effects at 20mg/kg bodyweight to female rats.

Monitoring of pesticide residues in market basket samples of vegetable from Lucknow City, India: QuEChERS method.

The study was conducted on 20 vegetables including leafy, root, modified stem, and fruity vegetables like bitter gourd, jack fruit, french-bean, onion, colocassia, pointed gourd, capsicum, spinach, potato, fenugreek seeds, carrot, radish, cucumber, beetroot, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, okra, and bottle gourd. Forty-eight pesticides including 13 organochlorines (OCs), 17 organophosphates (OPs), 10 synthetic pyrethriods (SPs), and eight herbicides (H) pesticides were analyzed. A total number of 60 samples, each in triplicates, were analyzed using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe method. The quantification was done by GC-ECD/NPD. The recovery varies from 70.22% to 96.32% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 15%. However the limit of detection ranged from 0.001-0.009 mg kg(-1)for OCs, SPs, OPs, and H, respectively. Twenty-three pesticides were detected from total 48 analyzed pesticides in the samples with the range of 0.005-12.35 mg kg(-1). The detected pesticides were: Σ-HCH, Dicofol, Σ-Endosulfan, Fenpropathrin, Permethrin-II, ß-cyfluthrin-II, Fenvalerate-I, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Diazinon, Malathion, Chlorofenvinfos, Anilophos, and Dimethachlor. In some vegetables like radish, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, and okra, the detected pesticides (Σ-HCH, Permethrin-II, Dichlorvos, and Chlorofenvinfos) were above maximum residues limit (MRL) (PFA 1954). However, in other vegetables the level of pesticide residues was either below detection limit or MRL.