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Zearalenone (ZEA) is the most occurring Fusarium toxin in animal feed causing reproductive disorders and results in severe economical losses. A renewable bio adsorbent sourced from banana peel was tested for in vitro removal of ZEA from liquid mediums at different pH values. Efficacy of banana peel to sequester ZEA was evaluated by varying its pH, adsorbent dosage, equilibration time and quantified by using UHPLC-MS/MS. Adsorption was found to be efficient and completed in fifteen minutes with highest adsorption at alkaline pH (9). The adsorption and desorption studies have demonstrated the adsorption was strong enough to sustain the pH changes (3-9). Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to characterize the surface of bio sorbent to explain the mechanism of adsorption. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm was found to be best fitted model with maximum monolayer capacity (Q0) 8 ng/mg. The results of this study suggested that dried banana peel may be an effective low cost decontamination method to be incorporated in animal feed.

Background: Macrolide antibiotics are known as versatile broad-spectrum antibiotics. Macrolides belong to the oldest group of antibacterial agents. The macrolides which are frequently used for clinical purposes are broadly categorized in three classes depending on the number of membered macrocyclic lactone ring. These three classes actually consist of 14, 15 or 16 atoms in macrocyclic lactone ring which are linked through glycosidic bonds. Erythromycin, azithromycin clarithromycin and roxithromycin are frequently used to control against bacterial infections. Methods: The quality assurance and quality controls are important tasks in the pharmaceutical industries. Consequently, to check the quality of drugs, there is a strong need to know about alternative analytical methods for the routine analysis. Many methods have been reported in the literature for the quantitative determination of erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin in pharmaceutical formulations and biological samples. Results: This review will cover a brief introduction of erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin and roxithromycin as well as analytical techniques for their assessment. Each developed method has its own merits and demerits. Conclusion: Any accurate method could be used for the quality control and quality assurance of macrolide antibiotics according to the availability, performance and procedure of selected instrument as well as skill and expertise of the analyst.

Background: Captopril is the synthetic dipeptide used as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. Captopril is used to treat hypertension as well as for the treatment of moderate heart failure. Analytical instrumentation and methodology plays an important role in pharmaceutical analysis. Methods: This review presents some important applications of electrochemical modes used for the analysis of captopril. So far captopril has been analyzed by using different bare and modified working electrodes with a variety of modifiers from organic and inorganic materials to various types of nano particles/materials. Results: This paper presents some of the methods which have been published in the last few years i.e. from 2003 to 2016. This review highlights the role of the analytical instrumentation, particularly electrochemical methods in assessing captopril using various working electrodes. Conclusion: A large number of studies on voltammetry noted by means of various bare and modified electrodes. Among all of the published voltammetric methods, DPV, SWV, CV and miscellaneous modes were trendy techniques used to analyze captopril in pharmaceutical formulations as well as biological samples. Electrodes modified with nanomaterials are promising sensing tools as this showed high sensitivity, good accuracy with precision as well as selectivity. In comparison to chromatographic methods, the main advantages of electrochemical methods are its cheaper instrumentation, lower detection limit and minimal or no sample preparation.

The present study describes a simple and facile precipitation polymerization technique. For the synthesis of Cd2+ion-imprinted polymer for the selective detoxification of toxic Cd2+ ions from the aqueous samples. The resultant Cd2+-imprinted polymer was characterized by the EDX, SEM, and FTIR. Different parameters were optimized during the adsorption study to achieve the maximum adsorption capability i.e. pH, equilibrium time, temperature shaking speed, and adsorbent dose. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cd2+ion-imprinted polymer was 62.9 mg. g−1 at pH 6. The kinetic study was best defined by pseudo-second-order, while the Langmuir isotherm model well fitted to present data. Good linearity was achieved in (10–100 μg. L−1) concentration range with LOD 0.88 μg. L−1 and LOQ 2.95 μg. L−1. The relative selective factor (K’) of Cd2+-ion and interfering ions was greater than 1 due to the imprinting effect. The developed method was validated by the spiking addition method and obtained good results in accordance with spiking values in real samples. The synthesized ion-imprinted polymer shown higher adsorption capacity than previously reported methods for the selective removal of Cd2+-ions from aqueous samples.

The influence of refining processes on the physicochemical properties including fatty acid composition of cottonseed oil (CSO) was studied. Physicochemical properties were determined by standard AOCS and IUPAC methods. The obtained results of physical parameters showed that neutralization, bleaching and deodorization processes on crude CSO significantly reduced the moisture content, color, freezing point and smoke point, while slightly decrease in refractive index was observed. Similarly, in the case of chemical properties free fatty acids, saponification value and peroxide value were reduced from 1.7 to 0.15%, 175 to 173 mg KOH/g oil and 3.4 to 1.2 mEq O2/Kg oil, respectively. Refining processes did not showed significant effect on the fatty acid composition and iodine value. As, soap contents generated in the chemical neutralization step, therefore soap content were decreased from 61.0 to 15.5 ppm in bleaching and deodorization steps. Moreover, this work suggests that overall deodorization process has greater impact on physicochemical properties to improve the quality and stability of cottonseed oil.

Herein, we describe the fabrication of green bell pepper, Capsicum annuum L. extract capped gold nanoparticles (CA-AuNPs) in aqueous medium using tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl4·3H2O) as precursor salt and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution as accelerator as well as pH adjuster. Formation of CA-AuNPs was verified via colour change from yellowish to ruby red with further confirmation through surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 519 nm using ultraviolet violet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. Other characterizations techniques include, Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) with Zeta-potential analysis (ZPA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The resulting AuNPs were efficaciously implemented as highly sensitive colorimetric sensor for selective detection of Fe2+ in the presence of several interfering cations including Fe3+. Importantly, the fabricated CA-AuNPs based colorimetric sensor functioned linearly in the range of 0.3–7.0 ppb Fe2+, based on increasing absorption intensity with R2 value of 0.9938 using UV–Vis spectrometry. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for Fe2+ were estimated as 0.036 and 0.12 ppb, respectively. Finally, the sensor was effectively tested for determination of Fe2+ in some locally collected real water samples.

The aim of this study was to quantify free fatty acid in cottonseed oil (Gossypium) variety by a chemometric approach using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Calibration standards were prepared by gravimetrical mixing of oleic acid (0.1–40 g/100 g) in neutralized cottonseed oil containing

Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from the fruit ofOlea europaea, a plant belonging to theOleaceaefamily, which is widely cultivated and diffused in the Mediterranean area. It is largely produced and used since antiquity. It is mainly used and consumed as food but also as key ingredient in a wide variety of cosmetic products, e.g., to moisturize and nourish dry skin. In the last few decades, olive oil has received much attention as compared to the other seed-obtained oils as well as to the animal fats due to many functional compounds with positive effects on health. To maintain the genuine picture of olive oil, it is essential to assure its authenticity and quality. The presence of bioactive compounds, which characterize the olive oil owing to their antioxidant properties, can be assessed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Currently, spectroscopic techniques combined with chemometric data analysis represent one of the most promising detection methods in the food sector. They offer rapid, versatile, and inexpensive data collection and analyses. The main advantages include the limited and simple sample preparation and the possibility to get spectra directly from the production line. Infrared spectroscopy (mid- and near-infrared) coupled to chemometrics is considered as powerful, fast, accurate, and nondestructive analytical tool for rapid and precise determination of the bioactive compounds content, as well of their bioactivities, i.e., antioxidant properties. These techniques represent a valid alternative to the existing conventional methods of analysis, e.g., based on chromatography and mass spectrometry. Indeed, the present review focuses on the application of infrared spectroscopy for functional compounds evaluation in olive oil.

Picric acid (PA) is an explosive material often used in explosive tools, destructive weapons and nuclear technology. In this work we demonstrate a simple, novel and efficient wet chemical protocol for fabricating copper nanoparticles using cefuroxime drug as a protecting agent. Cefuroxime functionalized copper nanoparticles (Cefu-CuNPs) were initially confirmed and characterized via UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Surface interaction between cefuroxime and copper nanoparticles was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy while their shapes and size were observed via Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) where an average size of 30.3 ± 2 nm was recorded. As-synthesized Cefu-CuNPs were used as a colorimetric sensor for detection of picric acid. Cefu-CuNPs demonstrated highly sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of picric acid in the linear range of 1.0–20 μM based on increase in intensity with an R2 value of 0.995 determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy measurements. The resulting sensor is highly economical, simple compared to other sensors and sensitive to detect picric acid with a detection limit as low as 38 nM. The sensor can be successfully employed for picric acid detection in real water samples.

This study developed a green, reliable, rapid and economical analytical method for the determination of neutral oil present in deodorizer distillates (DD) by Single Bounce Attenuated Total Reflectance (SB-ATR) Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Beer's Law was applied to develop calibration model based on the band height at 1744 cm−1 with two point baseline between 1800 to 1600 cm−1 of the carbonyl group (CO) related to triglycerides. It was found to be linear over wide concentration range of 0–100% for neutral oil with correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. No solvent or costly standards were used in the proposed method. The accuracy of the method was assessed by comparison to a conventional standard American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) titrimetric procedure, which provided good correlation (>0.999). Therefore, proposed method could be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to the AOCS titrimetric method for the quantitative determination of neutral oil in Palm Fatty Acid Distillates (PFAD) for the routine analysis in quality control laboratories of oil processing industries.

The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of malachite green (MG) in fish feed using LC-ESI-MS/MS with a monolithic column as stationary phase. Fish feed was cleaned using ultrasonic assisted liquid-liquid extraction. The separation was achieved on a Chromolith® Performance RP-18e column (100 × 4.6 mm) using gradient mobile phase composition of methanol and 0.1% formic acid at the flow rate of 1.0 ml min⁻¹. The analyte was ionised using electrospray ionisation in positive mode. Mass spectral transitions were recorded in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode at m/z 329.78 → m/z 314.75 with a collision energy (CE) of 52% for MG. The system suitability responses were calculated for reproducibility tests of the retention time, number of theoretical plates and capacity factor. System validation was evaluated for precision, specificity and linearity of MG. The linearity and calibration graph was plotted in the range of 15.0-250 ng ml⁻¹ with the regression coefficient of0.997. The lower limits of detection and quantification for MG were 0.55 and 1.44 ng ml⁻¹, respectively, allowing easy determination in fish feed with accuracy evaluated as a percentage recovery of 92.1% and precision determined as % CV of5. The method was also extended to the determination of MG in an actual fish feed. The sensitivity and selectivity of LC-ESI-MS/MS using monolithic column offers a valuable alternative to the methodologies currently employed for the quantification of MG in fish feeds.

Free fatty acids (FFA) are produced by the hydrolysis of oils and fats. The level of FFA depends on time, temperature and moisture content because the oils and fats are exposed to various environments such as storage, processing, heating or frying. Since FFA are less stable than neutral oil, they are more prone to oxidation and to turning rancid. Thus, FFA is a key feature linked with the quality and commercial value of oils and fats. The American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS), the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and the European Commission (EC) Regulations have established almost identical standard methods for the assessment of FFA. These methods are based on titration, where oils or fats need to be dissolved in hot neutralized ethanol or ethanol/diethyl ether using phenolphthalein as an end point indicator. Titrimetric procedures are, however, laborious and need large amounts of chemicals and solvents. The cost of chemicals and environmental issues further limit these procedures. In addition, accurate detection of end points, especially for highly colored crude oil using a colorimetric indicator, is a difficult task. Despite these disadvantages, the titration method is unfortunately still being used in most of the edible-oil industries for the determination of FFA. Because of a lack of any comprehensive review on this very important topic, we have made an attempt to present a review in order to discuss the various methods available with special emphasis on the instrumental methods because of their high sensitivity, accuracy and rapidity.

A quick and reliable analytical method for the quantitative assessment of cefixime in orally administered pharmaceutical formulations is developed by using diamond cell attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy as an easy procedure for quality control laboratories. The standards for calibration were prepared in aqueous medium ranging from 350 to 6000 mg/kg. The calibration model was developed based on partial least square (PLS) using finger print region of FT-IR spectrum in the range from 1485 to 887 cm−1. Excellent coefficient of determination (R2) was achieved as high as 0.99976 with root mean square error of 44.8 for calibration. The application of diamond cell (smart accessory) ATR FT-IR proves a reliable determination of cefixime in pharmaceutical formulations to assess the quality of the final product.

A simple and rapid method was developed for the determination of erucic acid in rapeseed oil by single bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The various ratios prepared from the three different types of oils (rapeseed, canola, and sunflower) were run on gas chromatograph to identify amount of erucic acid. Therefore, a wide range of erucic acid (0.5‐ 53.0%) was obtained for the calibration. The partial least squares (PLS) calibration was used for predicting erucic acid using spectral region at 2983‐657/cm. The root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), and root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) were also determined to assess the accuracy of the method. The regression coefficient (R 2 ) was obtained 0.999 with least errors of RMSEC (0.12%), RMSECV (1.96%), and RMSEP (1.38%). The accuracy of the FTIR method was evaluated by analyzing canola and rapeseed oil samples by GC-MS and the results of both the techniques were found to be comparable. Practical applications: Generally, GC is used for determination of erucic acid in vegetable oils. But it needs the very laborious process of derivatization of fatty acids into their respective volatile methyl esters. Furthermore, lot of health hazardous chemicals and reagents are involved in the process of derivatization which are potential source for environmental pollution. Generally, FTIR spectroscopy has been recognized as a very simple, rapid, and cost effective technique. During the last decade, several researchers have used multivariate regression to build up calibration models based on FTIR data. The use of multivariate calibration methods is able to provide, estimates of the precision of the analysis, and yields important qualitative, quantitative, and analytical information. The objective of the present study was to develop a simple methodology for the quantitative analysis of low and high levels of erucic acid in canola and rapeseed oil, respectively by SB-ATR FTIR spectroscopy with PLSs regression.

A simple, rapid, economical, and environmentally friendly analytical method was developed for the quantitative assessment of free fatty acids (FFAs) present in deodorizer distillates and crude oils by single bounce-attenuated total reflectance-FTIR spectroscopy. Partial least squares was applied for the calibration model based on the peak region of the carbonyl group (C=O) from 1726 to 1664 cm–1 associated with the FFAs. The proposed method totally avoided the use of organic solvents or costly standards and could be applied easily in the oil processing industry. The accuracy of the method was checked by comparison to a conventional standard American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) titrimetric procedure, which provided good correlation (R = 0.99980), with an SD of ±0.05%. Therefore, the proposed method could be used as an alternate to the AOCS titrimetric method for the quantitative determination of FFAs especially in deodorizer distillates.

A rapid, simple and reproducible single bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic method was developed for determination of the n − 6, n − 3 and ratio of n − 6: n − 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in poultry feed lipids using partial least squares (PLS) regression. Data for n − 6, n − 3 and ratio of n − 6: n − 3 was acquired by gas chromatography (GC) and used as a standard values for FTIR calibration. The best regression results were achieved using first derivatives of the 1475–650 cm −1 spectral region for n − 6, n − 3 and ratio of n − 6: n − 3 with high regression coefficients ( R 2 ) of 0.999, 0.994 and 0.998, respectively and low RMSEP values of 1, 0.06 and 0.83, respectively. The results of the present study revealed that FTIR could be used for rapid and accurate determination of n − 6, n − 3 and ratio of n − 6: n − 3 PUFAs present in poultry feed lipids.

A quick and reliable analytical method for the quantitative assessment of roxithromycin in pharmaceutical formulations was developed using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) transmission spectroscopy for routine quality control. The sample preparation was avoided except grinding for pellet formation and eliminated the use of toxic solvents. For the determination of roxithromycin, conventional KBr was used in the form of pellets for acquisition of the FT-IR spectra of standards and samples. The calibration model was developed based on simple Beer's law using the FT-IR carbonyl region (C O) from 1765 to 1705 cm −1 . The excellent coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) was achieved (0.9992) with 0.01 mg standard error of calibration. This work clearly revealed the capability of the transmission FT-IR spectroscopy and extended its application for determining the exact quantity of roxithromycin to control the processing formulation and quality of finished product with the analysis time of less than 3 min using the neat solid samples.

The purpose of this study was to determine the total trans fat content from the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of neat fats extracted from cereal-based foods using a single-bounce horizontal attenuated total reflectance (SB-HATR) sampling accessory. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was employed for the development of calibration models. A trans fat calibration curve was prepared by adding trielaidine gravimetrically to trans free canola oil. Regression of the FT-IR/PLS-predicted trans contents was 0.999 with a root-mean-square error of calibration (RMSEC) and root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) 0.07% and 0.07%, respectively. Amongst the samples examined, the fat content was in the range of 8.2–27.2%, whilst most samples contained more than 10% trans fat; the highest trans fat content was 16.3%. The FT-IR results were comparable with gas chromatography (GC).

The aim of present study was to develop a simple method on UV spectrometer for the determination of peroxide value (PV) of the frying oil. The basis of the PV determination was the stoichiometric reaction of triphenylphosphine (TPP) with the hydroperoxides present in frying oil to produce triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), which exhibits a readily measurable absorption band at 240 nm by ultraviolet region. The PV ranged between 0.15 and 11.66 meq. of active oxygen per kilogram of oil as the canola oil was heated from 0 to 12h in the fryer at 180 degrees C. The proposed method was correlated with official AOCS titration method and best correlation coefficient (R(2)=0.99525) was achieved, proving that there is no significant difference in the results. Therefore, developed method could serve as an alternative to the titration method, for the determination of PV in frying oils.

The amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in fourteen industrially hydrogenated and deodorized oils was determined. To achieve better sensitivity 200 μm KCl cell was used in transmission Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results of transmission FT-IR spectroscopy were evaluated by gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detector (FID), and found to be comparable. All analyzed cooking oil samples had a lower trans content of 0.4–1.8%. Trans fatty acid contents of partially hydrogenated oil samples were relatively higher as comparable to those of the cooking oils. Among the samples examined, the highest level was found to be at 26.5% and 25.7% by the GC–FID and FT-IR spectroscopy, respectively. Due to harmful effects, high amounts of trans fatty acids in partially hydrogenated oils is an alarming issue for the consumer’s health and quality control authorities.

Ten margarine brands of Pakistan were analyzed for their fatty acid composition with emphasis on trans fatty acids (TFA) using GC-MS. Saturated, cis-monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were present at 24.2-58.1, 5.7-35.4 and 3.8-37.4% of total fatty acids, respectively. Among the saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (16.9-33.8%) was dominant in all analyzed margarine brands and its higher amount indicates that palm oil was a major contributor in the margarine manufacturing. Among samples tested only one contained a low level of TFA (2.2%) while the rest contained very high amounts of TFA (11.5-34.8%) which clearly shows that hydrogenated oils were used in the formulation of margarines. Fatty acid profiles demonstrated that all samples belong to the hard margarine category containing high amounts of trans and saturated fatty acids which is an alarming issue for the health of consumers.

A rapid method has been developed to extract and quantitatively measure the total oil content in poultry feeds using a domestic microwave oven. The optimized extraction procedure involves the replicate (6×) extraction of 5 g of ground feed with 12 ml of hexane for 20 s in a 900 W oven. Each replicate involves the collection of the resulting miscella and its replacement with fresh solvent for re-extraction. The collected extracts were centrifuged and transferred to a vial. The solvent was evaporated to a constant weight and the residual lipid weighed. In comparison to conventional Soxhlet extraction method, lipid contents obtained using the optimized microwave procedure was not significantly different. However, FTIR analysis indicated that the microwave procedure was superior in minimizing the formation of free fatty acids (FFA) relative to the Soxhlet procedure if the temperature of the sample was kept within the range of 45–50 °C. This simple, sequential extraction procedure is rapid, highly efficient and provides a simple mean of quantitating the lipid content of poultry feed in less than 40 min without the need for specialized microwave oven.

A very fast, economical and simpler direct spectrophotometric method was investigated for paracetamol (PC) determination in aqueous medium without using any chemical reagents. The method is based on the photo-absorption of the analyte at 243 nm after dissolution in water. The change in structure of PC after addition of water was studied by comparing the corresponding FTIR spectra. Optimization studies were conducted by using a 5 microg ml(-1) standard solution of the analyte. Various parameters studied include, time for stability and measurement of spectra, effect of HCl, NaOH, CH(3)COOH and NH(3) for change in absorbance and shift in spectra, interference by some analgesic drugs and some polar solvents and temperature effect. After optimization, Beer's law was obeyed in the range of 0.3-20 microg ml(-1) PC solution with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 and detection limit of 0.1 microg ml(-1). The newly developed method was successfully applied for PC determination in some locally available tablets and urine samples. The proposed method is very useful for quick analysis of various types of solid and liquid samples containing PC.

A simple, rapid, and reproducible method has been developed for the quantitative determination of free fatty acid (FFA) content in lipids extracted from poultry feeds by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with the use of a single-bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR) accessory. An FTIR calibration curve was prepared by gravimetrically adding oleic acid (15-37%) to pure refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) canola oil and measuring the area of the COOH absorption band at 1710 cm-1. The oil from each of 12 poultry feed formulations was extracted using conventional Soxhlet extraction, and after evaporation of the solvent, the FFA content was determined by the conventional AOCS titrimetric procedure and by the SB-ATR/FTIR method. The SB-ATR/FTIR FFA predictions were related to those determined by the AOCS titrimetric method by linear regression, producing an R value of 0.999 and a SD of +/-0.28% FFA. Time-course spectra collected as lipids extracted into hexane indicated that a 15 min extraction was adequate to obtain a representative sample for FFA determination, with further extraction resulting in little, if any, change in the proportion of FFA in the lipid extract. Only a small volume of the hexane extract ( approximately 20 mL) yielded sufficient material for the SB-ATR/FTIR analysis. Thus, by shortening the extraction time and taking a small sample so as to reduce solvent removal time, the SB-ATR/FTIR procedure provides a very simple and rapid means of determining the FFA content of poultry feed lipids.

Transmission Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic method using 100 μm KCl cell was applied for the determination of total polar compounds (TPC), carbonyl value (CV), conjugated diene (CD) and conjugated triene (CT) in canola oil (CLO) during potato chips frying at 180 °C. The calibration models were developed for TPC, CV, CD and CT using partial least square (PLS) chemometric technique. Excellent regression coefficients (R(2)) and root mean square error of prediction values for TPC, CV, CD and CT were found to be 0.999, 0.992, 0.998 and 0.999 and 0.809, 0.690, 1.26 and 0.735, respectively. The developed calibration models were applied on samples of canola oil drawn during potato chips frying process. A linear relationship was obtained between CD and TPC with a good correlation of coefficient (R(2)=0.9816). Results of the study clearly indicated that transmission FTIR-PLS method could be used for quick and precise evaluation of oxidative changes during the frying process without using any organic solvent.

A transmission FTIR spectroscopic method was developed for direct, inexpensive and fast quantification of paracetamol content in solid pharmaceutical formulations. In this method paracetamol content is directly analyzed without solvent extraction. KBr pellets were formulated for the acquisition of FTIR spectra in transmission mode. Two chemometric models: simple Beer's law and partial least squares employed over the spectral region of 1800-1000 cm(-1) for quantification of paracetamol content had a regression coefficient of (R(2)) of 0.999. The limits of detection and quantification using FTIR spectroscopy were 0.005 mg g(-(1) and 0.018 mg g(-1), respectively. Study for interference was also done to check effect of the excipients. There was no significant interference from the sample matrix. The results obviously showed the sensitivity of transmission FTIR spectroscopic method for pharmaceutical analysis. This method is green in the sense that it does not require large volumes of hazardous solvents or long run times and avoids prior sample preparation.

Free fatty acids (FFA) inNigella sativa(N. sativa) commercial and seed oil were determined using single-bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Gravimetrical mixing was done by adding 0.1–40% oleic acids in neutralizedN. sativaoil containing 0.1% FFA. FTIR spectroscopy technique and partial least square (PLS) calibration were used to detect the absorption region of carbonyl (C=O) which is in the range of 1690–1727 cm−1. The results of PLS calibration model and root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) are 0.999 and 0.449, respectively. Comparing the FFA obtained inN. sativaoil by using FTIR with the FFA obtained using AOCS titrimetric method shows a positive correlation and confirms that the described method is a useful procedure.

A rapid, reliable and cost effective analytical procedure for the estimation of ibuprofen in pharmaceutical formulations and human urine samples was developed using transmission Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. For the determination of ibuprofen, a KBr window with 500 μm spacer was used to acquire the FT-IR spectra of standards, pharmaceuticals as well as urine samples. Partial least square (PLS) calibration model was developed based on region from 1807 to 1,461 cm(-1) using ibuprofen standards ranging from 10 to 100 μg ml(-1). The developed model was evaluated by cross-validation to determine standard error of the models such as root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP). The coefficient of determination (R(2)) achieved was 0.998 with minimum errors in RMSEC, RMSECV and RMSEP with the value of 1.89%, 1.63% and 4.07%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to urine and pharmaceutical samples and obtained good recovery (98-102%).

The prospect of using single bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR)-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a rapid quantitative tool to determine the main fatty acid groups present in different edible oils was investigated. Partial least squares (PLS) calibrations were developed using SB-ATR-FTIR spectra which were associated with fatty acid groups (saturated, trans, mono- and polyunsaturated) using quantitative data obtained by gas chromatography (GC). Good calibrations were obtained for all main four fat groups (saturated, mono, trans and polyunsaturated) with excellent precision. The coefficient of determination (R(2)), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and bias for validation set were obtained as 0.999, 2.43 and 0.998 for saturated; 0.999, 1.850 and 0.003 for mono; 0.999, 0.625 and -0.001 for trans while for poly the values were 0.999, 1.170 and 0.003, respectively. The results of 13 validation samples for total saturated, mono, trans and polyunsaturated fats by FI-IR were found in the range of 8.16-55.16, 37.62-74.75, 0.20-18.16 and 1.36-62.35%, respectively. The present study shows that it may well be possible to expand the utility of SB-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy not only to provide isolated trans data, but also serve as a simple, rapid and quantitative means of categorizing the main groups present in the edible oils. The information obtained would be useful for meeting the new lipid nutritional labeling requirements.

Since there is limited knowledge about trans fat levels in snack foods available in Pakistan. This study aimed to determine trans fat content in fried vermicelli (a common snack food). It is prepared in partially hydrogenated oil (ghee), which is the main cause of trans fat formation. Twenty-one fried vermicelli samples were collected from different local shops of Hyderabad, Pakistan and subjected to oil extraction by using Soxhlet method. Partial least square regression model was developed to quantify trans fats in fried vermicelli using FTIR spectroscopy. Total oil content in fried vermicelli ranged between 17.28- 32.99%. FTIR results revealed that fried vermicelli showed trans fats in between 7.3-20.9% in extracted oil, whereas total trans fat in food was ranged at 1.3-5.9%. The FTIR data of trans fat was compared with GC-MS data and found comparable results (pandgt;0.05). Presence of high trans fat in fried vermicelli is an alarming issue for the health of consumers.