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A completely new voltammetric method has been developed for quantitative determination of food additive Taurine (Tau) in energy drinks. This electroanalytical method is based on voltammetric oxidation of o-phthalaldehyde-ethanthiol derivative of Tau at glassy carbon electrode in 95% methanol containing 0.1 mol L -1 lithium perchlorate. Working conditions necessary for quantitative Tau derivatization reaction and electrochemical detection using square wave voltammetry were optimized. Linear range from 1.0 × 10 -5 to 1.0 × 10 -4  mol L -1 characterized by coefficient of determination 0.9998, limits of quantification 6.8 × 10 -6  mol L -1 and detection 2.1 × 10 -6  mol L -1 were obtained at pulse amplitude 50 mV and frequency 80 Hz. Analytical method of calibration curve was used for evaluation of Tau content in several commercially available energy drinks. The procedure was validated using standard reference high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Both methods showed nearly identical Tau content, around 0.35% (w/w). Besides its reliability to the Tau determination, that is totally comparable to reference method used, present voltammetric approach is more advantageous on the economic and simplicity basis. Finally, developed voltammetric method could find employment in food quality control., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A new voltammetric method for simultaneous determination of caffeine and pyridoxine present in different types of commercial energy drinks has been developed. This electroanalytical method is based on anodic oxidation of these biologically active nitrogen‐containing heterocycles at glassy carbon electrode covered with thin layer of sulfonated fluoropolymer Nafion® using differential pulse voltammetry in 0.1 M Britton‐Robinson buffer of pH 4.5 at potential step 5 mV, potential amplitude 70 mV, and scan rate 50 mV/s. Linear ranges for caffeine and pyridoxine determination were 63.1–600 μM and 7.5–200 μM with the detection limits of 18.9 and 2.2 μM, respectively. It was validated using high‐performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric detection. Obtained results have shown that voltammetric approach is very simple and low‐cost analytical method which can be used for routine determination of caffeine and pyridoxine in energy drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]