Analysis of Cyanogenic Compounds Derived from Mandelonitrile by Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in Rosaceae and Sambucus Families

Abstract

An analytical method for extraction and quantitative determination of amygdalin, prunasin, and sambunigrin in plant material is described. The method is based on extraction with high-power ultrasound (UAE), with acidified water as solvent and quantification by HPLC–DAD. The best extraction conditions were: 80% sonication amplitude, 55 s extraction time, 70% duty cycle, 0.1 g sample mass, and 10 mL acidified water (0.1% perchloric acid). Once developed, the method was validated in terms of accuracy and precision. Good linearity was obtained, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.999 and the quantification limits ranged from 2.2 μg/g (amygdalin) to 9.6 μg/g (sambunigrin). The accuracy (recovery study) ranged between 90 and 104% and the reproducibility of the method was always Prunus genera, apple seeds, apple pomace, and different plant materials of Sambucus nigra.

Keywords

• cyanogenic compounds
• mandelonitrile
• amygdalin
• prunasin
• sambunigrin
• HPLC-DAD