Development of a fast MECK method for determination of 5-HMF in honey samples

In this study, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) determination was carried out by a micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) methodology, using caffeine as the internal standard (IS). The optimisation of the electrolyte composition was approached using a 32 full factorial design with a central point to study the MEKC electrolyte components. Inspection of the response surface indicated that the optimal electrolyte composition was 5 mmol L-1 sodium tetraborate (STB, pH 9.3) containing 120 mmol L-1 sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Under optimal CE conditions, separation of the investigated substance was achieved in less than 0.7 min. Quality parameters, such as linearity (R-2 > 0.99), precision (RSD < 5.41%), detection and quantification limits (3.37 and 11.24 mg kg(-1) for honey samples) and recovery (96.37-99.56%). The proposed methodology was successfully applied to the analysis of 5-HMF in honey samples. The analytical performance of this method makes it suitable for implementation in food laboratories for the routine determination of 5-HMF in honey samples. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.