Green microsaponification-based method for gas chromatography determination of sterol and squalene in cyanobacterial biomass

Sterol analysis of complex matrices can be very laborious. To minimize the existing drawbacks, a new micro-method of sterols and squalene determination in cyanobacteria was developed and applied to monitor their production of Phormidium autumnale cultured heterotrophically. Sample extraction/saponification and GC analysis of the target compounds were optimized separately using Plackett-Burman design (PB) followed by a central composite rotational design (CCRD). The most influential variables were identified to maximize compound recovery. Chloroform presented the highest capability to extract all target compounds with a horizontal shaker table (HST) for homogenization in the saponification step. For the pretreatment, a small amount of chloroform was used for 90 min at 50 °C and 6 min for the saponification time. The sample introduction in the GC injector was studied by evaluating pressure and injector temperature. High response for sterols and squalene were obtained between 19 and 23 psi and at 310 °C of injection temperature. The new method was able to determine different sterol concentrations: 0.2–0.6 mg kg−1 of squalene, 5–18 mg kg−1 of stigmasterol, 6 mg kg−1 of cholesterol, and 3 mg kg−1 of β-sitosterol, showing high analytical performance and fulfilling all steps, thus proving to be a promising technique.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bittencourt Fagundes, Mariane, Álvarez-Rivera, Gerardo, Guidetti Vendruscolo, Raquel, Voss, Mônica, Arrojo da Silva, Patricia, Smanioto Barin, Juliano, Jacob-Lopes, Eduardo, Queiroz Zepka, Leila, Wagner, Roger
Other Authors: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil)
Format: artículo biblioteca
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/250654
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003593
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002322
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003545
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100006366
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