Analysis of synthetic phenolic antioxidants in edible oils by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

Abstract Synthetic antioxidants most used in oil-based food to avoid oxidation processes, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytolueno (BHT), and dodecyl gallate (DG), were analyzed in edible oils using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECK) with bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate as the pseudostationary phase. Studies involving solid-phase and liquid–liquid extraction were performed to find the best sample treatment before injection into the electrophoretic system. The best methodology for the isolation of antioxidants was extraction with acetonitrile from edible oil diluted with hexane. A method that allows the determination of the antioxidants present in these samples was proposed. With this method BHA, BHT and DG were evaluated at levels permitted in the European Union.