Premium
Detection of microbial contamination of packaging for foodstuffs by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method
Author(s) -
Mielniczuk Zbigniew,
Pogorzelska Zofia
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
packaging technology and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1099-1522
pISSN - 0894-3214
DOI - 10.1002/pts.566
Subject(s) - silylation , chemistry , gas chromatography , chromatography , contamination , mass spectrometry , gas chromatography–mass spectrometry , aqueous solution , reagent , muramic acid , peptidoglycan , organic chemistry , enzyme , catalysis , ecology , biology
Abstract Detection of microbial contamination of packaging for foodstuffs and of the environment, using a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method, is described. Quantitative determination of muramic acid, a chemical marker of bacterial peptidoglycan, has been used for this purpose. Samples of dust collected from packaging material (plastic film in the store‐room), intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, and dust from a laboratory environment were hydrolysed in aqueous hydrochloric acid and next extracted with hexane to remove hydrophobic compounds. The aqueous phase was evaporated, heated in silylation reagent to trimethylsilyl derivatives and analysed by GC–MS. Internal standard (3‐hydroxytridecanoic methyl ester) was added before silylation procedure for quantification purposes. The method described is quick and simple, can be applied to study chemical markers directly without prior culturing, in complex environmental samples (not only of packaging), and should therefore become widely used for measuring bacterial peptidoglycan. The method can be used for the detection of microbial infection in humans, hospitals, infusing fluids, contamination of biochemical and fermentation processes, and for monitoring of air, water, air‐conditioning systems, etc. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.