A fast and efficient method for the study of caffeine levels in energy drinks using micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC)

Food Science and Technology (Campinas)

Cristiano Augusto Ballus²  Adriana Dillenburg Meinhart²  Carolina Schaper Bizzotto²  José Teixeira Filho¹  Helena Teixeira Godoy² 

[1] ,University of Campinas Faculty of Food Engineering Department of Food ScienceCampinas SP ,Brazil

关键词: caffeine;    energy drinks;    micellar electrokinetic chromatography;    cafeína;    bebidas energéticas;    cromatografia eletrocinética micelar;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0101-20612012005000042

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Energy drinks are becoming popular in Brazil and in the world due to their stimulant properties. Caffeine is present in energy drinks with the aim of stimulating the central nervous system and intensifying brain activity. On the other hand, the ingestion of high doses of caffeine can cause undesirable symptoms such as anxiety and tachycardia. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the caffeine content added to energy drinks to guarantee that the levels in the final product are in accordance with the labeling and within the legislation limits. The goal of this work was to validate a fast, efficient, and low-cost method for the determination of caffeine in energy drinks by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). A total of seven brands were analyzed, each in three lots. The electrolyte was prepared with 50 mmol.L-1 of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 10 mmol.L-1 of sodium carbonate (pH 11.0). The mean concentration of caffeine ranged from 122.8 to 318.6 mg.L-1. None of the brands had caffeine levels above the maximum limit. Considering the interval of confidence (95%), 72% of the samples had less caffeine than the amount informed on the product label.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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