Determination of Aspartame in Foods by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Fluorescence Detector

Abstract

A sensitive method for the determination of aspartame (APM) in foods by high performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector is described.
APM was extracted from a food sample with water. The extract was passed through a C₈ column (LiChroprep RP-8, 40-63μm, 1g). The column was washed with 0.05M acetate buffer solution (pH 6.0), then APM was eluted with a mixture of acetonitrile-0.05M acetate buffer solution (3:7). APM in the eluate was derivatized with fluorescamine and injected onto a LiChrosorb RP-8 column; a mixture of acetonitrile-0.05M acetate buffer solution (pH 6.0) (22:78) was used as a mobile phase.
The recoveries of APM added to foods were more than 92%. The detection limits of APM in liquid food and solid food were 2ppm and 4ppm, respectively.