Determination of patulin in apple juice samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography and method optimization using response surface methodology

Patulin was classified as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1970. Owing to its toxicity، the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has established a provisional maximum tolerable daily intake for patulin in apple juice of 0. 4 µg kg−1 body weight per day. The present study examined efficient methods for the determination of the amount of patulin in different brands of apple juice purchased in different districts of the city of Arak. Optimization of effective parameters for extraction of patulin was carried out using response surface methodology based on a central composite design that included 30 treatments at 5 levels for 4 factors with 6 replicates for the center point. The proposed method was validated using figures of merit. The amount of patulin was determined by the proposed IL-DLLME-HPLC method in apple juice samples available at different supermarkets in Arak. Optimum amounts for effective parameters were determined using the proposed method. The figures of merit for the proposed method were comparable to or better than other methods. The performance of the proposed method was well-demonstrated by analysis of real samples. The results of the present study demonstrated that IL-DLLME-HPLC is a powerful method for monitoring the presence of patulin، even at very low concentrations، in apple juice samples.