Supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for the analysis of biological and food samples

My research work, during my Ph.D. course, was mainly focused on the development of analytical methods based on the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) for the analysis of food and biological samples. In particular, the techniques used were: supercritical fluid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (SFC-MS) and supercritical fluid extraction online supercritical fluid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (SFE-SFC-MS). Specifically, the use CO2 under supercritical condition, has allowed the development of green analytical methods, in which the use of organic solvents, both for extraction and separation processes, is drastically reduced. The on-line SFE-SFC-MS system, has allowed the development of advanced extractive and separative methods potentially applicable in fields clinical, health and food fraud. Furthermore, the use of a mass spectrometer as a detector allowed to obtain detailed and precise information on the composition of the matrices analyzed for some classes of molecules with fundamental biological activities. The on-line SFE-SFC-MS it was used for the extraction and detection of carotenoids and it oxidative-cleavage derivates apo-carotenoids determination in food and biological samples. Moreover, the SFC-MS system was also employed for a detailed elucidation on limonoids in cold-pressed Citrus essential oils.