Magnetic particle-assisted solid–liquid separation: a rapid and centrifugation-free strategy for the analysis of plant-derived powders and viscous extracts
4 affiliations
- 1Key Laboratory of Tobacco Flavor and Fragrance Basic Research of CNTC, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute, Zhengzhou, China
- 2Technology Center, China Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co., Ltd, Kunming, China
- 3Yunnan Daguan Laboratory, Kunming, China
- 4State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Abstract
Plant-derived powders and viscous extracts used in spices, herbal medicines, and foods typically require organic solvent extraction prior to chromatographic analysis, while centrifugation increases operational complexity. Herein, a magnetic particle-assisted solid–liquid separation (MPAS) strategy based on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is proposed for rapid, centrifugation-free pretreatment of plant samples. Efficient clarification was achieved using ~50 nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles at sample-to-particle mass ratios of 1:15 for powdered samples and 1:5 for viscous extracts, combined with 10 min ultrasonication. The resulting extract compositions were highly consistent with those obtained by conventional centrifugation in both GC–MS and LC–MS analyses, confirming the analytical reliability of MPAS. The method was further applied to monitor drying and heat-treatment processes of herbal medicines and spice powders, enabling dynamic profiling of active constituents and flavor compounds. Overall, MPAS offers a simple and effective centrifugation-free solution for the analysis and quality control of complex plant-derived products.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026magnetic,
title = {{Magnetic particle-assisted solid–liquid separation: a rapid and centrifugation-free strategy for the analysis of plant-derived powders and viscous extracts}},
author = {Dingzhong Wang and Deshou Mao and Yuyang Wang and Bingbiao Cai and Yingjie Fu and Zhiyu Li and Wenjuan Zhang and Weichen Zhang and Hui Xi and Di Chen},
journal = {NPJ Science of Food},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41538-026-00980-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00980-8},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Magnetic particle-assisted solid–liquid separation: a rapid and centrifugation-free strategy for the analysis of plant-derived powders and viscous extracts
AU - Dingzhong Wang
AU - Deshou Mao
AU - Yuyang Wang
AU - Bingbiao Cai
AU - Yingjie Fu
AU - Zhiyu Li
AU - Wenjuan Zhang
AU - Weichen Zhang
AU - Hui Xi
AU - Di Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/10
JO - NPJ Science of Food
DO - 10.1038/s41538-026-00980-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00980-8
AB - Plant-derived powders and viscous extracts used in spices, herbal medicines, and foods typically require organic solvent extraction prior to chromatographic analysis, while centrifugation increases operational complexity. Herein, a magnetic particle-assisted solid–liquid separation (MPAS) strategy based on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is proposed for rapid, centrifugation-free pretreatment of plant samples. Efficient clarification was achieved using ~50 nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles at sample-to-particle mass ratios of 1:15 for powdered samples and 1:5 for viscous extracts, combined with 10 min ultrasonication. The resulting extract compositions were highly consistent with those obtained by conventional centrifugation in both GC–MS and LC–MS analyses, confirming the analytical reliability of MPAS. The method was further applied to monitor drying and heat-treatment processes of herbal medicines and spice powders, enabling dynamic profiling of active constituents and flavor compounds. Overall, MPAS offers a simple and effective centrifugation-free solution for the analysis and quality control of complex plant-derived products.
SN - 2396-8370
ER -