A disposable paper-based sample clean-up slides for the sensitive determination of trace diethylstilbestrol residues in aquatic products.

In this study, a rapid clean-up approach to the microextraction of aquatic food samples based on disposable thin-layer chromatography (dTLC) was developed. First, slides with uniform brushed Gelatin 60 as the stationary phase on paper coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were designed and fabricated successfully. Diethylstilbestrol (DES, mixture of cis- and trans-isomers), which was selected as a typical trace residue of an illegal additive in aquatic products, can be perfectly separated on the paper-based slide by designed solvent development. Under the optimum conditions, the trace amounts of DES in aquatic products can be detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC–MS) without obvious interferences from sample matrix. The analytical linearity of DES ranged from 1.0 μg kg−1 to 0.20 mg kg−1, with a detection limit of 0.20 μg kg−1. The present work demonstrated the reliability and applicability of dTLC slides as a preconcentration and clean-up method for the analysis of trace contaminants in food stuff with complex matrix. • A novel clean-up strategy based on paper-based thin layer chromatography • Successful application of paper-base TLC slides as sample pretreatment materials • Sensitive analysis of trace diethylstilbestrol (DES) residues in aquatic products • This method shows easy operation, cost-saved, rapid and environment friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]