# Highly Efficient Enrichment of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Meat Products Using the Magnetic Metal—Organic Framework Fe3O4@MOF-545-AMSA

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to efficiently detect harmful chemicals in meat using a magnetic material and advanced testing techniques.

## Contribution

A novel magnetic solid-phase extraction method using Fe3O4@MOF-545-AMSA for efficient HAA detection in meat products.

## Key findings

- The method achieved high recovery rates (83.7–111.0%) for three HAAs in processed meats.
- Detection limits were as low as 0.1–1.0 μg/kg with good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9917).
- An automated high-throughput system was developed for HAA analysis.

## Abstract

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), known for their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, are formed during the heating of protein-rich food items. Detecting HAAs swiftly and accurately poses challenges due to complex food matrices and low HAA concentrations. In this study, a simple and efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) strategy was developed for the simultaneous isolation and enrichment of three HAAs such as 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) in processed meats, employing the magnetic covalent organic framework Fe3O4@MOF-545-AMSA as an adsorbent. It was synthesized via a solvothermal method, with Fe3O4 as the magnetic core. Its building blocks are as follows: zirconium (Zr) as the coordination metal ion, tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin and benzoic acid as organic ligands, and aminomethanesulfonic acid (AMSA). This composite captures targeted HAAs efficiently by exploiting the unique porous MOF-545-AMSA structure, specific metal–ligand coordination, and AMSA’s amino and sulfonic acid groups. The quantification of HAAs was achieved through the combination of Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and MSPE, demonstrating satisfactory linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9917), high recovery rates (83.7–111.0%), and low detection limits (0.1–1.0 μg/kg). Moreover, an automated high-throughput detection system was developed using MSPE to assess the presence of HAAs in meat products.