Two OPEEs (organic phase enzyme electrodes) used to check the percentage water content in hydrophobic foods and drugs

The development and optimization of an analytical method using enzymatic biosensors able to operate in organic solvents [organic phase enzyme electrodes (OPEEs)] for the determination of the water content in food fats (butter, margarine) or pharmaceutical or cosmetic ointments is described. The method is based on the increase in enzymatic activity which is related to the increase in the percentage water content in the organic phase into which the biosensor is dipped. The enzymes used to assemble the biosensors were tyrosinase or catalase, the substrates were phenol or p-cresol and tert-butyl hydroperoxide, respectively, and the organic solvents were acetonitrile or dioxane. A gas diffusion amperometric electrode for oxygen measurement was used as electrochemical transducer. The results were compared with those obtained applying the Karl Fischer method to the same food or drug matrices. The correlations among the two methods proved satisfactory, as the difference in the computed values of water content was never higher than 7%. Also, the precision of measurements was acceptable (RSD < 6%) in all the analyses of real matrices.