Analysis of coumarin in food and plant tissue without extraction based on voltammetry of microparticles

The detection of coumarins in real samples often requires a complex extraction process, which makes the analytical technique unable to meet the actual detection needs. In this work, we proposed a novel analytical technique based on the electrochemical reduction behavior of coumarins. This technique does not require complex pretreatment of the real sample, such as extraction and filtration. The sample particles were directly immobilized on the surface of the electrode after co-mixing with graphene. After a simple pre-reduction process, the amount of coumarin in the real sample can be evaluated by voltammetry. We have analyzed the feasibility of this technique by using cakes, fruits and different organ tissues of Glehnia littoralis. The results showed that this new analytical technique successfully achieved the rapid detection of coumarin content in real samples. The amount of coumarin in apples was 0.045 mg/g. The amount of coumarin in the roots, leaves and fruits of Glehnia littoralis was 0.037 mg/g, 0.011 mg/g and 0.079 mg/g, respectively.