Monograph on potassium polyaspartate
RESOLUTION OIV-OENO 572-2017
MONOGRAPH ON POTASSIUM POLYASPARTATE
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
IN VIEW of Article 2, paragraph 2 iv of the Agreement of 3 April 2001 establishing the International Organisation of Vine and Wine,
CONSIDERING the work of the “Specifications of Oenological Products” Expert Group,
CONSIDERING OIV Resolution OENO-TECHNO 14-543 'Treatment with potassium polyaspartate',
DECIDES to add the following monograph to the International Oenological Codex:
POTASSIUM POLYASPARTATE
Chemical name: Homopolymer of potassium L-aspartate or potassium polyaspartate
Chemical formula: []n
Topological formula:
where n ≈ 30
CAS No.: 64723-18 -8
1. OBJECT, ORIGIN AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION
Oenological potassium polyaspartate is prepared exclusively from L-aspartic acid. The L-aspartic acid monomer used in the process is produced by fermentation. A thermal process converts the L-aspartic acid monomer into polysuccinimide, an insoluble compound. Polysuccinimide is then treated with potassium hydroxide under controlled conditions to obtain potassium polyaspartate. The potassium polyaspartate inhibits tartaric precipitation thanks to a 'colloid protector' effect. Potassium polyaspartate is effective for the tartaric stabilisation of wines.
2. SYNONYMS
Potassium polyaspartate, A-5D K/SD; A-5D K SD; A-5DK/SD; A-5DK; KPA.
3. LABELLING
The following indications should appear on the packaging labelling:
- The name and sales denomination,
- The statement ‘Product for oenological use, limited use’,
- Any additives,
- Instructions for use,
- The batch number and potassium polyaspartate content (purity) as well as the expiry date and storage conditions (temperature, humidity and aeration),
- The name or company name and address of the manufacturer, packager or supplier,
- The net quantity,
- The indication that the aspartic acid is sourced from genetically-modified organisms and the modified characteristic where relevant.
4. CHARACTERISATION
4.1. Description
Light-brown, odourless powder containing 90% dry matter. It is entirely soluble in water (> 1000 g/L) yet insoluble in organic solvents (< 5 g/L), with a shelf life of 4 years at room temperature.
4.2. Chemical formula
Potassium polyaspartate is a polymer composed of aspartic acid units, with the following general formula: []n, where n corresponds to the average degree of polymerisation (n ≈ 30).
4.3. Degree of substitution
The degree of substitution of the potassium salt is at least 91.5% (in terms of anhydrous matter), in order to guarantee optimal solubility.
Assess the degree of substitution using the method described in Annex 1.
4.4. Molecular mass
Its average molecular mass, determined by gel permeation chromatography, is 5000 g/mol, which corresponds to the optimum efficiency of the product.
4.5. Composition
The purity of the product is verified by assaying the aspartic acid after total hydrolysis of the polymer and by comparing this value with the theoretical content of the monomer in the potassium polyaspartate according to its molecular formula. Refer to Annex 2 for the method description.
The content of anhydrous potassium polyaspartate matter should be at least 98%.
5. TRIALS
5.1. Free aspartic acid content in potassium polyaspartate
The free aspartic acid content should be ≤ 2.0%.
Carry out the determination according to the method described in Annex 3.
5.2. Humidity – Loss due to dehydration
Determine the loss in mass of a gram of dry product kept in an oven for 12-24 hours at 105 ± 2 °C. The mass should be constant and the loss in mass should be less than 10%.
5.3. Metal content
Before determining the metals, mineralise the sample by means of acid digestion (,
and HCl). Conduct the mineralisation in a microwave oven. The sample should not be crushed or dehydrated before mineralisation.
The reagents used for mineralisation are as follows: (65%) (Suprapur or similar), HCl (37%) (Suprapur or similar) and
(35%).
Introduce the polyaspartate sample (between 0.5 and 2 g) into a 100-mL calibrated flask before adding 25 mL , 2 mL HCl and 3 mL
. At this stage, subject the mixture to digestion in a microwave oven with a maximum power of 1200 W: 60% power for 1 min, 30% for 10 min, 15% for 3 min and 40% for 15 min. Subsequently, make the calibrated flask up to volume with double-distilled water. The determination of the metals is practised on the solution thus obtained.
5.3.1. Iron
Determine the iron according to the method described in Chapter II of the International Oenological Codex. The iron content should be below 10 mg/kg.
5.3.2. Arsenic
Determine the arsenic according to the method described in Chapter II of the International Oenological Codex. The arsenic content should be below 3 mg/kg.
5.3.3. Lead
Determine the lead according to the method described in Chapter II of the International Oenological Codex. The lead content should be below 2 mg/kg.
5.3.4. Mercury
Determine the mercury according to the method described in Chapter II of the International Oenological Codex. The mercury content should be below 1 mg/kg.
5.3.5. Cadmium
Determine the cadmium according to the method described in Chapter II of the International Oenological Codex. The cadmium content should be below 1 mg/kg.
ANNEX 1
1. Determination of the degree of substitution
1.1. Principle
The degree of substitution of commercial potassium polyaspartate is determined by the analysis of the potassium content using the ICP-OES method.
The determination of potassium is conducted using a calibration curve obtained by injecting five different concentrations of a reference standard solution.
To calculate the degree of substitution, the potassium concentration measured is compared to the theoretical content at 100% substitution.
1.2. Equipment
1.2.1. 100-mL Volumetric flasks (class A)
1.2.2. Cyclonic atomisation chamber, standard quartz torch
1.2.3. Ultrasonic bath
1.2.4. Membrane filtration system with 0.45-m porosity
1.3. 1Reagents
1.3.1. 65% Nitric acid ()
1.3.2. 10 000 mg/L Potassium (K) standard solution (potassium ICP/DCP standard solution with 10 000 μg/mL 5% )
1.3.3. Double-distilled water with superior resistivity of 10 MΩ.cm
1.3.4. Aqueous solution acidified with 0.5% (calibration blank), to be used as a diluent for the preparation of the calibration solutions
1.3.5. Calibration solutions prepared by dilution of the stock solution (point 1.3.2); the reference values are indicated below:
STD 1 |
STD 2 |
STD 3 |
STD 4 |
STD 5 |
|
Potassium (mg/L) |
200 |
400 |
600 |
1000 |
2000 |
1.4. Procedure
The preparation to be analysed (KPA) is dissolved in double-distilled water.
1.4.1. 5000 mg/L KPA solution (a): weigh around 500 g (note the exact weight) directly into a 100-mL calibrated flask, make up to volume with double-distilled water (1.3.3) and stir in an ultrasonic bath (1.2.3) for at least 10 minutes. Filter using membranes with 0.45 μm porosity.
1.4.2. Prepare the five-point calibration curve with the standard solutions as indicated in point 1.3.5.
The results should be calculated from the average of three measurements.
If the concentration lies outside the calibration curve, the sample should be diluted so that its concentration falls within the calibration curve.
To calculate the degree of substitution, compare the potassium concentration measured to the theoretical content established at 100% substitution (see point 1.5).
1.5. Calculations
The potassium content is calculated by the processor of the acquisition software. The calculation to be conducted is as follows:
A = A' × n (a) |
where:
- A: concentration of sample in mg/L
- A': concentration of diluted sample in mg/L
- n: dilution factor
The percentage of potassium in the KPA sample, expressed in dry weight, is calculated using formula (b):
|
where:
- A: result of equation (a)
- w: potassium polyaspartate in mg/L
- h%: humidity of the sample, as a percentage
The degree of substitution (DS) is calculated using equation (c):
|
where:
-
: atomic mass of potassium
-
: calculated molecular mass of the polyaspartate monomer
ANNEX 2
2. Determination of the purity of potassium polyaspartate
2.1. PRINCIPLE
Analysis by HPLC-FLD of the free aspartic acid content after acid hydrolysis.
The principle consists of determining the free aspartic acid by HPLC after acid hydrolysis of the KPA. This acid hydrolysis takes place under conditions allowing for the complete depolymerisation of the KPA:
2.2. EQUIPMENT / APPARATUS
2.2.1. Hot plate for acid hydrolysis
2.2.2. 4-mL Tinted-glass vials with screw cap
2.2.3. 0.1 mg Precision weighing balance
2.2.4. Calibrated flasks
2.2.5. HPLC system including a quarternary pump, an automatic sampler, a thermostat and a fluorometric detector (FLD)
2.2.6. C18 column (e.g. Syncronis aQ C18, 4.6 x 250 mm; 5 μm [Thermo])
2.2.7. Filtration system with membranes of 0.2 µm porosity
2.3. REAGENTS AND SAMPLE PREPARATION
For acid hydrolysis
2.3.1. Potassium metabisulphite solution () (CAS No. 16731-55-8) at a concentration of 10 g/L
2.3.2. 6 M Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
2.3.3. 5 M Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
2.3.4. Double-distilled water with superior resistivity of 10 m.cm
2.3.5. Potassium polyaspartate
For sample preparation
2.3.6. Aminocaproic acid (, CAS No.: 60-32-2)
2.4. PROCEDURE
The procedure comprises three steps:
- Hot acid hydrolysis of the potassium polyaspartate sample,
- Preparation of the samples for analysis by HPLC-FLD of the standard solutions that will determine the aspartic acid concentration,
- Analysis of the free aspartic acid after hydrolysis by HPLC (see Annex 3).
2.4.1. Phase 1: acid hydrolysis
2.4.1.1. Transfer into a 4-mL vial (2.2.2):
0.2 mL 10 g/L sodium metabisulphite solution (2.3.1),
0.5 g potassium polyaspartate weighed to the nearest mg,
2 mL 6 N HCl (2.3.2).
2.4.1.2. Heat to 108 ± 2 °C for 72 hours (2.2.1).
2.4.1.3. Transfer to a 10-mL calibrated flask, add 2.4 mL 5 M NaOH (2.3.3) and make up to volume with double-distilled water (2.3.4).
2.4.2. Phase 2: preparation of the sample for HPLC analysis
2.4.2.1. Microfilter 5 mL of medium (2.4.1.3) at 0.20 μm (2.2.7) in a 20-mL calibrated flask.
2.4.2.2. Add 0.2 mL internal standard (aminocaproic acid) (2.3.6).
2.4.2.3. Make up to volume with double-distilled water.
2.4.3. Phase 3: Analysis of samples by HPLC (see Annex 3)
CALCULATIONS
The polyaspartate concentration (KPA) is calculated as follows:
KPA (mg/L) = (hydrolysed aspartic acid – free aspartic acid before hydrolysis) x fKPA
where = 1.15, which is the conversion factor of KPA into aspartic acid, calculated based on the ratio between the molecular mass of the KPA monomer (average MM of KPA A5DK SD monomers = 154) and the molecular mass of aspartic acid (133.1), as per the equation:
where the free aspartic acid is determined according to Annex 3.
ANNEX 3
3. Determination of free aspartic acid
3.1. PRINCIPLE
The determination of aspartic acid in potassium polyaspartate as it was produced is carried out by HPLC coupled with fluorometric detection (FLD), after derivation of aspartic acid with ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA). Potassium is determined using a calibration curve obtained by injecting the reference standard solutions.
3.2. EQUIPMENT / APPARATUS
3.2.1. Calibrated flasks
3.2.2. HPLC system including a quarternary pump, an automatic sampler, a thermostat and a fluorometric detector (FLD)
3.2.3. C18 column, e.g. Syncronis aQ C18, 4.6 x 250 mm; 5 μm
3.3. REAGENTS
3.3.1. Aspartic acid (D,L-aspartic acid, ≥ 99 %, CAS No.: 617-45-8)
3.3.2. Solution 1: 8000 mg/L aspartic acid in double-distilled water
3.3.3. Solution 2: 200 mg/L aspartic acid in double-distilled water
3.3.4. Aminocaproic acid (, CAS No.: 60-32-2)
3.3.5. 1000-mg/L aminocaproic acid stock solution in double-distilled water
3.3.6. Calibration solutions prepared by dilution of solution 1 (point 3.3.2) and solution 2 (3.3.3), whose reference values are indicated below:
STD 1 |
STD 2 |
STD 3 |
STD 4 |
STD 5 |
STD 6 |
|
mL H2O |
18.8 |
19.0 |
15.0 |
19.750 |
19.375 |
18.750 |
mL Solution 1 |
- |
- |
- |
0.250 |
0.625 |
1.250 |
mL Solution 2 |
0.2 |
1.0 |
5.0 |
- |
- |
- |
Aspartic acid (mg/L) |
2 |
10 |
50 |
100 |
250 |
500 |
3.3.7. Methanol for HPLC
3.3.8. Tetrahydrofuran for HPLC
3.3.9. Anhydrous sodium acetate (CAS No. 127-09-3)
3.3.10. Acetonitrile () for HPLC
3.3.11. Sodium tetraborate decahydrate (, CAS No. 1303-96-4)
3.3.12. O-phthalaldehyde (OPA): ( ≥ 99%, CAS No.: 643-79-8)
3.3.13. Mercaptoethanol: ( ≥ 99%, CAS No.: 60-24-2)
3.3.14. Double-distilled water with superior resistivity of 10 MΩ.cm
3.3.15. Derivation solution: in a 10-mL calibrated flask, introduce 100 mg OPA, 200 mL mercaptoethanol and 1 mL methanol, then make up to volume with a pH 10.5 buffer solution of 0.1 M sodium tetraborate decahydrate.
The solution should be prepared just before use since it degrades over the day following its preparation.
3.4. MOBILE PHASES
3.4.1. [Channel A]: ultra-pure water
3.4.2. [Channel B]: 0.05 M sodium acetate buffer/tetrahydrofuran (96:4; v/v)
3.4.3. [Channel C]: methanol
3.4.4. Channel D]: acetonitrile
3.5. PROCEDURE
The method consists of a reaction constituting the derivation of aspartic acid with the O-phtalaldehyde (OPA); the recovery rate for this process is 100%.
The instrumental parameters are as follows:
- Temperature of the column: 40 °C,
- Wavelength (λ): FLD Ex 340 nm, Em 450 nm,
- The separation is carried out in gradient mode (see point 3.4, Mobile phases):
Time (min) |
% B |
% C |
% D |
Flow (mL/min) |
0.00 |
100.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.1 |
3.00 |
100.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.1 |
15.00 |
50.0 |
25.0 |
25.0 |
1.1 |
17.00 |
84.0 |
8.0 |
8.0 |
1.1 |
18.00 |
100.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.1 |
Run time: 21 min + 2 min downtime |
3.5.1. Prepare the calibration solutions by mixing 5.0 mL of the standard solution (3.3.6) and 0.2 mL of the internal standard solution (3.3.5) in a 20-mL calibrated flask, then make up to volume with double-distilled water and stir.
3.5.2. Dilute 5.0 μL of the sample (Annex 2, point 2.4.2) with 20 μL methanol, then derive with 0.5 μL OPA. Mix 10.0 μL of the thus-obtained solution 10 times in the injector, then inject after 0.5 min.
3.5.3. If the results exceed the upper limit of the calibration curve, dilute the sample and repeat the analytical procedure.
3.6. CALCULATIONS
The concentration of aspartic acid in the sample, expressed in mg/L, is obtained by applying the following formula:
Y = A. f. d
where:
- Y: concentration of aspartic acid in the sample, in mg/L
- A: peak area of the chromatogram
- f: response factor of the chromatogram peak
- d: dilution factor