Caramel Color Research Articles

Determination of 4-methylimidazole and 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxy-butylimidazole in caramel color and products by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The simultaneous determination of 4-MEI and THI in caramel and products by LC-MS/MS was developed with several advantages of simplicity, selectivity, and high sensitivity. Chromatographic separation was performed using a C18 column (100 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm), with a mobile phase consisting of ammonium formate pH = 4 and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid employing a gradient elution mode. The analytes were detected using an MS/MS double mass spectrometer with an ESI+ ionization source. Samples were cleaned and enriched on a SPE MCX column. Method validaion resulted in a linear range of 5.0 - 500 ppb for 4-MEI, and 1.0 - 500 for THI, with LODs of 0.30 g/kg for THI and 1.5 μg/kg for 4-MEI, and LOQs of 1 μg/kg for THI and 5 μg/kg for 4-MEI. Repeatability and reproducibility for 4-MEI ranged from 2.9% to 9.1% and 2.9% to 11.8%, respectively, and for THI from 3.5% to 9.4% and 4.8% to 11.5%, respectively. Recovery rates for with 4-MEI and THI met AOAC's requirements, ranging from 82.7% to 106.4% and 87.2% to 109.7%, respectively. Application of the analytical method for 24 market products, including caramel, beverages, condiments, and cakes, showed that the 4-MEI and THI concentrations in consumer products were within the permissible limits, while pure caramel samples exceeded the permissible limits for THI concentrations.

Exposure to food additive mixtures and type 2 diabetes risk in the NutriNet-Santé cohort

Abstract Background So far, the safety evaluation of food additives has been performed substance by substance, while in real life, millions of individuals are exposed to mixtures of food additives daily. According to preliminary experimental data, some of these chemicals, alone and/or in synergy are suspected to impact metabolic health. The objective of this study was to investigate for the first time the associations between exposure to mixtures of food additives and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk in a large prospective cohort of French adults. Methods Participants (n = 108,783, 79.2% women, mean age=42.4 years, SD = 14.6) from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2024) completed repeated 24h-dietary records, detailing industrial product brands. Additive exposure was assessed using composition databases and laboratory assays. Five mixtures of additives were identified through non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF). Associations between these mixtures and the risk of T2D were characterised using multivariable proportional hazards Cox models adjusted for known risk factors. Findings 1115 participants were identified with T2D during follow-up. Two additive mixtures were associated with increased T2D risk. The first mixture included higher exposure to modified starches E14xx, pectins E440, guar gum E412, carrageenan E407, and polyphosphates E452 (HRper 1SD increment=1.11 [1.05-1.18]), p < 0.0001). The second mixture comprised citric acid E330, sodium citrates E331, phosphoric acid E338, sulphite ammonia caramel E150d, acesulfame-K E950, aspartame E951, sucralose E955 and arabic gum E414 (HR1SD=1.13 [1.08-1.18]), p < 0.0001). Interpretation This large prospective cohort study revealed direct associations between T2D risk and exposure to two food additive mixtures. Molecular epidemiology and experimental studies will be necessary to depict underlying mechanisms and potential cocktail effects. Key messages • Consumed together, widely used food additives may contribute to T2D aetiology, shedding light on the detrimental impact of highly processed foods on metabolic health. • This study highlights positives associations between T2D risk and exposure to two food additive mixtures.

Impact of reduced sucrose content on processed cheese: Sensory, textural, and storage stability analysis

The present study examines the impact of varying sucrose concentrations (12%, 6%, and 0%) on the sensory qualities and storage stability of processed cheese. Our findings reveal that sucrose is crucial for enhancing color depth, modulating flavor, and improving texture. Specifically, higher sucrose levels impart a caramel color, increase sweetness, and maintain a harmonious balance between salty and sour tastes, thereby mitigating the intensification of unwanted flavors (P < 0.05). Furthermore, sucrose acts as a structural element that bolsters viscoelastic properties and prolongs storage stability; increased sucrose content slows flavor degradation and preserves textural consistency over time. While reductions in sucrose do not significantly compromise the texture of fresh samples (P > 0.05), they necessitate adjustments in flavor profiles. This research highlights the essential role of sucrose in processed cheese and sets the stage for further studies on sugar reduction strategies and the potential use of alternative fillers, marking a significant step forward in the development of processed cheese products.

Immunotoxicity of 2-Acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole in BALB/c mice with different vitamin B6 nutritional statuses

Caramel color is a widely used food pigment, and 2-Acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI) is a by-products of Class III caramel color. Some studies have shown that THI can reduce the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes. However, the comprehensive mechanism of THI immunotoxicity requires further study. In this study, the effects of THI on lymphocyte count, humoral immunity, cellular immunity and nonspecific immunity were determined and the effect of the nutritional status of VB6 on THI immunotoxicity was evaluated. Female BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups and fed chow containing different doses of VB6: VB6-normal (6 mg/kg VB6), VB6-deprived (0.5 mg/kg VB6) or VB6-enhanced (12 mg/kg VB6) feed. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups and treated with THI (0.5, 2.5 or 12.5 mg/kg bw) or the solvent control by gavage for 30 days. The thymic cortical thickness was measured with ViewPoint; the proportions of major immune cells and T cells in peripheral blood and tissues were detected via flow cytometry; the transformation and proliferation abilities of T and B cells were detected via T and B lymphocyte proliferation assays; NK cell activity was assessed via lactate dehydrogenase assays; humoral immune function was assessed via plaque-forming cell assays; and the immune function of T lymphocytes was assessed via delayed type hypersensitivity assays. The results showed that compared with those in the corresponding control group, the white blood cell count and lymphocyte count decreased significantly in all the VB6-deprived groups, in the 2.5 and 12.5 mg/kg VB6 groups, and in the 12.5 mg/kg VB6-enhanced group. With increasing THI dose, the thymic cortical layer became thinner. In the thymus, THI increased the proportions of CD3+ T cells and mature CD8+ T cells and decreased the proportions of immature double-positive, double-negative T cells and CD69-expressing lymphocytes. The proportions of naïve T cells and Tcm (central memory T) cells related to homing decreased. The proportion of mature T cells in the spleen decreased significantly. The proliferation of T cells stimulated by ConA decreased after THI exposure. VB6-deficient mice were more sensitive to THI immunotoxicity, and supplementation with VB6 had a certain protective effect on these mice. The results of the PFC and NK cell activity assays indicated that THI exposure might not affect humoral immune or innate immune function.

Electrochemical detection of 4(5)-methylimidazole in aqueous solutions

4(5)-methylimidazole (4-MeI) is a potential carcinogen widely used in food colours. EU regulations specify a maximum allowable concentration of 200 ppm for 4-MeI in caramel colours. This study reports an electrochemical determination technique for 4-MeI in caramel colours for the first time. The effect of pH and interference from air were studied to optimize the detection conditions on a glassy carbon electrode in aqueous alkaline solutions using square wave voltammetry (SWV) technique. The concentration of 4-MeI was quantitatively measured down to 10 μM (∼0.8 ppm). Traditional methods such as HPLC, GC, spectrometry and immunoassays involve either expensive instrumentation and reagents or time consuming preparation and detection processes. This study demonstrates the possibility of rapid and simple electrochemical determination of (4-MeI) in food colours with minimum workup using a portable potentiostat.

4-methylimidazole can promote oxidative stress, inflammation and histopathological assessment following sub-chronic exposure in rats: mechanistic approaches

4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) as the main by-product of many foods like drink colas, beverages, soy sauce, meats, candy, vinegar and caramel color which is formed in a high temperature following millard reaction. Other data revealed that 4-MEI is a neurotoxic and carcinogenic agent in animals but the obscure mechanistic pathway on the liver of wistar rats after two month administration. Therefore, sub-chronic effects of 4-MEI (32 µg kg−1–64 mg kg−1) were conducted on the cytotoxicity and inflammatory biomarkers in the liver and then histopathological changes were evaluated following oral administration. Our data revealed that 4-MEI exposure enhanced protein and lipid oxidation, and decreased reduced glutathione and total antioxidant level (FRAP) with histopathological changes in rats in higher doses of 320 µg kg−1. Our data explored the potentially toxic role of 4-MEI on the liver via induction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction with negative impacts on glutathione and Frap level, and a raise in protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation in the different doses of 4-MEI which leads to cell death signaling in the liver. Increased nitric oxide (NO) levels suggested the involvement of inflammation in 4-MEI mechanistic toxicity. Our data explored the potential hepatotoxic of 4-MEI by considering its possible role in oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Effect of caramel colors addition on the color, physicochemical properties, and flavor of Huangjiu

Caramel color is a food colorant widely used in the fermented beverage industries. In this context, this study investigated the effects of caramel color on the quality of Huangjiu in terms of color, physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The results showed that Class IV caramel colors with the highest color intensity had the lowest coloring ability in Huangjiu due to precipitation. Caramel colors significantly affected the total sugar, titratable acidity, and amino nitrogen of Huangjiu. Sensory analyses indicated that the three classes of caramel colors significantly affected 10 sensory attributes and the aroma release of Huangjiu. The headspace concentrations of the 40 VOCs in Huangjiu changed significantly. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis showed that Classes I and III caramel colors had similar effects on the VOCs in Huangjiu. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that 9 compounds made important contributions to distinguishing different classes of caramel-colored Huangjiu samples. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the scientific application of caramel color in Huangjiu and other fermented food industries.

Exploration of the synergistic inhibition of 4-methylimidazole and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in caramel colors by amino acid combinations and potential mechanisms

The current study examined the impact of different amino acids and heating durations on the levels of 4-MI and 5-HMF in caramel colors. At the 30-min mark, the 3:1 mass ratio (with a 0.2% addition) of the Cys-Pro combination inhibited 4-MI and 5-HMF by 20.33% and 18.39%, respectively. At 60 and 90 min, the 1:3 mass ratio (with a 1% addition) of the Cys-Pro combination yielded inhibition rates of 31.33% and 8.64% for 4-MI and 31.75% and 22.52% for 5-HMF within the caramel colors. The Cys-Pro mass ratios of 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1 demonstrated peak inhibition rates of 81.63%, 86.28%, and 86.57% against MGO, respectively. The most effective inhibition against 3-DG was achieved with a 30-min heating duration and a 1:3 mass ratio (with a 1% addition) of the Cys-Pro combination, resulting in a 14.21% inhibition rate. Notably, in a model system, cysteine also exhibited significant inhibitory effects against MGO. Additionally, ESR measurements revealed that amino acid combinations can effectively eliminate the free radicals generated during the caramelization process.

Stylish shapes from Paris

From warm caramel colour options to decorative details, Optician reports from Paris on the season's new styles

Level Optimization of Beet Powder and Caramel Color for Beef Color Simulation in Meat Analogs before and after Cooking.

In this study, concentration levels of beet powder (BP) and caramel color (CC) were optimized to simulate beef color in meat analogs before and after cooking. The central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM) was used to set the levels of BP and CC, and the CIE L*, CIE a*, and CIE b* were selected as the responses for RSM. After optimization, myoglobin-free beef patties were prepared with three optimized levels of BP and CC. When raw, all the patties had the same color as natural beef; however, CIE L*, CIE a*, and CIE b* were statistically different from those of beef after cooking (p<0.05). Moreover, the use of BP and CC induced "browning" after the cooking process, with no excessive yellow color. Therefore, based on the overall desirability in the color optimization using RSM, the combination of BP (1.32%) and CC (1.08%) with the highest overall desirability can be used to simulate the color change of beef in meat analogs.

Effects of 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole exposure during gestation and lactation on maternity and offspring immune function in Balb/c mice

2-Acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI), a by-product of Class Ⅲ caramel color, is generally recognized to cause lymphopenia in mammals. However, it remains unknown whether THI exposure during gestation and lactation causes damage to the immune system of offspring. In this study, pregnant Balb/c mice were gavaged with 0, 0.5, 2.5 and 12.5 mg/kg THI from gestation day (GD) 6 to postanal day (PND) 21, after which we treated another batch of dams from GD6 to PND21 and the offspring for 3 weeks after weaning with 0, 2, 10, 50 mg/L THI in drinking water respectively, and investigated the immunological anomalies of dams and offspring. The results showed that lymphopenia was observed in dams but not in weaning pups on PND21, which were exposed to THI during gestation and lactation. 2 mg/L THI and 2.5 mg/kg THI began to cause a remarkable reduction of the numbers of white blood cells and lymphocytes in dams. Besides both the cellular and the humoral immune response was not affected in weaning pups, which were measured by plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay respectively. Furthermore, THI could be detected in the plasma of dams with a dose-dependent manner, but not in that of both female and male weaning pups. In both male and female offspring being treated with 10 and 50 mg/L THI for another 3 weeks after weaning, lymphocytopenia was observed and T lymphocytes including CD4+ and CD8+ cells were significantly reduced in their spleens except lymph nodes. 10 and 50 mg/L THI treatment increased CD4+ and CD8+ single positive cells in thymus of female and male weaning mice. Mitogen-induced proliferation ability of T cells in the spleen and lymph nodes was impaired in female weaning mice exposed 50 mg/L THI, while male weaning mice treated with 10 and 50 mg/L THI showed impairment in the spleen but not lymph nodes. Based on the results in this study, no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for 3-week THI treatment in weaning mice was considered to be 2 mg/L (0.30 mg/kg bw for female mice and 0.34 mg/kg bw for male mice). And NOAEL for THI treatment in dams might be set to 0.5 mg/kg bw/day. Collectively from the perspective of NOAEL, offspring are not more sensitive than dams or adult mice.

4-Methylimidazole, a carcinogenic component in food, amount, methods used for measurement; a systematic review.

4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) is widely used industrially. This carcinogenic component has been reported in some types of food. It is usually produced by the caramelization process in food, drinks and caramel coloring. The possible mechanism for the formation of this compound in food is the Maillard reaction. In order to estimate the amount of substance 4-MEI in food, a systematic study was conducted. The selected keywords were 4-methylimidazole, 4-MEI, beverage, drink, meat, milk, and coffee. 144 articles were obtained from the initial search. The articles were evaluated and finally, the data of 15 manuscripts were extracted. Based on the data extracted from selected articles, the highest amount is reported in caramel color, coffee, and cola drinks. In 70% of the selected studies, the analytical method was based on liquid chromatography. In this method, there is no need for derivatization. SPE columns were used to extract samples in most manuscripts. According to per capita consumption, the most exposure to 4-MEI is through coffee. In high risk food products, regular monitoring with analytical methods with high sensitivity is recommended. Furthermore, most of the selected studies were about the validation method, so few samples were selected. It is recommended to design more studies with a high sample size to accurately evaluate this carcinogenic compound in food.

Caramel colour pigments from black sapote (Diospyros digyna): obtention and food application

This work aimed to develop a pigment from black sapote (Diospyros digyna) using lactic acid bacteria or yeasts for fermentation for use as a pigment in gummy bear formulations.

Effects Of Coca-Cola for Meat Digestion

Cola-Cola is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. The main Cola-Cola ingredients involve sugar (which can be sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup), carbonated water, caffeine, low or no calorie sweeteners, phosphoric acid, carbon dioxide, and natural flavorings (which include coca leaf extract). The dark color of Coca-Cola is made by using candy (caramel) colour, and is sweetened with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Cola-Cola beverage consumption will give the meat a candy (caramel) flavour, while a cream soda will give it a taste of vanilla bean. If potential hydrogen is 7 it is neutral, whereas if it potential hydrogen is less than 7 it is acidic and if potential hydrogen is greater than 7 it is basic.

Electro-oxidation combined with electro-Fenton for decolorization of caramel colorant aqueous solution using BDD electrodes

This study focused on the effects of the electro-oxidation combined with electro-Fenton process using boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes on the degradation of biorefractory food colorant caramel. Aqueous solutions containing Caramel Class IV, Caramel Class III and Acid Orange 7 were comparatively treated by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes, including electro-oxidation (EO), electro-Fenton (EF) and electro-oxidation combined with electro-Fenton (EO + EF). The experiments were performed in a stirred flask reactor using an inflator pump coupled with an undivided cell with BDD and Ti/Pt electrodes. In EF and EO + EF process, Fe2+ was added as catalyst. The independent parameters of air flow rate, Fe2+ concentration and current intensity in the range of 0.5–1.5 L/min, 0.05–0.2 mM and 0.4–1.5 A, respectively, were studied. The effect of electrode material on decolorization was also examined. The decolorization of pigment was enhanced with increasing air flow rate and current intensity due to the greater production of active species. The color decay was fitted to a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Complete decolorization of caramel colorant was realized with BDD electrodes under all experimental conditions and the highest kinetic constant of 2.3*10−2 min−1 was found under these conditions. This study highlighted the potential of EO + EF process with BDD electrodes for efficient degradation of caramel colorant.

Mechanisms of Rebaudioside A Degradation and Ingredient-Sweetener Interactions in Beverages during Storage.

The instability of rebaudioside A (Reb A) in food product applications during storage challenges their utilization. The pathways of Reb A degradation in aged acidic beverages were investigated. Three Reb A degradation compounds of known sensory importance were monitored, consisting of (1) a rearrangement, (2) a hydration, and (3) an epoxidation/rearrangement product. Using deuterium-labeled water (D2O) experiments, compounds 1–2 were reported to be generated by acid-catalyzed mechanisms involving the formation of a carbocation on carbon position 16, followed by either deprotonation via E1 elimination on C15 to form the more thermodynamically stable trisubstituted alkene (compound 1), or by the Markovnikov addition of water via SN1 substitution to form a tertiary alcohol (compound 2). Compound 3 was generated by epoxidation of the exomethylene at the C16–17 positions, followed by the opening and rearrangement of the ring to form a new alkene bond between C15–C16 and a primary alcohol on C17. Further analysis of the effect of beverage ingredients indicated the addition of caramel color significantly increased (p < 0.0001) the concentrations of compounds 1–2 compared to the aged control by 89 and 83%, respectively, whereas a specific coffee flavor and caramel color were reported to significantly reduce (p < 0.0001) the formation of compound 3 compared to the aged control during storage by 90 and 79%, respectively.

Role of 4-Methylimidazole in Liver Toxicity

Background: These days, food products industry involves the commercial production and addition of food colors, which comprises many food dyes, including caramel colors. 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) is a component of various caramel-colored food products such as bakery, beer, soft drinks, coffee and sauces, which are consumed daily. The most common route of exposure is ingestion and liver is the organ of detoxification. The histomorphometric observations in liver after 4-MEI consumption have not been reported to the best of our knowledge and so the present study have been designed to evaluate the same. Methodology: Adult male Wistar albino rats weighing 150–200 g were procured for the study and divided into the control and experimental groups. The experimental animals were given 4-MEI orally by gavage tube at a dose of 250 mg/kg body weight daily for 1 month, while the control animals received distilled water. At the end of experiment, all the animals were euthanized under ether anesthesia by perfusion with Formal saline. Dissection and histopathological processing of liver was done for the examination. Results: The histomorphometric observations of the liver in experimental rats revealed a significant increase in sinusoidal width indicative of sinusoidal dilatation and congestion. There was a significant increase in the size of hepatocytes while a decrease in the size of their nuclei was noted, suggestive of ballooning degeneration. Conclusion: The findings in the present study strongly suggest hepatocellular damage caused by ingestion of 4-MEI found in caramel color dyes used routinely in the food industry.

Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Discriminant Analysis Applied to Identification of Soy Sauce Adulteration

The identification of soy sauce adulteration can avoid fraud, and protect the rights and interests of producers and consumers. Based on two measurement models (1 mm, 10 mm), the visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy combined with standard normal variate-partial least squares-discriminant analysis (SNV-PLS-DA) was used to establish the discriminant analysis models for adulterated and brewed soy sauces. Chubang soy sauce was selected as an identification brand (negative, 70). The adulteration samples (positive, 72) were prepared by mixing Chubang soy sauce and blended soy sauce with different adulteration rates. Among them, the “blended soy sauce” sample was concocted of salt water (NaCl), monosodium glutamate (C5H10NNaO5) and caramel color (C6H8O3). The rigorous calibration-prediction-validation sample design was adopted. For the case of 1 mm, five waveband models (visible, short-NIR, long-NIR, whole NIR and whole scanning regions) were established respectively; in the case of 10 mm, three waveband models (visible, short-NIR and visible-short-NIR regions) for unsaturated absorption were also established respectively. In independent validation, the models of all wavebands in the cases of 1 mm and 10 mm have achieved good discrimination effects. For the case of 1 mm, the visible model achieved the optimal validation effect, the validation recognition-accuracy rate (RARV) was 99.6%; while in the case of 10 mm, both the visible and visible-short-NIR models achieved the optimal validation effect (RARV = 100%). The detection method does not require reagents and is fast and simple, which is easy to promote the application. The results can provide valuable reference for designing small dedicated spectrometers with different measurement modals and different spectral regions.

Physical and Organoleptic Qualities of Milk-Based Caramel with Variations in Addition of Pineapple Fruit (Ananas comosus (L) Merr.)

The purpose of this study was to determine the physical and organoleptic qualities of milk-based caramel with variations in the use of pineapple (Ananas comosus (L) Merr.). The design of this study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments and four replications. The tested treatments include milk-based caramel, which was processed with pineapple juice at T0=0%; T1=5%; T2=10%; T3=15%; T4=20%. The research variables included physical quality testing consisting of water content and crude fiber content, further testing of texture, color, and panelists' preference as organoleptic parameters tested using sensory tests. The observations obtained will be processed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a level of 5% and will be further tested using Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) if it shows a significant effect. Based on the results of analysis of variance (ANOVA), the variation in various treatments with the addition of pineapple fruit in the milk-based caramel processing showed a significant effect (P&lt;0.05) on the physical quality of caramel (crude fiber content and water content) and organoleptic quality (texture, color), and preference) on milk-based caramel products. The percentage of crude fiber content is 0.35%-4.50%; moisture content 10.15%-15.63%; texture score is hard to not hard; the color score is light brown to brown and liking score is slightly like to like. The conclusion of this research was the addition of pineapple affects crude fiber content, milk caramel water content, texture, color, and milk caramel preference.

Comparative Study on the Origin and Characteristics of Chinese (Manas) and Russian (East Sayan) Green Nephrites

Green nephrites are widely pursued for their mild texture and vivid color. In recent years, many Russian green nephrites appeared in China (the world’s largest nephrite market) and competed with the Chinese Manas green nephrites, which are traditionally highly valued. In this study, we compared the appearance, mineralogy and geochemical features (with EPMA and LA-ICP-MS) of Chinese (Manas) and Russian (East Sayan) green nephrites to objectively characterize and distinguish between these two nephrites. Chinese (Manas) and Russian (East Sayan) green nephrites are mined from serpentinized ultramafic units in the northern Tian Shan and East Sayan orogen, respectively. In terms of appearance, the Manas green nephrites are slightly bluish or grayish, whilst their East Sayan counterparts are brighter (duck-egg cyan). The Manas nephrites commonly have a caramel color, crumple structure, characteristic white globules and sinuous veins, green stains and yellow–green veins, together with a local fibrous structure. The East Sayan green nephrites are more transparent, with a gentler fine texture, uniform color, many black spots and a few green spots. Some green nephrites from the Arahushun mine of East Sayan have an ice-like appearance. Microscopic petrography and EPMA analysis indicate that both the Manas and East Sayan green nephrites comprise mainly tremolite with minor actinolite. Minor minerals in the Manas samples include chromite, chlorite-group minerals, and uvarovite; whilst those in the East Sayan samples include actinolite, chromite, chlorite-group minerals, and bornite. Bornite is not found in any other sources of green nephrite, and thus is characteristic of Russian (East Sayan) green nephrites. LA-ICP-MS trace element data in their amphiboles and Single-Factor Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results suggest that the differences in Cr, Zn, Y, Ba, and Sr contents and values of δEu, Eu/Sm, (La/Yb)N, (La/Sm)N, (Gd/Yb)N, ∑HREE, ∑LREE/∑HREE between the two nephrites are present, and can be used as their origin trace.