Food Chemistry Research Articles

Naturally Occurring Compounds Targeting Peroxisome Proliferator Receptors: Potential Molecular Mechanisms and Future Perspectives for Promoting Human Health

Background: Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) constitute nuclear transcription factors controlling gene expression associated with cell growth and proliferation, diverse proteins, lipids, and glucose metabolism, being related to several other pathophysiological states such as metabolic disorders, atherogenesis, carcinogenesis, etc. The present survey aims to analyze the natural compounds that can act as agonists for the PPAR-α, PPAR-β/δ, and PPAR-γ system targeting, highlighting how the amazing biochemical diversity of natural compounds can yield new insights into this “hotspot” of the scientific field. Methods: A narrative review was performed by searching the recent international literature for the last two decades in the most authoritative scientific databases, like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, using appropriate keywords. Results: Several natural compounds and/or their synthetic derivatives can act as ligands of PPARs, stimulating their transcriptional activity and enabling their use as preventive and/or therapeutic agents for several disease states, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic disturbances, atherogenesis, and carcinogenesis. Although synthetic compounds are increasingly used as drugs to manage health problems, serious side effects have been observed, while their natural analogues exhibit only few minor side effects. Conclusions: Further clinical studies on natural compounds such as ligands of PPARs and the evaluation of the related molecular mechanisms are needed to implement an effective strategy concerning the pharmaco-technology, food chemistry, and nutrition to introduce them as part of clinical and dietary practice.

Rapid Convolutional Algorithm for the Discovery of Blueberry Honey Authenticity Markers via Nontargeted LC-MS Analysis.

Bees produce honey through the collection and transformation of nectar, whose botanical origin impacts the taste, nutritional value, and, therefore, the market price of the resulting honey. This phenomenon has led some to mislabel their honey so that it can be sold at a higher price. Metabolomics has been gaining popularity in food authentication, but rapid data mining algorithms are needed to facilitate the discovery of new authenticity markers. A nontargeted high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR/LC-MS) analysis of 262 monofloral honey samples, of which 50 were blueberry honey, was performed. Data mining methods were demonstrated for the discovery of binary single-markers (compound was only detected in blueberry honey), threshold single-markers (compound had the highest concentration in blueberry honey), and interval ratio-markers (the ratio of two compounds was within a unique interval in blueberry honey). A novel convolutional algorithm was developed for the discovery of interval ratio-markers, which trained 14× faster and achieved a 0.2 Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) units higher classification score than existing open-source implementations. The convolutional algorithm also had classification performance similar to that of a brute-force search but trained 1521× faster. A pipeline for shortlisting candidate authenticity markers from the LC-MS spectra that may be suitable for chemical structure identification was also demonstrated and led to the identification of niacin as a blueberry honey threshold single-marker. This work demonstrates an end-to-end approach to mine the honey metabolome for novel authenticity markers and can readily be applied to other types of food and analytical chemistry instruments.

The role of physical chemistry in food and beverage

Physical chemistry is a fundamental science that underpins many critical processes in food and beverage production. This paper explores the influence of physico-chemical properties on basic reactions such as crystallization, enzyme kinetics in fermentation, and the Maillard reaction, all of which play a significant role in determining the flavor, texture, stability, and quality of food products. By examining the effects of factors like temperature, pH, solute concentration, and the presence of additives, we demonstrate physical chemistry principles guide the manipulation of these processes to optimize product characteristics. Understanding these interactions allows for greater control over food production techniques, leading to innovations in texture enhancement, flavor development, and preservation. This study highlights the importance of physical chemistry in advancing the food and beverage industry by providing insights into the molecular mechanisms that influence the sensory and functional properties of products.

Assessing Dietary Creatine Intake in Population Studies: Challenges and Opportunities.

Limited data exist for establishing the dietary requirements for creatine in the general population. This paper delineates the challenges linked to estimating creatine intake from a typical diet, and explores opportunities to improve the assessment of population-wide creatine intake. Conducting additional food chemistry studies with creatine as a standard analyte, labeling the creatine content in common foods, generating more diverse data from population-based studies, and validating new biomarkers could facilitate the establishment of nutrient reference values for this conditionally essential nutrient.

Rethinking the classification of non-digestible carbohydrates: Perspectives from the gut microbiome.

Clarification is required when the term "carbohydrate" is used interchangeably with "saccharide" and "glycan." Carbohydrate classification based on human digestive enzyme activities brings clarity to the energy supply function of digestible sugars and starch. However, categorizing structurally diverse non-digestible carbohydrates (NDCs) to make dietary intake recommendations for health promotion remains elusive. In this review, we present a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional dichotomic classifications of carbohydrates, which were introduced by food chemists, nutritionists, and microbiologists. In parallel, we discuss the current consensus on commonly used terms for NDCs such as "dietary fiber," "prebiotics," and "fermentable glycans" and highlight their inherent differences from the perspectives of gut microbiome. Moreover, we provide a historical perspective on the development of novel concepts such as microbiota-accessible carbohydrates, microbiota-directed fiber, targeted prebiotics, and glycobiome. Crucially, these novel concepts proposed by multidisciplinary scholars help to distinguish the interactions between diverse NDCs and the gut microbiome. In summary, the term NDCs created based on the inability of human digestive enzymes fails to denote their interactions with gut microbiome. Considering that the gut microbiome possesses sophisticated enzyme systems to harvest diverse NDCs, the subclassification of NDCs should be realigned to their metabolism by various gut microbes, particularly health-promoting microbes. Such rigorous categorizations facilitate the development of microbiome-targeted therapeutic strategies by incorporating specific types of NDCs.

Plasmonic Particle Integration into Near-Infrared Photodetectors and Photoactivated Gas Sensors: Toward Sustainable Next-Generation Ubiquitous Sensing.

Current challenges in environmental science, medicine, food chemistry as well as the emerging use of artificial intelligence for solving problems in these fields require distributed, local sensing. Such ubiquitous sensing requires components with 1) high sensitivity, 2) power efficiency, 3) miniaturizability, and 4) the ability to directly interface with electronic circuitry, i.e., electronic readout of sensing signals. Over the recent years, several nanoparticle-based approaches have found their way into this field and have demonstrated high performance. However, challenges remain, such as the toxicity of many of today's narrow bandgap semiconductors for NIR detection and the high energy consumption as well as low selectivity of state-of-the-art commercialized gas sensors. With their unique light-matter interaction and ink-based fabrication schemes, plasmonic nanostructures provide potential technological solutions to these challenges, leading also to better environmental performance. In this perspective recent approaches of using plasmonic nanoparticles are discussed for the fabrication of NIR photodetectors and light-activated, energy-efficient gas sensing devices. In addition, new strategies implying computational approaches are pointed out for miniaturizable spectrometers, exploiting the wide spectral tunability of plasmonic nanocomposites, and for selective gas sensors, utilizing dynamic light activation. The benefits of colloidal approaches for device fabrication are discussed with regard to technological advantages and environmental aspects, which are barely considered so far.

Matching traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine-based research: Advanced nutraceutical development for proactive gastric cancer prevention.

Gastric cancer (GC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally, is complex and heterogeneous. This review explores multidisciplinary investigations of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with Western medical practices, emphasizing the development of nutraceuticals for cancer prevention. Using advanced analytical chemistry and food chemistry techniques, this study investigated how TCM components may be optimized for nutraceutical development. Focusing on molecular interactions with GC pathways, particularly the NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, we examined the effects of TCM polyherbal formulas, extracts, and isolated compounds. These agents modulate apoptosis and cellular proliferation, underscoring their potential in preventive strategies. The convergence of nutraceutical and medicine food homology studies highlights a significant shift towards integrating TCM-derived compounds in a preventive health framework. This approach aims not only to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects but also to champion a preventive paradigm using personalized medicine to advance proactive health maintenance and disease prevention. The combination of TCM and western medical practices offers promising avenues for future research and practical applications in GC prevention.

Surface Heterogeneity at the Polymer-Food Interface Influences Ag Migration from Plastic Packaging Incorporating Ag-Exchanged Zeolites.

Silver-enabled polymers, with their antimicrobial properties, could prolong the shelf life and maintain quality in packaged foods. However, there is limited understanding about how the Ag form in the polymer, food chemistry, and other factors affect the transfer (migration) of Ag from the polymer to the food under the intended conditions of use. In this study, we investigated the release of Ag from polymer composites (PCs) incorporating two different Ag-exchanged zeolites (Ag-Y), which have been explored as potential scaffolds for loading high concentrations of Ag within common polymers. We manufactured two Ag-Y films based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE): one incorporating ionic Ag (Ag+) and one incorporating nanoparticulate Ag (AgNPs), each with similar initial Ag concentrations. Then, we assessed the migration of Ag out of these PCs into food simulants under accelerated room temperature storage conditions. In all simulants investigated, the Ag+-Y/LDPE film exhibited a higher migration of Ag compared to the AgNP-Y/LDPE film, suggesting a lower fraction of readily releasable Ag in the latter material. Total Ag migration from AgNP-Y/LDPE over 10 days at 40 °C was 11.10 ± 2.05 ng cm-2 of packaging surface area in water, 7.63 ± 1.59 ng cm-2 in a 9 wt % aqueous sucrose solution, and 21.29 ± 1.98 ng cm-2 in a commercial sweetened carbonated beverage (Squirt). In contrast, Ag migration from Ag+-Y/LDPE was measured at 49.61 ± 3.46, 57.48 ± 9.65, and 91.54 ± 5.58 ng cm-2 in water, sucrose solution, and Squirt drink, respectively. Surface characterization techniques, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and conductivity measurements, revealed the presence of exposed zeolite particles at the surface of the films, suggesting that direct interactions between Ag-exchanged zeolites and food components at the simulant-polymer interface play an important role in determining Ag migration from Ag-Y/LDPE PCs.

Determination of Some Element’s Migrants in Aqueous Simulant from Plastic Food Contact Products by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer

Various chemicals present at different stages in the food supply chain can lead to the leaching of heavy metals. These metals can accumulate in the human body through the consumption of contaminated food. Consequently, it is necessary to validate an analytical technique for the quantification chemical that could contaminate food. This study presents a rapid, straightforward, and efficient analytical method for the direct quantification of some potentially toxic elements in aqueous simulants from plastic food contact products using an inductively coupled mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The method’s validation encompassed the study of the estimated detection limits, practical quantification limits, linearity, accuracy, and measurement uncertainty of aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) under optimized ICP-MS conditions. The estimated detection limits ranged from 7.5 × 10−4 to 0.074 mg/kg, while practical quantification limits spanned from 0.02 to 0.8 mg/kg. The average recoveries ± standard deviations at different spiking levels were varied between 85.7 ± 1.51 and 115.6 ± 0.88% with coefficients of variation between 0.42 and 5.85%. The method trueness was verified by using references materials (test material in aqueous acetic acid) purchased from Food Chemistry Proficiency Testing and Analysis (FAPAS) yielding satisfactory results within acceptable recovery and Z-score values. The method precision, in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD), was being below 4.22%. The method uncertainty expressed as expanded uncertainty of all validated elements was found to be ≤ 21.9%. Validated method was employed to determine specific elements in aqueous simulants of thirty commercial plastic food packaging samples, representing three distinct types of plastic polymers. The results showed that the mean concentrations, in mg/kg, were as follows: 2.04 (Al), 0.02 (As), 0.02 (Cd), 0.02 (Co), 0.06 (Cr), 0.41 (Cu), 1.55 (Fe), 0.09 (Mn), 0.15 (Ni), 0.07 (Pb), 0.05 (Sb), and 0.81 (Zn). Furthermore, 30% of analyzed samples exceeding the maximum permissible limits of Al for plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

Walnuts as functional food and nutraceutical: A bibliometric study of research trends on nutritional potential, phytochemistry and its health benefits

AimThis study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of English walnut (Juglans regia L.) using the Scopus database. This study has also attempted to explore walnut’s nutritional potential, phytochemistry, and functional properties for overall human health benefits. MethodologyThis study uses the R-Bibliometrics package software to explore the Scopus database from 2002 to 2021. The keywords used are “Walnut” OR “Juglans regia” OR “Nutritional Potential” OR “Functional Food” OR “Phytochemistry” OR “Human health”. ResultsThe global trends and bibliometric analysis of walnut from 2002–2021 found that there was a total of 9868 documents indexed in 3151 Scopus-indexed sources. The agricultural and biological sciences recorded the maximum net publication, while the dentistry field recorded the minimum. Countries like China and the United States were the major funding sources, having the maximum net publications all over the globe. Upon analysing international collaboration, countries such as China, the USA, Italy, Iran, Spain, and the United Kingdom emerged as the world’s top collaborators. Maximum co-occurrences of the following keywords found are walnut, omega-3 fatty acid, Juglans regia, and walnut food. The most productive journals in walnut research recorded according to Bradford Law, the most productive walnut research journals were Acta Horticulture, Food Chemistry, Plant Diseases, Journal of Agricultural Hortiscience, Scientia Horticultureae, Nutrients, Molecules, PloS One, and Journal of Ethnopharmacology. People around the world use walnuts in a variety of foods and consider them an integral part of their diets. Walnut contains a variety of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and juglone, as well as nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, which make it a functional food for humans. Walnuts are much more than just a culinary item in traditional foods; they can provide a variety of human health benefits. ConclusionsThis study attempted to conduct a bibliometric analysis to analyze global trends and research productivity of walnut as a functional food in terms of phytochemistry, nutritional potential, and human health benefits. This study will help to identify the research gap, offer opportunities for multidisciplinary research, and present a novel visualisation map for walnut research. This study declared walnut a functional food for the future.

Click chemistry-mediated stable isotope labeling combined with HPLC-MS/MS analysis for highly sensitive determination of steroid hormones

Steroid hormone residues in food are a significant sources of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that can adversely affect public health. However, the current analytical methods for determining steroid hormones using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can be challenging due to the poor ionization efficiency of steroid hormones and the matrix effect of complex food samples. Herein, based on Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction and stable isotope labeling (SIL) technique, a novel pair of chemoselective probes ABI/d5-ABI was precisely designed and synthesized. This pair of probes comprises a H/D isotope tag, a linker, a reactive site azido group (N3) and a MS tag (imidazolium salt). The probe ABI was employed to label ethynyl-containing steroid hormones in real samples and d5-ABI was applied to label standards, respectively, followed by mixing the two labeled samples for high performance (HP)LC-MS/MS analysis. It was found that the ionization efficiencies of target analytes were increased by 17–4532 folds after ABI labeling. More importantly, the heavy labeled samples serving as internal standards (ISs) can effectively compensate matrix effect during HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Finally, the proposed SIL-HPLC-MS/MS method was successfully used to highly sensitive determine four synthetic steroid hormones in food samples (milk, pork and egg). Furthermore, the good detection limits (0.015–0.020 ng/mL), satisfactory recoveries (75.7–122.9 %), and precisions (RSDs less than 9.2 %) were obtained. Hence, the established method not only provides new insights in designing SIL probes for determination of ethynyl-containing analytes within complex matrix, but also extends the application of CuAAC reaction in the field of food chemistry.

Research on Ideological and Political Education Strategies in Food Chemistry Teaching

This study aims to explore how to integrate ideological and political education into the teaching process of food chemistry to enhance students' sense of social responsibility and national consciousness. By analyzing the current problems and challenges in food chemistry teaching, the research employs methods such as case analysis, questionnaire surveys, and teacher interviews. It proposes a systematic set of teaching strategies that incorporate ideological and political elements. These strategies not only contribute to improving students' academic proficiency but also play a crucial role in cultivating students' core values, innovative thinking, and critical reasoning.

Extraction, Characterization, and Biological Activity of Volatile and Non-volatile Components of Grapefruit

Grapefruit (Citrus X paradisi) is among the biggest and most popular fruit crops grown for profit, worldwide. It is not only economically essential but also remains a popular human dietary ingredient. There are numerous varieties of citrus, all coming with vibrant colors. Both processed and fresh forms are consumed. Half of the fruit, including seeds, peels, and pith remnants are inedible and wasted after processing. Pectin, essential oils, citric acid, flavonoids, and other significant phytochemicals derived from citrus are currently widely studied in food, industrial, and synthetic chemistry. This study examines the properties of flavonoids derived from citrus leaves, their extraction process, and their usage with respect to potential health advantages. Using GC-MS/MS, the flavonoids content of grapefruit leaf extracts was determined. It was found that the primary flavonoid present in grapefruit pulp, oven-dried leaves, and fresh leaves was isonaringin. In new experiments, fresh and dried leaves of grapefruit (dried at 45°C) showed a potent cytoprotective effect on neuroblastomas SH-SY5Y. According to the data, bioactive flavonoids are naturally found in fruit leaves that can be used as remedy in many therapeutic and antibacterial activities.

Exploring industrial lignocellulosic waste: Sources, types, and potential as high-value molecules

Lignocellulosic biomass has a promising role in a circular bioeconomy and may be used to produce valuable molecules for green chemistry. Lignocellulosic biomass, such as food waste, agricultural waste, wood, paper or cardboard, corresponded to 15.7% of all waste produced in Europe in 2020, and has a high potential as a secondary raw material for industrial processes. This review first presents industrial lignocellulosic waste sources, in terms of their composition, quantities and types of lignocellulosic residues. Secondly, the possible high added-value chemicals obtained from transformation of lignocellulosic waste are detailed, as well as their potential for applications in the food industry, biomedical, energy or chemistry sectors, including as sources of polyphenols, enzymes, bioplastic precursors or biofuels. In a third part, various available transformation treatments, such as physical treatments with ultrasound or heat, chemical treatments with acids or bases, and biological treatments with enzymes or microorganisms, are presented. The last part discusses the perspectives of the use of lignocellulosic waste and the fact that decreasing the cost of transformation is one of the major issues for improving the use of lignocellulosic biomass in a circular economy and green chemistry approach, since it is currently often more expensive than petroleum-based counterparts.

Lipidomic Profiling of Flammulina velutipes (Curtis) Singer (Agaricomycetes) through Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Examining Lipid Dynamics Changes during Fruiting Body Formation and Development.

Flammulina velutipes (enokitake) is widely recognized for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Understanding the biochemical processes, such as lipid metabolism during fruiting body formation, is essential for enhancing mushroom cultivation and utilization. This study aimed at elucidating the dynamic lipidomic changes during seven growth stages of F. velutipes using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Our results revealed significant increases in ceramides along with the growth and a sharp decline in phosphatidylinositols from mycelial to primordial stages. Fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids, recently discovered for their bioactivities, showed high intensities in the mycelial and primordial stages but decreased rapidly thereafter. These findings provide profound insights into the lipid profiles associated with mushroom morphology and development. This lipidomics study establishes a foundational understanding for future research in agricultural and food chemistry applications, potentially improving industrial production and quality control of F. velutipes.

Edible CO2-Responsive Wormlike Micelles with Docosahexaenoic Acid.

Due to their unique microstructure and modifiable rheological properties, wormlike micelles that respond to environmental stimulation have garnered significant interest in recent years. Among them, CO2-responsive wormlike micelles have the advantages of simple preparation and controllable properties, which have significant development potential in the food chemistry field of thickeners. In this study, CO2-responsive wormlike micelles were prepared using docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), pyridoxamine (PA), and glucosamine (GA); the stimulus-responsive behaviors and mechanisms of the two systems, namely, NaDHA/PA and NaDHA/GA, were investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM). The nearly unaltered viscosity of the systems confirmed the cyclic reversibility of the CO2 response of the two systems when the two mixed solutions were converted back to aqueous liquids 10 times. The preparation and properties of DHA-based CO2-responsive wormlike micelles are expected to advance fundamental research and establish the theoretical groundwork for their practical application in controllable thickening agents in food chemistry.

Total Protein Determination by Recovery Fluorescence of Trinitrotoluene-Quenched Protein-Functionalized Gold Nanoclusters.

Determination of total protein content is very important for clinical, pharmaceutical and food chemistry, and the simplicity and rapidity of the existing total protein content assays should be improved. Here, a novel fluorescent sensor for total protein content measurement was described using near-infrared emitting fluorescent gold nanoclusters, which were prepared with egg whites. Trinitrotoluene served as highly efficient quencher to quench the fluorescence of gold nanoclusters. Interestingly, the trinitrotoluene-protein complex that formed by premixing of trinitrotoluene and protein-containing real samples maintained the fluorescence of gold nanoclusters. These new findings provided a novel mechanism to design a fluorescence sensor for determination of total protein levels in various real samples. With available and low-cost bovine serum albumin as reference, the obtained standard curve for total protein determination indicated a linear range of 0.1-3.5g L- 1 with a detection limit of 0.06g L- 1 (3σ rule) and a correlation efficiency (R2) of 0.9850. The applicability of the proposed sensor was validated by determination of total protein levels in real samples. Comparison with the existing spectrophotometric methods, the proposed sensor is advantageous of simplicity, rapidity, and cost-effectiveness.

A Cartridge Structure Facilitates Clinical Mass Spectrometry Pretreatment and Can be Integrated Into a High‐Throughput Instrument

ABSTRACTLiquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) is becoming an increasingly essential analytical technique in many fields, such as food, environmental, biochemical, pharmaceutical, and clinical chemistry. The testing matrices, such as plasma and serum, cannot usually be sent directly to the LC–MS/MS system because of the large number of unrelated substances in addition to target analytes in samples, such as cells, tissues, and proteins. Protein precipitation (PPT) is the most utilized pretreatment method in clinical analysis because of its ease of use; its performance always involves the separation of the liquid phase from the solid phase, in which the most commonly used manipulation is centrifugation. However, there is an upper limit of throughput for centrifugation, and the cost and difficulty of integrating centrifugation into automatic equipment are usually high. To solve the drawbacks of the current PPT method, we developed a cartridge structure that can omit the centrifugation step in PPT, which, in turn, can facilitate the incorporation of the PPT method into an automatic clinical pretreatment procedure for LC–MS/MS. We used vitamin D analysis as a representative application in our endeavor to develop a centrifugation‐free PPT method that can be easily applied to a new automatic clinical pretreatment procedure.

A Comprehensive Bibliometric Study in the Context of Chemical Hazards in Coffee.

The research aimed to carefully review the chemical hazards linked to the coffee production chain to analyse the risks and opportunities for consumers and the environment, as well as identify potential knowledge gaps. The Scopus database was consulted from 1949 to April 2024 to conduct a bibliometric analysis. As a result, 680 articles were analysed. Results indicated a significant increase in research activity since 2015. China, Brazil, and the USA were the leading countries in scientific production and collaborations. The most prolific journals in this field were Chemosphere, Science of the Total Environment, Food Chemistry, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, and Journal of Environmental Management, all of which are in the first quartile. The word analysis revealed two main themes: the first focuses on the chemical hazards of coffee and their impact on health, while the second explores the waste generated during coffee production and its potential for reuse. The topics covered in the research include the composition of coffee, associated chemical hazards, possible health risks, and ways to reuse waste for environmental protection. Future research should concentrate on optimising techniques and processes to ensure quality, safety, and sustainability.

Ratiometric fluorescent platform for on-site monitoring of sodium pyrosulfite in preserved fruits

The rapid detection of pyrosulfites in food chemistry is crucial to food safety and health. Here, a coumarin-type ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed based on the Michael addition reaction to detect sodium pyrosulfite (Na2S2O5). The probe exhibited high selectivity and fast response (t1/2 = 6 s) to Na2S2O5 and a low detection limit (26 nM). Because of its excellent ratiometric response performance, the probe was successfully applied to measure the amount of Na2S2O5 in preserved fruits. Colour information analysis and formula calculations were performed to quickly determine the sodium pyrosulfite amount in an actual sample by using a smartphone. Therefore, the intelligent strategy of combining the sensing process and smartphone provides a convenient and efficient method for the fast monitoring of sodium metabisulfite in actual food.