Dried Vine Fruits Research Articles

Free and bound polar phenols in Corinthian currants (Vitis vinifera L., var. Apyrena)

Corinthian currant is a Greek dried fruit that accounts for approximately 3% of the dried vine fruit worldwide production; its consumption has been associated with health benefits in rodents and humans. In this study, Corinthian currant was evaluated for its free and bound polar phenol content; samples from six Greek cultivation regions were analyzed. Among others, ten compounds were identified for the first time as components of the Corinthian currant free polar phenol profile, using UHPLC-ESI/MS; Caftaric acid predominated (10.59 mg/100 g) followed by miquelianin (5.41 mg/100 g). Two procedures, both combining acid and alkaline hydrolysis but in reverse order, were comparatively evaluated for the release of bound phenols from the fruit matrix; both approaches were proven adequate for the Corinthian currant bound phenol determination. Phenolic acids and flavonoids constituted the Corinthian currant bound polar phenol fraction. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid was the major constituent of both the acid (6.81 mg/100 g) and the subsequent alkaline (4.85 mg/100 g) hydrolysates. Bound polar phenols may provide various health-promoting properties and this is the first study to investigate the bound phenols of Corinthian currant and apply an efficient method for their release.

Winter poisoning hazards for pets

In this final article on seasonal poisoning risks to pets, winter poisoning hazards are discussed. Some hazards in this season are associated with cold weather such as carbon monoxide poisoning, antifreeze and medicines for the symptomatic relief of colds and flu. Carbon monoxide poisoning in winter is often associated with use of a faulty heating appliance and may be missed as the effects are vague and non-specific but other members of the household may also be unwell. Ethylene glycol antifreeze poisoning results in renal failure and requires prompt antidotal treatment to prevent the formation of metabolites which are responsible for the toxic effects. If a pet has eaten a cold and flu product it is important to obtain information on the name and ingredients as these products contain various analgesics and decongestants that require different management. Christmas foods (chocolate, foods containing dried vine fruits, macadamia nuts) and decorative plants such as holly, poinsettia and mistletoe are also a potential risk to pets at this time of year. These plants usually only cause mild signs despite their poisonous reputation. Macadamia nuts can cause self-limiting signs in dogs and chocolate commonly causes neurological and cardiovascular signs, but severe cases are uncommon. Ingestion of dried vine fruits requires prophylactic treatment to prevent acute kidney injury.

Winter poisoning hazards for pets

In this final article on seasonal poisoning risks to pets, winter poisoning hazards are discussed. Some hazards in this season are associated with cold weather such as carbon monoxide poisoning, antifreeze and medicines for the symptomatic relief of colds and flu. Carbon monoxide poisoning in winter is often associated with use of a faulty heating appliance and may be missed as the effects are vague and non-specific but other members of the household may also be unwell. Ethylene glycol antifreeze poisoning results in renal failure and requires prompt antidotal treatment to prevent the formation of metabolites which are responsible for the toxic effects. If a pet has eaten a cold and flu product it is important to obtain information on the name and ingredients as these products contain various analgesics and decongestants that require different management. Christmas foods (chocolate, foods containing dried vine fruits, macadamia nuts) and decorative plants such as holly, poinsettia and mistletoe are also a potential risk to pets at this time of year. These plants usually only cause mild signs despite their poisonous reputation. Macadamia nuts can cause self-limiting signs in dogs and chocolate commonly causes neurological and cardiovascular signs, but severe cases are uncommon. Ingestion of dried vine fruits requires prophylactic treatment to prevent acute kidney injury.

Polar phenol detection in rat brain: Development and validation of a versatile UHPLC-MS method and application on the brain tissues of Corinthian currant (Vitis vinifera L.,var. Apyrena) fed rats

This study aimed to validate a rapid and selective bioanalytical method, using UHPLC-Orbitrap MS, for the determination of brain polar phenolics and to apply it in rats that orally consumed Corinthian currant for 38 days. Corinthian currant, is a dried vine fruit rich in polar phenolics that potentially penetrate the brain. During method optimization fresh and lyophilized tissues were comparatively studied along with different solid-phase extraction cartridges; satisfactory recoveries (>80%) for almost all analytes were attained using fresh tissues and Oasis® HLB cartridges. Brain regional levels in phenol concentrations were then determined; isoquercetin showed higher concentrations in frontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum (14.0 ± 5.5, 6.6 ± 2.0, and 2.9 ± 1.3 ng/g tissue, respectively); rutin and gallic acid in cerebellum and isorhamnetin, quercetin and rutin in hippocampus of the Corinthian currant supplemented rat group compared to the control. This is the first study investigating polar phenolics’ accumulation in rat brain after Corinthian currant supplementation.

Host Factors Modulating Ochratoxin A Biosynthesis during Fruit Colonization by Aspergillus carbonarius.

Aspergillus carbonarius is a strong and consistent ochratoxin A (OTA) producer and considered to be the main source of this toxic metabolite in grapes and grape products such as wine, grape juice and dried vine fruit. OTA is produced under certain growth conditions and its accumulation is affected by several environmental factors, such as growth phase, substrate, temperature, water activity and pH. In this study, we examined the impact of fruit host factors on regulation and accumulation of OTA in colonized grape berries, and assessed in vitro the impact of those factors on the transcriptional levels of the key genes and global regulators contributing to fungal colonization and mycotoxin synthesis. We found that limited sugar content, low pH levels and high malic acid concentrations activated OTA biosynthesis by A. carbonarius, both in synthetic media and during fruit colonization, through modulation of global regulator of secondary metabolism, laeA and OTA gene cluster expression. These findings indicate that fruit host factors may have a significant impact on the capability of A. carbonarius to produce and accumulate OTA in grapes.

Genetic Diversity, Ochratoxin A and Fumonisin Profiles of Strains of Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolated from Dried Vine Fruits.

We investigated ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in raisin samples purchased from Slovak markets and determined the diversity of black-spored aspergilli as potential OTA and fumonisin (FB1 and FB2) producers. The taxonomic identification was performed using sequences of the nuclear ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 region, the calmodulin and beta-tubulin genes. We obtained 239 isolates from eight fungal genera, of which 197 belonged to Aspergillus (82%) and 42 strains (18%) to other fungal genera. OTA contamination was evidenced in 75% of the samples and its level ranged from 0.8 to 10.6 µg/kg. The combination of all three markers used enabled unambiguous identification of A. carbonarius, A. luchuensis, A. niger, A. tubingensis and A. welwitschiae. The dominant coloniser, simultaneously having the highest within-species diversity isolated from our raisin samples, was A. tubingensis. Out of all analysed strains, only A. carbonarius was found to produce OTA, but in relatively high quantity (2477–4382 µg/kg). The production of FB1 and FB2 was evidenced in A. niger strains only.

The Influence of NaCl and Glucose Content on Growth and Ochratoxin A Production by Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus carbonarius and Penicillium nordicum.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin, which deserves particular attention for its widespread contamination of a variety of food and feed. Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus carbonarius, and Penicillium nordicum are an important source of OTA in three different kinds of food commodities, including cereals, grape and dried fruit products, and dry-cured meat products. Deeper knowledge of OTA production and mycelium growth related to the high-sugar or NaCl-rich environments was gained in this manuscript. A. ochraceus and P. nordicum were likely to have greater growth rates in medium supplied with certain concentrations of NaCl (0–80 g/L), and the colony diameter was the largest at the salt content of 40 g/L. P. nordicum was more suitable to grow in NaCl-riched medium, the OTA production was increased to 316 ppb from 77 ppb when 20 g/L NaCl was added. The capability of OTA production was inhibited when salt content was 40 g/L and 60 g/L in A. ochraceus and P. nordicum, respectively. As the glucose content increased to 250 g/L, the capacity of mycelium growth and sporulation was increased significantly in A. ochraceus and A. carbonarius. A. carbonarius was more suitable to grow in high-sugar grape products. OTA production was significantly promoted with an added 100 g/L glucose in A. carbonarius. OTA production was inhibited when glucose content was 150 g/L and in 200 g/L in A. ochraceus and A. carbonarius, respectively. NaCl and glucose have an effect on fungal growth and OTA production, and the activation of biosynthetic genes of OtaA. These results would allow designing new strategies to prevent OTA accumulation on sugar or NaCl-riched foodstuffs and achieve the objective to manufacture cereals, dried vine fruits and dry-cured ham, free of OTA.

Effects of temperature and water activity change on ecophysiology of ochratoxigenic Aspergillus carbonarius in field-simulating conditions

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the primary mycotoxin threat in wine and dried vine fruits. Its presence in grape and wine is strongly related to climatic conditions and the expected climate change could represent a risk of increasing fungal colonization and OTA contamination in grapes. In this regard, the interacting effect of i) different conditions of water availability (0.93 and 0.99aw) and ii) different 10 h/14 h dark/light alternating temperature conditions simulating a nowadays (18/31 °C) and climate change scenario (20/37 °C) in high OTA risk areas of Apulia region, were studied. Lag phases prior to growth, mycelial growth rate, the expression of biosynthesis, transcription factors and regulatory genes of OTA cluster and OTA production were analysed in Aspergillus carbonarius ITEM 5010 under the combined effect of different climatic factors. At 18/31 °C and under water stress conditions (0.93 aw) the growth rate was slower than at 0.99 aw; on the contrary, at 20/37 °C a higher growth rate was observed at 0.93 aw. An over-expression of OTA genes and genes belonging to the global regulator Velvet complex was observed at 18/31 °C and 0.99 aw, with the specific OTA pathway transcription factor bZIP showing the highest expression level. The up-regulated transcription profile of the genes positively correlated with OTA production higher at 18/31 °C than at 20/37 °C and 0.99 aw; while no OTA production was detected at 0.93 aw at each of the temperature conditions tested. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the possible increase of the temperature, likely to happen in some areas of the Apulia region, may results in a reduction of both A. carbonarius spoilage and OTA production in grapes.

Intraspecific variability of growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus carbonarius from different foods and geographical areas

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin naturally found in a wide range of food commodities throughout the world. Aspergillus carbonarius is the most important source of OTA in food commodities such as wine, grapes and dried vine fruits and is also responsible for the formation of OTA in coffee.The aim of this study was to determine the simultaneous effect of three culture media (Czapek Yeast Extract Broth (CYB); Synthetic Grape Juice Medium (SGM) and White grape juice (WGJ)) at three water activity (aw) levels (0.90; 0.95 and 0.98–0.99), and three incubation temperatures (15 °C, 25 °C and 35 °C) on the growth and OTA production by 16 strains of A. carbonarius. The strains were mainly isolated from grapes from areas with a Mediterranean climate. All the strains were confirmed for identity by sequencing of the calmodulin gene. The assay was performed in microtiter plates, determining the absorbance at 530 nm and the concentration of OTA after 1, 2, 4 and 10 days of incubation.No significant differences were observed in absorbance values between the strains. The highest absorbance values were recorded in CYB at 0.99 aw and at 0.95 aw after 10 days of incubation at 25 °C and 35 °C. None of the strains were able to grow at 0.90 aw and 15 °C in any culture media after 10 days of incubation. OTA concentration was statistically higher at 15 °C than at 25 °C or 35 °C. The highest significant OTA values were obtained at 0.98–0.99 aw and the best culture media for OTA production was CYB, followed by WGJ and SGM. While strains isolated from Mediterranean climate foods had a similar behavior despite being isolated from different geographical areas, OTA concentration produced by one Robusta coffee strain from Thailand was statistically higher at 25 °C than at 15 °C. This would suggest that the type of food matrices and consequently the adaptation of A. carbonarius strains to different climatic conditions would have a greater influence on the ecophysiology of the strains than only their geographical origin.

Water-soluble vitamin content of sun-dried Corinthian raisins (Vitis vinifera L., var. Apyrena).

Corinthian raisins are dried vine products, representing approximately 3% of the world dried vine fruit production. The majority of Corinthian raisin production is of Greek origin. Studies on the B-group vitamin content of Corinthian raisins produced in Greece as well as on the effect of region and cultivation altitude on the B-group vitamin content are absent in the literature. Corinthian raisin vitamin content was evaluated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography after acid and enzymatic hydrolysis in terms of raisin subcategory, i.e. regions of cultivation, crop-to-crop variations, and cultivation altitude. Eight vitamers from five different vitamins were identified and quantified in Corinthian raisins. Vitamin B3 (0.77-2.82 g × 10-2 × kg-1 ) was found to predominate, followed by B6 (0.27-0.37 g × 10-2 × kg-1 ), B1 (0.19-0.22 g × 10-2 × kg-1 ), and B2 (0.10-0.15 g × 10-2 × kg-1 ). B9 content was up to 7.1 g × 10-5 × kg-1 . Minor differences were observed among regions of cultivation, cultivation altitude and crop-to-crop variations. This study revealed the presence of several water-soluble vitamins in Corinthian raisins that, together with other health-promoting micronutrients present in the product, further reinforce its place as part of a healthy diet. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fungal contamination of dried vine fruits and ochratoxin a detection in grape juice from Duhok, Iraq

Introduction: Dried vine fruits (raisins) and their juice are widely consumed by human as a diet. Raisins have been shown highly contaminated with ochratoxin A (OTA) and OTA-producing fungi. Ochratoxin A is a potent nephrotoxic and carcinogen to human and animals. Materials and Methods: Dried vine fruit samples was obtained from local shops for fruit juice and soft drinks in Duhok province. Two different media, Dichloran R ose Ben gal Chloromphenicol Agar (DRBC) and Dichloran 18 % Glycerol Agar (DG-18) was used for the counting and isolation of fungi from dried vine fruits. Grape juice were prepared from dried vine fruit after blending with water in a commercial blender. Natural contamination with ochratoxin A was detected by LC-MS/MS technique. Results and Discussion: All samples confirmed to be contaminated with fungi with various degrees. A total of 19 filamentous genera of fungi as well to Yeasts and non sporulation mycelium was detected. Predominant genera detected on both media were Aspergillus and Penicillium. Detected value of ochratoxn A in juices obtained from dried vine fruits was between 0.37 ng/ml to 1.85 ng/ml. Samples contaminated with ochratoxin A were associated withAspergillus carbonarius, A. niger aggregate, A. sclerotium, A. ochraceus, and Penicillum verrucosum. Conclusion: Dried vines fruit were highly contaminated with a broad spectrum of filamentous fungi. Black aspergilli were the most detected species from samples naturally contaminated with ochratoxin A

Detection of Ochratoxigenic Potential in some Aspergillus and Penicillium Isolates from Vineyard Soil, Fresh and Dried Grapes by ELISA

Several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium were isolated and identified from samples of vineyard soil, fresh grape berries and dried vine fruits collected from grapevine nursery and shops in Duhok province. The ochratoxigenic potential of some of their strains was evaluated by ELISA technique. Ochratoxin A (OA) was detected in cultures of two species of section Nigri (A.carbonarius and A.niger aggreg.), two species of Aspergillus section Circumdati (A.ochraceus and A.westerdijkia) and one species of OA was found at levels from 0.64 to 0.72 ng ml in A.carbonarius isolates, from 0.64 to 0.66 ng ml in A.niger aggreg. isolates, from 0.23 to 0.65 ng ml in A.ochraceus isolates and 0.40 ngml in A.westterdijkia isolate, whereas the level was from 0.61 to 0.64 ngml in Penicillium verrucosum.تم عزل وتشخیص العدید من الأنواع الفطریة العائدة للجنسین اسبرجلس و بنیسیلیوم من عینات ترب حقول الأعناب فضلا عن ثمار العنب الطریة و الجافة والتی جمعت من محافظه دهوک. تم الکشف عن قابلیه إنتاج هذه العزلات لإنتاج السم Aspergillus section Nigri تم الکشف عن إنتاج السم من قبل عزلتان من ELISA. الفطری اوکراتوکسین باستخدام تقنیه Aspergillus section Circumdati (A.ochraceus وعزلتان من (A.carbonarius A.niger aggreg.), .Penicillium (P.verrucosum و عزله من A.westerdijkiae A.niger 0.64 نانوغرام / ملغم وفى عزلات - ما بین 0.72 A.carbonarius تراوح مستوى إنتاج السم من قبل عزلات 0.23 و فی عزله - مابین 0.65 A.ochraceus 0.64 نانوغرام/ ملغرام وفى عزلات - مابین 0.66 aggreg. 0.61 نانوغرام/ ملغم فى عزلات - 0.40 نانوغرام/ ملغرام بینما تراوح الإنتاج مابین - 0.64 A.westerdijkiaie .Penicillium verrucosum

Corinthian raisins (Vitis vinifera L., var. Apyrena) antioxidant and sugar content as affected by the drying process: a 3-year study.

Corinthian raisins or Corinthian currants are dried grape products that account for approximately 3% of dried vine fruit production worldwide. Greece is the major Corinthian raisin producer. In this study Corinthian raisins were produced by applying two traditional drying methods, i.e. sun and shade drying. The drying process effect on the raisin phytochemical and sugar content was assessed; samples obtained over three consecutive crops were evaluated to prevail over climatic condition variations. Total phenolic, flavanol, and anthocyanin content were higher in Corinthian raisins dried under shade as compared with the sun-dried ones; individual anthocyanidin-3-O-glucosides were also qualitatively and quantitatively higher under shade drying in most cases. Differences were observed in Corinthian raisin phytochemical content among the crop years evaluated. The drying process applied did not discriminatively affect the sugar content of Corinthian raisin. Drying under shade was proven superior to sun drying with respect to Corinthian raisin phytochemicals and could be considered as an appealing drying method for the production of dried raisins and perhaps other dried fruits. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Use of gaseous ozone for reduction of ochratoxin A and fungal populations on sultanas

Background and Aims Contaminated dried vine fruits including sultanas are regarded as an important source of ochratoxin A (OTA), a fungal secondary toxic metabolite, in human diets. Management of fungal contamination and OTA in the dried vine fruit industry includes prevention, regulation and decontamination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of gaseous ozone on the degradation of OTA on spiked sultanas. The effect of ozonation on indigenous fungal populations and the concentration of phenolic substances was also evaluated on non‐spiked portions of the sultana sample. Methods and Results Sultanas were exposed to a continuous stream of gaseous ozone at 12.8 mg/L for up to 240 min in a treatment chamber at ambient laboratory conditions. The initial OTA level on spiked sultanas, determined as 16.7 μg/kg, was reduced by 60.2 and 82.5% after 120 and 240 min of ozone exposure, respectively. Exposure to gaseous ozone for 120 min yielded more than 2.2 log reduction in the fungal population naturally present on sultanas. Ozonation for up to 120 min did not cause a significant (P > 0.05) change in the concentration of phenolic substances of sultanas. Conclusions Greater than the 60% reduction in the concentration of OTA on superficially contaminated sultanas can be achieved by gaseous ozone treatment without causing a significant decrease in the concentration of phenolic substances. Significance of the Study Gaseous ozone has potential to degrade OTA and reduce fungal viability on sultanas

Süt Toplama Tanklarında Okratoksin A Varlığının Belirlenmesi

Ochratoxin A (OTA) produced by several Aspergillus and Penicillium species is a mycotoxin that contaminates different foods and feedstuffs, including cereals, coffee beans, nuts, cocoa, pulses, beer, wine, spices, dried vine fruits, meat, milk. In humans and animals, OTA has been observed to be particularly nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, embryotoxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic. Ochratoxin A is a stable molecule and can remain unchanged even after the processes applied. In this study, it was aimed to determine the presence of ochratoxin A in milk samples (n:40) collected from bulk tank milks in Burdur province of Turkey. The presence of OTA in the samples was analyzed by using ELISA. The analyzes were performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. As a result, Ochratoxin A was found in 40 cow’s milk samples (range 2-270 ng/l) collected from bulk milk tanks. The results of this study show that cow’s milk should be considered as a potential OTA source in the human diet. It is proposed to examine the presence of OTA more intensively in dairy products and to determine their maximum limit values by conducting necessary studies.

Chemometric Analysis of the Volatile Compounds Generated by Aspergillus carbonarius Strains Isolated from Grapes and Dried Vine Fruits.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in grape production is an important problem worldwide. Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) have been demonstrated as useful tools to identify different toxigenic strains. In this study, Aspergillus carbonarius strains were classified into two groups, moderate toxigenic strains (MT) and high toxigenic strains (HT), according to OTA-forming ability. The MVOCs were analyzed by GC-MS and the data processing was based on untargeted profiling using XCMS Online software. Orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was performed using extract ion chromatogram GC-MS datasets. For contrast, quantitative analysis was also performed. Results demonstrated that the performance of the OPLS-DA model of untargeted profiling was better than the quantitative method. Potential markers were successfully discovered by variable importance on projection (VIP) and t-test. (E)-2-octen-1-ol, octanal, 1-octen-3-one, styrene, limonene, methyl-2-phenylacetate and 3 unknown compounds were selected as potential markers for the MT group. Cuparene, (Z)-thujopsene, methyl octanoate and 1 unknown compound were identified as potential markers for the HT groups. Finally, the selected markers were used to construct a supported vector machine classification (SVM-C) model to check classification ability. The models showed good performance with the accuracy of cross-validation and test prediction of 87.93% and 92.00%, respectively.

Study on the presence of ochratoxin α in cultures of ochratoxigenic and non- ochratoxigenic strains of Aspergillus carbonarius

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent nephrotoxin and carcinogen which is found in a wide variety of common foods and beverages and it is produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. Ochratoxin α (OTα), a major metabolite of OTA, has also been reported to occur in cultures of OTA-producing species. However there is some controversial about the participation of OTα in the biosynthesis of OTA, mainly because its biosynthesis pathway has not yet been completely characterized. Aspergillus carbonarius is the main responsible source of ochratoxin A (OTA) in food commodities such as wine, grapes or dried vine fruits from main viticultural regions worldwide. However, little is known about the presence of OTα in isolates of A. carbonarius. In this study we evaluated the effects of temperature and incubation time on OTα production by both OTA and non-OTA-producing strains of A. carbonarius. OTA and OTα were detected on the basis of HPLC fluorometric response compared with that of their standards and confirmed by HPLC-MS in selected samples. The non-OTA-producing strains did produce neither OTA nor OTα at any of the conditions tested. The OTA-producing strains studied were able to produce both OTA and OTα in most of the conditions tested. In general, higher amounts of OTA than OTα were produced, but a positive correlation in the production of these two metabolites was detected. The lack of production of both OTA and OTα in the non-OTA-producing strains could be caused by the presence of silent genes or by mutations in functional or regulatory genes involved in OTA production.

Raisins and Currants as Conventional Nutraceuticals in Italian Market: Natural Occurrence of Ochratoxin A.

The healthy consumers make a strong pressure to natural products that can prevent the chronic diseases and improve the general health status, and therefore an important aspect that have to be considered is the safe level of the nutraceuticals. This study reports the occurrence of Ochratoxin A (OTA) and associated fungal contamination in 35 samples of dried vine fruits imported in the European community potentially used for the development of new nutraceutical supplements. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis identified 18 samples as contaminated by OTA with an average level of 2.6 μg/kg. OTA was measured in 4 samples of currants (mean value of 6.6 μg/kg) and 13 samples of raisins (mean value of 1.4 μg/kg). In one sample of currants and one of raisins from Turkey OTA exceeded the limits set by European Commission of 10 μg/kg, being contaminated with 12.61 and 15.99 μg/kg, respectively. All the positive samples were confirmed by Orbitrap Q Exactive through their molecular weight and the corresponding fragmentation. The worldwide consumption of dried vine fruits contributed to OTA exposure in several group of consumers. In particular, considering the potential nutraceutical approach, this consumption may be represent a severe risk for healthy consumers that consider these products like healthy and salutistic for their contents in antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Data reported in this study confirmed the need to regularly monitor mycotoxin levels in these food products and optimize the process of fruits drying in order to reduce the development of toxigenic molds.

Classification of Different Dried Vine Fruit Varieties in China by HS-SPME-GC-MS Combined with Chemometrics

The volatile profiles of six dried vine fruit varieties produced in Xinjiang province were detected by HS-SPME–GC-MS. In total, 80 compounds were identified; among them, rose oxide, linalool oxide A, linalool oxide B, 3,7-dimethyl-1,5-octadien-3,7-diol, 2-heptenol, and 3-octen-2-one are reported for the first time in dried vine fruits. Chemometrics was used to classify the different dried vine fruit varieties. Principal component analysis (PCA) overviewed the data structure of the six dried vine fruit varieties and two subsets—muscat and non-muscat varieties obtained. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was conducted to classify different varieties based on their volatile compounds and generated a perfect classification model with an accuracy of 100% for the external test set. Additionally, to find out potential markers, two variable selection methods were combined with the PLS-DA model and compared—variable importance in projection (VIP) and sensitivity ratio (SR). The SR method was more efficient at identifying the potential volatile markers. The potential markers can successfully classify different dried vine fruit varieties.

The need to revisit ochratoxin A risk in light of diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease prevalence

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin, or fungal toxin, that contaminates multiple foodstuffs worldwide. Affected commodities include oats, wheat, maize, barley, raisins and other dried vine fruits, wine, beer, coffee, and cocoa. Although OTA has been shown to cause kidney disease, including kidney cancer, in multiple animal species, the impact of dietary OTA on human health from a global perspective has been less clear. Several epidemiological studies suggest an association between OTA exposure and human kidney disease, but evidence of causality has been limited. Nonetheless, because OTA is common in so many foodstuffs and may play a role in kidney disease, we consider it important to improve the body of evidence surrounding OTA's adverse effects to humans, as well as human dietary exposures in different parts of the world. This is especially true in the light of increasing type 2 diabetes and obesity prevalence worldwide; both conditions frequently lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and may synergize with dietary OTA exposure to increase CKD risk.