Foodstuffs Of Plant Origin Research Articles

Determination of eight herbicide residues in foodstuffs of plant origin by gas chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization–tandem mass spectrometry

This study uses gas chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–APCI–MS/MS) to detect and identify 8 herbicide residues in foodstuffs of plant origin. In contrast to the extensive fragmentation caused by traditional electron impact ionization (EI) with high energy, APCI is a soft ionization technique. Therefore, more molecular ions and/or protonated molecules are present, improving the sensitivity and selectivity of analytical methods. The standard calibration curves ranged from 0.5 to 50 ng/mL; recoveries were in the range of 76.3–108.5%. The limit of quantification was 1.0 µg/kg for all samples. The results demonstrate the potential of GC–APCI–MS/MS to routinely detect and identify 8 herbicide residues in foodstuffs of plant origin.

Pengembangan Sistem Pendeteksi Jenis Sayuran dengan Metode CNN Berbasis Android

Vegetables are foodstuffs of plant origin that can be consumed fresh and have various health benefits. However, not a few people do not know the types of vegetables and will find it difficult to find the vegetables they want. This research aims to make it easier for people to find vegetables by classifying them. Researchers developed a model using the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) method with a total of 15 datasets with a total of 3000 image data. Researchers conducted training datasets with 3 types of epochs, including 20 epochs, 50 epochs and 100 epochs. The training produces accuracy and training loss, with the highest accuracy belonging to Epoch 50 and Epoch 100 and the lowest level of training loss is owned by Epoch 100 with a total of 0.609. However, after the model was deployed, the accuracy results obtained were not as high as the tests conducted on Google Colab. Tests were carried out on several objects, including carrots with an accuracy of 69%, cabbage with an accuracy of 53%, and papaya with an accuracy of 82%. The difference in accuracy results may be caused by objects that are less identical to the datasets or can also be caused by imperfect models. Even so, this application can already be used to classify types of vegetables.

Characterization and Quantification of Arsenic Species in Foodstuffs of Plant Origin by HPLC/ICP-MS.

Arsenic is a well-known carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic element and occurs in the environment both as inorganic arsenic (iAs) and organoarsenical compounds (oAsCs). Since the toxicity of arsenic compounds depends on their chemical form, the identification and determination of arsenic species are essential. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority, following the European Commission request, published a report on chronic dietary exposure to iAs and recommended the development and validation of analytical methods with adequate sensitivity and refined extraction procedures for this determination. Moreover, the authority called upon new arsenic speciation data for complex food matrices such as seaweeds, grains and grain-based products. Looking at this context, an optimized, sensitive and fast analytical method using high performance liquid chromatography followed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS) was developed for the determination of iAs (sum of arsenite-AsIII and arsenate-AsV) and the most relevant oAsCs, arsenobetaine, dimethylarsinic acid and monomethylarsonic acid. The method was validated with satisfactory results in terms of linearity, sensitivity, selectivity, precision, recovery, uncertainty, ruggedness and matrix effect, and then successfully applied for the analysis of several matrices, i.e., processed and unprocessed cereal and cereal products, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seaweeds, nuts and seeds. The results obtained indicate that not only seaweed and rice matrices but also many cereals, legumes and plant-based foods for infants and young children contain significant concentrations of iAs and oAsCs. These findings contribute to the data collection necessary to assess the role of these matrices in the total arsenic exposure and if specific maximum limits have to be established.

Determination of Xinjunan pesticide residue in foodstuffs of plant origin by a modified QuEChERS method and ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

In this study, the determination of Xinjunan pesticide residue in apple, cottonseed, pepper, tomato, grape and pear by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was established. The samples were purified by a modified QuEChERS method. The analysis was performed by UPLC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Acetonitrile and 1.0 mmol L−1 ammonium acetate (containing 0.1% formic acid) were used as the mobile phases. The external standard method was used for quantification. The average recoveries were 75.6–106.2% with an RSD ≤8.8%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 2.0 μg/kg for apple, pepper, tomato, grape and pear and 10.0 μg/kg for cottonseed. The proposed method is fast, sensitive, simple, and accurate and could be used for the quantification of Xinjunan pesticide residue in foodstuffs of plant origin.

Vulnerability of anthocyanins to the components of a thin-layer chromatographic system and comprehensive screening of anthocyanes in alimentary products

The aim of this study was to revisit the TLC authentication of alimentary products concept based on analysis of anthocyanes with the foodstuffs of plant origin. To this effect, we used two anthocyanins (cyanin and keracyanin) and two anthocyanidins (pelargonidin and delphinidin) as phytochemical standards. The first step was to develop a novel method making use of the RP-18 F254s stationary phase (which ensures mixed-mode retention mechanism with the localized adsorption on the non-bonded silanols) and acetic acid as the mobile phase component. Importantly, similar TLC systems are currently used for the analysis of anthocyanes. Individual steps of our method development enabled a deeper insight in vulnerability of anthocyanins to external conditions resulting in hydrolysis thereof. In this study, it was impossible to fully separate the products of hydrolytic degradation of the test anthocyanins in a single development run and it was only triple development which ensured distinct and symmetrically shaped chromatographic spots, further scrutinized with use of mass spectrometry. The identity of the hydrolytically split fractions was additionally studied with use of the p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) test. To obtain calibration curves, triple development was employed for cyanin, keracyanin, and pelargonidin, while delphinidin was developed in one development run. The respective LOD and LOQ values were: for spot (i) derived from the cyanin standard, 0.005 and 0.016 μg spot−1; for spot (ii) derived from the cyanin standard, 0.006 and 0.017 μg spot−1; for spot (i) derived from the keracyanin standard, 0.092 and 0.274 μg spot−1; for spot (ii) derived from the keracyanin standard, 0.035 and 0.104 μg spot−1; for the pelargonidin standard, 0.013 and 0.040 μg spot−1; and for the delphinidin standard, 0.036 and 0.108 μg spot−1. The developed method was used to identify and quantify cyanin, keracyanin, pelargonidin and delphinidin in selected alimentary products (syrups, juices and herbal infusions), keeping in mind that the obtained numerical results were of semi-quantitative nature only.

Chromate in food samples: an artefact of wrongly applied analytical methodology?

Recently several papers were published in highly ranked journals on the presence of Cr(VI) in tea infusions, bread samples and plants. These statements were made on the basis of determination of total Cr concentrations in alkaline and aqueous sample extracts by ETAAS, without applying any speciation analysis. If Cr(VI) really exists in bread samples and tea infusions, consumption of bread and tea would represent long-term chronic exposure to Cr(VI) and a health threat for the majority of the human population. It is well accepted that due to the presence of organic matter foodstuffs of plant and animal origin cannot contain Cr(VI). Therefore, to show that the reported data on the presence of Cr(VI) in foodstuffs are an artefact of inappropriately applied analytical methodology, investigation of speciation was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). 50Cr(VI) and 53Cr(III) stable isotopes were used to follow species interconversions during the extraction procedures. Separated Cr species eluted from the column were followed at m/z 50, 52 and 53. The high sensitivity of the HPLC-ICP-MS method (LOD for m/z 52, 0.03 μg Cr(VI) L−1) enabled reliable determination of Cr(VI) at concentration levels that were much lower than the total Cr content present in sample extracts. The speciation analysis data demonstrated that in all samples analysed Cr(VI) concentrations were below the LOD. In tea infusions 50Cr(VI) was almost completely reduced due to the presence of antioxidants, while the high content of organic matter in bread appreciably reduced 50Cr(VI) even in highly alkaline (pH 12) bread extracts. The data confirmed that Cr(VI) does not exist in foodstuffs of plant origin and provided some conclusive evidence that the same can be expected for foods of animal origin.

Studies on estrogenic activities of food additives with human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and mechanism of estrogenicity by BHA and OPP

Estrogenic activities of more than 90 chemicals including food additives, foodstuffs of plant origin, and some chemicals, which could be orally ingested, were examined by assaying estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent proliferation of MCF-7 cells. Among 66 food additives, 17 compounds stimulated the proliferation, but their concentrations giving maximal cell yield were higher than that of 17 beta-estradiol and their estrogenic activities were weak. Flavonoids had relatively strong estrogenic activities. In the assay of ER competitive binding to human ER alpha and ER beta in vitro, the antioxidant t-butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) had the capacity to compete with 17 beta-estradiol, while the capacity of o-phenyl phenol (OPP) was too small to calculate. Both BHA and OPP induced a decrease in gene expression of ER alpha and an increase in that of progesterone receptor in a time-dependent manner. These effects were similar to that of 17 beta-estradiol, a though much higher concentrations were required for these compounds than 17 beta-estradiol. These results may suggest that we should be careful not to ingest excessive food additives.