Multi-element Profile Research Articles

An opportunity for acerola pulp (Malpighia emarginata DC) valorization evaluating its performance during the block cryoconcentration by physicochemical, bioactive compounds, HPLC–ESI-MS/MS, and multi-elemental profile analysis

The present study evaluated the effect of cryoconcentration of pulp blocks of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC). The study evaluated cryoconcentration in three stages. The cryoconcentrated samples, the ice fractions, and the initial pulp were evaluated for physicochemical composition, bioactive composition, and multielement profile. The cryoconcentrated sample obtained in the third stage of cryoconcentration showed the best results for the concentration factor, process efficiency, total soluble solids content, red color intensity, and increasing of the macro and micronutrients: Cu, Ca, S, Sr, K, Mn, Na, P, Mg, Fe. All stages presented good performance in the total soluble solids content, increase in the titratable acidity of the concentrates, and progressive increase in the intensity of the red color. Generally, higher levels of total phenolic and antioxidant activity were found for the 2nd and 3rd concentrates. The phenolic activity showed an increase of 166.90% in the 3rd stage concentrate compared to fresh pulp, and the antioxidant activity was 112.10% by the ABTS method and 131.60% by the DPPH method, both in the 3rd stage concentrate. The major individual polyphenols were Ferulic acid, Protocatechuic acid, and Taxifolin, with significant increases in the concentration of the compounds in the 2nd and 3rd stage concentrates. In addition, the contents of potentially toxic metals were below detection limits. During the cryoconcentration process, there was a decrease in the values ​​of vitamin C content, moisture content, density, and elements Cu, Sr, and Zn.

Multi-Element Profile Characterization of Monofloral and Polyfloral Honey from Latvia.

Honey is of scientific interest mainly due to its health-promoting and antibacterial properties, which are also associated with its floral origins. However, the methods for confirming honey floral origins are quite limited and require improvements. One method suggested in the search for a multi-method approach to evaluating the floral origins of Latvian honey is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This study investigated the multi-element profile of 83 honey samples of well-specified floral origins. The main findings included using Ba, Ca, Cs, Fe, and Rb as indicator elements for heather honey. The chemometric evaluation supported the use of ICP-MS for distinguishing heather honey from other types of honey. The Latvian polyfloral honey multi-element profile was defined and compared to honey samples with other geographical origins. Additionally, the multi-element profiles of buckwheat, clover, and polyfloral honey proteins were investigated to clarify whether the majority of elements were bound with proteins or not. Preliminary results indicated that Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Sr were mainly found in non-protein-bound forms, while the majority of Al, Cu, Ni, and Zn were in the form of large chemical structures (>10 kDa).

Assessing geographical origin of Diqing wines based on their elemental and isotopic profiles

Characterization of grape and wine elemental constitution is essential in tracing their geographical origin. The traceability of wine provenance in China is conducive to implementing regional product quality protection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the multi-element profile of subregions and combine the variables of grapes and wine to assess the geographical origin. Grape and wine samples were collected from three towns in Deqin County, plateau of Diqing, China. The oxygen and carbon stable isotope ratios and the concentrations of 45 elements were measured. The interannual variability of element contents in grape and wine samples was less than 40 %. The correlation of elements between grape and wine samples can form fingerprint information of different regions. No significant variability in stable isotopes was observed among micro-vinifications from different wine-producing of the county. The grape data classification accuracy was 88.9 % by stepwise discriminant analysis (DA), and wine data classification accuracy was 95.2 % by an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The conclusion was that multielemental and isotopic information of grapes and wine will help to discriminate wine origin at the county level in China.

Multielement/proximate composition, chemical and cytotoxic profile to assess the Crinum americanum L. as an unconventional raw material of nutritional, chemical, and pharmaceutical potential

This work aimed to characterize the nutritional and multielement profile of leaves, bulbs and roots of C. americanum L., as well as to optimize a mixture of solvents (ethanol, water and ethyl acetate) to extract the highest content of bioactive compounds and evaluate its ex vivo cytotoxicity against human peripheral blood mononuclear (MN) cells. With the nutritional and multielement analysis, it was possible to determine a safe dosage for direct consumption of this plant. The optimized solvent system resulted in high antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP), total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total alkaloids (TAC). These results may be associated with the number of bioactive compounds identified by Mass Spectrometry with Electrospray Ionization and Fourier Transform (ESI-FT-MS). In total, 89 compounds were identified, including alkaloids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids and others never before identified for this plant. Furthermore, the optimized extracts did not show ex vivo cytotoxicity against MN cells at the tested concentrations. To the best of our knowledge, there is no data in the literature concerning the C. americanum L. composition in its totality. Thus, the following data are unprecedented and corroborate to establish the C. americanum L. as an unconventional plant nutritionally viable alternative for human consumption.

Multi-element analysis of tyre rubber for metal tracers

The purpose of this study was to identify a characteristic elemental tyre fingerprint that can be utilised in atmospheric source apportionment calculations. Currently zinc is widely used as a single element tracer to quantify tyre wear, however several authors have highlighted issues with this approach. To overcome this, tyre rubber tread was digested and has been analysed for 25 elements by ICP-MS to generate a multielement profile. Additionally, to estimate the percentage of the tyre made up of inert fillers, thermogravimetric analysis was performed on a subset. Comparisons were made between passenger car and heavy goods vehicle tyre composition, and a subset of tyres had both tread and sidewall sampled for further comparison. 19 of the 25 elements were detected in the analysis. The mean mass fraction of zinc detected was 11.17 g/kg, consistent with previous estimates of 1% of the tyre mass. Aluminium, iron, and magnesium were found to be the next most abundant elements. Only one source profile for tyre wear exists in both the US and EU air pollution species profile databases, highlighting the need for more recent data with better coverage of tyre makes and models. This study provides data on new tyres which are currently operating on-road in Europe and is therefore relevant for ongoing atmospheric studies assessing the levels of tyre wear particles in urban areas.

Authentication of beef cuts by multielement and machine learning approaches

BackgroundBrazil has consolidated a relevant position in the world market, being the largest exporter and second producer of beef. Genetics, feeding system, geographic origin and climate influence the multielement profile of beef. The feasibility of combining classification algorithms with major and trace elements was evaluated as a tool for authentication of beef cuts. MethodsAnimals of Angus, Nelore and Wagyu crossbreeds, raised in a vertically integrated system, were sampled at the slaughterhouse for chuck steak, rump cap and sirloin steak. Supervised learning algorithms i.e. Classification and Regression Tree (CART), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Naïve Bayes (NB), Random Forest (RF) and Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO) were used to build classification models based on the multielement profile of beef determined by neutron activation analysis. ResultsBr, Co, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Se and Zn were determined in the beef samples. The classification accuracy values obtained for the beef cuts were 96% (MLP), 95% (SMO), 91% (RF), 86% (NB) and 70% (CART). ConclusionThe Multilayer Perceptron algorithm provided the best classification performance towards authentication of beef cuts on basis of major and trace element mass fractions.

Dairy powder enriched with a soy extract (Glycine max): Physicochemical and polyphenolic characteristics, physical and rehydration properties and multielement composition

This work presents the enrichment of powdered dairy compounds with soy extract, and the determination of its physical properties, rehydration characteristics, multielement profile, and polyphenolic potential. Five dairy compound formulations were developed, where milk powder was replaced by 10, 20, 30, 40, and 49 % w/w of soy extract.. Multivariate analyzes using combined PCA analyzes were used to group the samples and, thus, reveal the main characteristics associated with their physicochemical properties, bioactive composition, and multi-element profile. The protein content in the samples was not significantly affected by the addition of soy extract. There was a gradual increase in the total fat as the concentration of soy extract increased. Furthermore, with the increase in the percentage of soy extract in the dairy compounds, there was an increase in the levels of total polyphenols, total flavonols, and antioxidant capacity, and of some minerals, such as Fe, Mn, P, Cu, and Mg. The DC49 sample showed the highest values for total polyphenols (178.65 mg of gallic acid (GAE)/100 g) and total flavonols (1.51 mg of catechin/100 g). The addition of soy extract promoted the enrichment of important minerals in the samples, with an increase of up to 55 times in the Fe content and up to 40 times in the Mn content. Physical properties (density and fluidity) and rehydration properties (wetting, dispersibility, and solubility) also were affected as the percentage of soy extract in the samples increased. When there was an addition of up to 20 % soy extract, the samples are still wettable. All dairy compounds showed solubility above 69 %. The use of soy extract in the polyphenolic and mineral enrichment of the dairy compounds is important to add nutritional value to powdered milk, we emphasize that this product has enormous potential to be used in diets that require mineral supplementation.

Aerodynamic Study of a Drag Reduction System and Its Actuation System for a Formula Student Competition Car

This work presents a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis of a drag reduction system (DRS) used in a Formula Student competition vehicle, focusing on the interaction between the triple wing elements, as well as on the electrical actuators used to provide movement to the upper two flaps. The S1123 wing profile was chosen, and a 2D analysis of the wing profile was made. The trailing edge was rounded off to conform to Formula Student competition safety rules, resulting in around a 4% decrease in the lift coefficient and around a 12% increase in the drag coefficient for an angle of attack of 12°, compared to the original wing profile. The multi-element profile characteristics are: wing main plate with 4°, first flap 28°, and second flap 60°. To evaluate the wing operation, end plates and electrical linear actuators were added, generating a maximum lift coefficient of 1.160 and drag coefficient of 0.397, which provides around a 10% reduction in lift and a 9% increase in drag compared to the absence of the linear actuators. When activating the DRS, the flap rotation generates about a 78% decrease in the aerodynamic drag coefficient and 53% in the lift coefficient for the minimum aerodynamic drag setting.

An explainable machine learning model for identifying geographical origins of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus based on multi-element profile

The geographical origin of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicas plays an important role in determining its market value. This study investigated the feasibility of using multi-element profile combined with explainable machine learning to trace the origin of sea cucumber in China. Multi-element profile (23 elements) of 167 sea cucumber samples was determined with ICP-OES and ICP-MS, and used for construction and evaluation of 4 ensemble learning models. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model achieved superior performance with an overall accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score and AUC as 0.95, 0.93, 0.91 and 1, respectively. The Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) algorithm was subsequently applied to interpret the XGBoost model output for desirable geographical information. Se was identified as the most important elemental marker for discriminating sea cucumber origins. Therefore, with clarified scientific support, multi-element profile combined with machine learning model could serve as a powerful tool for identifying the provenance of sea cucumber.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and the multi-element profile of house dust in Croatia: Indoor sources, influencing factors of their accumulation and health risk assessment for humans

Given the large amount of time people spend indoors today, human exposure to indoor contaminants causes increasing public health concerns. The present study reports for the first time the levels of 7 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, and 18 trace elements measured in dust samples collected in 68 households from Zagreb, Croatia. Based on the obtained data from dust analysis and the questionnaire on the house characteristics and habits of the residents, we aimed to assess the possible indoor sources of PBDEs/elements, and the associated health risks.Mass concentrations of ΣPBDE ranged from 0.16 and 200.09 ng g−1 dust (median 4.19 ng g−1 dust). The most frequently detected congeners were BDE-99 and BDE-183 found in >88% of samples, while for trace elements, Al, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu were found at the highest concentrations (enumerated in the descending order). The regression analysis indicated that renovation, number of residents and hours spent using electronic devices are significant predictors for determining PBDE dust concentrations, while the house age, and the house area were identified as the most important contributors for most trace elements. Our health risk assessment considering dust ingestion and dermal absorption of analyzed dust indicated that no adverse health effects are expected in toddlers and adults from exposure to PBDEs or trace elements in house dust. However, calculating the worst case exposure scenario based on the maximum measured concentrations and high dust intake rates, it was estimated that there is a risk of potential adverse health effects for Co (HI > 1). Even though the cases of high exposure to toxic elements from dust are sporadic, and not common among the general population, this exposure scenario should be included whenever assessing the background exposure of children.

Quercus frainetto honeydew honey from Croatia: composition and properties

Quercus frainetto honeydew honey production is characteristic of the geographical region of Požega valley, Croatia. This honeydew honey is produced in a specific way, from sweet fruit sap formed at the place where green acorns were discarded, without the mediation of plant sucking insects. The aim of this study was to determine physicochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, multielement profile, melissopalynological and sensory analysis of this specific honey type. The results showed that Q. frainetto honeydew honey is characterised with high free acidity (51.7 ± 5.5 mmol/kg), negative specific rotation (−8.9 ± 2.0), and dark colour (122 ± 15 mm Pfund). It possesses high phenolic content (507.6 ± 71.8 mg gallic acid/kg) as well as high antioxidant capacity determined by FRAP (1093.9 ± 84.7 µM Fe(II)) and DPPH assay (IC50 3.55 ± 0.48 mg/mL). From analysed macro and micro elements, high manganese content (33.038 ± 6.053 mg/kg) should be noted. The sensory profile is characteristic of honeydew honey with emphasised acidity and persistence/aftertaste.

Monitoring metal pollution in soils using portable-XRF and conventional laboratory-based techniques: Evaluation of the performance and limitations according to metal properties and sources

Large variability in the spatial distribution and content of metals is generally recognised in anthropogenically-polluted soils, hence, a detailed site investigation implying the collection and analysis of a large number of soil samples is often necessary. To this regard, the selection of a rapid, cost-effective and accurate analytical technique to assess the concentration of metals in soil is of paramount importance. The overall objective of this work was to evaluate the possibility of assessing the aqua regia-extractable (AR) content of metals in soil from the multi-element profile of the soil obtained by a portable X-ray fluorescence analyser (pXRF). To this objective, we attempted: (i) to establish, by simple linear regressions, the relations occurring between the metal contents measured by pXRF and AR in laboratory setting on air-dried and 2 mm-sieved soil samples from two case studies (A-agricultural and B-industrial sites); (ii) to define metal-based linear models predicting metal AR contents from pXRF measurements; (iii) to assess the influence of metal properties and sources on relations found between the two analytical methods. Very satisfying correlations (R2 > 0.90) were observed between the AR and pXRF contents of Ca, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn in the site A, and of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the site B. For the majority of metals, lower AR than pXRF contents were measured, as result of the AR incomplete dissolution of metal-bearing silicates. This was not observed when metals - of anthropogenic origin - occurred in soil in very high concentrations (i.e., Cr for A and Pb for B). In both sites, the comparison among different regression parameters revealed a strong metal-dependence. Moreover, for most of the metals, the parameters of each metal-regression line significantly differed between the two case studies, indicating site-dependence of regression fits.

Traceability of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Miller by ICP-MS multi-element profile and chemometric approach.

Opuntia ficus-indica L. Miller fruits, particularly 'Ficodindia dell'Etna' of Biancavilla (POD), 'Fico d'india tradizionale di Roccapalumba' with protected brand and samples from an experimental field in Pezzolo (Sicily) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in order to determine the multi-element profile. A multivariate chemometric approach, specifically principal component analysis (PCA), was applied to individuate how mineral elements may represent a marker of geographic origin, which would be useful for traceability. PCA has allowed us to verify that the geographical origin of prickly pear fruits is significantly influenced by trace element content, and the results found in Biancavilla PDO samples were linked to the geological composition of this volcanic areas. It was observed that two principal components accounted for 72.03% of the total variance in the data and, in more detail, PC1 explains 45.51% and PC2 26.52%, respectively. This study demonstrated that PCA is an integrated tool for the traceability of food products and, at the same time, a useful method of authentication of typical local fruits such as prickly pear. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hair Zinc and Severity of Symptoms Are Increased in Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder: a Hair Multi-Element Profile Study

Determination of bioelement levels in hair is an emerging non-invasive approach for screening bioelement deposition. However, the role of essential bioelement levels in hair and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk or severity is largely unknown. In this study, we have compared multi-element hair profiles between healthy and ADHD Thai children. In addition, the correlations between bioelements and ADHD symptoms according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, diagnostic criteria were identified. A case-control study was conducted in 111 Thai children (45 newly diagnosed ADHD and 66 matched healthy), aged 3-7years, living in Bangkok and suburban areas. Levels of 39 bioelements in hair were measured by ICP-MS. Among the analyzed bioelements, Cu/Zn and P/Zn ratios in ADHD children were significantly lower than those in healthy children. Indeed, increased hair Zn level was correlated with more symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and total ADHD symptoms. Higher Zn content was also associated with being female and older age. Furthermore, Zn in hair was positively correlated with levels of Ca, Mg, and P; however, it showed a negative correlation with Al, As, Fe, and Mo. These findings warrant further confirmation in a large-scale study. Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR) study ID: 20151113001.

High hair selenium mother to fetus transfer after the Brazil nuts consumption

Lactating mother and her two month old healthy daughter (APGAR 10) gave their scalp hair for a multielement profile analysis; 25 elements were analyzed with the ICP MS. Mother’s hair was divided into 5cm long segment proximal to the scull (Young), and the distal segment further up to the hair tip (Old). One centimeter of hair records one month of the metabolic activity of the bioelements in the body. Mother’s Young hair and daughters hair have 2.70 and 9.74μgg−1Se, a distinctly higher Se concentrations than the Old hair of 0.87μgg−1. The adequate hair Se concentrations in Croatia women population vary from 0.08 to 0.63μgg−1; values below or above that range indicate deficiency or excess, respectively. Dietary recall revealed that during the last trimester of pregnancy and over a period of a week, the mother has consumed 135g of Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) (BN); BN is an exceptionally rich Se dietary source. The amount of Se in BN varies and one week consumption of 135g of BN may result in Se daily intake of 367 to 492μgg−1day−1 over a period of seven consecutive days, and what is about or exceeds the Upper Limit of daily selenium intake of 400μg−1g−1. The excessively high infant hair Se mirrored a natural high mother to fetus transplacental transfer of bio elements in the last trimester of pregnancy. The potential toxicological risks of such a high Se transfer remains to be elucidated.

A comparison of the nutritional value and food safety of organically and conventionally produced wheat flours

Growing interest in organic agriculture has prompted this study aiming to evaluate nutritional content of wheat flours originating from organic and conventional production systems. Obtained results showed that organic samples had significantly lower protein content and lower levels of Ca, Mn and Fe compared to conventional samples. Protein digestibility and levels of K, Zn and Mo were significantly higher in organic than in conventional wheat flours. Regarding undesirable metals, significantly higher levels of As and Cd were found in conventional compared to organic wheat flours. Although the mean concentrations of zearalenone and ochratoxin A were higher in conventional than in organic flours, this difference was not significant. This study revealed that organic agriculture has the potential to yield products with some relevant improvements in terms of high quality proteins and microelements contents, while the reduction in contamination with toxic elements and mycotoxins may be accomplished.

Ramorinoa girolae Speg (Fabaceae) seeds, an Argentinean traditional indigenous food: Nutrient composition and antioxidant activity

Ramorinoa girolae Speg. seeds were characterized in terms of phenolic and flavonoid contents, multi-element profile, fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity. The MeOH extract of seeds showed a strong scavenging capacity against the DPPH free radical, inhibition of lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes and reducing power. A significant positive correlation between the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of extracts suggests that such compounds could be responsible for the antioxidant capacity of the seeds. Five phenolic compounds were identified by liquid chromatography tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS/MS) and high-resolution electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-TOF-MS): a coumaric acid derivative, epigallocatechin, catechin-O-glucoside, procyanidin B (catechin dimer), catechin, and two unknown compounds. The presence of catechins suggests health benefits. The seeds also contained a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (≈71%), especially oleic acid, and a low percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (≈14%). K, Mg and Ca were major elements, potassium accounting for 59% of the element content. The main roles of these elements can be described as maintenance of pH and osmotic pressure, nerve conductance, muscle contraction, energy production and almost all other aspects of biological life. The observed phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the seeds is an indication of their ability to offer potential health benefits. This is the first report of R. girolae to validate its popular reputation as a nutritionally healthy food.

Nutraceutical value and toxicological profile of selected red wines from Morocco

The polyphenolic composition, antioxidant properties and multielement profile of selected red wines from Morocco were evaluated. The polyphenolic contents resulted higher than those reported elsewhere for the same variety of wines; the highest quantity was found in Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot, and last by Syrah wine. All of the wines tested showed very similar anthocyanin and flavonol patterns: individual compound contents resulted generally higher in comparison to conventional wines. The content of trans-resveratrol was significantly higher than that of cis-resveratrol in all of the wine samples. Particularly, Merlot showed the highest concentration of trans-resveratrol while Syrah exhibited the highest levels of cis-resveratrol. Reducing capacity resulted higher than antiradical property for all of the wines. The metal concentrations were below the official limits. The elemental pattern of wines were very similar, excepted V, Mn, Fe, Cu, As and Mo, for which Syrah markedly differed from the other wine samples.

An essay on human and elements, multielement profiles, and depression

Abstract The recent development of the analytical techniques offers the unprecedented possibility to study simultaneously concentration of dozens of elements in the same biological matrix sample of 0.5–1.0 g (multielement profiles). The first part of this essay entitled “Think globally… An outline of trace elements in health and disease” aims to introduce the reader to the fascinating field of elements, there importance to our nutrition, their essentiality, deficiency, toxicity and bioavailability to the body and their overall role in health and disease, including the genetic metabolic impairments. In the second part of the essay entitled “… and act locally. The multielement profile of depression” we aimed to show the potential of such a hair multielement profile analysis for the study of human depression in a randomized, double blind, prospective, observational, cross-sectional, clinical, epidemiological, and analytical study. The preliminary results of this ongoing study lead us to put forward the hypothesis that the metabolic origin of depression may be due to some “energostat” failure, probably located in the thalamus, and activated by several essential element deficiencies.

Bismuth is low in the hair and blood of depressed subjects

The role of trace elements (TE) in human depression (D) is poorly understood. In this prospective double‐blind exploratory study we examined the bismuth in the hair and whole blood (WB) of D and healthy subjects (C). Forty‐eight D (15 men and 33 women) and 48 apparently healthy C (23 men and 25 women) subjects, 23–92 years old, were studied. Clinical depression was diagnosed according to the DSM‐IV clinical criteria by a board certified MD specialized in psychiatry. The study was conducted by strict adherence to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the IMI Ethical Committee. Hair and WB bismuth were analyzed by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at the Center for Biotic Medicine, Moscow, Russia. The median difference of ≥ 30% between C and D subjects was considered significant. The hair median values (mg/kg) were 0.040 vs. 0.022, and that for WB were 0.000603 vs. 0.000424 for C and D subjects, respectively. Thus, the bismuth levels are higher in both hair and WB of C than D subjects; about fifty times more bismuth got deposited into the hair than in WB. Women tend to have almost two times more bismuth in their hair than men, whereas bismuth was two times higher in the hair of the control vs. depressed subjects. In our study of multielement profile of depression only selenium has a similar pattern of response associated with depression.