17 research outputs found
Fluorescent nanoparticles present in Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola: physiochemical properties, cytotoxicity, biodistribution and digestion studies
<p>Foodborne nanoparticles (NPs) have drawn great attention due to human health concerns. This study reports the detection of the presence of fluorescent NPs, about 5 nm, in two of the most popular beverages, Coca-Cola (Coke) and Pepsi-Cola (Pepsi). The NPs contain H, C and O, three elements with a tunable emission and with a quantum yield of 3.3 and 4.3% for Coke and Pepsi, respectively. The presence of sp<sup>3</sup>-hybridized carbon atoms of alcohols and ethers bonds was confirmed by NMR analysis. The NPs can be taken up by living cells and accumulate within cell membrane and cytoplasm. Evaluation of the acute toxicity of the NPs revealed that the BALB/c mice appeared healthy after administration of a single dose of 2 g kg<sup>−1</sup> body weight. Analysis of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), urea and creatinine showed that there were statistically, but not biologically, significant differences in some of these biochemical parameters between the test and control groups. No obvious organ damage or apparent histopathological abnormality was observed in the tested mice. The biodistribution study in major organs indicated that the NPs were easily accumulated in the digestive tract, and they were able to cross the blood–brain barrier and dispersed in the brain. <i>In vitro</i> digestion of the NPs showed a significant fluorescence quenching of the NPs. This work represents the first report of foodborne fluorescent NPs present in Coke and Pepsi, and provides valuable insights into physicochemical properties of these NPs and their toxicity characteristics both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>.</p
Characterization of Endogenous Nanoparticles from Roasted Chicken Breasts
Emergence of endogenous nanoparticles
in thermally processed food
has aroused much attention due to their unique properties and potential
biological impact. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence
of fluorescence nanoparticles in roasted chicken breasts, elemental
composition, physicochemical properties, and their molecular interaction
with human serum albumin (HSA). Transmission electron microscopy analysis
revealed that the foodborne nanoparticles from roasted chicken were
nearly spherical with an average particle size of 1.7 ± 0.4 nm.
The elemental analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed
the composition of nanoparticles as 47.4% C, 25.8% O, and 26.1% N.
The fluorescence of HSA was quenched by the nanoparticles following
a static mode, and the molecular interaction of nanoparticles with
HSA was spontaneous (Δ<i>G</i><sup>0</sup> < 0),
where hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces played an important
role during HSA-nanoparticles complex stabilization through thermodynamic
analysis by isothermal titration calorimetry. The principal location
of the nanoparticles binding site on HSA was primarily in site I as
determined by site-specific marker competition. The conformational
of HSA was also changed and α-helical structure decreased in
the presence of nanoparticles. Our studies revealed that fluorescent
nanoparticles were produced after roasting of chicken breast at 230
°C for 30 min for the first time. The obtained nanoparticles
can interact with HSA in a spontaneous manner, thus providing valuable
insight into foodborne NPs as well as their effects to human albumin
protein
Presence of Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles in Baked Lamb: Their Properties and Potential Application for Sensors
The
presence of nanoparticles in food has drawn much attention
in recent years. Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles are a new class
of nanostructures; however, the distribution and physicochemical properties
of such nanoparticles in food remain unclear. Herein, the presence
of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles in baked lamb was confirmed, and
their physicochemical properties were investigated. The fluorescent
carbon nanoparticles from baked lamb emit strong blue fluorescence
under ultraviolet light with a 10% fluorescent quantum yield. The
nanoparticles are roughly spherical in appearance with a diameter
of around 2.0 nm. Hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups exist on the
surface of nanoparticles. In addition, the nanoparticles could serve
as a fluorescence sensor for glucose detection through an oxidation–reduction
reaction. This work is the first report on fluorescent carbon nanoparticles
present in baked lamb, which provides valuable insight into the physicochemical
properties of such nanoparticles and their potential application in
sensors
Variable Temperature Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Magnetic Resonance Imaging System as a Novel Technique for In Situ Monitoring of Food Phase Transition
A nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) system with a 45 mm variable temperature (VT) sample probe (VT-NMR-MRI)
was developed as an innovative technique for in situ monitoring of
food phase transition. The system was designed to allow for dual deployment
in either a freezing (−37 °C) or high temperature (150
°C) environment. The major breakthrough of the developed VT-NMR-MRI
system is that it is able to measure the water states simultaneously
in situ during food processing. The performance of the VT-NMR-MRI
system was evaluated by measuring the phase transition for salmon
flesh and hen egg samples. The NMR relaxometry results demonstrated
that the freezing point of salmon flesh was −8.08 °C,
and the salmon flesh denaturation temperature was 42.16 °C. The
protein denaturation of egg was 70.61 °C, and the protein denaturation
occurred at 24.12 min. Meanwhile, the use of MRI in phase transition
of food was also investigated to gain internal structural information.
All these results showed that the VT-NMR-MRI system provided an effective
means for in situ monitoring of phase transition in food processing
Bio-inspired Edible Superhydrophobic Interface for Reducing Residual Liquid Food
Significant wastage of residual liquid
food, such as milk, yogurt,
and honey, in food containers has attracted great attention. In this
work, a bio-inspired edible superhydrophobic interface was fabricated
using U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved and edible honeycomb
wax, arabic gum, and gelatin by a simple and low-cost method. The
bio-inspired edible superhydrophobic interface showed multiscale structures,
which were similar to that of a lotus leaf surface. This bio-inspired
edible superhydrophobic interface displayed high contact angles for
a variety of liquid foods, and the residue of liquid foods could be
effectively reduced using the bio-inspired interface. To improve the
adhesive force of the superhydrophobic interface, a flexible edible
elastic film was fabricated between the interface and substrate material.
After repeated folding and flushing for a long time, the interface
still maintained excellent superhydrophobic property. The bio-inspired
edible superhydrophobic interface showed good biocompatibility, which
may have potential applications as a functional packaging interface
material
Presence and Formation Mechanism of Foodborne Carbonaceous Nanostructures from Roasted Pike Eel (Muraenesox cinereus)
Foodborne nanostructures have gained
more and more attention in
recent years. In this paper, the presence and physicochemical properties
of carbonaceous nanostructures (CNSs) from roasted pike eel (Muraenesox cinereus) were reported. The monodispersed
CNSs are strongly photoluminescent under the illustration of ultraviolet
(UV) light, with a fluorescent quantum yield of 80.16%, and display
excitation-dependent emission behavior. The formation of CNSs is believed
to go through a process of morphology evolution, including polymerization,
pyrolysis, nucleation, growth, emergence, and blossom. The optical
properties of the CNSs were shown to be affected by the roasting temperature.
Furthermore, cellular uptake of the CNSs was investigated, and it
is shown that the CNSs were clearly absorbed into live cells and were
mainly distributed within the cell cytoplasm and not in the cell nucleus.
This work is among the very first reports on CNSs present in roasted
fish, providing valuable insights into the formation mechanism of
such nanostructures and showcasing the biodistribution of these food-originated
CNSs in live cells
In-Situ Grafting MPEG on the Surface of Cell-Loaded Microcapsules for Protein Repellency
<div><p>The protein repelled alginate-graft-BAT/chitosan/MPEG-norbornene (A<sub>B</sub>CP<sub>N</sub>) hydrogel microcapsules were achieved by copper-free ‘click’ reaction between azides from BAT and alkylenes from norbornene. The MPEG modified polyelectrolyte microcapsules showed significant resistance to immune protein adsorption and good biocompatibility in vivo. Moreover, the mild reaction condition made it feasible that the microcapsules could be formed and modified <i>in situ</i> even when live cells were encapsulated, and precluded the damage cause by other voilent modifications methods to transplanted cells or tissues.</p></div
Computer Vision-Based Artificial Intelligence-Mediated Encoding-Decoding for Multiplexed Microfluidic Digital Immunoassay
Digital immunoassays with multiplexed capacity, ultrahigh
sensitivity,
and broad affordability are urgently required in clinical diagnosis,
food safety, and environmental monitoring. In this work, a multidimensional
digital immunoassay has been developed through microparticle-based
encoding and artificial intelligence-based decoding, enabling multiplexed
detection with high sensitivity and convenient operation. The information
encoded in the features of microspheres, including their size, number,
and color, allows for the simultaneous identification and accurate
quantification of multiple targets. Computer vision-based artificial
intelligence can analyze the microscopy images for information decoding
and output identification results visually. Moreover, the optical
microscopy imaging can be well integrated with the microfluidic platform,
allowing for encoding-decoding through the computer vision-based
artificial intelligence. This microfluidic digital immunoassay can
simultaneously analyze multiple inflammatory markers and antibiotics
within 30 min with high sensitivity and a broad detection range from
pg/mL to μg/mL, which holds great promise as an intelligent
bioassay for next-generation multiplexed biosensing
Computer Vision-Based Artificial Intelligence-Mediated Encoding-Decoding for Multiplexed Microfluidic Digital Immunoassay
Digital immunoassays with multiplexed capacity, ultrahigh
sensitivity,
and broad affordability are urgently required in clinical diagnosis,
food safety, and environmental monitoring. In this work, a multidimensional
digital immunoassay has been developed through microparticle-based
encoding and artificial intelligence-based decoding, enabling multiplexed
detection with high sensitivity and convenient operation. The information
encoded in the features of microspheres, including their size, number,
and color, allows for the simultaneous identification and accurate
quantification of multiple targets. Computer vision-based artificial
intelligence can analyze the microscopy images for information decoding
and output identification results visually. Moreover, the optical
microscopy imaging can be well integrated with the microfluidic platform,
allowing for encoding-decoding through the computer vision-based
artificial intelligence. This microfluidic digital immunoassay can
simultaneously analyze multiple inflammatory markers and antibiotics
within 30 min with high sensitivity and a broad detection range from
pg/mL to μg/mL, which holds great promise as an intelligent
bioassay for next-generation multiplexed biosensing
Computer Vision-Based Artificial Intelligence-Mediated Encoding-Decoding for Multiplexed Microfluidic Digital Immunoassay
Digital immunoassays with multiplexed capacity, ultrahigh
sensitivity,
and broad affordability are urgently required in clinical diagnosis,
food safety, and environmental monitoring. In this work, a multidimensional
digital immunoassay has been developed through microparticle-based
encoding and artificial intelligence-based decoding, enabling multiplexed
detection with high sensitivity and convenient operation. The information
encoded in the features of microspheres, including their size, number,
and color, allows for the simultaneous identification and accurate
quantification of multiple targets. Computer vision-based artificial
intelligence can analyze the microscopy images for information decoding
and output identification results visually. Moreover, the optical
microscopy imaging can be well integrated with the microfluidic platform,
allowing for encoding-decoding through the computer vision-based
artificial intelligence. This microfluidic digital immunoassay can
simultaneously analyze multiple inflammatory markers and antibiotics
within 30 min with high sensitivity and a broad detection range from
pg/mL to μg/mL, which holds great promise as an intelligent
bioassay for next-generation multiplexed biosensing