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 sp³-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⁻¹ 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>⁰ < 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

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

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

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_BCP_N) 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

Fluorescent Carbon Dots Derived from Maillard Reaction Products: Their Properties, Biodistribution, Cytotoxicity, and Antioxidant Activity

Food-borne nanoparticles have received great attention because of their unique physicochemical properties and potential health risk. In this study, carbon dots (CDs) formed during one of the most important chemical reactions in the food processing field, the Maillard reaction from the model system including glucose and lysine, were investigated. The CDs purified from Maillard reaction products emitted a strong blue fluorescence under ultraviolet light with a fluorescent quantum yield of 16.30%. In addition, they were roughly spherical, with sizes of around 4.3 nm, and mainly composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Their surface groups such as hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups were found to possibly enable CDs to scavenge DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity assessment of CDs showed that they could readily enter HepG2 cells while causing negligible cell death at low concentration. However, high CDs concentrations were highly cytotoxic and led to cell death via interference of the glycolytic pathway