Dos ordres d'aràcnids (Arachnida; opiliones i escorpiones)

Dos ordres d'aràcnids, opilions i escorpins, són citats per primera vegada de l'Arxipèlag de Cabrera. Foren recol·lectades tres espècies (dos opilions i un escorpí): Dasylobus ferrugineus, Scotolemon krausi i Euscorpius carpathicus. Les dues primeres espècies són endèmiques de les Balears.Two orders of arachnida, opiliones and scorpiones, are recorded for first time in the Archipelago of Cabrera. Three species were collected (two harvestmen and one scorpion): Dasylobus ferrugineus, Scotolemons krausi and Euscorpius carpathicus. The two first species are endemic of the Balearic islands

Micellar liquid cromatography in bioanalytical chemistry

En la cromatografia líquida micel·lar (MLC), la fase mòbil és composta per un surfactant i un alcohol. Els paràmetres que s'han d'optimitzar en la MLC són el tipus de columna, el pH, la naturalesa del surfactant i el modificador, i les seves concentracions. L'optimització es realitza utilitzant una estratègia interpretativa en la qual la millor fase mòbil se selecciona per a estudis de validació. Els mètodes optimitzats en MLC proporcionen separacions ràpides, eficaces, i permeten la determinació d'una gran varietat de substàncies en una matriu complexa. La MLC és una tècnica útil per a identificar medicaments en fluids biològics, que sovint es poden injectar directament al sistema cromatogràfic fins i tot en presència d'uns altres composts, incloent- hi proteïnes, sense cap altre pretractament que la filtració. En descriure les moltes aplicacions de la MLC, aquesta revisió inclou exemples agafats de la literatura, i també resultats recents de la mateixa recerca dels autors. Descriu l'aproximació teòrica, l'estratègia d'optimització i les aplicacions de la MLC en la determinació de grups diferents de substàncies de medicaments. Els compostos i les matrius en discussió són els següents: antidepressius en farmacèutics, agents de blocatge de canal de calci en sèrum, anserina i carnosina en mostres de carns, tiramina i triptamina en vins, i sulfonamides en llet.In micellar liquid chromatography (MLC), the mobile phase is composed of a surfactant and an alcohol. The parameters that must be optimized in MLC are the type of column, the pH, the nature of the surfactant and modifier, and their concentrations. Optimization is performed using an interpretive strategy in which the best mobile phase is selected for validation studies. Optimized methods in MLC provide fast, efficient separations, thereby allowing the determination of a great variety of substances in a complex matrix. MLC is a useful technique for the identification of drugs in biological fluids, which often can be injected directly into the chromatographic system even in the presence of other compounds, including proteins, without any pretreatment other than filtration. In describing the many applications of MLC, this review draws upon examples taken from the literature as well as recent results of the authors' own research. It describes the theoretical approach, optimization strategy, and applications of MLC in the determination of different groups of drug substances. The compounds and matrices under discussion are: antidepressants in pharmaceuticals, calcium-channel blocking agents in serum, anserine and carnosine in meat samples, tyramine and tryptamine in wines, and sulfonamides in milk

Multibiomarker biomonitoring approach using three bivalve species in the Ebro Delta (Catalonia, Spain)

Bivalves have proved to be useful bioindicators for environmental pollution. In the present study, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), cockles (Cerastoderma edule), and razor shells (Solen marginatus) were collected in the Ebro Delta, an extensive area devoted to rice farming and affected by pesticide pollution, from April to July, the heaviest rice field treatment period. Possible effects of pollution were assessed through biochemical markers (carboxylesterase (CE), antioxidant and neurotoxicity-related enzymes, and lipid peroxidation levels). Data on environmental variables, bivalve reproductive condition, and presence of organic pollutants, marine phycotoxins, pathogens, or histopathological conditions in bivalve’s tissues were also evaluated. Although the bioaccumulated pesticides did not explain the patterns observed for biochemical responses, the obtained results point to an effect of environmental pesticide pollution on enzymatic markers, with a prominent contribution of CE to such changes. Mussels and razor shells provided a more sensitive biochemical response to pollution than cockles. Environmental variables, bivalve reproductive condition, and marine phycotoxins did not seem to have a relevant effect on the biomarkers assessed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A fast magnetic bead-based colorimetric immunoassay for the detection of tetrodotoxins in shellfish

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin responsible for many food poisoning incidents and some fatalities. Although mainly associated with the consumption of pufferfish, in recent years, TTX has been found in shellfish, particularly in Europe. In this work, a magnetic bead (MB)-based colorimetric immunoassay was applied to the detection of TTX in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), razor clams (Solen marginatus) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Effective LODs (eLODs) for TTX of 1 μg/kg in oysters and razor clams and 3.3 μg/kg in mussels, significantly below the EFSA guidance threshold (44 μg/kg), were obtained. The strategy was applied to the analysis of naturally-contaminated Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Netherlands, and TTX was detected in all samples. The approach, which takes less than 1.5 h, proved to be useful as a rapid and simple method to detect TTX, support shellfish safety and protect consumers.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Occurrence of tetrodotoxin in bivalves and gastropods from harvesting areas and other natural spaces in Spain

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that is receiving increasing interest in the European Union because it has been found in different fishery products (fish, bivalves and gastropods) captured in European waters. Since available information is scarce, further analytical data regarding the incidence of this toxin in European fishery products is needed in order to perform an appropriate risk assessment devoted to protecting consumers’ health. Hence, samples of bivalves and gastropods were collected at different points of the Spanish coast and analyzed by high-performance hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) to evaluate the presence of TTX. None of the analyzed samples showed TTX above an internal threshold of 10 µg/kg or even showed a peak under it. Our results on TTX occurrence obtained in bivalve molluscs and gastropods did not show, at least in the studied areas, a risk for public health. However, taking into account previous positive results obtained by other research groups, and since we did not detect TTX in our samples, a more completed study increasing sampling frequency is needed to ensure proper risk evaluation towards the food safety of these products.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fast determination of 40 drugs in water using large volume direct injection liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

This work describes a rapid analytical method based on direct sample injection of water samples for the simultaneous identification/quantification of 40 emerging compounds, including pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse. The water samples were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC–MS/MS QqQ). Taking profit of the increasing sensitivity of nowadays tandem mass spectrometers, direct sample injection of large volumes has been an attractive alternative to pre-concentration steps. In this work, the developed methodology has been validated at three concentration levels (10, 100 and 1000 ng/L) in 10 different water samples of different types (5 effluent wastewater and 5 surface water samples). The majority of compounds could be satisfactory validated at these concentrations, showing good recoveries and precision. With only few exceptions, the limits of quantification (LOQs), estimated from the sample chromatogram at lowest spiked level tested, were below 3 ng/L. The method was applied to the analysis of 10 effluent wastewater and 10 surface water samples. Venlafaxine was the compound most frequently detected (80%) in surface water, followed by acetaminophen (70%). Regarding effluent wastewater, valsartan and 4-acetyl aminoantipyrine were detected in 9 out of 10 samples analyzed. These two compounds together with 4-formyl aminoantipyrine and naproxen showed the highest concentrations (>2000 ng/L). In these cases, a dilution step was required for a correct quantification. As an additional evaluation of the method performance, the same water samples were analyzed in another laboratory by a second analytical methodology, based on on-line solid-phase-extraction coupled to LC–MS/MS (QqQ).The authors are very grateful to Serveis Centrals d׳Instrumentació Científica (SCIC) of University Jaume I for using the Xevo TQS mass spectrometer. The financial support of the Centro de Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTIIDI-20110823/EXP00044257), of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Ref CTQ2012-36189) and of Generalitat Valenciana (research group of excellence PROMETEO/2009/054; Collaborative Research on Environment and Food Safety, ISIC/2012/016) is acknowledged

Detoxification of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in naturally contaminated mussels, clams and scallops by an industrial procedure

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) episodes cause important economic impacts due to closure of shellfish production areas in order to protect human health. These closures, if are frequent and persistent, can seriously affect shellfish producers and the seafood industry, among others. In this study, we have developed an alternative processing method for bivalves with PSP content above the legal limit, which allows reducing toxicity to acceptable levels. A modification of the PSP detoxifying procedure stablished by Decision 96/77/EC of the European Union in Acanthocardia tuberculatum, was developed and implemented for PSP elimination in other bivalves species. The procedure was applied to 6 batches of mussels, 2 batches of clams and 2 batches of scallops, achieving detoxification rates of around 85%. A viable industrial protocol which allows the transformation of a product at risk into a safe product was developed. Although a significant reduction was obtained, in a sample circa 9000 μg STX diHCl equiv/kg, the final toxin level in these highly toxic mussels did not fall below the European limit. The processing protocol described may be applied efficiently to mussels, clams and scallops and it may be a major solution to counteract the closure of shellfish harvesting areas, especially if persistent.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Metabolic characterization of loci affecting sensory attributes in tomato allows an assessment of the influence of the levels of primary metabolites and volatile organic contents

Numerous studies have revealed the extent of genetic and phenotypic variation between both species and cultivars of tomato. Using a series of tomato lines resulting from crosses between a cherry tomato and three independent large fruit cultivar (Levovil, VilB, and VilD), extensive profiling of both central primary metabolism and volatile organic components of the fruit was performed. In this study, it was possible to define a number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) which determined the levels of primary metabolites and/or volatile organic components and to evaluate their co-location with previously defined organoleptic QTLs. Correlation analyses between either the primary metabolites or the volatile organic compounds and organoleptic properties revealed a number of interesting associations, including pharmaceutical aroma–guaiacol and sourness–alanine, across the data set. Considerable correlation within the levels of primary metabolites or volatile organic compounds, respectively, were also observed. However, there was relatively little association between the levels of primary metabolites and volatile organic compounds, implying that they are not tightly linked to one another. A notable exception to this was the strong association between the levels of sucrose and those of a number of volatile organic compounds. The combined data presented here are thus discussed both with respect to those obtained recently from wide interspecific crosses of tomato and within the framework of current understanding of the chemical basis of fruit taste

Micellar Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Carbaryl and 1-Naphthol in Water, Soil, and Vegetables

A liquid chromatographic procedure has been developed for the determination of carbaryl, a phenyl-N-methylcarbamate, and its main metabolite 1-naphthol, using a C18 column (250 mm  ×  4.6 mm) with a micellar mobile phase and fluorescence detection at maximum excitation/emission wavelengths of 225/333 nm, respectively. In the optimization step, surfactants sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), Brij-35 and N-cetylpyridinium chloride monohydrate, and organic solvents propanol, butanol, and pentanol were considered. The selected mobile phase was 0.15 M SDS-6% (v/v)-pentanol-0.01 M NaH2PO4 buffered at pH 3. Validation studies, according to the ICH Tripartite Guideline, included linearity (r > 0.999), limit of detection (5 and 18 ng mL−1, for carbaryl and 1-naphthol, resp.), and limit of quantification (15 and 50 ng mL−1, for carbaryl and 1-naphthol, resp.), with intra- and interday precisions below 1%, and robustness parameters below 3%. The results show that the procedure was adequate for the routine analysis of these two compounds in water, soil, and vegetables samples