Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Tea Infusions Samples by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorimetric Detection

This study focuses on the contamination of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency, in 10 tea brands distributed in Italy. Analyses were carried out with a procedure based on saponification, liquidliquid extraction, and PAHs determination by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. A comparison with ultrasonic extraction in bath water was also reported. Contamination is expressed as the sum of analyzed PAHs and ranged between 347 and 4120 ng/L with a mean value of 1675 ng/L. PAHs with 3-4 rings were dominant with a contribution of 92%, while 7% and 1% were found for PAHs with 5 and 6 rings, respectively. Moreover, data revealed that three samples exceeded the EU 2008 criteria established for drinking water in which the sum of benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo [b]fluoranthene, benzo [g,h,i]perylene, and indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene is considered (<100 ng/L) and two samples exceeded the 10 ng/L level allowed for benzo [a]pyrene

Use of lipase immobilized on celluse support for cleaning aged oil layers

The present study reports (i) the covalent immobilization of lipase on different cellulose supports (cotton buds, make-up remover pads, cellulose powder, cotton and tissues) using sodium periodate as activating agent and (ii) its application on the aged linseed oil removal from canvas. The optimization of experimental conditions such as pH, temperature and reaction time was performed for both, immobilization procedure and the biocatalyst application. Thus optimal conditions of immobilization were pH 7.0, 20 ºC, 0.3 mg lipase loading per mg support and 200 min reaction time, while those for treating canvas surface, having stratified aged linseed oil were pH 6, 40 ºC and 45 min reaction time. The ability of the immobilized lipase to remove aged oil films was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. O presente estudo relata (i) a imobilização covalente da lipase de Candida rugosa sobre diferentes suportes de celulose (cotonetes, algodão para remoção de maquiagem, pó de celulose, algodão e lenços), usando periodato de sódio como agente ativo, e (ii) suas aplicações na remoção de óleo de linhaça envelhecido, de telas. A otimização das condições experimentais como pH, temperatura e tempo de reação foi realizada para o procedimento de imobilização e para a aplicação do biocatalisador. Assim, as condições ótimas de imobilização foram pH 7,0, 20 ºC, 0,3 mg de lipase por mg do suporte e tempo de reação de 200 min, enquanto as condições necessárias para o tratamento da superfície de telas contendo óleo de linhaça envelhecido, foram pH 6, 40 ºC e tempo de reação de 45 min. A habilidade da lipase imobilizada em remover filmes de óleo envelhecido foi confirmada por análises de espectroscopia UV-Vis, cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (SEM

Monitoring of Pesticides Residues in Italian Mineral Waters by Solid Phase Extraction and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Twenty-two pesticides and metabolites, selected on the basis of regional priority lists, were surveyed in thirty Italian mineral waters springs for three years by a procedure based on solid phase extraction in combination with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection. The procedure proved to be simple, sensitive and reliable, the limits of detection and relative standard deviations were respectively in the range of 0.002 - 0.04 μg/L and 3% - 7%, recoveries ranged from 86% to 105% at the European Union Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC). Pesticide residues were detected in just one of the ninety water samples analyzed but no one exceeding the MAC. These results demonstrate the good quality of Italian mineral waters, not forgetting the need of constant revision and update of the priority list of pollutants

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in yogurt samples

The concentrations and distributions of major polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 20 kinds of yogurt specimens collected from Italian supermarkets using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a fluorescence detection. The method was validated by determination of recovery percentages, precision (repeatability), and sensitivity (detection limits) with yogurt samples fortified at 0.25, 0.5 and 1 ng/g concentration levels. The recovery of 14 PAHs, with the exception of naphtalene and acenaphtene, ranged from 61 to 130% and from 60 to 97% at all the levels for yogurts with low (0.1%) and high (3.9%) fats, respectively. The method is repeatable with relative standard deviation values <20% for all analytes. The results obtained demonstrate that acenaphtene, fluorantene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene were found in all the samples with a similar distribution but different contents when yogurts with low and high fats were compared

Use of Lipase Immobilized on Celluse Support for Cleaning Aged Oil Layers

The present study reports (i) the covalent immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase on different cellulose supports (cotton buds, make-up remover pads, cellulose powder, cotton and tissues) using sodium periodate as activating agent and (ii) its application on the aged linseed oil removal from canvas. The optimization of experimental conditions such as pH, temperature and reaction time was performed for both, immobilization procedure and the biocatalyst application. Thus optimal conditions of immobilization were pH 7.0, 20 degrees C, 0.3 mg lipase loading per mg support and 200 min reaction time, while those for treating canvas surface, having stratified aged linseed oil were pH 6, 40 degrees C and 45 min reaction time. The ability of the immobilized lipase to remove aged oil films was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis

Polyfloral honey from urban beekeeping: Two-year case study of polyphenols profile and antioxidant activity

Purpose - Urban beekeeping is spreading as an answer to promote bee conservation and to develop local economies. This study aims to highlight nutritional properties of polyfloral honeys produced in urban landscape and to compare them to the countryside counterparts. Design/methodology/approach - This research has examined polyfloral urban honeys from a restricted area in Central Italy, for antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and 15 polyphenols profile. Physicochemical parameters have been also determined to assess the overall quality of the samples. Results were compared with polyfloral honeys produced in surrounding countryside and monitored in two harvest years, 2018 and 2019. Principal Component Analysis was applied on the data to disclose significant differences among honeys and harvest years. Findings - Urban honeys revealed up to 3-fold higher total amount of polyphenols respect to rural honeys, and in the 2019 harvest, despite water scarcity affected the national production, demonstrated also 50% higher antioxidant capacity and total phenolics content. The majority of the 15 polyphenols studied resulted more abundant in urban honeys, in particular in the 2019 harvest. The multivariate analysis evidenced how honeys could be successfully separated according to their production area and harvest year by their different polyphenols profile. Originality/value - Limited data are available on urban honeys nutritional properties and on their content in antioxidants. The present results suggest that the cultivated urban environment, with its large floral biodiversity, can provide extra nutrition for bees resulting in the production of a honey rich in nutraceutical compounds

Chemometric evaluation of the antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds in Italian honeys as markers of floral origin

Italian honeys from different floral sources (acacia, orange, honeydew, chestnut, strawberry tree, sulla, eucalyptus, dandelion, linden, polyfloral) were analysed in terms of colour, total phenolic content, in vitro antioxidant capacity and content of 15 phenolic compounds. Physicochemical parameters were also examined to assess the overall quality of honey. Dark honeys demonstrated to have the highest content in bioactive compounds and in antioxidant activity with the highest values in strawberry tree and honeydew honeys. Data were processed using principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The overall classification capacity for the 9 unifloral honey varieties obtained by LDA was 100.00%, with a very low level of prediction misclassification in cross validation (less than 5%). This study demonstrates the strong relation between honey floral origin and bioactive compounds profile and amount, together with the importance of colour attributes as a simple approach for a preliminary evaluation of the antioxidant properties and floral origin discrimination