Chemical/instrumental approaches to the evaluation of wine chemistry

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A high-throughput analytical strategy based on QuEChERS-dSPE/HPLC–DAD–ESI-MSn to establish the phenolic profile of tropical fruits

Tropical fruits are a rich source of phenolic compounds which are favorable in defending the human body against damage induced by free radicals (e.g., ROS, RNS). In the current work, a high throughput analytical approach based on a simple extraction procedure (QuEChERS-dSPE) combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn ) was used to establish the phenolic profile of tropical fruits. The proposed method showed good linearity (r2 ≥ 0.991), precision (RSD < 8 %), as well as low limits of detection (LOD ≤ 19.7 μg/L) and quantification (LOQ ≤ 65.8 μg/ L). Thirty-four phenolic compounds were identified as belonging to different chemical groups, from which only 6 were common to all tropical fruits. Pitanga showed the highest relative phenolic concentration (99.5 mg/100 g of fruit), with the passion fruit (17.5 mg/100 g of fruit) the lowest. Flavonols were the most predominant chemical group in tropical fruits, representing 77.9, 60.1, and 55.8% of the phenolic composition of pitanga, passion fruit and mango, respectively. The data obtained allow deep and comprehensive insights into the phenolic compo sition of tropical fruits in order to explore its potential bioactive activity. Nevertheless, in vivo assays using fruit extracts will be essential to recognize their potential health-promoting properties.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Recent Developments in the Applications of Fingerprinting Technology in the Food Field

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Madeira wine volatile profile. A platform to establish madeira wine aroma descriptors

In the present study we aimed to investigate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may potentially be responsible for specific descriptors of Madeira wine providing details about Madeira wine aroma notes at molecular level. Moreover, the wine aroma profile, based on the obtained data, will be a starting point to evaluate the impact of grape variety (Malvasia, Bual, Sercial, Verdelho and Tinta Negra), type (sweet, medium sweet, dry and medium dry), and age (from 3 to 20 years old) on Madeira wine sensorial properties. Firstly, a comprehensive and in-depth Madeira wine volatile profiling was carried out using headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS–SPME/GC–qMS). Secondly, a relation among the varietal, fermentative and aging aroma compounds, and their aroma descriptors with the Madeira wine sensorial properties was assessed. A total of 82 VOCs, belonging to different chemical families were identified, namely 21 esters, 13 higher alcohols, ten terpenic compounds, nine fatty acids, seven furanic compounds, seven norisoprenoids, six lactones, four acetals, four volatile phenols and one sulphur compound. From a sensorial point of view, during the aging process the wine lost its freshness and fruitiness odor related to the presence of some varietal and fermentative compounds, whereas other descriptors such as caramel, dried fruits, spicy, toasty and woody, arose during ageing. The Maillard reaction and diffusion from the oak were the most important pathways related with these descriptors. A relationship-based approach was used to explore the impact of grape variety, wine type, and age on Madeira wine sensorial properties based on shared number of VOCs and their odors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Valorization of Spent Coffee Grounds as a Natural Source of Bioactive Compounds for Several Industrial Application: A Volatilomic Approach

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, whose production and consump tion result in large amounts of waste, namely spent coffee grounds, constituting an important source of compounds for several industrial applications. This work focused on the establishment of the volatile fingerprint of five spent coffee grounds from different geographical origins using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC MS), as a strategy to identify volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) with potential application in the food industry as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative agents. One hundred eleven VOMs belonging to different chemical families were identified, of which 60 were found in all spent coffee grounds analyzed. Furanic compounds (34%), nitrogen compounds (30%), and esters (19%) contributed significant to the total volatile fingerprint. The data obtained suggest that spent coffee grounds have great potential to be used as raw material for different approaches in the food industry towards the development of new food ingredients or products for human consumption, in addi tion to pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, namely as antioxidant (e.g., limonene, carvacrol), antimicrobial (e.g., pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde, β-myrcene) and anti-inflammatory (e.g., furfural, 2- furanmethanol) agents, promoting their integral valorization within the circular bioeconomy concept.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Attachment

Introdução: A teoria da vinculação pretende explicar de que forma as disposições biológicas e as experiências precoces predispõem o indivíduo à saúde mental ou à patologia. Objetivos: Reportar um caso de Perturbação Obsessivo-Compulsiva num jovem com padrão de vinculação ansiosa, realizando uma revisão da literatura sobre a associação entre as duas entidades. Métodos: É apresentado um caso clínico de um jovem com Perturbação Obsessivo-Compulsiva com Perturbação de Ingestão Alimentar/Restritiva e de Ansiedade Generalizada comórbidas. O Questionário de Vinculação ao Pai e à Mãe foi aplicado para avaliar o estilo de vinculação. Uma análise bibliográfica sobre o tema foi realizada, evidenciado a contribuição dos processos de vinculação, a abordagem e o tratamento. Resultados: O Questionário de Vinculação ao Pai e à Mãe evidenciou uma vinculação ansiosa no jovem. Conclusões: O presente caso pode ilustrar como um padrão ansioso de vinculação poderá ter influenciado o subsequente desenvolvimento de psicopatologia. Uma abordagem psicofarmacológica, a par da psicoterapêutica envolvendo doente e cuidadores, parece ser a mais adequada tendo-se revelado eficaz neste caso.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

µQuEChERS Combined with UHPLC-PDA as a State-of-the-Art Analytical Approach for Quantification of Chlorpropham in Potato

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to prevent insects, fungi, weeds, and other pests, from damaging crops. In addition, some types of pesticides are used after harvest as sprout suppressant agents help keeping the quality parameters of crops during storage. Nonetheless, its presence, even at trace levels, in food products is becoming a big challenge regarding human health. The current work aimed to develop and validate a sensitive and high-throughput analytical approach, based on a state-of-the-art microextraction technique—µQuEChERS, combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photodiode array detection system (UHPLC-PDA) to quantify isopropyl-N-(3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (chlorpropham), commonly used as efficient sprout suppressant stored potatoes, in raw and cooked potatoes cultivated in different geographical regions of Madeira Island (Portugal). Good results were obtained in terms of figures of the merit of the method, with correlation coefficients (R2 ) higher than 0.999 and recoveries between 94.5% to 125%. Method limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.14 µg/Kg and 0.43 µg/Kg, respectively, which are much lower than the accepted and legislated requirements by the European Union, which is 20 µg/Kg for chlorpropham. The concentration of chlorpropham in raw potatoes is significantly higher when compared to cooked samples, which revealed that the thermic treatment during cooking had a significant effect on its degradation. A significant decrease (90%, on average) was observed on chlorpropham levels.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comprehensive insight from phthalates occurrence: from health outcomes to emerging analytical approaches

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in a multitude of important industrial products (e.g., medical devices, children’s toys, and food packages), mainly as plasticizers to improve me chanical properties such as flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The wide occurrence of phthalates in many consumer products, including foods (e.g., bottled water, soft drinks, wine, milk, and meat) brings that most people are exposed to phthalates every day, which raises some concerns. Adverse health outcomes from phthalates exposure have been associated with endocrine disruption, deformities in the human reproductive system, increased risk of preterm birth, carcinogen exposure, among others. Apprehension related to the health risks and ubiquitous incidence of phthalates in foods inspires the development of reliable analytical approaches that allow their detection and quantification at trace levels. The purpose of the current review is to provide information related to the presence of phthalates in the food chain, highlighting the health risks associated with their exposure. Moreover, an overview of emerging extraction procedures and high-resolution analytical approaches for a comprehensive quantification of phthalates is presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Volatomic Fingerprint of Saffron from Campania towards Its Authenticity and Quality

The volatile profiles of eight saffron samples (seven cultivated and one spontaneous) grown in different geographical districts within the Campania region (southern Italy) were compared. Using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS SPME/GC-MS), overall, 80 volatiles were identified in the eight landraces. Among them, safranal and its isomers and other related compounds such as isophorones, which are not only key odorants but also pharmacologically active metabolites, have been detected in all the investigated samples. Principal Component Analysis performed on the volatiles’ compounds revealed that the spontaneous sample turned out to be an outlier. In particular, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile of the spontaneous saffron presented four lilac aldehydes and four lilac alcohol isomers, which, to the authors’ knowledge, have never been identified in the volatile signature of this spice. The multivariate statistical analysis allowed the discrimination of the seven cultivate saffron ecotypes in four well-separated clusters according to variety. Moreover, 20 VOCs, able to differentiate the clusters in terms of single volatile metabolite, were discovered. Altogether, these results could contribute to identifying possible volatile signature metabolites (biomarkers) or patterns that discriminate saffron samples grown in Campania region on a molecular basis, encouraging future biodiversity programs to preserve saffron landraces revealing valuable genetic resources.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative analysis of the volatile fraction from Annona cherimola Mill. cultivars by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–quadrupole mass spectrometry detection

The analysis of volatile compounds in Funchal, Madeira, Mateus and Perry Vidal cultivars of Annona cherimola Mill. (cherimoya) was carried out by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography–quadrupole mass spectrometry detection (GC–qMSD). HS-SPME technique was optimized in terms of fibre selection, extraction time, extraction temperature and sample amount to reach the best extraction efficiency. The best result was obtained with 2 g of sample, using a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fibre for 30 min at 30 °C under constant magnetic stirring (800 rpm). After optimization of the extraction methodology, all the cherimoya samples were analysed with the best conditions that allowed to identify about 60 volatile compounds. The major compounds identified in the four cherimoya cultivars were methyl butanoate, butyl butanoate, 3-methylbutyl butanoate, 3-methylbutyl 3-methylbutanoate and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural. These compounds represent 69.08 ± 5.22%, 56.56 ± 15.36%, 56.69 ± 9.28% and 71.82 ± 1.29% of the total volatiles for Funchal, Madeira, Mateus and Perry Vidal cultivars, respectively. This study showed that each cherimoya cultivars have 40 common compounds, corresponding to different chemical families, namely terpenes, esters, alcohols, fatty acids and carbonyl compounds and using PCA, the volatile composition in terms of average peak areas, provided a suitable tool to differentiate among the cherimoya cultivars