Assessment of Sorbate and Benzoate Content in Mustard, Ketchup and Tomato Sauce by Sub-Minute Capillary Electrophoresis.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Sorbate and benzoate are important preservatives in food products, but these compounds can also have genotoxic effects, causing health risks to consumers. In this regard, this study aims to determine the mass fractions of sorbate and benzoate in Brazilian samples of mustard, ketchup and tomato sauce using an adequately validated sub-minute capillary electrophoresis method. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this study, sorbate and benzoate were evaluated in sauce samples by capillary electrophoresis using a simple sample preparation procedure. Previously, the method was validated according to Eurachem guidelines, and its greenness was assessed by Eco-Scale. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The fitness for purpose of the method, as well as its suitability for the analysis of the studied matrices and its agreement with the principles of green chemistry were checked and confirmed. Also, according to our findings, among the 30 commercial samples assessed, six of them presented some mislabeling or non-compliance with European or Brazilian legislation, reinforcing the constant need for quality assessment and surveillance of food products. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: So far, there have been few studies related to investigating the preservatives such as sorbate and benzoate in mustard, ketchup and tomato sauce, highlighting the significance and contribution of the obtained results to the knowledge in the field.

Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Three Edible Ripening Stages of Yellow Guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) after Acidic Hydrolysis by LC-MS/MS.

Yellow guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) has received considerable attention in the last years because of their high content in bioactive compounds with potential application in food and pharmaceutical industries. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate the phenolic compounds of three edible ripening stages of yellow guava fruits after acidic hydrolysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and their antioxidant capacity. Among the 23 phenolics quantified, catechin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, gallic acid, and syringic acid showed significant concentrations in all the evaluated stages, with values ranging from 479.59 ± 12.52 to 12,795.50 ± 320.95 µg 100 g-1 of dry matter. In general, higher concentrations of phenolic acids were found in the latter ripening stages, while flavonoids were in the earlier ripening stages. These findings suggest that the ripening process promotes changes in the phenolic composition of yellow guava. However, considering the sum of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity, all ripening stages investigated can be suggested as a supply of bioactive compounds for consumers.

Grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lamarck) functional phytochemicals: Effect of environmental conditions and ripening process.

Grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lamarck) is a native fruit of the Atlantic rain forest that belongs to Myrtaceae family. It presents economic potential due to the attractive sensory attributes and bioactive compounds. This study determined physicochemical characteristics, minerals (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn), sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), total content of phenolics, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins, individual phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity at three ripening stages of grumixama from two growing locations (Florianópolis and São Ludgero, Santa Catarina state, Brazil). Of the 23 phenolic compounds quantified, gallic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin, and isoquercetrin were the major (with values up to 69.08 mg/100 g fresh weight). Fructose (up to 5.28 g/100 g fresh weight) was the main sugar, and K (up to 589.30 mg/100 g fresh weight) was the major mineral, followed by Ca, Na, and Mg (up to 149.02, 117.52, and 80.18 mg/100 g fresh weight, respectively). More mature fruits had the highest levels of total phenolics (up to 469.18 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g fresh weight), anthocyanins (up to 518.64 mg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalent/100 g fresh weight), and proanthocyanidins (up to 420.70 mg catechin equivalent/100 g fresh weight). The influence of growing location and ripening on nutritional and physicochemical characteristics was confirmed. There was a statistically significant interaction (p < 0.05) between both factors for almost all parameters evaluated. The results showed that grumixama fruits could contribute to the daily intake of nutritional and bioactive compounds for consumers' health.

Blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius Schott): Chemical composition, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in two edible stages.

The berries of the genus Rubus has been highlighted as important source of bioactive and health promoting constituents, however, information about chemical composition and antioxidant potential of the specie Rubus ulmifolius are still scarce. In this regard, this study aimed to assess the physicochemical characteristics, total monomeric anthocyanins (TMA), individual phenolics, minerals, sugars, and antioxidant properties of mature and fully mature R. ulmifolius. With the advance of maturation, changes in the physicochemical composition suggest pleasant characteristics for consumption especially in the fully mature stage. High levels of TMA and sugars (fructose and glucose) were also verified in the fully mature stage, as well as, expressive antioxidant potential, with values of 241.06 µM Fe+2 g-1 for ferric reducing antioxidant power and 28.22 mg gallic acid equivalent g-1 for Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity (all expressed in dry matter, DM). In contrast, minerals (potassium, calcium, sodium) and most of the studied phenolic compounds showed the highest concentrations in mature fruits. Among the phenolics investigated, 26 compounds were identified and quercetin and isoquercitrin were the predominant phenolic compounds in the fruit. The results reinforce the nutritive and antioxidant potential of Rubus ulmifolius in both maturation stages studied.

Nutritional and bioactive potential of Myrtaceae fruits during ripening.

This study aimed to characterize jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora), guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens), and jambolan (Syzygium cumini) in relation to its individual phenolic compounds (LC-ESI-MS/MS), antioxidant capacity, total monomeric anthocyanin, sugars, and minerals during ripening (intermediate and ripe stages). In the three studied fruits, 22 phenolic compounds were quantified, especially phenolic acids and flavonoids, which presented a higher concentration in the intermediate ripening stage. In contrast, the total monomeric anthocyanin, fructose, glucose, Ca, Na values were higher in the ripe stage. In addition, all studied fruits showed expressive antioxidant capacity in both ripening stages: 2569.28 to 5066.35mg AAE 100g-1 DW for DPPH; 13777.52 to 26667.45µmol Fe+2 100g-1 DW for FRAP; and 957.72 to 2061.35mg GAE 100g-1 DW for Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity. Therefore, our results revealed that these fruits represent a supply of high-value nutrient and bioactive components, especially in the ripe stage.

A sub-minute CZE method to determine nitrate and nitrite in meat products: An alternative for routine analysis.

A sub-minute capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was optimized and a simple sample preparation procedure based on the extraction of the analytes with water and sodium tetraborate was developed for the simultaneous determination of nitrate and nitrite levels in meat products. The background electrolyte (BGE) was composed of 20mmolL(-1) perchloric acid and 65mmolL(-1) ß-alanine at pH3.83. Thiocyanate was used as the internal standard. The proposed method was validated and the uncertainty estimated according to Eurachem guidelines. The run time was only 30s, allowing analyzing more than 25samples/h, the good analytical performance confirms the suitability of the method for the analysis of meat products. One sample presented residual nitrite levels above the limit established by MERCOSUL legislation (150mgkg(-1)). The use of a fast method in association with a simple sample preparation step means that this procedure represents a possible alternative to fulfill the demand for high throughput in routine laboratory analysis.

Development and validation of a sub-minute capillary zone electrophoresis method for determination of nitrate and nitrite in baby foods.

This paper proposes an innovative sub-minute capillary zone electrophoresis method and a simple sample preparation procedure for simultaneous nitrate and nitrite determination. The novelty of the method is the simplicity of execution and the capacity to separate the analytes in less than 0.5 min. The BGE is composed of 10 mmol L(-1) perchloric acid and 40 mmol L(-1) ß-alanine at pH 3.96. Thiocyanate was used as an internal standard. The method was validated following the Eurachem guidelines and applied to the analysis of 14 baby food samples. Of these samples, one had nitrate levels above that permitted by Brazilian legislation (250 mg kg(-1)) and for all samples the nitrite concentrations were under the limit of quantification. The good analytical performance verified for this method indicates that it is suitable for implementation in food laboratories for the routine determination of nitrate and nitrite as an alternative to the official method provided by the AOAC.

5-HMF and carbohydrates content in stingless bee honey by CE before and after thermal treatment.

This study aimed to assess 5-hydroximethylfurfural and carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) in 13 stingless bee honey samples before and after thermal treatment using a capillary electrophoresis method. The methods were validated for the parameters of linearity, matrix effects, precision, and accuracy. A factorial design was implemented to determine optimal thermal treatment conditions and then verify the postprocedural 5-HMF formation, but once 5-HMF were

New multilayer coating using quaternary ammonium chitosan and κ-carrageenan in capillary electrophoresis: application in fast analysis of betaine and methionine.

The aim of this study was to develop a new multilayer coating with crosslinked quaternary ammonium chitosan (hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan; HACC) and κ-carrageenan for use in capillary electrophoresis. A new semi-permanent multilayer coating was formed using the procedure developed and the method does not require the presence of polymers in the background electrolyte (BGE). The new capillary multilayer coating showed a cathodic electroosmotic flow (EOF) of around 30×10(-9) m(2) V(-1) s(-1) which is pH-independent in the range of pH 2 to 10. The enhanced EOF at low pH obtained contributed significantly to the development of a fast method of separation. The multilayer coating was then applied in the development of a fast separation method to determine betaine and methionine in pharmaceutical formulations by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The BGE used to determine the betaine and methionine concentrations was composed of 10 mmol L(-1) tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, 40 mmol L(-1) phosphoric acid and 10% (v/v) ethanol, at pH 2.1. A fused-silica capillary of 32 cm (50 µm ID×375 µm OD) was used in the experiments and samples and standards were analyzed employing the short-end injection procedure (8.5 cm effective length). The instrumental analysis time of the optimized method was 1.53 min (approx. 39 runs per hour). The validation of the proposed method for the determination of betaine and methionine showed good linearity (R(2)>0.999), adequate limit of detection (LOD <8 mg L(-1)) for the concentration in the samples and inter-day precision values lower than 3.5% (peak area and time migration). The results for the quantification of the amino acids in the samples determined by the CZE-UV method developed were statistically equal to those obtained with the comparative LC-MS/MS method according to the paired t-test with a confidence level of 95%.

Alimento funcional: bebidas proteicas à base de soro de leite / Functional food: protein drinks based on whey

Alimentos funcionais são definidos como aqueles que fornecem benefícios adicionais aos da alimentação. O mercado de alimentos com propriedades funcionais está em crescente expansão. Esse segmento está relacionado à inovação, pois além dos tradicionais produtos funcionais lácteos e não lácteos, ganham espaço no mercado produtos inovadores como suplementos líquidos para atletas a base de soro de leite. Além da funcionalidade sobre a síntese proteica muscular, estas bebidas estão se inserindo em áreas como a da saciedade e da nutrição clínica. Assim, é possível afirmar que o soro de leite se diferencia como ingrediente de inovação em alimentos e bebidas, porque demonstra uma grande versatilidade tecnológica. Esta revisão objetivou fornecer uma visão geral sobre alimentos funcionais, enfatizando o segmento de bebidas à base de soro de leite. O sucesso desta nova abordagem nutricional está intimamente ligado à necessidade de identificar, caracterizar e desenvolver metodologias para medir e validar com maior precisão os relevantes marcadores funcionais, tornando-os de domínio público.