Production and evaluation of novel functional cream cottage cheese fortified with bovine colostrum and probiotic bacteria.

Nutrient-dense colostrum can be employed as a functional food ingredient. This work aimed to produce novel functional probiotic Cream cottage cheese (FPC) using probiotic (ABT) culture and bovine colostrum powder (BCP) at levels of 1, 2, and 3%. Physicochemical and functional properties (antioxidant activity, fatty acid profile, and antibacterial activity) were analyzed. The outcome revealed that hardness, cohesiveness, and gumminess were increased while springiness and chewiness were decreased for the treated cheeses. In FPC, medium-chain fatty acids were the predominant forms, followed by short- and long-chain fatty acids, polyunsaturated (PUFA), and small amounts of monounsaturated (MUFA). The antioxidant activity of all the cheese samples was significantly (P < 0.05) increased by increasing the quantity of colostrum powder and lengthening storage time. Color parameters were influenced by enrichment with BCP, whether in fresh or stored samples. With the addition of BCP, the growth of lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria was enhanced, whereas that of pathogenic bacteria, mold and yeast, and coliform groups was inhibited. Cheeses fortified with 2% BCP had significantly higher score values than those in the other treatments. Therefore, it could be concluded that cottage cheese fortified with 2% BCP has high nutritional value and health benefits. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05910-0.

Enhancing functional buffalo yogurt: Improving physicochemical properties, biological activities, and shelf life using Marjoram and Geranium essential oils.

The use of essential oils (EOs) has attracted interest in the food industry due to their wide range of beneficial properties. In this study, a new functional yogurt was developed using 2 essential oils [Marjoram (M) and Geranium (G)], at 3 different concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% vol/vol). The physicochemical properties (syneresis, viscosity, pH, and chemical composition), bioactivities (antioxidant activity, anticancer and antibacterial effects, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC)), and sensory characteristics of the developed yogurt were evaluated. The findings indicated that the yogurts fortified with 0.6% M or G exhibited higher viscosity and lower syneresis compared with other treatments. The yogurt supplemented with 0.6% M displayed significant antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Escherichia coli. In addition, the yogurt enriched with Geranium and Marjoram oils at a concentration of 0.6% had notably significant (P < 0.05) higher TFC levels compared with the control sample and other concentrations. In the same context, in terms of TPC, yogurt supplemented with 0.6% Marjoram oil displayed significantly (P < 0.05) elevated levels in comparison to the other samples tested. Yogurt enriched with Marjoram oil exhibited noteworthy antioxidant activity, followed by Geranium oil compared with the control samples. The yogurt supplemented with 0.6% M demonstrated strong radical scavenging activity, while the yogurt fortified with 0.6% G showed higher anticancer activity against HepG2 human liver carcinoma cells and oxidative stress enzyme activities. Among the various concentrations of EOs tested, the yogurts fortified with 0.6% M or G EOs exhibited the most favorable outcomes, followed by 0.4% M or G. To summarize, G and M EOs can be used as a potential nutritious ingredient and as a natural preservative for milk and related products.

Efficacy of Linezolid in the management of pneumonic COVID-19 patients. Bioinformatics-based clinical study.

INTRODUCTION: At the beginning in July 2023, there has been a significant increase in daily hospital admissions attributed to the new variant of COVID-19. Aim of this study is to explore the clinical benefits and outcomes of using linezolid in the management of pneumonic COVID-19 patients. METHODOLOGY: The study included 230 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR. Group 1: 118 patients were managed with Linazolid alongside steroids. Group 2: (control group) patients treated according to the Protocol for Egyptian COVID-19 management outlines and WHO guidelines (112 patients). Each patient group was categorized into 3 age groups: 20-40 years, 41-65 years, and over 65 years. Patients were carefully followed up until recovery or mortality. A docking analysis was carried out to investigate the potential of linezolid to act as an Mpro inhibitor. RESULTS: Group 1's average recovery time was 15.1 days in contrast to 18.7 days for Group 2 (control). There were no deaths reported. In silico investigations revealed that Linezolid was able to achieve a binding mode comparable to that of the co-crystalized inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Linazolid is considered an effective antiviral weapon against SARS-COV-2. It could be used in the management plan of pneumonic individuals due to SARS-COV-2 infection. We recommend using it to combat the current wave caused by Omicron EG-5 Variant.

Mycotoxin Occurrence in Milk and Durum Wheat Samples from Tunisia Using Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction and Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection.

Food and feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major public health concern. Humans and animals are exposed to these toxins by consuming contaminated products throughout their lives. In this study, a method based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD), was validated for the determination of aflatoxins (AFs) M1, B1, B2, G1, G2, zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA). The method was applied to 150 raw cow milk samples and 90 market durum wheat samples from two Tunisian climatic regions: the littoral region (Mahdia) and the continental region (Béja). This work was carried out to obtain more surveillance data to support rapid initiatives to assure safe foods and protect consumer health and to estimate the daily exposure of the Tunisian population consuming those products. AFG2 and OTA were found in wheat with incidences of 54.4 and 11.1%, respectively. On the other side, milk samples were contaminated by AFG2, AFB1, and AFB2 with incidences of 8.7%, 2.0%, and 0.67%, respectively. Some of the samples showed OTA concentrations above the maximum limit allowed by the European Union, which represents a health risk for consumers in Tunisia, where no legislation exists about the maximum content of mycotoxins in food.

A Notorious Trio! Inflammation, Metabolic Syndrome and Vitiligo.

Background: There is evidence to support that vitiligo is linked to metabolic syndrome (MS), confirming its systemic nature. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. Objectives: To reveal the possible association of MS with vitiligo. We also attempted to study the connection between some inflammatory markers and MS in vitiligo patients to evaluate their utility in predicting MS risk. Materials and Methods: The study included 100 vitiligo patients with an age range between 18 to 60 years and 100 controls with matched age, gender, and body mass index. All subjects were tested for MS components. Serum visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin), fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were also measured. Results: Regarding MS, it was observed in 22.0% of vitiligo patients and 2.0% of control subjects (P < 0.001). Serum FABP4, VAP-1, YKL-40, and hs-CRP concentrations were higher in patients than in the control group (P < 0.05 each), and their levels showed high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate MS when using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Levels of these markers, except serum vaspin, were significantly positively correlated with lipid profile markers (except high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and fasting blood glucose levels (P < 0.05 each). Conclusion: MS was more common in vitiligo patients. The levels of the biomarkers studied were significantly higher in vitiligo patients. Furthermore, their levels accurately predicted MS in vitiligo patients. According to current research, these markers may be useful in assessing MS risk in vitiligo patients. Extensive research, however, is required.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity Among Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Physical inactivity has been identified as a major factor in developing and progressing chronic non-communicable diseases such as obesity. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranks high worldwide in rates of obesity. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public health measures have been enforced. These included social distancing, masking, reduction of workplace daily hours, prevention of social gatherings, and home quarantine measures. These ultimately restricted the ability to perform regular physical health activities. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity among adults in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Saudi population. An online survey was sent through social media to gather data regarding individual physical activity before and after the start of the COVID-19 restrictions. The data were collected from March 20, 2021, until May 20, 2021, and analyzed using chi-square and paired t-test using the SAS software version 9.4. Results In total, 433 participants completed the survey. There were 183 (42.3%) males, and the majority of the participants were Saudi nationals (284, 65.6%). Most of the participants (181, 41.8%) were in the age group 25-35 years and 253 (58%) had bachelor's degrees. Although the results did not show a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-COVID-19 respondents in terms of physical activity, married participants, participants from the eastern province, and participants who did not exercise regularly were all significantly impacted by lack of exercise compared to their counterparts (p < 0.05). Conclusions Taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is essential. Nonetheless, recommendations should be sought for physical activity during lockdowns, and large-scale research should be conducted to better understand what causes the exaggeration of sedentary lifestyles during lockdowns and how to prevent them. Further studies need to be conducted, and national guidelines should be made available in case of a future lockdown.

Interleukin-17A gene single nucleotide polymorphism and its relation to fungal growth in psoriatic patients: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Although dysbiosis and the role of the microbiome in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases have been intensively investigated, fungal colonization or infection has received minimal attention. AIMS: To isolate and identify different fungal species namely Candida, Dermatophytes, Malassezia, and Aspergillus from plaque psoriasis patients, evaluate the association of IL-17A gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with psoriasis, and to reveal the relation between IL-17A gene SNPs and the fungal presence within the psoriatic plaques. PATIENTS/METHODS: Fifty plaque psoriasis patients and fifty healthy age and sex volunteers as controls were enrolled in this study. From psoriatic plaques, mycological isolation was done by direct microscopic examination (10% KOH mount), culture onto the three sets of media then species identification by phenotypic procedures. Genomic DNA extraction and genotyping for IL-17A (rs10484879) SNPs using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were also done. RESULTS: Psoriasis cases showed higher frequency of fungal growth 86% vs. 14% in controls; (p < 0.001). The frequency of IL-17A GA, AA, and total polymorphism (GA+AA) genotypes in psoriasis cases was significantly higher than in controls. There was non-significant association between different IL-17A genotypes and fungal growth except Aspergillus flavus, which decreased gradually with GG, GA, and AA (37.5%, 20.8%, and 0%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Psoriasis cases are significantly associated with fungal growth, which may be a contributing factor in its pathogenesis. SNPs of IL-17A (rs10484879) G/A gene led to increased susceptibility toward pathogenesis of psoriasis. Fungal growth and IL-17A GA+AA genotypes are suggested to be independent predictors of psoriasis susceptibility.

Antioxidant, Antibacterial Activities and Mineral Content of Buffalo Yoghurt Fortified with Fenugreek and Moringa oleifera Seed Flours.

Recently, there is an increasing demand for functional yoghurts by consumer, especially those produced through the incorporation of food of plant origin or its bioactive components. The current research was devoted to formulating functional buffalo yoghurt through the addition of 0.1 and 0.2% of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed flour (F1 and F2) and Moringa oleifera seed flour (M1 and M2). The effects of fortification were evaluated on physicochemical, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AOA), the viability of yoghurt starter, and sensory acceptability of yoghurts during cold storage. Moringa oleifera seed flour had higher contents of TPC (140.12 mg GAE/g) and AOA (31.30%) as compared to fenugreek seed flour (47.4 mg GAE/g and 19.1%, respectively). Values of TPC and AOA significantly increased in fortified yoghurts, and M2 treatment had the highest values of TPC (31.61, 27.29, and 25.69 mg GAE/g) and AOA (89.32, 83.5, and 80.35%) at 1, 7, and 14 days of storage, respectively. M2 showed significantly higher antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. and the zones of inhibition were 12.65, 13.14, 17.23 and 14.49 mm, respectively. On the other hand, control yoghurt showed the lowest antibacterial activity and the zones of inhibition were (4.12, 5.21, 8.55, and 8.39 mm against E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp., respectively). Incorporation of 0.1% and 0.2% of moringa seed flour (M1 and M2) led to a higher content of Ca, P, K, and Fe and lower content of Mg and Zn as compared to F1 and F2, respectively. Thus, it could be concluded that fenugreek and Moringa oleifera seed flour can be exploited in the preparation of functional novel yoghurt.

Development of a Multifunction Set Yogurt Using Rubus suavissimus S. Lee (Chinese Sweet Tea) Extract.

Rubus suavissimus S. Lee leaves, also known as Chinese sweet tea or Tiancha, are used in folk medicine in southern China. This study evaluated the impact of the addition of Chinese sweet tea extract (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%) on the chemical composition, organoleptic properties, yogurt culture viability, and biological activities (i.e., antioxidant, anticancer, and antihypertensive activities) of yogurt. Seven phenolic compounds were reported in Chinese sweet tea for the first time. The numbers of the yogurt culture were similar across all yogurt treatments. The yogurt supernatant with 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% Chinese sweet tea extract had a total phenolic content that was 3.6-, 6.1-, and 11.2-fold higher, respectively, than that of the control yogurt. The biological activities were significantly increased by the addition of Chinese sweet tea extract: Yogurt with the addition of 1% Chinese sweet tea extract had the highest biological activities in terms of the antioxidant activity (92.43%), antihypertensive activity (82.03%), and inhibition of the Caco-2 cell line (67.46%). Yogurt with the addition of 0.5% Chinese sweet tea extract received the highest aroma and overall acceptability scores. Overall, Chinese sweet tea extract is a promising food ingredient for producing functional yogurt products that may substantially contribute to reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Epilepsy in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes and relation to glutamic acid decarboxylase 65.

OBJECTIVE: To report if the association of epilepsy in pediatric patients (below the age of 15 years) with Insulin-dependent Diabetes (IDDM) at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) is higher than the prevalence of epilepsy in the same age group (who have no IDDM) in our community. Consequently, we would determine if there is a relationship between the presence of epilepsy in diabetic children and the presence of positive antiGAD65 antibodies. METHODS: This cohort study included 305 pediatric patients below the age of 15 years with Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM). They were randomly recruited at the Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic in KFMC. The patients` caregivers were given a questionnaire between December 2015 till March 2019 to determine the seizure disorder history. There was also a retrospective review of 214 patients` files for anti-GAD 65 positivity. RESULTS: Our study found a significant relation between the presence of epilepsy in children with IDDM. Therefore, we could confirm the relationship between the existence of epilepsy in children with IDDM and having positive GAD65 antibodies. CONCLUSION: Our study supports the presence of consistent relation between having IDDM and having epilepsy in children and between the latter and the presence of positive GAD65 antibodies.

Antimicrobial activity of certain natural-based plant oils against the antibiotic-resistant acne bacteria.

The unceasing emerging of multidrug-resistant bacteria imposes a global foremost human health threat and discovery of new alternative remedies are necessity. The use of plant essential oil in the treatment of many pathogenic bacteria is promising. Acne vulgaris is the most common skin complaint that fears many people about their aesthetic appearance. In this work we investigated the antibacterial activity of some plant oils against acne-inducing bacteria. Three bacterial isolates were identified from Egypt, biochemically and by means of 16s rRNA gene typing, and were designated as Staphylococcus aureus EG-AE1, Staphylococcus epidermidis EG-AE2 and Cutibacterium acnes EG-AE1. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed resistance of the isolates to at least six antibiotics, yet they are still susceptible to the last resort Vancomycin. In vitro investigations of eleven Egyptian plant oils, identified tea tree and rosemary oils to exhibit antibacterial activity against the antibiotic-resistant acne isolates. Inhibition zones of 15 ± 0.5, 21.02 ± 0.73 and 20.85 ± 0.76 mm was detected when tea tree oil applied against the above-mentioned bacteria respectively, while inhibition zones of 12.5 ± 1.5, 15.18 ± 0.38 and 14.77 ± 0.35 mm were detected by rosemary oils. Tea tree and rosemary oils exhibited bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against all the strains with MICs/MBCs ranging between 39-78 mg/L for tea tree oil and 39-156 mg/L for rosemary oil. All the isolates were killed after 4 and 6 h upon growing with 200 mg/L of tea tree and rosemary oils, respectively. Additionally, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) profiling identified and detected a variable number of antimicrobial compounds in both oils.

Plant-based milks: unexplored source of emerging mycotoxins. A proposal for the control of enniatins and beauvericin using UHPLC-MS/MS.

Mycotoxins have become one of the most common contaminants reported worldwide. Current legislation has established maximum levels only for some well-known mycotoxins; however, there are many other "emerging mycotoxins" for which there is no regulation, as enniatins and beauvericin. An analytical method based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry is proposed for determination of enniatin A, A1, B, B1, and beauvericin in different plant-based milks, as a possible source of these contaminants, is proposed. The method showed good precision and trueness (RSD <8% and recoveries between 84-97%) with a moderate matrix effect. From a total of 32 samples of plant-based milks of different compositions (including 8 rice milks, 8 oat milks and 16 soy milks), 3 samples were contaminated with the five mycotoxins, while 5 samples were contaminated with four of them, being oat milk the most susceptible for contamination.

Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with acne vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: Many dermatological diseases have a great impact on the psychological state of patients, like urticaria, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and acne vulgaris. Finding a "gold standard" biomarker for chronic stress in acne patients is challenging because of the complex etiology of the chronic stress and its variable manifestations. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between serum levels of BDNF and the presence and severity of acne vulgaris and to assess the relationship of this biomarker to both the degree of psychological stress and the quality of patients' lives (QoL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with acne vulgaris were included, together with twenty apparently healthy, age-, and sex-matched individuals as a control group. Patients filled a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire; both patients and controls filled a Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) and perceived stress scale-10 (PSS) questionnaires. Serum levels of BDNF were measured for patients and controls using ELISA technique. RESULTS: Patients with acne had significantly lower levels of BDNF and significantly higher HADS and PSS-10 questionnaires scores. A significant negative correlation was found between serum levels of BDNF and PSS questionnaire scores. CONCLUSION: Patients with acne are at a high risk to develop chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. BDNF is a good predictor for assessment of chronic stress in such patients.

Outcome of Pedicled Thoracodorsal Artery Perforator Flap in the Surgical Treatment of Stage II and III Hidradenitis Suppurativa of Axilla.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease affecting the apocrine glands of the axillary, groin, and mammary regions with significant physical and psychosocial sequelae. Surgical excision of the affected tissue is the criterion standard treatment. Advanced cases of axillary HS are associated with high rates of recurrence and require extensive surgical resection with challenging reconstruction associated with risk of postoperative complications. The most effective method for reconstruction of the axilla after excision of HS is yet to be identified. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of the use of pedicled thoracodorsal artery perforator (TDAP) flap as a method of reconstruction for axillary efect result from wide surgical excision as a line of treatment for stage II and III HS of the axilla. PATIENT AND METHODS: The study included 20 patients with stage II and III (Hurley staging system) HS of the axilla, 18 male and 2 women treated by wide local excision and reconstruction by rotational TDAP flap. At the end of follow-up, outcome is judged by complete remission of disease, comparing preoperative shoulder function (using Constant-Murley shoulder outcome score), and quality of life (using dermatology life quality index) with postoperative results after 1 year, plus durability of reconstruction, donor site morbidity, overall aesthetic outcome, and patient's satisfaction. RESULTS: The mean ± SD follow-up period was 30 ± 5.2 months (range = 12-60 months). Four patients (20%) were treated for their right side, 8 patients (40%) for their left side, and 8 patients (40%) were treated bilaterally, so we perform 28 operations for 20 patients. The treated patients with stage II disease were 16 (57.14%) and with stage III disease were 12 (42.85%). The size of the defects was usually approximately 10 × 15 cm. By the end of follow-up period, all patient showed complete remission of the disease with improvement in both shoulder function and quality of life, whereas 1 flap (3.57%) was complicated by bleeding treated by reoperation, 2 flaps (7.14%) complicated by wound infection that was treated conservatively, 3 other flaps (10.71%) showed wide scare at insight of the flaps, and 1 flap (3.57%) developed hypertrophic scare at donor site of the flap. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of stage II and III HS of axilla and reconstruction by rotational TDAP flap provides good aesthetic and functional results with 100% success rate in eradicating and complete remission of the disease during follow-up period and accepted complication rate.

Peripheral blood toll-like receptor 4 correlates response to candida immunotherapy of warts.

Human papilloma virus infection may be self-limiting; however, some cases may spread. There are no factors predicting the prognosis of such infections. The present study aimed to evaluate the significance of TLR4 expression in predicting the response of warts to candida immunotherapy. A total of 60 patients with different types of warts were included in the present study. A total volume of 2 ml venous blood was collected and real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine expression of TLR4. Patients were subjected to intralesional injection of Candida antigen into the largest wart at 2-week intervals until complete clearance or for a maximum of six sessions. Of the total 58 patients available for analysis of study results, 44 patients (75.9%) showed complete resolution with better response in younger ages. The TLR4 expression in patients with complete and partial response was significantly higher than that in patients who had no response (p = .006). Among our patients, 48.3% showed no side effects, 44.8% showed local reactions, and 6.9% showed systemic side effects. Only four patients showed recurrence after 6 months. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, at cutoff of expression level >12 is accompanied by 100% specificity of TLR4 in predicting treatment response to candida immunotherapy. Candida immunotherapy is an effective warts treatment, especially in young patients. Higher PMBC TLR4 levels can predict response to candida immunotherapy.

Determination of Fusarium toxins in functional vegetable milks applying salting-out-assisted liquid-liquid extraction combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Vegetable milks are considered as functional foods due to their physiological benefits. Although the consumption of these products has significantly increased, they have received little attention in legislation with regard to contaminants. However, they may contain mycotoxins resulting from the use of contaminated raw materials. In this work, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been proposed for the determination of the most relevant Fusarium toxins (fumonisin B1 and B2, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol and fusarenon-X) in different functional beverages based on cereals, legumes and seeds. Sample treatment consisted of a simple salting-out-assisted liquid-liquid extraction with no further clean-up. The method provided limits of quantification between 3.2 and 57.7 µg L-1, recoveries above 80% and precision with RSD lower than 12%. The method was also applied for studying the occurrence of these mycotoxins in market samples of vegetable functional beverages and deoxynivalenol was found in three oat-based commercial drinks.

Evaluation of a multiresidue capillary electrophoresis-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry method for the determination of antibiotics in milk samples.

A selective and rapid method has been developed to determine 15 antibiotic residues (eight tetracyclines and seven quinolones) in milk samples by capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CZE-Q-TOF-MS). The use of this hybrid mass spectrometer allowed obtaining full scan and full MS/MS spectra for quantification/confirmation purposes in a single run. In addition, solid phase extraction (SPE) using the new Oasis PRiME HLB cartridge was proposed for the extraction, achieving excellent results in terms of sample throughput. The proposed method was validated using whole cow milk as representative matrix. Good linearity was obtained (R2>0.99) for all the studied compounds. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (%, RSD), at two concentration levels (50 and 100µgkg-1) was below 13%. Recoveries obtained from goat milk, whole cow milk and semi-skimmed cow milk, at two concentration levels, ranged from 76 to 106%, while limits of quantification ranged from 1.5 to 9.6µgkg-1, being lower than the established maximum residue limits in the European legislation. Matrix effect was negligible in all cases, showing that with this new SPE sorbent cleanest extracts were obtained with a minimum number of steps in the sample treatment. Thus, the proposed SPE-CZE-Q-TOF-MS method is suitable for multiclass multiresidue monitoring in different types of milk samples.

Evaluation of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and extraction with molecularly imprinted polymers for determination of aminoglycosides in milk and milk-based functional foods.

An analytical method for the determination of eleven aminoglycosides in different types of milk and milk-based functional products has been optimized and validated. A hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) column was proposed for the separation of analytes by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). A commercially molecularly imprinted polymer has been used for the solid phase extraction of the analytes, in order to achieve high selectivity in the sample treatment. The proposed method was characterized for different types of milk (whole cow milk, skimmed cow milk, whole goat milk) and functional dairy products, such as follow-on milk, Omega 3-enriched milk and isoflavones-enriched milk. Matrix effect was studied in the different matrices, being lower than │15│% in all cases, showing that the proposed procedure provided very clean extracts. Limits of quantification in the range 4.2-49µgkg-1 were estimated, well below the maximum residue limits established by the European Union. Recoveries ranged from 70% to 106% with RSD lower than 13%, in compliance with the current legislation. The combination of HILIC to solve the difficulties of the separation of these very polar compounds in reverse phase with the use of MISPE for sample treatment and MS/MS detection provided a very sensitive, highly selective, robust and useful method for identification and quantification of aminoglycoside residues in different types of milk and milk-based products.

Evaluation of a new modified QuEChERS method for the monitoring of carbamate residues in high-fat cheeses by using UHPLC-MS/MS.

A simple and efficient method for the determination of 28 carbamates in high-fat cheeses is proposed. The methodology is based on a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure as sample treatment using a new sorbent (Z-Sep+ ) followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry determination. The method has been validated in different kinds of cheese (Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Camembert), achieving recoveries of 70-115%, relative standard deviations lower than 13% and limits of quantification lower than 5.4 µg/kg, below the maximum residue levels tolerated for these compounds by the European legislation. The matrix effect was lower than ±30% for all the studied pesticides. The combination of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with this modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure using Z-Sep+ allowed a high sample throughput and an efficient cleaning of extracts for the control of these residues in cheeses with a high fat content.

A survey of selected essential and heavy metals in milk from different regions of Egypt using ICP-AES.

The aim of this paper was to assess the content of selected essential metals (Fe, Zn, Cu and Cr) and some heavy metals (Pb and Cd) in raw cow's milk collected from different Egyptian areas during different periods of one year (January-February, May-June and September-October 2009). Twenty-one samples of raw milk were analysed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry for quantitative determination. The highest metal accumulation levels for Cd, Cr, Fe and Cu are found in milk samples collected from Shubra, while samples from Menofia and Tanash are high in Pb and Zn, respectively. On the other hand, the highest metal accumulation levels were during January-February for Cd, Cr and Zn. In the period of May-June, the content of Pb, Cu and Fe were the highest, while the samples during the September-October period are characterised by the lowest metal content.