A chromosome-scale assembly of Brassica carinata (BBCC) accession HC20 containing resistance to multiple pathogens and an early generation assessment of introgressions into B. juncea (AABB).

Brassica carinata (BBCC) commonly referred to as Ethiopian mustard is a natural allotetraploid containing the genomes of Brassica nigra (BB) and Brassica oleracea (CC). It is an oilseed crop endemic to the northeastern regions of Africa. Although it is under limited cultivation, B. carinata is valuable as it is resistant/highly tolerant to most of the pathogens affecting widely cultivated Brassica species of the U's triangle. We report a chromosome-scale genome assembly of B. carinata accession HC20 using long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Bionano optical maps. The assembly has a scaffold N50 of ~39.8 Mb and covers ~1.11 Gb of the genome. We compared the long-read genome assemblies of the U's triangle species and found extensive gene collinearity between the diploids and allopolyploids with no evidence of major gene losses. Therefore, B. juncea (AABB), B. napus (AACC), and B. carinata can be regarded as strict allopolyploids. We cataloged the nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat immune receptor (NLR) repertoire of B. carinata and, identified 465 NLRs, and compared these with the NLRs in the other Brassica species. We investigated the extent and nature of early-generation genomic interactions between the constituent genomes of B. carinata and B. juncea in interspecific crosses between the two species. Besides the expected recombination between the constituent B genomes, extensive homoeologous exchanges were observed between the A and C genomes. Interspecific crosses, therefore, can be used for transferring disease resistance from B. carinata to B. juncea and broadening the genetic base of the two allotetraploid species.

Residue and dietary intake risk assessment of lufenuron and chlorfenapyr and its corresponding metabolite in cabbage under field conditions.

A simple, low-cost, and highly sensitive method using a modified QuECHERS procedure based on a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) was established to simultaneously quantify lufenuron and chlorfenapyr and the corresponding metabolite tralopyril in cabbage for the first time. On the basis of this method, terminal residue and dietary risk of lufenuron and chlorfenapyr in cabbage were investigated. The recoveries of lufenuron, chlorfenapyr, and tralopyril ranged from 88 to 110%, with relative standard deviation of less than 12.4%. The field trial results showed that at the pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 21 days, the terminal residues of lufenuron, chlorfenapyr, and tralopyril in the supervised trials were not higher than 0.02 mg/kg, and the highest detected residue levels of lufenuron, chlorfenapyr, and tralopyril were 0.047, 0.055, and <0.02 mg·kg-1 at 14-day pre-harvest respectively, which were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for cabbage established in China. For the dietary risk assessment, the national estimated daily intakes (NEDIs) as proportion of acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) were 80.4% and 29.9% for chlorfenapyr and lufenuron respectively indicating an acceptable dietary risk to Chinese population.

Impact of treated wastewater on plant growth: leaf fluorescence, reflectance, and biomass-based assessment.

The study evaluated the impact of treated wastewater on plant growth through the use of hyperspectral and fluorescence-based techniques coupled with classical biomass analyses, and assessed the potential of reusing treated wastewater for irrigation without fertilizer application. Cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) were irrigated with tap water (Tap), secondary effluent (SE), and membrane effluent (ME). Maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) of tomato and cabbage was between 0.78 to 0.80 and 0.81 to 0.82, respectively, for all treatments. The performance index (PI) of Tap/SE/ME was 2.73, 2.85, and 2.48 for tomatoes and 4.25, 3.79, and 3.70 for cabbage, respectively. Both Fv/Fm and PI indicated that the treated wastewater did not have a significant adverse effect on the photosynthetic efficiency and plant vitality of the crops. Hyperspectral analysis showed higher chlorophyll and nitrogen content in leaves of recycled water-irrigated crops than tap water-irrigated crops. SE had 10.5% dry matter composition (tomato) and Tap had 10.7% (cabbage). Total leaf count of Tap/SE/ME was 86, 111, and 102 for tomato and 37, 40, and 42 for cabbage, respectively. In this study, the use of treated wastewater did not induce any photosynthetic-related or abiotic stress on the crops; instead, it promoted crop growth.

Residue behavior and consumer risk assessment of spirotetramat and chlorpyrifos on cabbage heads and cropped soil.

A field experiment following good agricultural practices was laid out to study the dissipation of spirotetramat (90 g a.i. ha-1 and 180 g a.i. ha-1) and chlorpyrifos (400 g a.i. ha-1 and 800 g a.i. ha-1) on cabbage heads and soil. Samples were processed using quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method for residue estimation of spirotetramat and chlorpyrifos, which were further detected using HPLC-PDA and GC-FPD respectively. The residues of spirotetramat on cabbage heads reached below detection limit (BDL) (< 0.05 mg kg-1) on 7th and 10th day and for chlorpyrifos, BDL (< 0.01 mg kg-1) was achieved on 10th and 15th day for X and 2X dose, respectively. On 20th day after second spray, residues in soil were found to be BDL for both the pesticides. Half-life of spirotetramat and chlorpyrifos was found to be 3 and 2 days, respectively while a safe pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 9 days for spirotetramat and 10 days for chlorpyrifos is suggested on cabbage. The dietary risk assessment studies for various age groups of Indian population, ascertained safety of treated cabbage heads for consumption, as current study revealed that hazard quotient (HQ) < 1 and theoretical maximum dietary intake (TMDI) < maximum permissible intake (MPI) for both the pesticides at respective PHI.

(Non)targeted Chemical Analysis and Risk Assessment of Organic Contaminants in Darkibor Kale Grown at Rural and Urban Farms.

This study investigated the presence and human hazards associated with pesticides and other anthropogenic chemicals identified in kale grown in urban and rural environments. Pesticides and related compounds (i.e., surfactants and metabolites) in kale samples were evaluated using a nontargeted data acquisition for targeted analysis method which utilized a pesticide mixture containing >1,000 compounds for suspect screening and quantification. We modeled population-level exposures and assessed noncancer hazards to DEET, piperonyl butoxide, prometon, secbumeton, terbumeton, and spinosyn A using nationally representative estimates of kale consumption across life stages in the US. Our findings indicate even sensitive populations (e.g., pregnant women and children) are not likely to experience hazards from these select compounds were they to consume kale from this study. However, a strictly nontargeted chemical analytical approach identified a total of 1,822 features across all samples, and principal component analysis revealed that the kale chemical composition may have been impacted by agricultural growing practices and environmental factors. Confidence level 2 compounds that were ≥5 times more abundant in the urban samples than in rural samples (p < 0.05) included chemicals categorized as "flavoring and nutrients" and "surfactants" in the EPA's Chemicals and Products Database. Using the US-EPA's Cheminformatics Hazard Module, we identified that many of the nontarget compounds have predicted toxicity scores of "very high" for several end points related to human health. These aspects would have been overlooked using traditional targeted analysis methods, although more information is needed to ascertain whether the compounds identified through nontargeted analysis are of environmental or human health concern. As such, our approach enabled the identification of potentially hazardous compounds that, based on their hazard assessment score, merit follow-up investigations.

Assessment of the effect of drying on Brassica greens via a multiplex approach based on LC-QTOF-MS/MS, molecular networking, and chemometrics along with their antioxidant and anticancer activities.

Turnip (Brassica rapa var rapa L.) leaves are a rich source of versatile bioactive phytochemicals with great potential in the food and herbal industries. However, the effect of drying on its constituents has never been studied before. Hereto, three drying techniques were compared, namely, lyophilization (LY), vacuum oven (VO), and shade drying (SD). Chemical profiling utilizing liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS) combined with chemometrics showed the different impacts of the drying methods on the phytochemical composition of the alcoholic leaf extracts. Unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the LC-QTOF-MS/MS data showed distinct distant clustering across the three drying techniques. Loading plots and VIP scores demonstrated that sinapic acid, isorhamnetin glycosides, and sinapoyl malate were key markers for LY samples. Meanwhile, oxygenated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were characteristic for SD samples and oxygenated polyunsaturated fatty acids and verbascoside were characteristic for VO samples. LY resulted in the highest total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoid (TF) contents followed by SD and VO. LY and SD samples had much higher antioxidant activity than VO measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and iron metal chelation assays. According to the anticancer activity, the drying methods were ranked in descending order as SD > LY â‰« VO when tested against colon, breast, liver, and lung cancer cell lines. Among the identified compounds, flavonoids and omega-3 fatty acids were key metabolites responsible for the anticancer activity as revealed by partial least squares (PLS) regression and correlation analyses. In conclusion, compared to LY, SD projected out as a cost-effective drying method without compromising the phytochemical and biological activities of Brassica greens. The current findings lay the foundation for further studies concerned with the valorization of Brassica greens.

Comparative Studies of Extracts Obtained from Brassica oleracea L. Plants at Different Stages of Growth by Isolation and Determination of Isothiocyanates: An Assessment of Chemopreventive Properties of Broccoli.

The main goal of this work was to develop analytical procedures for the isolation and determination of selected isothiocyanates. As an example, particularly sulforaphane from plants of the Brassicaceae Burnett or Cruciferae Juss family. The applied methodology was mainly based on classical extraction methods and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, the effect of temperature on the release of isothiocyanates from plant cells was considered. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained plant extracts against a selected cancer cell line has also been included. The results allow evaluating the usefulness of obtained plant extracts and raw sprouts regarding their content of isothiocyanates-bioactive compounds with chemopreventive properties.

Risk assessment of broflanilide for human and non-target terrestrial organisms in cauliflower production.

Broflanilide is a newly-developed meta-diamide insecticide, proposed for the control of a wide variety of chewing pests on many crops. In view of the proposed use of broflanilide and its environmental fate, it may be exposed to consumers and non-target organisms, which adversely affect human and the environment. In this paper, a rapid, sensitive and valid UPLC-MS/MS method was established for simultaneous analysis of broflanilide and its two major metabolites, DM-8007 and S (PFP-OH)-8007, in cauliflower. Then, the dissipation behaviors and final residues of broflanilide and its two major metabolites in cauliflower from eight sites with different climatic conditions in China were studied via the described analytical method. In addition, the acute toxicity test of 9.5 % suspension concentrate of broflanilide, broflanilide standard, DM-8007 and S (PFP-OH)-8007 were conducted to non-target terrestrial organisms. Risk assessment for human and non-target terrestrial organisms in cauliflower production was evaluated based on the maximum annual application rates and intervals. The results showed that the highest residue of broflanilide detected in cauliflower samples was all lower than the corresponding MRLs (2 mg/kg) in Japan. Chronic food dietary risk estimates for broflanilide do not exceed 50 % for all the Chinese population groups. Moreover, broflanilide is of low acute toxicity to birds and earthworm, while broflanilide and its metabolites is classified as highly toxic to adult honeybees. Acute risks of broflanilide to birds and earthworms were deemed to be acceptable in a realistic worst-case scenario, while its risk to adult honeybees and ladybug was unacceptable. A protection statement for honeybees and ladybug is required to recognize the high toxicity of broflanilide on related product labels. The study will be conducive to provide guidance for the rational application of broflanilide in cauliflower production.

The environmental and socioeconomic benefits of optimized fertilization for greenhouse vegetables.

China produces more than half of global vegetables with greenhouse farms contributes approximately 35 % to the country's overall vegetable supply. The average nitrogen (N) application rate of greenhouse vegetable production exceeds 2000 kg N ha-1 yr-1, considerably contributing to global agricultural GHG emissions and reactive N (Nr) losses. Optimizing the N fertilizer utilization in greenhouse vegetable production is essential for mitigating environmental pollution and promoting sustainable development nationally and globally. In this study, we estimated the N footprint (NF), social costs (SC, which includes ecosystem and human health damage costs caused by Nr losses to the environment) and net ecosystem economic income (NEEI, which balances between the fertilizers input cost, yield profit, and social costs) of different greenhouse vegetables (tomato, pakchoi, lettuce, cabbage) under farmers' practice (FP) and reduced fertilization treatment (R). Results showed that compared with FP, the NF of tomato, pakchoi, lettuce and cabbage in the R treatment decreased by 61 %, 29 %, 46 % and 36 %, respectively, and the social costs were decreased by 60 %, 48 %, 57 % and 50 %, respectively. On the regional scale, the reduction in N fertilizer use for greenhouse vegetables in Beijing only could save the fertilizer input cost by 1-5 million USD, and avoided SC would increase by 1-14 million USD. As a result, this increased the NEEI by 2-19million USD. This study has demonstrated that adopting reduced fertilization practices represents a cost-effective measure that not only ensures yields but also decrease social costs, NF, and improve the benefits to help achieve sustainable development of greenhouse vegetable production.

Potentially toxic metals in irrigation water, soil, and vegetables and their health risks using Monte Carlo models.

Food safety has become a serious global concern because of the accumulation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in crops cultivated on contaminated agricultural soils. Amongst these toxic elements, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) receive worldwide attention because of their ability to cause deleterious health effects. Thus, an assessment of these toxic metals in the soils, irrigation waters, and the most widely consumed vegetables in Nigeria; Spinach (Amaranthushybridus), and Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The mean concentration (measured in mg kg-1) of the PTMs in the soils was in the sequence Cr (81.77) > Pb(19.91) > As(13.23) > Cd(3.25), exceeding the WHO recommended values in all cases. This contamination was corroborated by the pollution evaluation indices. The concentrations (measured in mg l-1) of the PTMs in the irrigation water followed a similar pattern i.e. Cr(1.87) > Pb(1.65) > As(0.85) > Cd(0.20). All the PTMs being studied, were found in the vegetables with Cr (5.37 and 5.88) having the highest concentration, followed by Pb (3.57 and 4.33), and As (1.09 and 1.67), while Cd (0.48 and 1.04) had the lowest concentration (all measured in mg kg-1) for cabbage and spinach, respectively. The concentration of the toxic metals was higher in spinach than in cabbage, which may be due to the redistribution of the greater proportion of the metals above the ground tissue, caused by the bioavailability of metals in the aqueous phase. Expectedly, the hazard index (HI),and carcinogenic risk values of spinach were higher than that of cabbage. This implies that spinach poses potentially higher health risks. Similarly, the Monte Carlo simulation results reveal that the 5th percentile, 95th percentile, and 50th percentile of the cumulative probability of cancer risks due to the consumption of these vegetables exceeds the acceptable range of 1.00E-6 and 1.00E-4. Thus, the probable risk of a cancerous effect is high, and necessary remedial actions are recommended.

Residue dissipation dynamics and dietary risk assessment of emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole, chlorfenapyr, and lufenuron in cabbage.

Emamectin benzoate (EB), chlorantraniliprole (CTP), chlorfenapyr (CFP), and lufenuron (LFR) are widely used to control Spodoptera exigua on cabbage. This study is aimed at establishing a universal, sensitive, accurate, and efficient method for the determination of these pesticide residues in cabbage using QuEChERS pretreatment combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‒MS/MS or GC‒MS/MS). The recoveries of these pesticides (containing metabolites) in cabbage detected by the optimized method ranged between 80.9% and 99.9%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.164-12.5%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the four pesticides was determined to be 0.01 mg/kg. The standard curve, accuracy, precision, and LOQ of the analysis method all met the requirements of pesticide residue detection. The optimized method was used to detect the dissipation dynamics and terminal residues in 12 regions. The dissipation half-lives of CTP, CFP, and LFR were 3.35-7.01 d, 2.29-4.75 d, and 3.24-6.80 d, respectively. The terminal residues of all these pesticides were below the maximum residue limits (MRLs). The dietary risk assessment indicated that the dietary risk probabilities for EB, CTP, CFP, and LFR were all less than 1 and were within the acceptable range. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the residues and dietary risks of EB, CTP, CFP, and LFR for the scientific use of pesticides.

Stereoselective, Diastereoselective Dissipation and Risk Assessment of Chiral Metconazole in Soybean, Peanut, Cabbage, Celery, Tomato, and Soil.

The stereoselective behaviors and dietary risks of metconazole (MZE) in soil and five vegetables were investigated. The results showed that there was species-specific stereoselective and diastereoselective dissipation, and the half-lives ranged from 0.69 to 8.17 days. cis-(+)-1S,5R-MZE was preferentially dissipated in soybean pods, cabbages, celeries, and tomatoes, which was contrary to soybean plants and soil. trans-(+)-1R,5R-MZE was preferentially dissipated in peanut plants, peanut shells, celeries, and tomatoes, while trans-(-)-1S,5S-MZE was preferentially dissipated in soybean plants. cis-MZE was preferentially dissipated in the test vegetables and soil, except celery. The stereoisomeric excess changes were higher than 10%, indicating that the stereoselectivity and diastereoselectivity should be considered in the risk assessment of MZE in soybean plants, pods, and peanut plants. The acute and chronic dietary intake risks of rac-MZE for different groups of people were acceptable. The preferentially dissipated and high activity cis-(+)-1S,5R-MZE with lower toxicity might be suitable for application as monocase.

Dissipation behavior and dietary risk assessment of cyclaniliprole and its metabolite in cabbage under field conditions.

Cyclaniliprole, a novel diamide insecticide, can successfully control Spodoptera litura (Fabricius, 1775) in cabbage. Understanding the residual level of cyclaniliprole in crops and the risk related to its dietary intake is imperative for safe application. Here, we established a simplified, sensitive method for simultaneous analysis of cyclaniliprole and its metabolite NK-1375 (3-bromo-2-((2-bromo-4H-pyrazolo[1,5-d]pyrido[3,2-b]-[1,4]oxazin-4-ylidene)amino)-5-chloro-N-(1-cyclopropylethyl)benzamide) in cabbage by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate their dissipation behavior and residual characteristics. Cyclaniliprole showed rapid dissipation in cabbage and had a half-life of 1.8-2.7 days. The highest residue of total cyclaniliprole (sum of cyclaniliprole and NK-1375) in cabbage from different pre-harvest intervals (3 and 5 days) was 0.25 mg/kg. Our results confirmed the generally low dietary risk quotient of cyclaniliprole (0.243-1.036%) among different age and gender groups in China. Therefore, cyclaniliprole did not pose an unacceptable risk to consumers. This study contributes to setting cyclaniliprole maximum residue limit in cabbage by assessing its dissipation fate and food safety risks.

Residue levels and risk assessment of acetamiprid-pyridaben mixtures in cabbage under various open field conditions.

Acetamiprid and pyridaben are highly efficient insecticides widely used to protect leafy vegetables against various pests, such as Phyllotreta striolata, but analyses of their residual behaviors applied in mixtures in cabbage fields are primarily lacking. Herein, field trials were performed by spraying 50% acetamiprid-pyridaben wettable powder (50% WP) once at a dose of 150 g of active ingredient per hectare in 12 representative provinces of China under Good Agricultural Practices. The residues of acetamiprid and pyridaben were detected using modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, together with an assessment of their dietary risks. The average recoveries of the two insecticides were 84.6-104%, and the relative standard deviations were 0.898-10.1%. The residual concentrations of acetamiprid and pyridaben at the preharvest interval of 7 days were <0.364 and 0.972 mg/kg, respectively, and less than their maximum residue limits in cabbage (0.5 mg/kg for acetamiprid and 2 mg/kg for pyridaben) in China. The chronic and acute risk values of acetamiprid and pyridaben were 0.0787-33.3%, implying acceptable health hazards to Chinese consumers. In conclusion, applying 50% WP in cabbage fields under Good Agricultural Practices is acceptable. These results provide essential data for using mixtures of acetamiprid and pyridaben in cabbage fields.

The Residue and Dietary Risk Assessment of Spirotetramat and Its Four Metabolites in Cabbage Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Spirotetramat is a potential tetronic acid pesticide for controlling various pests with piercing-sucking mouthparts. To clarify its dietary risk on cabbage, we established an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method and then investigated the residual levels of spirotetramat and its four metabolites in cabbage collected from field experiments under good agricultural practices (GAPs). The average recoveries of spirotetramat and its metabolites in cabbage were 74~110%, while the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1~6%, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.01 mg kg-1. The terminal residue of spirotetramat was in the range of <0.05~0.33 mg kg-1, the chronic dietary risk (RQc) was 17.56%, and the acute dietary risk (RQa) was 0.025~0.049%, which means an acceptable dietary intake risk. This study provides data to guide on the use of spirotetramat and to establish the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of spirotetramat on cabbage.

Changes in the supply chain outcomes of food regionalization, 2007-2017: Broccoli in the eastern United States.

Local and regional food supply chains are gaining increasing support from public and private sectors for their contributions to economic development and promoting sustainability. However, the impacts of regionalization are not well understood. We employ a spatial-temporal model of production and transportation to evaluate the supply chain outcomes of a decade-long process of food regionalization for fresh broccoli in the eastern United States (US). Our results indicate that eastern broccoli supply chains displaced products sourced from the western US and met over 15% of the annual demand in eastern markets in 2017. We find that total broccoli supply chain costs and food miles increased in the period 2007-2017. Nevertheless, eastern-grown broccoli has contributed to reducing regional food miles in the eastern region (from 365 miles in 2007 to 255 miles in 2017) and experienced only modest increases in supply chains costs (a 3.4% increase, compared to a 16.5% increase for broccoli shipped from western US) during the same period. Our results provide valuable information for policymakers and the fresh produce industry interested in promoting regional food supply chains.

Assessment of CuO NPs on soil microbial community structure based on phospholipid fatty acid techniques and phytotoxicity of bok choy seedlings.

In this study, a soil culture and a hydroponic experiment were conducted to assess the toxicology effects of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) on soil microbial community structure and the growth of bok choy. Results showed CuO NPs had an inhibitory effect on soil microbial abundance, diversity, and activity, as well as the bok choy seedling growth, whereas CuO NPs at low concentrations did not significantly affect the soil microbial biomass or plant growth. In soil, CuO NPs at high dose (80 mg kg-1) significantly reduced the indexes of Simpson diversity, Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness by 3.7%, 4.9% and 4.5%, respectively. In addition, CuO NPs at 20 and 80 mg kg-1 treatment significantly reduced soil enzymes (urease, alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and catalase) activities by 25.5%-58.9%. Further, CuO NPs at 20 mg L-1 significantly inhibited the growth of plant root by 33.8%, and catalase (CAT) activity by 17.9% in bok choy seedlings. The present study can provide a basis for a comprehensive evaluation of the toxicity effect of CuO NPs on soil microorganisms and phytotoxicity to bok choy seedlings.

Residue levels of emamectin benzoate, imidacloprid and its major metabolites in cabbage from 12 regions in China and dietary risk assessment.

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was established to investigate the residues of emamectin benzoate (EB), imidacloprid (IMI) and five IMI metabolites (IMI-olefin, IMI-urea, IMI-guanidine, 5-OH and 6-CNA) in cabbage. The average recoveries of the seven compounds in cabbage were 80-102%, with relative standard deviations < 8.0%. The limit of quantification for each compound was 0.01 mg kg-1 . Standardized residue tests were carried out in 12 areas of China under Good Agricultural Practice conditions. A 10% EB-IMI microcapsule suspension was applied once with the high recommended dosage (18 g a.i. ha-1 ) on cabbage. The residues of EB (<0.01 mg kg-1 ), IMI (<0.016 mg kg-1 ) and the sum of IMI and its metabolites (<0.068 mg kg-1 ) in cabbage with the recommended preharvest interval (7 days) were lower than the maximum residue limits in China. Based on residual data from fields, toxicology data and Chinese dietary patterns, dietary risk assessments were conducted. Both the chronic risk quotients (25.2-73.1%) and acute risk quotients (0.43-1.57%) of EB and IMI were below 100%, indicating no unacceptable public health risk for different populations. This study provides guidance on the rational application of these insecticides in cabbage.

Red cabbage extract-mediated colorimetric sensor for swift, sensitive and economic detection of urease-positive bacteria by naked eye and Smartphone platform.

The bacterial pathogens have caused various serious infectious diseases in the human body, and even some threats to human life by leading to deaths. Enterobacteriaceae species especially urease positive ones, Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), show resistance to antibiotics and cause respiratory and urinary tract infections. We have developed natural indicator-incorporated colorimetric urease tests with a naked eye and smartphone readout to rapidly, sensitively and economically detect P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae. We utilized anthocyanin found as a predominant component in red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) extract as a natural pH indicator instead of toxic and synthetic indicators. As a mechanistic explanation for the detection of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae, urease enzymes secreted from the P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae hydrolyze urea to produce ammonia (NH3), which increases the pH value of the reaction environment and leads to deprotonation from anthocyanins. The changes in the molecular structure and electronic structure of anthocyanins are responsible for revealing many different colors. We demonstrated how some reaction parameters including the concentration of the bacteria (colony-forming unit, CFU), the concentration of anthocyanin in the tests, initial color and pH values (pHs) of the tests influence their detection performance. We further developed a 3D-printed smartphone platform with smartphone based digital image processing software to improve the detection limit and shorten the detection time. We claim that natural indicator-incorporated rapid urease tests providing colorimetric readout evaluated by the human eye and smartphone imaging processing has great potential in practical use and they can be implemented in clinics.

Surveillance and dietary risk assessment of endocrine-disrupting pesticides in eggplant/brinjal and cauliflower in Pakistan.

Several pesticides (used in vegetable production) have recently been identified as potential endocrine disruptors. The current study aimed to determine the consumer exposure risk associated with eating contaminated vegetables. The European Union-citrate buffered QuEChERS extraction protocol, validated in accordance with the European Union guidelines, was used to monitor selected endocrine-disrupting pesticides in eggplant/brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) and cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) marketed in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan. A total of 80 and 69 percent of eggplant/brinjal (n = 25) and cauliflower (n = 26) samples were found contaminated, respectively. Sixty-five percent of cauliflower samples were found non-contaminated with both European Union (EU) and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) maximum residue limits (MRL), while 20 % of brinjal samples were found to be non-compliant with EU-MRL. Both vegetables contained high levels of the androgen antagonist chlorpyrifos and the thyroid hormone inhibitor cyhalothrin-lambda. The estimated acute health risk associated with dietary exposure to chlorpyrifos and cyhalothrin-lambda in cauliflower for both males and females was found to be greater than 200 % of the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues' (JMPR) established acute reference dose. The estimated chronic health risk for all studied endocrine-disrupting pesticides (0-5.27 %) indicates zero to very low health risk for studied population groups.