Quality variation and standardization of black pepper (Piper nigrum): A comparative geographical evaluation based on instrumental and metabolomics analysis.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum; BP), known as the 'king of spices', imported from various countries is widely available in Saudi Arabian markets, as its demand as a food as well as a medicine for minor ailments is increasing in the country. However, there is a lack of appropriate information regarding these samples in terms of quality variation and standardization. We thus aimed to evaluate the quality and standardize the BP sample with respect to its physicochemical characters, active principle variation [i.e. piperine (PPN)], toxicity, and biological activity. The main focus is to validate whether any difference exists in the quality and quantity of active principle in these samples. For this purpose, physicochemical (chemical tests and ash values) and instrumental analyses [accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-diode array detector, infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and inductively coupled plasma-MS (ICP-MS)] and biological evaluation {in vitro antioxidant activity [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] and cytotoxicity assay} were performed. An extract yield (g) with %recovery of 2.26 ± 4.24 (11.3) was obtained for the Vietnamese sample, using a fast and rapid method of extraction (ASE). These values were 1.22 ± 2.64 (6.1) and 0.75 ± 1.69 (3.75) for the Pakistani and Indian samples. Physicochemical tests revealed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds in all samples; however, in the Vietnamese sample a low amount of total, acid-insoluble, and high water-soluble ash value was noted. IR and NMR was applied to further standardize the samples. Results of ICP-MS analysis showed a high amount of macronutrients and micronutrients in the samples tested while UHPLC analysis revealed a high amount of PPN (ng/mL) in the Pakistani sample (1,362,614.09); these values were 1,051,848.04 and 768,512.81 for the Vietnamese and Indian samples, respectively. In vitro antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities revealed higher potential for the Vietnamese sample. The samples were properly standardized and effectively differentiated in terms of quality and biological activities using a fast and reliable method, however it certainly does not mean that a particular geographical region is more better or productive in terms of herbal products.

A Spoonful of Lead: A 10-Year Look at Spices as a Potential Source of Lead Exposure.

CONTEXT: While lead-based paint and occupational lead hazards remain the primary sources of lead exposures among New York City's lead-poisoned children and men, respectively, these are not the only possible lead sources. Certain consumer products are often implicated. Between 2008 and 2017, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene tested more than 3000 samples of consumer products during lead poisoning case investigations and surveys of local stores, and of these, spices were the most frequently tested (almost 40% of the samples). OBJECTIVES: To describe spice samples-types, origin, lead concentrations, and the implication of findings for public health programs and global food safety regulations. DESIGN: Descriptive study of lead contamination in spices systematically collected as part of lead poisoning investigations. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1496 samples of more than 50 spices from 41 countries were collected during investigations of lead poisoning cases among New York City children and adults and local store surveys. RESULTS: More than 50% of the spice samples had detectable lead, and more than 30% had lead concentrations greater than 2 ppm. Average lead content in the spices was significantly higher for spices purchased abroad than in the United States. The highest concentrations of lead were found in spices purchased in the countries Georgia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Morocco. CONCLUSIONS: Certain commonly used spices, particularly those purchased abroad in Georgia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Morocco, can have very high lead levels, which can contribute to lead body burden. This underscores the need to develop comprehensive interventions that educate consumers and initiate intergovernmental efforts for stricter global food regulations.

Species richness, cultural importance, and prioritization of wild spices for conservation in the Sudano-Guinean zone of Benin (West Africa).

BACKGROUND: Spices have always been used for their flavor-enhancement characteristics and for their medicinal properties. In Benin, scientific research on spices is scarce, despite their importance in the local population's daily needs. This study investigated the diversity of wild spices and documented the associated traditional knowledge that can be used for their valuation, domestication, and sustainable management in the Sudano-Guinean Zone of Benin. METHODS: Data were collected during field expeditions using semi-structured interviews in ten localities across the three phytodistricts of the zone. Species richness and Shannon's diversity index were estimated using species accumulation curves. Use report (UR), cultural importance, use value (UV) index, and informant consensus factor (Fic) were used to assess traditional knowledge on wild species, their local importance, and informants' agreement among sociolinguistic groups. Priority wild spices were finally identified using an approach combining eight criteria (native status, economic value, ethnobotanical value, global distribution, national distribution, in-situ and ex-situ conservation status, legislation, and threats assessment) in four prioritization methods (point scoring procedure, point scoring procedure with weighting, compound ranking system, and binomial ranking system). RESULTS: A total of 14 species, belonging to 12 genera and 9 families, were inventoried. The most prominent families were Zingiberaceae (21.43%), Annonaceae (21.43%), and Rutaceae (14.29%). More than 200 specific uses were reported, with the Tchabè people holding the greatest level of knowledge (70 uses; UR = 5.70 ± 0.33). The culturally most important spices differed among sociolinguistic groups. Most of the informants agree on the use of the species among (Fic = 0.72-0.98) and across the considered use categories (Fic = 0.88-0.99). The highest UV were registered for Aframomum alboviolaceum (UV = 0.93), Lippia multiflora (UV = 0.76), and Aframomum angustifolium (UV = 0.18). Overall, people perceived wild spices as declining due to agriculture, grazing, and drought. Five species, A. alboviolaceum, L. multiflora, Monodora tenuifolia, Xylopia aethiopica, and Z. zanthoxyloides, were the most prioritized for conservation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides information relevant for the implementation of conservation and domestication actions of wild spices in Benin. Priority species could be integrated into traditional agroforestry systems (e.g., home gardens). However, for this to be effective, further research should be undertaken on morphological and genetic diversity and propagation methods of priority wild spices.

Identification of irradiated foodstuffs using ESR microwave saturation.

This study aims primarily to investigate the usage of differences in microwave (MW) saturation behaviour of food samples for identification of radiation treatment. Twenty different samples (dry plant, herbal, spice etc.) which do not have radiation specific satellite ESR signal were especially selected. It is not possible to detect radiation treatment on these samples by European standard (EN 1787, 2000). MW saturation studies were performed on all samples in the range of 0.01-160mW. Our experimental results demonstrate that radiation identification can be possible for ten samples and cannot be possible for the other ten samples by performing the MW saturation studies.

Chemometric brand differentiation of commercial spices using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Commercial spices represent an emerging class of fuels for improvised explosives. Being able to classify such spices not only by type but also by brand would represent an important step in developing methods to analytically investigate these explosive compositions. Therefore, a combined ambient mass spectrometric/chemometric approach was developed to quickly and accurately classify commercial spices by brand. METHODS: Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) was used to generate mass spectra for samples of black pepper, cayenne pepper, and turmeric, along with four different brands of cinnamon, all dissolved in methanol. Unsupervised learning techniques showed that the cinnamon samples clustered according to brand. Then, we used supervised machine learning algorithms to build chemometric models with a known training set and classified the brands of an unknown testing set of cinnamon samples. RESULTS: Ten independent runs of five-fold cross-validation showed that the training set error for the best-performing models (i.e., the linear discriminant and neural network models) was lower than 2%. The false-positive percentages for these models were 3% or lower, and the false-negative percentages were lower than 10%. In particular, the linear discriminant model perfectly classified the testing set with 0% error. Repeated iterations of training and testing gave similar results, demonstrating the reproducibility of these models. CONCLUSIONS: Chemometric models were able to classify the DART mass spectra of commercial cinnamon samples according to brand, with high specificity and low classification error. This method could easily be generalized to other classes of spices, and it could be applied to authenticating questioned commercial samples of spices or to examining evidence from improvised explosives.

Metabolomic fingerprinting of saffron by LC/MS: novel authenticity markers.

An untargeted metabolomic approach using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed in this work to identify novel markers for saffron authenticity which is an important matter related to consumer protection, quality assurance, active properties, and also economical impact (saffron is the most expensive spice). Metabolic fingerprinting of authentic and suspicious saffron samples from different geographical origin was obtained and analyzed. Different extracting protocols and chromatographic methodologies were evaluated to obtain the most adequate extracting and separation conditions. Using an ethanol/water mixture at pH 9.0 and an elution gradient with a fused core C18 column enabled obtaining the highest number of significant components between authentic and adulterated saffron. By using multivariate statistical analysis, predictive classification models for authenticity and geographical origin were obtained. Moreover, 84 and 29 significant metabolites were detected as candidates for markers of authenticity and geographical origin, respectively, from which only 34 metabolites were tentatively identified as authenticity markers of saffron, but none related to its geographical origin. Six characteristic compounds of saffron (kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside, kaempferol 3,7-O-diglucoside, kaempferol 3,7,4'-O-triglucoside, kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside-7-O-glucoside, and geranyl-O-glucoside) were confirmed by comparing experimental MS/MS fragmentation patterns with those provided in scientific literature being proposed as novel markers of authenticity. Graphical Abstract Metabolomic fingerprinting of saffron.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP): methods for plant species identification in food.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a DNA-based analytical method that can be used as an isothermal alternative to polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In comparison to PCR, the advantage of LAMP is the possibility to perform the isothermal reaction without any sophisticated technical equipment; only a water bath is needed, and naked eye detection is sufficient. Up to now, an application of LAMP methods for the detection of even closely related plant species in food or feed matrices has not been described, whereas a large number of PCR methods for that topic are cited in the literature. The aim of the study was the evaluation of LAMP-based methods for plant species identification with respect to method parameters such as R(2), LOD, and LOQ. An existing (real-time) PCR method (for the detection of spices) was used for comparison. It could be shown that the developed LAMP methods have potential as alternative strategies to PCR in DNA-based analysis.

1H NMR variable selection approaches for classification. A case study: the determination of adulterated foodstuffs.

Whenever dealing with large amount of data as is the case of a NMR spectrum, carrying out a variable selection before applying a multivariate technique is necessary. This work applies various variable selection techniques to extract relevant information from (1)H NMR spectral data. Three approaches have been chosen, because each is based on very different foundations. The first method, called Xdiff, is based on calculating the normalized differences between the mean spectrum of a class considered to be the reference and the spectra of each sample. The second approach is the interval Partial Least Squares method (iPLS), which investigates the influential zones of the spectra that contains the most discriminating predictors calculating local PLS-DA models on narrow intervals. The last one is Genetic Algorithms (GAs) which finds the optimal variables from a random initial subset of variables by means of an iterative process. The performance of each variable selection strategy is determined by the classification results obtained when multiclass Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis is applied. This study has been applied to NMR spectra of culinary spices that might be adulterated with banned dyes such as Sudan dyes (I-IV). The three techniques give neither the same number nor the same selected variables, but they do select a common zone from the spectra containing the most discriminating variables. All three techniques give satisfactory classification and prediction results, being higher than 95% with iPLS and GA and around 89% with Xdiff, therefore the three variable selection techniques are suitable to be used with NMR data in the determination of food adulteration with Sudan dyes as well as the specific type of adulterant used (I-IV).

Antibacterial activity in spices and local medicinal plants against clinical isolates of Karachi, Pakistan.

CONTEXT: Development of resistance in human pathogens against conventional antibiotic necessitates searching indigenous medicinal plants having antibacterial property. Twenty-seven medicinal plants used actively in folklore, ayurvedic and traditional system of medicine were selected for the evaluation of their antimicrobial activity for this study. Eleven plants chosen from these 27 are used as spices in local cuisine. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the effectiveness of some medicinal plant extracts against clinical isolates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nonedible plant parts were extracted with methanol and evaporated in vacuo to obtain residue. Powdered edible parts were boiled three times and cooled in sterile distilled water for 2 min each and filtrate collected. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of plant extracts and filtrates/antibiotics was evaluated against clinical isolates by microbroth dilution method. RESULTS: Water extract of Syzygium aromaticum L. (Myrtaceae) buds, methanol extracts of Ficus carica L. (Moraceae) and Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae) leaves and Peganum harmala L. (Nitrariaceae) seeds had MIC ranges of 31.25-250 µg/ml. S. aromaticum inhibited growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. F. carica and O. europaea inhibited growth of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and S. pyogenes whereas P. harmala was effective against S. aureus, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Candida albicans. Ampicillin, velosef, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline and ceftazidime, cefotaxime, cefepime, which are used as control, had MIC ≥ 50 and 1.5 µg/ml, respectively, for organisms sensitive to extracts. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Mono/multiextract from identified plants will provide an array of safe antimicrobial agents to control infections by drug-resistant bacteria.

DNA-based identification of spices: DNA isolation, whole genome amplification, and polymerase chain reaction.

Usually spices are identified morphologically using simple methods like magnifying glasses or microscopic instruments. On the other hand, molecular biological methods like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enable an accurate and specific detection also in complex matrices. Generally, the origins of spices are plants with diverse genetic backgrounds and relationships. The processing methods used for the production of spices are complex and individual. Consequently, the development of a reliable DNA-based method for spice analysis is a challenging intention. However, once established, this method will be easily adapted to less difficult food matrices. In the current study, several alternative methods for the isolation of DNA from spices have been developed and evaluated in detail with regard to (i) its purity (photometric), (ii) yield (fluorimetric methods), and (iii) its amplifiability (PCR). Whole genome amplification methods were used to preamplify isolates to improve the ratio between amplifiable DNA and inhibiting substances. Specific primer sets were designed, and the PCR conditions were optimized to detect 18 spices selectively. Assays of self-made spice mixtures were performed to proof the applicability of the developed methods.

Determining the adulteration of spices with Sudan I-II-II-IV dyes by UV-visible spectroscopy and multivariate classification techniques.

We propose a very simple and fast method for detecting Sudan dyes (I, II, III and IV) in commercial spices, based on characterizing samples through their UV-visible spectra and using multivariate classification techniques to establish classification rules. We applied three classification techniques: K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). A total of 27 commercial spice samples (turmeric, curry, hot paprika and mild paprika) were analysed by chromatography (HPLC-DAD) to check that they were free of Sudan dyes. These samples were then spiked with Sudan dyes (I, II, III and IV) up to a concentration of 5 mg L(-1). Our final data set consisted of 135 samples distributed in five classes: samples without Sudan dyes, samples spiked with Sudan I, samples spiked with Sudan II, samples spiked with Sudan III and samples spiked with Sudan IV. Classification results were good and satisfactory using the classification techniques mentioned above: 99.3%, 96.3% and 90.4% of correct classification with PLS-DA, KNN and SIMCA, respectively. It should be pointed out that with SIMCA, there are no real classification errors as no samples were assigned to the wrong class: they were just not assigned to any of the pre-defined classes.

Metabolic effects of spices, teas, and caffeine.

Consumption of spiced foods or herbal drinks leads to greater thermogenesis and in some cases to greater satiety. In this regard, capsaicin, black pepper, ginger, mixed spices, green tea, black tea and caffeine are relevant examples. These functional ingredients have the potential to produce significant effects on metabolic targets such as satiety, thermogenesis, and fat oxidation. A significant clinical outcome sometimes may appear straightforwardly but also depends too strongly on full compliance of subjects. Nevertheless, thermogenic ingredients may be considered as functional agents that could help in preventing a positive energy balance and obesity.

Antimicrobial and chemopreventive properties of herbs and spices.

Herbs and spices have been used for generations by humans as food and to treat ailments. Scientific evidence is accumulating that many of these herbs and spices do have medicinal properties that alleviate symptoms or prevent disease. A growing body of research has demonstrated that the commonly used herbs and spices such as garlic, black cumin, cloves, cinnamon, thyme, allspices, bay leaves, mustard, and rosemary, possess antimicrobial properties that, in some cases, can be used therapeutically. Other spices, such as saffron, a food colorant; turmeric, a yellow colored spice; tea, either green or black, and flaxseed do contain potent phytochemicals, including carotenoids, curcumins, catechins, lignan respectively, which provide significant protection against cancer. This review discusses recent data on the antimicrobial and chemopreventive activities of some herbs and spices and their ingredients.

Antibacterial activity of selected plant essential oils against Escherichia coli O157:H7.

AIMS: To quantify the antibacterial properties of five essential oils (EO) on a non-toxigenic strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the presence and absence of a stabilizer and an emulsifier and at three different temperatures. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five EOs known to exhibit antibacterial properties were screened by disc diffusion assay and the most active were selected for further study in microdilution colorimetric assays. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris; light and red varieties) EO had the strongest bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties, followed by bay (Pimenta racemosa) and clove bud (Eugenia caryophyllata synonym: Syzygium aromaticum) EO. Oregano oil was colicidal at 625 microl l(-1) at 10, 20 and 37 degrees C. The addition of 0.05% (w/v) agar as stabilizer reinforced the antibacterial properties, particularly at 10 degrees C, whereas 0.25% (w/v) lecithin reduced antibacterial activity. Scanning electron micrographs showed extensive morphological changes to treated cells. CONCLUSIONS: Oregano and thyme EO possess significant in vitro colicidal and colistatic properties, which are exhibited in a broad temperature range and substantially improved by the addition of agar as stabilizer. Bay and clove bud EO are less active. Lecithin diminished antibacterial properties. The bactericidal concentration of oregano EO irreversibly damaged E. coli O157:H7 cells within 1 min. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Oregano and light thyme EO, particularly when enhanced by agar stabilizer, may be effective in reducing the number or preventing the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in foods.

Comparative microbial character of consumed food and drinking water.

Humans ingest large numbers of microbes daily. Food provides distinctly different physical and physiological conditions from drinking water. With high concentrations of carbohydrate, protein, and ionic strength, food is much closer to the human physiological state than drinking water, which is essentially devoid of nutrients and ionic strength. Accordingly, microbes that can multiply in humans and cause disease can grow in food, but do not multiply in drinking water. Virtually all food sources contain many thousand times more bacteria than drinking water. Therefore, based on both observed microbial content and the presence of large numbers of pathogens or their indicators in food, in this country food is more of a health risk to humans than drinking water. Compounding this disparity is the fact that much food is imported with limited control over the means of production. Naturally occurring bacteria (HPC or autochthonous flora) do not have virulence factors, making their numbers irrelevant to health risk except in the case of the most severely immunocompromised--a very defined population group. Consequently, public health regulations should not be directed to eliminating naturally occurring HPC, but should be focused toward controlling pathogens through measures such as sanitary crop systems in the steps from production (e.g., quality of irrigation and fertilization, animal feed lot sanitation) through storage to consumer preparation. Food possesses a far greater risk than drinking water, and government agencies should take this fact into account when writing regulations.