Aromatic Characterisation of Moscato Giallo by GC-MS/MS and Validation of Stable Isotopic Ratio Analysis of the Major Volatile Compounds.

Among the Moscato grapes, Moscato Giallo is a winegrape variety characterised by a high content of free and glycosylated monoterpenoids, which gives wines very intense notes of ripe fruit and flowers. The aromatic bouquet of Moscato Giallo is strongly influenced by the high concentration of linalool, geraniol, linalool oxides, limonene, α-terpineol, citronellol, hotrienol, diendiols, trans/cis-8-hydroxy linalool, geranic acid and myrcene, that give citrus, rose, and peach notes. Except for quali-quantitative analysis, no investigations regarding the isotopic values of the target volatile compounds in grapes and wines are documented in the literature. Nevertheless, the analysis of the stable isotope ratio represents a modern and powerful tool used by the laboratories responsible for official consumer protection, for food quality and genuineness assessment. To this aim, the aromatic compounds extracted from grapes and wine were analysed both by GC-MS/MS, to define the aroma profiles, and by GC-C/Py-IRMS, for a preliminary isotope compound-specific investigation. Seventeen samples of Moscato Giallo grapes were collected during the harvest season in 2021 from two Italian regions renowned for the cultivation of this aromatic variety, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto, and the corresponding wines were produced at micro-winery scale. The GC-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of the typical terpenoids both in glycosylated and free forms, responsible for the characteristic aroma of the Moscato Giallo variety, while the compound-specific isotope ratio analysis allowed us to determine the carbon (δ13C) and hydrogen (δ2H) isotopic signatures of the major volatile compounds for the first time.

1H NMR profiling and chemometric analysis for ripening and production characterization of Grana Padano cheese.

Grana Padano (GP) cheese is a renowned PDO Italian cheese whose nutritional characteristics and market price are influenced by the ripening stage. In this work, it was demonstrated that the combined use of untargeted 1H NMR profiling and chemometric analysis can be used as a powerful tool to quantitatively characterize GP ripening and production, focusing on both aqueous and lipid fractions. An initial exploratory analysis revealed substantial variations in the aqueous fraction attributable to aging time, year and season of production. Multivariate analysis was adopted to show these differences, mainly attributable to amino acids. In contrast, the lipid fraction analysis highlighted the impact of production season on fatty acid unsaturation, influenced by feed variations. As regards the production process, this study focuses on the variations induced by bactofugation. In this respect, the aqueous fraction was found to be extensively influenced by this centrifugation step, affecting compounds crucial to organoleptic characteristics.

Isotopic, mycotoxin, and pesticide analysis for organic authentication along the production chain of wheat-derived products.

Wheat-based products are staples in diets worldwide. Organic food frauds continuously threaten consumer trust in the agri-food system. A multi-method approach was conducted for the organic authentication and safety assessment of pasta and bakery products along their production chain. Bulk and Compound-Specific (CS) Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) suggested the δ15Nbulk, δ15Nleucine and δ15Nproline as promising organic markers, with CS able to distinguish between pairs which bulk analysis could not. Processing significantly affected the values of δ15Nleucine, δ13Cproline and δ13Cleucine. Multi-mycotoxin analysis (HT-2, T-2, DON, ZEN, OTA, AFB1) revealed higher contamination in conventional than organic samples, while both milling and baking significantly reduced mycotoxin content. Lastly, from the evaluation of 400 residues, isopyrazam was present at the highest concentration (0.12 mg/kg) in conventional wheat, exhibiting a 0.12 Processing Factor (PF), while tebuconazole levels remained unchanged in pasta production (90 °C) and reduced below LOQ in biscuits and crackers (180-250 °C).

1H-NMR Approach for the Discrimination of PDO Grana Padano Cheese from Non-PDO Cheeses.

Protected Designation of Origin cheeses are products with high-quality standards that can claim higher prices on the market. For this reason, non-PDO cheeses with lower quality can be mislabeled as PDO or mixed with it for economic gain especially when the product is in a shredded form. Luckily, the production of PDO cheese is subjected to strict procedural specification rules that result in a product with a defined profile of its metabolites, which can be used for authentication purposes. In this study, an NMR metabolomic approach combined with multivariate analysis was implemented to build a classification model able to discriminate PDO Grana Padano cheese from a large dataset of competitors. The great advantage of the proposed approach is a simple sample preparation, obtaining a holistic overview of the analyzed samples. The untargeted approach highlighted a "typical profile" of Grana Padano samples, which could be used for protection purposes. In parallel, the targeted results allowed us to identify potential chemicals, such as lactate, some amino acids and lipids. These initial results could open the road to a potential new additional tool to check the authenticity of PDO cheeses in the future.

Nitrogen control of transpiration in grapevine.

Transpiration per unit of leaf area is the end-product of the root-to-leaf water transport within the plant, and it is regulated by a series of morpho-physiological resistances and hierarchical signals. The rate of water transpired sustains a series of processes such as nutrient absorption and leaf evaporative cooling, with stomata being the end-valves that maintain the optimal water loss under specific degrees of evaporative demand and soil moisture conditions. Previous work provided evidence of a partial modulation of water flux following nitrogen availability linking high nitrate availability with tight stomatal control of transpiration in several species. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that stomatal control of transpiration, among others signals, is partially modulated by soil nitrate ( NO 3 - ) availability in grapevine, with reduced NO 3 - availability (alkaline soil pH, reduced fertilization, and distancing NO 3 - source) associated with decreased water-use efficiency and higher transpiration. We observed a general trend when NO 3 - was limiting with plants increasing either stomatal conductance or root-shoot ratio in four independent experiments with strong associations between leaf water status, stomatal behavior, root aquaporins expression, and xylem sap pH. Carbon and oxygen isotopic signatures confirm the proximal measurements, suggesting the robustness of the signal that persists over weeks and under different gradients of NO 3 - availability and leaf nitrogen content. Nighttime stomatal conductance was unaffected by NO 3 - manipulation treatments, while application of high vapor pressure deficit conditions nullifies the differences between treatments. Genotypic variation for transpiration increase under limited NO 3 - availability was observed between rootstocks indicating that breeding (e.g., for high soil pH tolerance) unintentionally selected for enhanced mass flow nutrient acquisition under restrictive or nutrient-buffered conditions. We provide evidence of a series of specific traits modulated by NO 3 - availability and suggest that NO 3 - fertilization is a potential candidate for optimizing grapevine water-use efficiency and root exploration under the climate-change scenario.

Characterization of Beef Coming from Different European Countries through Stable Isotope (H, C, N, and S) Ratio Analysis.

The need to guarantee the geographical origin of food samples has become imperative in recent years due to the increasing amount of food fraud. Stable isotope ratio analysis permits the characterization and origin control of foodstuffs, thanks to its capability to discriminate between products having different geographical origins and derived from different production systems. The Framework 6 EU-project "TRACE" generated hydrogen (2H/1H), carbon (13C/12C), nitrogen (15N/14N), and sulphur (34S/32S) isotope ratio data from 227 authentic beef samples. These samples were collected from a total of 13 sites in eight countries. The stable isotope analysis was completed by combining IRMS with a thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA) for the analysis of δ(2H) and an elemental analyzer (EA) for the determination of δ(13C), δ(15N), and δ(34S). The results show the potential of this technique to detect clustering of samples due to specific environmental conditions in the areas where the beef cattle were reared. Stable isotope measurements highlighted statistical differences between coastal and inland regions, production sites at different latitudes, regions with different geology, and different farming systems related to the diet the animals were consuming (primarily C3- or C4-based or a mixed one).

Fatty Acid and Multi-Isotopic Analysis (C, H, N, O) as a Tool to Differentiate and Valorise the Djebel Lamb from the Mountainous Region of Tunisia.

The objective of this study was to distinguish between the Tunisian Djebel lamb meat and meat from typical Tunisian production systems (PSs) through the fatty acids (FAs) profile and the stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA). Thirty-five lambs from three different regions and PSs (D = Djebel, B = Bou-Rebiaa, and O = Ouesslatia) were considered for this purpose. The results demonstrated that the PS and the geographic origin strongly influenced the FA profile of lamb meat. It was possible to discriminate between the Djebel lamb meat and the rest of the dataset thanks to the quantification of the conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) and the branched chain FAs. Moreover, statistically different concentrations of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FAs and a different n-6/n-3 ratio were found for grazing (D and BR) and indoor (O) lambs, making it possible to discriminate between them. As for the stable isotope ratio analysis, all parameters made it possible to distinguish among the three groups, primarily on the basis of the dietary regimen (δ(13C) and δ(15N)) and breeding area (δ(18O) and δ(2H)).

Determination of Regulated and Emerging Mycotoxins in Organic and Conventional Gluten-Free Flours by LC-MS/MS.

Gluten-free cereal products have grown in popularity in recent years as they are perceived as "healthier" alternatives and can be safely consumed by celiac patients, and people with gluten intolerance or wheat allergies. Molds that produce mycotoxins contaminate cereal crops, posing a threat to global food security. Maximum levels have been set for certain mycotoxins in cereal flours; however, little is known about the levels of emerging mycotoxins in these flours. The aim of this study was to develop an efficient, sensitive, and selective method for the detection of four emerging (beauvericin and enniatins A1, B, and B1) and three regulated (aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol) mycotoxins in gluten-free flours. Ultrasound-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion was used in the extraction of these mycotoxins from flour samples. The validated method was utilized for the LC-MS/MS analysis of conventional and organic wholegrain oat and rice flours. Six of the seven target mycotoxins were detected in these samples. Multi-mycotoxin contamination was found in all flour types, particularly in conventional wholegrain oat flour. Despite the low detection frequency in rice flour, one sample was found to contain zearalenone at a concentration of 83.2 µg/kg, which was higher than the level set by the European Commission for cereal flours. The emerging mycotoxins had the highest detection frequencies; enniatin B was present in 53% of the samples at a maximum concentration of 56 µg/kg, followed by enniatin B1 and beauvericin, which were detected in 46% of the samples, and at levels reaching 21 µg/kg and 10 µg/kg, respectively. These results highlight the need to improve the current knowledge and regulations on the presence of mycotoxins, particularly emerging ones, in gluten-free flours and cereal-based products.

Determining the Authenticity of Spirulina Dietary Supplements Based on Stable Isotope and Elemental Composition.

While the demand for Spirulina dietary supplements continues to grow, product inspection in terms of authenticity and safety remains limited. This study used the stable isotope ratios of light elements (C, N, S, H, and O) and the elemental composition to characterize Spirulina dietary supplements available on the Slovenian market. Forty-six samples were labelled as originating from the EU (1), non-EU (6), Hawaii (2), Italy (2), Japan (1), Portugal (2), Taiwan (3), India (4), and China (16), and nine products were without a declared origin. Stable isotope ratio median values were -23.9‱ (-26.0 to -21.8‱) for δ13C, 4.80‱ (1.30-8.02‱) for δ15N, 11.0‱ (6.79-12.7‱) for δ34S, -173‱ (- 190 to -158‱) for δ2H, and 17.2‱ (15.8-18.8‱) for δ18O. Multivariate statistical analyses achieved a reliable differentiation of Hawaiian, Italian, and Portuguese (100%) samples and a good separation of Chinese samples, while the separation of Indian and Taiwanese samples was less successful, but still notable. The study showed that differences in isotopic and elemental composition are indicative of sample origins, cultivation and processing methods, and environmental conditions such that, when combined, they provide a promising tool for determining the authenticity of Spirulina products.

Microbial and metabolic characterization of organic artisanal sauerkraut fermentation and study of gut health-promoting properties of sauerkraut brine.

Sauerkraut is a traditionally fermented cabbage, and recent evidence suggests that it has beneficial properties for human health. In this work, a multi-disciplinary approach was employed to characterize the fermentation process and gut health-promoting properties of locally produced, organic sauerkraut from two distinct producers, SK1 and SK2. 16S rRNA metataxonomics showed that bacterial diversity gradually decreased as fermentation progressed. Differences in sauerkraut microbiota composition were observed between the two producers, especially at the start of fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) dominated the microbiota after 35 days, with Lactiplantibacillus being the dominant genus in both sauerkraut products, together with Leuconostoc and Paucilactobacillus in SK1, and with Pediococcus, Levilactibacillus, and Leuconostoc in SK2. LAB reached between 7 and 8 Log CFU/mL brine at the end of fermentation (35 days), while pH lowering happened within the first week of fermentation. A total of 220 LAB strains, corresponding to 133 RAPD-PCR biotypes, were successfully isolated. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus accounted for 67% of all SK1 isolates, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum/paraplantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides represented 72% of all the isolates from SK2. 1H-NMR analysis revealed significant changes in microbial metabolite profiles during the fermentation process, with lactic and acetic acids, as well as amino acids, amines, and uracil, being the dominant metabolites quantified. Sauerkraut brine did not affect trans-epithelial electrical resistance through a Caco-2 cell monolayer as a measure of gut barrier function. However, significant modulation of inflammatory response after LPS stimulation was observed in PBMCs-Caco-2 co-culture. Sauerkraut brine supported a robust inflammatory response to endotoxin, by increasing TNF-α and IL-6 production while also stimulating the anti-inflammatory IL-10, therefore suggesting positive resolution of inflammation after 24 h and supporting the potential of sauerkraut brine to regulate intestinal immune function.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in extra virgin olive oil authentication.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a high-quality product that has become one of the stars in the food fraud context in recent years. EVOO can encounter different types of fraud, from adulteration with cheaper oils to mislabeling, and for this reason, the assessment of its authenticity and traceability can be challenging. There are several officially recognized analytical methods for its authentication, but they are not able to unambiguously trace the geographical and botanical origin of EVOOs. The application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to EVOO is reviewed here as a reliable and rapid tool to verify different aspects of its adulteration, such as undeclared blends with cheaper oils and cultivar and geographical origin mislabeling. This technique makes it possible to use both targeted and untargeted approaches and to determine the olive oil metabolomic profile and the quantification of its constituents.

VvEPFL9-1 Knock-Out via CRISPR/Cas9 Reduces Stomatal Density in Grapevine.

Epidermal Patterning Factor Like 9 (EPFL9), also known as STOMAGEN, is a cysteine-rich peptide that induces stomata formation in vascular plants, acting antagonistically to other epidermal patterning factors (EPF1, EPF2). In grapevine there are two EPFL9 genes, EPFL9-1 and EPFL9-2 sharing 82% identity at protein level in the mature functional C-terminal domain. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 system was applied to functionally characterize VvEPFL9-1 in 'Sugraone', a highly transformable genotype. A set of plants, regenerated after gene transfer in embryogenic calli via Agrobacterium tumefaciens, were selected for evaluation. For many lines, the editing profile in the target site displayed a range of mutations mainly causing frameshift in the coding sequence or affecting the second cysteine residue. The analysis of stomata density revealed that in edited plants the number of stomata was significantly reduced compared to control, demonstrating for the first time the role of EPFL9 in a perennial fruit crop. Three edited lines were then assessed for growth, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency in experiments carried out at different environmental conditions. Intrinsic water-use efficiency was improved in edited lines compared to control, indicating possible advantages in reducing stomatal density under future environmental drier scenarios. Our results show the potential of manipulating stomatal density for optimizing grapevine adaptation under changing climate conditions.

The Hierarchical Contribution of Organic vs. Conventional Farming, Cultivar, and Terroir on Untargeted Metabolomics Phytochemical Profile and Functional Traits of Tomato Fruits.

In this work, the impact of terroir, cultivar, seasonality, and farming systems on functional traits of tomato was hierarchically investigated. Untargeted metabolomics, antioxidant capacity, colorimetric assays, and enzyme inhibition were determined. The total phenolic and carotenoid contents significantly varied between growing years, whereas an interaction between the farming system and growing year (p < 0.01) was observed for total phenolics, carotenoids, and flavonoids, and for acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Hierarchical clustering showed that geographical origin and growing year were the major contributors to the differences in phytochemical profiles. Nonetheless, supervised modeling allowed highlighting the effect of the farming system. Several antioxidants (L-ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, and 7,3',4'-trihydroxyflavone) decreased, whereas the alkaloid emetine and phytoalexin phenolics increased under organic farming. Taken together, our findings indicate that cultivar and pedo-climatic conditions are the main determinants for the functional quality of tomato, whereas the farming system plays a detectable but hierarchically lower.

Simultaneous evaluation of the enantiomeric and carbon isotopic ratios of Cannabis sativa L. essential oils by multidimensional gas chromatography.

Recent times have witnessed an upsurge of interest in hemp and hemp-derived products, as driven by the scientific findings specific to the pharmacological properties of Cannabis sativa L. and its constituents. There has been evidence that the terpene profile, along with the cannabinoid content, produces in humans the effects associated with different strains, beyond fragrance perception. A great deal of effort has been put into developing analytical approaches to strengthen the scientific knowledge on cannabis essential oil composition and provide effective tools for ascertaining the authenticity of commercial cannabis samples. For this concern, enantio-selective-GC-C-IRMS has proven to be effective for assessing the ranges characteristic of the genuine samples and detecting any fraudulent additions. This research aimed at providing for the first time the enantiomeric and isotopic ratios of target terpenes in cannabis essential oils, obtained from microwave-assisted hydro-distillation from the fresh and dried inflorescences of different cannabis varieties. Implementing multidimensional gas chromatography separation was mandatory prior to detection, in order to obtain accurate δ13C values and enantiomeric data from completely separated peaks. For this purpose, a heart-cut method was developed, based on the coupling of an apolar first dimension column to a secondary chiral cyclodextrin-based stationary phase. Afterwards, the data gathered from enantio-selective-MDGC-C-IRMS/qMS analysis of a set of genuine samples were used to evaluate the quality of nineteen commercial cannabis essential oils purchased from local stores. Remarkably, the data in some cases evidenced enantiomeric ratios and δ13C values outside the typical ranges of genuine oils. Such findings suggest the usefulness of the method developed to ascertain the genuineness and quality of cannabis essential oils.

Gas Chromatography Combustion Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry to Detect Differences in Four Compartments of Simmental Cows Fed on C3 and C4 Diets.

Fatty acids (FAs) metabolism in animals represents an important field of study since they influence the quality and the properties of the meat. The aim of this study is to assess the possibility to discriminate the diets of cows in different animal compartments and to study the fate of dietary FAs in the bovine organism, using carbon isotopic ratios. Five FAs, both essential (linoleic and linolenic) and non-essential (palmitic, stearic, and oleic) in four compartments (feed, rumen, liver, meat) of animals fed two different diets (based on either C3 or C4 plants) were considered. For all compartments, the carbon isotopic ratio (δ13C) of all FAs (with few exceptions) resulted significantly lower in cows fed on C3 than C4 plants, figuring as a powerful tool to discriminate between different diets. Moreover, chemical reactions taking place in each animal compartment result in fraction processes affecting the δ13C values. The δ13CFAs tendentially increase from feed to meat in group C3. On the other hand, the δ13CFAs generally increase from rumen to liver in group C4, while δ13CFAs of rumen and meat are mostly not statistically different. Different trends in the δ13CFAs of the two groups suggested different FAs fates depending on the diet.

Improvement of Caciotta-like cheese nutritional value by means of enrichment with blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) and Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas).

Introduction: In this study, we supplemented models of Caciotta-like cheese with blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) and Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), as they have a high content of polyphenols, known as phytochemicals associated with health benefits. We evaluated the microbial composition, organoleptic aspects, total phenolic content, and chemical composition of model cheeses enriched with blackcurrant and Cornelian cherry. Methods: Two different suppliers have been tested: a conventional and an organic one. Two different conditions of preparation (freeze-dried and not freeze-dried) were tested in two different amounts (0.3 and 0.6% dry weight w/v milk volume). Polyphenols were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reaction and spectrometry; microbial community was determined with selective 24 media and plate counts; composition was determined using nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Organoleptic tests with an untrained panel have been performed. Results: The enrichments with blackcurrant and Cornelian cherry increased the total polyphenol content in model cheeses, in particular, when blackcurrant and Cornelian cherry were from conventional farming. Blackcurrant-enriched cheeses showed higher counts of lactic acid bacteria, higher levels of organic acids, amino acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, histamine, and lower amount of monosaccharides deriving from bacterial lactose fermentation in cheese, suggesting a positive effect of blackcurrant compounds on the growth and activity of lactic acid bacteria. The enrichments did not affect the acceptance of the cheese, neither by blackcurrant nor by Cornelian cherry incorporation, with the exception of the appearance. Discussion: Overall, we showed that cheeses enriched with blackcurrant or Cornelian cherry from conventional farming increased the bioactive potential of the dairy product without having an adverse effect on the microbial community, physiochemical properties, or organoleptic properties.

Natural variation in stomatal dynamics drives divergence in heat stress tolerance and contributes to seasonal intrinsic water-use efficiency in Vitis vinifera (subsp. sativa and sylvestris).

Stomata control CO2 uptake for photosynthesis and water loss through transpiration, thus playing a key role in leaf thermoregulation, water-use efficiency (iWUE), and plant productivity. In this work, we investigated the relationship between several leaf traits and hypothesized that stomatal behavior to fast (i.e. minutes) environmental changes co-determines, along with steady-state traits, the physiological response of grapevine to the surrounding fluctuating environment over the growing season. No relationship between iWUE, heat stress tolerance, and stomatal traits was observed in field-grown grapevine, suggesting that other physiological mechanisms are involved in determining leaf evaporative cooling capacity and the seasonal ratio of CO2 uptake (A) to stomatal conductance (gs). Indeed, cultivars that in the field had an unexpected combination of high iWUE but low sensitivity to thermal stress displayed a quick stomatal closure to light, but a sluggish closure to increased vapor pressure deficit (VPD) levels. This strategy, aiming both at conserving water under a high to low light transition and in prioritizing evaporative cooling under a low to high VPD transition, was mainly observed in the cultivars Regina and Syrah. Moreover, cultivars with different known responses to soil moisture deficit or high air VPD (isohydric versus anisohydric) had opposite behavior under fluctuating environments, with the isohydric cultivar showing slow stomatal closure to reduced light intensity but quick temporal responses to VPD manipulation. We propose that stomatal behavior to fast environmental fluctuations can play a critical role in leaf thermoregulation and water conservation under natural field conditions in grapevine.

Application of 13C Quantitative NMR Spectroscopy to Isotopic Analyses for Vanillin Authentication Source.

The carbon stable isotope ratio (δ13C) is a valuable chemical parameter in the investigation of the geographic origin, quality, and authenticity of foods. The aim of this study is the evaluation of the feasibility of 13C-NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy to determine the carbon stable isotope ratio, at natural abundance, of small organic molecules, such as vanillin, without the use of IRMS (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry). The determination of vanillin origin is an active task of research, and differentiating between its natural and artificial forms is important to guarantee the quality of food products. To reach our goal, nine vanillin samples were analyzed using both 13C quantitative NMR spectroscopy (under optimized experimental conditions) and IRMS, and the obtained δ13C values were compared using statistical analysis (linear regression, Bland-Altman plot, and ANOVA (analysis of variance)). The results of our study show that 13C-NMR spectroscopy can be used as a valuable alternative methodology to determine the bulk carbon isotope ratio and to identify the origin of vanillin. This makes it attractive for the analysis in the same experiment of site-specific and total isotope effects for testing authenticity, quality, and typicality of food samples. Moreover, the improvement of NMR spectroscopy makes it possible to avoid the influence of additives on carbon stable isotope ratio analysis and to clearly identify fraud and falsification in commercial samples.

Stable Isotope Ratios of Herbs and Spices Commonly Used as Herbal Infusions in the Italian Market.

Stable isotope ratio analysis has been widely used for traceability and authenticity purposes in relation to various food commodities, but only in a limited number of herb and spice species. This study explored the stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, and δ2H) of 119 herbs and spices belonging to 116 plant species and 57 plant families collected from the Italian market for the first time. The characteristic value ranges of δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, and δ2H of the herbs and spices went from -31.0 to -11.6, -4.7 to 12.0, -5.0 to 22.0, 14.7 to 46.0, and -158 to -12‰, respectively. The isotopic profiles within and between common botanical families and their similarity/dissimilarity between herbs and spices belonging to the common botanical families are also discussed here. The results of this exploratory work highlight the possibility of characterizing herbs and spices and suggest widening the scope of the survey through more extensive sampling and focusing on specific plant species.