Research Publications (Food Safety)

Lignin is the most abundant aromatic biopolymer in nature and is a major byproduct from the paper industry. The unlocking of lignin’s potential for high-value applications has gained increasing attention in recent years.

It has been recognized that collagen peptides of MW 878 Da (CP1) promote osteoblast proliferation and mineralization. The objective of this study is to identify the peptides responsible for proliferation of osteoblast growth, enhancement of ALP (alkaline phosphatase) activity in osteoblasts and promotion of osteoblast mineralization.

Acetylcholinesterase inactivating compounds, such as organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CM) pesticides, are widely used in agriculture to ensure sustainable production of food and feed. As a consequence of their applications, they would result in neurotoxicity, even death. In this essence, the development of enzyme inhibition methods still shows great significance as rapid detection techniques for on-site large-scale screening of OPs and CMs.

A series of novel α-ketoamide derivatives bearing a vanillin skeleton were designed and synthesized. Bioactivity tests on virus and bacteria were performed.

Cocoa and chocolate can contain cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from natural and anthropogenic sources. This perspective provides background on the origin, occurrence, and factors affecting Cd and Pb levels in chocolate products as well as ongoing international efforts to mitigate Cd and Pb in these popular foods, particularly the higher Cd levels observed in some cocoa and chocolate originating from parts of Latin America.

An analytical program for multiclass, multiresidue residue analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively determine veterinary drug compounds in game meats by LC-MS/MS has been developed and validated.

Plant fungal diseases have caused great decreases in crop quality and yield. As one of the considerable agricultural diseases, cucumber downy mildew (CDM) caused by pseudoperonospora cubensis seriously influences the production of cucumber. Amisulbrom is a commercial agricultural fungicide developed by Nissan Chemical, Ltd., for the control of oomycetes diseases that is highly effective against CDM.

In this work, a new mega-method of sample preparation called “QuEChERSER” (more than QuEChERS) is being presented for the first time. Fast, efficient, and cost-effective analysis of chemical contaminants in meat is useful for international trade, domestic monitoring, risk assessment, and other purposes.

The goal of this study was to develop and validate a new method for simultaneous determination of 106 veterinary drugs and 227 pesticides and their metabolites plus 16 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at and below their regulatory levels established for catfish muscle in the European Union and U.S.A.

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) can cause abnormal growth and development in insects, resulting in incomplete metamorphosis or even death of the larvae. Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and chitinase in insects play indispensable roles in the molting process. Ecdysone analogues and chitinase inhibitors are considered as potential IGRs.

Fluralaner, a veterinary drug, is a potential chiral isoxazoline insecticide possessing high insecticidal and acaricidal activity. However, there is little information regarding the enantioselective effect of fluralaner. In this work, a promising chiral detection method was established with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry in agricultural products and animal organs to investigate enantioselective metabolism and bioactivity.

The current study developed an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to simultaneously analyze cascade metabolites of acrylamide in urine of rats and humans, including acrylamide, glycidamide, N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-l-cysteine (AAMA), N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-l-cysteine-sulfoxide, N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-l-cysteine, and N-acetyl-S-(1-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-l-cysteine.

Novel pyrimidine sulfide derivatives containing a dithioacetal and strobilurin moiety were designed and synthesized. Their antiviral activities against tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) were investigated through the tomato chlorosis virus coat protein (ToCVCP)-oriented screening method. Microscale thermophoresis was used to study the interaction between the compound and the ToCVCP.

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are homotetrameric intracellular calcium (Ca2+) release channels responsible for excitation–contraction coupling of muscle cells. Diamide insecticides specifically act on RyRs of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera pests and are safe for nontargeted organisms, generating big worldwide sales.

Algae products are attracting growing interest due to their pleasant taste and their high contents in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Specifically, spirulina products are widely promoted for their high vitamin B12 content. So far, knowledge regarding the contamination with cyanotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is scarce, although some studies reported high contaminant levels in spirulina products.

To discover natural-product-based pesticides, 7β-oxycarbonylandrographolide derivatives were stereoselectively constructed from a labdane diterpenoid andrographolide.

Ten new cassane diterpenoids, caesalpulcherrins A–J (1–10), together with 11 known analogues (11–21) were isolated from the aerial parts of Caesalpinia pulcherrima. Their structures and relative stereochemistry were elucidated by spectrometric and spectroscopic methods, including one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Reducing Cd bioavailability in the systemic circulation is an alternative strategy to reduce Cd exposure. The influence of 39 dietary components on Cd bioaccessibility in water or rice was determined using an in vitro gastrointestinal model, following which an in vivo bioassay was used to determine the most effective components on Cd bioavailability in rice. The results showed that several components significantly reduced the solubility of Cd (10–98%) in the intestinal phase.

The typical bitter taste of beer is caused by adding hops (Humulus lupulus L.) during the wort boiling process. The bitter taste of hop-derived compounds was found to be mediated by three bitter taste receptors: TAS2R1, TAS2R14, and TAS2R40.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) produces a range of defense phytochemicals containing a quinone core structure: sorgoleone allelochemical, flavonoid phytoalexins, and a broad spectrum of polyphenols. Those phytochemicals react with the components of cellular and agroecosystems to form stable semiquinone radicals engaging in different proton-coupled electron transfer reactions.

Since coffee is a significant contributor to the consumption of acrylamide, its reduction is required. Acrylamide is produced during the roasting of coffee beans, but the roasting process is an essential step in determining the taste of coffee. Acrylamide content in coffee has been suggested to decrease by reacting with proteins and/or other substances during storage, but details are unknown. Investigation of acrylamide adducts may contribute to a strategy for acrylamide reduction in coffee.

California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) was designed to protect the state’s populace from exposures to toxic levels of chemicals in consumer products, including foods, by requiring businesses to warn the public about any of those hazards. There is, however, one qualification in the legislation, which is that warnings are not required if the source of that contamination is natural, as opposed to industrial.

This study was aimed to evaluate the level of furan and acrylamide contamination in cocoa and noncocoa raw materials, in masses from processing stages, and in chocolates originating from three factories. Acrylamide was determined by the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method using the QuEChERS procedure with dispersive solid-phase extraction clean-up and isotopic standard (2,3,3-d3-acrylamide).

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used for the production of plastics and epoxy resins, which are part of packaging materials for food and beverages, and can migrate into food and the environment, thus exposing human beings to its effects. Exposure to BPA has been associated with oxidative stress, cell cycle changes, and genotoxicity, and is mediated by its known endocrine-disrupting activity. Possible BPA cytotoxicity without mediation by estrogen receptors has been reported in the literature.