Research Publications (Food Safety)

In this research, a straightforward sample treatment for multiresidue pesticide evaluation of onion samples was developed using the solid-phase extraction/quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and secure (SPE/QuEChERS) method. The suggested technique is based on acetonitrile liquid-liquid partitioning, then follows dispersive solid-phase extraction with ZrO2 particles for extract purification. ZrO2 is synthesized via co precipitation and analyzed via XRD, FTIR, and SEM.

Pigeon is an essential poultry with tasty meat and high protein content, and its breeding and consumption of meat have been increasing annually. Nevertheless, technical bottlenecks still exist in detecting veterinary drug residues in pigeon muscle. A rapid and sensitive method for determining 67 veterinary drugs belonging to six major groups (quinolones, sulfonamides, macrolides, hormones, tetracyclines, and insecticides) was developed in pigeon muscle.

Paraquat dichloride is a widely used herbicide that poses a significant threat to human health. Its prohibition in several countries highlights the need for the development of a highly sensitive device capable of detecting minimum concentrations of this herbicide in food matrices. In this study, we developed a lateral flow test strip using gold nanoparticles conjugated to anti-paraquat antibodies for the visual and quantitative detection of paraquat in food samples.

Pymetrozine, a member of the azomethine pyridine group, is gaining popularity among paddy farmers due to its anti-feeding properties against homopteran insects like planthoppers, whiteflies, and aphids on a wide range of fields, fruits, and ornamental crops.

An analytical method based on enhanced matrix removal–lipid liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (EMR-LC–MS/MS) was developed for the determination of neonicotinoid insecticides and metabolites residues (imidacloprid (IMI) and its metabolites imidacloprid-urea (IMI-U), imidacloprid-olefin (IMI-O), acetamiprid (ACE) and its metabolite N-desmethyl acetamiprid (IM 2–1), dinotefuran (DIN) and its metabolite [1-methy1-3(tetrahydro-3-furylmethy1) urea (DIN-UF), thiacloprid (THIA), thiamet

Pesticides have been widely used to control pests and weeds during food production or storage, but when used incorrectly, they can cause damage to human health and the environment. Thus, this study aimed to develop and validate a multiresidue method for the determination of pesticides in potatoes, as well as to evaluate the concentrations in the peel and pulp of the tuber.

An effective microextraction, namely, in situ formation of supramolecular solvent (SUPRAS) method, was investigated for the determination of neonicotinoid insecticides prior to high performance liquid chromatographic analysis. The microextraction method has been utilized for the first time in the literature for separation and preconcentration of neonicotinoid insecticides.

In this study, an optimized QuEChERS method with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was developed and validated for the determination of mesosulfuron-methyl and diflufenican in wheat grain and straw. At the spiking levels of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, and 1 mg/kg, the average recoveries of five repetitions were 74–98% with RSDs of 1–11%. The LOQs of the two herbicides were both 0.01 mg/kg for wheat grain and wheat straw.

Aldrin and Mirex are organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) considered toxic to human and animal health. Although their use has been banned for decades, these compounds persist in several environmental and food samples, including honey.

The aim of this paper is to develop and validate a method, using GC–MS and QuEChERS, for the determination of fungicide residues in bananas produced and commercialized in the Cariri Region — Ceará/Brazil. The extraction procedure, by the QuEChERS-citrate method, allowed obtaining the matrix extract free of pesticides, used for the analytical curves (matrix-matched calibration).

In this work, a magnetic covalent organic framework (COF) named Fe3O4@TpPa-NO2 was designed and synthesized by a solvothermal method employing 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and 2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine (Pa-NO2) as the organic units. Fe3O4@TpPa-NO2 was explored as an adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of four pyrethroid insecticides. Fe3O4@TpPa-NO2 displayed excellent adsorption capacity in the adsorption test of pyrethroid insecticides.

The detection method for flurtamone enantiomers in soil and five farm products (wheat, maize, sorghum, soybeans and pea) was established using modified QuEChERS method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The Box-Behnken design (BBD) of response surface methodology was used to optimize the enantioseparation parameters of flurtamone on Chiralpak IG-3 column.

India has achieved its food security through the green revolution and technological revolution, although food safety is still not realized. Subsequently, agricultural runoffs, industrial wastes and domestic sewages continuously contaminate the water and the associated livelihood through several contaminants. Pesticides and their residues, which function as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), influence the food web through water resources, among other things.

Fungicides are applied from plant development to grape production, transport, and storage. Even after fruit processing, residues of these compounds can be present in grape by-products such as wine and juice.

Metribuzin is a broad-spectrum herbicide that allows effective weed management in fields but the contamination of metribuzin on the environment and humans is a threat to its application. To better monitor the residue of metribuzin in practical application, an HPLC–MS/MS method for the determination of herbicide metribuzin and its metabolites DA, DK, and DADK residues in potato tuber was developed. The matrix effects were also investigated in this work.

In recent decades safety of food has played a pivotal role from raw material till it reaches the consumer. The food consumed may contain unwanted contaminants, which may impose severe health implications on the consumers. Instrumental techniques like HPLC, GCMS, LCMS, AAS, FTIR, and NIRS detect the contaminants, but the need for low cost, continuous, specific, real-time, and rapid contaminant detection method is required. To meet these essentials, a biosensor stands as a powerful tool.

In this work, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and DNA tetrahedral nanostructure (DTN) as a signal probe carrier platform to control the density of aptamers were used to construct an ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor (AuNPs-DTN sensor).

Fabric-phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) coats organic–inorganic hybrid sorbent materials onto flexible and hydrophilic fabrics through sol–gel sorbent-coating technology. Herein, we explored four different coating chemistries, including those of nonpolar sol–gel poly(dimethylsiloxane), medium polar sol–gel poly(tetrahydrofuran), and polar sol–gel poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–block-poly(propylene glycol)–PEG, and sol–gel PEG.

Fabric-phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) coats organic–inorganic hybrid sorbent materials onto flexible and hydrophilic fabrics through sol–gel sorbent-coating technology. Herein, we explored four different coating chemistries, including those of nonpolar sol–gel poly(dimethylsiloxane), medium polar sol–gel poly(tetrahydrofuran), and polar sol–gel poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–block-poly(propylene glycol)–PEG, and sol–gel PEG.

Ringer tablet-based micelle-mediated extraction-solvent back extraction method coupled to HPLC has been investigated for the determination of neonicotinoid pesticides in honey, cucumber, and orange samples. The method employs the entrapment of the analytes in the micelles of non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-114). By ultrasonication, the ringer tablet is dissolved, and the extractant is released into the aqueous phase as very tiny droplets to provide a cloudy solution.

Abstract

A multi-residue method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 39 and 33 chemical pesticides in rice using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, respectively. The coefficient of determination was 0.994 to 0.999 over the linear concentration range of 0.01 to 0.1 μg mL-1. The LOD and LOQ were in the range of 0.31 to 3.35 and 1.04 to 10.06 μgkg-1, repsectively.

A method based on QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) sample preparation coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed for determining 43 pesticide residues in strawberries. The clean-up sorbents were optimized, with 50 mg PSA + 50 mg C18 + 150 mg MgSO4 showing the best performance in d-SPE. The effect of injection volume on matrix effect (ME) was investigated.

A novel and sensitive chromatography method with modified Quick Polar Pesticide (QuPPe) sample preparation was validated for determination of eight high polar pesticides in cherries by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The validation data executed the conditions of the European SANTE/12682/2019 Guidance Document. Good linearity (R2 > 0.99) was observed, and the residuals were lower than ± 20%.