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State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment
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State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2024) | Viewed by 5678

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marilena Dasenaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: food analysis; food safety; chemical contaminants; mass spectrometry; food authenticity; bioactive molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. NIki Maragou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: food analysis; chromatography; mass spectrometry; food safety; quality control; regulatory legislation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food safety, quality and authenticity are emerging topics of great interest for all  those involved in the food supply chain, starting from the food industry and producers to consumers, legal authorities and food science researchers. As it is well known, there are diverse factors that may affect the chemical composition of foods and the presence of contaminants such as the conditions of cultivation and breeding, geographical origin, variety, type of feed, processing, packaging, transportation and storage. Therefore, the implementation of sensitive, accurate, robust and efficient high-throughput analytical methodologies is needed to secure their safety and assess their quality and authenticity in terms of nutritional, organoleptic and bioactive characteristics. To address this imperative need, advanced analytical tools can be employed such as chromatographic techniques coupled to mass spectrometry, spectroscopic techniques, DNA-based methods and state-of-the-art omics approaches. In this context, this Special Issue will extensively cover the topics of application of state-of-the-art analytical techniques for food safety, quality and authenticity assessment. Scientists are warmly invited to submit their original contributions (reviews, original research papers and short communication) to this Special Issue, which will be of interest to a wide range of readers. In the case of review articles, an additional brief (1–2 pages) description of the topic including a draft index is required. This preliminary step is essential to avoid the overlap of topics.

Dr. Marilena Dasenaki
Dr. NIki Maragou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food analysis
  • chemical contaminants
  • bioactive compounds
  • omics technologies
  • food characterization
  • mass spectrometry
  • NMR
  • spectroscopic techniques

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 3623 KiB  
Article
In Silico Mass Spectrometric Fragmentation and Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Betalainic Fingerprinting: Identification of Betalains in Red Pitaya
by Jesús Alfredo Araujo-León, Ivonne Sánchez-del Pino, Ligia Guadalupe Brito-Argáez, Sergio R. Peraza-Sánchez, Rolffy Ortiz-Andrade and Victor Aguilar-Hernández
Molecules 2024, 29(22), 5485; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29225485 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 583
Abstract
Betalains, which contain nitrogen and are water soluble, are the pigments responsible for many traits of plants and biological activities in different organisms that do not produce them. To better annotate and identify betalains using a spectral library and fingerprint, a database catalog [...] Read more.
Betalains, which contain nitrogen and are water soluble, are the pigments responsible for many traits of plants and biological activities in different organisms that do not produce them. To better annotate and identify betalains using a spectral library and fingerprint, a database catalog of 140 known betalains (112 betacyanins and 28 betaxanthins) was made in this work to simplify betalain identification in mass spectrometry analysis. Fragmented peaks obtained using MassFrontier, along with chemical structures and protonated precursor ions for each betalain, were added to the database. Product ions made in MS/MS and multistage MS analyses of betanin, beetroot extract, and red pitaya extract revealed the fingerprint of betalains, distinctive ions of betacyanin, betacyanin derivatives such as decarboxylated and dehydrogenated betacyanins, and betaxanthins. A distinctive ion with m/z 211.07 was found in betaxanthins. By using the fingerprint of betalains in the analysis of red pitaya extracts, the catalog of betalains in red pitaya was expanded to 86 (31 betacyanins, 36 betacyanin derivatives, and 19 betaxanthins). Four unknown betalains were detected to have the fingerprint of betalains, but further research will aid in revealing the complete structure. Taken together, we envisage that the further use of the fingerprint of betalains will increase the annotation coverage of identified molecules in studies related to revealing the biological function of betalains or making technologies based on these natural colorants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment)
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20 pages, 3777 KiB  
Article
Analysis and Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Canned Minced Chicken and Pork during Processing
by Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj, Yu-Wen Lai and Bing-Huei Chen
Molecules 2024, 29(18), 4372; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184372 - 14 Sep 2024
Viewed by 511
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent important toxic compounds formed in meat products during processing. This study aims to analyze 22 PAHs by QuEChERS coupled with GC–MS/MS in canned minced chicken and pork during processing. After marinating raw minced chicken and pork separately with [...] Read more.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent important toxic compounds formed in meat products during processing. This study aims to analyze 22 PAHs by QuEChERS coupled with GC–MS/MS in canned minced chicken and pork during processing. After marinating raw minced chicken and pork separately with a standard flavoring formula used for canning meat in Taiwan, they were subjected to different processing conditions including stir-frying, degassing and sterilizing at 115 °C/60 min (low-temperature–long-time, LTLT) and 125 °C/25 min (high-temperature–short-time, HTST). The quantitation of PAHs in these meat products revealed the formation of only three PAHs including acenaphthylene (AcPy), acenaphthene (AcP) and pyrene (Pyr) in canned minced chicken and pork during processing with no significant difference in total PAHs between the meat types. Analysis of PAH precursors showed the presence of benzaldehyde at the highest level, followed by 2-cyclohexene-1-one and trans,trans-2,4-decadienal in canned minced chicken and pork, suggesting PAH formation through the reaction of benzaldehyde with linoleic acid degradation products and of 2-cyclohexene-1-one with C4 compounds through the Diels–Alder reaction, as well as the reaction of trans,trans-2,4-decadienal with 2-butene. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were present in the largest proportion in LTLT-sterilized chicken/pork, followed by HTST-sterilized chicken/pork and raw chicken/pork, and their levels did not show a high impact on PAH formation, probably due to an insufficient heating temperature and length of time. A two-factorial analysis suggested that PAH formation was not significantly affected by the sterilization condition or meat type. Principal component analysis corroborated the observed results implying the formation of PAHs in canned minced chicken/pork under different processing conditions with an insignificant difference (p > 0.05) between them, with the individual PAH content following the order of Pyr > AcPy > AcP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment)
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20 pages, 2347 KiB  
Article
Glucanases and Chitinases in Mangifera indica: Identification, Classification, Phylogeny, and Expression Analysis of Defense Genes against Colletotrichum spp.
by María Isabel Jiménez-Maldonado, María Auxiliadora Islas-Osuna, Josefina León-Félix, Juan Manuel Tovar-Pedraza and María Dolores Muy-Rangel
Molecules 2024, 29(15), 3556; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153556 - 28 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1024
Abstract
Plant glucanases and chitinases are defense proteins that participate in pathogenesis; however, very little is known about the glucanase (GLUC) and chitinase (CHIT) gene families in mango. Some mango cultivars are of great economic importance and can be affected [...] Read more.
Plant glucanases and chitinases are defense proteins that participate in pathogenesis; however, very little is known about the glucanase (GLUC) and chitinase (CHIT) gene families in mango. Some mango cultivars are of great economic importance and can be affected by anthracnose, a postharvest disease caused by fungi of the genus Colletotrichum spp. This study identified and characterized 23 putative glucanases and 16 chitinases in the mango genome cv. Tommy Atkins. We used phylogenetic analyses to classify the glucanases into three subclasses (A, B, and C) and the chitinases into four classes (I, II, IV, and V). Information on the salicylic, jasmonic acid, and ethylene pathways was obtained by analyzing the cis-elements of the GLUC and CHIT class I and IV gene promoters. The expression profile of GLUC, CHIT class I, and CHIT class IV genes in mango cv. Ataulfo inoculated with two Colletotrichum spp. revealed different profile expression related to these fungi’s level of virulence. In general, this study provides the basis for the functional validation of these target genes with which the regulatory mechanisms used by glucanases and chitinases as defense proteins in mango can be elucidated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment)
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12 pages, 11468 KiB  
Article
Curvature-Insensitive Transparent Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate Based on Large-Area Ag Nanoparticle-Coated Wrinkled Polystyrene/Polydimethylsiloxane Film for Reliable In Situ Detection
by Meng Sun, Lili Huang, Hongjun Wang, Zhaoyi Zhang, Huijuan Niu, Zhenshan Yang and Hefu Li
Molecules 2024, 29(12), 2946; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29122946 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 705
Abstract
Flexible and transparent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have attracted considerable attention for their ability to enable the direct in situ detection of analytes on curved surfaces. However, the curvature of an object can impact the signal enhancement of SERS during the measurement [...] Read more.
Flexible and transparent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have attracted considerable attention for their ability to enable the direct in situ detection of analytes on curved surfaces. However, the curvature of an object can impact the signal enhancement of SERS during the measurement process. Herein, we propose a simple approach for fabricating a curvature-insensitive transparent SERS substrate by depositing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) onto a large-area wrinkled polystyrene/polydimethylsiloxane (Ag NP@W-PS/PDMS) bilayer film. Using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a probe molecule, the optimized Ag NP@W-PS/PDMS film demonstrates a high analytical enhancement factor (AEF) of 4.83 × 105, excellent uniformity (RSD = 7.85%) and reproducibility (RSD = 3.09%), as well as superior mechanical flexibility. Additionally, in situ measurements of malachite green (MG) on objects with diverse curvatures, including fish, apple, and blueberry, are conducted using a portable Raman system, revealing a consistent SERS enhancement. Furthermore, a robust linear relationship (R2 ≥ 0.990) between Raman intensity and the logarithmic concentration of MG detected from these objects is achieved. These results demonstrate the tremendous potential of the developed curvature-insensitive SERS substrate as a point-of-care testing (POCT) platform for identifying analytes on irregular objects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment)
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28 pages, 7833 KiB  
Article
Universal 1H Spin–Lattice NMR Relaxation Features of Sugar—A Step towards Quality Markers
by Hafiz Imran Fakhar, Adam Kasparek, Karol Kolodziejski, Leonid Grunin, Mecit Halil Öztop, Muhammad Qasim Hayat, Hussnain A. Janjua and Danuta Kruk
Molecules 2024, 29(11), 2422; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112422 - 21 May 2024
Viewed by 854
Abstract
1H fast field-cycling and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry studies have been performed for 15 samples of sugar of different kinds and origins (brown, white, cane, beet sugar). The extensive data set, including results for crystal sugar and sugar/water mixtures, has been [...] Read more.
1H fast field-cycling and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry studies have been performed for 15 samples of sugar of different kinds and origins (brown, white, cane, beet sugar). The extensive data set, including results for crystal sugar and sugar/water mixtures, has been thoroughly analyzed, with a focus on identifying relaxation contributions associated with the solid and liquid fractions of the systems and non-exponentiality of the relaxation processes. It has been observed that 1H spin–lattice relaxation rates for crystal sugar (solid) vary between 0.45 s−1 and 0.59 s−1, and the relaxation process shows only small deviations from exponentiality (a quantitative measure of the exponentiality has been provided). The 1H spin–lattice relaxation process for sugar/water mixtures has turned out to be bi-exponential, with the relaxation rates varying between about 13 s−1–17 s−1 (for the faster component) and about 2.1 s−1–3.5 s−1 (for the slower component), with the ratio between the amplitudes of the relaxation contributions ranging between 2.8 and 4.2. The narrow ranges in which the parameters vary make them a promising marker of the quality and authenticity of sugar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment)
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11 pages, 2444 KiB  
Article
Novel and Sensitive Touchdown Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for the Detection of Goat and Sheep Milk Adulteration with Cow Milk
by Ariadni Kourkouli, Nikolaos Thomaidis, Marilena Dasenaki and Athina Markou
Molecules 2024, 29(8), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081820 - 17 Apr 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1474
Abstract
Milk is the most consumed liquid food in the world due to its high nutritional value and relatively low cost, characteristics that make it vulnerable to adulteration. One of the most common types of milk adulteration involves the undeclared addition of cow’s milk [...] Read more.
Milk is the most consumed liquid food in the world due to its high nutritional value and relatively low cost, characteristics that make it vulnerable to adulteration. One of the most common types of milk adulteration involves the undeclared addition of cow’s milk to milk from other mammalian species, such as goats, sheep, buffalo or donkeys. The incidence of such adulteration not only causes a crisis in terms of commercial market and consumer uncertainty but also poses a risk to public health, as allergies can be triggered by proteins in undeclared cow’s milk. In this study, a specific qualitative touchdown (TD) PCR method was developed to detect the undeclared addition of cow’s milk in goat and sheep milk based on the discrimination of the peak areas of the melting curves after the modification of bovine-specific primers. The developed methodology has high specificity for the DNA templates of other species, such as buffalos and donkeys, and is able to identify the presence of cow’s milk down to 1%. Repeatability was tested at low bovine concentrations of 5% and 1% and resulted in %RSD values of 1.53–2.04 for the goat–cow assay and 2.49–7.16 for the sheep–cow assay, respectively. The application of this method to commercial goat milk samples indicated a high percentage of noncompliance in terms of labeling (50%), while a comparison of the results to rapid immunochromatographic and ELISA kits validated the excellent sensitivity and applicability of the proposed PCR methodology that was able to trace more adulterated samples. The developed assays offer the advantage of multiple detection in a single run, resulting in a cost- and time-efficient method. Future studies will focus on the applicability of these assays in dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Analytical Technologies for Food Safety, Quality and Authenticity Assessment)
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