Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the detection of durum wheat contamination or adulteration

Proteomic Advances in Cereal and Vegetable Crops

The importance of vegetables in human nutrition, such as cereals, which in many cases represent the main source of daily energy for humans, added to the impact that the incessant increase in demographic pressure has on the demand for these plant foods, entails the search for new technologies that can alleviate this pressure on markets while reducing the carbon footprint of related activities. Plant proteomics arises as a response to these problems, and through research and the application of new technologies, it attempts to enhance areas of food science that are fundamental for the optimization of processes. This review aims to present the different approaches and tools of proteomics in the investigation of new methods for the development of vegetable crops. In the last two decades, different studies in the control of the quality of crops have reported very interesting results that can help us to verify parameters as important as food safety, the authenticity of the products, or the increase in the yield by early detection of diseases. A strategic plan that encourages the incorporation of these new methods into the industry will be essential to promote the use of proteomics and all the advantages it offers in the optimization of processes and the solution of problems.

Wheat authentication：An overview on different techniques and chemometric methods

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops and is consumed as a staple food around the globe. Wheat authentication has become a crucial issue over the last decades. Recently, many techniques have been applied in wheat authentication including the authentication of wheat geographical origin, wheat variety, organic wheat, and wheat flour from other cereals. This paper collected related literature in the last ten years, and attempted to highlight the recent studies on the discrimination and authentication of wheat using different determination techniques and chemometric methods. The stable isotope analysis and elemental profile of wheat are promising tools to obtain information regarding the origin, and variety, and to differentiate organic from conventional farming of wheat. Image analysis, genetic parameters, and omics analysis can provide solutions for wheat variety, organic wheat, and wheat adulteration. Vibrational spectroscopy analyses, such as NIR, FTIR, and HIS, in combination with multivariate data analysis methods, such as PCA, LDA, and PLS-DA, show great potential in wheat authenticity and offer many advantages such as user-friendly, cost-effective, time-saving, and environment friendly. In conclusion, analytical techniques combining with appropriate multivariate analysis are very effective to discriminate geographical origin, cultivar classification, and adulterant detection of wheat.

Mass spectrometry-based protein and peptide profiling for food frauds, traceability and authenticity assessment

The ever-growing use of mass spectrometry (MS) methodologies in food authentication and traceability originates from their unrivalled specificity, accuracy and sensitivity. Such features are crucial for setting up analytical strategies for detecting food frauds and adulterations by monitoring selected components within food matrices. Among MS approaches, protein and peptide profiling has become increasingly consolidated. This review explores the current knowledge on recent MS techniques using protein and peptide biomarkers for assessing food traceability and authenticity, with a specific focus on their use for unmasking potential frauds and adulterations. We provide a survey of the current state-of-the-art instrumentation including the most reliable and sensitive acquisition modes highlighting advantages and limitations. Finally, we summarize the recent applications of MS to protein/peptide analyses in food matrices and examine their potential in ensuring the quality of agro-food products.

Evaluation of HER2-specific peptide ligand for its employment as radiolabeled imaging probe

HER2 transmembrane receptor is an important target in immunotherapy treatment of breast and gastroesophageal cancer. Molecular imaging of HER2 expression may provide essential prognostic and predictive information concerning disseminated cancer and aid in selection of an optimal therapy. Radiolabeled low molecular weight peptide ligands are particularly attractive as probes for molecular imaging, since they reach and bind to the target and clear from non-target organs and blood stream faster than bulky antibodies. In this study, we evaluated a potential HER2-imaging probe, an A9 nonapeptide, derived from the trastuzumab-Fab portion. Its cellular uptake was investigated by mass spectrometry analysis of the cytoplasmic cellular extracts. Moreover, based on in-silico modeling, DTPA chelator was conjugated to N-terminus of A9. ¹¹¹In-labeled A9 demonstrated nanomolar affinity to HER2-expressing BT474 cells and favorable biodistribution profile in NMRI mice. This study suggests that the peptide A9 represents a good lead candidate for development of molecular probe, to be used for imaging purposes and for the delivery of cytotoxic agents.

Identification of barley-specific peptide markers that persist in processed foods and are capable of detecting barley contamination by LC-MS/MS

Consumers, especially those with allergies and/or intolerances, should have confidence in two critical areas of food safety: foods should be correctly labelled and free from contamination. To this end, global proteomic analysis employing LC-MS/MS of gluten-enriched extracts derived from 12 barley cultivars was undertaken, providing a foundation for the development of MS-based quantitative methodologies that would enable the detection of barley contamination in foods. Subsequently, a number of candidate barley-specific peptide markers were evaluated by multiple-reaction monitoring MS. From an initial panel of 26, 9 peptide markers were unique to barley, yet present in a wide range of barley varieties. The analytical method was then used to examine a range of breakfast cereals and was able to detect barley in a barley-based breakfast cereal and a muesli, but additionally allowed detection of contamination of cereals that were comprised of ancient grains and in commercially-sourced flours, including amaranth, chia, buckwheat, millet, rice, corn, oats, rye, spelt and green wheat (0.01-0.08%). LC-MS/MS provides an alternative to ELISA approaches to monitor food safety and the identification of robust and sensitive cereal-specific peptide markers is the first step toward the adoption of this technology.

SIGNIFICANCE

Coeliac disease is a serious health issue affecting up to 70million people globally for which there is no cure. The only treatment is a life-long gluten-free diet. Contamination of foods can occur at many stages of food production from farm to fork. As such, accurate quantification and identification of the source (i.e. cereal) and type (e.g. gluten) of contamination is critical to the health and well-being of a subset of the population, including those affected by coeliac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.

Rapid detection of water buffalo ricotta adulteration or contamination by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

The improvement and development of novel technologies and analytical tools are an important first line of defence for both detecting and deterring food frauds. In order to protect the authenticity of traditional foods and safeguard geographical indications and traditional specialities at European level, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) legislation has been introduced as a guarantee of quality (Council Regulation ECC 2081/92). Dairy products, especially those certified as PDO products, are amongst the most common targets of fraudulent activities. Recently, the buffalo ricotta, a dairy product exclusively made with buffalo milk and produced in the same geographical area of most widely known buffalo mozzarella, has gained PDO recognition.

METHODS

In the present work, a fast and simple matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS)-based methodology has been developed for detecting the adulteration or contamination of buffalo ricotta with bovine milk.

RESULTS

We optimized a fast procedure for digesting milk proteins and identified a novel specific proteotypic marker, corresponding to region 149-162 of β-lactoglobulin, as highly diagnostic for the presence of cow milk within ricotta matrices.

CONCLUSIONS

By exploiting the advantages of MALDI-TOFMS, the proposed methodology represents a useful tool for the assessment of buffalo ricotta authenticity and to guarantee the PDO certification against frauds.