Sequential determination of fat- and water-soluble vitamins in green leafy vegetables during storage

Fast, sustainable, and simultaneous analysis of water- and fat-soluble vitamins by the two-dimensional microcarbon fiber fractionation system hyphenated with MS detection

BACKGROUND

Vitamins are micronutrients that are required for normal growth and development of living organisms. However, due to their various chemical properties (e.g., acid-base behavior, the presence of numerous forms) and fluctuating concentration levels within complex matrices, simultaneous analysis of multi-class vitamins, including their active forms, is a challenging task. The growing nutrient shortage in foods is concerning for food consumers, manufacturers, and quality control organizations. Hence, a simple, fast, and greener approach that can simultaneously analyze multi-class vitamins is required to aid food testing and clinical laboratories in evaluating vitamin content more rapidly and accurately.

RESULTS

A green and rapid analytical method based on online two-dimensional microscale carbon fiber/activated carbon fiber fractionation-mass spectrometry (2DμCFs-MS) was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of vitamins (water- and fat-soluble vitamins and some analogs) in food supplements and fortified energy drinks. Vitamins have been successfully separated into three different fractions using the minimum toxic solvent (only 0.7 mL of organic solvent) in a single run within 6 min. The limit of detection (LOD) ranges from 0.1 to 10.4 ng/mL, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) ranges from 0.39 to 34.5 ng/mL. The method also showed adequate repeatability and intermediate precision, with RSD<10 % and R2 > 0.99 for most vitamins. The analytical method was evaluated in terms of greenness, with an analytical greenness (AGREE) score of 0.68.

SIGNIFICANCE

The 2DμCFs-MS system was developed to separate and detect multi-class vitamins simultaneously, which can be used as a beneficial tool to investigate vitamin content for food labeling and determining the vitamins in biological fluids and other complex samples. The developed method can tackle the challenge of simultaneous and fast routine analysis of multi-class vitamins.

Underutilized green leafy vegetables: frontier in fortified food development and nutrition

From the ancient period, Green leafy vegetables (GLV) are part of the daily diet and were believed to have several health beneficial properties. Later it has been proved that GLV has outstanding nutritional value and can be used for medicinal benefits. GLV is particularly rich in minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc. These are also rich in vitamins like beta carotene, vitamin E, K, B and vitamin C. In addition, some anti-nutritional elements in GLV can be reduced if it is grown properly and processed properly before consumption. Tropical countries have a wide variety of these green plants such as Red Spinach, Amaranth, Malabar Spinach, Taro Leaf, Fenugreek leaf, Bengal Gram Leaves, Radish Leaves, Mustard Leaves, and many more. This review focuses on listing this wide range of GLVs (in total 54 underutilized GLVs) and their compositions in a comparative manner. GLV also possesses medicinal activities due to its rich bioactive and nutritional potential. Different processing techniques may alter the nutritional and bioactive potential of the GLVs significantly. The GLVs have been considered a food fortification agent, though not explored widely. All of these findings suggest that increasing GLV consumption could provide nutritional requirements necessary for proper growth as well as adequate protection against diseases caused by malnutrition.

β-Carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal contents in processed foods in Korea

A robust and rapid HPLC method for β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal analyses in various processed foods was developed. The analysis method was validated for low-fat, moderate-fat, and high-fat food matrices. The two carotenoids were identified by LC-MS/MS. The detection limits for β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal in the three food matrices were 0.08-0.27 µg/g and 0.09-0.18 µg/g, respectively. The inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision were in accordance with the Codex guidelines. The validated method was applied to 57 processed food samples, possibly containing β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal, obtained in Korea. The detected β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal levels in the samples ranged from not detected (ND) to 6.92 µg/g and ND to 1.63 µg/g, respectively. Chocolate and cheese samples had the highest β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal levels, respectively. Notably, several samples with no labeled carotenoid additives contained β-carotene. Moreover, the developed analytical method was compatible with various processed food matrices.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01285-2.

The importance, prevalence and determination of vitamins B6 and B12 in food matrices: A review

Vitamins are a vast group of fundamental organic compounds, which are not produced by the human body but are essential for the living organisms' good health. Vitamins B6 and B12 belong to the same group of hydrophilic vitamins. Structurally unrelated, they share the same purpose as essential components for normal cellular operation, growth and development. Vitamin B6 is an enzymatic co-factor that is vital for countless biochemical reactions, and is also important in sugar and fatty acid metabolization. It encompasses three natural and inter-convertible pyridine-derivatives: pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine. Vitamin B12 is a cobalt organometallic complex also indispensable in numerous human physiological functions. It has four bioactive forms: cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin and 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin, and only a few prokaryotes have the ability to biosynthesize cobalamin. This work reviews the significant aspects of vitamins B6 and B12: their vital roles, consequences of deficit; food sources; and methods of determination and respective matrices, with heavy emphasis on chromatographic techniques developed within the last two decades.

Effects of Growth Period and Storage Methods on Primary Metabolite Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Morus alba L. Leaf

(1) Background: Mulberry leaves have been widely consumed due to their richness in bioactive substances and high antioxidant activity. The choice of storage method to ensure the quality of mulberry leaves is a challenge in the supply process. (2) Methods: The differences in primary metabolites of freeze-dried mulberry leaf powder after 30 days of storage under different storage conditions (i.e., vacuum or non-vacuum, 4 °C or room temperature) were investigated. (3) Results: A low temperature and vacuum had better preservation effects on the types and activity of the primary metabolites of mulberry leaves, with vacuum preservation being the best. However, the types of primary metabolites in mulberry leaves were significantly reduced after non-vacuum storage at room temperature compared to those with other storage methods. Among the metabolites detected, including dehydroascorbic acid, various phenolic acids, amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates showed a significant decrease in their contents of more than 40%, and there was a significant increase in the contents of various compounds of the muconic acid biosynthetic pathway compared to those in other storage methods. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of mulberry leaves stored at room temperature under non-vacuum conditions was also significantly reduced. (4) Conclusions: Vacuum storage is the most ideal storage method for preserving mulberry leaves.

Aqueous Extracts of Fish Roe as a Source of Several Bioactive Compounds

Regular consumption of seafood and, in particular, fish has been associated with important health benefits. A fish product that has been increasingly included in the human nutrition is roe. Despite its nutritional value has been established (fatty acid profile and protein content), the knowledge of the composition of its aqueous extracts is still limited. This work describes the bioactive compounds profile in the roe-derived aqueous extracts of three different marine species (sardine, horse mackerel and sea bass) using a method based on liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry with an electrospray ionisation source (LC-ESI/HRMS). The presence of substances with well-known nutritional and functional properties (e.g., antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) was demonstrated, namely essential amino acids (e.g., taurine), peptides (e.g., anserine and carnosine), B-group vitamins (e.g., nicotinamide) and gadusol. Therefore, roe-derived aqueous extracts are excellent sources of bioactive compounds and may be used as a font of functional components for several medical and veterinary applications.

LC/MS analysis of storage-induced plasmalogen loss in ready-to-eat fish

Plasmalogens are functional and oxidation-sensitive phospholipids abundant in fish. Chilling and freezing are common storage methods for maintaining the quality of fish, but their effect on plasmalogen preservation has not been studied. Therefore, plasmalogen loss in ready-to-eat tuna meat during storage under different conditions was investigated. LC/MS was used to analyze the time- and temperature-dependent changes of plasmalogens, which was the most evident for the species with an ethanolamine headgroup and polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains. Moreover, a series of oxidized plasmalogen molecules were identified, and their storage-induced accumulation was observed. Plasmalogen loss was strongly correlated with total lipid oxidation and phospholipid degradation. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles were found to accelerate the loss of plasmalogens, whereas the different thawing methods did not. The present study provides a deeper understanding of changes in lipid nutrients from fish meat during storage and demonstrates the importance of using advanced strategies to maintain food quality.

Effectiveness of enriching lettuce with iodine using 5-iodosalicylic and 3,5-diiodosalicylic acids and the chemical composition of plants depending on the type of soil in a pot experiment

Iodine is a beneficial element for humans, animals and plants. This study was a comparison of the effectiveness of iodosalicylate uptake by lettuce. The experiment included two sub-blocks: organic soil and mineral soil with the addition of the same fertigation of plants (8 times every 7 days) with 10 µM solutions (100 mL/per one plant/one application) of potassium iodate (KIO3), salicylic acid (SA) alone or together with KIO3, 5-iodosalicylic acid (5-ISA) or 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid (3,5-diISA). None of the tested iodine compounds negatively affected the yield of lettuce. When growing plants on mineral soil, plants accumulated more iodine in the leaves than plants grown on peat substrate. The use of 5-ISA allowed for achieving better efficiency of plant biofortification in iodine than the application of KIO3 and 3,5-diISA. The type of soil significantly modified the chemical composition of lettuce.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Identification, and Quantification of Antioxidants from 'Jinfeng' Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is a nutrient-dense fruit abundant in vitamin C and phenolic compounds, and it exhibits strong antioxidant capacity. However, the antioxidants in ‘Jinfeng’ kiwifruit have seldom been extracted and analyzed, and the conditions for the extraction of kiwifruit antioxidants by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) have seldom been investigated. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize UAE conditions to extract antioxidants from ‘Jinfeng’ kiwifruit. In addition, the antioxidant capacity, contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and the profiles of antioxidants were also analyzed. The results showed that the optimal UAE conditions included 68% ethanol, liquid/solid ratio at 20 mL/g, extraction time at 30 min, extraction temperature at 42 °C, and ultrasonic power at 420 W. Under these conditions, the ABTS value of kiwifruit was 70.38 ± 1.38 μM TE/g DW, which was 18.5% higher than that of the extract obtained by conventional solvent extraction. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 15.50 ± 0.08 mg GAE/g DW and 5.10 ± 0.09 mg CE/g DW, respectively. Moreover, 20 compounds were tentatively identified by UPLC–MS/MS, and the content of main compounds, such as procyanidin B2, neochlorogenic acid, and epicatechin, were determined by HPLC–DAD. This research revealed the profiles of antioxidant phytochemicals in ‘Jinfeng’ kiwifruit, which can be a good dietary source of natural antioxidants with potential health functions.

Understanding the Postharvest Phytochemical Composition Fates of Packaged Watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) Grown in a Floating System and Treated with Bacillus subtilis as PGPR

The physiological changes and phytochemical pathways of processed watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) undergone during storage are not well known. The objective of this work was to evaluate the respiration rate and the inherent and external quality of watercress inoculated with B. subtilis and packaged as a fresh-cut product and stored at 4 °C for 11 days. Watercress was grown using continuous flotation (FL) in a greenhouse using substrate disinfection and inoculated or not with Bacillus subtilis as a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). The fresh-cut watercress respiration rate and phytochemical profile changed during the shelf life. The inherent phytochemical compounds were retained during the storage of the fresh-cut salad bags. The best results were found in watercress grown in a disinfected substrate but were less satisfactory when seeds and substrates were inoculated with PGPR. In general, the external quality and the pigment contents progressively decreased during the shelf life and the browning enzyme activities responsible for phenolic oxidation increased at different intensities throughout storage. At the end of the shelf-life period, the fresh weight loss of the fresh-cut product was less than 1% of the original weight. The results demonstrated that watercress grown in FL is a standardised baby leaf vegetable that is suitable for processing in the fresh-cut industry and for storing for more than 10 days. Unclear results were obtained for Bacillus subtilis in the postharvest period due to the inconsistent responses of the different analysed parameters.

Effect of pre-treatment and drying methods on the content of minerals, B-group vitamins and tocopherols in kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) leaves

Dried vegetables are widely used in food production. Kale leaves, due to their high health-promoting properties, can be a valuable raw material for drying. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of blanching, drying methods (air-drying, freeze-drying), the time and temperature of storage on the content of ash, minerals, vitamins B₁, B₂, and tocopherols in dried kale products. The dried products were evaluated directly after processing and after 12 months of storage at ambient temperature, 18–20 °C and cold temperature, 8–10 °C. In 100 g dry matter from fresh raw material the dominant minerals were potassium (2613 mg), calcium (1346 mg), phosphorus (432 mg), magnesium (129 mg). Kale leaves had 0.828 mg vitamin B₁, 1.533 mg vitamin B₂ and 16.55 mg total tocopherols per 100 g of dry matter. Blanching, applied prior to drying, significantly reduced the levels of minerals (3–38%) and vitamins (8–45%), except for calcium, zinc and manganese. This pre-treatment had, however, a beneficial effect, especially on vitamin retention during the storage of dried products. After 12 month storage, the losses of vitamin B₁, B₂ and total tocopherols in dried, previously blanched, raw materials ranged from 3 to 10%, 1 to 4%, and 1 to 16%, respectively, depending on the type of sample. In the dried products obtained from unblanched raw material, the losses were larger and amounted to 10–17%, 8–16% and 4–17%, respectively. Throughout drying and storage, the minerals examined were fairly stable. Dried kale is generally a good source of minerals and vitamins. However, blanching before drying is recommended. In addition, freeze-drying and storage in cold temperature allows for higher vitamin preservation in dried kale.

Extraction and Quantification of Chlorophylls, Carotenoids, Phenolic Compounds, and Vitamins from Halophyte Biomasses

Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants, and they have been utilised as healthy, nutritious vegetables and medicinal herbs. Various studies have shown halophytes to be rich in health-beneficial compounds with antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, and cytotoxic properties. Despite their potential, these plants are still underutilised in agriculture and industrial applications. This review includes the state-of-the-art literature concerning the contents of proanthocyanidins (also known as condensed tannins), total phenolic compounds, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), and vitamins in various halophyte biomasses. Various extraction and analytical methods are also considered. The study shows that various species have exhibited potential for use not only as novel food products but also in the production of nutraceuticals and as ingredients for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Bioactive compounds in lettuce: Highlighting the benefits to human health and impacts of preharvest and postharvest practices

Lettuce is one of the most commonly consumed leafy vegetables worldwide and is available throughout the entire year. Lettuce is also a significant source of natural phytochemicals. These compounds, including glycosylated flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, the vitamin B groups, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and sesquiterpene lactones, are essential nutritional bioactive compounds. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the composition of health-promoting compounds in different types of lettuce, the potential health benefits of lettuce in reducing the risks of chronic diseases, and the effect of preharvest and postharvest practices on the biosynthesis and accumulation of health-promoting compounds in lettuce.

Development of a rapid and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography method for determination of water-soluble vitamins in veterinary feed premix

Background and Aim:

Determination of trace amounts of vitamins in multi-component feed premix is a troublesome analytical procedure. In this study, a simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated for the concurrent detection and quantitation of four water-soluble vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin in veterinary feed premixes.

Materials and Methods:

The chromatographic separation of the vitamins was carried out at 35°C temperature on a reversed-phase C18 column using a gradient pump mode. Mobile phase constituents were solvent (a): 25 mM Potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 5 mM sodium hexanesulfonate in deionized water having pH-4.0 and solvent and (b) 5 mM sodium hexanesulfonate in methanol. Detection was performed with HPLC ultraviolet/visible detection set at 278 and 361 nm wavelength in two different channels. The flow rate was 1.2 mL/min and the total run time was 25 min.

Results:

The method was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization and Food and Drug Administration guidelines and acceptance criteria for system suitability, precision, linearity, and recovery were met in all cases. The relative standard deviation for system suitability and precision was <2% for all vitamins. The linearity of the calibration curves was excellent (R₂>0.999) at concentration of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μg/mL for all vitamins. The limits of detection values were 0.0125, 0.0017, 0.0064, and 0.0065 μg/mL for thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin, respectively, and the limits of quantification values were 0.0378, 0.0051, 0.0213, and 0.0198 μg/mL for thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin, respectively. The recovery percentages ranged from 88% to 115%.

Conclusion:

The overall parameters of the proposed method met the validation criteria and this method could be a highly desirable technique for routine analysis of water-soluble vitamins in veterinary feed premix.

Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds and Bioactivities in Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) Wine

With the increase in demand of fruit wine year by year, it is necessary to develop novel fruit wine with high functional activities. Prunus salicina Lindl. (named as Niuxin plum) is a remarkable material for brewing fruit wine owing to its suitable sugar-acid ratio, characteristic aroma and bioactive compounds. This study intends to modify the fermentation technology, identify and quantify nutritional compositions and volatile profiles, as well as bioactive substances in Niuxin plum wine, as well as evaluate the antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities in vitro of major bioactive components from Niuxin plum wine. According to single-factor and orthogonal tests, the optimal fermentation conditions of 13.1% vol Niuxin plum wine should be Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lalvin EC1118 at 0.1% and a fermentation temperature of 20°C for 7 days. A total of 17 amino acids, 9 mineral elements, 4 vitamins, and 55 aromatic components were detected in plum wine. Polysaccharides from Niuxin plum wine (named as NPWPs) served as the major bioactive components. The NPWP with a molecular weight over 1,000 kDa (NPWP-10) demonstrated extraordinary DPPH free radical scavenging capacity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity among all NPWPs having different molecular weight. Moreover, the structural characterization of NPWP-10 was also analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra studies. NPWP-10 was composed of mannose, rhamnose, arabinose, galactose and galacturonic acid with molar ratios of 2.570:1.775:1.045:1.037:1. NPWP-10 contained α-configuration as the main component and β-configuration as the auxiliary component. This study highlights NPWP-10 is an importantly biological polysaccharide from Niuxin plum wine, as well as provides a scientific basis for developing the plum wine industry.

Anti- and pro-oxidant potential of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) biofortified with iodine by KIO3, 5-iodo- and 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid in human gastrointestinal cancer cell lines

Vegetables are particularly rich sources of micronutrients and phytochemicals such as polyphenols and vitamins. These plant-derived bioactive compounds provide antitumor and antioxidant properties due to their capacity to interact with reactive oxygen species (ROS). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of iodine biofortification (potassium iodate/KIO₃/, 5-iodosalicylic acid/5-ISA/, and 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid/3,5-diISA/) on the antioxidant activity of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. capitata) cv. ‘Melodion’. In this work, HPLC analysis was used to identify polyphenolic compounds while the antioxidant activity of iodine-enriched vegetables was determined by using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. The content of the water-soluble vitamins was analyzed by using the LC-MS/MS technique. The impact of extracts from iodine-biofortified lettuce on production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in gastrointestinal cancer cells was also evaluated. The results from this research indicate that application of iodine compounds improves the antioxidant potential of lettuce by increasing the concentration of some vitamins, antioxidant enzymes and polyphenolic compounds in the enriched plants. Moreover, the study has shown that iodine-biofortified lettuce induces production of ROS in cancer cells, resulting in an anticancer effect by the induction of programmed cancer cell death.

Vegetables are particularly rich sources of micronutrients and phytochemicals such as polyphenols and vitamins.

Nutritional and Functional Evaluation of Inula crithmoides and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum Grown in Different Salinities for Human Consumption

The nutritional composition and productivity of halophytes is strongly related to the biotic/abiotic stress to which these extremophile salt tolerant plants are subjected during their cultivation cycle. In this study, two commercial halophyte species (Inula crithmoides and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum) were cultivated at six levels of salinity using a soilless cultivation system. In this way, it was possible to understand the response mechanisms of these halophytes to salt stress. The relative productivity decreased from the salinities of 110 and 200 mmol L⁻¹ upwards for I. crithmoides and M. nodiflorum, respectively. Nonetheless, the nutritional profile for human consumption remained balanced. In general, I. crithmoides vitamin (B1 and B6) contents were significantly higher than those of M. nodiflorum. For both species, β-carotene and lutein were induced by salinity, possibly as a response to oxidative stress. Phenolic compounds were more abundant in plants cultivated at lower salinities, while the antioxidant activity increased as a response to salt stress. Sensory characteristics were evaluated by a panel of culinary chefs showing a preference for plants grown at the salt concentration of 350 mmol L⁻¹. In summary, salinity stress was effective in boosting important nutritional components in these species, and the soilless system promotes the sustainable and safe production of halophyte plants for human consumption.

Vitamins in wine: Which, what for, and how much?

Vitamins are essential compounds to yeasts, and notably in winemaking contexts. Vitamins are involved in numerous yeast metabolic pathways, including those of amino acids, fatty acids, and alcohols, which suggests their notable implication in fermentation courses, as well as in the development of aromatic compounds in wines. Although they are major components in the course of those microbial processes, their significance and impact have not been extensively studied in the context of winemaking and wine products, as most of the studies focusing on the subject in the past decades have relied on relatively insensitive and imprecise analytical methods. Therefore, this review provides an extensive overview of the current knowledge regarding the impacts of vitamins on grape must fermentations, wine-related yeast metabolisms, and requirements, as well as on the profile of wine sensory characteristics. We also highlight the methodologies and techniques developed over time to perform vitamin analysis in wines, and assess the importance of precisely defining the role played by vitamins in winemaking processes, to ensure finer control of the fermentation courses and product characteristics in a highly complex matrix.

Potential risks of nicotine on the germination, growth, and nutritional properties of broad bean

This study evaluated the allelopathy, uptake and accumulation, and potential agricultural and food safety risks of nicotine in broad bean (Vicia faba L.) during seed germination and seedling growth. Nicotine stress has an allelopathic inhibitory effect on seeds and a hormesis effect on germinated seeds and seedlings, which has an enhancement effect (<50 mg kg^-1) and an inhibition effect (>100 mg kg^-1) on the germinated seeds and an enhancement effect (<100 mg kg^-1) and an inhibition effect (>200 mg kg^-1) on the seedlings. Exogenous nicotine can be absorbed by broad bean roots from nicotine-contaminated soil and accumulated in the main organs of the seedlings, especially the leaves, which exceeded the maximum residue level (0.03 mg kg^-1 DW) at 50 mg kg^-1. Moreover, nicotine resulted in a bitter taste in the edible broad bean leaves, disrupting the balance of basic nutritional properties, decreasing sucrose, and increasing bitter substances such as choline and procyanidin. These results demonstrated that residual nicotine in the soil not only poses potential risks to sustainable agricultural development but also a food safety risk for consumers. The present study provides insight into the potential risks of nicotine in agroecosystems.

Determination of selected water-soluble vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide and pyridoxine) from a food matrix using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy

Water-soluble vitamins are essential dietary components with a multitude of important functions that require quantification from food sources to characterise the nutritional status of food. In this study, we have developed a hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) based method coupled to single-quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS) for the analysis of selected water-soluble vitamins. Due to their involvement in energy release from macronutrients, the quantification of thiamine (B₁), riboflavin (B₂), nicotinamide (B₃) and pyridoxine (B₆) offers significant value in food analysis. A commercially available vegetable soup was selected as the food matrix for this study and utilised to develop an efficient extraction procedure for the vitamins of interest. Vitamins were extracted using meta-phosphoric acid coupled with a reducing agent, DL-dithiothreitol (DTT) to produce the parent compound. The extracted vitamins were then analysed using an LC-MS system with electrospray - atmospheric pressure ionization (ES-API) source, operated in positive single ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The MS provided good linearity within the investigated range from 5 to 400 ng/mL with coefficient of determination (r²) ranging from 0.98 to 0.99. Retention times (0.65-9.04 min) were reproducible and no coelution between vitamins was observed. Limit of detection (LOD) varied from 2.4 to 9.0 ng/mL and limit of quantification (LOQ) was from 8 to 30 ng/mL, comparable to previously published studies. The extraction method provided good intra-day (%CV 1.56-6.56) and inter-day precision (%CV 8.07-10.97). Standard injections were used as part of quality control measures and provided excellent reproducibility (%CV 0.9-3.4). The overall runtime of this method was 19 min, including column reconditioning. Using this method, the quantity of thiamine (67 ± 7 ng/g), riboflavin (423 ± 39 ng/g), nicotinamide (856 ± 77 ng/g) and pyridoxine (133 ± 11 ng/g) was determined from a complex food matrix. In conclusion, we have developed a rapid and reliable, HILIC-single quad MS method utilising SIM for the low-level quantification of four B vitamins in a vegetable soup matrix in under 20 min. This method has shown excellent linearity, intra- and inter-day reproducibility and is directly applicable to other plant-based food matrices.

Total Phenol Content and Antioxidant Activity of Different Celta Pig Carcass Locations as Affected by the Finishing Diet (Chestnuts or Commercial Feed)

The objective of this research was to evaluate the total phenol content, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) and commercial feed employed in the finishing diet of the Celta pig breed and analyze the effect of the feeding (chestnuts vs. commercial feed) in the finishing diet on total phenol content and antioxidant activity of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum, Psoas major, and Biceps femoris muscles and liver of the Celta pig breed. The antioxidant activity of the feed and animal tissue was investigated using three antioxidant methods (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, 2-2'-Azino-di-[3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonate] (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay). The determination of the total phenol content and total flavonoids showed that chestnut had a significantly lower concentration than commercial feed in these compounds (130.00 vs. 312.89 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g fresh weight and 8.58 vs. 32.18 mg catechin equivalents/100 g fresh weight, respectively). However, the results displayed that chestnuts had a higher antioxidant activity when compared with the commercial feed through the DPPH and ABTS methods (1152.42 vs. 957.33 µg Trolox equivalents/g fresh weight, and 9379.74 vs. 7613.44 µg Trolox equivalents/g fresh weight, for DPPH and ABTS assay, respectively), while the antioxidant activity measured by the FRAP assay turned out to show higher values for commercial feed (1777.49 and 1946.09 µmol Fe2+/100 fresh weight for chestnut and commercial feed, respectively), although significant differences were only found in the ABTS assay. On the other hand, the present study found that chestnut significantly reduces the total phenol content and declines the antioxidant activity of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum, Psoas major, and Biceps femoris muscles and liver of the Celta pig breed. Finally, it has been found that liver is the location that has the best antioxidant characteristics compared to any muscle, regardless of diet utilized.

Simultaneous determination of 49 amino acids, B vitamins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids in commonly consumed vegetables by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and reliable method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 49 amino acids, B vitamins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids based on a rapid metabolomic extraction procedure combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) in a single chromatographic run and applied in analysis of 26 commonly consumed vegetables. The chromatographic and sample preparation conditions were optimized, given the high diversity of the target analytes. Eight isotope-labeled standards were applied to validate the method in terms of recovery, linearity, matrix effects, precision, and sensitivity. Most recoveries in four vegetable matrices ranged from 65.0% to 105.3% with associated RSDs < 20%. Low LOQs ranged from 0.06 to 17 µg/kg. Linear calibration curves with different ranges were established with R² > 0.993. Among the 26 vegetables, purple cabbage, broccoli, and red lettuce were found to contain the highest concentrations of free amino acids, B vitamins, and phenolic compounds.

Functional Attributes and Anticancer Potentialities of Chico (Pachycereus Weberi) and Jiotilla (Escontria Chiotilla) Fruits Extract

Mexico has a great diversity of cacti, however, many of their fruits have not been studied in greater depth. Several bioactive compounds available in cacti juices extract have demonstrated nutraceutical properties. Two cactus species are interesting for their biologically active pigments, which are chico (Pachycereus weberi (J. M. Coult.) Backeb)) and jiotilla (Escontria chiotilla (Weber) Rose)). Hence, the goal of this work was to evaluate the bioactive compounds, i.e., betalains, total phenolic, vitamin C, antioxidant, and mineral content in the extract of the above-mentioned P. weberi and E. chiotilla. Then, clarified extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity (cancer cell lines) potentialities. Based on the obtained results, Chico fruit extract was found to be a good source of vitamin C (27.19 ± 1.95 mg L-Ascorbic acid/100 g fresh sample). Moreover, chico extract resulted in a high concentration of micronutrients, i.e., potassium (517.75 ± 16.78 mg/100 g) and zinc (2.46 ± 0.65 mg/100 g). On the other hand, Jiotilla has a high content of biologically active pigment, i.e., betaxanthins (4.17 ± 0.35 mg/g dry sample). The antioxidant activities of clarified extracts of chico and jiotilla were 80.01 ± 5.10 and 280.88 ± 7.62 mg/100 g fresh sample (DPPH method), respectively. From the cytotoxicity perspective against cancer cell lines, i.e., CaCo-2, MCF-7, HepG2, and PC-3, the clarified extracts of chico showed cytotoxicity (%cell viability) in CaCo-2 (49.7 ± 0.01%) and MCF-7 (45.56 ± 0.05%). A normal fibroblast cell line (NIH/3T3) was used, as a control, for comparison purposes. While jiotilla extract had cytotoxicity against HepG2 (47.31 ± 0.03%) and PC-3 (53.65 ± 0.04%). These results demonstrated that Chico and jiotilla are excellent resources of biologically active constituents with nutraceuticals potentialities.

Development of an analytical method for the quantitative determination of multi-class nutrients in different food matrices by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using design of experiments

A simple and rapid analytical method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with the aid of design of experiments (DOE) approach was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of multi-class nutrients (water- and fat-soluble vitamins and flavonoids) in various food matrices (vegetables, fruits, and cereals). The factors affecting the SPE method were optimized using DOE tools. The separation was achieved in 13 min using the C18 column by gradient LC programme. The SPE-LC-MS/MS method was validated in terms of limit of detection (1.29-29.17 ng/g), linearity range (25-1000 ng/g), coefficient of determination (0.993-0.999) and recovery (72.53-104.24%) for multi-class nutrients in different food samples. Inter- and intra-day precision were evaluated and found to be within acceptable range. The developed method finds extensive application in the routine analysis of multi-class nutrients in various food matrices.

Simultaneous determination of vitamin B6 and catechins in dietary supplements by ZIC-HILIC chromatography and their antioxidant interactions

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was employed for simultaneous determination of vitamin B6 and catechins in dietary supplements. The obtained results clearly shows the potential of the application of alcohol eluent (instead mainly used acetonitrile) as a component of an with zwitterionic stationary phase. The limits of detection on ZIC-HILIC column were 0.01 mg/L for catechins and vitamins B (only for pyridoxal phosphate was 0.10 mg/L). The investigations between green tea extract (GTE) and vitamin B were also evaluated using isobolographic analysis as well as the interaction indexes. Antioxidant activities of single components and their mixtures were determined by DPPH assay. It was found that the mixtures of GTE and vitamin B acted synergistically. In comparison to GTE alone, faster DPPH radical bleaching of the mixtures was observed in the presence of different forms of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyridoxal phosphate), particularly for pyridoxal.

Influence of cultivation salinity in the nutritional composition, antioxidant capacity and microbial quality of Salicornia ramosissima commercially produced in soilless systems

The consumption of halophytes as healthy gourmet food has increased considerably in the past few years. However, knowledge on the nutritional profile of domesticated halophytes is scarce and little is known on which cultivation conditions can produce plants with the best nutritional and functional properties. In this context, Salicornia ramosissima J. Woods was cultivated in six different salt concentrations, ranging from 35 to 465 mM of NaCl. Both the nutritional profile, the antioxidant capacity, and microbial quality of the produced plants were evaluated including minerals and vitamins. Salt has a marked effect on growth, which decreases for salinities higher than 110 mM. Nonetheless, plants cultivated with intermediate levels of salinity (110 and 200 mM) revealed better antioxidant status with higher amounts of phenolic compounds. Overall, results from this paper indicated that soilless culture systems using low-intermediate salinities produces S. ramosissima plants fit for commercialization and human consumption.

Wild vs cultivated halophytes: Nutritional and functional differences

Some halophyte plants are currently used in gourmet cuisine due to their unique organoleptic properties. Moreover, they exhibit excellent nutritional and functional properties, being rich in polyphenolics and vitamins. These compounds are associated to strong antioxidant activity and enhanced health benefits. This work compared the nutritional properties and antioxidant potential of three species (Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, Suaeda maritima and Sarcocornia fruticosa) collected in saltmarshes from Portugal and Spain with those of cultivated plants. The latter were generally more succulent and had higher contents of minerals than plants obtained from the wild and contained less fibre. All species assayed are a good source of proteins, fibres and minerals. Additionally, they are good sources of carotenoids and vitamins A, C and B₆ and showed good antioxidant potential particularly S. maritima. Chromatographic analysis of the phenolic profile revealed that ferulic and caffeic acids as the most relevant phenolic compounds detected in the halophytes tested.

Simultaneous Separation and Quantification of Vitamins by Microemulsion Liquid Chromatography

Microemulsion eluents have been found to have excellent potential uses in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Here, a novel, environmentally benign and simple method using concentration/flow-rate double-gradient elution using a microemulsion eluent was used to separate water- and fat-soluble vitamins simultaneously and rapidly. Preliminary screening experiments were performed to determine the optimum column type, surfactant concentration, co-surfactant to surfactant ratio, oil, mobile phase pH and microemulsion concentration. The resolution and analysis time were simultaneously optimized using concentration/flow-rate double-gradient elution. The optimized method simultaneously separated water- and fat-soluble vitamins using a Venusil ASB C8 column and a combination of isocratic and linear gradient elution modes using a microemulsion mobile phase (solvent A) consisting of 3.5% (w/w) sodium dodecyl sulfate, 10.5% (w/w) n-butanol, 0.8% (w/w) n-octanol and 85.2% (w/w) water and water (solvent B) at pH 2.50. The optimum detection wavelength was 283 nm. The method was validated and used to analyze a solid pharmaceutical sample.

L-cysteine modified silver nanoparticles for selective and sensitive colorimetric detection of vitamin B1 in food and water samples

The use of L-cysteine modified silver nanoparticles (Cys-capped AgNPs) as a colorimetric probe for determination of vitamin B1 (thiamine) is described in the present work. This method is based on the measurement of red shift of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of Cys-capped AgNPs in the region of 200–800 nm. The color of Cys-capped AgNPs was changed from yellow to colorless by the addition of vitamin B1. The mechanism for detection of vitamin B1 is based on the electrostatic interaction between positively charged vitamin B1, which causes the red shift of LSPR band from 390 nm to 580 nm. The interaction between Cys-capped AgNPs and vitamin B1 was theoretically explored by density function theory (DFT) using LANL2DZ basis sets with help of Gaussian 09 (C.01) program. The morphology, size distribution and optical properties of Cys-capped AgNPs were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-Visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The method is linear in the range of 25–500 μg mL⁻¹ with correlation coefficient (R²) 0.992 and limit of detection of 7.0 μg mL⁻¹. The advantages of using Cys-capped AgNPs as a chemical sensor in colorimetry assay are being simple, low cost and selective for detection of vitamin B1 from food (peas, grapes and tomato) and environmental (river, sewage and pond) water samples.

Recent trends in analytical methods for water-soluble vitamins

In this review, recent advances in the analysis of water-soluble vitamins (WSVs) have been reported considering the advantages and disadvantages of various extraction, separation and detection techniques, commonly used for their quantification. Acid hydrolysis, enzyme treatment, SPE based methods and some other extraction methods have been discussed. Particular attention has been devoted to the analytical techniques based on liquid chromatography and electrophoresis. Furthermore, suitability and selectivity of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) for WSVs has been discussed in detail. Problems related to these techniques and their possible solutions have also been considered. Special focus has been given to the applications of liquid chromatography (since 2014-2019) for the simultaneous analysis of WSVs and their homologous in complex food samples.

Nutritional characterization and shelf-life of packaged microgreens

Besides the variety of colours and flavours, microgreens show interesting nutritional properties, mainly regarding their contents of mineral nutrients and bioactive compounds. To date, the literature has prevalently focused on the individual nutritional features of microgreens usually belonging to Brassicaceae. The present study reports an articulated nutritional profile of six genotypes of microgreens, belonging to three species and two families: chicory (Cichorium intybus L., Puglia's local variety 'Molfetta', CM, and cultivar 'Italico a costa rossa', CR) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. Group crispa, cultivar 'Bionda da taglio', LB, and 'Trocadero', LT), from Asteraceae; and broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Group italica Plenk, Puglia's local variety 'Mugnuli', BM, and cultivar 'Natalino', BN) from Brassicaceae. All the microgreens, except LB, can be considered good sources of Ca, whilst LT and CM also showed considerable amounts of K. As regards bioactive compounds, Brassica microgreens were the richest in phenolic antioxidants. The microgreens also presented higher amounts of α-tocopherol and carotenoids compared to mature vegetables. In particular, broccoli microgreens and LB showed the highest amounts of vitamin E, while Asteraceae microgreens presented the highest levels of carotenoids. Due to their delicate tissues, fresh cut microgreens showed a shelf life not exceeding ten days at 5 °C. The results obtained highlight the possibility to exploit genetic biodiversity in order to obtain tailored microgreens with the desired nutritional profiles, with particular regard to mineral nutrients and bioactive compounds. Appropriate pre- and post-harvest strategies should be developed, so as to allow microgreens to retain as long as possible their nutritional value.

Development of a Stability Indicating Method for Simultaneous Analysis of Five Water-Soluble Vitamins by Liquid Chromatography

Background

Water-soluble vitamins are often included simultaneously in pharmaceutical formulations as food complements or in parenteral nutrition mixtures. Given their sensitivity to heat, light or pH variations, it is important to study their stability using validated stability indicating methods. We thus aimed to validate a liquid chromatography (LC) stability-indicating method for the simultaneous quantification of 5 water-soluble vitamins.

Methods

We analyzed four water-soluble B vitamins (nicotinamide, pyridoxine, folic acid, cyanocobalamin) and ascorbic acid using a LC method with diode array detector. They were separated on a C18 stationary phase under gradient elution of solvent A [0.2 % of metaphosphoric acid in water and acetonitrile 98:2] and solvent B (100 % acetonitrile). All vitamins were subjected to forced degradation conditions and we showed that the obtained degradation products didn’t interfere with the vitamins.

Results

The method allows the separation of the 5 water-soluble vitamins in a 30 minute run without any interference from the breakdown products obtained with acid/alkaline solutions, hydrogen peroxide, temperature and light. It meets all the qualitative and quantitative criteria for validation with an acceptable accuracy and good linearity.

Conclusions

This stability-indicating method can be used for carrying out stability studies of water-soluble vitamins in pharmaceutical preparations.

Neuroprotective Natural Molecules, From Food to Brain

The prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders is increasing; however, an effective neuroprotective treatment is still remaining. Nutrition plays an important role in neuroprotection as recently shown by epidemiological and biochemical studies which identified food components as promising therapeutic agents. Neuroprotection includes mechanisms such as activation of specific receptors, changes in enzymatic neuronal activity, and synthesis and secretion of different bioactive molecules. All these mechanisms are focused on preventing neuronal damage and alleviating the consequences of massive cell loss. Some neuropathological disorders selectively affect to particular neuronal populations, thus is important to know their neurochemical and anatomical properties in order to design effective therapies. Although the design of such treatments would be specific to neuronal groups sensible to damage, the effect would have an impact in the whole nervous system. The difficult overcoming of the blood brain barrier has hampered the development of efficient therapies for prevention or protection. This structure is a physical, enzymatic, and influx barrier that efficiently protects the brain from exogenous molecules. Therefore, the development of new strategies, like nanocarriers, that help to promote the access of neuroprotective molecules to the brain, is needed for providing more effective therapies for the disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). In order both to trace the success of these nanoplatforms on the release of the bioactive cargo in the CNS and determinate the concentration at trace levels of targets biomolecules by analytical chemistry and concretely separation instrumental techniques, constitute an essential tool. Currently, these techniques are used for the determination and identification of natural neuroprotective molecules in complex matrixes at different concentration levels. Separation techniques such as chromatography and capillary electrophoresis (CE), using optical and/or mass spectrometry (MS) detectors, provide multiples combinations for the quantitative and qualitative analysis at basal levels or higher concentrations of bioactive analytes in biological samples. Bearing this in mind, the development of food neuroprotective molecules as brain therapeutic agents is a complex task that requires the intimate collaboration and engagement of different disciplines for a successful outcome. In this sense, this work reviews the new advances achieved in the area toward a better understanding of the current state of the art and highlights promising approaches for brain neuroprotection.

A Review of the Extraction and Determination Methods of Thirteen Essential Vitamins to the Human Body: An Update from 2010

Vitamins are a class of essential nutrients in the body; thus, they play important roles in human health. The chemicals are involved in many physiological functions and both their lack and excess can put health at risk. Therefore, the establishment of methods for monitoring vitamin concentrations in different matrices is necessary. In this review, an updated overview of the main pretreatments and determination methods that have been used since 2010 is given. Ultrasonic assisted extraction, liquid–liquid extraction, solid phase extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction are the most common pretreatment methods, while the determination methods involve chromatography methods, electrophoretic methods, microbiological assays, immunoassays, biosensors and several other methods. Different pretreatments and determination methods are discussed.

Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in edible wild leafy vegetables by UHPLC/Orbitrap-MS

BACKGROUND

A recent interest in edible wild leafy vegetables has been documented. Consumers often associate these species with health promotion. In this study, several wild species of the Asteraceae family and Knautia integrifolia (Dipsacaceae) were locally documented for their use in traditional cuisine and sampled from the wild.

RESULTS

Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. Hydroxycinnamic acids ranging from 1388 to 53 076 mg kg^-1 dry weight (DW) were the most abundant compounds in all species (69-98% of the total phenolic content) except Tragopogon pratensis. Thirty compounds were identified as flavonoids, mostly as glycosidic forms of luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol and quercetin. The sum of flavonoids ranged between 212 and 12 598 mg kg^-1 DW; they represented 65% of the total phenolic content for T. pratensis. Three anthocyanins were detected, representing in most cases less than 1% of the total phenolic content (3-627 mg kg^-1 DW). Higher anthocyanin contents were observed for Cichorium types.

CONCLUSION

Different phenolic profiles were observed between species, especially considering the class of flavonoids. Individual species may be of some interest for their content of specific minor flavonoids. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.