Chlorpyrifos pesticide reduction in soybean using cold plasma and ozone treatments

Improved analysis of 230 pesticide residues in three fermented soy products by using automated one-step accelerated solvent extraction coupled with GC-MS/MS

Consumer concerns over healthy diets are increasing as a result of the toxicity and persistence of pesticide residues in foodstuffs. Developing sensitive and high-throughput monitoring techniques for these trace residues is seen as an essential step in ensuring food safety. An automatic and sensitive multi-residue analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 230 compounds, including pesticides and their hazardous metabolites, in fermented soy products. The method included preparing the sample using on-line extraction and clean-up system based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), then determining the analytes using GC-MS/MS techniques. The homogenized samples (soy sauce, douchi, and sufu) were automatically extracted at 80 °C and 10.3 MPa and at the same time, in situ cleaned by 300 mg of primary secondary amine (PSA) combined with 20 mg of hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes in an extraction cell. The method obtained excellent calibration linearity (r > 0.9220) and a satisfactory analysis of the targeted compounds, which were evaluated with matrix-matched calibration standards over the range of 5-500 μg L-1. The limit of detections (LODs) of analytes were in the range of 0.01-1.29 μg kg-1, 0.01-1.39 μg kg-1, and 0.01-1.34 μg kg-1 in soy sauce, douchi, and sufu, respectively. The limit of quantifications (LOQs), which defined as the lowest spiking level, were set at 5.0 μg kg-1. The recoveries were within 70-120 % for over 95 % of the analytes, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were below 13.6 %. Moreover, a positive detection rate of 47 % were obtained when the proposed method was used on 15 real fermented soy products. These results suggested that the developed high-throughput method is highly feasible for monitoring of these target analytes in trace level.

From field to table: Ensuring food safety by reducing pesticide residues in food

The present review addresses the significance of lowering pesticide residue levels in food items because of their harmful impacts on human health, wildlife populations, and the environment. It draws attention to the possible health risks-acute and chronic poisoning, cancer, unfavorable effects on reproduction, and harm to the brain or immunological systems-that come with pesticide exposure. Numerous traditional and cutting-edge methods, such as washing, blanching, peeling, thermal treatments, alkaline electrolyzed water washing, cold plasma, ultrasonic cleaning, ozone treatment, and enzymatic treatment, have been proposed to reduce pesticide residues in food products. It highlights the necessity of a paradigm change in crop protection and agri-food production on a global scale. It offers opportunities to guarantee food safety through the mitigation of pesticide residues in food. The review concludes that the first step in reducing worries about the negative effects of pesticides is to implement regulatory measures to regulate their use. In order to lower the exposure to dietary pesticides, the present review also emphasizes the significance of precision agricultural practices and integrated pest management techniques. The advanced approaches covered in this review present viable options along with traditional methods and possess the potential to lower pesticide residues in food items without sacrificing quality. It can be concluded from the present review that a paradigm shift towards sustainable agriculture and food production is essential to minimize pesticide residues in food, safeguarding human health, wildlife populations, and the environment. Furthermore, there is a need to refine the conventional methods of pesticide removal from food items along with the development of modern techniques.

Effect of pin-to-plate atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) on microbial load and physicochemical properties in cinnamon, black pepper, and fennel

The current study aimed to investigate the influence of pin-to-plate atmospheric cold plasma treatment (ACP) on the microbial decontamination efficacy, physical (water activity, color, texture), and bioactive (total phenolic and anti-oxidant capacity, volatile oil profile) of three major spices cinnamon, black pepper, and fennel at three different voltages (170, 200, 230 V) and exposure time (5, 10, 15 min). The surface etching and oxidative reactions of cold plasma is anticipated to cause microbial decontamination of the spices. In accordance with this, the ACP treatment significantly reduced the yeast and mold count of cinnamon, black pepper, and fennel, resulting in 1.3 Log CFU/g, 1.1 Log CFU/g, and 1.0 Log CFU/g, respectively even at the lowest treatment at 170 V-5 min. While at the highest treatment of 230 V-15 min, complete decontamination in all the samples was observed due to the plasma-induced microbial cell disruption. The water activity of samples reduced post-treatment 0.69 ± 0.02 to 0.51 ± 0.03 for cinnamon, 0.61 ± 0.03 to 0.49 ± 0.01 for pepper, and 0.60 ± 0.02 to 0.43 ± 0.02 for fennel which further reassures better microbial stability. The color and textural properties were significantly unaffected (p > 0.05) preserving the fresh-like attributes. The total phenolic content was increased for cinnamon (2.26 %), black pepper (0.11 %), and fennel (0.33 %) after plasma treatment at 230 V-15 min due to the cold plasma surface etching phenomenon. However, the essential oil composition revealed no significant variation in all three spices' control and treated samples. Thus, the study proves the potential of the atmospheric pressure cold plasma for the complete decontamination of the investigated spices (cinnamon, pepper, fennel) without remarkable changes in the volatile oil profile.

Enhancement of adsorption efficiency of crystal violet and chlorpyrifos onto pectin hydrogel@Fe3O4-bentonite as a versatile nanoadsorbent

The magnetic mesoporous hydrogel-based nanoadsornet was prepared by adding the ex situ prepared Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and bentonite clay into the three-dimentional (3D) cross-linked pectin hydrogel substrate for the adsorption of organophosphorus chlorpyrifos (CPF) pesticide and crystal violet (CV) organic dye. Different analytical methods were utilized to confirm the structural features. Based on the obtained data, the zeta potential of the nanoadsorbent in deionized water with a pH of 7 was - 34.1 mV, and the surface area was measured to be 68.90 m²/g. The prepared hydrogel nanoadsorbent novelty owes to possessing a reactive functional group containing a heteroatom, a porous and cross-linked structure that aids convenient contaminants molecules diffusion and interactions between the nanoadsorbent and contaminants, viz., CPF and CV. The main driving forces in the adsorption by the Pectin hydrogel@Fe₃O₄-bentonite adsorbent are electrostatic and hydrogen-bond interactions, which resulted in a great adsorption capacity. To determine optimum adsorption conditions, effective factors on the adsorption capacity of the CV and CPF, including solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial concentration of pollutants, have been experimentally investigated. Thus, in optimum conditions, i.e., contact time (20 and 15 min), pH 7 and 8, adsorbent dosage (0.005 g), initial concentration (50 mg/L), T (298 K) for CPF and CV, respectively, the CPF and CV adsorption capacity were 833.333 mg/g and 909.091 mg/g. The prepared pectin hydrogel@Fe₃O₄-bentonite magnetic nanoadsorbent presented high porosity, enhanced surface area, and numerous reactive sites and was prepared using inexpensive and available materials. Moreover, the Freundlich isotherm has described the adsorption procedure, and the pseudo-second-order model explained the adsorption kinetics. The prepared novel nanoadsorbent was magnetically isolated and reused for three successive adsorption-desorption runs without a specific reduction in the adsorption efficiency. Therefore, the pectin hydrogel@Fe₃O₄-bentonite magnetic nanoadsorbent is a promising adsorption system for eliminating organophosphorus pesticides and organic dyes due to its remarkable adsorption capacity amounts.

Monitoring of Chlorpyrifos Residues in Corn Oil Based on Raman Spectral Deep-Learning Model

This study presents a novel method for the quantitative detection of residual chlorpyrifos in corn oil through Raman spectroscopy using a combined long short-term memory network (LSTM) and convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture. The QE Pro Raman+ spectrometer was employed to collect Raman spectra of corn oil samples with varying concentrations of chlorpyrifos residues. A deep-learning model based on LSTM combined with a CNN structure was designed to realize feature self-learning and model training of Raman spectra of corn oil samples. In the study, it was discovered that the LSTM-CNN model has superior generalization performance compared to both the LSTM and CNN models. The root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) of the LSTM-CNN model is 12.3 mg·kg^-1, the coefficient of determination (RP2) is 0.90, and the calculation of the relative prediction deviation (RPD) results in a value of 3.2. The study demonstrates that the deep-learning network based on an LSTM-CNN structure can achieve feature self-learning and multivariate model calibration for Raman spectra without preprocessing. The results of this study present an innovative approach for chemometric analysis using Raman spectroscopy.

Cold plasma treatment advancements in food processing and impact on the physiochemical characteristics of food products

Cold plasma processing is a nonthermal approach that maintains food quality while minimizing the effects of heat on its nutritious qualities. Utilizing activated, highly reactive gaseous molecules, cold plasma processing technique inactivates contaminating microorganisms in food and packaging materials. Pesticides and enzymes that are linked to quality degradation are currently the most critical issues in the fresh produce industry. Using cold plasma causes pesticides and enzymes to degrade, which is associated with quality deterioration. The product surface characteristics and processing variables, such as environmental factors, processing parameters, and intrinsic factors, need to be optimized to obtain higher cold plasma efficiency. The purpose of this review is to analyse the impact of cold plasma processing on qualitative characteristics of food products and to demonstrate the effect of cold plasma on preventing microbiological concerns while also improving the quality of minimally processed products.

Chitosan oligosaccharide alleviates and removes the toxicological effects of organophosphorus pesticide chlorpyrifos residues

The abuse of chlorpyrifos (CHP), a commonly used organophosphorus pesticide, has caused many environmental pollution problems, especially its toxicological effects on non-target organisms. First, CHP enriched on the surface of plants enters ecosystem circulation along the food chain. Second, direct inflow of CHP into the water environment under the action of rainwater runoff inevitably causes toxicity to non-target organisms. Therefore, we used rats as a model to establish a CHP exposure toxicity model and studied the effects of CHP in rats. In addition, to alleviate and remove the injuries caused by residual chlorpyrifos in vivo, we explored the alleviation effect of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) on CHP toxicity in rats by exploiting its high water solubility and natural biological activity. The results showed that CHP can induce the toxicological effects of intestinal antioxidant changes, inflammation, apoptosis, intestinal barrier damage, and metabolic dysfunction in rats, and COS has excellent removal and mitigation effects on the toxic damage caused by residual CHP in the environment. In summary, COS showed significant biological effects in removing and mitigating blood biochemistry, antioxidants, inflammation, apoptosis, gut barrier structure, and metabolic function changes induced by residual CHP in the environment.

Curcumin-infused xerogel-based nutraceutical development and its 4D shape-shifting behavior

Cereal-based functional foods with shape-changing (four-dimensional [4D]) properties is a novel approach in the current scenario. The main objective of the research is to develop a bioactive compound incorporated in flat two-dimensional xerogel and its hydromorphic three-dimensional shape transformation. The spray-dried curcumin at three different concentrations was incorporated with hydrogel (wheat-barley flour 8%), and flat xerogel was formed by sessile drop drying at 30°C and 78% relative humidity. The top smooth and rough bottom surface of xerogel provided anisotropic swelling properties during the shape transformation. The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of xerogel were examined, and the retention of curcumin during the shape transformation was also examined during the research. The porous structure of barley-wheat xerogel has enhanced the incorporation of water-insoluble bioactive components like curcumin. The diffusion properties of curcumin xerogel provided an antimicrobial effect against gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. The optimum temperature (70°C) during the shape-shifting provides the retention of bioavailability and functional properties of curcumin. The work describes the opportunities for developing xerogel incorporated with more bioactive and functional components and study its stability and hydromorphic 4D shape-changing behavior. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Xerogel is a good carrier for different bioactive components. The development of curcumin-infused biodegrade, non-toxic, and cereal-based xerogel provide an excellent opportunity for the delivery of curcumin in a cost-effective way. The shape-changing easily consumable forms of xerogel will attract more consumers, and it retains the bioavailability of infused compounds during processing.

Automatic detection of pesticide residues on the surface of lettuce leaves using images of feature wavelengths spectrum

The inappropriate application of pesticides to vegetable crops often results in environmental pollution, which seriously impacts the environment and human health. Given that current methods of pesticide residue detection are associated with issues such as low accuracy, high equipment cost, and complex flow, this study puts forward a new method for detecting pesticide residues on lettuce leaves. To establish this method, spectral analysis was used to determine the characteristic wavelength of pesticide residues (709 nm), machine vision equipment was improved, and a bandpass filter and light source of characteristic wavelength were installed to acquire leaf image information. Next, image preprocessing and feature information extraction were automatically implemented through programming. Several links were established for the training model so that the required feature information could be automatically extracted after the batch input of images. The pesticide residue detected using the chemical method was taken as the output and modeled, together with the input image information, using the convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm. Furthermore, a prediction program was rewritten to generalize the input images during the prediction process and directly obtain the output pesticide residue. The experimental results revealed that when the detection device and method designed in this study were used to detect pesticide residues on lettuce leaves in a key state laboratory, the coefficient of determination of the equation reached 0.883, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.134 mg/L, indicating high accuracy and that the proposed method integrated the advantages of spectrum detection and deep learning. According to comparison testing, the proposed method can meet Chinese national standards in terms of accuracy. Moreover, the improved machine vision equipment was less expensive, thus providing powerful support for the application and popularization of the proposed method.

Effect of ultrasound assisted cleaning on pesticide removal and quality characteristics of Vitis vinifera leaves

In this study, the pesticide (acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben) removal and physicochemical quality improvement of vine (Vitis vinifera) leaf were examined using ultrasonic and traditional cleaning for 5, 10, and 15 min. After an ultrasonic cleaning procedure at 37 kHz for 10 min, acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben in vine leaf were reduced by 54.76, 58.22, and 54.55 %, respectively. Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) in vine leaf increased to 13.45 mg GAE/g DW compared to that in control samples using traditional cleaning (10.37 mg GAE/g DW), but there were no significant differences in DPPH radical scavenging activity. After 15 min of conventional cleaning, the total chlorophyll and total carotenoid content of leaves were found to be lowest among all samples, at 6.52 mg/kg and 0.48 mg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, when compared to conventional cleaning methods, ultrasonic cleaning with no chemicals or heat treatment has proven to be a successful and environmentally friendly application in reducing commonly used pesticides and improving the physicochemical qualities of leaves.

Evaluation of Ozonation Technique for Pesticide Residue Removal in Okra and Green Chili Using GC-ECD and LC-MS/MS

The indiscriminate use of pesticides in agricultural commodities has become a global health concern. Various household methods are employed to remove pesticide residues from agricultural commodities, e.g., water and ozone. Many ozone-based commercial pesticide removal machines are available in the market for the general public. The current study compares the pesticide removal efficiency of ozone-based washing of fruits and vegetables to simple tap water through commercially available machines and its health risk assessment to different age groups of consumers. The okra and green chili fruits were treated with acetamiprid and ethion as foliar application at the fruiting stage, using the recommended dose (RD) and double to the recommended dose (2RD), respectively. A modified QuEChERS-based pesticide extraction method was verified for its accuracy, precision, linearity, and sensitivity. The treated samples were washed with tap and ozonated water at different intervals, i.e., 3, 8, and 10 min using a commercial food purifier. Washing with ozonized water for 3 min recorded the maximum removal of acetamiprid and ethion from okra and chili fruits. Further, the risk quotient values (RQ) obtained were lower than one at both doses. Thus, washing vegetables with ozonized water for 3 min ensures vegetables are safer for general consumption without any health risk to Indian consumers.

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Impact of Cold Plasma Treatment at Atmospheric Pressure on Sucrose and Glucose

When exposing food and feedstuff to cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPP), e.g., for decontamination purposes, possible unwanted effects on the contained nutrients might occur. In the present study, we thus concentrated on CAPP-induced degrading effects on different sugars, namely glucose and sucrose. The treatments were performed using admixtures of argon and synthetic air over durations of up to 12min. Continuous degradation of sucrose and glucose was determined using ATR-FTIR and XPS analyses. OH stretching bands showed notable broadening in the ATR-FTIR spectra, which possibly indicates reduced crystallinity of the sugars caused by the CAPP treatment. In the fingerprint regions, most bands, especially the more intense C-O bands, showed decreases in peak heights. In addition, two new bands occurred after CAPP treatment. The bands were detectable in the range between 1800 and 1600cm−1 and potentially can be assigned to C=C and, after comparison with the results of the XPS measurements, O-C=O bindings. The XPS measurements also showed that the O-C=O bonds probably originated from earlier C-O bonds.

Effect of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) on chlorine adapted Salmonella enterica on spring onion

One of the main drawbacks of chlorine disinfectants is the emergence of chlorine adapted (CA) or resistant microbial cells. This research aimed to investigate the effect of chlorine adaptation on resistance of Salmonella enterica upon atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) application at different voltages (6, 8, and 11 kV) and times (5, 10, and 15 min). Due to higher conversion efficiency and reduced dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) power consumption, this method was used for cold plasma generation in this study. A higher lethality effect was observed from a higher voltage and longest times (11 kV-15 min) on CA S. enterica than non-CA (p<0.05). Still, it induced higher percentages of injured cells in CA (58.77%) than non-CA (0.61%) (p<0.05). The highest ACP effect on the inactivation of the indigenous natural flora of onion leaves was observed at the lowest voltage (p<0.05). More than 3 log CFU/g reduction (p<0.05) was observed at 6 kV after 5 and 10 min. ACP reduced CA and non-CA S. enterica cells on onion leaf surface to a lower extent than pure treated cells in broth media. Nevertheless similar to broth media, a high percentage of injury (61.03%) was induced on CA cells at higher voltage (11 kV-10 min) compared to non-CA (2.15%) (p<0.05). Biofilm results revealed ACP application (6 kV-5 min) reduced average ODs in CA and non-CA cells (p<0.05). Chlorine adaptation and ACP treatment influenced the antibiotic resistance pattern according to applied voltage, time, and antibiotic type. The finding showed despite highest lethality of high voltages and long times (11 kV-15 min), given the high percentages of injured cells, lower voltages may offer acceptable inactivation of pathogenic bacteria with lower injury induction. In conclusion, ACP has the potential ability to eliminate CA cells of S. enterica, which is predominant in fresh-cut vegetable outbreaks.

Research trends and emerging physical processing technologies in mitigation of pesticide residues on various food products

The application of pesticides enhances food production vastly, and it cannot be prevented; longer fresh produce is contaminated with health-threatening pesticides even though traditional processing methods can remove these pesticides from food surfaces to a certain extent; novel emerging technologies such as cold plasma, ultrasound, electrolyzed water, and pulsed electric field could more effectively dissipate the pesticide content in food without the release of toxic residual on the food surface. The present review focuses on applying emerging technologies to degrade pesticide residues in great utility in the food processing industries. This review also discusses the pesticide removal efficacy and its mechanism involved in these technologies. The oxidation principle in cold plasma is recently gaining more importance for the degradation of pesticide residue in the food processing industries. Analysis of the emerging physical processing methods indicated greater efficacy in eradicating pesticide residues during agriculture processing. Even though the technologies such as EO (99% reduction in dimethoate), ultrasound (98.96% for chlorpyrifos), and irradiation (99.8% for pesticide in aqueous solution) can achieve promising results in pesticide degradation level, the rate and inactivation highly depend on the type of equipment and processing parameters involved in different techniques, surface characteristics of produce, treatment conditions, and nature of the pesticide. Therefore, to effectively remove these health-threatening pesticides from food surfaces, it is necessary to know the process parameters and efficacy of the applied technology on various pesticides.