Geographic characterization of Greek wine by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry macroelemental analysis

Unique isophorone-based NIR fluorescent probe with a high fluorescence quantum yield and larger stokes shift for Al3+ and Zn2+ level simultaneous monitoring in biological system

Given the profound implications of Al3+ and Zn2+ in the ecosystem and organism, there is a compelling demand for a robust method to simultaneously detect these ions. The novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe DDLH based on isophorone, offers efficient in vivo monitoring capabilities for Al3+/Zn2+. Simultaneously, DDLH displayed excellent selectivity, anti-interference, a low detection limit and rapidity responsiveness to Al3+/Zn2+, coupled with a high fluorescence quantum yield and substantial Stokes shift (220 nm). The binding mechanisms of DDLH to Al3+ (ESIPT effect)/Zn2+ (ICT effect) were unambiguously established through a series of comprehensive analytical techniques. Furthermore, the probe DDLH was also applied for bioimaging in Hela cells. Critically, DDLH exhibited remarkable performance in detecting Al3+ and Zn2+ in zebrafish. Therefore, the study demonstrated enormous potential in environmental monitoring and ecosystems, showing broad application prospects in living organisms.

Evaluating the Chemical Hazards in Wine Production Associated with Climate Change

The climate warming trend challenges the chemical risk associated with wine production worldwide. The present study investigated the possible difference between chemical wine profile during the drought year 2012 compared to the post-drought year 2013. Toxic metals (Cd and Pb), microelements (Mn, Ni, Zn, Al, Ba, and Cu), macroelements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, and P), isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr and 206Pb/207Pb), stable isotopes (δ18O, δ13C, (D/H)I, and (D/H)II), and climatic data were analyzed. The multivariate technique, correlation analysis, factor analysis, partial least squares–discriminant analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis were used for data interpretation. The maximum temperature had a maximum difference when comparing data year apart. Indeed, extreme droughts were noted in only the spring and early summer of 2012 and in 2013, which increased the mean value of ground frost days. The microelements, macroelements, and Pb presented extreme effects in 2012, emphasizing more variability in terms of the type of wine. Extremely high Cd values were found in the wine samples analyzed, at up to 10.1 µg/L. The relationship between precipitation and δ18O from wine was complex, indicating grape formation under the systematic influence of the current year precipitation, and differences between years were noted. δ13C had disentangled values, with no differentiation between years, and when coupled with the deuterium–hydrogen ratio, it could sustain the hypothesis of possible adulteration. In the current analysis, the 87Sr/86Sr showed higher values than in other Romanian studies. The temperature had a strong positive correlation with Pb, while the ground frost day frequency correlated with both Pb and Cd toxic elements in the wine. Other significant relationships were disclosed between the chemical properties of wine and climate data. The multivariate statistical analysis indicated that heat stress had significant importance in the chemical profile of the wine, and the ground frost exceeded the influence of water stress, especially in Transylvania.

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), a Useful Tool in Authenticity of Agricultural Products' and Foods' Origin

Fraudulent practices are the first and foremost concern of food industry, with significant consequences in economy and human's health. The increasing demand for food has led to food fraud by replacing, mixing, blending, and mislabeling products attempting to increase the profits of producers and companies. Consequently, there was the rise of a multidisciplinary field which encompasses a large number of analytical techniques aiming to trace and authenticate the origins of agricultural products, food and beverages. Among the analytical strategies have been developed for the authentication of geographical origin of foodstuff, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) increasingly dominates the field as a robust, accurate, and highly sensitive technique for determining the inorganic elements in food substances. Inorganic elements are well known for evaluating the nutritional composition of food products while it has been shown that they are considered as possible tracers for authenticating the geographical origin. This is based on the fact that the inorganic component of identical food type originating from different territories varies due to the diversity of matrix composition. The present systematic literature review focusing on gathering the research has been done up-to-date on authenticating the geographical origin of agricultural products and foods by utilizing the ICP-MS technique. The first part of the article is a tutorial about food safety/control and the fundaments of ICP-MS technique, while in the second part the total research review is discussed.

Chemistry Combining Elemental Profile, Stable Isotopic Ratios, and Chemometrics for Fine Classification of a Chinese Herb Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) from 37 Producing Area

A method based on elemental fingerprint, stable isotopic analysis and combined with chemometrics was proposed to trace the geographical origins of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch) from 37 producing areas. For elemental fingerprint, the levels of 15 elements, including Ca, Cu, Mg, Pb, Zn, Sr, Mn, Se, Cd, Fe, Na, Al, Cr, Co, and K, were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Three stable isotopes, including δ ¹³C, δ ¹⁵N, and δ ¹⁸O, were measured using an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). For fine classification, three multiclass strategies, including the traditional one-versus-rest (OVR) and one-versus-one (OVO) strategies and a new ensemble strategy (ES), were combined with two binary classifiers, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) and least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM). As a result, ES-PLSDA and ES-LS-SVM achieved 0.929 and 0.921 classification accuracy of GUF samples from the 37 origins. The results show that element fingerprint and stable isotope combined with chemometrics is an effective method for GUF traceability and provides a new idea for the geographical traceability of Chinese herbal medicine.

From Soil to Grape and Wine: Geographical Variations in Elemental Profiles in Different Chinese Regions

Elemental profiles are frequently applied to identify the geographical origin and authenticity of food products, to guarantee quality. The concentrations of fifteen major, minor, and trace elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Li, Cd, Cs, and Ba) were determined in soils, “Meili” grapes, and wines from six regions in China by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The elemental concentrations in these samples, according to the geographical origins, were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Duncan’s multiple comparisons. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) from soil to grape and the transfer factor (TF) from grape to wine were calculated. Mg, K, Ca, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Ba presented higher BCF values than the other seven elements. The TF values of six elements (Na, Mg, K, Zn, Li, and Cs) were found to be greater than one. Moreover, the correlation of element content between the pairs of soil–grape, grape–wine, and bioconcentration factor (BCF)–environmental factor were analyzed. Significant correspondences among soil, grape, and wine were observed for K and Li. Two elements (Sr and Li) showed significant correlations between BCF and environmental factor (relative humidity, temperature, and latitude). A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with three variables (K, Sr, Li) revealed a high accuracy (>90%) to determine the geographical origin for different Chinese regions.

ICP–MS Analysis of Multi-Elemental Profile of Greek Wines and Their Classification According to Variety, Area and Year of Production

Major, minor and trace elements in wines from Greece were determined by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The concentrations of 44 elements (Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Cu, Co, Cr, Zn, Sn, Fe, Mn, Li, Be, B, V, Sr, Ba, Al, Ag, Ni, As, Sn, Hg, Pb, Sb, Cd, Ti, Ga, Zr, Nb, Pd, Te, La, Sm, Ho, Tm, Yb, W, Os, Au, Tl, Th, U) in 90 white and red wines from six different regions in Greece for two consecutive vinification years, 2017 and 2018, were determined. Results for the elements aforementioned were evaluated by multivariate statistical methods, such as discriminant analysis and cluster analysis, and the wines were discriminated according to wine variety and geographical origin. Due to the specific choice of the analytes for multivariate statistical investigation, a prediction rate by cross-validation of 98% could be achieved. The aim of this study was not only to reveal specific relationships between the wine samples or between the chemical variables in order to classify the wines from different regions and varieties according to their elemental profile (wine authentication), but also to observe the annual fluctuation in the mineral content of the studied wine samples.

Evaluation of the Intrinsic and Perceived Quality of Sangiovese Wines from California and Italy

Sangiovese is the most cultivated red grape variety in Italy where it is certified for the production of several Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wines, and it is one of the most cultivated Italian red grape varieties in California. Despite the global distribution of this variety, there is a lack of international studies on Sangiovese grapes and wines. For this reason, the present study aimed to compare 20 commercial Sangiovese wines from 2017 harvest, 9 produced in Italy (Tuscany) and 11 in California, in order to evaluate the intrinsic and perceived quality. The eligibility, identity, and style properties (the intrinsic quality) of the wines were evaluated. A group of 11 Italian experts evaluated the perceived quality by rating the typicality of the wines. The experimental data showed that the intrinsic quality of Sangiovese wine samples was affected by the growing area; in particular, the wine resulted very different for the color indices and polyphenol composition. The above differences in intrinsic quality levels did not lead to a different evaluation of the perceived quality (typicality) by the wine experts. The results evidenced that Sangiovese variety is recognizable also if grown outside its original terroir, and fresh and fruity wines were considered more typical. This study expands our current knowledge of Sangiovese wines and the contribution of regional characteristics to the composition of wine.