Is Our Natural Food Our Homeostasis? Array of a Thousand Effect-Directed Profiles of 68 Herbs and Spices

Concept of a six-fold multiplex planar bioassay to distinguish endocrine agonist, antagonist, cytotoxic and false-positive responses

To analyze a complex sample for endocrine activity, different tests must be performed to clarify androgen/estrogen agonism, antagonism, cytotoxicity, anti-cytotoxicity, and corresponding false-positive reactions. This means a large amount of work. Therefore, a six-fold planar multiplex bioassay concept was developed to evaluate up to the mentioned six endpoints or mechanisms simultaneously in the same sample analysis. Separation of active constituents from interfering matrix via high-performance thin-layer chromatography and effect differentiation via four vertical stripes (of agonists and end-products of the respective enzyme-substrate reaction) applied along each separated sample track were key to success. First, duplex endocrine bioassay versions were established. For the androgen/anti-androgen bioassay applied via piezoelectric spraying, the mean limit of biological detection of bisphenol A was 14 ng/band and its mean half maximal inhibitory concentration IC50 was 116 ng/band. Applied to trace analysis of six migrate samples from food packaging materials, 19 compound zones with agonistic or antagonistic estrogen/androgen activities were detected, with up to seven active compound zones within one migrate. For the first time, the S9 metabolism of endocrine effective compounds was studied on the same surface and revealed partial deactivation. Coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry, molecular formulas were tentatively assigned to compounds, known to be present in packaging materials or endocrine active or previously unknown. Finally, the detection of cytotoxicity/anti-cytotoxicity and false-positives was integrated into the duplex androgen/anti-androgen bioassay. The resulting six-fold multiplex planar bioassay was evaluated with positive control standards and successfully applied to one migrate sample. The streamlined stripe concept for multiplex planar bioassays made it possible to assign different mechanisms to individual active compounds in a complex sample. The concept is generic and can be transferred to other assays.

Fast and sustainable planar yeast-based bioassay for endocrine disruptors in complex mixtures: Start of cell cultivation to result within one day

High-performance thin-layer chromatography hyphenated with planar multiplex bioassays and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry contributes to the non-target detection or even identification of active compounds in complex mixtures such as food, feed, cosmetics, commodities, and environmental samples. It can be used to discover previously unknown harmful or active substances in complex samples and to tentatively assign molecular formulas. This method is already faster than the commonly used in vitro assays along with liquid chromatographic separations, but overnight cell cultivation still prevents a planar bioassay from being performed within one day. There is also still potential for optimization in terms of sustainability. To achieve this, the planar bioassay protocols for the detection of androgen-like and estrogen-like compounds were harmonized. The successful minimization of the cell culture volume enabled accelerated cell cultivation, which allowed the bioassay to be performed within one day. This was considered a milestone achieved, as up to 23 samples per plate can now be analyzed from the start of cultivation to the biological endpoint on the same day. Doubling the substrate amount and increasing the pH of the silica gel layer led to a more sensitive and selective bioassay due to the enhanced fluorescence of the formed end-product. The faster and more sustainable bioassay protocol was applied to complex samples such as sunscreen and red wine to detect estrogen-like compounds. The developed method was validated by comparison with a standard method.

Medicinal Mushrooms as Multicomponent Mixtures-Demonstrated with the Example of Lentinula edodes

Medicinal mushrooms are multicomponent mixtures (MOCSs). They consist of a large number of individual compounds, each with different chemical structures, functions, and possible pharmacological activities. In contrast to the activity of an isolated pure substance, the effects of the individual substances in a mushroom or its extracts can influence each other; they can strengthen, weaken, or complement each other. This results in both advantages and disadvantages for the use of either a pure substance or a multicomponent mixture. The review describes the differences and challenges in the preparation, characterization, and application of complex mixtures compared to pure substances, both obtained from the same species. As an example, we use the medicinal and culinary mushroom Lentinula edodes, shiitake, and some of its isolated compounds, mainly lentinan and eritadenine.

African Under-Utilized Medicinal Leafy Vegetables Studied by Microtiter Plate Assays and High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Planar Assays

Biological activities of six under-utilized medicinal leafy vegetable plants indigenous to Africa, i.e., Basella alba, Crassocephalum rubens, Gnetum africanum, Launaea taraxacifolia, Solanecio biafrae, and Solanum macrocarpon, were investigated via two independent techniques. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined, and six microtiter plate assays were applied after extraction and fractionation. Three were antioxidant in vitro assays, i.e., ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reduction antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, and the others were enzyme (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase) inhibition assays. The highest TPC and antioxidant activity from all the methods were obtained from polar and medium polar fractions of C. rubens, S. biafrae, and S. macrocarpon. The highest acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition was exhibited by polar fractions of S. biafrae, C. rubens, and L. taraxacifolia, the latter comparable to galantamine. The highest tyrosinase inhibition was observed in the n-butanol fraction of C. rubens and ethyl acetate fraction of S. biafrae. In vitro assay results of the different extracts and fractions were mostly in agreement with the bioactivity profiling via high-performance thin-layer chromatography-multi-imaging-effect-directed analysis, exploiting nine different planar assays. Several separated compounds of the plant extracts showed antioxidant, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase-inhibiting, Gram-positive/-negative antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and genotoxic activities. A prominent apolar bioactive compound zone was tentatively assigned to fatty acids, in particular linolenic acid, via electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. The detected antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticholinesterase, cytotoxic, and genotoxic potentials of these vegetable plants, in particular C. rubens, S. biafrae, and S. macrocarpon, may validate some of their ethnomedicinal uses.

Towards non-target proactive food safety: identification of active compounds in convenience tomato products by ten-dimensional hyphenation with integrated simulated gastrointestinal digestion

Current strategies for non-target food screening focus mainly on known hazardous chemicals (adulterants, residues, contaminants, packaging migrants, etc.) instead of bioactive constituents in general and exclude the biological effect detection. To widen the perspective, a more proactive non-target effect-directed strategy is introduced to complement food safety in order to detect not only known but also unknown bioactive compounds. The developed 10-dimensional hyphenation included on-surface digestion (1D), planar chromatographic separation (2D), visualization using white light (3D), UV light (4D), fluorescence light (5D), effect-directed assay analysis (6D), heart-cut zone elution to an orthogonal reversed phase column chromatography including online desalting (7D) with subsequent diode array detection (8D), high-resolution mass spectrometry (9D), and fragmentation (10D). Metabolism, i.e., intestinal digestion of each sample, was simulated and integrated on the same adsorbent surface to study any changes in the compound profiles. As proof of principle, nine convenience tomato products and a freshly prepared tomato soup were screened via five different planar assays in a non-targeted mode. Non-digested and digested samples were compared side by side. In their effect-directed profiles, 14 bioactive compounds from classes of lipids, plant hormones, spices, and pesticides were identified. In particular, bioactive compounds coming from the lipid class were increased by gastrointestinal digestion, while spices and pesticides remained unaffected. With regard to food safety, the determination of the two dinitrophenol herbicides dinoterb and dinoseb in highly processed tomato products should be given special attention. The hyphenation covered a broad analyte spectrum and showed robust and reliable results.

Stability of Flavan-3-ols, Theaflavins, and Methylxanthines in 30 Industrial Green, Black, and White Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Extracts Characterized via Liquid Chromatography Techniques

Commercially available tea extracts for dietary supplements and nutraceuticals are standardized to characteristic components of Camellia sinensis L., such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and total catechins or polyphenols. However, since most commercial tea extracts are highly concentrated into only one molecule such as EGCG, the comparatively less stable catechin, the oxidative stability of the extract during the 24-month shelf life was questioned. It was hypothesized that the overall oxidative stability is reduced for highly purified/concentrated tea extracts due to the absence of other natural antioxidants stabilizing the complex mixture. Via liquid chromatographic analysis, the individual chromatographic profiles of 30 commercial white, green, and black tea extracts were evaluated and compared regarding oxidative stability and functional properties. The contents of bioactive flavan-3-ols, theaflavins, and methylxanthines differed much from what was claimed by the suppliers. At the end of the product shelf life, most of the commercial green and black tea extracts showed a decrease in the flavan-3-ol content, the main bioactive components of tea. A high EGCG content to the detriment of other possibly stabilizing flavan-3-ols or antioxidants in tea was found to explain the lower oxidative stability of such tea extract products. A natural overall composition of molecular structures was found to be superior to a strong enrichment in just one molecule.

Screening bisphenols in complex samples via a planar Arxula adeninivorans bioluminescence bioassay

The Arxula yeast bisphenol screen (A-YBS) utilizes the bioluminescent Arxula adeninivorans yeast-based reporter cells for tailored analysis of bisphenols, one of the major endocrine-disrupting compound groups. For the first time, this bioreporter has been applied on the high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) adsorbent surface to develop a respective planar bioluminescence bioassay (pA-YBS). The goal was to combine the advantages of HPTLC with a more selective bioassay detection for bisphenols. The performance of this pA-YBS bioluminescence bioassay was demonstrated by calculating the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of bisphenols compared to references. The EC50 ranged from 267 pg/band for bisphenol Z and 322 pg/band for bisphenol A (BPA) to > 1 ng/band for other bisphenols (BPC, BPE, BPF, and BPS) and references (17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol). The EC50 value of BPA was three times more sensitive in signal detection than that of 17β-estradiol. The visual or videodensitometric limit of detection of BPA was about 200 pg/zone. The higher signal intensity and sensitivity for BPA confirmed the tailored bioassay selectivity compared to the existing estrogen screen bioassay. It worked on different types of HPTLC silica gel plates. This HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-pA-YBS bioluminescence bioassay method was used to analyze complex mixtures such as six tin can migrates, five thermal papers, and eleven botanicals. The detected estrogenic compound zones in the tin can migrates were successfully verified via the duplex planar yeast antagonist estrogen screen (pYAES) bioassay. The two bisphenols A and S were identified in one out of five thermal papers and confirmed with high-resolution mass spectrometry. No bisphenols were detected in the botanicals investigated via the pA-YBS bioluminescence bioassay. However, the botanicals proved to contain phytoestrogens as detected via the pYAES bioassay, which confirmed the tailored bioassay selectivity. This HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-pA-YBS bioluminescence bioassay is suited for cost-efficient analysis of BPA in complex samples, with no need for sterile conditions due to the fast workflow.

Bioactivity Profiling and Quantification of Gastrodin in Gastrodia elata Cultivated in the Field versus Facility via Hyphenated High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography

Gastrodia elata (Orchidaceae) is native to mountainous areas of Asia and is a plant species used in traditional medicine for more than two thousand years. The species was reported to have many biological activities, such as neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. After many years of extensive exploitation from the wild, the plant was added to lists of endangered species. Since its desired cultivation is considered difficult, innovative cultivation methods that can reduce the costs of using new soil in each cycle and at the same time avoid contamination with pathogens and chemicals are urgently needed on large scale. In this work, five G. elata samples cultivated in a facility utilizing electron beam-treated soil were compared to two samples grown in the field concerning their chemical composition and bioactivity. Using hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and multi-imaging (UV/Vis/FLD, also after derivatization), the chemical marker compound gastrodin was quantified in the seven G. elata rhizome/tuber samples, which showed differences in their contents between facility and field samples and between samples collected during different seasons. Parishin E was also found to be present. Combining HPTLC with on-surface (bio)assays, the antioxidant activity and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase as well as the absence of cytotoxicity against human cells were demonstrated and compared between samples.

Designed genotoxicity profiling detects genotoxic compounds in staple food such as healthy oils

Current techniques used in food analysis overlook genotoxic compounds. This urgently calls for a paradigm shift in analytics towards non-target planar genotoxicity profiling that can detect genotoxins. Up to eight different genotoxins (i.e., genotoxic compound zones) have been detected in 33 oils used for healthy diets. A comparison of fresh oils with oils stored open and closed for one month identified genotoxic degradation products. Characterization of genotoxic zones via high-resolution mass spectrometry revealed oxidized linolenic acid as a source of genotoxicity in all samples. Detoxification via on-surface S9 liver metabolization was investigated, which showed a reduction in most, but not all, genotoxins. Food, feed, dietary supplements, and cosmetics as sources of genotoxicity can now be identified by combining separation, effect detection and optionally simulated metabolization on the same surface. The application of the planar genotoxicity profiling will improve the understanding on food and its impact as well as risk assessment and derived recommendations.

Chemical and cytotoxicity profiles of 11 pink pepper (Schinus spp.) samples via non-targeted hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography

INTRODUCTION

Pink pepper is a worldwide used spice that corresponds to the berries of two species, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi or S. molle L. (Anacardiaceae). Toxic and allergic reactions by ingestion or contact with these plants were reported, and classical in vitro studies have highlighted the cytotoxic properties of apolar extracts from the fruits.

OBJECTIVES

Perform a non-targeted screening of 11 pink pepper samples for the detection and identification of individual cytotoxic substances.

METHODS

After reversed-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC) separation of the extracts and multi-imaging (UV/Vis/FLD), cytotoxic compounds were detected by bioluminescence reduction from luciferase reporter cells (HEK 293 T-CMV-ELuc) applied directly on the adsorbent surface, followed by elution of detected cytotoxic substance into atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (APCI-HRMS).

RESULTS

Separations for mid-polar and non-polar fruit extracts demonstrated the selectivity of the method to different substance classes. One cytotoxic substance zone was tentatively assigned as moronic acid, a pentacyclic triterpenoid acid.

CONCLUSION

The developed non-targeted hyphenated RP-HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-bioluminescent cytotoxicity bioassay-FIA-APCI-HRMS method was successfully demonstrated for cytotoxicity screening (bioprofiling) and respective cytotoxin assignment.

Effect-Directed Profiling of Akebia quinata and Clitoria ternatea via High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography, Planar Assays and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Two herbal plants, Akebia quinata D. leaf/fruit and Clitoria ternatea L. flower, well-known in traditional medicine systems, were investigated using a non-target effect-directed profiling. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) was combined with 11 different effect-directed assays, including two multiplex bioassays, for assessing their bioactivity. Individual active zones were heart-cut eluted for separation via an orthogonal high-performance liquid chromatography column to heated electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HESI-HRMS) for tentative assignment of molecular formulas according to literature data. The obtained effect-directed profiles provided information on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging, antibacterial (against Bacillus subtilis and Aliivibrio fischeri), enzyme inhibition (tyrosinase, α-amylase, β-glucuronidase, butyrylcholinesterase, and acetylcholinesterase), endocrine (agonists and antagonists), and genotoxic (SOS-Umu-C) activities. The main bioactive compound zones in A. quinata leaf were tentatively assigned to be syringin, vanilloloside, salidroside, α-hederin, cuneataside E, botulin, and oleanolic acid, while salidroside and quinatic acids were tentatively identified in the fruit. Taraxerol, kaempherol-3-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-rutinoside, and octadecenoic acid were tentatively found in the C. ternatea flower. This straightforward hyphenated technique made it possible to correlate the biological properties of the herbs with possible compounds. The meaningful bioactivity profiles contribute to a better understanding of the effects and to more efficient food control and food safety.

Effect-Directed, Chemical and Taxonomic Profiling of Peppermint Proprietary Varieties and Corresponding Leaf Extracts

During the development of novel, standardized peppermint extracts targeting functional applications, it is critical to adequately characterize raw material plant sources to assure quality and consistency of the end-product. This study aimed to characterize existing and proprietary, newly bred varieties of peppermint and their corresponding aqueous extract products. Taxonomy was confirmed through genetic authenticity assessment. Non-target effect-directed profiling was developed using high-performance thin-layer chromatography-multi-imaging-effect-directed assays (HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-EDA). Results demonstrated substantial differences in compounds associated with functional attributes, notably antioxidant potential, between the peppermint samples. Further chemical analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array/mass spectrometry detection (HPLC-PDA/MS) and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-flame ionization/MS detection (headspace SPME-GC-FID/MS) confirmed compositional differences. A broad variability in the contents of flavonoids and volatiles was observed. The peppermint samples were further screened for their antioxidant potential using the Caenorhabditis elegans model, and the results indicated concordance with observed content differences of the identified functional compounds. These results documented variability among raw materials of peppermint leaves, which can yield highly variable extract products that may result in differing effects on functional targets in vivo. Hence, product standardization via effect-directed profiles is proposed as an appropriate tool.

Investigation of the estrogenic potential of 15 rosé, white and red wines via effect-directed ten-dimensional hyphenation

Wine is consumed for thousands of years all over the world, however, its estrogenic potential is still underexplored. A non-target effect-directed screening was developed to reveal estrogen-like and antiestrogen-like compounds in 15 rosé, white and red wine samples of different origin and grape variety. Normal-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography multi-imaging detection (NP-HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD) was combined with the planar yeast estrogen screen (pYES) bioassay or the duplex planar yeast antagonist estrogen screen (pYAES) bioassay on the same adsorbent surface. Up to nine estrogen-like compound zones were detected and further characterized via heart-cut elution from the planar bioautogram to orthogonal reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD) and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS). Among the tentatively assigned estrogen-like substances, the HRMS/MS signals pointed to hexylresorcinol and diethyl esters from organic acids for the first time. This highlights the method suitability for non-target complex mixture screening and rapid dereplication. The 10D hyphenation NP-HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-pYAES-heart cut-RP-HPLC-DAD-HRMS/MS proved to be an efficient and powerful tool for detecting estrogens as well as antiestrogens in the matrix-rich wine samples. High-throughput capability and substantial reduction in the required resources for analysis were demonstrated by this straightforward hyphenation, if compared to bioassay-guided fractionation. The 10D information (via orthogonal chromatographic, versatile spectrometric and duplex endocrine activity data) obtained during a single chromatographic run for many samples in parallel was advantageous for the tentative molecule assignment.

Bioactivity Profiles on 15 Different Effect Mechanisms for 15 Golden Root Products via High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography, Planar Assays, and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Planar chromatography has recently been combined with six different effect-directed assays for three golden root (Rhodiola rosea L.) samples. However, the profiles obtained showed an intense tailing, making zone differentiation impossible. The profiling was therefore improved to allow for the detection of individual bioactive compounds, and the range of samples was extended to 15 commercial golden root products. Further effect-directed assays were studied providing information on 15 different effect mechanisms, i.e., (1) tyrosinase, (2) acetylcholinesterase, (3) butyrylcholinesterase, (4) β-glucuronidase, and (5) α-amylase inhibition, as well as endocrine activity via the triplex planar yeast antagonist-verified (6-8) estrogen or (9-11) androgen screen, (12) genotoxicity via the planar SOS-Umu-C bioassay, antimicrobial activity against (13) Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri and (14) Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacteria, and (15) antioxidative activity (DPPH• radical scavengers). Most of the golden root profiles obtained were characteristic, but some samples differed substantially. The United States Pharmacopeia reference product showed medium activity in most of the assays. The six most active compound zones were further characterized using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the mass signals obtained were tentatively assigned to molecular formulae. In addition to confirming the known activities, this study is the first to report that golden root constituents inhibit butyrylcholinesterase (rosin was tentatively assigned), β-glucuronidase (rosavin, rosarin, rosiridin, viridoside, and salidroside were tentatively assigned), and α-amylase (stearic acid and palmitic acid were tentatively assigned) and that they are genotoxic (hydroquinone was tentatively assigned) and are both agonistic and antagonistic endocrine active.

Miniaturized open-source 2LabsToGo screening of lactose-free dairy products and saccharide-containing foods

The open-source 2LabsToGo system is the only one in its nature. It combines in one miniaturized instrument all relevant steps normally performed in a chemical and biological laboratory. For the first time, the applicability of the 2LabsToGo system was studied for screening 17 food products. As examples, saccharides were analyzed in eight products of different matrix complexity, and the absence of lactose was studied in nine lactose-free dairy products. Derivatization including homogeneous reagent application and plate heating via the 2LabsToGo system was explored for saccharide detection, and its performance was investigated. The visual detection sensitivity of lactose was comparable to previous studies. The precision of lactose in milk matrix (%RSD 4.6%) as well as the coefficient of determination of the calibration function (0.9995) were highly satisfying. The obtained lactose content of milk (4.5%) was plausible. Screening eight saccharide-containing food samples showed the saccharides in agreement with the expectations for the respective food product. The lactose content of nine different lactose-free dairy products was proven to be below the 0.1% lactose limit value. As proof-of-principle and for verification, these screening results obtained with the miniaturized 2LabsToGo system were reproduced using conventional state-of-the-art instrumentation, which led to the same results. However, instrumental costs were comparably low for the 2LabsToGo system. The application of the new 2LabsToGo system was successfully shown for saccharide screening, which is attractive to the field of quality control or official food control.

Ten-dimensional hyphenation including simulated static gastro-intestinal digestion on the adsorbent surface, planar assays, and bioactivity evaluation for meal replacement products

Meal replacement products are normally consumed in weight-loss interventions and the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Changing lifestyles and eating habits made meal replacement products in the forms of shakes and bars a good alternative as To-go-meals, promoted as balanced in its composition and thus healthier compared to other ready-to-eat meals. This study aimed to evaluate the bioactivity of six differently flavoured powdered meal replacement products. Their analysis was made by a ten-dimensional hyphenation composed of digestion on the adsorbent surface, followed by normal-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatographic separation, multi-imaging, and planar assay application (effect-directed analysis), and then heart-cut elution/transfer of bioactive compound zones to reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, diode array detection, and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. The on-surface digestion of saccharides, fats, and proteins through intestinal enzymatic activity revealed new breakdown products. These exhibited bioactivity in their different effect-profiles obtained by the Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri bioassay as well as α-/β-glucosidase and acetyl-/butyrylcholinesterease inhibition assays. The main bioactive compounds arising through simulated static pancreatic digestion were saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids. The synthetic sweetener sucralose was not influenced by simulated static intestinal digestion, but showed antimicrobial activity. In the prepared drinking meals with coffee and choco flavour, the acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting methylxanthines caffeine and theobromine were identified as bioactive compounds. Some other bioactive constituents could not be assigned to specific molecules and require further analyses. Although the studied meal replacement products showed health-beneficial properties through antimicrobial properties or inhibition of enzymes involved in the expression of the civilisation diseases, such as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, plant foods, herbs and spices have been shown to be even richer and more versatile in bioactive compounds.

2LabsToGo─Recipe for Building Your Own Chromatography Equipment Including Biological Assay and Effect Detection

A complete recipe for building your own chromatography equipment from readily available materials is introduced. It combines sample separation (chemistry laboratory) with biological effect detection (biology laboratory). This hyphenation of two disciplines is necessary for prioritizing important compounds in complex samples. Among the thousands of compounds therein, it is often not clear which compounds are the important ones. On the same separation surface, additional detection of biological effects enables and guides substance prioritization. The newly developed open-source 2LabsToGo system for chemical and biological analysis is completely solvent-resistant and, due to miniaturization, environmentally friendly regarding the consumption of materials. It produces comparable results but is 10 times more compact (26 cm × 31 cm × 34 cm), 10 times lighter (6.8 kg), and 55 times less expensive (€ 1717) than current sophisticated commercial devices. As a proof of concept of the first 2LabsToGo system, the quality of different water samples was analyzed since clean water is becoming increasingly rare. In water, most of the thousands of substance signals or features can neither be identified nor classified toxicologically. However, methods that exploit this hyphenated strategy provide answers to such essential safety issues. Drinking or tap water did not show bioactive or toxic compounds, which was expected, whereas biogas or landfill water samples did. The hyphenated 2LabsToGo strategy is affordable and extremely useful for all laboratories with limited equipment but pressing challenges. It is ready to be used in various analytical tasks and applications.

Non-target bioactive compound profiles of coffee roasts and preparations

Coffee is an inherent part of our daily nutrition and seems to have protective effects against diseases, whereby it is often not fully understood, which ingredients are responsible for the observed effect. Hence, a non-targeted bioactivity profiling was developed to investigate 27 hand-filtered coffee brews of differently roasted coffee beans and 14 differently prepared and stored coffee brews. After separation, multi-imaging, and densitometry, six planar effect-directed assays were performed to reveal individual antioxidative, antibacterial, anti-cholinesterase, anti-diabetic, and estrogenic effects. Individual compounds were mainly responsible for the observed effects, e.g. 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid regarding antioxidative potential and α-glucosidase inhibition, while coffee brews made by a fully automated coffee machine showed the highest antioxidative potential. Unlike preparation and storage conditions, applied roasting conditions and origin of coffee samples played a less important role. Therefore, the way we daily consume our coffee has an impact on the magnitude of potential health effects.

Essential Oils as Multicomponent Mixtures and Their Potential for Human Health and Well-Being

Essential oils (EOs) and their individual volatile organic constituents have been an inherent part of our civilization for thousands of years. They are widely used as fragrances in perfumes and cosmetics and contribute to a healthy diet, but also act as active ingredients of pharmaceutical products. Their antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties have qualified EOs early on for both, the causal and symptomatic therapy of a number of diseases, but also for prevention. Obtained from natural, mostly plant materials, EOs constitute a typical example of a multicomponent mixture (more than one constituent substances, MOCS) with up to several hundreds of individual compounds, which in a sophisticated composition make up the property of a particular complete EO. The integrative use of EOs as MOCS will play a major role in human and veterinary medicine now and in the future and is already widely used in some cases, e.g., in aromatherapy for the treatment of psychosomatic complaints, for inhalation in the treatment of respiratory diseases, or topically administered to manage adverse skin diseases. The diversity of molecules with different functionalities exhibits a broad range of multiple physical and chemical properties, which are the base of their multi-target activity as opposed to single isolated compounds. Whether and how such a broad-spectrum effect is reflected in natural mixtures and which kind of pharmacological potential they provide will be considered in the context of ONE Health in more detail in this review.

Effect-Directed Profiling of Monofloral Honeys from Ethiopia by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Ethiopian honey is used not only as food but also for treatment in traditional medicine. For its valorization, bioactive compounds were analyzed in nine types of monofloral Ethiopian honey. Therefore, a non-target effect-directed profiling was developed via high-performance thin-layer chromatography combined with multi-imaging and planar effect-directed assays. Characteristic bioactivity profiles of the different honeys were determined in terms of antibacterial, free-radical scavenging, and various enzyme inhibitory activities. Honeys from Hypoestes spp. and Leucas abyssinica showed low activity in all assays. In contrast, others from Acacia spp., Becium grandiflorum, Croton macrostachyus, Eucalyptus globulus, Schefflera abyssinica, Vernonia amygdalina, and Coffea arabica showed more intense activity profiles, but these differed depending on the assay. In particular, the radical scavenging activity of Croton macrostachyus and Coffea arabica honeys, the acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting activity of Eucalyptus globulus and Coffea arabica honeys, and the antibacterial activity of Schefflera abyssinica honey are highlighted. Bioactive compounds of interest were further characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Identifying differences in bioactivity between mono-floral honey types affects quality designation and branding. Effect-directed profiling provides new insights that are valuable for food science and nutrition as well as for the market, and contributes to honey differentiation, categorization, and authentication.

Baobab pulp authenticity and quality control by multi-imaging high-performance thin-layer chromatography

Globalization of trade and increasing demand for baobab fruit pulp powder (Adansonia digitata) has led to more adulteration incidence with physically similar products, e.g. sifted cereal flours. In this study, 135 baobab samples drawn from trees in Kitui and Kilifi (Kenya) and North and South Kordofan (Sudan) were used as the reference and compared with adulterated (with 10-30% sifted rice, maize and wheat flours) baobab samples using multi-imaging by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. The ethanol - water extracts were separated on a normal phase. Any differences were detected via multi-imaging (UV/Vis/FLD) including diphenylamine alanine o-phosphoric acid, p-anisaldehyde sulfuric acid and p-amino benzoic acid reagents. Raffinose was identified as a marker compound for cereal-based adulteration. The method accuracy (recovery of 95%) and detection from 10-30% flour addition onwards are sufficient to curb economically motivated adulteration, to control product quality and to ensure consumer protection for local and international trade.

Fast detection of apricot product frauds by added pumpkin via planar chromatography and chemometrics: Greenness assessment by analytical eco-scale

The European Commission requires that fruit products distributed on the market meet standards of high quality and authenticity. For the quality assessment of apricot products susceptible to food fraud, an environmentally friendly, simple and cost-effective analytical profiling was developed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography multi-imaging (HPTLC-FLD/Vis). The new phytochemical profiling was applied for analysis of authentic samples (7 apricot and 5pumpkin samples) and simulated adulterated products (11 mixture samples prepared by addition of 2.5-53% pooled pumpkin to pooled apricot). Based on the analytical eco-scale assessment, the HPTLC-FLD/Vis method was proven as an excellent green analytical method with low energy and solvent consumption. Chemometric data analysis confirmed the difference between apricot and apricot-pumpkin mixtures based on the phytochemical profile. Chemical markers responsible for their differentiation were identified. The results indicated that frauds by adding pumpkin to apricot products can be detected at added contents as low as 2.5%.