Principal Components and Cluster Analysis of Trace Elements in Buckwheat Flour

Trace Element and Mineral Content in Medicinal Plants Collected in the Altai Mountains Foothills

The objective of the present study was to assess the patterns of trace element and mineral accumulation in 21 medicinal plants collected in the Altai Mountains foothills. The levels of trace elements and minerals in Hippophae rhamnoides, Aronia melanocarpa, Sorbus aucuparia, Viburnum opulus, Rosa canina, Crataegus sanguinea (fruits), Chamaenerion angustifolium, Echinacea purpurea, Fagopyrum esculentum, Trifolium pratense, Origanum vulgare, Achillea millefolium, Mentha piperita (herbs), Plantago major, Salvia officinalis, Urtica dioica (leaves), Panax ginseng, Rhaponticum carthamoides, Eleuterococcus senticosus, and Taraxacum officinale (roots), and Matricaria recutita flowers were assessed using inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Comparative analysis revealed that R. carthamoides roots accumulated the highest level of toxic trace elements (Al, Cd, Ni, Pb). C. angustifolium herbs and V. opulus fruits are characterized by the highest As and Sn levels, respectively. The highest content of essential trace elements and minerals was observed in H. rhamnoides fruits (Zn), V. opulus fruits (Cu), E. purpurea herbs (I, Mg), R. carthamoides roots (Fe), O. vulgare herbs (Mn), and M. recutita herbs (Se). In turn, R. canina fruits are characterized by the lowest levels of certain essential and toxic trace elements. Significant differences in B, Cr, Li, Si, and Sr content were also revealed. Discriminant analysis revealed complete discrimination of certain medicinal plants based on their trace element and mineral content. The obtained data indicate the potential usefulness of medicinal plants as sources of certain essential trace elements and minerals, as well as provides data for risk assessment of toxic trace element intake following administration of medicinal plants.

Development of a Quality Evaluation Method for Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus Based on Solid-Phase Extraction-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Evaporative Light Scattering Detection Chromatographic Fingerprinting, Chemometrics, and Quantitative Analysis of Multi-Components via a Single-Marker Method

As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus (AMB) is a key herb for the treatment of thoracic paralytic cardiac pain, but its quality evaluation method has not yet been fully clarified. In this study, chromatographic fingerprints of AMB were developed using solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection (SPE-HPLC-ELSD) to evaluate the quality of AMB from various origins and processing methods. This was achieved by employing chemical pattern recognition techniques and verifying the feasibility and applicability of the quality evaluation of AMB through the quantitative analysis of multi-components via a single-marker (QAMS) method. Through the analysis of the fingerprints of 18 batches of AMB, 30 common peaks were screened, and 6 components (adenosine, syringin, macrostemonoside T, macrostemonoside A, macrostemonoside U, and macrostemonoside V) were identified. Moreover, three differential markers (macrostemonoside A, macrostemonoside T, and macrostemonoside U) were screened out using chemometrics techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Subsequently, a QAMS method was established for macrostemonoside T and macrostemonoside U using macrostemonoside A as an internal reference. The results demonstrate the method's accuracy, reproducibility, and stability, rendering it suitable for the quality evaluation of AMB. This study provides a theoretical basis for drug quality control and the discovery of quality markers for AMB.

From 'Farm to Fork': Exploring the Potential of Nutrient-Rich and Stress-Resilient Emergent Crops for Sustainable and Healthy Food in the Mediterranean Region in the Face of Climate Change Challenges

In the dynamic landscape of agriculture and food science, incorporating emergent crops appears as a pioneering solution for diversifying agriculture, unlocking possibilities for sustainable cultivation and nutritional bolstering food security, and creating economic prospects amid evolving environmental and market conditions with positive impacts on human health. This review explores the potential of utilizing emergent crops in Mediterranean environments under current climate scenarios, emphasizing the manifold benefits of agricultural and food system diversification and assessing the impact of environmental factors on their quality and consumer health. Through a deep exploration of the resilience, nutritional value, and health impacts of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as quinoa, amaranth, chia, moringa, buckwheat, millet, teff, hemp, or desert truffles, their capacity to thrive in the changing Mediterranean climate is highlighted, offering novel opportunities for agriculture and functional food development. By analysing how promoting agricultural diversification can enhance food system adaptability to evolving environmental conditions, fostering sustainability and resilience, we discuss recent findings that underscore the main benefits and limitations of these crops from agricultural, food science, and health perspectives, all crucial for responsible and sustainable adoption. Thus, by using a sustainable and holistic approach, this revision analyses how the integration of NUS crops into Mediterranean agrifood systems can enhance agriculture resilience and food quality addressing environmental, nutritional, biomedical, economic, and cultural dimensions, thereby mitigating the risks associated with monoculture practices and bolstering local economies and livelihoods under new climate scenarios.

Comparative Analysis of Characteristic Volatile Compounds in Five Types of Infant Nutrition Powders by HS-GC-IMS and GC-MS

This study employed the headspace-gas chromatography-ion migration spectrum (HS-GC-IMS) in conjunction with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) technique for the assessment of the flavor quality of complementary food powder intended for infants and young children. A total of 62 volatile compounds were identified, including aldehydes, esters, alcohols, ketones, pyrazines, and furans, among which aldehydes were the most abundant compounds. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models, infant nutritional powder (YYB) from different manufacturers could be clearly distinguished. Among them, 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 1, 2-dimethoxyethane, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and methyl butyrate were the four most critical differential volatiles. In addition, these differences were also manifested in changes in fatty acids. The reason for this phenomenon can be attributed to the difference in the proportion of raw materials used in nutrition powder, micronutrient content, and the packaging process. In conclusion, this study provides comprehensive information on the flavor quality of YYB, which can be used as a basis for quality control of YYB.

Explorative study for the rapid detection of Fritillaria using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry

Fritillaria is a well-known health-promoting food, but it has many varieties and its market circulation is chaotic. In order to explore the differences in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among different varieties of Fritillaria and quickly and accurately determine the variety of Fritillaria, this study selected six varieties of Fritillaria and identified and analyzed their volatile components using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), establishing the characteristic fingerprints of VOCs in Fritillaria. In all samples, a total of 76 peaks were detected and 67 VOCs were identified. It was found that the composition of VOCs in different varieties of Fritillaria was similar, but the content was different. Combined with chemometric analysis, the differences between VOCs were clearly shown after principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and partial least-squares discriminant analysis. This may provide theoretical guidance for the identification and authenticity determination of different varieties of Fritillaria.

Quality Assessment and Classification of Codonopsis Radix Based on Fingerprints and Chemometrics

In China, Codonopsis Radix (CR) is frequently consumed both as food and medicine. Here, a comprehensive strategy based on fingerprinting and chemometric approaches was created to explore the influence of origins, storage time and kneading processing on the quality of CR. Firstly, high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection was used to obtain the fingerprints of 35 batches of CR from six different origins and 33 batches of CR from varying storage times or kneading procedures. Secondly, chemometric methods including similarity analysis (SA), principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and two-way orthogonal partial least square with discriminant analysis (O2PLS-DA) were used to evaluate the differences of chemical components in CR so as to identify its source and reflect its quality. Moreover, 13 and 16 major compounds were identified as marker compounds for the discrimination of CR from different origins, storage time and kneading processing, respectively. Furthermore, the relative content of the marker components and the exact content of Lobetyolin were measured, indicating that the contents of these components vary significantly between various CR samples. Meanwhile, the chemical components of CR were identified using Mass spectrometry. According to the findings of our investigation, the quality of CR from Gansu was the best, followed by Shanxi and then Sichuan. The quality of CR from Chongqing and Guizhou was poor. At the same time, the quality of CR was the best when it was kneaded and stored for 0 years, indicating that the traditional kneading process of CR is of great significance. Conclusively, HPLC fingerprint in conjunction with chemical pattern recognition and component content determination can be employed to differentiate the raw materials of different CR samples. Additionally, it is also a reliable, comprehensive and prospective method for quality control and evaluation of CR.

Synthesis of Natural-Inspired Materials by Irradiation: Data Mining from the Perspective of Their Functional Properties in Wastewater Treatment

The present study is focused on assessing the interrelation of variables involved in the synthesis of natural-inspired copolymers by electron beam grafting while taking the functionality of the resulting materials into account. In this respect, copolymers of starch-graft-polyacrylamide (St-g-PAM) were synthesized by irradiation, and their flocculation efficiency regarding the total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and fatty matters (FM) was tested in coagulation-flocculation experiments at laboratory scale on wastewater from the oil industry. Data mining involved approaches related to the association (correlation and dimensionality reduction with principal component analysis (PCA)), clustering by agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), classifying by classification and regression tree (CART), and prediction (decision tree prediction, multiple linear regression (MLR), and principal component regression (PCR)) of treatments applied with the variation of the monomer concentration, irradiation dose, and dose rate. The relationship mining proved that the level of COD was significantly affected by the irradiation dose and monomer concentration, and FM was mainly affected by the dose rate (significance level = 0.05). TSS showed the highest negative correlation with the tested variables. Moreover, the consequences of MLR demonstrated an acceptable accuracy (mean absolute percentage error < 5%) for COD and FM; meanwhile, linear modeling together with the consequences of PCA in the structure of PCR could help to simplify and improve the prediction accuracy of equations.