Determination of type A and type B trichothecenes in paprika and chili pepper using LC-triple quadrupole-MS and GC-ECD.

There is a need to develop sensitive and accurate analytical methods for determining deoxynivalenol (DON), HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin in paprika to properly assess the relevant risk of human exposure. An optimized analytical method for determination of HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin using capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection and another method for determination of DON by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in paprika was developed. The method for determination of HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin that gave the best recoveries involved extraction of the sample with acetonitrile-water (84:16, v/v), clean-up by solid-phase extraction on a cartridge made of different sorbent material…

Characterization of bile acids and fatty acids from ox bile in oil paintings by gas chromatography?mass spectrometry*1

Characterization of ox bile, traditionally used in painting, is of interest in the fields of archaeometry and conservation and restoration of works of art. Bile acids, fatty acids (F), and cholesterol found in ox bile have been identified using a derivatization method that combines the formation of ethyl esters from the carboxylic groups and the trimethylsilyl ethers from hydroxyl groups. This method of analysis is consistent with these others proposed by the authors to analyze drying oils, proteins, and diterpenic resins usually used as binders and varnishes by the painters. Bile acids from binary samples such as animal glue/ox bile, casein/ox bile and Arabic gum/ox bile have been successf…

Use of linear discriminant analysis applied to vibrational spectroscopy data to characterize commercial varnishes employed for art purposes.

An improvement of methodologies for characterising synthetic resins used in varnishes employed for art purposes has been suggested. Several kinds of standard of the most common polymeric resins (acrylic, vinyl, poly(vinyl alcohol), alkyd, cellulose nitrate, latex, polyester, polyurethane, epoxy, organosilicic, and ketonic) were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Synthetic resins characterization is based on the mathematical treatment of their whole spectrum, dividing it in 13 sections, avoiding the one-by-one interpretation of the absorption bands. The mathematical model takes as variables the maximal absorbance of each section, and each synthetic standard resin as …

Identification of lipid binders in paintings by gas chromatography

Abstract The influence of the presence and the type of pigments in the lipid binding media of paintings were studied by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The drying oils were linseed stand oil, poppy oil and sunflower oil, and the pigments studied were cadmium red, cobalt blue, tin white, lead white, chalk and plaster of Paris, commonly used in paintings. The results indicate that the stearic/palmitic ratio and the presence of pigments are quite stable during ageing. However, some differences in the oleic acid/palmitic acid ratio were found, depending on the type of pigment present in the lipid binding media. These variations are related to the drying effect of the pigments…

H-Point Standard Addition Method Applied to Voltammetry of Microparticles. Quantitation of Dyes in Pictorial Samples

A solid-state electrochemical application of the H-point standard addition method (HPSAM) for quantifying two electroactive compounds, A, B, that produce strongly overlapped voltammetric peaks is described. It is based on peak current measurement in square-wave voltammograms recorded for solid samples containing a reference compound R, upon additions of a A- (or B-) containing standard compound. The method allows to the determination of the mass fraction of A and B by applying the H-point standard addition method to solid state voltammetry. The quotients between the currents measured at two selected potentials and the peak current of R vary linearly with the mass ratio of the added standard…

Determination of ochratoxin A in beer marketed in Spain by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection using lead hydroxyacetate as a clean-up agent

Abstract A new sample treatment for liquid chromatographic analysis of ochratoxin A (OTA) in beer is proposed. Degassed beer is mixed with lead hydroxyacetate, which precipitates some bulk components but does not remove OTA. The precipitate is separated and the acidified liquid is extracted with chloroform. The solvent is evaporated and the residue is dissolved in mobile phase (acetonitrile–water, 40:60, v/v; acidified at pH 3.0 with phosphoric acid) and separated by liquid chromatography using fluorescence detection. The limit of detection was 0.005 ng/ml. The average recovery rate and the average RSD of recovery in the spiking level range 0.01–0.5 ng/ml were 95.5% and about 5%, respective…

Changes in ochratoxin A and type B trichothecenes contained in wheat flour during dough fermentation and bread baking processes

Ochratoxin A (OTA) and type B trichothecenes are mycotoxins that occur frequently in cereals and thus can be found in cereal by-products such as bread. The aim of this work was to study the variation of the levels of OTA, deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and nivalenol (NIV) during the bread-making process. This was done by using wheat flour spiked with different levels of toxins. Mycotoxin levels were controlled after fermentation of the dough with yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and after further baking at different temperature-time combinations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the results showed a significant reduction in OTA level (p < 0.05) during fermentation of …

Screening and mapping of pigments in paintings using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)

The use of the scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) technique for identifying and mapping of both organic and inorganic pigments in sub-microsamples from pictorial specimens is described. This methodology, inspired by the voltammetry of immobilized particles technique, permits the study of textural properties of paint layers and mapping the distribution of pigment grains upon application of different potentials to the substrate. A combination of the redox competition SECM strategy with voltammetry yields a local identification methodology for different organic and inorganic pigments in paint samples.

Archaeometrical study of paleometallurgical materials from the archaeological site “Cerro de las Balsas — Chinchorro” (La Albufereta, Alacant, Spain)

An Iberian archaeological site located in the east of Spain is one of the most important cupellation centers found in the 4th century b.c. Different metallurgical materials were found in the archaeological site as minerals, cast slags, forged slags, metallic lead, cupella fragments and bronzes. Also was found reverbs remains used for cupper-based materials and cupellation procedure, and hearth forge remains for obtained iron material. The recuperated samples were studied by comparing samples of the same type of material by macroanalysis and microanalysis. The microanalysis and quantitation of the different archaeological materials was carried out by SEM/EDX. The information provides about t…

Optimization of clean-up procedure for patulin determination in apple juice and apple purees by liquid chromatography

Patulin (PAT) is a mycotoxin produced in fruits, mainly in apples, by several fungal species that can be carried into industrial apple juice by-products during factory processing. An analytical method for determination of PAT in apple juice and another one for determination of this compound in apple purees and apple compotes by liquid chromatography are proposed in the present paper. These methods have better precision and sensitivity than previously reported methods and focus mainly on extraction and clean-up. To accomplish analytical methods with higher accuracy, lower limits of detection and simpler procedures for application in quality control of the goods, different extraction and clea…

Voltammetric Identification of Lead(II) and (IV) in Mediaeval Glazes in Abrasion-Modified Carbon Paste and Polymer Film Electrodes. Application to the Study of Alterations in Archaeological Ceramic

Direct identification of lead(II) and (IV) in glazed ceramics by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry is described. Characteristic cathodic and anodic profiles are obtained for microsample coatings in Paraloid B72-film electrodes immersed in NaCl and HAc/NaAc media. The electrochemical response of PbO, PbO2 and Pb3O4, and a series of test specimens of glaze is compared with that of microsamples extracted from the glaze of blue and white decorated ceramic produced in Manises (Spain) in the 15th century which have been buried in a damp place. Under abrasive conditions, striping peaks at –0.12 and –0.25 V (vs. SCE) appear for Pb(IV) centers and, at –0.55 and –0.75 V, for Pb(II…

Comparison of different sample treatments for the analysis of ochratoxin A in must, wine and beer by liquid chromatography.

Abstract Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by some species of Aspergillus and Penicillium verrucosum. It has been found in foods and feed all over the world. There is a great concern about OTA because it is nephrotoxic and probably, carcinogenic to humans. Most of analytical methods developed for OTA in wine, beer and other products are based on LC with fluorescence detection (LC–FLD). In the present work, various procedures for extraction and/or clean-up for determination of OTA in musts, wine and beer by LC–FLD were compared: (1) dilution with polyethylen glycol 8000 and NaHCO3 solution and clean-up an on immunoaffinity column (IAC); (2) extraction with chloroform and IAC clean-u…

Characterization of the alcoholic fraction of vegetable oils by derivatization with diphenic anhydride followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric and mass spectrometric detection

Abstract Aliphatic and triterpene alcohols present in vegetable oils have been identified and determined by HPLC using UV–vis and MS detection after previous derivatization with diphenic anhydride. The alcoholic fraction was obtained by saponification, extraction and TLC (according to the European Union official procedure). Derivatization was performed in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of suspended grinded urea, which increases the reaction rate and yield. Derivatized extracts were chromatographed on a C8 column using gradient elution with acetonitrile/water mixtures containing 0.1% acetic acid, with UV–vis followed by negative-ion mode MS detection. Using linear discriminant analysis of t…

Electrochemistry of iron oxide pigments (earths) from pictorial microsamples attached to graphite–polyester composite electrodes

The electrochemical response of different iron pigments attached to graphite–polyester composite electrodes is described. Characteristic differential pulse voltammetric profiles were obtained for green earth, iron oxide red, Mars black, ochre yellow, Sienna raw, umber raw and Van Dyke brown. Proton-assisted reductive dissolution processes occur at the three-phase boundary of the substrate electrode–attached solid–electrolyte solution system. Microsamples extracted from polychromed sculptures, canvas paintings, wall paintings, altarpieces and panel paintings from Spain, Ethiopia and Italy from the 12th to the 20th centuries were electrochemically identified in agreement with polarized light …

Determination of multiple mycotoxins in feedstuffs by combined use of UPLC–MS/MS and UPLC–QTOF–MS

In this report, a UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, fusarenone X, diacetoxyscirpenol, and 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol in feedstuffs was developed. A quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer detector (QTOF-MS) operating in full scan mode was combined with the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system to confirm the identity of detected mycotoxins and to identify other possible microbial metabolites occurring in samples. Sixty-two feed samples from the Spanish market were analyzed. Extraction of metabolites was carried out with acetonitrile-water-formic acid (80:19:1, v/v/v). Method detection a…

Analytical study of canvas painting collection from the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados using SEM/EDX, FT-IR, GC and electrochemical techniques

A new method, based on the combined use of scanning electron microscopy-x-ray microanalysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography and differential pulse voltammetry, is proposed which permits a parallel investigation of organic and inorganic materials and the characterization of the artistic technique employed in canvas painting. The proposed method has led to analyze succesfully the canvas painting collection exhibited in the Basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados (Valencia, Spain) which includes art works from 17th to 20th century.

Thermal decomposition of chromite spinel with chlorite admixture

Abstract The behaviour of minerals in a South African chromite ore during the increasing of the temperature has been studied. Firstly, the changes produced during the ignition process have been examined by means of thermal and differential analysis (TGA–DTA) until 1200 °C. The characterization of the initial mineral and those obtained after heating at several temperatures in room atmosphere has been performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, voltammetric analyses have allowed to determine the variation of the iron oxidation degree in the studied materials. Light microscopy was applied to find more information about the different phases by their colour. During the heating, a wide range …

Identification of inorganic pigments from paintings and polychromed sculptures immobilized into polymer film electrodes by stripping differential pulse voltammetry

Abstract Inorganic pigments in paintings and polychromed sculptures are studied by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse stripping voltammetry using micro-sample coatings in Paraloid B72-film modified electrodes. Characteristic cathodic and anodic differential pulse profiles were obtained in the +0.4 to −1.0 V vs. SCE potential range for different cadmium, copper, lead, mercury and zinc pigments used in traditional colour palettes. Under optimized conditions, excellent reproducibility was obtained. Microsamples extracted from polychromed sculptures, wall paintings, canvas paintings, panel paintings and altarpieces from Spain, Ethiopia and Italy from the 12th to the 20th centuries have b…

Risk management of ochratoxigenic fungi and ochratoxin A in maize grains by bioactive EVOH films containing individual components of some essential oils.

Abstract Aspergillus steynii and Aspergillus tubingensis are possibly the main ochratoxin A (OTA) producing species in Aspergillus section Circumdati and section Nigri, respectively. OTA is a potent nephrotoxic, teratogenic, embryotoxic, genotoxic, neurotoxic, carcinogenic and immunosuppressive compound being cereals the first source of OTA in the diet. In this study bioactive ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) films containing cinnamaldehyde (CINHO), linalool (LIN), isoeugenol (IEG) or citral (CIT) which are major components of some plant essential oils (EOs) were produced and tested against A. steynii and A. tubingensis growth and OTA production in partly milled maize grains. Due to …

Determination of the Boron/Lead Ratio in Ceramic Materials Based on Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance

A method for quantitatively determining the relationship boron/lead in ceramic materials is presented. It is based on the attachment of microsamples of ceramic frits to an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). After a reductive deposition step in the � 0.25 to � 0.85 V (vs. AgCl/Ag) potential range, well-defined stripping peaks are recorded in 0.10 M NaCl plus 0.10 M mannitol. The deposition of boron and lead from suspensions of solid materials, and its subsequent oxidative dissolution can be monitorized at the EQCM. The quotient between the maximum mass gain and the corresponding charge passed enables for a direct quantitation of the boron/lead molar ratio in ceramic material…

Comparative assessment of solid-phase extraction clean-up procedures, GC columns and perfluoroacylation reagents for determination of type B trichothecenes in wheat by GC–ECD

Abstract Various solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures for clean-up, two perfluoroacylation reagents (pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA) and heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA)) and two chromatographic columns (HP-1701 and HP-5) have been assessed comparatively to achieve the determination of type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3- and 15-ADON)) in wheat grain by gas chromatography (GC)–electron-capture detection (ECD). Spiked wheat samples were extracted with acetonitrile–water (84:16, v/v). Tested SPE procedures were MycoSep 225 column, Florisil and different cartridges prepared in the laboratory with mixtures of various sorben…

Validation of a method for the determination of boron in ceramic materials by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract A method is proposed for boron determination in ceramic materials, boracic raw materials and ceramics frits of different compositions by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique. The instrumental conditions were studied and the sample preparation procedures were optimized. The reference method used was the potentiometric titration of mannitol–boric complex acid and the technique was optimized for the determination of B 2 O 3 in each of the materials used. The samples for XRF determination were obtained as pellets and as glass discs. For the pellets different binders were studied, such as mannitol and cellullose for the samples of raw materials, and polyvinylpirrolidone an…

Suppression of pigment interference in the gas chromatographic analysis of proteinaceous binding media in paintings with EDTA.

A method to suppress the interference of pigments in the analysis of proteinaceous media used in paintings is presented in this paper. This method is based on the formation of metallic ion-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) complexes previous to the derivatisation process, using ethyl chloroformate (ECF), to transform the amino acids in N(O,S)-ethoxycarbonyl (EOC) ethyl esters. Test specimens, containing different proteinaceous media such as albumin, porcine gelatine and casein mixed with lead white, chalk, verdigris and raw Sienna have been prepared for carrying out this study. Different pH conditions have been probed for the different pigments studied. Values of peak area ratio of ami…

Electrochemical determination of boron in minerals and ceramic materials

Abstract A method for quantitatively determining boron in minerals and ceramic materials is described. It is based on the abrasive attachment of mixtures of ZnO plus sample to PIGEs. After a reductive deposition step, square wave voltammograms recorded for those modified electrodes immersed into 0.10 M NaCl+0.25 M mannitol provide well-defined stripping peaks at −0.85 and −0.15 V vs. AgCl/Ag for the oxidation of Zn and B, respectively. The quotients between the peak areas and the peak currents for the stripping oxidation of B and Zn vary linearly with the molar ratio of B and Zn in the mixture, thus providing an electrochemical method for determining the boron content in solid samples. Resu…

Survey of the mycobiota of Spanish malting barley and evaluation of the mycotoxin producing potential of species of Alternaria, Aspergillus and Fusarium

The present work deals with the toxigenic mycobiota occurring in Spanish malting barley and the capability for producing mycotoxins by several important toxigenic fungi. One hundred and eighty seven samples of malting barley were gathered from Spanish breweries before processing. One hundred and fifty kernels per sample were surface-sanitized with a 2% sodium hypochlorite solution and incubated on three culture media. The most abundant fungi were species of Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium, which were present in 93%, 82.3%, 57.8% and 27.8% of the samples, respectively. To evaluate their mycotoxin producing potential a number of isolates belonging to each genus, except Penic…

Electrochemical characterization of solid state reaction kinetics using voltammetry of microparticles. Application to thermal decomposition of iron chromites

The voltammetry of microparticles is applied to characterize the electrocatalytic ability of solids towards selected electrochemical processes. The variation of catalytic currents under fixed electrochemical conditions permits to obtain composition/time data to be fitted with solid state kinetic models. This methodology is applied to analyze the thermal decomposition of magnesiochromite ferroan and chlorite chromian standards and a South Africa iron chromite ore on the basis of the significant catalytic effect on the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in aqueous alkaline media at mineral-modified graphite electrodes. Measurement of the time variation of catalytic current for OE…

Correction of Matrix Effect in Multielemental Quantitative Analysis by X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy Using the Linear Behavior in the Analytical Range of the Substitution-Dilution Method

This paper is an analytical study of the possibility of applying the linear range of the substitution-dilution method to correct the matrix effect in quantitative analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The analytical range is obtained from a series of samples prepared in the form of glass discs by substituting the unknown sample with a standard sample (substitution factor, h) including a diluent-melt. In general, the substitution-dilution method is hyperbolic in character and therefore the diluent is required to ensure linear behavior between If vs. h in the experimental range. The linear range is located between the concentrations of standard and unknown for each element analy…

Quantitation of Metal Ions in Archaeological Glass by Abrasive Stripping Square-Wave Voltammetry Using Graphite/Polyester Composite Electrodes

A method for identifying Co, Cu, Sb, Sn, Fe, Zn, and Zr pigments in glasses using square-wave voltammetry as the detection mode is described. It is based on the abrasive attachment of glass microsamples to graphite/polyester composite electrodes. Sample amounts less than 1 μg are used allowing for the study of archaeological samples. In all cases well-defined anodic stripping peaks corresponding to the oxidation of metal deposits generated at potentials ranging from −0.6 to −1.6 V (vs. SCE) are obtained. This response is in agreement with that displayed by the corresponding metal oxides. Quantitative estimates of the relative population of metal ions in glasses are obtained from peak area m…

Electrochemical analysis of the alterations in copper pigments using charge transfer coefficient/peak potential diagrams. Application to microsamples of baroque wall paintings attached to polymer film electrodes

The alteration of copper pigments in art samples was studied by linear scan and cyclic voltammetry using sample-modified Elvacite 2044 film electrodes on the basis of two-dimensional diagrams of charge transfer coefficients calculated from Tafel plots of reductive dissolution processes vs. peak potential. Characteristic voltammetric peaks were obtained for pigments used in the baroque vault frescoes of the Basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados painted by Antonio Palomino. Results obtained by voltammetric techniques were compared with those from SEM/EDX and FT-IR analysis obtaining a good agreement and leaving to an unambiguous identification of pigments used by Palomino and their altera…

Electrochemical Determination of the Fe(III)/Fe(II) Ratio in Archaeological Ceramic Materials Using Carbon Paste and Composite Electrodes

A method for determining the iron(III)/iron(II) ratio in ceramic materials based on microsample attachment to graphite/polyester composite electrodes is presented. This quotient is of considerable interest for determining the nature and firing conditions of the original materials in archaeological ceramics. The electrochemistry of iron in ceramic materials in acetic/acetate and Na2EDTA aqueous solutions is described in terms of reductive dissolution processes of iron(III) materials and oxidative dissolution processes of iron(II) ones. The iron(III)/iron(II) ratio is determined from peak area measurements in linear scan voltammograms performed in 0.10 M acetic/acetate buffer (pH 4.70) and 0.…

New method for determination of ochratoxin A in beer using zinc acetate and solid-phase extraction silica cartridges

Abstract A new method for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in beer has been developed. The new method has been compared with a reference method currently accepted as AOAC official first action. The limits of detection and quantification of the proposed method were 0.0008 and 0.0025 ng/ml, respectively, while they were 0.0025 and 0.0075 ng/ml, respectively, in the AOAC method used as reference. The recovery levels in the 0.025–0.40 ng OTA/ml spiking range for the proposed and the reference methods were 80.6–87.6% and 78.2–83.8%, respectively. The relative standard deviations of recoveries were 2.6–7.5% for the proposed method and 0.7–6.1% for the reference method. Passing and Bablok r…

MYCOTOXINS | Detection and Analysis by Classical Techniques

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by Imad Ali Ahmed, volume 2, pp. 1526–1532, © 1999, Elsevier Ltd.

Substitution–dilution method to correct the matrix effect in multi-element quantitative analysis by X-ray fluorescence

Abstract A mathematical model based on the dilution–addition method (DAM) for multi-elemental analysis using an X-ray fluorescence technique is proposed. The conditions for sample preparation do not require both the unknown and standard samples to be similar in composition and mineralogy, and the unknown sample is replaced quantitatively by the standard sample, hence the denomination substitution–dilution method (SDM). This method makes it possible to correct the matrix effect in multi-elemental quantitative analysis by X-ray fluorescence for each analyte. The proposed model presents hyperbolic behaviour of the experimental data when the X-ray fluorescence intensities are represented versus…

Analytical and mineralogical studies of ore and impurities from a chromite mineral using X-ray analysis, electrochemical and microscopy techniques

A wide analytical study of South African chromite ore, material with high interest in ceramic industry, has been carried out. With this purpose, an accurate chemical identification and mineralogical characterization of the mineral and the gangue have been performed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), voltammetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), light microscopy (LM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX). The elemental composition of the sample (ore and gangue) has been obtained by XRF. The voltammetric analysis has allowed to demonstrate that iron in the sample was as Fe(II). The main compound of the chromite ore was a spinel (magnesiochromite ferroan), identified by XRD from the sample, which c…

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry characterization of historical varnishes of ancient Italian lutes and violin

The organic constituents of historical vanishes from two ancient Italian lutes and a Stradivari violin, kept in the Musée de la musique in Paris, have been characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results have been compared with the chromatograms and mass spectra of recent as well as old naturally aged reference materials. The three historical varnishes analyzed have been shown to be oil varnishes, probably mixtures of linseed oil with resins. Identification of diterpenoids and triterpenoids compounds, and of the resins that may have been ingredients of the varnishes, are discussed in this paper.

Fumonisin production in rice cultures of Fusarium verticillioides under different incubation conditions using an optimized analytical method.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) are the main members of a family of mycotoxins produced by various fungal species belonging to the Gibberella fujikuroi complex. The present work shows the results of a comparative study of various clean-up and derivatization procedures for analysis of fumonisins in rice cultures. Fumonisins were extracted from rice with acetonitrile/water (50/50, v/v). For clean-up, three solid-phase extraction procedures were assayed (C18 cartridge, SAX cartridge, and a combination of both). Two reagents (o-phthaldialdehyde and 4-fluoro-7-nitro-benzofurazan) were studied comparatively for formation of fluorescent derivatives. The separation was carried out by LC u…

Impact of bioactive packaging systems based on EVOH films and essential oils in the control of aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin production in maize.

Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are the most common fungal species associated with aflatoxin (AF) contamination of cereals, especially maize, and other agricultural commodities. AFB1, the most frequent and toxic metabolite, is a powerful hepatotoxic, teratogenic and mutagenic compound. Effective strategies to control these fungal species and AFs in food and feed are required. Active packaging film containing essential oils (EO) is one of the most innovative food packaging concepts. In this study, ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer films incorporating EO from Origanum vulgare (ORE), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CIN) or their major active constituents, carvacrol (CAR) and cinnamaldehyde …

Analytical Study of a Resinous Material Used as Sealing in Ancient Pottery Found in an Archaeological Site by Thermally Assisted Hydrolysis Methylation–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry, Vibrational Spectroscopy and Light Microscopy

Abstract A resin sample was found in the archaeological site of Lixus (Morocco), belonging to the second century BC. The resinous material was found inside an amphora containing iron remains used in the plug as sealing material to hermetically close the pottery. The resinous sample was studied by several analytical techniques, as thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (THM–GC–MS), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and light microscopy. The material was identified as a Pinaceae resin. Therefore, a modern pine resin was also analyzed to consider the influence of aging in the archaeological sample. The ancient material was found not t…

Comparison of Different Analytical Methods for Determination of Type B Trichothecenes in Wheat and Ochratoxin A in Beer

An Overview on the Status of Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins in Spain

Mycotoxins are a group of secondary metabolites which are produced by various filamentous fungi, and which can produce a toxic response in animals or humans after ingestion of contaminated food. The main toxigenic fungi isolated from foods and feeds belong to the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium and Alternaria. Spores of these moulds are almost universally present everywhere, they fall on plants and, under appropriate conditions, they can germinate and generate mycelia causing crop spoilage and/or production of mycotoxins.

Comparison of different analytical processes for patulin determination in apple juice

F. M. Valle-Algarra, R. Mateo, A. Medina, F. Mateo, E. M. Mateo, E. Sanchis Blanco, J.V. Gimeno-Adelantado, J. Peris-Vicente and M. Jimenez 1 Dpto. de Quimica Analitica, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain 2 Dpto. de Microbiologia y Ecologia, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain 3 Dpto. de Ingenieria Electronica, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, E-46022, Valencia, Spain

Infusion mass spectrometry as a fingerprint to characterize varnishes in oil pictorial artworks.

Mass spectrometry methodology to characterize drying oil used as binding media and varnishes in pictorial artworks, prior to conservation or restoration treatment, is proposed. The analytical treatment requires prior basic hydrolysis of the samples to release the fatty acids : caprylic, pelargonic, capric, sebacic, azelaic, suberic, eicosanoic, lauric, mirystic, palmitic, linolenic, linoleic, oleic and stearic, followed by separation from the matrix by a hexane/water extraction. After removing the solvent, the remaining solid is dissolved in potassium hydroxide, propanol and methanol. The mixture is directly infused into a mass spectrometer without any previous derivatization or separation …

Identification of diterpenes in canvas painting varnishes by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with combined derivatisation.

A derivatisation method that combines the formation of ethyl esters from the carboxylic groups and trimethylsilyl ethers from hydroxyl groups of the components of diterpenic resins is presented in this paper. This methodology involves two experimental steps: (1) formation of ethyl esters using ethyl chloroformate; and (2) the esterified compounds are lead to react with trimethylsilylimidazole to form the corresponding trimethylsilyl ethers. The main advantage of the proposed method is the possibility of performing simultaneously the analysis of amino acids from proteins, fatty acids from drying oils, and diterpenic compounds from natural resins usually found in works of art. This methodolog…

Archaeopolymetallurgical study of materials from an Iberian culture site in Spain by scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis, chemometrics and image analysis

Abstract Archaeometallurgical materials from “La Bastida de Moixent”, a site in Valencia (Spain), from the second Iberian iron age (4th Century B.C.) have been studied using metallographic techniques, microanalysis, chemometrics and image analysis. The materials come from various phases of iron production and cupellation of argentiferous lead to obtain silver. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to determine the morphological, microstructural and topographic characteristics of the samples. Image analysis was used to obtain a numeric estimate of the main components in these materials. X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDX) provides qualitative and quantitative information about the elements in…