Inhibitory effect of sweet whey fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum strains against fungal growth: A potential application as an antifungal agent
Abstract: The presence of mycotoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium genera represents a problem in food preservation and consequently, its spoilage. During the fermentation process with lactic acid bacteria, a range of secondary metabolites associated with beneficial health effects were released. In the present study, goat whey fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum (CECT 220, 221, 223, and 748) species has shown a satisfactory inhibitory effect against 28 fungi, showing for certain species of Fusarium genus and also, for Aspergillus steynii, a value of minimum inhibitory concentration until 1.95 g/L. In addition, phenyllactic acid was identified in each sample of fer…
Chemical Composition, In Vitro Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenolic Compounds from Nutraceutical Fennel Waste Extract
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) waste contains a broad range of bioactive molecules, including polyphenols, which have poor bioaccessibility during gastrointestinal digestion. This work aimed to investigate the bioaccessibility of total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity during simulated gastrointestinal digestion using two nutraceutical formulations based on non-acid-resistant (NAR) and acid-resistant (AR) capsules containing aqueous-based extracts from fennel waste. Moreover, to obtain a comprehensive investigation of the polyphenolic constituents of the fennel waste extract, a high-resolution mass spectrometry (Q-Orbitrap) analysis was performed. Notably, chlorogenic acids…
Analysis of Phenolic Compounds in Commercial Cannabis sativa L. Inflorescences Using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. Family Cannabaceae) contains a vast number of bioactive relevant compounds, namely polyphenols including flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenol amides, and lignanamides, well known for their therapeutic properties. Nowadays, many polyphenols-containing products made of herbal extracts are marketed, claiming to exert health-promoting effects. In this context, industrial hemp inflorescence may represent an innovative source of bioactive compounds to be used in nutraceutical formulations. The aim of this work was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the polyphenolic fraction contained in polar extracts of four different commercial cultivars (Kompoti, Tiborszal…
Colon Bioaccessibility under In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion of Different Coffee Brews Chemically Profiled through UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS
Coffee represents one of the most traditionally consumed beverages worldwide, containing a broad range of human health&ndash
Deoxynivalenol contamination in cereal-based foodstuffs from Spain: Systematic review and meta-analysis approach for exposure assessment
Abstract The presence of deoxynivalenol (DON) has been repeatedly detected in cereal-based products collected from Spanish markets over the last years. Hence, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the concentration and prevalence of DON in cereals and cereal-based products from Spanish markets intended for human consumption, in order to integrate the available data. Then, an exposure assessment was performed based on national consumption data. Results revealed a strong impact of DON in breakfast cereals (pooled concentration = 105.34 ng/g; pooled prevalence = 58%) and bread and derived products (pooled concentration = 95.17 ng/g; pooled prevalence = 6…
Antifungal and antimycotoxigenic activity of hydrolyzed goat whey on Penicillium spp: An application as biopreservation agent in pita bread
Abstract Whey is a by-product of the cheese industry, yet it contains proteins that have a high nutritional value and are an important source of antifungal peptides. Food deterioration caused by toxigenic fungi is one of the challenges of food safety. In this context, trypsin was used to hydrolyse goat milk whey at 37. The resultant peptides were characterised by LC–ESI–TOF-MS. Antifungal activity of the goat milk whey hydrolysate (HGW) was determined against 10 toxigenic fungi from the genus Penicillium, in solid and liquid media. Furthermore, HGW was used as an ingredient for bread elaboration. Bread elaborated with HGW and inoculated with toxigenic fungi was included in a shelf-life stud…
Whey fermented by using Lactobacillus plantarum strains: A promising approach to increase the shelf life of pita bread
Nowadays, there is an increasing concern regarding the shelf life of food products, leading producers to research natural antimicrobial agents to use in food preparation. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity of Lactobacillus plantarum fermented whey and then added the whey during preparation of pita bread to study shelf-life improvement. The fermented whey showed a satisfactory inhibitory (antifungal) effect against Penicillium expansum and Penicillium brevicompactum strains: the minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentrations ranged from 3.9 to 39.0 g/L and from 62.5 to 250 g/L, respectively. Addition of fermented whey increased the shelf life of the pita bread. Aft…
Target Quantification and Semi-Target Screening of Undesirable Substances in Pear Juices Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.
Fruit juices are common products in modern diets due to the supply of vegetal nutrients combined with its tastiness. Nevertheless, potential contaminants, such as mycotoxins and pesticides, can be present in commercial products due to a potential carry-over. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate for the first time the presence of 14 Fusarium mycotoxins using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based extraction followed by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry in 21 pear juice samples from Italian markets. Up to nine different mycotoxins were detected, particularly an extensive presence of …
Biomonitoring of Enniatin B1 and Its Phase I Metabolites in Human Urine: First Large-Scale Study
Enniatins (Enns) are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. which are a fungus widely spread throughout cereals and cereal-based products. Among all the identified enniatins, Enn B1 stands as one of the most prevalent analogues in cereals in Europe. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate for the first time the presence of Enn B1 and its phase I metabolites in 300 human urine samples using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) methodology. Enn B1 was detected in 94.3% of samples ranging from 0.007 to 0.429 ng/mL (mean value: 0.065 ng/mL). In accordance with previous in vitro and in vivo analysis, hydroxylated metabolites …
Target analysis and retrospective screening of mycotoxins and pharmacologically active substances in milk using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry approach.
Milk is a nutritious food suitable for infants and adults, and it plays an important role in the human diet. However, it may also be a vehicle for food contaminants. In this report, we developed a method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap HRMS; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA) for simultaneous identification of target pharmacologically active substances and mycotoxins in milk. We also used the Q-Orbitrap operating in full scan mode to identify other possible drugs and microbial metabolites that occurred in samples. Fifty-six commercially available milk samples from the Italian market were analyze…
Citrinin Dietary Exposure Assessment Approach through Human Biomonitoring High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Based Data.
Citrinin (CIT) is a scarcely studied mycotoxin within foodstuffs, so the biomonitoring of this toxin and its metabolite dihydrocitrinone (DH-CIT) in biological samples represents the main alternative to estimate the exposure. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of CIT and DH-CIT in 300 urine samples from Italian individuals in order to assess the exposure. Quantification was performed through an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS)-based methodology. CIT was quantified in 47% of samples (n = 300) up to 4.0 ng/mg Crea (mean = 0.29 ng/mg Crea), whereas DH-CIT was quantified in 21% of samples up to 2.5 ng/mg Crea (me…
Target Analysis and Retrospective Screening of Multiple Mycotoxins in Pet Food Using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS
A comprehensive strategy combining a quantitative method for 28 mycotoxins and a post-target screening for other 245 fungal and bacterial metabolites in dry pet food samples were developed using an acetonitrile-based extraction and an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) method. The proposed method showed satisfactory validation results according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Average recoveries from 72 to 108% were obtained for all studied mycotoxins, and the intra-/inter-day precision were below 9 and 14%, respectively. Results showed mycotoxin contamination in 99% of pet food samples (n = 89) at concentratio…
Chemical Composition of Green Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Pods Extracts and Their Potential Exploitation as Ingredients in Nutraceutical Formulations
Agro-industrial wastes contain a large number of important active compounds which can justify their use as innovative ingredients in nutraceutical products. This study aimed to provide a complete analysis of active molecules, namely (poly)phenols in pea pods water-based extracts, through a UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS methodology. Data showed that 5-caffeoylquinic acid, epicatechin, and hesperidin were the most relevant (poly)phenols found in the assayed extracts, with a mean value of 59.87, 29.46, and 19.94 mg/100 g, respectively. Furthermore, changes in antioxidant capacity and bioaccessibility of total phenolic compounds (TPC) after the simulated gastrointestinal (GI) process were performed usi…
Occurrence and exposure assessment of mycotoxins in ready-to-eat tree nut products through ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution q-orbitrap mass spectrometry
Tree nuts have become popular snacks due to their attributed benefits in the health state. Nevertheless, their susceptibility to fungal contamination lead to the occurrence of potentially dangerous mycotoxins. Hence, the aim of this work was to evaluate the presence of mycotoxins in ready-to-eat almonds, walnuts, and pistachios from Italian markets. The most relevant mycotoxin found in almonds was α-zearalanol in 18% of samples (n = 17) ranging from 3.70 to 4.54 µg/kg. Walnut samples showed frequent contamination with alternariol, present in 53% of samples (n = 22) at levels from 0.29 to 1.65 µg/kg. Pistachios (n = 15) were the most contaminated commodity, with β-zear…
Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Multi-Residue Analysis of Mycotoxins and Pesticides in Botanical Nutraceuticals
Cannabidiol (CBD) food supplements made of Cannabis sativa L. extracts have quickly become popular products due to their health-promoting effects. However, potential contaminants, such as mycotoxins and pesticides, can be coextracted during the manufacturing process and placed into the final product. Accordingly, a novel methodology using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was developed to quantify 16 mycotoxins produced by major C. sativa fungi, followed by a post-target screening of 283 pesticides based on a comprehensive spectral library. The validated procedure was applied to ten CBD-bas…
Colon bioaccessibility under in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of a red cabbage extract chemically profiled through UHPLC‐Q‐Orbitrap HRMS
Red cabbage is a native vegetable of the Mediterranean region that represents one of the major sources of anthocyanins. The aim of this research is to evaluate the antioxidant capability and total polyphenol content (TPC) of a red cabbage extract and to compare acquired data with those from the same extract encapsulated in an acid-resistant capsule. The extract, which was qualitatively and quantitatively profiled by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis, contained a high content of anthocyanins and phenolic acids, whereas non-anthocyanin flavonoids were the less abundant compounds. An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion system was utilized to follow the extract&rsquo
Urinary levels of enniatin B and its phase I metabolites: First human pilot biomonitoring study
Abstract Enniatins (Enns) are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. and are widely distributed contaminants of cereals and derivate products. Among the different identified enniatins, Enn B is the most relevant analogue in cereals in Europe. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate for the first time the occurrence of Enn B and Enn B phase I metabolites in 300 human urine samples throughout an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) methodology. Three different sample preparation procedures were evaluated and salting-out liquid-liquid extraction showed satisfactory validation results. Enn B was quantified in 83.7% of sa…
Evaluation of biological and antimicrobial properties of freeze-dried whey fermented by different strains ofLactobacillus plantarum
The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological and antimicrobial activities of commercial freeze-dried whey fermented by lactic acid bacteria in order to valorize this high polluting liquid waste of the dairy industry. Freeze-dried whey was fermented by different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (CECT 220, 221, 748) at three different times of fermentation (24, 48, 72 h). Afterwards, the extract was purified on centricon amicon with a cut-off of 3 kDa to obtain a permeate consisting of small bioactive compounds reported in the literature to show greater bioactivity. The purified and diluted samples were subjected to the biological and antimicrobial tests for the evaluation of antiox…