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•Pioneer study on agroecological food composition using HS-SPME/GC-MS.•Differentiation of terpenoids from agroecological, organic and conventional mint.•Employment of multivariate ...statistical methods and univariate analysis.•Agroecological practices presented the most influence on the mint terpenoid profile.•Agroecological mint produces oxyfunctional terpenoids with more biological activity.
In the present study, foodomics approach was employed to investigate changes in the metabolism from the volatile terpenoids profile of mint(Mentha × gracillis Sole)from conventional, organic and permaculture (a type of agroecological agriculture system) farms using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) associated to gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and chemometric tools. The discrimination among the three types of mint was successfully achieved and demonstrated evidence of ecological interaction impact in the food metabolism. The agroecological mint presented as differential compounds: α-terpineol, bornyl formate, cis-carvyl propionate, cis-carveol, camphor, dihydrocarvyl acetate, dihydrocarveol, karahanaenone, nonanal, 3-octyl acetate, and trans-3-hexenyl-2 methylbutyrate. While organic and conventional mint presented as differential compounds: α-cedrene, β -pinene, γ-muurolene, δ-cadinene, germacrene, terpinolene, and elemol. The majority of differential metabolites from agroecological mint are oxygenated monoterpenes, which have more intense flavor and biological activities than hydrocarbons monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes found in organic and conventional mint. Furthermore, the discrimination between organic and conventional mint was effectively performed, which demonstrated different terpenoid profiles though without implying benefits for one or another agriculture system.
An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in fish, shellfish and muscle of terrestrial animals was ...developed as an extension of a previously validated method for PBDE analysis. A single sample preparation based on QuEChERS-like extraction and a two-step clean-up, followed by a dual instrumental detection, was implemented. GC-MS/MS was used for PBDEs and LC-MS/MS for HBCDs. The method allows the quantification of fifteen PBDEs (28, 47, 49, 66, 77, 85, 99, 100, 138, 153, 154, 183, 197, 206, 209) and three HBCD isomers (α, β and γ), reaching 10 pg/g LOQs for all the analytes except BDE 206 and 209 (100 pg/g LOQ). The validated method was applied to the analysis of 12 fish and shellfish species (sole, spiny dogfish, smooth-hound, mackerel, swordfish, grey mullet, cod, anchovy, red mullet, Atlantic horse mackerel, tuna fish and mussel) collected in central Italian markets accounting for a total of 44 samples. Generally, ΣPBDEs showed higher concentration than ΣHBCDs except in the case of mussels in which ΣHBCDs > ΣPBDEs. Cod and smooth-hound are the least contaminated species among those analysed in the present study, whereas the highest brominated flame retardant (BFR) levels were found in spiny dogfish samples. The measured contamination levels were generally comparable to or lower than those already published in European studies. Literature data for HBCDs in European fish and shellfish were hard to find; therefore, PBDE and HBCD levels were also compared with European Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) in biota (Directive 2013/39/EU). EQSs for HBCDs are six orders of magnitude higher than those for PBDEs; therefore, while no exceedance was observed for the first, almost all the samples analysed for PBDEs were above EQSs. The presented preliminary data on PBDEs and HBCDs are among the first published in marine fish and shellfish commercialised in Central Italy.
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The process of investigating paintings includes the identification of materials to solve technical and historical art questions, to aid in the deduction of the original appearance, and in the ...establishment of the chemical and physical conditions for adequate restoration and conservation. In particular, we have focused on the identification of several samples taken from six famous canvases painted by Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra, who created a very special collection depicting the life of San Ignacio, which is located in the church of
San Justo y Pastor of Granada, Spain. The characterization of the inorganic and organic compounds of the textiles, preparation layers, and pictorial layers have been carried out using an XRD diffractometer, SEM observations, EDX spectrometry, FT-IR spectrometry (both in reflection and transmission mode), pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and synchrotron-based μ-X-ray techniques. In this work, the advantages over conventional X-ray diffraction of using combined synchrotron-based μ-X-ray diffraction and μ-X-ray fluorescence in the identification of multi-layer paintings is demonstrated.
Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are high-production volume chemicals widely present in environmental compartments. The presence of water-soluble OPFRs (tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), ...tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP), and triethyl phosphate (TEP)) in water compartments evidences the struggle of conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to effectively eliminate these toxic compounds. This study reports for the first time the use of white-rot fungi as a promising alternative for the removal of these OPFRs. To accomplish this, a simple and cost-efficient quantification method for rapid monitoring of these contaminants’ concentrations by GC–MS while accounting for matrix effects was developed. The method proved to be valid and reliable for all the tested parameters. Sample stability was examined under various storage conditions, showing the original samples to be stable after 60 days of freezing, while post-extraction storage techniques were also effective. Finally, a screening of fungal degraders while assessing the influence of the glucose regime on OPFR removal was performed. Longer chain organophosphate flame retardants, TBP and TBEP, could be easily and completely removed by the fungus
Ganoderma lucidum
after only 4 days. This fungus also stood out as the sole organism capable of partially degrading TCEP (35% removal). The other chlorinated compound, TCPP, was more easily degraded and 70% of its main isomer was removed by
T. versicolor
. However, chlorinated compounds were only partially degraded under nutrient-limiting conditions. TEP was either not degraded or poorly degraded, and it is likely that it is a transformation product from another OPFR’s degradation. These results suggest that degradation of chlorinated compounds is dependent on the concentration of the main carbon source and that more polar OPFRs are less susceptible to degradation, given that they are less accessible to radical removal by fungi. Overall, the findings of the present study pave the way for further planned research and a potential application for the degradation of these contaminants in real wastewaters.
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Phenol is one of the main pollutants that have a serious impact on the environment and can even be very critical to human health. The biodegradation of phenol can be considered an increasingly ...important pollution control process. In this study, the degradation of phenol by Pseudomonas fredriksbergsis was investigated for the first time under different growth conditions. Six different initial concentrations of phenol were used as the primary substrate. Culture conditions had an important effect on these cells' ability to biodegrade phenol. The best growth of this organism and its highest biodegradation level of phenol were noticed at pH 7, temperature 28 °C, and periods of 36 and 96 h, respectively. The highest biodegradation rate was perceived at 700 mg/L initial phenol concentration. Approximately 90% of the phenol (700 mg / L) was removed in less than 96 hours of incubation time. It was found that the Haldane model best fitted the relationship between the specific growth rate and the initial phenol concentration, whereas the phenol biodegradation profiles time could be adequately described by the modified Gompertz model. The obtained parameters from the Haldane equation are: 0.062 h−1, 11 ppm, and 121 ppm for Haldane's maximum specific growth rate, the half-saturation coefficient, and the Haldane’s growth kinetics inhibition coefficient, respectively. The Haldane equation fitted the experimental data by minimizing the sum of squared error (SSR) to 1.36x10-3.
•Volatile profile of Senegalese sole, fed with different diets, was determined.•Fish meal replacement up to 75% with plant protein (PP) has no effect on sole muscle volatile composition.•Replacement ...of fish oil did not influence sensory appreciation.•PP diets led to the production of lower amounts of volatile compounds than vegetable oil diets.
The aim of this study was to determine differences among volatile compounds composition of Senegalese sole muscle fed with extruded diets containing different plant protein (PP) and vegetable oil (VO) sources. Two set of experiments were performed on growing sole. One growth trial used a control diet containing fish meal (FM) as the main protein source and different PP-based diets. Another growth trial compared a control diet containing fish oil (FO) as the main lipid source and different VO-based diets; after a period, all sole were fed with the FO diet. Results showed that the incorporation of PP sources up to 75% allowed the production of a similar content of major volatile compounds to the control diet. In VO-based diets, some significant differences were found in the levels of some volatile compounds in sole muscle; however, no significant differences were obtained through sensory evaluation.
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•Co-pyrolysis of CV and KW lowered the activation energy by 17.1–27.0%.•Synergism of CV and KW led to earlier release of volatiles.•Permutit promoted pyrolysis behavior the most with ...less residue.•CaO exerted the best effect by reducing acids and improving hydrocarbons.•CFP of 50% CV with 50% KW using CaO as the additive got optimum product qualities.
Efficient utilization of biomass and garbage has attracted sharp attention in the context of the energy crisis. Fast catalytic pyrolysis (CFP) of chlorella vulgaris (CV), kitchen waste (KW) and their blends was carried out in this study in order to dispose garbage and develop alternative energy simultaneously. Catalysts of CaCO3, CaO, SiO2 and permutit were considered. Five CV blending degrees of 100, 80, 50, 20 and 0 wt% were studied. Influences of CV to KW ratios and catalyst types on pyrolysis products were primarily studied by thermogravimetric analyzer coupled to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). TGA-FTIR results showed that the decomposition behavior and the thermal gas release have been advanced after blending, especially at the ratio of 5:5, which indicated that co-pyrolysis promoted the main pyrolysis stage. For the co-pyrolysis of 50% CV with 50% KW, the apparent activation energy decreased by 14.9–19.3% compared to sole CV pyrolysis, 25.8–28.2% compared to sole KW pyrolysis. Regarding thermogravimetric characterization of samples with different additives, permutit possessed the most predominant promoting effect by lowering the initial temperature, increasing main stage mass loss and resulting in less residue mass. Py-GC/MS results demonstrated that CaO had the best positive effect among the four additives. It improved pyrolysis products by reducing acids by 85.9% for CV, 70.2% for KW and 81.7% for 5CV5KW, as well as increasing hydrocarbons to some extent. In summary, CFP of the sample at a blending ratio of 50% CV with 50% KW in the presence of CaO, could be a desirable treatment before further processing step of pyrolysis products.
Feeding experiments with stable isotopes are helpful tools for investigation of metabolic fluxes and biochemical pathways. For assessing nitrogen metabolism, the heavier nitrogen isotope,
N, has ...been frequently used. In plants, it is usually applied in form of
N-nitrate, which is assimilated mainly in leaves. Thus, methods for quantification of the
N-nitrate/
N-nitrate ratio in leaves are useful for the planning and evaluation of feeding and pulse-chase experiments. Here we describe a simple and sensitive method for determining the
N-nitrate to
N-nitrate ratio in leaves. Leaf discs (8 mm diameter, approximately 10 mg fresh weight) were sufficient for analysis, allowing a single leaf to be sampled multiple times. Nitrate was extracted with hot water and derivatized with mesitylene in the presence of sulfuric acid to nitromesitylene. The derivatization product was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with electron ionization. Separation of the derivatized samples required only 6 min. The method shows excellent repeatability with intraday and interday standard deviations of less than 0.9 mol%. Using the method, we show that
N-nitrate declines in leaves of hydroponically grown
, an African orphan crop, with a biological half-life of 4.5 days after transfer to medium containing
N-nitrate as the sole nitrogen source.
► The volatile profile of sole fed different dietary protein levels was evaluated through HS-SPME coupled to GC–IT/MS. ► Twenty compounds were quantified. ► 1-Penten-3-ol, hexanal and (E)-2-nonenol ...were present in the highest concentration. ► Fish meal replacement by plant proteins has no major effects on sole’s muscle volatile composition.
The present study evaluates the possible effects of dietary protein sources on Senegalese sole muscle volatile compounds. Senegalese sole juveniles (8g mean IBW) were fed with six extruded diets containing different protein sources: a control diet contained fish meal as the main protein source and five plant protein-based diets, in which fishmeal was replaced by increasing levels of a blend of vegetable proteins: soybean, pea, potato, wheat and corn gluten at five graded levels. The volatile profiling of the raw fish fillets was evaluated using automated HS-SPME coupled to GC–MS. Thirty-five compounds were identified and the most abundant in all samples were quantified. 1-Penten-3-ol, hexanal, 1-octen-3-ol and (E)-2-nonen-1-ol were present in the highest concentrations. Among the 20 compounds quantified, no major differences were observed in muscle volatile profile of fish fed with the different diets (p>0.05). These findings indicated that fish meal substitution by plant proteins has no major effects on sole’s muscle volatile composition.
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