Non-Thermal Effects of Microwave Oven Heating on Ground Beef Meat Studied in the Mid-Infrared Region by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The effects of cooking by microwave oven on the secondary structure of lipid and protein contents in bovine ground beef were investigated in the midinfrared region by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to highlight the nonthermal effects of microwave oven heating. Samples of bovine ground beef were cooked in a conventional electric oven at the temperature of 175°C for 15 min and in a microwave oven at 800 W for 1½ min. Spectra analyses of bovine meat after cooking in the conventional oven evidenced a relevant increase in intensity of the carbonyl band at 1742 cm^?1 and of the methylene group at 2921 and 2853 cm^?1 that can be attributed to the Maillard reaction. In contrast, the increase in intensity of these bands after microwave oven heating was less than that which occurred after conventional cooking, showing that the temperature in ground beef meat samples during microwave heating was less than that induced by conventional heating. Spectral analysis in the amide I, II, and III regions showed that a significant increase in intensity occurred in the region from 1660 to 1675 cm^?1 and around 1695, 1635, 1575, and 988 cm^?1 after cooking by means of a microwave oven. These features, which can be attributed to β-turns and β-sheet structures, are characteristic of disorder processes in meat protein contents and increasing transition dipole coupling due to higher contents in aggregated β-sheet structures. This result highlighted nonthermal effects of microwave oven heating in the protein's secondary structure.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法检测水产品中脱氢胆酸残留

采用液液萃取和SPE净化提取水产品中的脱氢胆酸,并建立液相色谱-串联质谱的检验方法。样品以乙酸乙酯和二氯甲烷提取后采用C₁₈柱进行分离,乙腈以及超纯水为流动相洗脱,电喷雾电离负离子模式扫描,多反应监测测定,外标法定量分析。标准溶液在0.05~2 ng/mL范围内呈线性关系,相关系数大于0.99,方法定量限为0.05μg/kg,平均回收率在90.4%~110.0%,相对标准偏差在6.5%~12%。     

Detection of low amount of irradiated ingredients in non-irradiated precooked meals

The application of the European Standards for the detection of irradiated food by thermoluminescence of silicates, electron–spin resonance spectroscopy of bones or gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of 2-alkylcyclobutanones does not allow the detection of irradiated ingredients included in small quantity in the matrix of a food which has not been irradiated, but which could be subjected to various processing technologies such as cooking, freezing or storage. The use of an enzymatic food hydrolysis carried out at moderated temperature, for the extraction of the food-contaminating silicate minerals and bone fragments, followed by a purification of the extracts by a high-density aqueous solution of sodium polytungstate, allows a simultaneous detection of weak inclusions (0.1% m:m) of irradiated spices and mechanically deboned turkey meat (MRM) included in various precooked foods. Moreover, the use of a supercritical fluid extraction procedure for the 2-alkylcyclobutanones or an additional purification step of the lipid extracts made it possible to lower the detection limit of the 2-alkylcyclobutanones radiation-induced from triglycerides. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, down to 0.5% (m:m) of irradiated MRM included in non-irradiated chicken quenelles could be detected.     

The determination and characterisation of 2-naphthyloxycarbonyl chloride derivatised biogenic amines in pet foods

The need to monitor biogenic amines levels is essential for many areas of the food industry for two main reasons: the caustic nature and potential toxicity of these amines, and the potential to use amine levels as markers for freshness and quality in foodstuffs. Optimised analysis conditions used for the determination of biogenic amines derivatised with 2-napthyloxycarbonyl chloride has been applied to different pet food samples to assess the effectiveness of this method for complex sample matrices. Further to this, the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry has enabled the previously unconfirmed derivatised form of seven biogenic amines to be established. The derivatised forms identified include as mono substituted (tryptamine and histamine), bisubstituted (putrescine, cadaverine and tyramine), trisubstituted (spermidine) and tetrasubstituted (spermine). The methodology of biogenic amine determination was performed successfully to a range of pet food products highlighting the applicability to a variety of complex sample matrices.     

Pesticides and degradation products in groundwaters from a vineyard region: Optimization of a multiresidue method based on SPE and GC‐MS

A reliable multiresidue method based on solid phase extraction was developed using GC–MS to determine and quantify 34 pesticides, including herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and some of their degradation products, in groundwater in a vineyard region of La Rioja (northern Spain). Different parameters were optimized and good recoveries (65–108% range) and precisions (12–19% range) were achieved with spiked water samples for a concentration of 0.1 μg/L. The experimental results showed an excellent linearity (r² > 0.99) over the 0.1–1.5 μg/L range. The detection limits of the proposed method were 1–37 ng/L for most of the compounds studied. The methodology has been successfully applied to the analysis of groundwater samples from vineyard areas in La Rioja and the presence of pesticides, especially fungicides and herbicides, at several concentration levels was revealed. Terbuthylazine, its metabolite desethyl‐terbuthylazine, and fluometuron were the pesticides most frequently detected in higher concentrations. Overall and taking into consideration the European Union maximum residue limit of pesticides in groundwater, 16 of the 34 compounds included in this study were detected in concentrations over that limit in at least one of the samples analyzed.     

Diastereoselective Total Synthesis of (±)‐Schindilactone A,Part 2: Construction of the Fully Functionalized CDEFGH Ring System

The successful synthesis of the highly complex model compound ( 2 ) of the CEFGH ring system of schindilactone A ( 1 ) is described. Several synthetic methodologies were developed and applied to achieve this goal, including ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) and Co–thiourea‐catalyzed Pauson–Khand reactions. Furthermore, two independent approaches were developed for the construction of the GH ring of model compound 2 , the key steps of which included Pd–thiourea‐catalyzed carbonylative annulation, methylation, and sequential RCM/oxa‐Michael‐addition reactions. The chemistry developed herein has provided a greater understanding of the synthesis of schindilactone A ( 1 ) and its analogous compounds of the same family.     

Synthesis and Structure–Activity Relationship of Vicenistatin,a Cytotoxic 20‐Membered Macrolactam Glycoside

We have developed two syntheses of vicenistatin and its analogues. Our first‐generation strategy included the rapid and sequential assembly of the macrocyclic lactam by using an intermolecular Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction between the C3–C13 fragment and the C1–C2, C14–C19 fragment, followed by an intramolecular Stille coupling reaction. The second‐generation strategy utilized a ring‐closing metathesis of a hexaene intermediate to generate the desired 20‐membered macrolactam. This second‐generation strategy made it possible to prepare synthetic analogues of vicenistatin, including the C20‐ and/or C23‐demethyl analogues. Evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of these analogues indicated the importance of the fixed conformation of aglycon for determining the biological activity of the vicenistatins.