Analysis of Chemical Biomarkers and Contaminants in Food

The quality of food has become of great importance and relevance in recent years, not only for scientific communities but also for ordinary people [...]

Massive Alveolar Haemorrhage Presenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged healthcare systems and has resulted in complex diagnostic processes for patients with non-COVID-19 pathology. Here, we demonstrate a case of massive alveolar haemorrhage secondary to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis, presented to a district general hospital in the UK during the first wave of the global pandemic. This case highlights some of the difficulties clinicians may face when diagnosing life-threatening antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors place emphasis on the careful interpretation of chemical biomarkers such as troponin and D-dimer when assessing patients with acute respiratory distress. They also aim to highlight the importance of CT thorax imaging when seeking an alternate diagnosis to COVID-19.

A portable droplet microfluidic device for cortisol measurements using a competitive heterogeneous assay

Point of care monitoring of chemical biomarkers in real-time holds great potential in rapid disease diagnostics and precision medicine. However, monitoring is still rare in practice, as measurement of biomarkers...

NMR-Based Metabolomic Study of Purple Carrot Optimal Harvest Time for Utilization as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

The carrot (Daucus carota L.), one of the most important vegetable crops in the world, is recognized as a source of different compounds with healthy properties. Due to their high content of anthocyanins, purple carrots have been used as a natural colorant source to face the increasing demand of consumers for non-synthetic products. However, the root developmental stage can greatly affect the phytochemical composition and, in this regard, the identification of chemical biomarkers for the optimal harvest time would be of paramount interest both from a nutritional point of view and for the agri-food industry. In the present work, the metabolic profiling of purple carrots was monitored over four months using high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy. Several metabolites were identified, and their quantitative variations allowed for the investigation of the carrot development processes. The metabolic profile analysis showed an increase in amino acid, NAD, and caffeic acid levels during carrot development. A more tardive harvest in December entailed an increase in levels of luteolin-7-O-glucoside, chlorogenic acid, falcarinol, and γ-aminobutyrate, and a decrease in carotenoids and ω-6 fatty acid. The results showed how the harvest time affects the composition in terms of flavonoids, phenols, and polyacetylenes, therefore, improving the bioactive compound content.

A Novel HPTLC Method for Simultaneous Quantification of (-)-Pseudosemiglabrin and Isoglabratephrin a Bioactive Prenylated Flavonoids Identified in Tephrosia Apollinea

Fingerprint analysis by HPTLC is an effective and powerful tool for linking the bioactive components profile of the plants with botanical identity and for estimation of chemical biomarkers. Tephrosia apollinea has been used in folk medicine to treat inflammation and relieving pain, as well as for diarrhea and abdominal pain. A densitometric High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting method has been developed for the simultaneous determination and quantification of (-)-pseudosemiglabrin (SSG) and isoglabratephrin (IGP) in different parts of Tephrosia apollinea collected in summer and winter. The study revealed that SSG and IGP are the major components in T. apollinea and found in all parts of the plant at different amount. The proposed HPTLC method was found to be convenient for rapid screening of active components present in ethanol extracts of T. apollinea and can be used for analysis and routine quality control of the raw materials as well as formulations containing Tephrosia species

Chemometric Analysis of Fatty Acids Profile of Ripening Chesses

The number of different types of cheese worldwide exceeds 4000 and dairy fat, composed of about 400 fatty acids (FA), is one of the most complex dietary fats. Cheeses are valuable sources of different bioactive FA, i.e., conjugated FA (CFA). The aim of present study was to determine FA profile of commercially available ripening cheeses, with the special emphasis on CFA profile. Multivariate analyses (cluster analysis (CA), principal component Analysis (PCA), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA)) of chromatographic data have been proposed as an objective approach for evaluation and data interpretation. CA enabled the differentiation of ripening cheeses from fresh cheeses and processed cheeses. PCA allowed to differentiate some types of ripening cheese whereas proposed LDA model, based on 22 analyzed FA, enabled assessing cheeses type with average predictive sensitivities of 86.5%. Results of present study clearly demonstrated that FA and CFA content may not only contribute to overall nutritional characteristics of cheese but also, when coupled with chemometric techniques, may be used as chemical biomarkers for assessing the origin and/or the type of ripening cheeses and the confirmation of their authenticity, which is of utmost importance for consumers.

Primary Step Towards In Situ Detection of Chemical Biomarkers in the UNIVERSE via Liquid-Based Analytical System: Development of an Automated Online Trapping/Liquid Chromatography System

The search for biomarkers in our solar system is a fundamental challenge for the space research community. It encompasses major difficulties linked to their very low concentration levels, their ambiguous origins (biotic or abiotic), as well as their diversity and complexity. Even if, in 40 years’ time, great improvements in sample pre-treatment, chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry detection have been achieved, there is still a need for new in situ scientific instrumentation. This work presents an original liquid chromatographic system with a trapping unit dedicated to the one-pot detection of a large set of non-volatile extra-terrestrial compounds. It is composed of two units, monitored by a single pump. The first unit is an online trapping unit able to trap polar, apolar, monomeric and polymeric organics. The second unit is an online analytical unit with a high-resolution Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The designed single pump system was as efficient as a laboratory dual-trap LC system for the analysis of amino acids, nucleobases and oligopeptides. The overall setup significantly improves sensitivity, providing limits of detection ranging from ppb to ppt levels, thus meeting with in situ enquiries.