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Diet, nutrition intake, and metabolism in populations at high and low risk for colon cancer. Laboratory analysis of 3-day composite of food samples.

In a study designed to characterize dietary patterns of vegetarian and nonvegetarian populations, chemical analysis of 3-day composite food samples showed lower fat content of food of vegetarians than that of nonvegetarians; pure vegetarians had the lowest. Unsaturated fatty acids were highest in the food of the pure vegetarian group. No significant difference was seen in percentage protein of the food consumed by male vegetarians and nonvegetarians while the food of female vegetarians was of lower protein content than that of the nonvegetarians. The relationship of these findings to the lower incidence of colon cancer in vegetarian populations remains to be determined.

Adult↗

Investigation of decomposition products of microwave digestion of food samples.

The involatile residues remaining after closed-vessel microwave digestion of various food samples, using nitric acid, with and without post-digestion treatment with hydrogen peroxide, have been studied. Decomposition products were found to include aliphatic and aromatic acids, nitro-compounds, oxalates and inorganic nitrates and phosphates. Measures of digestion completeness were provided by appearance, carbon content, infrared spectra and thin layer chromatograms of the residues, enabling a comparison of different digestion methods and sample types. Residual carbon levels varied linearly with the relative amounts of carboxylic acid and inorganic nitrate, as measured by infrared spectrometry of the residues. The formation of calcium oxalate was also a function of the degree of decomposition: the carboxylic acid: oxalate ratio increased in a logarithmic fashion with increasing residual carbon content. Particularly high levels of residual carbon from nitric acid digestion of milk powder, due largely to carboxylic acid residues, were substantially decreased by post-digestion treatment with hydrogen peroxide. However, nitrobenzoic acids, which proved major interferents in electrochemical analysis, were only removed by treatment with perchloric acid.

Food↗

Enterotoxin production by Yersinia enterocolitica in food samples.

Milk and cold meat samples were contaminated with 7 various serogroups of Yersinia enterocolitica strains. The infected food samples were incubated under different conditions of growth, at different temperatures and for different periods of time, then the number of colony forming units was determined and enterotoxin production was assayed by the suckling mice test. The Y. enterocolitica strains multiplied well under varying conditions of growth, but enterotoxin production could be detected only in the meat samples when incubated under shaking at 25 degrees C for 48 h. It may be assumed that performed yersinia enterotoxin is absent from food stored under normal conditions.

Animals↗

Cationic and anionic polymeric additives for wall deactivation and selectivity control in the capillary electrophoretic separation of proteins in food samples.

Both cationic and anionic polymeric additives were used for the capillary electrophoretic separation of proteins in food samples. The cationic polyelectrolyte polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride was more effective in minimizing protein-wall interactions at pH 3 than at pH 7, presumably due to greater repulsion between the adsorbed polymer and proteins. Improved resolution was observed in the presence of the co-additive sodium octanesulphonate, presumably due to ion-pairing interactions with protein sample components. The anionic polymer dextran sulfate produced relatively high efficiencies, 120,000-180,000 theoretical plates, for protein separation, presumably because the polymer adsorbed to the capillary wall, rendering the surface more hydrophilic. In addition to reduced protein-wall interactions, improved resolution was observed, presumably due to analyte-polymer ion-exchange/ion-pairing interactions. When poly(vinyl sulphonic acid) was used instead of dextran sulfate, broader profiles were obtained and fewer components were resolved, presumably due to reduced wall deactivation that is related to the lower hydrophilicity of poly(vinyl sulphonic acid).

Animals↗

[Characteristics of E.coli O157 strains isolated in Poland from clinical material and food samples].

E. coli belonging to the O157 serological group are among the organisms isolated most frequently out of all the so called entero-hemorrhagic E. coli strains (EHEC). Since several years they have been isolated also in Poland. The purpose of the present study was determination on selected phenotypic and genotypic properties of E. coli O157 strains isolated in our country from clinical material samples and from food. The serotype of the strains was determined, together with the following properties regarded as pathogenicity markers of verotoxic E. coli strains such as absence of beta-glucuronidase activity and sorbitol fermentation ability, as well as production of verotoxins SLT I and/or SLT II and entero-hemolysin. Besides that, by the PCR method the fragments of the genes coding for verotoxins, intimin and enterohaemolysin were amplified. The products of PCR were analysed by the restriction enzyme analysis (RFLP). All verotoxic E. coli O157 strains isolated in Poland were analysed by the pulsed field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA (PFGE). The studied group comprised E. coli O157 strains, among them 40 strains were isolated from human faeces and 5 from food. The remaining strains were the reference E. coli O157:H7 EDL 933 and G 5244 strains and strains from NIH collection. The obtained results showed that the tested strains were a very varying population. 21 of them (all isolated from food, 11 from faeces and 5 reference strains) belonged to serotype O157:H7, five were not peritrichous O157:NM and the remaining ones had other ciliary antigen than H7. All strains isolated from food, reference strains and only 3 O157:NM strains isolated from humans were verotoxic. The strains from food and two reference strains produced only SLT II, 2 of 3 strains isolated from humans and one reference strain also produced only SLT II and the other produced both verotoxins. Apart from these 13 verotoxic strains all remaining strains caused sorbitol fermentation.

Base Sequence↗

Epstein-Barr virus activators, mutagens and volatile nitrosamines in preserved food samples from high-risk areas for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Representative samples of preserved foods collected from high-risk areas for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were assayed for capacity to induce Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by measuring induction of the DR promoter gene or of genes for early antigens in Raji cells. The two assays gave concordant results, but the DR induction assay detected EBV-inducing substances at lower concentrations and more reproducibly. Three of 17 preserved food items were active in both assays; they were also weakly mutagenic in the SOS chromotest and contained low or moderate levels of volatile N-nitrosamines. After in-vitro nitrosation, the levels of mutagens and nitrosamines increased, whereas EBV-inducing activity was unchanged or decreased. Thus, EBV inducers appear to be a different class of substances from mutagens and volatile N-nitrosamines but could act with them in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Food Analysis↗

Monitoring of bacterial contamination in food samples using capillary zone electrophoresis.

A capillary electrophoresis method with UV detection is proposed for the identification and quantitation of bacterial contamination in food samples. The electrophoretic separation relies on the differential mobility of bacteria in the capillary. Electrophoretic resolution is improved by using calcium and myoinositol hexakisphosphate as specific ions that interact with the bacterial surface changing its electrical properties and electrophoretic mobility. The proposed method allows the effective separation of eight different types of bacteria in only 25 min. It was successfully used to detect the presence of bacteria in contaminated food. The precision of the analysis of real spiked samples ranges from 3.3 to 7.0%, and the overall analysis time is 7 h, which is much shorter than the 24-48 h typically required for plate counts. The validity of the method was established by comparison with the standard plate counting method.

Animals↗

Application and flexibility of robotics in automating extraction methods for food samples.

Laboratory robotic technology has made it possible to automate the manually intensive operations associated with the extraction of vitamins from food. The modular approach to robotics allows the conversion from one extraction procedure to another by a simple addition or replacement of a module plus reprogramming. This is illustrated for the extraction of vitamins C and B1 from food samples. Because many of the organic micronutrients are unstable, storage and extraction conditions must be established to stabilize labile compounds if the full capabilities of robotics are to be realized.

Animals↗

High-throughput determination of seven trace elements in food samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

A method was developed for high-throughput determinations of 7 elements in food samples, namely antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and tin (Sn). The samples were digested by closed-vessel microwave-assisted digestion using concentrated nitric acid (HNO3) as the medium, followed by microwave- assisted evaporation to concentrate the sample solutions before dilution to the desired volume. The microwave-assisted evaporation procedure effectively reduced the final acid concentration to around 8% before analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This reduction allows determination by ICP-MS to proceed without further sample dilution, which would affect the detection limit. The method was validated, and method recoveries for As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Hg were within the certified ranges of the chosen certified reference materials. Recoveries of the 7 elements from spiked samples ranged from 93.1 to 103.6%. The standard uncertainties of precision for the 7 elements were between 3.1 and 4.3%. Interlaboratory comparison studies for As, Cd, and Pb gave z-scores ranging from -0.2 to 0.3.

Calibration↗

Improved measurement of iodine in food samples using inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

A new ICP-MS method for the determination of iodine in food samples is presented. The method makes use of a new miniature cyclonic spray chamber and a concentric glass nebulizer that is designed for low sample uptakes and is operated in a self-aspirating mode. As a consequence the wash-out was accelerated over conventional systems. This configuration allows the direct determination of iodine in mineralized solutions following digestion with nitric acid only. No strong oxidizing reagents such as perchloric acid or lengthy sample preparation were necessary to alter the chemical form of potentially volatile species. The isotope dilution technique using the long-lived isotope 129I was applied to obtain freedom from matrix effects. The present study reports on results for total iodine in selected nutritional and biological reference materials and makes a comparison with instrumental neutron activation analysis.

Food Analysis↗

Computer assisted determination of ATP in environmental and food samples by bioluminescent assay: comparison of algorithms.

When the bioluminescent assay (BLA) for the determination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in environmental and food samples is performed by conventional photometers, a computing procedure is necessary to exclude the mixing time of reagents from the global time of the reaction because it produces a poor analytical precision [M. Mecozzi, A. Amici, G. Visco, Fres. J. Anal. Chem. 357 (1997) 747-751]. In this paper three automated procedures for correcting this interference were tested and compared with illustrate their advantages and drawbacks. The three techniques were the robust exponential regression and the outliers detection method (RER), the smoothing technique of Savitzky-Golay (SSG) and the smoothing technique of Kalman Filter (SKF). RER and SSG were found to be more effective than SKF in minimizing the effect of noise produced by the mixing of reagents. In addition, the application of computing procedures such as RER and SSG allow to improve the detection limit in the BLA performed by conventional photometers.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Determination of aluminium and chromium in slurried baby food samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine aluminium and chromium in different types of baby foods. Samples without previous treatment were introduced into the atomizer as suspensions, which were prepared in a medium containing 0.1% (w/v) Triton X-100 (for chromium) or 10% (v/v) ethanol (for aluminium), 5% (v/v) concentrated hydrogen peroxide, and 0.5% (v/v) concentrated nitric acid. The slurries were homogenized with a potter and introduced directly into the furnace. The presence of nitric acid allowed a substantial amount of analyte to be extracted to the liquid phase. No matrix effect was observed and aqueous standard solutions were used for calibration. The detection limits were 4 and 50 pg for chromium and aluminium, respectively; characteristic masses were 3.8 pg for chromium and 18 pg for aluminium. Reliability of the procedures was checked by statistically comparing the results with those obtained with a previous microwave oven mineralization stage and by analyis of several certified reference materials. Values for the aluminium content ranged between 0.4 and 3.0 microg/g, and for chromium between 0.003 and 0.06 microg/g.

Aluminum↗

Direct identification in food samples of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes by molecular methods.

A new molecular approach for the detection and identification of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in food is presented here. The method is based on the PCR amplification of a fragment of the iap gene from the five species belonging to the genus and on the analysis of the PCR products obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The protocol was first optimized by using strains from international collections. Based on the differences present in the sequences amplified, it was possible to obtain species-specific DGGE migration that allowed fast and easy identification of L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. welshimeri, L. seeligeri, and L. ivanovii. Moreover, for L. monocytogenes serotypes, partial differentiation was possible. The optimized protocol was used for identification of Listeria strains traditionally isolated from food and for direct detection and identification of Listeria members in food after an overnight enrichment. Identification of 48 food isolates and direct detection of Listeria spp. in 73 food samples show the potential of the method that can be used as a fast screening test to investigate the presence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes in food.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Flow injection determination of xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and its application to food samples.

The enzyme xanthine oxidase (XOD) has been recognized as a key enzyme causing oxidative injury to tissues by ischemia-reperfusion. For this reason, XOD inhibitor, which effectively suppresses this enzyme, plays an important role in the inhibition of many diseases related to reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to screen XOD inhibitors rapidly and conveniently, a novel assay using flow injection analysis (FIA) was proposed in the present investigation. To optimize the practical FIA system, we studied the effect of the reagent concentrations and the flow condition on the enzymatic reaction, and then selected the optimum condition as follows: 200-mU/ml XOD concentration, 0.5-mM xanthine concentration, 0.5-ml/min flow rate, and 2-m mixing coil length. Under this condition, a typical XOD inhibitor quercetin was determined in the concentration range 0.1 - 1.5 mM at a sampling frequency of 10 samples/h. Using the optimized FIA method, we determined the XOD inhibitory activity of some food samples: onions, apples and teas, which are the high sources of flavonoids known as the potential XOD inhibitors. Among these samples, tea leaves showed the highest activity, the second was onions and the lowest was apples. Based on the result of the assay, not only quercetin, but also other components in investigated samples, contributed to the XOD inhibitory activity.

Allopurinol↗

Isotope dilution gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the determination of isoflavonoids, coumestrol, and lignans in food samples.

We present a method for the quantitative determination of the phytoestrogens formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein, and coumestrol and simultaneously the lignans secoisolariciresinol (SECO) and matairesinol in plant-derived foods. These compounds are measured by isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode (ID/GC/MS/SIM) using synthesized deuterated internal standards for the correction of losses during the procedure. A three-step hydrolysis--a rehydration with distilled H2O, followed by enzymatic and acid hydrolysis--has been applied in order to convert the diphenolic glycosides into their respective aglycones. Purification and separation are carried out in two ion-exchange chromatographic steps followed by derivatization and GC-MS. The within-assay imprecision values vary 3.1-9.6% and the between-assay imprecision 7.0-21.2%. The mean recovery of authentic standards processed through the whole procedure varied from 95.5 to 105.5%. Values for some different food samples are presented. The simultaneous determination of the biologically most interesting phytoestrogens and lignans in foods has not been carried out previously and the method will be useful for screening of important foods in populations with different risk of cancer and coronary heart disease, and for metabolic studies.

Anion Exchange Resins↗

Mechanised flow system for on-line microwave digestion of food samples with off-line catalytic spectrophotometric determination of cobalt at ng l-1 levels.

A mechanised system for on-line slurry food sample digestion was developed and an off-line cobalt determination was performed. The stabilised slurry sample was introduced into an air carrier stream until reaching the digestion coils located inside a household microwave oven. Software written in Visual Basic 3.0 was developed to permit the transport of the slurry samples and the programming of the microwave oven and also the control of the mineralization valve. The proposed system was optimized for determination of cobalt in certified samples such as mussels, bovine liver and fish and also uncertified fish samples. The digestion parameters were established as 3 mol l-1 HNO3 for mussels, 3 mol l-1 HNO3 plus 0.16% v/v H2O2 for bovine liver and 12 mol l-1 HNO3 for fish employing maximum power for 5 min of microwave actuation. In the subsequent spectrophotometric method for the catalytic determination of cobalt, the Tiron and hydrogen peroxide concentrations were 1.8 x 10(-3) and 3.0 x 10(-4) mol l-1, respectively, and the sample residence time was 300 s as determined by an optimisation process. The proposed method features a linear range from 10 to 200 ng l-1 Co (r > 0.996) with detection and quantification limits of 1.7 and 5.5 ng l-1 Co, respectively. The precision, expressed as RSD, was 2.4% (n = 12) for repeatability and 5.2% (n = 10) for reproducibility and the accuracy of the proposed method was assessed by using certified samples and an alternative technique (ETAAS).

Animals↗