Article
Food Science & Technology
Cinthia de Carvalho Couto, Otniel Freitas-Silva, Edna Maria Morais Oliveira, Clara Sousa, Susana Casal
Summary: In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics were successfully used to detect common adulterants in roasted ground arabica coffee. The technique could discriminate pure samples from adulterated ones, including single and multiple adulterations. Additionally, NIR spectroscopy showed potential for geographical discrimination of arabica coffees.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Arian Amirvaresi, Nastaran Nikounezhad, Maryam Amirahmadi, Bahram Daraei, Hadi Parastar
Summary: The study found that NIR spectroscopy is more effective than MIR in predicting the origin of saffron samples, while PLS-DA shows high accuracy in detecting adulterants, with NIR demonstrating excellent performance in estimating the level of adulteration.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Anna Antonella Spina, Carlotta Ceniti, Cristian Piras, Bruno Tilocca, Domenico Britti, Valeria Maria Morittu
Summary: This study developed a quantitative analysis method using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and partial least square (PLS) regression to detect the adulteration of buffalo milk with cow milk. Samples of cow and buffalo milk from different dairy farms were collected to generate mixtures of different concentrations. The results showed that this method could effectively and rapidly detect adulteration in buffalo milk.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Abolfazl Dashti, Yannick Weesepoel, Judith Muller-Maatsch, Hadi Parastar, Farzad Kobarfard, Bahram Daraei, Hassan Yazdanpanah
Summary: The feasibility of portable Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with multivariate classification techniques for meat classification and halal meat species certification was assessed in this study. The results showed that the combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and multivariate classification techniques can accurately and rapidly classify meat samples and certify halal meat species.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nur Cebi, Hatice Bekiroglu, Azime Erarslan, Luis Rodriguez-Saona
Summary: Food integrity assurance is a major global challenge, with increasing economically motivated food adulteration and authenticity issues. Effective on-site food analysis technologies, such as FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics, can help in the early detection and prevention of food integrity-related problems. Hand-held and portable FTIR instruments have shown potential in surveilling food quality and safety at critical points of the food supply chain.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Thomas A. Teklemariam, John Moisey, Jason Gotera
Summary: ATR-FTIR combined with chemometrics was explored as a rapid method of detecting sugar adulteration in coconut water. The method enabled the prediction of adulterant sugars and showed potential for screening samples for undeclared sugar additions.
Article
Spectroscopy
Rahul Jamwal, Amit, Shivani Kumari, Biji Balan, Simon Kelly, Andrew Cannavan, Dileep Kumar Singh
Summary: The ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics was used to detect and quantify adulterated FMO in PMO, achieving a high accuracy. PCA and LDA were employed for data analysis and classification, while PLS-R models were developed to predict the presence of FMO in PMO with high accuracy.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Claire McVey, Una Gordon, Simon A. Haughey, Christopher T. Elliott
Summary: The performance of three near-infrared spectroscopy instruments was compared for the investigation of coriander seed authenticity. Chemometric modeling and regression analysis were used to determine their predictive capabilities and quantitative tools. Results showed all instruments correctly predicted adulterated samples, with the iS50 performing better than the other two instruments in the best models.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Merve Ozbay, Fatma Nur Arslan, Gazi Gorur
Summary: This study investigated the potential of using mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for detecting adulteration in various types of honey. The results showed that the developed method could accurately identify pure honey samples from different botanical origins, as well as quantify the amount of sugar syrup adulterant present in honey samples.
FOOD ANALYTICAL METHODS
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Maria Frizzarin, Giulio Visentin, Alessandro Ferragina, Elena Hayes, Antonio Bevilacqua, Bhaskar Dhariyal, Katarina Domijan, Hussain Khan, Georgiana Ifrim, Thach Le Nguyen, Joe Meagher, Laura Menchetti, Ashish Singh, Suzy Whoriskey, Robert Williamson, Martina Zappaterra, Alessandro Casa
Summary: In April 2022, the Vistamilk SFI Research Centre organized the second edition of the International Workshop on Spectroscopy and Chemometrics - Applications in Food and Agriculture. During the workshop, a data challenge was conducted to develop a prediction model for distinguishing dairy cows' diet based on milk spectral information. The accurate and reliable discriminant model is essential for ensuring product origin for dairy food manufacturers. Various statistical and machine learning approaches were used, along with different pre-processing steps and levels of complexity. This paper aims to describe the statistical methods employed by participants in developing the classification model.
CHEMOMETRICS AND INTELLIGENT LABORATORY SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Rahul Jamwal, Amit, Shivani Kumari, Simon Kelly, Andrew Cannavan, Dileep Kumar Singh
Summary: The study analyzed the adulteration of mustard oil with linseed oil using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, and found that PCA and LDA could accurately classify adulterated samples, while PCR and PLSR were able to predict adulterated samples, providing an effective method for detecting adulteration.
VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Carlotta Ceniti, Anna Antonella Spina, Cristian Piras, Francesca Oppedisano, Bruno Tilocca, Paola Roncada, Domenico Britti, Valeria Maria Morittu
Summary: To ensure the safety and quality of milk, new tools have been developed to detect chemical contaminants, toxins, veterinary drugs, and adulteration of milk from different species. Mid-infrared spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared have been commonly used technologies for rapid screening of hazardous substances and confirmation of milk authenticity. These fingerprint methods can effectively determine the characteristics of raw materials without knowing the identity of each constituent, making them potential screening methods for adulteration detection. This paper reviews the latest advances in applying mid-infrared spectroscopy for the detection and quantification of adulterants, milk dilution, pathogenic bacteria, veterinary drugs, and hazardous substances in milk.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christoph Kappacher, Benedikt Truebenbacher, Klemens Losso, Matthias Rainer, Guenther K. Bonn, Christian W. Huck
Summary: This study investigated the classification and quality monitoring of different types of truffles using different near-infrared devices. The results showed that these devices can differentiate between different types of truffles and provide quality assurance and prediction. This is an accurate, fast, non-destructive, and reliable method for consumers.
Article
Spectroscopy
Jun Yang, Chunling Yin, Xu Miao, Xiangru Meng, Zhimin Liu, Leqian Hu
Summary: The study demonstrated the use of DRIFTS technology and chemometrics to detect Radix Astragali adulteration, showing effective distinction of adulteration levels. PLS-DA and LDA-KNN were the best classification methods with high accuracy rates.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Thulya Chakkumpulakkal Puthan Veettil, Bayden R. Wood
Summary: Serum is a valuable source for proteomics analysis, but the high concentration range of protein/peptide species makes it challenging to detect low-molecular-weight compounds. In this study, a combination of near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy was used to improve the detection limit of LMW amino acids in serum.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sara Simoes, Rafaela Santos, Andreia Bento-Silva, Marisa Santos, Mariana Mota, Noelia Duarte, Isabel Sousa, Anabela Raymundo, Catarina Prista
Summary: The study aimed to improve the nutritional quality of unripe tomato paste using a consortium of yeast and lactic acid bacteria, resulting in an acidic paste with olive-like flavors after fermentation. Nutritional characterization showed significant improvement and analysis confirmed the fermented green tomato paste poses no hazard to consumers.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Margarida Granada, Eduarda Mendes, Maria Jesus Perry, Maria Joao Penetra, Maria Manuela Gaspar, Jacinta O. Pinho, Sofia Serra, Catarina Teixeira Antonio, Ana Paula Francisco
Summary: The study developed hybrid compounds for malignant melanoma chemotherapy with a double mechanism of action; the hybrids are selective and effective drugs, serving as a valuable model for new multitarget melanoma therapy; the molecular hybridization of compound 10 with triazenes 4 resulted in hybrids that are unexpectedly devoid of hepatotoxicity while maintaining cytotoxic activity.
ACS MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Catia Ramalhete, Bruno M. F. Goncalves, Filipa Barbosa, Noelia Duarte, Maria-Jose U. Ferreira
Summary: Momordica balsamina, also known as balsam apple or African pumpkin, is a highly nutritious vegetable commonly used as food in sub-Saharan Africa. It has been traditionally used in medicine to treat diseases like malaria and diabetes. The main active compounds in this plant are cucurbitane-type triterpenoids called cucurbitacins, which have shown various biological activities, including anti-cancer, antibacterial, anti-malarial, and antidiabetic properties.
PHYTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Manuela Oliverio, Stefania Bulotta, Noelia Duarte
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreia Bento-Silva, Noelia Duarte, Magda Santos, Carina Pedrosa Costa, Maria Carlota Vaz Patto, Silvia M. Rocha, Maria Rosario Bronze
Summary: This study aims to reveal the volatile compounds associated with the baking process of Portuguese maize bread (broas), which contribute to its aroma. Through analysis, 128 volatile compounds were identified, with 16 being newly discovered. Sulfur-containing compounds were found to have a significant impact on the aroma of the bread.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Eduarda Mendes, Israa M. Aljnadi, Barbara Bahls, Bruno L. Victor, Alexandra Paulo
Summary: Organic small molecules that can recognize and bind to G-quadruplex and i-Motif nucleic acids have great potential in selective drug development and medical diagnostic nanodevice applications. This article surveys the major achievements in the therapeutic potential of these quadruplex ligands, their binding modes, effects on quadruplex interactions, and explores the opportunities and challenges in drug discovery.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Raquel Durao, Catia Ramalhete, Ana Margarida Madureira, Eduarda Mendes, Noelia Duarte
Summary: Human African trypanosomiasis and American trypanosomiasis are neglected tropical diseases caused by protozoan parasites. They have spread worldwide due to human migration, military interventions, and climate changes. Finding new drugs from higher plants is a valuable approach to treat these diseases.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Eduarda Mendes, Barbara Bahls, Israa M. Aljnadi, Alexandra Paulo
Summary: Indoloquinolines are natural alkaloids with known affinity to G-quadruplex nucleic acid structures and antiproliferative activity in cancer cells. Research suggests that they are good scaffolds for drug and probe development targeting G-quadruplex structures, but they remain underexplored.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Medicinal
Noelia Duarte
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jacinta O. Pinho, Mariana Matias, Vanda Marques, Carla Eleuterio, Celia Fernandes, Lurdes Gano, Joana D. Amaral, Eduarda Mendes, Maria Jesus Perry, Jao Nuno Moreira, Gert Storm, Ana Paula Francisco, Cecilia M. P. Rodrigues, M. Manuela Gaspar
Summary: Researchers synthesized a new hybrid molecule that showed remarkable antiproliferative activity against melanoma by specifically activating tyrosinase. They also demonstrated that incorporating the molecule into long blood circulating liposomes allowed for passive targeting of tumor sites, leading to high therapeutic efficacy.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vasco Branco, Luis Carvalho, Cassia Barboza, Eduarda Mendes, Afonso Cavaco, Cristina Carvalho
Summary: This study found that pregnant women highly exposed to mercury through fish consumption had sub-optimal selenium status, resulting in reduced plasma selenoprotein activity. However, low selenium levels did not affect the activity of thioredoxin reductase. On the other hand, the decrease in thioredoxin activity with an increase in mercury may be a good indicator for preventing fetal susceptibility.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jacinta O. Pinho, Mariana Matias, Ana Godinho-Santos, Joana D. Amaral, Eduarda Mendes, Maria Jesus Perry, Ana Paula Francisco, Cecilia M. P. Rodrigues, M. Manuela Gaspar
Summary: A newly synthesized hybrid molecule has been incorporated in liposomes for the treatment of melanoma. This molecule has shown promising therapeutic effects in cell culture and significant anti-tumor activity in a murine melanoma model.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara Bahls, Israa M. Aljnadi, Rita Emidio, Eduarda Mendes, Alexandra Paulo
Summary: Cancer is a societal burden that requires innovative approaches due to the toxic side effects and poor selectivity of conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells is caused by mutations, deletions, or amplifications in genes encoding for proteins that regulate cell growth and division, such as c-MYC. Directly targeting the c-MYC protein has been unsuccessful, but the exploration of G-quadruplex structures in the c-MYC promoter region has shown promise in downregulating the transcription of this oncogene. In this article, we will overview the significant advancements made in the discovery of a new class of anticancer drugs that target G-quadruplexes in the c-MYC promoter of cancer cells.