Trends in pulse voltammetric techniques applied to foodstuffs analysis: The food additives detection.

Food additives are chemical compounds intentionally added during foodstuff production to control technological functions, such as pH, viscosity, stability (color, flavor, taste, and odor), homogeneity, and loss of nutritional value. These compounds are fundamental in inhibition the degradation process and prolonging the shelf life of foodstuffs. However, their inadequate employment or overconsumption can adversely affect consumers' health with the development of allergies, hematological, autoimmune, and reproductive disorders, as well as the development of some types of cancer.

Detection of Synthetic Antioxidants: What Factors Affect the Efficiency in the Chromatographic Analysis and in the Electrochemical Analysis?

Antioxidants are food additives largely employed to inhibit oxidative reactions in foodstuffs rich in oils and fat lipids, extending the shelf life of foodstuffs and inhibiting alterations in color, flavor, smell, and loss of nutritional value. However, various research has demonstrated that the inadequate use of synthetic antioxidants results in environmental and health problems due to the fact that some of these compounds present toxicity, and their presence in the human body, in high concentrations, is related to the development of some cancer types and other diseases. Therefore, the development of analytical methods for identifying and quantifying synthetic antioxidants in foodstuffs is fundamental to quality control and in ensuring consumer food safety.

Pesticides determination in foods and natural waters using solid amalgam-based electrodes: Challenges and trends.

The intensive use of pesticides in agricultural practices has promoted the appearance of environmental and public health problems. So, there has been a sharp increase in the development of simple, fast, sensitive, selective, and low-cost methods to analyse pesticides. Among them, electroanalytical methods have been frequently employed; however, the performance of these methods is strongly influenced by the working electrode material and so an adequate choice is critical to success of the analysis.

Lipases: sources, immobilization methods, and industrial applications.

Enzymes are natural catalysts highly specific to the substrate type and operate under mild conditions of temperature, pressure, and pH with high conversion rates, which makes them more efficient than conventional chemical catalysts. The enzymes can be obtained from various sources, animal, vegetable, and microbiological. Lipases are very versatile enzymes, and this has aroused the interest of the industries.