Determination of Lutein, β-Carotene, and Lycopene in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography: Collaborative Study, Final Action 2016.13 for β-Carotene and Lycopene Only.

Background: Lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene are among the most common carotenoids present in human milk and are frequently added to infant formula and adult nutritionals.

Objective: A collaborative study was conducted to assess the interlaboratory performance of AOAC Official MethodSM2016.13 for the determination of lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene in infant formula and adult nutritionals.

Determination of Casein Allergens in Extensively Hydrolyzed Casein Infant Formula by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Background: The use of hypoallergenic infant formulas and the need for reliable tests to determine the presence of residual antigens have increased in parallel.

Objective: An LC-MS method for quantitation of casein was validated using incurred samples and a matrix-matched external standard curve.

Method: Powdered infant formula samples were extracted in a buffer of sodium deoxycholate and ammonium bicarbonate at 60°C and filtered through 7 kDa desalting columns.

Flavones: Food Sources, Bioavailability, Metabolism, and Bioactivity.

Flavones are a class of flavonoids that are a subject of increasing interest because of their biological activities in vitro and in vivo. This article reviews the major sources of flavones and their concentrations in food and beverages, which vary widely between studies. It also covers the roles of flavones in plants, the influence of growing conditions on their concentrations, and their stability during food processing.

Determination of Lutein and β-Carotene in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2016.13.

An ultra-HPLC method for the determination of lutein and β-carotene in infant formula and adult nutritionals was validated using both unfortified and fortified samples provided by the AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals (SPIFAN). All experiments showed separation of all-trans-lutein and β-carotene from their major cis isomers, apocarotenal, α-carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. Samples spiked with all-trans-lutein and β-carotene showed no isomerization during sample preparation.

Effects of food formulation and thermal processing on flavones in celery and chamomile.

Flavones isolated from celery varied in their stability and susceptibility to deglycosylation during thermal processing at pH 3, 5, or 7. Apigenin 7-O-apiosylglucoside was converted to apigenin 7-O-glucoside when heated at pH 3 and 100°C. Apigenin 7-O-glucoside showed little conversion or degradation at any pH after 5h at 100°C.

Flavone deglycosylation increases their anti-inflammatory activity and absorption.

Scope: Flavones have reported anti-inflammatory activities, but the ability of flavone-rich foods to reduce inflammation is unclear. Here, we report the effect of flavone glycosylation in the regulation of inflammatory mediators in vitro and the absorption of dietary flavones in vivo.

Methods And Results: The anti-inflammatory activities of celery extracts, some rich in flavone aglycones and others rich in flavone glycosides, were tested on the inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages.

Endogenous enzymes, heat, and pH affect flavone profiles in parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum) and celery (Apium graveolens) during juice processing.

Flavones are abundant in parsley and celery and possess unique anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in animal models. However, their bioavailability and bioactivity depend in part on the conjugation of sugars and other functional groups to the flavone core. The effects of juice extraction, acidification, thermal processing, and endogenous enzymes on flavone glycoside profile and concentration in both parsley and celery were investigated.