Geographical discrimination of Paw San rice cultivated in different regions of Myanmar using near-infrared spectroscopy, headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry and chemometrics.

Paw San rice, also known as "Myanmar pearl rice", is considered the highest quality rice in Myanmar. There are considerable differences in terms of the premium commercial value of Paw San rice, which is an incentive for fraud, e.g.

Isotopic characteristics (δC, δN, and δO) of honey from Bangladesh retail markets: Investigating sugar manipulation, botanical and geographical authentication.

The study analyzed stable isotope composition (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen) of Bangladesh origin monofloral and multifloral honey for the first time to identify the C-4plant sugar adulteration, botanical and geographical differentiation. The C-4 sugar content (11.90 to 86.

A new approach to detecting sugar syrup addition to honey: Stable isotope analysis of hexamethylenetetramine synthesised from honey monosaccharides (fructose and glucose).

One of the most common types of adulteration of honey involves the addition of invert sugar syrups. A new method was developed to measure the stable isotope ratios of carbon and carbon-bound non-exchangeable (CBNE) hydrogen from specific molecular positions in fructose and glucose in honey. This was achieved through periodate oxidation of the sugars to produce formaldehyde, followed by reaction with ammonia to form hexamethylenetetramine (HMT).

Characterization of Beef Coming from Different European Countries through Stable Isotope (H, C, N, and S) Ratio Analysis.

The need to guarantee the geographical origin of food samples has become imperative in recent years due to the increasing amount of food fraud. Stable isotope ratio analysis permits the characterization and origin control of foodstuffs, thanks to its capability to discriminate between products having different geographical origins and derived from different production systems. The Framework 6 EU-project "TRACE" generated hydrogen (H/H), carbon (C/C), nitrogen (N/N), and sulphur (S/S) isotope ratio data from 227 authentic beef samples.

Adulteration Detection of Edible Bird's Nests Using Rapid Spectroscopic Techniques Coupled with Multi-Class Discriminant Analysis.

Edible bird's nests (EBNs) are vulnerable to adulteration due to their huge demand for traditional medicine and high market price. Presently, there are pressing needs to explore field-deployable rapid screening techniques to detect adulteration of EBNs. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using a handheld near-infrared (VIS/SW-NIR) spectroscopic device for the determination of EBN authenticity against the benchmark performance of a benchtop mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometer.

Predicting Mandarin Fruit Acceptability: From High-Field to Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy.

Recent advances in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have led to the development of low-field benchtop NMR systems with improved sensitivity and resolution suitable for use in research and quality-control laboratories. Compared to their high-resolution counterparts, their lower purchase and running costs make them a good alternative for routine use. In this article, we show the adaptation of a method for predicting the consumer acceptability of mandarins, originally reported using a high-field 400 MHz NMR spectrometer, to benchtop 60 MHz NMR systems.

The use of multispectral imaging for the discrimination of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.

Arabica coffee beans are sold at twice the price, or more, compared to Robusta beans and consequently are susceptible to economically motivated adulteration by substitution. There is a need for rapid, non-destructive, and efficient analytical techniques for monitoring the authenticity of Arabica coffee beans in the supply chain. In this study, multispectral imaging (MSI) was applied to discriminate roasted Arabica and Robusta coffee beans and perform quantitative prediction of Arabica coffee bean adulteration with Robusta.

Addressing the unfulfilled codex standard for honey for stingless bee honey through lyophilization.

Some studies have found that the nutritional values of stingless bee honey (SBH) may be similar if not more than normal honey, prompting the Malaysian government to promote it as a superfood. However, SBH does not fulfil the Codex Standard for Honey (CODEX STAN 12-19811) in terms of moisture content and the lack of protein to be analysed with Internal Standard Carbon Isotope Ratio Analysis (ISCIRA). Hence, a lyophilization process was introduced prior to stable carbon isotope analysis of SBH to address both of these issues.

Assessment of rapid low-cost isotope (δ N, δ O) analyses of nitrate in fruit extracts by Ti(III) reduction to differentiate organic from conventional production.

Rationale: The isotopic composition (δ N, δ O) of nitrate in fruits and vegetables differentiates organic from conventional food production practices. Organic systems do not use synthetic nitrate fertilizers high in O and low in N and thereby help reveal producers' fertilization claims. Isotope analyses of nitrate extracted from fruits and vegetables are done by bacterial reduction which is costly and by specialized laboratories.

Geographical Differentiation of Hom Mali Rice Cultivated in Different Regions of Thailand Using FTIR-ATR and NIR Spectroscopy.

Although Hom Mali rice is considered the highest quality rice in Thailand, it is susceptible to adulteration and substitution. There is a need for rapid, low-cost and efficient analytical techniques for monitoring the authenticity and geographical origin of Thai Hom Mali rice. In this study, two infrared spectroscopy techniques, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, were applied and compared for the differentiation of Thai Hom Mali rice from two geographical regions over two production years.

Detecting adulteration of stingless bee honey using untargeted H NMR metabolomics with chemometrics.

As stingless bee honey (SBH) is gaining in popularity in the Malaysian market, it is now prone to adulteration. The higher price of SBH compared to floral honey has led to the use of unusual adulterants such as vinegar and even floral honey to mimic the unique taste and appearance of SBH. Since the current AOAC 998.

Detection of exogenous sugars in pineapple juice using compound-specific stable hydrogen isotope analysis.

An improved procedure for determining H/H isotope ratios, using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, has been used to detect the addition of exogenous C4-plant-derived sugars to pineapple juice. Isotopic techniques are commonly used to identify the addition of low-cost sugars to fruit juices and are difficult to subvert as it is not economically viable to change the isotopic ratios of the sugars. However, the addition of cane sugar to pineapple juice has presented a significant challenge that is only detected by site-specific C analysis of the methyl and methylene positions of ethanol derived from pineapple sugars, measured by nuclear magnetic resonance.

Stable isotope analysis of non-exchangeable hydrogen in carbohydrates derivatised with N-methyl-bis-trifluoroacetamide by gas chromatography - Chromium silver reduction/High temperature Conversion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-CrAg/HTC-IRMS).

A novel procedure for the rapid isotope analysis of the carbon-bound non-exchangeable (CBNE) hydrogen in mono and disaccharides has been developed to demonstrate the feasibility of detecting undeclared addition of exogenous sugar products in foods and beverages susceptible to economically motivated adulteration. The procedure utilizes a simple one-step reaction, with the derivatising agent N-methyl-bis-trifluoroacetamide, to substitute the exchangeable hydroxyl-hydrogens with trifluoroacetate derivatives that are sufficiently volatile to be separated and measured by a gas chromatograph coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The conversion of the derivatised sugars into the measuring gas is achieved using a high temperature chromium-silver reactor that retains carbon, oxygen and fluorine whilst releasing hydrogen gas for stable isotope measurement.

Potential for natural and enhanced attenuation of sulphanilamide in a contaminated chalk aquifer.

Understanding antibiotic biodegradation is important to the appreciation of their fate and removal from the environment. In this research an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) method was developed to evaluate the extent of biodegradation of the antibiotic, sulphanilamide, in contaminated groundwater. Results indicted an enrichment in δC of 8.

Resource availability affects individual niche variation and its consequences in group-living European badgers Meles meles.

Although intra-population variation in niches is a widespread phenomenon with important implications for ecology, evolution and management of a range of animal species, the causes and consequences of this variation remain poorly understood. We used stable isotope analysis to characterise foraging niches and to investigate the causes and consequences of individual niche variation in the European badger, a mustelid mammal that lives in territorial social groups, but forages alone. We found that the degree of individual niche variation within social groups was negatively related to the availability of farmland habitats, which represent an important foraging habitat for badgers; and was positively related to territory size, supporting the idea that resource limitation and ecological opportunity lead to increased individual specialisation.

The impact of environmental factors on molecular and stable isotope compositions of n-alkanes in Mediterranean extra virgin olive oils.

The impact of climatic factors on the molecular and stable carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of n-alkanes in extra virgin olive oils from eight Mediterranean countries is studied, and the applicability of these data for olive oil regional classification is discussed. n-Alkane average chain length values are positively correlated with the amount of precipitation and are the lowest in olive oils from Morocco and Greece and the highest in oils from Spain and Portugal. Stable carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of n-alkane C29 show significant correlation with climatic parameters and are significantly more positive in olive oils from the southern compared with northern Mediterranean countries.

Individual foraging specialisation in a social mammal: the European badger (Meles meles).

Individual specialisation has been identified in an increasing number of animal species and populations. However, in some groups, such as terrestrial mammals, it is difficult to disentangle individual niche variation from spatial variation in resource availability. In the present study, we investigate individual variation in the foraging niche of the European badger (Meles meles), a social carnivore that lives in a shared group territory, but forages predominantly alone.

Application of nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes (δ(15)N and δ(13)C) to quantify food chain length and trophic structure.

Increasingly, stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ(15)N) and carbon (δ(13)C) are used to quantify trophic structure, though relatively few studies have tested accuracy of isotopic structural measures. For laboratory-raised and wild-collected plant-invertebrate food chains spanning four trophic levels we estimated nitrogen range (NR) using δ(15)N, and carbon range (CR) using δ(13)C, which are used to quantify food chain length and breadth of trophic resources respectively. Across a range of known food chain lengths we examined how NR and CR changed within and between food chains.

Geographical origin differentiation of saffron spice (Crocus sativus L. stigmas) - Preliminary investigation using chemical and multi-element (H, C, N) stable isotope analysis.

A preliminary study of the bulk hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope composition of 28 authentic saffron samples produced from Crocus sativus L. cultivated in the typical production areas of Western Macedonia in Greece (8), Khorasan Province in Iran (7), Sardinia in Italy (6) and Castilla-La Mancha in Spain (7) is described. A chemical characterisation of 16 key quality parameters was also completed on the same samples by UV-Vis, HPLC and GC analyses.

Fertilizer nitrogen isotope signatures.

There has been considerable recent interest in the potential application of nitrogen isotope analysis in discriminating between organically and conventionally grown crops. A prerequisite of this approach is that there is a difference in the nitrogen isotope compositions of the fertilizers used in organic and conventional agriculture. We report new measurements of delta15N values for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and present a compilation of the new data with existing literature nitrogen isotope data.

Nitrogen isotope composition of organically and conventionally grown crops.

Authentic samples of commercially produced organic and conventionally grown tomatoes, lettuces, and carrots were collected and analyzed for their delta15N composition in order to assemble datasets to establish if there are any systematic differences in nitrogen isotope composition due to the method of production. The tomato and lettuce datasets suggest that the different types of fertilizer commonly used in organic and conventional systems result in differences in the nitrogen isotope composition of these crops. A mean delta15N value of 8.

Nitrogen isotope relationships between crops and fertilizer: implications for using nitrogen isotope analysis as an indicator of agricultural regime.

The effect of fertilizer type, amount of fertilizer applied, growing medium, and water type on the nitrogen-15 content of carrots, tomatoes, and lettuces has been investigated. Crops grown using synthetic nitrogen fertilizer were isotopically lighter than those grown using pelleted chicken manure. For example, for equivalent amounts of nitrogen applied, carrots grown with ammonium nitrate fertilizer had delta15N values between 3 per thousand and 4 per thousand lower than those grown using pelleted chicken manure.

Detection of sugar syrups in apple juice by delta(2)H per thousand and delta(13)C per thousand analysis of hexamethylenetetramine prepared from fructose.

An improved procedure for determining (13)C and (2)H isotope ratios, using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS), has been developed for identifying the addition of low cost commercial sugar syrups to apple juices and related products. Isotopic techniques are commonly used to identify the addition of low cost sugars to fruit juices and are difficult to circumvent as it is not economically viable to change the isotopic ratios of the sugars. The procedure utilizes the derivative hexamethylenetetramine, which is produced through chemical transformation of a sugar degradation product and provides position-specific (13)C and (2)H ratios that relate to the parent sugar molecule.