Squaraine-Linked Magnetic Covalent Organic Framework as a Solid-Phase Extraction Absorbent to Determine Trace Phenylpyrazoles.

Phenylpyrazoles are widely used pesticides in the food industry. It is highly desirable to develop efficient pre-treatment and analysis methods to extract and detect phenylpyrazoles in complex food matrices. Herein, the study reports novel squaraine-linked zwitterionic core-shell magnetic covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs),  which are found to be excellent pretreatment materials for the detection of trace phenylpyrazoles in samples.

Isolation, characterization, identification and quantification of 6-F oxyphenisatin dipropionate, a novel illegal additive, from a fruit-flavored jelly.

Objective: This study is aimed to screen, identify and detect illegal additives from healthcare products which claim or imply to have weight-loss effects.

Method: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadruple-time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was employed to perform non-targeted screening of illegal additives from a total of 26 batches of healthcare products with weight-loss effects. A novel oxyphenisatin dipropionate analog was discovered in a fruit-flavored jelly that was not clearly labeled as containing added drugs.

Identification of lymph node adulteration in minced pork by comprehensive metabolomics and lipidomics approach based on UPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap MS.

The deliberate pork adulteration with lymph nodes is a common adulteration phenomenon, and it poses a serious threat to public health and food safety. An untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approach based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) was used to distinguish lymph nodes from minced pork. The principal component analysis and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis models were established with the good of fitness and predictivity.

A novel vardenafil analog in a healthcare product: Preparation, characterization, and quantification.

Objective: This study is aimed to develop a qualitative and quantitative method to detect a novel vardenafil analogue from a healthcare product, which is claimed to enhance sexual function. The unknown compound was detected by non-targeted screening using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). MS spectra showed that the characteristic fragment ions of this unknown compound were highly similar to those of vardenafil.

A Metasurface Plasmonic Analysis Platform Combined with Gold Nanoparticles for Ultrasensitive Quantitative Detection of Small Molecules.

Food safety related to drug residues in food has become a widespread public concern. Small-molecule drug residue analysis often relies on mass spectrometry, thin-layer chromatography, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Some of these techniques have limited sensitivity and accuracy, while others are time-consuming, costly, and rely on specialized equipment that requires skilled operation.

Mitigation strategies for excessive cadmium in rice.

Cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice is a human food safety problem that lacks a clear solution. A large amount of rice having an excessive Cd content is processed yearly, but it cannot be discarded and placed in landfills because it will cause secondary pollution. How do we best cope with this toxic rice? From the perspectives of food safety, food waste prevention, and human hunger eradication, the use of contemporary physical, chemical, and biological techniques to lower the Cd content in postharvest Cd-contaminated rice so that it can be used safely is the best course of action.

Organochlorine pesticide exposures, metabolic enzyme genetic polymorphisms and semen quality parameters among men attending an infertility clinic.

The associations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with semen quality from human studies are conflicting, and also it is largely unknown whether the associations are modified by genetic polymorphisms. We aimed to evaluate the associations between serum concentrations of 18 OCPs and semen quality among 387 Chinese men, and further to examine the modifying effects by genetic polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1) and glutathione S-transferase (GSTT1). Multivariable linear regressions were used to evaluate the relationships between serum OCP concentrations and semen quality, and the role of CYP2E1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms in modifying the associations were assessed.

Structure identification and toxicity evaluation of one newly-discovered dechlorinated photoproducts of chlorpyrifos.

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an extensively used organophosphorus pesticide. Recently, it has attracted increasing attention due to environmental health problems caused by it. Although numerous studies have discovered the dechlorinated photoproduct of CPF, its structure and toxicity remain largely unknown.

[Rapid screening and identification of 62 kinds of illegally added traditional Chinese medicine in food by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry].

An analytical method based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was established for the rapid screening and identification of 62 kinds of illegally added traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in food. According to the notice of the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China on further regulating the management of raw materials of health food (Weifa Jianfa (2002) No. 51), the characteristic components of the 62 kinds of TCM were screened, and the corresponding characteristic component lists of different TCM were obtained.

[Screening and confirmation of 244 pesticide residues in chilli by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry].

QuEChERS pretreatment combined with gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-Q-TOF/MS) has been investigated for application in screening 244 pesticide residues in chilli. Fresh chilli samples were extracted with acetonitrile, and dried chilli samples were extracted using an acetonitrile/acetic acid (99∶1, v/v) mixture. The two extraction solvents were stored at -20 ℃.

[Determination of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic products by gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry with accelerated solvent extraction-purification simultaneously coupled to isotope internal standard method].

Gas chromatography (GC)-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) with accelerated solvent extraction (ASE)-purification simultaneously coupled to the isotope internal standard method is proposed for the determination of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in aquatic products. Synchronous purification was achieved by adding 2 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate, 1 g of Cleanert Florisil, and 50 g of neutral alumina as the adsorbent to the ASE system. The PCBs were extracted from aquatic product samples using a dichloromethane--hexane (1:1, v/v) mixture at 100 ℃ with two extraction cycles.

Serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and risk of breast cancer.

Studies have documented that exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) is linked with breast cancer, but the underlying biological mechanisms are still unknown. This study included 313 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 313 controls in Wuhan, China, and measured 18 OCPs in serum and 3 oxidative stress biomarkers in urine. Multivariable adjusted regression models were used to evaluate the associations among OCPs, oxidative stress biomarkers, and breast cancer.

Elucidating the potential neurotoxicity of chiral phenthoate: Molecular insight from experimental and computational studies.

Chiral organophosphorus pollutants are existed ubiquitously in the ecological environment, but the enantioselective toxicities of these nerve agents to humans and their molecular bases have not been fully elucidated. Using experimental and computational approaches, this story was to explore the neurotoxic response process of the target acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to chiral phenthoate and further decipher the microscopic mechanism of such toxicological effect at the enantiomeric level. The results showed that the toxic reaction of AChE with chiral phenthoate exhibited significant enantioselectivity, and (R)-phenthoate (K＝1.

(-)-Syringaresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside from Cortex Albizziae inhibits corticosterone-induced PC12 cell apoptosis and relieves the associated dysfunction.

The neuroprotective effects and potential mechanisms of (-)-Syringaresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (SRG), a natural lignan glycoside extracted from Cortex Albizziae, were investigated using corticosterone (CORT)-induced PC12 cells as an in vitro anxiety model. PC12 cells were treated with 100 μM CORT and 5, 10, or 20 μM SRG for 48 h. Cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage were measured.

Estimating the potential toxicity of chiral diclofop-methyl: Mechanistic insight into the enantioselective behavior.

Chiral pollutants are widely distributed in the environment; however, the enantioselective toxic effects of these chemicals have still not fully been clarified. Using wet experiments and computational toxicology, this story was to explore the static and dynamic toxic reactions between chiral diclofop-methyl and target protein at the enantiomeric level, and further unveil the microscopic mechanism of enantioselective toxicity of chiral pesticide. Steady-state and time-resolved results indicated that both (R)-/(S)-enantiomers can form the stable toxic conjugates with target protein and the bioaffinities were 1.

Enzyme induced molecularly imprinted polymer on SERS substrate for ultrasensitive detection of patulin.

We designed a new type of MIP-SERS substrate for specific and label-free detection of patulin (PAT), by combining molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) selectivity and SERS technology sensitivity. Initially, the solid substrate of PDMS/AAO was prepared using poly dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) concreted anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template. Then moderate Au was sputtered on the surface of PDMS/AAO to obtain Au/PDMS/AAO SERS substrate.

Mediation of association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and semen quality by spermatogenesis-related microRNAs: A pilot study in an infertility clinic.

Spermatogenesis-related microRNAs (miRNAs) are vulnerable to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Changes in spermatogenesis-related miRNAs may be biological intermedia in mechanisms linking PAHs and semen quality. This study aimed to investigate whether spermatogenesis-related microRNAs mediate the associations between PAHs and semen quality.

Molecular basis for the resistance of American sloughgrass to aryloxyphenoxypropionic acid pesticides and its environmental relevance: A combined experimental and computational study.

Organic pesticides are one of the main environmental pollutants, and how to reduce their environmental risks is an important issue. In this contribution, we disclose the molecular basis for the resistance of American sloughgrass to aryloxyphenoxypropionic acid pesticides using site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling and then construct an effective screening model. The results indicated that the target-site mutation (Trp-1999-Leu) in acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) can affect the effectiveness of the pesticides (clodinafop, fenoxaprop, cyhalofop, and metamifop), and the plant resistance to fenoxaprop, clodinafop, cyhalofop, and metamifop was found to be 564, 19.

Florfenicol alleviated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in Ctenopharyngodon idella through inhibiting toll / NF-κB signaling pathways.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of florfenicol (FFC) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in Ctenopharyngodon idella in vivo and in vitro. Head-kidney (HK) macrophages were pre-treated with 10 μg/mL LPS and then exposed to different concentrations of FFC to determine its in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Inhibitory effect of FFC on inflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, as well as LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) production were assayed by ELISA.

Cauliflower-Inspired 3D SERS Substrate for Multiple Mycotoxins Detection.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a promising analytical tool, but simultaneous detection of multiple targets using SERS remains a challenge. Herein, a cauliflower-inspired 3D SERS substrate with intense hot spots was prepared through sputtering Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane coated anodic aluminum oxide (PDMS@AAO) complex substrate. As a result, the cauliflower-inspired 3D SERS substrate achieved the highest SERS activities at a sputtering time of 8 min.

Aflatoxin B in peanut oil from Western Guangdong, China, during 2016-2017.

Aflatoxin B (AFB) occurrence in peanut oil samples randomly collected from family workshops in western Guangdong during 2016-2017 (n = 427) was surveyed. AFB content was screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol and analytically confirmed with an UPLC-MS/MS method. The limit of detection of the ELISA method was 1.

Flubendiamide Enhances Adipogenesis and Inhibits AMPKα in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes.

Flubendiamide, a ryanoid class insecticide, is widely used in agriculture. Several insecticides have been reported to promote adipogenesis. However, the potential influence of flubendiamide on adipogenesis is largely unknown.

Levels, congener profiles, and dietary intake assessment of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in beef, freshwater fish, and pork marketed in Guangdong Province, China.

Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) consisting of non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs are suggested to be very hazardous and have adverse effects on human health. However, their levels and congener profiles in retail foods marketed in Guangdong Province of China have not been elucidated thus far. Thus, in this study, 226 individual samples of beef, freshwater fish, and pork marketed across four regions of Guangdong Province were randomly collected during 2013-2015 to determine their levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs.

Biological effects of α-adrenergic phentolamine on erythrocyte hemeprotein: Molecular insights from biorecognition behavior, protein dynamics and flexibility.

Phentolamine is one of the most representative nonselective α-adrenoreceptor blocking agents, which have been proved to be owned various pharmacological actions. Unfortunately, whether erythrocytes in the veins intervene in biological behaviors of such drug are largely obscured. With the aid of multiple biophysical techniques, this scenario was to detailed explore the potential biorecognition between phentolamine and the hemeprotein in the cytosol of erythrocytes, and the influences of dynamic characters of protein during the bioreaction.