Unexpected differences between planar and column liquid chromatographic retention of 1-acenaphthenol enantiomers controlled by supramolecular interactions involving β-cyclodextrin at subambient temperatures

Comprehensive review on patulin and Alternaria toxins in fruit and derived products

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi, which can contaminate various food commodities, including fruits and their derived products. Patulin and Alternaria toxins are among the most commonly encountered mycotoxins in fruit and their derived products. In this review, the sources, toxicity, and regulations related to these mycotoxins, as well as their detection and mitigation strategies are widely discussed. Patulin is a mycotoxin produced mainly by the fungal genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Byssochlamys. Alternaria toxins, produced by fungi in the Alternaria genus, are another common group of mycotoxins found in fruits and fruit products. The most prevalent Alternaria toxins are alternariol (AOH) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME). These mycotoxins are of concern due to their potential negative effects on human health. Ingesting fruits contaminated with these mycotoxins can cause acute and chronic health problems. Detection of patulin and Alternaria toxins in fruit and their derived products can be challenging due to their low concentrations and the complexity of the food matrices. Common analytical methods, good agricultural practices, and contamination monitoring of these mycotoxins are important for safe consumption of fruits and derived products. And Future research will continue to explore new methods for detecting and managing these mycotoxins, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the safety and quality of fruits and derived product supply.

Unexpected Encapsulation of Selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by β-Cyclodextrin Studied Using UV-Vis Spectrophotometry, Micro-Planar Chromatography and Temperature Dependent Inclusion Chromatography

This research communication significantly extends our previous studies focusing on the temperature effects related to the unexpected chromatographic behavior of 1-acenaphthenol in the presence of native β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) additive, working under thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) conditions. We have applied complementary and orthogonal techniques including (i) temperature-controlled ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, (ii) thermostated microplanar high-performance chromatography (micro-HPTLC) and (iii) temperature-dependent inclusion chromatography based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to investigate the retention behavior of related host molecules. Particularly, various symmetric and asymmetric molecules were tested, such as: naphthalene and its derivatives including acenaphthylene, acenaphthene and selected dimethynaphthalenes: 1,8-DMN, 1,5-DMN, 2,3-DMN and 2,6-DMN. Reported raw experimental data, particularly performed in liquid phase and detected by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, may suggest that solubility changes of the supramolecular complexes studied and differences in total analysis time between TLC and HPLC separation can trigger strong retention of target components in planar chromatographic systems. This was also supported by principal component analysis (PCA) of the multi-source data obtained. It is hoped that the reported analyses enable the adjustment of phenomenological models describing liquid chromatography retention and the solubility behavior of low-molecular mass guest molecules, controlled by supramolecular interactions with selected macrocycles. It should be noted that the reported phenomenon, specifically supramolecular complexes precipitation, may have a number of practical applications. This can be used to improve the efficiency and selectivity of planar and/or microfluidic systems. On the other hand, precipitation via host-guest interactions may be applied for highly selective water purification technological processes that will be designed for the removal of given organic micropollutants.

Analysis of Selected Endocrine Disrupters Fraction Including Bisphenols Extracted from Daily Products, Food Packaging and Treated Wastewater Using Optimized Solid-Phase Extraction and Temperature-Dependent Inclusion Chromatography

The aim of this research is to demonstrate the concept and ability for the fast and preliminary screening of complex food and environmental samples for the presence of endocrine disrupters fractions, consisting of low-molecular mass micropollutants, particularly various bisphenols (A, B, C, E, F, S, Z, AF, AP, BP and FL). The developed analytical protocol for this research requires two main steps: (i) optimized solid phase extraction (SPE) for selective isolation, purification and pre-concentration of target fraction, and (ii) selective temperature-dependent inclusion chromatography for samples analysis via a HPLC-UV-VisDAD system using isocratic elution and internal standard quantification approach. The chromatographic experiment revealed that both β-CD and its hydroxypropyl derivative strongly interact with selected bisphenols. This is in contrast to the steroids and PAHs molecules investigated previously, where a strong interaction with β-cyclodextrin was observed. Integrated areas derived from acquired chromatographic profiles for each individual sample were used as the simple classification variable enabling samples comparison. We demonstrated that the proposed analytical protocol allows for fast estimation of EDC fractions in various daily use products, food and environmental samples. The materials of interest were selected due to the presence in surface water ecosystems of their residues, and finally, in raw wastewater including rice bags, plastic bags, cloths, sanitary towels, fish baits and various plastic foils from food products. Treated sewage water released directly to the environment from a municipal treatment plant (Jamno, Koszalin) was also investigated. It has been demonstrated that a whole range of low-molecular mass compounds, which may be detected using UV-Vis detector, can easily be emitted from various in daily use products. The presence of micropollutants in treated wastewater, water ecosystems and plastic waste utilization via technological wastewater treatment processes must be addressed, especially in terms of microplastic-based pollutants acting as endocrine disrupters. It is hoped that the proposed simple analytical protocol will be useful for fast sample classification or selection prior to advanced targeted analysis involving the more accurate quantification of specific analytes using e.g., mass spectrometry detectors.

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin for Delivery of Baicalin via Inclusion Complexation by Supercritical Fluid Encapsulation

Over the years, various methods have been developed to enhance the solubility of insoluble drugs; however, most of these methods are time-consuming and labor intensive or involve the use of toxic materials. A method that can safely and effectively enhance the solubility of insoluble drugs is lacking. This study adopted baicalin as an insoluble drug model, and used hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin for the delivery of baicalin via the inclusion complexation by supercritical fluid encapsulation. Different parameters for the complex preparation as well as the physicochemical properties of the complex have been investigated. Our results showed that when compared to the conventional solution mixing approach, supercritical fluid encapsulation enables a more precise control of the properties of the complex, and gives higher loading and encapsulation efficiency. It is anticipated that our reported method can be useful in enhancing the preparation efficiency of inclusion complexes, and can expand the application potential of insoluble herbal ingredients in treatment development and pharmaceutical formulation.