Rapid Detection of Acrylamide in Food Using Mn-Doped ZnS Quantum Dots as a Room Temperature Phosphorescent Probe

Acrylamide, hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural in ready-to-eat foods consumed by child population: Presence, risk assessment and future perspectives

Food intake contributes to adequate growth and neurodevelopment of children. Ready-to-eat foods, frequently consumed by this population, are sources of acrylamide (AA), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural (FF). In this sense, a review of the AA, HMF, and FF presence in ready-to-eat foods was evaluated through a systematic search to infer the risk of exposure in the child population. About 75.8%, 24.2%, and 21% of the studies found AA, HMF, and FF in ready-to-eat foods, respectively. AA is predominant in processed and ultra-processed foods, while HMF and FF are commonly found in fruit-based foods. Only 17.7% of the studies assessed the children's risk of exposure, based on the contaminant concentration in ready-to-eat food and not after gastrointestinal digestion, a more realistic measure. Therefore, with the obtained information and found gaps, it is expected that new strategies will be proposed to assess the vulnerability of the child population to these processing contaminants.

Recent advances in molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for visual recognition and inhibition of α-dicarbonyl compound-mediated Maillard reaction products

α-Dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs) are important intermediates and precursors of harmful Maillard reaction products (e.g., acrylamide and late glycosylation end-products), and they exist widely in thermoprocessed sugar- or fat-rich foods. α-DCs and their end-products are prone to accumulation in the human body and lead to the development of various chronic diseases. Therefore, detection of α-DCs and their associated hazards in food samples is crucial. This paper reviews the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) enabling visual intelligent responses and the strategies for recognition and capture of α-DCs and their associated hazards, and provides a comprehensive summary of the development of visual MIPs, including integration strategies and applications with real food samples. The visual signal responses as well as the mechanisms for hazard recognition and capture are highlighted. Current challenges and prospects for visual MIPs with advanced applications in food, agricultural and environmental samples are also discussed. This review will open new horizons regarding visual MIPs for recognition and inhibition of hazards in food safety.

Prediction of acrylamide content in potato chips using near-infrared spectroscopy

Acrylamide (ACR), a neurotoxin with carcinogenic properties that can affect fertility, is commonly found in fried and baked foods such as potato chips. This study was carried out to predict the ACR content in fried and baked potato chips using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Effective wavenumbers were identified using competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and the successive projections algorithm (SPA). Six wavenumbers (12799 cm^-1, 12007 cm^-1, 10944 cm^-1, 10943 cm^-1, 5801 cm^-1, and 4332 cm^-1) were selected using the ratio (λ_i/λ_j) and difference (λ_i-λ_j) of any two wavenumbers from the CARS and SPA results. First, partial least squares (PLS) models were established based on full spectral wavebands (12799-4000 cm^-1), and the prediction models were subsequently redeveloped based on effective wavenumbers to predict ACR content. Results showed that the full and selected wavenumbers-based PLS models obtained the coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.7707 and 0.6670, respectively, and the root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) of 53.0442 μg/kg and 64.3810 μg/kg, respectively, in the prediction sets. The results of this work demonstrate the suitability of NIR spectroscopy as a non-destructive method for predicting ACR content in potato chips.

Effects of intramolecular proton acceptors located near sulfhydryl groups on sulfhydryl compounds for acrylamide elimination

To explore the effects of intramolecular neighboring groups on sulfhydryl group reactivity in acrylamide removal, the reactions of three sulfhydryl-containing flavoring substances with derived structures, 1-propanethiol, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, and cysteine, with acrylamide were investigated. The results showed that the activation energies of the reactions decreased with the introduction of amino and carboxyl groups. Additional comparison reactions showed that other proton acceptors also promote the reactions of sulfhydryl groups with acrylamide. However, the reactivity was not enhanced if the proton acceptor was located far from the sulfhydryl group. This suggested that sulfhydryl compounds with the molecular structure of proton acceptors on the carbons located β or/and γ to the sulfhydryl group were efficient in eliminating acrylamide, and the results are expected to serve as a guide in the search for effective acrylamide elimination agents.

A smartphone-assisted ultrasensitive detection of acrylamide in thermally processed snacks using CQD@Au NP integrated FRET sensor

Selective, sensitive, and accurate detection of acrylamide (AA) in thermally processed food is a great challenge for food safety. This paper describes a "turn-on" fluorescence strategy to detect AA in real samples. Herein, the fluorescence intensity of glutathione-modified carbon quantum dots (GSHCQDs) was quenched initially upon the addition of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) via fluorescence resonance electron transfer (FRET) to form a quenched GSHCQD-Au nanoprobe. When AA was introduced to the quenched GSHCQD-Au nanoprobe, the strong thiol-ene Michael addition (M-A) reaction among the -SH group of GSHCQD and AA occurred which releases GSHCQD to the medium and FL intensity at 520 nm is regained. The GSHCQD-Au nanoprobe can detect the AA in a normal aqueous solution (pH 7) selectively over a short response time of 5 min. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit of AA was obtained to be 0.12 pM, over a wide linear range of 0-200 nM. Especially, this FRET-based sensing method was utilized successfully for the sensitive detection of AA using an RGB app installed on a smartphone, opening a new approach for the smart sensing of food contaminants.

Functional Micro-/Nanostructures in Agrofood Science: Precise Inspection, Hazard Elimination, and Potential Health Risks

Nanotechnology, biotechniques, and chemical engineering have arisen as new trends with significant impacts on agrofood science development. Advanced analytical techniques with high sensitivity, specificity, and automation based on micro-/nanomaterials for food hazard elimination have become leading research hotspots in agrofood science. Research progress in micro-/nanomaterials has provided a solid theoretical basis and technical support to solve problems in the industry. However, the rapid development of micro-/nanostructures has also raised concerns regarding potential risks to human health. This review presents the latest advances in the precise inspection and elimination of food hazards from micro-/nanomaterials and discusses the potential threats to human health posed by nanomaterials. The theoretical reference was provided for the application trend of micro-/nanomaterials in the field of agrofood science in the future.

Fluorescent garlic-capped Ag nanoparticles as dual sensors for the detection of acetone and acrylamide

In order to protect human health from the adverse impacts of acrylamide and acetone, simple analytical processes are required to detect low concentrations of acrylamide and acetone. Dual functional garlic-capped silver nanoparticles (G-Ag NPs) have been used as fluorescent sensors for acrylamide and acetone. This technique depends on the quenching of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of G-Ag NPs with the interaction of either acrylamide or acetone. This fluorescent probe presented high selectivity toward acrylamide with a wide linear response of 0.01-6 mM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.9 μM. Moreover, this probe also acted as a selective and sensitive fluorescent sensor for the detection of acetone in the range of 0.1-17 mM with LOD of 55 μM. The applicability of G-Ag NPs as a proposed sensor for acrylamide was evaluated using a potato chips sample with a recovery percentage of 102.4%. Acetone concentration is also quantified in human urine samples and the recoveries ranged from 98.8 to 101.7%. Repeatability and reproducibility studies for acrylamide and acetone offered relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.9% and 1.5%, and 0.77% and 1.1%, respectively.

A fluorescence biosensor based on double-stranded DNA and a cationic conjugated polymer coupled with exonuclease III for acrylamide detection

As a toxic substance on human health produced in food thermal treatment, simple analytical approaches are highly desired for the detection of acrylamide (ACR) in foods. With the aid of exonuclease III (Exo III), a simple fluorescence sensor was proposed based on carboxyfluorescein-labeled double-stranded DNA (FAM-dsDNA) and a cationic conjugated polymer (PFP). Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency between FAM and PFP was changed with and without ACR. When ACR was present, ACR and single-stranded DNA (P1, ssDNA) formed an adduct, allowing free FAM-labeled complementarity strand DNA (P2, FAM-csDNA) to appear in the solution and avoiding the digestion of P2 by Exo III. After the addition of PFP, the interaction of PFP and FAM induced strong FRET. Under optimized conditions, ACR was detected with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.16 μM. According to this biosensor, a LOD of 1.3 μM in water extract samples was observed with a good recovery rate (95-110 %).

Nitrogen donor ligand for capping ZnS quantum dots: a quantum chemical and toxicological insight

Nanoparticles having strong optical and electronic properties are the most widely used materials in sensor development.