Pesticide residues in grapes, wine, and their processing products

Broad-Spectrum Efficacy and Modes of Action of Two Bacillus Strains against Grapevine Black Rot and Downy Mildew

Black rot (Guignardia bidwellii) and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) are two major grapevine diseases against which the development of efficient biocontrol solutions is required in a context of sustainable viticulture. This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the efficacy and modes of action of bacterial culture supernatants from Bacillus velezensis Buz14 and B. ginsengihumi S38. Both biocontrol agents (BCA) were previously demonstrated as highly effective against Botrytis cinerea in grapevines. In semi-controlled conditions, both supernatants provided significant protection against black rot and downy mildew. They exhibited antibiosis against the pathogens by significantly decreasing G. bidwellii mycelial growth, but also the release and motility of P. viticola zoospores. They also significantly induced grapevine defences, as stilbene production. The LB medium, used for the bacterial cultures, also showed partial effects against both pathogens and induced plant defences. This is discussed in terms of choice of experimental controls when studying the biological activity of BCA supernatants. Thus, we identified two bacterial culture supernatants as new potential biocontrol products exhibiting multi-spectrum antagonist activity against different grapevine key pathogens and having a dual mode of action.

Kinetic and Mechanistic Modelling of Pyrimethanil Fungicide Adsorption onto Soils of Varying Physico-chemical Properties

Pesticide transport in the environment is impacted by the kinetics of its adsorption onto soil. The adsorption kinetics of pyrimethanil was investigated in ten soil samples of varying physicochemical properties. The highest adsorption was in the soil having the maximum silt and CaCO3 contents, pH and electrical conductance but the lowest amorphous Fe oxides and CaCl2 extractable Mn. Pseudo-second order kinetics and intra-particle diffusion model best accounted the adsorption kinetics of pyrimethanil. The equilibrium adsorption estimated by pseudo-second order kinetics (q02) was significantly and positively correlated with CaCl2 extractable Cu content (r = 0.709) while rate coefficient (k02) had a negative correlation with crystalline iron oxides content (r = -0.675). The intra-particle diffusion coefficient (ki.d.) had inverse relationship with CaCl2 extractable Mn content in soils (r = -0.689). FTIR spectra showed a significant interaction of pyrimethanil with micronutrient cations. Adsorption kinetic parameters of pyrimethanil could be successfully predicted by soil properties. The findings may help to evolve fungicide management decisions.

Hexaconazole induces developmental toxicities via apoptosis, inflammation, and alterations of Akt and MAPK signaling cascades

Hexaconazole is a highly effective triazole fungicide that is frequently applied in various countries to elevate crop productivity. Given its long half-life and high water solubility, this fungicide is frequently detected in the environment, including water sources. Moreover, hexaconazole exerts hazardous effects on nontarget organisms. However, little is known about the toxic effects of hexaconazole on animal development. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the developmental toxicity of hexaconazole to zebrafish, a valuable animal model for toxicological studies, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Results showed that hexaconazole affected the viability and hatching rate of zebrafish at 96 h postfertilization. Hexaconazole-treated zebrafish showed phenotypic defects, such as reduced size of head and eyes and enlarged pericardiac edema. Moreover, hexaconazole induced apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, and inflammation in developing zebrafish. Various organ defects, including neurotoxicity, cardiovascular toxicity, and hepatotoxicity, were observed in transgenic zebrafish models olig2:dsRed, fli1:eGFP, and l-fabp:dsRed. Furthermore, hexaconazole treatment altered the Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, which possibly triggered the organ defects and other toxic mechanisms. This study demonstrated the developmental toxicity of hexaconazole to zebrafish and elucidated the underlying mechanisms.

Recent updates on remediation approaches of environmentally occurring pollutants using visible light-active nano-photocatalysts

Photocatalysis emerges as a potential remedy for the issue of an unreliable light source. Recognized as the most dependable and potent energy source sustaining life on Earth, sunlight offers a promising solution. Sunlight is abundant and free, operational costs associated with running photocatalytic system using nanoparticles are often lower compared to system relying on artificial light source. The escalating problem of water pollution, particularly in highly industrialized nations, necessitates effective wastewater treatment methods. These methods aim to combat elevated pollution levels, encompassing pharmaceuticals, dyes, flame retardants, and pesticide components. Advanced oxidation processes within photocatalytic wastewater treatment exhibit substantial promise for removing complex organic pollutants. Doped nanomaterials, with their enhanced properties, enable efficient utilization of light. Coupled nanomaterials present significant potential in addressing both water and energy challenges by proficiently eliminating persistent pollutants from environment. Photocatalysis when exposed to sunlight can absorb photons and generate e- h + pairs. This discussion briefly outlines the wastewater treatment facilitated by interconnected nanomaterials, emphasizing their role in water-energy nexus. In exploring the capabilities of components within a functional photocatalyst, a comprehensive analysis of both simple photocatalysts and integrated photocatalytic systems is undertaken. Review aims to provide detailed explanation of the impact of light source on photon generation and significance of solar light on reaction kinetics, considering various parameters such as catalyst dosage, pH, temperature, and types of oxidants. By shedding light on these aspects, this review seeks to enhance our understanding of intricate processes involved in photocatalysis and its potential applications in addressing contemporary environmental challenges.

Shotgun Proteomic-Based Approach with a Q-Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer for Protein Adductomics on a 3D Human Brain Tumor Neurospheroid Culture Model: The Identification of Adduct Formation in Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase-2 and Annexin-A1 Induced by Pesticide Mixture

Pesticides are increasingly used in combinations in crop protection, resulting in enhanced toxicities for various organisms. Although protein adductomics is challenging, it remains a powerful bioanalytical tool to check environmental exposure and characterize xenobiotic adducts as putative toxicity biomarkers with high accuracy, facilitated by recent advances in proteomic methodologies and a mass spectrometry high-throughput technique. The present study aims to predict the potential neurotoxicity effect of imidacloprid and λ-cyhalothrin insecticides on human neural cells. Our protocol consisted first of 3D in vitro developing neurospheroids derived from human brain tumors and then treatment by pesticide mixture. Furthermore, we adopted a bottom-up proteomic-based approach using nanoflow ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with a high-resolution mass spectrometer for protein-adduct analysis with prediction of altered sites. Two proteins were selected, namely, calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CaMK2) and annexin-A1 (ANXA1), as key targets endowed with primordial roles. De novo sequencing revealed several adduct formations in the active site of 82-ANXA1 and 228-CaMK2 as a result of neurotoxicity, predicted by the added mass shifts for the structure of electrophilic precursors. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to adopt a proteomic-based approach to investigate in depth pesticide molecular interactions and their potential to adduct proteins which play a crucial role in the neurotoxicity mechanism.

Research of Pesticide Metabolites in Human Brain Tumor Tissues by Chemometrics-Based Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis for a Hypothetical Correlation between Pesticide Exposure and Risk Factor of Central Nervous System Tumors

Pesticides are widely used, resulting in continuing human exposure with potential health impacts. Some exposures related to agricultural works have been associated with neurological disorders. Since the 2000s, the hypothesis of the role of pesticides in the occurrence of central nervous system (CNS) tumors has been better documented in the literature. However, the etiology of childhood brain cancers still remains largely unknown. The major objective of this work was to assess the potential role of pesticide exposure as a risk factor for CNS tumors based on questionnaires and statistical analysis of information collected from patients hospitalized in the Neurosurgery Department of the Habib Bourguiba Hospital Medium in Sfax, Tunisia, during the period from January 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. It also aimed to develop a simple and rapid analytical method by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique for the research traces of pesticide metabolites in some collected human brain tumor tissues in order to more emphasize our hypothesis for such a correlation between pesticide exposure and brain tumor development. Patients with a history of high-risk exposure were selected to conduct further analysis. Chemometric methods were adapted to discern intrinsic variation between pathological and control groups and ascertain effective separation with the identification of differentially expressed metabolites accountable for such variations. Three samples revealed traces of pesticide metabolites that were mostly detected at an early age. The histopathological diagnosis was medulloblastoma for a 10-year-old child and high-grade gliomas for 27- and 35-year-old adults. The bivariate analyses (odds ratio >1 and P value <5%) confirmed the great probability of developing cancer by an exposure case. The Cox proportional hazards model revealed the risk of carcinogenicity beyond the age of 50 as a long-term effect of pesticide toxicity. Our study supports the correlation between pesticide exposure and the risk of development of human brain tumors, suggesting that preconception pesticide exposure, and possibly exposure during pregnancy, is associated with an increased childhood brain tumor risk. This hypothesis was enhanced in identifying traces of metabolites from the carbamate insecticide class known for their neurotoxicity and others from pyridazinone, organochlorines (OCs), triazole fungicide, and N-nitroso compounds known for their carcinogenicity. The 2D-OXYBLOT analysis confirmed the neurotoxicity effect of insecticides to induce oxidative damage in CNS cells. Aldicarb was implicated in brain carcinogenicity confirmed by the identification of oxime metabolites in a stress degradation study. Revealing "aziridine" metabolites from the OC class may better emphasize the theory of detecting traces of pesticide metabolites at an early age. Overall, our findings lead to the recommendation of limiting the residential use of pesticides and the support of public health policies serving this objective that we need to be vigilant in the postmarketing surveillance of human health impacts.

The interaction effects of pesticides with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their fate during wine-making process

Pesticide residues in grapes could be transferred to fermentation system during the wine-making process, which may interfere the normal proliferation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and subsequently affect the safety and quality of wine products. However, the interaction between pesticides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae is still poorly understood. Herein, the fate, distribution and interaction effect with Saccharomyces cerevisiae of five commonly-used pesticides during the wine-making process were evaluated. The five pesticides exerted varied inhibition on the proliferation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the order of inhibition intensity was difenoconazole > tebuconazole > pyraclostrobin > azoxystrobin > thiamethoxam. Compared with the other three pesticides, triazole fungicides difenoconazole and tebuconazole showed stronger inhibition and played a major role in binary exposure. The mode of action, lipophilicity and exposure concentration were important factors in the inhibition of pesticides. Saccharomyces cerevisiae had no obvious impacts on the degradation of target pesticides in the simulated fermentation experiment. However, the levels of target pesticides and their metabolite were significantly reduced during the wine-making process, with the processing factors ranged from 0.030 to 0.236 (or 0.032 to 0.257) during spontaneous (or inoculated) wine-making process. As a result, these pesticides were significantly enriched in the pomace and lees, and showed a positive correlation (R² ≥ 0.536, n = 12, P < 0.05) between the hydrophobicity of pesticides and distribution coefficients in the solid-liquid distribution system. The findings provide important information for rational selection of pesticides on wine grapes and facilitate more accurate risk assessments of pesticides for grape processing products.

Effect of Pesticide Vinclozolin Toxicity Exposure on Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Myocardial Damage

(1) Background: Vinclozolin is a popular fungicide used in fruit, ornamental plants, and vegetable crops. It has recently been seen that prolonged exposure to VZN can cause human or animal health damage to various organs, but little is known to date about its cardiovascular effects. In this study, we addressed the chronic effects of VZN on the myocardium and the enzymes involved in the cardiovascular function. (2) Methods: The animals were divided into four groups: group 1 served as the control, group 2 received 1 mg/kg of VZN by gavage, group 3 received 30 mg/kg of VZN by gavage, and group 4 received 100 mg/kg of VZN by gavage, for 30 days. (3) Results: Results showed that 100 mg/kg VZN markedly increased the plasma concentration of cardiac markers (CK-MB, cTnT, ANP, BNP). Moreover, compared to the control group, VZN treatment decreased the activity of SOD, CAT, and GPx, and downregulated the mRNA expression levels of Nrf2. Furthermore, collagen deposition was amplified owing to 100 mg/kg VZN cardiotoxicity. This harmful effect was confirmed by a histological study using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome staining. (4) Conclusion: Overall, our results proved the cardiotoxicity caused by chronic exposure to VZN.

A fungicide, fenhexamid, is involved in the migration and angiogenesis in breast cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors

Fenhexamid (Fen) is used to eradicate gray mold of fruits and vegetables leading to greater detection of its residual concentration in wine than other fungicides. Here, we further investigated the malign influence of Fen on the migration and angiogenesis via regulation of the estrogen receptor (ER) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways in breast cancer models. ER-positive MCF-7 and ER-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were exposed to 17β-estradiol (E2, 10^-9 M), Fen (10^-5 M and 10^-7 M), ICI 182,780 (ICI; an ER antagonist, 10^-8 M) or/and Pictilisib (Pic; a PI3K inhibitor, 10^-7 M), and subsequently subjected to migration assay, live cell motility monitoring, trans-chamber assay, immunofluorescence, angiogenesis assay, tumor spheroid formation, and Western blot analysis. In MCF-7 cells, E2 and Fen induced cell migration by regulating the cell migration-related proteins. Although expressions of N-cadherin and Vimentin remained unchanged E2 and Fen induced the decrease of E-cadherin and Occludin in the immunofluorescence assay and Western blot analysis. In addition, Fen increased vessel formation in HUVEC cells. Furthermore, Fen treatment induced the formation of larger and denser tumor spheroids in MCF-7 cells. Western blot further confirmed the increased expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) after exposure to Fen. We conclude that Fen plays an important role as an endocrine-disrupting chemical in breast cancer migration and metastasis through the regulation of ER and PI3K signaling pathways.

Investigating Six Common Pesticides Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment of Romanian Wine Varieties

The food and environmental safety debate extends to the use of pesticides in agriculture including the wine sector, which is one of the most intensive pesticide users across the agricultural sector. Pesticide utilisation is a common agricultural practice to protect fruits and plants from pathogens and insects while maintaining high production levels. Grapevine is generally a crop that is subject to intensive phytosanitary treatments, and therefore, it can be assumed that pesticide residues will accumulate in the vine-shoots and, later on, end up in the grapes and wines. The aim of this study was to determine the pesticide content in red, rosé, and white wines after phytosanitary treatments applied in the vineyard and their impact on long-term dietary risks. The following six pesticides were analysed: oxathiapiprolin, myclobutanil, iprovalicarb, tebuconazole, chlorantraniliprole, and acetamiprid. Samples were extracted using the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method and analysed for the residues of pesticides by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results indicated that the observed pesticides in the wine samples ranged between 0.05 and 0.75 ng/g. Dietary risks due to pesticide residues for women and men were evaluated using the estimated daily intake (EDI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) of wines. The HQs and HIs did not surpass the 1 value (HQ, HI < 1) for both women and men, denoting that the concentrations of pesticide residues in these wine samples do not pose any immediate risk to consumers. Moreover, a pesticide residue intake model (PRIMo) model analysis was conducted, and the results suggest that European adult consumers have a low pesticide residue intake due to moderate wine consumption. However, pesticide residue intakes have been associated with several human health problems and high toxicity levels, therefore reliable analytical methods to monitor their presence in horticultural crops is crucial for clean and safe food products and healthy consumers.

Transfer of Pesticide Residues from Grapes (Vitis vinifera) into Wine—Correlation with Selected Physicochemical Properties of the Active Substances

The concentration of pesticide residues in agricultural products at harvest can change during subsequent processing steps. This change, commonly expressed as Processing Factor (PF), is influenced by the raw agricultural commodity, and the processing conditions, as well as the properties of the substances. As it is not possible to conduct processing studies for all possible combinations of pesticide × process × product, new approaches for determining processing factors are needed. Wine was chosen as the object of the present study because it is a widely consumed product. Furthermore, it is already known that the concentration of pesticide residues can change considerably during the processing of grapes into wine, substantiating the need for PFs for a large number of pesticides. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between selected physicochemical properties and PFs. In addition, the influence of different winemaking processes was explored. For this purpose, 70 processing studies conducted by pesticide manufacturers in the framework of regulatory procedures were evaluated in detail and PFs were derived for 20 pesticides. For wine, a good correlation between the PF and the octanol-water partition coefficient of the substances was found, depending on the specific production methods used. Exemplarily, the coefficient of determination for white wine was 0.85, and 0.81 for red wine, when thermovinification was applied. These results can serve as the basis for a predictive model to be validated further with future winemaking studies for pesticides.

The effect of chlorothalonil on Saccharomyces cerevisiae under alcoholic fermentation

Chlorothalonil is a broad-spectrum fungicide largely used for the control of several diseases of grapevines. With a moderate persistence in plants, soil and, water, it can be carried to grape musts, particularly when applied to control grape rot diseases. This work aimed to determine the effect of chlorothalonil on Saccharomyces cerevisiae under fermentative conditions using a flow cytometry approach. Yeasts were cultivated in synthetic must with different concentrations of chlorothalonil (0 to 60 μM) and evaluated for culture-ability, membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential, metacaspase activity, ATP, nonprotein SH and, SH-proteins. The results confirmed the oxidation of nonprotein SH, including glutathione, and the binding of the fungicide with sulfhydryl proteins, which led to changes in the cell and mitochondrial membranes that result in the necrotic death of part of the yeast population, and a reduction in metabolic activity. Moreover, the reduction in glutathione-SH concentration was responsible for the increase in ROS which in turn triggers metacaspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. Cells that escape death adapt and began to grow and ferment after a dose-dependent lag-phase period, exhibiting an almost normal fermentative behavior thereafter. Moreover, was observed unexpected protection of chlorothalonil sub-dosages on yeast cell membrane integrity during alcoholic fermentation. This study contributed insights into how chlorothalonil leads the non-target organism S. cerevisiae to cell death and explores the effect of the fungicide during alcoholic fermentation.

Hydrophobic Eutectic Solvent-Based Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Applied to the Analysis of Pesticides in Wine

A green solvent-based DLLME/HPLC-MS method for the determination of 19 pesticides in wine samples has been developed. The extractant solvent is a hydrophobic eutectic mixture composed of L-menthol and butylated hydroxytoluene in a molar ratio of 3:1. The endogenous ethanol of wine has been used as dispersive solvent, in order to avoid the solidification of the extracts under 19 °C. The mobile phase composition, the elution gradient and the sample injection volume were optimized in order to make this hydrophobic mixture compatible with conventional reversed phase chromatography and electrospray ionization. The method was validated in matrix, using a wine free from the target compounds. Average recovery as high as 80%, precision between 3 and 14%, and limits of detection and quantification much lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for grapes and wines fixed by the EU regulation, make this multiresidue method fitted for the purpose, with the further advantages of being quick, cheap and in compliance with the green analytical chemistry. From the analysis of 11 commercial wines it was found that just in a bio sample the target compounds were not detectable or lower than quantification limit; as for the other samples, the most widespread and abundant pesticides were methoxyfenozide and boscalid, but their levels were much lower than the relative MRLs.

Safety evaluation of the use of one- and two-component fungicides to protect grapes

Viticulture and winemaking are traditional industry of agriculture in the southern regions of the Russian Federation, which playing an important role in their economy. A rich and undamaged crop is almost impossible to grow without plant protection measures. Preparations used to spray plants are by no means harmless, and do not always completely disintegrate before harvesting. The objective of the work was to study the dynamics of degradation of fungicides of systemic action, belonging to different classes, in grapes. The two-component preparation was a combination of 120 g/l difenoconazole + 60 g/l tetraconazole (MEC). The one-component preparation contained 250 g/l of cyprodinil (EC). The work was done in the Krasnodar region for 2 years. The half-lives of difenoconazole and tetraconazole were about 5 days, cyprodinil 2.7 and 4 days, 1 and 2 years, respectively. The concentration of difenoconazole and tetraconazole went down to below the MRL in the first year of the study, two weeks after the last spraying, and in the second – after three weeks, which was most likely caused by the prevailing weather conditions – “dangerous phenomenon – intense heat”. At the time of harvest, no residual amounts of difenoconazole, tetraconazole and cyprodinil were found, which indicates the safety of the products obtained for consumers.

In utero exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, maternal factors and alterations in the epigenetic landscape underlying later-life health effects

Widespread persistence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment has mandated the need to study their potential effects on an individual's long-term health after both acute and chronic exposure periods. In this review article a particular focus is given on in utero exposure to EDCs in rodent models which resulted in altered epigenetic programming and transgenerational effects in the offspring causing disrupted reproductive and metabolic phenotypes. The literature to date establishes the impact of transgenerational effects of EDCs potentially associated with epigenetic mediated mechanisms. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of epigenetic programming and it's regulation in mammals, primarily focusing on the epigenetic plasticity and susceptibility to exogenous hormone active chemicals during the early developmental period. Further, we have also in depth discussed the epigenetic alterations associated with the exposure to selected EDCs such as Bisphenol A (BPA), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and vinclozlin upon in utero exposure especially in rodent models.

Aqueous photodegradation of the benzophenone fungicide metrafenone: Carbon-bromine bond cleavage mechanism

Metrafenone (MF), as a new type of benzophenone fungicide, has been widely used in agriculture and is persistent in the environment. Understanding its photochemical fate is essential for the comprehensive evaluation of its ecological risk. In the present work, we reported a detailed study on the photochemical transformation of MF in aqueous solution under irradiation (at λ > 290 nm using a high pressure mercury lamp). MF was relatively photo-reactive showing a low polychromatic quantum yield of photolysis (1.06 × 10^-4, 20 µM) counterbalanced by a significant light absorption above 290 nm. A series of photoproducts were identified by high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) analysis, and three different pathways, including oxidation of the methyl group, debromination and replacement of bromine by hydroxyl group were proposed. Among them, debromination was identified as the dominating process that could be achieved via homolytic C-Br bond cleavage from singlet and triplet MF, as confirmed by laser flash photolysis (LFP) experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Toxicity assessment revealed that photochemical degradation reduced the ecotoxicity of MF efficiently. Nitrate ions and humic acid promoted the MF photolysis, while bicarbonate exhibited no effect. Results obtained in this work would increase our understanding on the environmental fate of MF in sunlit surface waters.

Rapid detection of pesticide in milk, cereal and cereal based food and fruit juices using paper strip-based sensor

The study was aimed to validate paper strip sensors for the detection of pesticide residues in milk, cereal-based food, and fruit juices in comparison with GC-MS/MS under field conditions. The detection limit of pesticide using rapid paper strip sensor for organophosphate, carbamate, organochlorine, fungicide, and herbicide group ranges from 1 to 10, 1-50, 250-500, 1-50, and 1 ppb, respectively in milk and milk product, cereal-based food and fruit juices. Among 125 samples of milk samples collected from the market 33 milk samples comprising 31 raw milk and 2 pasteurized milk found positive for pesticide using the strip-based sensor. In cereal based food and fruit juice samples, 6 cereal flours and 4 fruit juices were found positive for pesticide residues. The pesticide positive samples were further evaluated quantitatively using GC-MS/MS wherein 7 samples comprised of raw milk, pasteurized milk, rice flour, wheat flour, maize flour, apple juice, and pomegranate juice have shown the presence of chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan DDD and DDT at trace level as well as at above MRL level. It is envisaged that the developed paper strip sensor can be a potential tool in the rapid and cost-effective screening of a large number of food samples for pesticide residues.

Antioxidant and Immunostimulatory Activities of a Submerged Culture of Cordyceps sinensis Using Spent Coffee

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are inexpensive materials that have been used as a source of antioxidants and polysaccharides with immunostimulatory activity. In this study, we performed a microbial fermentation of SCG using Cordyceps sinensis and investigated the radical scavenging and immunostimulatory activity of fermented SCG. SCG fermentation using C. sinensis was performed at 25 °C for 8 d. The polyphenol content of the fermented SCG increased from 1022.4 to 1562.0 μg/mL. The glucosamine content of the mycelia also continuously increased during fermentation. The main polyphenol compounds of fermented SCG were chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid, which were increased by fermentation. Fermented SCG also showed significantly higher content of chlorogenic acid isomers than unfermented SCG. The fermented SCG exhibited significantly higher 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (half maximal inhibitory concentration: IC₅₀, 0.37 mg/mL) and 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (IC₅₀, 0.93 mg/mL) radical scavenging activities than those of the control (0.54 mg/mL and 1.20 mg/mL, respectively; p < 0.05). The fermented SCG stimulated macrophages and promoted the production of various immunostimulatory cytokines (IL-12, IL-6, and TNF-α) compared to control; therefore, microbial fermentation of SCG using C. sinensis is an effective means of generating antioxidant and immunostimulatory materials.

Plant Fibers in Comparison with Other Fining Agents for the Reduction of Pesticide Residues and the Effect on the Volatile Profile of Austrian White and Red Wines

Pesticide residues in Austrian wines have so far been poorly documented. In 250 wines, 33 grape musts and 45 musts in fermentation, no limit values were exceeded, but in some cases high levels (>0.100 mg/L) of single residues were found, meaning that a reduction of these levels before bottling could make sense. In the course of this study, a white and a red wine were spiked with a mix of 23 pesticide residues from the group of fungicides (including botryticides), herbicides and insecticides. The influence of the following treatments on residue concentrations and volatile profiles were investigated: two activated charcoal products, a bentonite clay, two commercial mixed fining agents made of bentonite and charcoal, two yeast cell wall products, and a plant fiber-based novel filter additive. The results of this study show that all the agents tested reduced both residues and volatile compounds in wine, with activated charcoal having the strongest effect and bentonite the weakest. The mixed agents and yeast wall products showed less aroma losses than charcoal products, but also lower residue reduction. Plant fibers showed good reduction of pesticides with moderate aroma damage, but these results need to be confirmed under practical conditions.

Accurate mass screening of pesticide residues in wine by modified QuEChERS and LC-hybrid LTQ/Orbitrap-MS

In this research, a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction procedure and Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Orbitrap-Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS), were combined to obtain a sensitive and rapid method for the determination of multiclass pesticides in white and red wines. The optimization strategy involved the selection of buffering conditions, by applying different QuEChERS procedures and sorbents for the cleanup step in order to achieve acceptably high recoveries and low co-extractives in the final extracts. Identification was based on both accurate mass and retention time, while further confirmation was achieved by MS fragmentation. The method was evaluated in terms of linearity, recovery, precision, limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), matrix effects (ME) and expanded uncertainty. The validated method was successfully applied to real samples (home-made and commercial) revealing the presence of two selected fungicides, in relatively low levels compared to the MRLs defined by the EU for vinification grapes.

Residue changes and processing factors of eighteen field-applied pesticides during the production of Chinese Baijiu from rice

The fate of eighteen pesticides in field-collected rice samples during Chinese Baijiu production was systematically studied. The results indicated that steeping decreased flonicamid residue by 73.2% due to its high water-solubility and low octanol/water partition coefficient. The steaming step reduced pesticide residues by 32.0%-75.3% through evaporation or thermal degradation. After steaming, the pesticide residues were further reduced by 39.8-74.2% in fermentation which might be caused by biological degradation. In addition, distillation was shown to be most effective, responsible for greater than 90% losses of the remaining pesticide residues. The processing factors (PFs) were generally lower than 1 for different processes and the whole procedure. These results revealed that the procedure of Chinese Baijiu production could dramatically decrease residues of all the eighteen pesticides. Overall, this study provide important references for monitoring pesticide residue levels during the production of Chinese Baijiu from rice, and ensuring proper risk assessment from pesticide contamination.

Multienzyme-Targeted Fluorescent Probe as a Biosensing Platform for Broad Detection of Pesticide Residues

Pesticide residues, significantly hampering the overall environmental and human health, have become an increasingly severe issue. Thus, developing rapid, cost-effective, and sensitive tools for monitoring the pesticide residues in food and water is extremely important. Compared to the conventional and chromatographic techniques, enzyme inhibition-based biosensors conjugated with the fluorogenic probes provide effective alternative methods for detecting pesticide residues due to the inherent advantages including high selectivity and sensitivity, simple operation, and capability of providing in situ and real-time information. However, the detection efficiency of a single enzyme-targeted biosensor in practical samples is strongly impeded by the structural diversity of pesticides and their distinct targets. In this work, we developed a strategy of multienzyme-targeted fluorescent probe design and accordingly obtained a novel fluorescent probe (named as 3CP) for detecting the presence of wide variety of pesticides. The designed probe 3CP, targeting cholinesterases, carboxylesterases, and chymotrypsin simultaneously, yielded intense fluorescence in the solid state upon the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis. It showed excellent sensitivity against organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides, and the detection limit for dichlorvos achieved 1.14 pg/L. Moreover, it allowed for the diffusion-resistant in situ visualization of pesticides in live cells and zebrafish and the sensitive measurement of organophosphorus pesticides in fresh vegetables, demonstrating the promising potential for tracking the pesticide residues in environment and biological systems.

Method validation for the determination of 314 pesticide residues using tandem MS systems (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS) in raisins: Focus on risk exposure assessment and respective processing factors in real samples (a pilot survey)

A multi-residue method for the simultaneous analysis of a wide range of pesticides in raisins using liquid and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) has been validated. Pesticides are extracted from raisins with ethyl acetate, followed by centrifugation. The validation study was in accordance with DG SANTE guidelines. Validation experiments have been performed in both analytical instruments. A total number of 314 pesticides were spiked in raisins of organic farming at two spiking levels for GC-MS/MS (0.025 and 0.1 mg/kg), and at three spiking levels for LC-MS/MS (0.005, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg) with 6 replicates at each concentration. The scope of validation included linearity, limits of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision, and matrix effects (%) for each pesticide. The validated method was then applied for the analysis of 37 commercial raisin samples purchased from the market. For the evaluation of the results, processing factors (PFs) have been applied to derive the amount of residue in raisins, from the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of grapes, and which in this paper will be referred as to the MRL expressed in raisins. In all conventional samples, pesticides were detected at concentrations above the LOQ. In total, 55 different pesticides were detected. All conventional samples contained multiple pesticides ranging from 2 to 24. On the other hand, samples from organic farming were found to be free of the analysed pesticides. The 13.5% of the examined samples were considered as violations. The exposure assessment for the acute risk of the violating samples indicated that no potential risk derives from the detected and approved in the EU pesticides, while the detection of not approved pesticides in the EU, and the lack of toxicological reference values for certain pesticides raise concerns for the human health, especially for children. The results of the survey study indicate the need to include processed samples, and in particular dry fruits with a high consumption rate such as raisins, in the official controls of pesticide residues in food.

Supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of chiral fungicides in viticulture-related samples

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), combined with mass spectrometry (MS), was employed for the determination of five chiral fungicides, from two different chemical families (acylalanine and triazol) in wine and vineyard soils. The effect of different SFC parameters (stationary phase, chiral selector, mobile phase modifier and additive) in the resolution between enantiomers and in the efficiency of compounds ionization at the electrospray source (ESI) was thorougly described. Under final working conditions, chiral separations of selected fungicides were achieved using two different SFC-MS methods, with an analysis time of 10 min and resolution factors from 1.05 to 2.45 between enantiomers. In combination with solid-phase extraction and pressurized liquid extraction, they permitted the enantiomeric determination of target compounds in wine and vineyard soils with limits of quantification in the low ppb range (between 0.5 and 2.5 ng mL^-1, and from 1.3 to 6.5 ng g^-1, for wine and soil, respectively), and overall recoveries above 80%, calculated using solvent-based standards. For azolic fungicides (tebuconazole, myclobutanil and penconazole) soil dissipation and transfer from vines to wines were non-enantioselective processes. Data obtained for acylalanine compounds confirmed the application of metalaxyl (MET) to vines as racemate and as the R-enantiomer. The enantiomeric fractions (MET-S/(MET-S+MET-R)) of this fungicide in vineyard soils varied from 0.01 to 0.96; moreover, laboratory degradation experiments showed that the relative dissipation rates of MET enantiomers varied depending on the type of soil.

The Lethal Effect of Bacillus subtilis Z15 Secondary Metabolites on Verticillium dahliae

Bacillus subtilis Z15 (BS-Z15), isolated from cotton rhizosphere soil, inhibits Verticillium dahliae and suppresses cotton Verticillium wilt in pot experiments. We investigated the influence of environmental factors, pH, temperature, ultraviolet light, protease, and incubation time on the stability of BS-Z15 secondary metabolites (SMs), and the mechanism underlying the cytotoxicity of BS-Z15 SMs on V. dahliae. BS-Z15 and its fermentation broth inhibited V. dahliae, and this effect was mediated by its SMs. These were shown to be stable to the influence of the above environmental factors. BS-Z15 SMs decreased the viability of V. dahliae conidia in a time-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscopy showed that BS-Z15 and its SMs resulted in flattened and depressed conidia. BS-Z15 SMs induced morphological abnormalities in the hyphae, which showed rough aberrant structures, reduced conidiophore production, and accelerated aging. Flow cytometry using Hoechst/propidium iodide double staining revealed that BS-Z15 SMs induced necrosis in V. dahliae in a time-dependent manner. Fluorescence microscopy showed that BS-Z15 SMs did not induce apoptotic bodies in the conidia of V. dahliae but caused significant changes in karyotypes, accompanied by nuclear lysis and nucleic-acid diffusion, which may play important roles in necrosis. In addition, 0.3 mg/mL BS-Z15 SMs had no effect on either the mitochondrial membrane potential or the synthesis of proapoptotic proteins, indicating that the SMs did not induce apoptosis in V. dahliae. Their lethal effect on V. dahliae was by inducing necrosis in its conidia and hyphae. BS-Z15 SMs thus have potential as biological pesticides to control Verticillium wilt in cotton.

An overview of chemical contaminants and other undesirable chemicals in alcoholic beverages and strategies for analysis

The presence of chemical contaminant in alcoholic beverages is a widespread and notable problem with potential implications for human health. With the complexity and wide variation in the raw materials, production processes, and contact materials involved, there are a multitude of opportunities for a diverse host of undesirable compounds to make their way into the final product-some of which may currently remain unidentified and undetected. This review provides an overview of the notable contaminants (including pesticides, environmental contaminants, mycotoxins, process-induced contaminants, residues of food contact material [FCM], and illegal additives) that have been detected in alcoholic products thus far based on prior reviews and findings in the literature, and will additionally consider the potential sources for contamination, and finally discuss and identify gaps in current analytical strategies. The findings of this review highlight a need for further investigation into unwanted substances in alcoholic beverages, particularly concerning chemical migrants from FCMs, as well as a need for comprehensive nontargeted analytical techniques capable of determining unanticipated contaminants.

Degradation Trends of Some Insecticides and Microbial Changes during Sauerkraut Fermentation under Laboratory Conditions

The aim of this study was to monitor the degradation of three insecticides licensed for the control of cabbage moths during the 14-day fermentation period of sauerkraut samples. The hypothesis of this study is that the different sauerkraut fermentation processes could affect the degradation of applied insecticides. For this purpose, the fresh cabbage leaves contaminated with (λ-cyhalothrin, malathion, and chlorpyrifos-methyl) were left for fermentation with and without (natural) starter addition (Lactobacillus plantarum 112), and vacuum-packed as a control under laboratory conditions. The pH values and microbial growth were periodically monitored in sauerkraut samples during the fermentation period. During this time, the insecticide residues were determined in control and treatment samples using LC-MS-MS. In control samples, the degradation of chlorpyrifos-methyl and malathion was higher with rates of 69 and 98%, respectively, compared with the sauerkraut samples (12 and 59%; 31 and 34%, respectively) 14 days after the insecticide application. At the end of fermentation (14 d), no significant reduction in λ-cyhalothrin was detected in both treatments and control (13-19% reduction). The current study demonstrated that the presence of the lactic acid bacteria in the sauerkraut fermentation accelerated pH decline (below 4.0), and these fermentation conditions probably decelerated the degradation of malathion and chlorpyrifos-methyl. The results showed that the stability of different insecticides varied during the same fermentation process.

Stereoselective behaviors of the fungicide triadimefon and its metabolite triadimenol during malt storage and beer brewing

The stereoselective behaviors of triadimefon (TF) and its metabolite triadimenol (TN) during barley storage and beer brewing were studied by supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to shed light on potential security risks. Matrix-matched calibration curves were constructed for barley and beer, with determination coefficients (r²) ≥ 0.9991. Average recoveries of 77.2-107.5 % and relative standard deviations within 15.0 % were observed. The degradation of the TF enantiomers during storage followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and S-TF was degraded in preference to R-TF with the half-life ranges 18.5-36.5 d and 20.4-69.3 d, respectively. During beer brewing, the TF enantiomers (enantiomer fraction, 0.44-0.56) were selectively metabolized into TN stereoisomers (diastereomer fraction, 0.43-0.58). The total pesticide content of beer was 93.3 % lower than that of raw grain, whereby the TF content declined by up to 100 % and the TN stereoisomers were reduced by 35.1 %. The processing factors of all the brewing steps were less than one, illustrating that beer consumption is safer after its commercial processing. Furthermore, the TF enantiomers showed different behaviors upon fermentation by two yeast strains. Thus, this work is a useful reference for assessing the food safety risk posed by individual pesticide enantiomers and their contribution to environmental pollution.

Influence of Triazole Pesticides on Wine Flavor and Quality Based on Multidimensional Analysis Technology

Triazole pesticides are widely used to control grapevine diseases. In this study, we investigated the impact of three triazole pesticides-triadimefon, tebuconazole, and paclobutrazol-on the concentrations of wine aroma compounds. All three triazole pesticides significantly affected the ester and acid aroma components. Among them, paclobutrazol exhibited the greatest negative influence on the wine aroma quality through its effect on the ester and acid aroma substances, followed by tebuconazole and triadimefon. Qualitative and quantitative analysis by solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry revealed that the triazole pesticides also changed the flower and fruit flavor component contents of the wines. This was attributed to changes in the yeast fermentation activity caused by the pesticide residues. The study reveals that triazole pesticides negatively impact on the volatile composition of wines with a potential undesirable effect on wine quality, underlining the desirability of stricter control by the food industry over pesticide residues in winemaking.

In vivo monitoring and exposure potency assessment of phase I metabolism of fenthion in vegetables

In this study, the phase I metabolism of fenthion was monitored in three common vegetables in different chamber situations via an in vivo solid-phase microextraction method. The phase I metabolic pathways of fenthion were evaluated based on the in vivo monitoring results and their comparisons among the chamber situations. Enzyme catalysis was found to play a basic and dominant role, whereas light catalysis could promote subsequent transformations that were difficult for enzyme catalysis. Moreover, according to the concentrations of the metabolites and their toxicity, the total concentrations and total toxicity weighted concentrations were calculated to reveal actual residual levels. The relative total and weighted exposure potency values were calculated to account for the fact that only the parent pesticide was considered in the diet exposure risk assessment. In result, both total and weighted approaches indicated a much higher exposure risk. Present study uncovered the potential pesticide exposure risk associated with phase I metabolism and highlighted the toxicity weighted approach, both of which more realistically reflect the exposure risk than the parent compound concentration does. In general, this study may facilitate further illustrating the phase I metabolism of ubiquitous agricultural pesticides, and provide a more realistically understanding of their exposure risk.

Enantioselective fate of mandipropamid in grape and during processing of grape wine

Enantioselective monitoring of chiral fungicide mandipropamid enantiomers were carried out in grapes and wine-making process. The enantiomers of mandipropamid were separated on a Lux Cellulose-2 column and determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The processing procedure included washing, fermentation, and clarification. Significant enantioselectivity was observed in grape under field conditions and during wine-making processing. The half-lives of R-mandipropamid and S-mandipropamid were 5.63 days and 7.79 days under field conditions 43.3 h and 69.3 h during wine-making processing, respectively. The EF values ranged from 0.498 to 0.283 in grape under field conditions, and the EF values were from 0.458 (0 h) to 0.362 (312 h) during the whole fermentation process. The results indicated that R-mandipropamid degraded faster than S-mandipropamid in grape under field conditions and during the fermentation process. The processing factors (PFs) were less than 1 for each procedure, and the PF ranged from 0.005 to 0.025 in the overall process, which indicated that the wine-making process can reduce mandipropamid residue in grape wine. The results of this study could help facilitate more accurate risk assessments of mandipropamid in table grapes and during wine-making process.

NoPv1: a synthetic antimicrobial peptide aptamer targeting the causal agents of grapevine downy mildew and potato late blight

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a crop of major economic importance. However, grapevine yield is guaranteed by the massive use of pesticides to counteract pathogen infections. Under temperate-humid climate conditions, downy mildew is a primary threat for viticulture. Downy mildew is caused by the biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara viticola Berl. & de Toni, which can attack grapevine green tissues. In lack of treatments and with favourable weather conditions, downy mildew can devastate up to 75% of grape cultivation in one season and weaken newly born shoots, causing serious economic losses. Nevertheless, the repeated and massive use of some fungicides can lead to environmental pollution, negative impact on non-targeted organisms, development of resistance, residual toxicity and can foster human health concerns. In this manuscript, we provide an innovative approach to obtain specific pathogen protection for plants. By using the yeast two-hybrid approach and the P. viticola cellulose synthase 2 (PvCesA2), as target enzyme, we screened a combinatorial 8 amino acid peptide library with the aim to identify interacting peptides, potentially able to inhibit PvCesa2. Here, we demonstrate that the NoPv1 peptide aptamer prevents P. viticola germ tube formation and grapevine leaf infection without affecting the growth of non-target organisms and without being toxic for human cells. Furthermore, NoPv1 is also able to counteract Phytophthora infestans growth, the causal agent of late blight in potato and tomato, possibly as a consequence of the high amino acid sequence similarity between P. viticola and P. infestans cellulose synthase enzymes.

Fate of Residual Pesticides in Fruit and Vegetable Waste (FVW) Processing

Plants need to be protected against pests and diseases, so as to assure an adequate production, and therefore to contribute to food security. However, some of the used pesticides are harmful compounds, and thus the right balance between the need to increase food production with the need to ensure the safety of people, food and the environment must be struck. In particular, when dealing with fruit and vegetable wastes, their content in agrochemicals should be monitored, especially in peel and skins, and eventually minimized before or during further processing to separate or concentrate bioactive compounds from it. The general objective of this review is to investigate initial levels of pesticide residues and their potential reduction through further processing for some of the most contaminated fruit and vegetable wastes. Focus will be placed on extraction and drying processes being amid the main processing steps used in the recuperation of bioactive compounds from fruit and vegetable wastes.

Integrating metabolomics and targeted gene expression to uncover potential biomarkers of fungal/oomycetes-associated disease susceptibility in grapevine

Vitis vinifera, one of the most cultivated fruit crops, is susceptible to several diseases particularly caused by fungus and oomycete pathogens. In contrast, other Vitis species (American, Asian) display different degrees of tolerance/resistance to these pathogens, being widely used in breeding programs to introgress resistance traits in elite V. vinifera cultivars. Secondary metabolites are important players in plant defence responses. Therefore, the characterization of the metabolic profiles associated with disease resistance and susceptibility traits in grapevine is a promising approach to identify trait-related biomarkers. In this work, the leaf metabolic composition of eleven Vitis genotypes was analysed using an untargeted metabolomics approach. A total of 190 putative metabolites were found to discriminate resistant/partial resistant from susceptible genotypes. The biological relevance of discriminative compounds was assessed by pathway analysis. Several compounds were selected as promising biomarkers and the expression of genes coding for enzymes associated with their metabolic pathways was analysed. Reference genes for these grapevine genotypes were established for normalisation of candidate gene expression. The leucoanthocyanidin reductase 2 gene (LAR2) presented a significant increase of expression in susceptible genotypes, in accordance with catechin accumulation in this analysis group. Up to our knowledge this is the first time that metabolic constitutive biomarkers are proposed, opening new insights into plant selection on breeding programs.

Monitoring and risk assessment of tepraloxydim in banana (Musa paradisiaca) and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

This study was conducted to analyze the residue levels of tepraloxydim in banana and sweet orange. Successive liquid-liquid extraction and cartridge clean-up method for tepraloxydim determination in banana and sweet orange were developed and validated by HPLC. The developed method was validated, and the recovery and LOQ of tepraloxydim were 79.3-99.5% and 0.02 mg kg-1, respectively. Among the 48 banana and 34 sweet orange samples, tepraloxydim was detected in two (0.03 mg kg-1) and four samples (0.03-0.05 mg kg-1), respectively. A risk assessment of tepraloxydim in banana and sweet orange was conducted by calculating the percent ratio of estimated daily intake (EDI) and acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ADI of tepraloxydim was 0.05 mg kg-1 day-1, and the EDIs of it from banana and sweet orange were 6.3 × 10-6 and 5.1-8.5 × 10-6, respectively. The percent of EDI to ADI of tepraloxydim was 0.013 and 0.010-0.017%, respectively. These results showed that the tepraloxydim levels in this study might not be harmful to human beings.

Targeted Cell Sorting Combined With Single Cell Genomics Captures Low Abundant Microbial Dark Matter With Higher Sensitivity Than Metagenomics

Rare members of environmental microbial communities are often overlooked and unexplored, primarily due to the lack of techniques capable of acquiring their genomes. Chloroflexi belong to one of the most understudied phyla, even though many of its members are ubiquitous in the environment and some play important roles in biochemical cycles or biotechnological applications. We here used a targeted cell-sorting approach, which enables the selection of specific taxa by fluorescent labeling and is compatible with subsequent single-cell genomics, to enrich for rare Chloroflexi species from a wastewater-treatment plant and obtain their genomes. The combined workflow was able to retrieve a substantially higher number of novel Chloroflexi draft genomes with much greater phylogenetical diversity when compared to a metagenomics approach from the same sample. The method offers an opportunity to access genetic information from rare biosphere members which would have otherwise stayed hidden as microbial dark matter and can therefore serve as an essential complement to cultivation-based, metagenomics, and microbial community-focused research approaches.

Simulation Study for the Degradation of Some Insecticides during Different Black Table Olive Processes

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different olive processing methods on deltamethrin (DEL), dimethoate (DIM), and imidacloprid (IMI), the most commonly preferred synthetic insecticides for controlling olive pests such as the olive fruit fly. The hypothesis is that the fermentation could accelerate the degradation process of the insecticides. For this purpose, olives were left for fermentation (natural black olives) without and with starter addition (two Lactobacillus plantarum strains 112 and 123) and processed as dehydrated black olives. To monitor the degradation rate of insecticides, olives were first polluted with the insecticides and then the residues were detected periodically during the processes. The insecticide degradation rates were found to be significantly higher in natural black olives and natural black olives inoculated with both starters compared with those of crude olives and dehydrated black olives. At the end of fermentation (after 60 d), 53-61% of deltamethrin, 66-68% of dimethoate, and 42-50% of imidacloprid were removed in natural black olives and natural black olives inoculated with both starters. In dehydrated olives, the degradation of deltamethrin, dimethoate, and imidacloprid was lower with rates of 9.7, 40, and 13.4%, respectively. The current study demonstrated that natural and starter-added natural black olive processing accelerated the degradation of deltamethrin, dimethoate, and imidacloprid.

Miniaturized QuEChERS method for determination of 97 pesticide residues in wine by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

A miniaturized sample preparation method was developed and validated for the multiresidue determination of 97 pesticides in wine samples. The proposed extraction procedure is based on the QuEChERS acetate method with dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) for the clean-up step. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was used for determination. The extraction and clean-up steps were evaluated to obtain the best conditions for the selected pesticides. Miniaturization of the sample preparation step provided a reduction in the consumption of samples and chemicals. The method limit of quantification was between 10 and 20 μg L-1. Trueness results, obtained by recovery assays at the spike levels 10, 20, 50 and 100 μg L-1, ranged from 70 to 120% with precision in terms of relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤ 20%. The method was successfully applied for the analysis of wine samples and different pesticides were found at concentrations from 14 to 55 μg L-1.

Current and future strategies for wine yeast lees valorization

Wine lees is a sludge material mainly composed of dead yeast precipitated at the bottom of wine tanks. Along with grape pomace and grape stalks, it is one of the main by-products of the winemaking industry. Given that wine lees are considered a soil pollutant, their disposal represents a cost for wineries. Numerous wine lees recovery and valorization strategies have been proposed, with a particularly steep increase in published research in recent years. This attention is strictly linked to the concepts of circular economy and environmental sustainability that are attracting the interest of the scientific community. In this review, an overview on the available wine lees recovery and valorization strategies is reported. Additionally, the methods for the extraction and valorization of yeast's cell wall polysaccharides (β-glucans and mannoproteins) are discussed. Finally, current and future innovative applications in different sectors of yeast β-glucans and mannoproteins are described and critically discussed.

The Dissipation of Cyazofamid and Its Main Metabolite CCIM During Wine-Making Process

Few studies have focused on the residues of cyazofamid and its main metabolite CCIM (4-chloro-5-p-tolylimidazole-2-carbonitrile) in the wine making process, which is crucial to evaluate the potential food risk of cyazofamid and CCIM. In this work, detailed study has been conducted on the evaluation of the fate of cyazofamid and its main metabolite CCIM during the wine-making process. The targeted compounds cyazofamid and CCIM were separated and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and processing procedure including washing, peeling, fermentation, and clarification. Results showed that residues of cyazofamid and CCIM decreased significantly in wine processing. The dissipation of cyazofamid in the fermentation process followed the first-order of kinetics, and the half-life of cyazofamid was 46.2-63.0 h, whereas, the residues of CCIM, in the three treatments, decreased with time elapse. The processing factors (PFs) were all less than one in different processing processes, and the PFs ranges of cyazofamid and CCIM were 0.003-0.025 and 0.039-0.067 in three treatments in the overall process. The outcome indicated that the whole process could significantly reduce the residues of cyazofamid and CCIM in red and white wines. The results might provide more precise risk assessments of cyazofamid in the wine-making process.

Determination, residue analysis, risk assessment and processing factors of tebufenozide in okra fruits under field conditions

BACKGROUND

Ensuring the yield, quality, and profitability of okra by preventing and controlling pests with the application of insecticides has increased in the last decade. Some insecticide residues might remain in edible parts of okra (fruits) and lead to several potential human health problems. Therefore, research on the residue behaviour, risk assessment and removal approach of insecticides on okra fruits is important for food safety, together with the proper application and residual elimination of insecticides in okra.

RESULTS

A simple liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established and validated for determining the tebufenozide residues in okra fruits. The recoveries of tebufenozide in okra fruits were >72% with relative standard deviations of 0.6 to 6.1%. The dissipation rates of tebufenozide were different in okra fruits cultivated under open land and glasshouse field conditions because of the discriminating humidity and temperature conditions. The dietary intake of the tebufenozide residues from okra fruit consumption for Chinese consumers was fairly low, with approximately no potential health risk. The processing factor values of washing, blanching, washing + blanching and soaking were all less than one, which indicated that these processes could effectively reduce the residual hydrazide in the okra fruit.

CONCLUSION

The developed method for analysing tebufenozide in okra fruits was applicable for field studies on this insecticide. The potential health risk of tebufenozide in okra fruits could be negligible to the health of different age groups of Chinese consumers. The soaking process effectively removed tebufenozide residues from okra fruits. The obtained data will help Chinese governments establish a maximum residue limit of tebufenozide in okra and provide data for the risk assessment and removal of tebufenozide in other crops. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.