Modification of the existing maximum residue levels for prothioconazole in garlic, onions and shallots

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Bayer SAS - Crop Science Division submitted a request to the competent national authority in the Netherlands to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substance prothioconazole in garlic, onions and shallots. The data submitted in support of the request were found to be sufficient to derive MRL proposals for garlic, onion and shallots. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of prothioconazole on the commodities under consideration at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short-term and long-term intake of residues resulting from the use of prothioconazole according to the reported agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. An indicative exposure assessment to triazole derivative metabolites from the intended uses of prothioconazole did not indicate consumer intake concerns.

Targeted Metabolome Profiling of Indonesian Shallots and Japanese Long-Day/Short-Day Bulb Onions

In this study, targeted metabolome analysis was applied to identify the discriminative metabolites between Indonesian shallot landraces, Japanese long-day onion (LDO) varieties, and Japanese short-day onion (SDO) varieties. In total, 172 metabolite signal intensities were subjected to multivariate PLS-DA, VIP, and random forest modeling to gain further insight into genotype-specific metabolites. PLS-DA divides the examined genotypes into three different clusters, implying that shallot landraces exhibited a distinct metabolite profile compared with Japanese LDO and SDO varieties. The PLS-DA, VIP, and random forest results indicated that the shallot and LDO are richer in metabolite constituents in comparison with the SDO. Specifically, amino acids and organosulfur compounds were the key characteristic metabolites in shallot and LDO genotypes. The analysis of S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (ACSO) compounds showed higher accumulation in the shallot landraces relative to LDO and SDO varieties, which explains the stronger pungency and odor in shallots. In addition, the LDO showed higher ACSO content compared with the SDO, implying that long-day cultivation might enhance sulfur assimilation in the Japanese onion. The LDO 'Super Kitamomiji' and the shallots 'Probolinggo' and 'Thailand' showed higher ACSO content than other varieties, making it useful for Allium breeding to improve the flavor and stress tolerance of onions.

Shallot-enriched amaranth-based extruded snack influences blood glucose levels, hematological parameters, and carbohydrate degrading enzymes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus affects different age groups, and it is popularly managed using synthetic drugs; however, recent research efforts focus on dietary intervention especially the use of fiber rich crops to circumvent the effects of drugs. Developed shallot-enriched amaranth-based extruded snacks, namely: GCB, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (55:25:20) %; TYD, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (75:14.81:10.19)%; DZU, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (60.43:25:14.57)%; and JKL, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (70:25:5)%, were evaluated for proximate composition, total phenol and flavonoid contents. Snacks ability to modulate carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were also investigated. AMT (100% amaranth grain extrudate) and CCS (commercial shallot-enriched snack) served as control. Protein contents of snacks provided up to 25% of daily protein requirements for adult. Snacks exhibited high total phenol and flavonoid contents. Animals fed with snacks showed ameliorative effects on hematological parameters, attenuates elevation of enzyme activities in kidney and liver homogenates, and displayed decreased α-glucosidase/α-amylase activities. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Dietary intervention is capable of circumventing the adverse effects of synthetic drugs in the management of diabetes mellitus. The study established that developed shallot-enriched amaranth-based extruded snacks possess significant ability to hamper the activities of key carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, hence, has potential as a functional nutritious snack to curtail hyperglycemia and prevent diabetic complications.

[Effect of Calcium Silicate-biological Humus Fertilizer Composite on Uptake of Cd by Shallots from Contaminated Agricultural Soil]

The safety of vegetable production is a key link in reducing cadmium consumption through the food chains. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of composite materials (calcium silicate-biological humus fertilizer) on the growth of shallots and the uptake of Cd by shallots from contaminated agricultural soil. Four treatments (T1: 0.5% calcium silicate+0.5% biological humus fertilizer; T2: 0.5% calcium silicate+1.0% biological humus fertilizer; T3: 1.0% calcium silicate+0.5% biological humus fertilizer; and T4: 1.0% calcium silicate+1.0% biological humus fertilizer) and a control group (CK) were adopted. The changes in soil pH, DTPA-extractable Cd, biomass of shallots, and cadmium concentrations in shallots over time under different treatments were analyzed. The results show that the application of composite amendments decreased the concentrations of DTPA-extractable Cd in the soil. In particular, after T3 treatment, the concentrations of soil DTPA-extractable Cd decreased by 60.71%, 49.54%, 44.63%, and 58.94% after 14, 28, 42, and 56 d, respectively. The biomass of the shallots aboveground increased significantly by 107.99% and 107.19% after T3 and T4 treatment, respectively. The composite amendments exhibited different effects on the uptake of Cd by the shallots from the soil, and the T4 treatment was the most effective in immobilizing Cd and inhibiting translocation of Cd into the shallots. The cadmium concentration in the shallots decreased by 43.80% after 56 d with the T4 treatment. In conclusion, T4 is the optimum treatment for soil cadmium immobilization.

Modification of the existing maximum residue levels for fluazinam in onions, shallots and garlic

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Adama Makhteshim submitted a request to the competent national authority in the Netherlands to set maximum residue levels (MRL) for the active substance fluazinam in onions, shallots and garlic. The data submitted in support of the request were found to be sufficient to derive MRL proposals for all crops under consideration. An adequate analytical method for enforcement is available to control the residues of fluazinam in plant matrices. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of fluazinam according to the intended agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health.

Residue level and dissipation pattern of lepimectin in shallots using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection

Lepimectin, as an emulsifiable concentrate, was sprayed on shallots at the recommended dose rate (10 mL/20 L) to determine its residue levels, dissipation pattern, pre-harvest residue limits (PHRLs), and health risk. Samples were randomly collected over 10 days, extracted with acetonitrile, purified using an amino solid-phase extraction (NH₂ -SPE) cartridge and analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection method. Field-incurred samples were confirmed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The linearity was excellent, with a determination coefficient (R² ) of ≥0.9991. The recoveries at two spiking levels (0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg) ranged from 84.49 to 87.64% with relative standard deviations of ≤7.04%. The developed method was applied to field samples grown in separate greenhouses, one located in Naju and one in Muan, in the Republic of Korea. The dissipation pattern was described by first-order kinetics with half-lives of 1.9 (Naju) and 1.7 days (Muan). The PHRL curves indicated that, if the lepimectin residues are <0.18 (Naju) and <0.13 mg/kg (Muan) 5 days before harvest, the residue levels will be lower than the maximum residue limit (0.05 mg/kg) upon harvesting. The risk assessment data indicated that lepimectin is safe for use in the cultivation of shallots, with no risk of detrimental effects to the consumer.