A complete workflow for discovering small bioactive peptides in foods by LC-MS/MS: A case study on almonds.
Identification of bioactive peptides is an increasingly important target for food chemists, particularly in consideration of the widespread application of proteolytic enzymes in food processing. Because the characterization of small peptides by LC-MS/MS is challenging, we optimized a dimethyl labeling technique to facilitate small peptide identification, using almond proteins as a model. The method was […]
Acceleration of lipid oxidation in raw stored almond kernels in response to postharvest moisture exposure.
Background: Almonds are an important crop in California, and increased yields necessitate that dried in-hull almonds are stored in the field for longer periods increasing the potential for postharvest moisture exposure (e.g. rain, fog, etc.). Processors are increasingly drying these 'wet' almonds to a moisture content of <6% using low heat before the hulling and shelling […]
High-throughput Analysis of Aflatoxins in Cereals, Nuts and Processed Products Involving Automated Immunoaffinity Cleanup and Inline HPLC-Fluorescence Detection.
Background: The testing of aflatoxins (AFs) in fresh and processed foods is highly demanded to comply with trade regulations. Consequently, commercial laboratories face huge AF sample loads in food consignments. Worldwide, there is a rising interest to implement automation to increase sample throughput in AF analysis. Objective: This study sought to evaluate the performance of an automated […]
Field Survival of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on California Tree Crops.
Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a polyphagous insect pest that has invaded much of the United States, including California. Despite model predictions that regions in California like the agriculturally important Central Valley are suitable, H. halys populations and the occurring crop damage are distinctly lower than in regions of the East Coast. To evaluate […]
A simple extraction method with no lipid removal for the determination of aflatoxins in almonds by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
The present study describes a simple and rapid method for the determination of aflatoxins in almonds using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Aflatoxins were extracted using a modified QuEChERS method with little sample preparation, excluding the use of laborious purification procedures. Extracts were frozen overnight to separate the majority of lipids. The method was successfully […]
Anti-obesity potential of almond (Prunus dulcis) in experimental animals under cafeteria and atherogenic diets.
Background & objectives: Natural dietary supplements are progressively getting famous to supplant synthetic substances particularly in chronic morbidities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-obesity potential of almond on the normal, Cafeteria, and Atherogenic diets. Materials and methods: Parameters such as change in body weight, body temperature, lipid profile, organ weights, and fat pad […]
Genotypic and Environmental Variations in Kernel Color Indices in the Main Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) DA Webb) Cultivars Grown in North-Eastern Morocco.
Color indices are important quality traits that define the consumer visual acceptance and agroindustrial preferences. Little is known regarding these properties in the commercial almond cultivars grown in Morocco. This work aimed at investigating kernel color indices in five cultivars, namely, "Fournat de Brézenaud," "Tuono," "Ferragnès," "Ferraduel," and "Marcona." Color indices consisted in the following: […]
Sensitive Metal Oxide-Clay Nanocomposite Colorimetric Sensor Development for Aflatoxin Detection in Foods: Corn and Almond.
The work reports on zinc oxide bentonite nanocomposite (ZnOBt) chemical route synthesis, characterization, and investigation of curcumin (Cur) functionalization for a label-free colorimetric detection of total aflatoxins (AFs) in foods. XRD of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) confirmed the wurtzite structure (2θ = 36.2°) and that of ZnOBt showed the intercalated interlayer composite phase. The Debye-Scherrer relation […]
Chemometric Approach Based on Accuracy Profile and Data Chronological Distribution as a Tool to Detect Performance Degradation and Improve the Analytical Quality Control for Aflatoxins’ Analysis in Almonds Using UPLC–MS/MS.
One of the main objectives of routine laboratories is the development of simple and reliable methods as well as meeting fit-for-purpose criteria for regulatory surveillance. In this study, the accuracy profiles and the evaluation of the distribution of results in the case of aflatoxins in almonds have been performed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry […]
Influence of Pressure Extraction Systems on the Performance, Quality and Composition of Virgin Almond Oil and Defatted Flours.
Almond is the most cultivated nut throughout the world. The oil content of almonds in most varieties exceeds 50%, which encourages the oil extraction to be used in gastronomy or in the cosmetic industry. The preferred system to extract almond oil is by means of pressure, which leads to obtaining a virgin oil ready for […]