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Lack of knowledge about iodine has been suggested as a risk factor for iodine deficiency in pregnant women, but no studies have addressed this issue in Portugal. So, the aim of this study was to investigate iodine knowledge among Portuguese pregnant women and its association with iodine status. IoMum, a prospective observational study, included 485 pregnant women recruited at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de S. João, Porto, between the 10th and 13th gestational weeks. Partial scores for knowledge on iodine importance, on iodine food sources or on iodised salt were obtained through the application of a structured questionnaire. Then, a total iodine knowledge score was calculated and grouped into low, medium and high knowledge categories. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in spot urine samples by inductively coupled plasma MS. Of the pregnant women, 54 % correctly recognised iodine as important to neurocognitive development, 32 % were unable to identify any iodine-rich food and 71 % presented lack of knowledge regarding iodised salt. Of the women, 61 % had a medium total score of iodine knowledge. Knowledge on iodine importance during pregnancy was positively associated with iodine supplementation and also with UIC. Nevertheless, median UIC in women who correctly recognised the importance of iodine was below the cut-off for adequacy in pregnancy (150 µg/l). In conclusion, knowledge on iodine importance is positively associated with iodine status. Despite this, recognising iodine importance during pregnancy may not be sufficient to ensure iodine adequacy. Literacy-promoting actions are urgently needed to improve iodine status in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food allergens are a real threat to sensitized individuals. Although food labeling is crucial to provide information to consumers with food allergies, accidental exposure to allergenic proteins may result from undeclared allergenic substances by means of food adulteration, fraud or uncontrolled cross-contamination. Allergens detection in foodstuffs can be a very hard task, due to their presence usually in trace amounts, together with the natural interference of the matrix. Methods for allergens analysis can be mainly divided in two large groups: the immunological assays and the DNA-based ones. Mass spectrometry has also been used as a confirmatory tool. Recently, biosensors appeared as innovative, sensitive, selective, environmentally friendly, cheaper and fast techniques (especially when automated and/or miniaturized), able to effectively replace the classical methodologies. In this review, we present the advances in the field of food allergens detection toward the biosensing strategies and discuss the challenges and future perspectives of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study analysed 22 strawberry and soil samples after their collection over the course of 2 years to compare the residue profiles from organic farming with integrated pest management practices in Portugal. For sample preparation, we used the citrate-buffered version of the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. We applied three different methods for analysis: (1) 27 pesticides were targeted using LC-MS/MS; (2) 143 were targeted using low pressure GC-tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC-MS/MS); and (3) more than 600 pesticides were screened in a targeted and untargeted approach using comprehensive, two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF-MS). Comparison was made of the analyses using the different methods for the shared samples. The results were similar, thereby providing satisfactory confirmation of both similarly positive and negative findings. No pesticides were found in the organic-farmed samples. In samples from integrated pest management practices, nine pesticides were determined and confirmed to be present, ranging from 2 µg kg−1for fluazifop-p-butyl to 50 µg kg−1for fenpropathrin. Concentrations of residues in strawberries were less than European maximum residue limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine physicochemical and phenolic profiles as well the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities of monofloral bee pollen samples from Brazil. Traditional methods were used. The phenolic profile was determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS). The protein (10.6–33.9 g/100g), lipids (3.2–8.3 g/100g), ashes (2.6–3.8 g/100g), total phenolic (5.6–29.7 mg GAE/g), and total flavonoid (0.3–19.0 mg QE/g) values were variable, even between products with the same botanical origin. The minerals analyzed were found in amounts varying between 10 mg/kg and 9.1 g/kg. Each product presented specific color parameters. Myrcia bee pollen presented the greater antioxidant capacity, and Mimosa scabrella bee pollen from Santa Catarina state was the most efficient in inhibiting bacteria and yeasts. Among the compounds identified by HPLC‐MS, flavonoid 3‐O‐glycosides predominated. The physicochemical and phenolic profiles of each sample were distinct, and there was no pattern between monofloral products of the same pollen type. Practical applications: This manuscript reports physicochemical parameters, the biological potential, and the phenolic profile from HPLC‐MS of some unknown monofloral bee pollen produced in Brazil. In addition to the possibility of the identification of phenolic compounds using a reliable technique, the current study helps to clarify one of the main questions of apicultural product researchers: Would monofloral bee pollens of the same botanical origin have similar profiles? Besides this, these results can increase consumer interest in this product and thus have positive impacts on apiculture in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chestnut shells extract valorized as a promising nutraceutical ingredient. • Total phenolics improved during in-vitro digestion. • Hydroxybenzoic, phenylpropanoic, and phenylacetic acids identified upon digestion. • Proven bioactivity on α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, and antioxidant enzymes. • Multivariate analysis predicted the role of phenolics in extract bioactivity. Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells (CS) are an undervalued antioxidant-rich by-product. This study explores the impact of in-vitro digestion on the bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and metabolic profile of CS extract prepared by Supercritical Fluid Extraction, aiming its valorization for nutraceutical applications. The results demonstrated significantly (p < 0.05) lower phenolic concentrations retained after digestion (38.57 µg gallic acid equivalents/mg dry weight (DW)), reaching 30% of bioaccessibility. The CS extract showed antioxidant/antiradical, hypoglycemic, and neuroprotective properties after in-vitro digestion, along with upmodulating effects on antioxidant enzymes activities and protection against lipid peroxidation. The metabolic profile screened by LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS proved the biotransformation of complex phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins present in the undigested extract (45.78 µg/mg DW of total phenolic concentration) into hydroxybenzoic, phenylpropanoic, and phenylacetic acids upon digestion (35.54 µg/mg DW). These findings sustain the valorization of CS extract as a promising nutraceutical ingredient, delivering polyphenols with proven bioactivity even after in-vitro digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is variable and some of these compounds pass these plants almost intact and others presenting a removal efficiency close to 100%. Their incomplete removal results in a continuous discharge of pharmaceuticals into the environment. To assess the profile of contamination of influents and effluents over a day, a set of 83 pharmaceuticals were evaluated hourly in a WWTP in Leiria, Portugal. The composite samples of the influent and effluent were also collected. Concentrations varied from 1 in WWTP influents, and carbamazepine, fluoxetine, sertraline the pharmaceuticals with an RQ > 1 in WWTP effluents. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Hourly variation of 83 pharmaceuticals in WWTP influent and effluent is presented. • Pharmaceuticals belonging to different therapeutic classes were analysed. • Some pharmaceuticals were detected in the influents in the μg/L range. • The importance of the determination of metabolites and transformation products is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method based on the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was successfully developed and validated for the analysis of 26 pharmaceutical compounds belonging to different therapeutic classes (anorexics, stimulants, anxiolytics, antidepressants and laxatives), which are all prone to be illegally added into weight-loss plant food supplements (PFS) for their pharmacological activity. Internal standard calibration with six isotopically labelled compounds rendered good linearity in the range of 5 to 1000 μg/l, depending on the compound, and good sensitivity with limits of quantification in the range of 0.02–9.80 μg/l. Recoveries were assessed for all the 16 samples analysed and were found between 70% and 120% for over 90% of the analytes. The average recovery value was 90.8%, for the different studied matrices (liquids, liquid ampoules, tablets and capsules), with RSD values lower than 10% for all forms. The changes introduced to the QuEChERS procedure maintained the good performance characteristics of the extraction method while preserving the chromatographic system for the introduction of unwanted matrix compounds. Synephrine was the only compound detected and quantified in one sample, but at a very low concentration (768 μg/l) and its presence may be due to the plant extracts used in the formulation, as synephrine is known to be a natural constituent of Citrus aurantium amara . Despite none of the 16 evaluated samples were found to be adulterated by the illegal addition of the drugs included in this work, the developed methodology can be very useful for monitoring the adulteration of weight-loss PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were extracted and analyzed without derivatization. • Extraction was performed by gas-diffusion microextraction (GDME). • GDME-GC-ECD and GDME-GC-MS was applied in the analysis of OCPs in milk. • An alternative low-cost sample preparation system was successfully applied. • The obtained limits of detection were below the legal maximum residue limits. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are synthetic compounds less used nowadays due to their toxicity combined with slow degradation which leads to accumulation in the environment. Gas-diffusion microextraction (GDME) was employed prior to gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the first time, the low-cost, eco-friendly GDME system was used to extract the OCPs directly from milk samples and associated with GC-ECD. Parameters that affect GDME's performance (extract volume, extraction time, and temperature) were optimized. The calibration curves of all OCPs (α- and β-hexachlorocyclohexane, lindane, hexachlorobenzene, p,p′-DDE, aldrin, dieldrin, and α-endosulfan) had coefficients of determination (r2) ranging from 0.991 to 0.995, and limits of detection (LODs) values ranging from 3.7 to 4.8 µg L−1. This method also provided satisfactory values for precision with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 10% and recoveries above 90%. As a proof-of-concept, several commercial milk samples were analyzed, aldrin was found in one of them but below the maximum residue limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New extraction method of xenobiotics from human adipose tissue. • Good sensitivity was achieved by GC-MS and GC-FPD. • The LOD were between 4 to 9 ng/g for synthetic musks • The LOD were between 1 to 7 ng/g for organophosphorus pesticides • Galaxolide was found in all the analyzed human adipose tissue samples. Synthetic musks and organophosphorus pesticides represent a potential risk to the human health since exposure can lead to distinct types of carcinogenesis and endocrine disorders. These are lipophilic compounds as such, prone to deposit and persist in fat tissues, mainly in adipose tissue. Very few studies have reported on the occurrence and accumulation profile of these contaminants in human adipose tissue. Analytical methods for the detection and quantification of synthetic musks and organophosphorus pesticides in adipose tissue are lacking. In this study, the efficacy of different extraction with ultrasonic homogenizer and dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) clean-up methods were evaluated in human adipose tissue. The relative sample clean-up was assessed by measurement of total lipid content. The quantification of four synthetic musks and six organophosphorus pesticides were performed by gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry (MS) and flame photometric detection (FPD), respectively. The d-SPE clean-up with 50 mg PSA, 150 mg MgSO 4 , 100 mg C18EC and 50 mg Z-Sep provided the most effective clean-up, removing the greatest amount of interfering substances including lipids and simultaneously ensuring good chromatographic separation and recoveries. Method detection limits were between 4 to 9 ng/g for synthetic musk and 1 to 7 ng/g for organophosphorus pesticides in adipose tissue. The proposed method was applied to adipose tissue of obese patients and positive samples were confirmed with GC tandem mass spectrometry. Galaxolide was found in all the samples tested with concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 0.5 μg/g of adipose tissue. No other synthetic musk studied was detected. Organophosphorus pesticides were not found in the analysed samples. The developed analytical procedures were successful and can easily be applied to biomonitoring these compounds in human adipose tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]