A new, direct analytical method for the determination of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol fatty acid esters (3-MCPD esters) was developed. The targeted 3-MCPD esters included five types of monoester and 25 [corrected] types of diester. Samples (oils and fats) were dissolved in a mixture of tert-butyl methyl ether and ethyl acetate (4:1), purified using two solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges (C(18) and silica), then analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Five monoesters and five diesters with the same fatty acid group could be separated and quantified. Pairs of 3-MCPD diesters carrying the same two different fatty acid groups, but at reversed positions (sn-1 and sn-2), could not be separated and so were expressed as a sum of both compounds. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were estimated to be between 0.02 to 0.08 mg kg(-1), depending on the types of 3-MCPD ester. Repeatability expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD(r)%) varied from 5.5% to 25.5%. The new method was shown to be applicable to various commercial edible oils and showed levels of 3-MCPD esters varying from 0.58 to 25.35 mg kg(-1). The levels of mono- and diesters ranged from 0.10 to 0.69 mg kg(-1) and from 0.06 to 16 mg kg(-1), respectively.
The rhizome of Kaempferia parviflora has been used in traditional Thai medicine. In this study, we identified and compared specific compounds from the hexane extract of K. parviflora with those from other Zingiberaceous plants by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified 5,7-dimethoxyflavone (DMF), 5-hydroxy-3,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone (TMF), estimated 3,5,7-trimethoxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone, 3,5,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, and investigated their anti-inflammatory effects in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells stimulated with an IgE antigen or a calcium ionophore. We found that DMF and TMF more potently inhibited antigen-induced degranulation than did nobiletin, a well-known anti-inflammatory agent. In addition, compared to RBL-2H3 cells stimulated with a calcium ionophore, those treated with DMF and TMF showed more marked inhibition of the degranulation and the production and mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators. These results suggest that DMF and TMF inhibit an early step in the high-affinity IgE receptor signaling cascade rather than intracellular calcium release and protein kinase C activation.
A novel GC-MS method was developed for the determination of acrylamide, which is applicable to a variety of processed foods, including potato snacks, corn snacks, biscuits, instant noodles, coffee, soy sauces and miso (fermented soy bean paste). The method involves the derivatization of acrylamide with xanthydrol instead of a bromine compound. Isotopically labelled acrylamide (d₃-acrylamide) was used as the internal standard. The aqueous extract from samples was purified using Sep-Pak™ C₁₈ and Sep-Pak™ AC-2 columns. For amino acid-rich samples, such as miso or soy sauce, an Extrelut™ column was used for purification or extraction. After reaction with xanthydrol, the resultant N-xanthyl acrylamide was determined by GC-MS. The method was validated for various food matrices and showed good linearity, precision and trueness. The limit of detection and limit of quantification ranged 0.5-5 and 5-20 µg kg⁻¹), respectively. The developed method was applied as an exploratory survey of acrylamide in Japanese foods and the method was shown to be applicable for all samples tested.
We investigated the presence of acrylamide in roasted barley grains, and assessed the correlation between acrylamide concentration and colour, and also examined acrylamide decrease during storage. Acrylamide concentrations in 45 commercially available roasted barley grains were analysed. The mean and standard deviation were 0.24 and 0.08 mg kg(-1), respectively. The CIE colour parameter a* value had little correlation with acrylamide concentration in roasted barley grains; however, the L* and b* values showed correlations with acrylamide concentration in the grains, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.42 and 0.40, respectively. Darker-coloured roasted barley grains with lower L* values may contain lower amounts of acrylamide. Although acrylamide concentration decreased by 40% in the grains, and decreased by 36% in the milled grains (teabag form) after 309 days of storage at room temperature a significant difference in the rate of acrylamide decrease was not observed between the grain and teabag forms. The data obtained in this study are of importance to the risk assessment and management of acrylamide exposure in Japan.
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