A simple and fast analytical method for the determination of sudans I, II, III, and IV in chili-and curry-containing foodstuffs is described. These dyes are extracted from the samples with acetonitrile and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a photodiode array detector. The chromatographic separation is carried out on a reverse phase C 18 column with an isocratic mode using a mixture of acetonitrile and water. An "in-house" validation was achieved in chili-and currybased sauces and powdered spices. Depending on the dye, limits of detection range from 0.2 to 0.5 mg/kg in sauces and from 1.5 to 2 mg/kg in spices. Limits of quantification are between 0.4 and 1 mg/kg in sauces and between 3 and 4 mg/kg in spices. Validation data show a good repeatability and within-lab reproducibility with relative standard deviations < 15%. The overall recoveries are in the range of 51-86% in sauces and in the range of 89-100% in powdered spices depending on the dye involved. Calibration curves are linear in the 0-5 mg/kg range for sauces and in the 0-20 mg/kg range for spices. The proposed method is specific and selective, allowing the analysis of over 20 samples per working day.
To assess if microbiological inhibition tests for detection of antibiotic residues are suitable for routine screening for quinolone residues, the limit of detection (LOD) of 10 different quinolones and fluoroquinolones was determined. Two media were tested, one at pH 6 and the other at pH 8, each seeded with one of the following test strains: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli or Bacillus cereus. LODs of the 10 substances were highest on plates seeded with B. cereus, intended for selective detection of tetracycline residues. The pattern of zones on the other four plates differed for the targeted quinolones: flumequine and oxolinic acid were detected at lower concentrations at pH 6, while the LODs of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, danofloxacin, marbofloxacin, sarafloxacin and norfloxacin were lower at pH 8. Nine of the 10 quinolones were detected more easily with E. coli, but the LOD of difloxacin was lower with B. subtilis. Finally, the three most sensitive media were selected and fluid from chicken meat, spiked with eight quinolones near maximum residue limits (MRL), analysed on each plate. The plate seeded with E. coli at pH 8 detected five of eight quinolones at levels of interest, but an additional E. coli plate at pH 6 was necessary for detection of flumequine in species other than poultry and fish. None of the plates detected oxolinic acid and difloxacin at MRLs in muscle tissue.
K4 is a de novo peptide with antibacterial activity on human pathogens. It has a short sequence (14 amino acids), with a cationic N-terminal moiety and an amphipathic ɑ-helix structure. The present paper demonstrates its activity on Vibrio bacteria in a marine environment. It was found non-toxic on marine organisms including Artemia salina, Dicentrarchus labrax, and Magallana gigas at different developmental stages, but influenced the growth of unicellular organisms like microalgae, depending on the algal strain and on K4 concentration. Furthermore, an original approach coupling liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed us to monitor the degradation time course of the peptide for the first time in conditions close to a hatchery environment, i.e., in the presence of oyster spat. We detected truncated forms over time, and the full K4 was gradually no longer found in these filter-feeder oysters. Finally, using an automated optical density meter, we monitored the growth of several aquatic bacteria identified as pathogenic on animals. K4 had a bactericidal effect on Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio splendidus LGP32 at concentrations below 45 μg mL. Our results show that K4 could be an environment-friendly alternative to antibiotics, non-toxic to several marine organisms. The use of K4 would be particularly useful to decrease the bacterial load associated with food intake in the early developmental stages of marine animals reared in hatcheries.
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