An Overview of the Successful Application of Vibrational Spectroscopy Techniques to Quantify Nutraceuticals in Fruits and Plants

Abstract

Vibrational spectroscopy techniques are the most used techniques in the routine analysis of foods. This technique is widely utilised to measure and monitor the proximate chemical composition (e.g., protein, dry matter, fat and fibre) in an array of agricultural commodities, food ingredients and products. Developments in optics, instrumentation and hardware concomitantly with data analytics, have allowed for the progress in novel applications of these technologies in the field of nutraceutical and bio compound analysis. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated the capability of vibrational spectroscopy to evaluate and/or measure these nutraceuticals in a broad selection of fruit and plants as alternative to classical analytical approaches. This article highlights, as well as discusses, the challenges and opportunities that define the successful application of vibrational spectroscopy techniques, and the advantages that these techniques have to offer to evaluate and quantify nutraceuticals in fruits and plants.

Advancement of non-destructive spectral measurements for the quality of major tropical fruits and vegetables: a review

“…The potential for employing spectral measurement approaches in the quality control of fruits and vegetables is growing enormously ( Escárate et al., 2022 ). The reason is that these approaches are non-destructive, fast and accurate, capable for both quantitative and qualitative analysis, thereby requiring minimal sample preparation ( Cozzolino, 2022 ). We divided non-destructive spectral measurements into two categories: (1) spectral-based approaches (FTIR, NIR, and Raman spectroscopy) and (2) imaging-based approaches (HSI), as shown in Figure 1 .…”

The Role of Hydrogen Bonding in the Raman Spectral Signals of Caffeine in Aqueous Solution

“…Many analytical techniques have been employed for that goal, among them Raman spectroscopy [7,12]. As a matter of fact, the application of vibrational spectroscopy techniques to quantify nutraceuticals in fruits and plants has proven successful [13], and Raman spectroscopy has been used for quantitative analysis in the pharmaceutical industry [14,15]. The evolution of Raman as an extremely sensitive analytical tool was further boosted by the discovery of several other Raman phenomena, including Resonance Raman (RR), coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) [16,17].…”

First ATR-FTIR Characterization of Black, Green and White Teas (Camellia sinensis) from European Tea Gardens: A PCA Analysis to Differentiate Leaves from the In-Cup Infusion

“…It could be considered a promising technology to be utilized by plant breeders as well as in a variety of industries where rapid screening of numerous samples for antioxidant and/or phenolic content is required [ 9 ]. Several studies have reported the ability of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy which works in the spectral range 13000–4000 cm −1 , to predict, with the help of multivariate calibration methods, the presence of different bioactive compounds in tea such as catechins, caffeine, free amino acids and theaflavins [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]; this technique has been also used to discriminate different tea varieties, also in relation with the geographical origins, and to identify tea grades and tea processing degree [ 10 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Conversely, to the best of our knowledge, only a few studies can be found in the literature regarding the use of FTIR spectroscopy in the MIR region (spectral range 4000–400 cm −1 ) to investigate tea leaves and tea brews and to highlight differences due to processing, cultivation site and extraction methods [ 4 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”