Determination by ICP-MS of Essential and Toxic Trace Elements in Gums and Carrageenans Used as Food Additives Commercially Available in the Portuguese Market

Abstract

Gums and carrageenans are food additives widely used in food preparations to improve texture and as viscosifiers. Although they are typically added in small amounts, nowadays people tend to use more and more pre-prepared food. In this work, the content of a wide panel of trace elements in commercial products were analyzed. Carrageenans and gums (n = 13) were purchased in the Portuguese market and were from European suppliers. Samples were solubilized by closed-vessel microwave-assisted acid digestion and analyzed by ICP-MS. Globally, the content of essential trace elements decreased in the following order: Fe (on average, on the order of several tens of µg/g) > Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Co > Se > Mo (typically < 0.1 µg/g), while the content of non-essential/toxic trace elements decreased in the following order: Al > Sr > Rb > As > Li > Cd > Pb > Hg. The consumption of these food additives can significantly contribute to the daily requirements of some essential trace elements, namely Cr and Mo. The toxic trace elements Cd, As, Pb, and Hg were below the EU regulatory limits in all analyzed samples. Additional research is needed to define the potential risk of introducing toxic trace elements into food products through the use of these additives.

Relationships between trace elements and cognitive and depressive behaviors in sprague dawley and wistar albino rats

“…Before each run, the instrument was tuned for maximum sensitivity and signal stability to minimize the formation of oxides and double-charge ions. The main operational parameters of the ICP-MS were: nebulizer gas flow, 1.14 L/min; auxiliary gas flow, 0.79 L/min; plasma gas flow, 13.9 L/min; radiofrequency generator power, 1550 W; and dwell time, 1–10 m. The isotopes 7Li, 25Mg, 27Al, 31P, 43Ca, 52Cr, 55Mn, 57Fe, 59Co, 60Ni, 65Cu, 66Zn, 75As, 82Se, 85Rb, 88Sr, 111Cd, 121Sb, 133Cs, 137Ba, 205 TL and 208 Pb were measured for analytical determination and the isotopes 6Li, 45Sc, 71Ga, 89Y, 103Rh, 193Ir and 209Bi were monitored as IS ( Azevedo et al, 2023 ).…”

Carrageenans as biostimulants and bio-elicitors: plant growth and defense responses

“…Seaweed carrageenans have emerged as a promising natural solution to boost plant. In numerous studies, these carrageenans, when applied as foliar spray, soil amendments, seed coating, fertilizer granule coatings or carrageenan solutions in tissue culture media, exhibit multifaceted benefits (Ichi et al 1986 ; Bi et al 2011 ; Abad et al 2016 ; Abad et al 2018a , 2018b ; Santamaría Vanegas et al 2019 ; Arum 2023 ). They act as biostimulants, enhancing crop emergence, increasing photosynthetic activity, improving nutrient uptake, promoting root development, and ultimately leading to improved yield and quality (Bi et al 2008 ; Naeem et al 2012 ; Hashmi et al 2012 ) (Fig.…”

“…2 ). By interacting with plants, carrageenans effectively prime plants to withstand various environmental challenges, such as diseases, pests, and abiotic stresses ( Arum 2023 ; Ghanbari et al 2023 ; Mola Ali Abasiyan et al 2019 ; Alam 2018 ). By utilizing the potential of seaweed carrageenans, we may be able to revolutionize agricultural practices, thereby nurturing greater crop resilience and productivity.…”

Synthesis of Nanocube‐Shaped Cobalt Tin Hydroxides for the Preconcentration of Lead in Environmental Seawater Collected from Antarctic Region

“…Conventional elemental analysis techniques like inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), [8,9] ICPmass spectrometry (ICP-MS), [10][11][12] flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) [7,13,14] and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) [15,16] have been widely used for heavy metal determination. Even though FAAS is the most regularly used heavy metal detection system among these methods, the system sensitivity is insufficient to detect trace and ultra-trace levels of heavy metals.…”