Hydrogen isotopes are unique tools for identifying and understanding biological and chemical processes. Hydrogen isotope labelling allows for the traceless and direct incorporation of an additional mass or radioactive tag into an organic molecule with almost no changes in its chemical structure, physical properties, or biological activity. Using deuterium-labelled isotopologues to study the unique mass-spectrometric patterns generated from mixtures of biologically relevant molecules drastically simplifies analysis. Such methods are now providing unprecedented levels of insight in a wide and continuously growing range of applications in the life sciences and beyond. Tritium (3 H), in particular, has seen an increase in utilization, especially in pharmaceutical drug discovery. The efforts and costs associated with the synthesis of labelled compounds are more than compensated for by the enhanced molecular sensitivity during analysis and the high reliability of the data obtained. In this Review, advances in the application of hydrogen isotopes in the life sciences are described.

/pdf/deuterium-and-tritium-labelled-compounds-applications-in-the-1q739u5gx2.pdf

Deuterium- and Tritium-Labelled Compounds: Applications in the Life Sciences

Food traceability: New trends and recent advances. A review

Authenticity of dairy products has become an urgent issue for producers, researchers, governments, consumers and so on due to the increase of falsification procedures inducing lost large of money as well as the confidence of consumers. The determination of the authenticity and the detection of adulteration of milk and dairy products have been determined by several analytical techniques (e.g., physico-chemical, sensory, chromatography, and so on). Although these methods are considered as the reference ones, they required sophisticated analytical equipment's and skilled operators; they are also time consuming and need both the purchase and disposal of chemical reagents. Therefore, there is a need to find cheap and fast methods for the determination of the authenticity and the detection of adulteration of these products. Thus, spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence spectroscopy, near infrared (NIR), mid infrared (MIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), among others, in combination with multivariate data analysis methods could be considered helpful tools in this domain. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique will be also discussed in this review.

Analytical methods coupled with chemometric tools for determining the authenticity and detecting the adulteration of dairy products: A review

To describe the nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit and the benefits relating to improved nutritional status, digestive, immune and metabolic health. The review includes a brief history of green and gold varieties of kiwifruit from an ornamental curiosity from China in the 19th century to a crop of international economic importance in the 21st century; comparative data on their nutritional composition, particularly the high and distinctive amount of vitamin C; and an update on the latest available scientific evidence from well-designed and executed human studies on the multiple beneficial physiological effects. Of particular interest are the digestive benefits for healthy individuals as well as for those with constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders, including symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The mechanisms of action behind the gastrointestinal effects, such as changes in faecal (stool) consistency, decrease in transit time and reduction of abdominal discomfort, relate to the water retention capacity of kiwifruit fibre, favourable changes in the human colonic microbial community and primary metabolites, as well as the naturally present proteolytic enzyme actinidin, which aids protein digestion both in the stomach and the small intestine. The effects of kiwifruit on metabolic markers of cardiovascular disease and diabetes are also investigated, including studies on glucose and insulin balance, bodyweight maintenance and energy homeostasis. The increased research data and growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of kiwifruit provide logical motivation for their regular consumption as part of a balanced diet. Kiwifruit should be considered as part of a natural and effective dietary strategy to tackle some of the major health and wellness concerns around the world.

/pdf/the-nutritional-and-health-attributes-of-kiwifruit-a-review-tp03al6ozx.pdf

The nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit: a review

Analytical methods used for the authentication of food of animal origin.

Recent developments in application of stable isotope analysis on agro-product authenticity and traceability.

The potential for classifying beef samples on the basis of their geographical origin was investigated by stable isotope and multielement analysis using samples from various provinces in China. C an...

Bin Zhang

Papers

Recent developments in application of stable isotope analysis on agro-product authenticity and traceability.

Tracing the geographic origin of beef in China on the basis of the combination of stable isotopes and multielement analysis.

Comparative analysis on the distribution of protease activities among fruits and vegetable resources

Biochemical properties and application of a novel β-1,3-1,4-glucanase from Paenibacillus barengoltzii.

A case of milk traceability in small-scale districts-Inner Mongolia of China by nutritional and geographical parameters.