Spice Testing

Yan, Yonghuan, et al. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 110 (2022): 104524.

Dehydrocorybulbine (HG) and Cryptopine (TQ) are natural tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids primarily found in plants from the Aristolochiaceae, Ranunculaceae, Berberidaceae, Menispermaceae, and Papaveraceae families. These plants, rich in HG and TQ, are important components of medicinal products and daily culinary spices. HG and TQ have vasodilatory effects, improve blood circulation, and induce an early state of excitation in the human body, thus enhancing performance in sports competitions, particularly those requiring explosive strength. Therefore, establishing detection techniques for HG and TQ in various spices is of significant importance in avoiding the potential risks of athletes abusing these substances and maintaining food safety in sports events.

A method for determining the two plant-derived stimulants, dehydrocorybulbine (HG) and cryptopine (TQ), in 26 types of spices has been established and validated. The method utilizes ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) with isotope internal standards. The samples are extracted with ethanol containing 0.5% formic acid and purified using Oasis MCX solid-phase extraction columns. Subsequently, chromatographic separation is performed using a C18 column with methanol and a 0.05% formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase. Positive ESI and multiple reaction monitoring mode in UPLC-MS/MS are employed for detecting and quantifying the analytes, using HG-D4 and TQ-D9 as internal standards. The method was successfully calibrated over a range of 0.2 to 50 ng/mL. The detection limits and quantification limits for HG are 0.57–0.88 µg/kg and 1.80–2.72 µg/kg, respectively; for TQ, the detection limits and quantification limits are 0.39–0.58 µg/kg and 1.27–1.88 µg/kg, respectively. The average recovery rates at four spiking levels range from 77.1% to 98.7%, with relative standard deviations of less than 15%. This method has been successfully applied to the monitoring of real samples, demonstrating its sensitivity, rapidity, and simplicity.

Krata, Agnieszka Anna, Julia Domagała, and Rafał Głowacki. Food Chemistry 441 (2024): 138285.

Considering that spices are components of many foods and are added to dishes by humans, analyzing purines and their derivatives in spices is very important. This analysis can provide consumers with information about their content, especially for those on low-purine diets.

This study presents a method for the separation and quantification of adenine, guanine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, uric acid, and creatinine in food spices using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The optimized conditions enable separation using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and ammonium acetate (90:10, v/v, pH 6.1) or ammonium formate (90:10, v/v, pH 3.2). Uric acid was not detected in the food spices, and creatinine (16±2 μg/g) was found only in instant dry yeast. The highest purine content was found in dry yeast (xanthine 110±8 μg/g, hypoxanthine 441±24 μg/g, adenine 84±16 μg/g, guanine 163±12 μg/g), while curry, herbal pepper, and chicken seasoning contained higher levels of purines, with black pepper showing the lowest concentrations (hypoxanthine 12±2 μg/g, adenine 27±3 μg/g).

Sebaei, Ahmed Salem, Manar Ibrahim Youssif, and Ahmed Abdel-Maksoud Ghazi. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 84 (2019): 103304.

Sudan Red I, II, III, IV, Para Red, Orange G, and Red 7B are commonly used synthetic dyes for coloring plastics and other products. In recent years, concerns have arisen regarding the genotoxic potential of Sudan dyes. Some national agencies and food safety experts consider Sudan dyes to be genotoxic carcinogens, while others view them as potential carcinogens. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the risks and presence of Sudan dyes in Egyptian spices, including sumac, chili, cumin, paprika, curry, and turmeric.

For the determination of Sudan dyes, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed. The dyes were extracted from spices using acetonitrile and initially separated selectively by GPC. Fractions were collected from 12 min to 24 min and then determined by HPLC with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The method's performance was validated using hot chili samples, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1 mg/kg for the seven Sudan dyes.