Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Development and application of innovative high-resolution mass spectro...
The task includes evaluation of safety parameters in traditional and novel foods through the development of: a) chemical sensors and immunosensors for the selective detection of algal and plant toxins, and trace allergens; b) portable devices based on laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) and other spectroscopy techniques; c) Ambient Desorption Ionisation methods with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (DESI-HRMS); e) use of rt-PCR and digital droplet-PCR to evaluate new and (re)-emerging foodborne pathogenic species; f) metabolomics and proteomics strategies coupled to pathway analysis to evaluate the effects of emerging and re-emerging contaminants; d) analytical techniques, i.e., spectroscopic and MS-based, to determine biogenic amines, pesticides, veterinary drug residues, mycotoxins and processing toxicants; and g) new Matrix-Reference Materials to be characterised for food safety parameters will be developed, including preparation of test-lots, their characterization and homogeneity and stability studies.
Safety assessment of traditional and novel foods through targeted and untargeted methodologies (M36)
Through "metabolomics", it is possible to identify and quantify, in a single analysis, a large number of molecules belonging to the primary and secondary metabolism present in complex matrices. Metabolomic analyzes can allow, for example, to discriminate the different samples through multiple comparisons, or to identify metabolites present in an extract, with respect to its control (solvent in the absence of the sample), or to assess the overall quality and safety of foods. This purpose can be pursued through two different approaches:
1) targeted (or "targeted") analysis of metabolites, previously described in the literature, or present in the custom database developed by ENEA starting from 2009;
2) non-targeted (or "untargeted") analysis of metabolomes, in order to identify molecules characterized by a differential accumulation (positive or negative) in the sample in question compared to one or more controls (e.g. treated vs untreated, extract vs solvent etc).
The availability of technologically more advanced and breakthrough technologies enable the development of novel procedures and applications which can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the chemical profiles of raw or processed foods, with higher opportunities to extensively elucidate their quality and safety-related aspects.
Liquid-chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be developed for the characterization of a set of primary and secondary metabolites strongly associated to food quality in raw and/or industrially processed materials. More in details, the ad hoc protocols will regard the extraction and separation of complex metabolite extracts as well as the detection and quantification (by through the constitution of matrix-specific databases) of compounds with well-renewed positive (acids, vitamins, phenolics, isoprenoids etc.) and negative (phytates, tannins, alkaloids etc) properties in terms of food safety. The agro-sustainable food systems could include, as an example, tomato, zucchini, saffron, onion and carrots.
1. SOPs for characterization of primary and secondary metabolites by LC-HRMS in raw and industrially-processed foods.
2. Metabolite-based safety assessment for each raw material and/or its supply chain.
