Research project
36 | monthsMALTOX

Marine toxins in algal food supplements and ingredients

Related toSpoke 03
Principal investigators
Chiara Dall'Asta,Sergio Ghidini,Maria Careri
Other partecipantsMartina Cirlini, Federica Bianchi, Monica Mattarozzi, Maurizio Piergiovanni

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  3. Marine toxins in algal food supplements and ingredients

Project partners

Università degli studi di Parma

Coordinator

Work packages involved

WP 3.3

Advanced methods for food safety

WP leader

Università degli studi di Parma

Task involved

Task 3.3.1.

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.

Project deliverables

D3.3.1.1.

Safety assessment of traditional and novel foods through targeted and untargeted methodologies (M36)

State of the art

Dietary supplements and innovative ingredients based on blue-green algae are marketed as natural healthy products. They generally contain non-toxic cyanobacteria, but cultivation without appropriate quality controls allow contamination by toxin producer species present in the natural environment. 
Although the adverse effects related to the exposure to marine toxins are known, occurrence data and monitoring plans are scant, due to the lack of proper analytical methods, standards and reference materials. 
In this context, the development and interlab/interplatform validation of large Cross Collision Section (CCS) database obtained by high resolution -ion mobility mass spectrometry can provide analytical support. Being CCS values independent from the matrix, their use as an additional point of recognition could be useful for screening purposes. In this context, the calculation of theoretical CCS values based on artificial intelligence may support the robust identification of compounds. 

Operation plan

The proposal will involve the following steps:

  • Enlargement of the already existing CCS-database with the inclusion of commercial standard of marine toxins as well as compounds obtained through collaborative networks.
  • Use of the acquired CCS valued for the development of an artificial intelligence-based chemometric model for theoretical CCS calculation.
  • Validation of the CCS database on a large set of matrices among which supplements and ingredients with different composition.
  • Development and metrological validation of robust target methods for marine toxins analysis in supplements and ingredients.

Expected results

  • Release of a validated CCS database for marine toxins based on commercial standards or isolated compounds.
  • Development of an artificial intelligence-based chemometric model for theoretical CCS value calculation to be applied as additional identification point in the lack of reference standards.
  • Metrological validation and application to samples from the market of a mass spectrometry-based method for the quantification of marine toxins in food supplements and innovative ingredients based on blue-green algae.