Next Issue
Volume 4, December
Previous Issue
Volume 4, June
 
 

Analytica, Volume 4, Issue 3 (September 2023) – 8 articles

  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
  • You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.
Order results
Result details
Section
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
12 pages, 2160 KiB  
Article
Antibody Titer Prediction from Serum Immunodiffusion Test of Patients with Paracoccidioidomycosis Using Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics
by Alessandra Koehler, Maria Lúcia Scroferneker, Paulo Cezar de Moraes, Beatriz Aparecida Soares Pereira, Ricardo de Souza Cavalcante, Rinaldo Pôncio Mendes and Valeriano Antonio Corbellini
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 385-396; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030028 - 6 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides. Serological tests are auxiliary in the diagnosis of PCM. However, the lack of standardization is a central problem in serodiagnosis and antibody titration. The objective of this study was [...] Read more.
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides. Serological tests are auxiliary in the diagnosis of PCM. However, the lack of standardization is a central problem in serodiagnosis and antibody titration. The objective of this study was to propose a methodology based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for predicting antibody titers in patients with PCM. A total of 118 serum samples from patients with PCM were included, for which antibody titration using double immunodiffusion (DID) was previously performed. Serum samples were analyzed by attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FTIR and a supervised analysis with partial least squares regression (PLS) was used to predict the antibody titers. The PLS model with two latent variables and with the use of one orthogonal signal correction (OSC) showed a determination coefficient (R2) higher than 0.9999 for both the calibration and prediction set. The model was able to predict the antibody titers from patients with PCM with a minimal error. Therefore, modeling with FTIR/ATR and multivariate calibration proved to be a fast and highly accurate method for antibody titration, replacing the need for antigen production and performance of traditional serological tests. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2259 KiB  
Article
Discrimination of Anari Cheese Samples in Comparison with Halloumi Cheese Samples Regarding the Origin of the Species by FTIR Measurements and Chemometrics
by Maria Tarapoulouzi and Charis R. Theocharis
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 374-384; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030027 - 18 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2124
Abstract
Nowadays, adulteration of traditional food products is a very important field in the general food authenticity sector. Moreover, it is important to create databases with authentic traditional products. In Cyprus, research about the traditional dairy products is scarce. Anari is predominantly made from [...] Read more.
Nowadays, adulteration of traditional food products is a very important field in the general food authenticity sector. Moreover, it is important to create databases with authentic traditional products. In Cyprus, research about the traditional dairy products is scarce. Anari is predominantly made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, but milk from cows can also be used. It is produced during the process of Halloumi cheese making. Classification of Halloumi and Anari cheese took place in two classes, thus per cheese type, and after that in milk species subclasses such as cow and goat-sheep origins for each cheese type. This research study aims to enlighten the field of food authenticity in terms of traditional Cypriot dairy products. The first step of the methodology is the freeze-drying process for lyophilization of samples. Forty-four samples have been analyzed thus far, including both Halloumi and Anari cheese. Measurements for each sample were obtained by using Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Interpretation of the extensive data was undertaken via Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and through the SIMCA chemometrics package. Characterization of Anari cheese by applying FTIR took place. In terms of cheese type, Halloumi and Anari cheese samples were classified correctly. In addition, Anari samples were classified correctly regarding the milk species’ origin. The proposed experimental procedure along with chemometrics allow the detection of the milk species’ origin of traditional Anari samples, highlighting the importance of FTIR spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics in food authenticity. Creation of a database with Anari samples from Cyprus has started, and this is a very important step towards authenticity of traditional dairy products of Cyprus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Spectroscopy)
Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 1830 KiB  
Review
Application of Comprehensive 2D Gas Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry in Beer and Wine VOC Analysis
by Penghan Zhang, Maurizio Piergiovanni, Pietro Franceschi, Fulvio Mattivi, Urska Vrhovsek and Silvia Carlin
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 347-373; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030026 - 15 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2467
Abstract
To meet consumer demand for fermented beverages with a wide range of flavors, as well as for quality assurance, it is important to characterize volatiles and their relationships with raw materials, microbial and fermentation processes, and the aging process. Sample preparation techniques coupled [...] Read more.
To meet consumer demand for fermented beverages with a wide range of flavors, as well as for quality assurance, it is important to characterize volatiles and their relationships with raw materials, microbial and fermentation processes, and the aging process. Sample preparation techniques coupled with comprehensive 2D gas chromatography (GC×GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) are proven techniques for the identification and quantification of various volatiles in fermented beverages. A few articles discuss the application of GC×GC for the measurement of fermented beverage volatiles and the problems faced in the experimental analysis. This review critically discusses each step of GC×GC-MS workflow in the specific context of fermented beverage volatiles’ research, including the most frequently applied volatile extraction techniques, GC×GC instrument setup, and data handling. The application of novel sampling techniques to shorten preparation times and increase analytical sensitivity is discussed. The pros and cons of thermal and flow modulators are evaluated, and emphasis is given to the use of polar-semipolar configurations to enhance detection limits. The most relevant Design of Experiment (DoE) strategies for GC×GC parameter optimization as well as data processing procedures are reported and discussed. Finally, some consideration of the current state of the art and future perspective, including the crucial role of AI and chemometrics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Chromatography)
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1818 KiB  
Article
A Stretchable and Self-Healing Dual-Functional Wearable Sensor Enabled by Wet-Spun Conductive Thermoplastic Nanocomposite Fibers
by Zifeng Wang, Xiyu Wang, Jiaming Cui, Zhuo Shi, Feng Yan, Yutong Han, Zhanhong Li and Zhigang Zhu
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 336-346; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030025 - 1 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1847
Abstract
Continuous monitoring of body movements or physicochemical health indicators by various wearable devices with intriguing geometries has attracted increasing research attention. Among them, fiber-based wearable devices have been intensively investigated due to the ease of fabrication, excellent flexibility and adaptability, and abundant applicable [...] Read more.
Continuous monitoring of body movements or physicochemical health indicators by various wearable devices with intriguing geometries has attracted increasing research attention. Among them, fiber-based wearable devices have been intensively investigated due to the ease of fabrication, excellent flexibility and adaptability, and abundant applicable working mechanisms. Although various spinning methods can prepare composite fibers, obtaining highly conductive fibers at high filler-loading fractions has always been difficult. In addition, most synthetic fibers are designed only for specific applications, exhibiting narrow applicability. This work proposed a dual-functional smart fiber-based sensor that could work based on either piezoresistive or electrochemical mechanisms. Through the wet spinning of dopes containing nanosized carbon black and thermoplastic polyurethane, nanocomposite fibers with decent electrical conductivities (2.10 × 102 S m−1 or 4.77 × 10−3 Ω·m), high mechanical stretch abilities and toughness (εmax~2400%, KIC = 61.44 MJ m−3), as well as excellent self-heal abilities (η ≥ 64.8%), could be obtained. Such coupled electromechanical properties endowed the as-synthesized fibers with strain-sensing or biomarker monitoring capabilities based on piezoresistive or electrochemical mechanisms. The proposed novel dual-functional smart fibers demonstrated potential for multifunctional wearable health monitoring devices. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 7663 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Solvent Compatibilities for Headspace-SIFT-MS Analysis of Pharmaceutical Products
by Mark J. Perkins, Leslie P. Silva and Vaughan S. Langford
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 313-335; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030024 - 12 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1864
Abstract
Procedures for determination of the residual solvent and volatile impurity content in pharmaceutical products usually rely on dissolution in a solvent, followed by headspace-gas chromatography (HS-GC) analysis. Whereas chromatographic systems can utilize a wide variety of solvents, direct-injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) techniques have [...] Read more.
Procedures for determination of the residual solvent and volatile impurity content in pharmaceutical products usually rely on dissolution in a solvent, followed by headspace-gas chromatography (HS-GC) analysis. Whereas chromatographic systems can utilize a wide variety of solvents, direct-injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) techniques have fewer solvent options, because elimination of the chromatographic column means that the instrument is more susceptible to saturation. Since water has the lowest impact, it has almost always been the default solvent for DIMS. In this study, selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS)—a DIMS technique—was applied to the systematic evaluation of the proportion of solvent that can be utilized (with aqueous diluent) without causing instrument saturation and while maintaining satisfactory analytical performance. The solvents evaluated were N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methanol, and triacetin. All solvents are compatible with headspace-SIFT-MS analysis at 5% (min) in water, while DMI, DMAC, and DMSO can be used at higher concentrations (50, 100, and 25%, respectively), though suffering substantial diminution of the limit of quantitation for non-polar analytes at higher proportions of non-aqueous solvent. Analytical performance was also evaluated using linearity, repeatability, and recovery measurements. This work demonstrates that organic solvents diluted in water can be utilized with headspace-SIFT-MS and provide an approach for evaluation of additional diluent solvents. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 5127 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical Monitoring of Sulfadiazine via La@CeO Incorporated with Reduced Graphene Oxide
by Francis Packiaraj Don Disouza, Ruspika Sundaresan, Shen-Ming Chen, Balaji Ramachandran and Narendhar Chandrasekar
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 300-312; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030023 - 6 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1682
Abstract
In recent years, indiscriminate consumption and dumping of antibiotics have become destructive to human health and causes ecotoxicological pollution. Here, the irregular particle nanosized dendrite structure of lanthanum-doped cerium oxide (LCO) decorated with sheet-like reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite was utilized to detect [...] Read more.
In recent years, indiscriminate consumption and dumping of antibiotics have become destructive to human health and causes ecotoxicological pollution. Here, the irregular particle nanosized dendrite structure of lanthanum-doped cerium oxide (LCO) decorated with sheet-like reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite was utilized to detect the sulfonamide-based drug sulfadiazine (SZ). LCO@RGO nanocomposite was prepared using the hydrothermal method, the synergistic effect between LCO and RGO facilitates electron transferability and conductivity which enhances the electrochemical properties toward the detection of SZ. The detection of SZ expressed a lower detection limit (0.005 µM) and linear range (0.01–265 µM) of the fabricated LCO@RGO/GCE electrode toward SZ, analyzed using the highly sensitive DPV technique. Also, DPV was utilized to determined shows good repeatability, reproducibility, and storage stability of fabricated LCO@RGO/GCE. Moreover, effective practicability was proven in human blood serum and river water samples with great recovery results. All the above probes the synthesized LCO@RGO’s thriving and outstanding electrocatalytic performance of this nanocomposite’s highly sensitive detection of SZ in real biological and environmental samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sensors)
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6642 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical Parameters and Terroir Assessment of Mineral Water from Mount Smolikas in Greece: A Two-Year Study
by Vassilis Athanasiadis, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Dimitrios Kalompatsios, Eleni Bozinou, Dimitris P. Makris and Stavros I. Lalas
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 280-299; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030022 - 4 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
Every day, more and more consumers choose to drink bottled water instead of tap water, since they believe that it is superior in quality. One of the criteria used by European consumers to choose bottled water is the geographical region of the spring. [...] Read more.
Every day, more and more consumers choose to drink bottled water instead of tap water, since they believe that it is superior in quality. One of the criteria used by European consumers to choose bottled water is the geographical region of the spring. The flavor of the water is an additional factor that influences consumers’ choices. As a result, determining the flavor of water is gaining popularity and is thus turning into a prominent field of study. However, studies on the potential environmental factors that affect the sensory characteristics of water (i.e., “terroir” of water) are limited. To this end, we investigated the composition of natural mineral water spring from Mount Smolikas in Greece over a two-year period to find any potential alterations in water composition. The physicochemical parameters (pH, conductivity, turbidity, color, and total hardness) of the water samples were examined, along with their content in metal ions, inorganic salts (cations and anions), and total organic carbon. Additionally, the water samples were analyzed for their content of off-odor volatile compounds (i.e., 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin) that can be naturally found in water. The study also examined the correlation of climate conditions (accumulated rainfall and mean temperature) with the parameters above using a principal component analysis and a multivariate correlation analysis. The results showed that the physicochemical characteristics of water samples complied with European regulations. Metals, anions, and cations were all below the corresponding parametric values established by the European Commission. The off-odor organic compounds, 2-methylisoborneol, and geosmin, had average concentrations of 9.4 and 2.7 ng/L, respectively. Chromium and aluminum elevated concentrations might be attributed to specific ores present near the water source, while pH, conductivity, total hardness, nitrates, and off-odor compounds levels could be fluctuated due to local climate conditions. The study revealed a good positive correlation (>0.7) between the quantity of rainfall and the level of potassium cations. Moreover, a strong negative correlation (>0.9) was observed between magnesium cations and the mean temperature of the local area. The study can be used as a benchmark for future studies to determine the terroir of mineral water. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 10189 KiB  
Article
Multimodal Imaging of Metals in a Retinal Degeneration Model to Inform on Ocular Disease
by Joshua Millar, Luke Gibbons, Catia Costa, Ella Schneider, Johanna von Gerichten, Melanie J. Bailey, Susan Campbell, Catherine Duckett, Sarah Doyle and Laura M. Cole
Analytica 2023, 4(3), 264-279; https://doi.org/10.3390/analytica4030021 - 1 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1851
Abstract
The metallome has been involved in the pathological investigation into ocular tissue for decades; however, as technologies advance, more information can be ascertained from individual tissue sections that were not previously possible. Herein, a demonstration of complementary techniques has been utilized to describe [...] Read more.
The metallome has been involved in the pathological investigation into ocular tissue for decades; however, as technologies advance, more information can be ascertained from individual tissue sections that were not previously possible. Herein, a demonstration of complementary techniques has been utilized to describe the distribution and concentrations of essential metals in both wildtype (WT) and rhodopsin (Rho−/−) ocular tissues. The multimodal approach described is an example of complementary datasets that can be produced when employing a multifaceted analytical approach. Heterogenous distributions of copper and zinc were observable within both WT and Rho−/− tissue by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and the distributions of further trace elements notoriously problematic for ICP-MS analysis (phosphorous, Sulfur, chlorine, potassium, calcium, iron, and aluminum) were analysed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Hyphenated Instrument Configurations)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Previous Issue
Next Issue
Back to TopTop