Patulin is a secondary metabolite produced by fungi such as Penicillium and Aspergillus species, widely present in fruits and their products. Due to its multiple toxicities, it poses a severe threat to food safety. The thiol group in sulfhydryl compounds exhibits chemical reactivity and demonstrates a significant role in the detection and removal of patulin. Through Michael addition reactions, thiol compounds specifically bind to the β-lactone ring of patulin, substantially reducing its toxicity and concentration. Furthermore, functionalized thiol materials, such as thiol-modified nanoparticles and aerogels, demonstrate excellent adsorption performance and separation efficiency, providing efficient, economical and environmentally friendly solutions for ensuring food safety. This paper reviewed the research progress and underlying mechanisms of thiol compounds in the detection and removal of patulin, aiming to provide theoretical references for future research and applications in food safety.

Objective To explore a preparation method for low-cariogenic soft candy by adopting a dual-intervention strategy combining sugar replacement and dental plaque biofilm regulation. Methods Various gelatinous candies were prepared by substituting xylitol for partial maltose and incorporating food additives including arginine and dextranase. Texture profile analysis was employed to characterize the effects of functional components on candy texture. Dextran decomposition experiments assessed samples’ capacity to degrade dental plaque matrix, while Streptococcus mutans antibacterial tests evaluated the anti-cariogenic efficacy. Results Partial substitution of maltose with xylitol effectively reduced candy viscosity. Food-grade β-dextranase retained its dextran-degrading capability at 75 ℃. Food-grade L-arginine was identified as the primary growth-inhibiting factor against Streptococcus mutans. Compared to sucrose-induced bacterial growth (set as 100%), the optimal compound candy promoted Streptococcus mutans growth at 50.10% of sucrose’s level and 29.19% of control candy’s level. Conclusion The developed soft candy in this study aids in preventing dental caries, thereby contributing to the creation of children’s food products designed to address oral health issues.

Objective To establish a method for the determination of 6 kinds of carbamate pesticide residues in vegetables by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and study the degradation rule of carbamate pesticides in vegetables. Methods The samples were extracted with acetonitrile to extract carbamate pesticides. The supernatant was purified by solid phase adsorbent, concentrated and dried, and then diluted with methanol. The quantitative analysis was carried out by HPLC-post column derivatization.Results Through optimization of the method, it was found that there was a good linear relationship between peak area and concentration of 6 kinds of carbamate pesticides in the mass concentration range of 0.10-2.00 μg/mL, with correlation coefficients not less than 0.9996. The limit of detection was 0.002-0.005 mg/kg, the average recovery rate was 86%-95%, and the relative standard deviation was less than 3.5%. At the same time, the residual status and degradation rule of amino esters in vegetables were obtained, and it was found that the order of pesticide residue content of methomyl was: Unwashed potato peel>washed potato peel>potato interior. Conclusion This method has high sensitivity, low limit of detection, good recovery rate and feasible operation, meeting the experimental requirements. The degradation rules of pesticide residues show significant differences, providing a theoretical basis for evaluating the safety of vegetables after the use of carbamate pesticides.

Objective To analyze the differences in volatile organic compounds in black wheat flour, whole wheat flour and seeds in different regions of Xinjiang. Methods The volatile components of flour, whole wheat flour and seeds of 6 kinds of black wheats from 4 different regions in Xinjiang were detected using headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, and the volatile components were classified and feature selected using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) method. Results A total of 134 kinds of volatiles were detected in black wheat, and 97 kinds of volatile organic compounds were characterized, mainly including 23 kinds of aldehydes, 21 kinds of esters, 19 kinds of alcohols, 12 kinds of ketones and 6 kinds of acids. Relative odor activity value (ROAV) showed that 1-octen-3-one, (E)-2-octenal, 1-propanethiol, 2-formyl-5-methylthiophene, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, 4-methylbenzaldehyde, isovaleric acid, 1-oct-1-ene-3-ol and proto-guaiacol were the major volatile odorants and played a dominant role in black wheat. OPLS-DA analysis showed that there were differences between the volatiles of black wheat flour, whole wheat flour and seeds, with (E)-2-octenal mainly present in seeds, 2-methylbutyraldehyde higher in flour and 4-methylbenzaldehyde higher in whole wheat flour. Conclusion Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry can be used as a technical tool to distinguish the differences in volatile compounds between different treatments of black wheat, and the results of this study provide data support for optimizing the milling process of black wheat, as well as a new direction for the identification of adulteration of black wheat whole wheat flour.

Objective To enhance the bioavailability of longan kernels, investigate the bioactive properties of their polyphenols from different cultivars. Methods In this study, polyphenolic compounds were extracted and purified from longan kernels of 8 cultivars (Chuliang, Daguangyan, Shuangzimu, Shuizhang, Fenglisui, Thai, Shixia and Fuyan). The antioxidant and antibacterial functions were analyzed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity test, 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and inhibition zone experiment, and the differences among different varieties were compared Results Polyphenols from all longan kernels exhibited substantial antioxidant activity, with DPPH and ABTS highest scavenging rates reaching 98.70% and 91.88%, respectively. Moreover, these polyphenols effectively inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis, with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 17.0 to 22.6 mm. The results of the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of polyphenols extracted from longan kernels of different cultivars indicated that Shuangzimu longan exhibited the highest inhibition rate against Staphylococcus aureus, at 82.50%. Similarly, Shixia longan showed the highest inhibition rate against Listeria monocytogenes, at 84.60%. Thai longan had the highest inhibition rate of Bacillus subtilis, which was 83.8%. Correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between total phenol content and DPPH free radical and ABTS cation free radical were higher than 0.9, indicating that 8 varieties of longan kernel polyphenols had good antioxidant capacity. The total phenol content of Fuyan longan showed medium correlation to its resistance to Bacillus subtilis and Listeria monocytogenes (correlation coefficient 0.8-0.9). Specifically, Shuangzimu and Shixia longans demonstrated inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, while Thai longan showed strong inhibitory ability against Bacillus subtilis, and Shuliang longan effectively inhibited Listeria monocytogenes. Conclusion This study investigates the variation in total phenolic content as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of longan kernel polyphenols across different cultivars. These observed differences may provide targeted selection of longan kernel polyphenols for specific applications and serve as a reference for understanding their biological activities across cultivars.

Objective To explore a method for rapid detection of thiabendazole residue in dairy products using molecular fluorescence differential addition method. Methods The optimal experimental conditions for the molecular fluorescence differential addition method were determined through single factor experiments, and this method was applied to determine the content of thiabendazole in dairy products. Results The residue of thiabendazole in dairy products ranged from 0.1580 to 0.1611 mg/kg, with a limit of detection was 0.0018 μg/mL and a limit of quantification was 0.0060 μg/mL. The relative standard deviation of the results was 0.75% (n=6), and the recovery rates ranged from 99.4% to 106.7%. A comparison with GB 23200.87—2016 National standards for food safety-Determination of thiabendazole residues in milk and dairy products-Fluorescence spectrophotometry showed no significant differences between the two methods based on F-test and t-test analysis. Conclusion This method eliminates the need to construct a calibration curve and measure blank solutions, offering advantages such as simplicity, sensitivity, rapidity, high recovery rates and accurate results. The proposed method is suitable for the rapid detection of thiabendazole residue in dairy products and provides a new detection technique for the determination of thiabendazole residues in dairy products.

Objective To develop specific antibodies against Fusarium graminearum and establish a double-antibody sandwich-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) for detecting the contamination of Fusarium graminearum in Triticum aestivum. Methods The fungal lysate antigen of Fusarium graminearum was prepared by physical grinding. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) against Fusarium graminearum were developed using hybridoma technology. The performance parameters of mAbs, such as specificity and affinity, were measured. The optimal combination conditions of the prepared mAbs and polyclonal antibody (pAb) were explored using the checkerboard method, and then the DAS-ELISA method was established. The sensitivity and repeatability of the method were evaluated, and the method was applied to the detection of naturally infected Triticum aestivum samples. Results The mAb 1C4F3 and pAb FG2801 against Fusarium graminearum were successfully prepared. The mAb showed no cross-reaction with other fungi, indicating strong specificity. The affinity constant was 1.26×10⁷ L/mol, suggesting high affinity. A DAS-ELISA method for Fusarium graminearum was established, with a limit of detection of 1.223 μg/mg and a standard curve range of 1.56-100.00 μg/mg. The reliability of the method was verified by detecting 96 naturally infected samples collected from major Triticum aestivum-producing areas in China. A significant positive correlation was found between the content of Fusarium graminearum and the content of deoxynivalenol (DON) in the samples (r²=0.8897). Therefore, the DAS-ELISA could not only be used for the rapid detection of Fusarium graminearum but also for evaluating the DON contamination in the samples. Conclusion The DAS-ELISA developes in this study enables rapid and quantitative determination of Fusarium graminearum in Triticum aestivum. Simultaneously, it allows for a swift assessment of the DON contamination level in samples. Characterized by high accuracy and reliability, this method holds considerable application potential in monitoring Fusarium graminearum contamination in Triticum aestivum crops both in the field and post-harvest.

Objective To investigate multiple mycotoxin contamination and patterns in Triticum aestivum L. samples from China in 2023 and 2024. Methods A total of 248 Triticum aestivum L. samples were randomly collected from the main Triticum aestivum L.-producing areas of the country (2023: 145; 2024: 103). Simultaneously, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the content of various mycotoxins in Triticum aestivum L.. Results The total exceeding rate of mycotoxin contamination in 248 Triticum aestivum L. was 98.0%. The positivity rate for these mycotoxins ranged from 0.4% to 87.1%, with average contamination levels ranging from 0.4 to 604.3 μg/kg. Positive mean values for regulated toxins such as deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, and emerging toxins such as alternariol and enniatins in Triticum aestivum L. were lower in 2024 than in 2023. In addition, the results of zearalenone ELISA (2023: 91.5%, 88.5 μg/kg; 2024: 92.2%,79.4 μg/kg) had relatively large differencey from those of LC-MS/MS (2023: 28.7%, 17.7 μg/kg; 2024: 29.1%, 5.0 μg/kg). Conclusion Triticum aestivum L. mycotoxin contamination is less severe in 2024 than in 2023. Higher levels of contamination with deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside, alternariol and beauvericin are also found in Triticum aestivum L..

Objective To establish a method for rapid determination of bongkrekic acid content in Hanzhong Mianpi by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) combined with QuEChERS purification. Methods Hanzhong Mianpi samples were extracted by acetonitrile-water (8:2, V:V) ultrasonic extraction, purified by QuEChERS, concentrated, constant volume, separated by Thermo (100 mm× 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) chromatographic column, gradient eluted by acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution, quantified by standard curve method with electric spray ion source (ESI), multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Results The linear relationship of bongkrekic acid was good within the range of 1-100 ng/mL, with a correlation coefficient (r²) greater than 0.999. At 3 spiked levels of 2, 10 and 50 μg/kg, the spiked recovery rate was 86.7%-90.0%, the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 2.3%-2.9%, the limit of detection was 0.5 μg/kg, and the limit of quantitation was 1.5 μg/kg. All actual samples did not detect any citric acid. Conclusion This method has simple pre-treatment, fast analysis, high recovery rate, and high sensitivity, which can provide reference for the quality control of bongkrekic acid in Hanzhong Mianpi.

Objective To analyze the contamination levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives in various cereals and their products and assess the dietary exposure risks. Methods A total of 435 commercially available grain samples of various types were collected from 2021 to 2023. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile-water (84:16, V:V), purified by the 226 purification column, and analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Quantification was performed using the isotope internal standard method. The dietary exposure risk of DON for residents was assessed based on adult dietary consumption levels.Results Among the 435 samples, the detection rate of DON was the highest, reaching 90.6%. The average detection value of DON in dried noodle samples was the highest, reaching 244.8 μg/kg. The dietary exposure amounts of DON were different for residents of different genders. The acute and chronic dietary exposure risks of DON in pasta products such as dried noodles and wheat flour for adult males were higher than those for adult females. The chronic exposure risk of DON caused by dried noodles was higher than that of other food categories; however, the acute exposure risk of DON to adult males and females caused by wheat flour were 8.84 μg/(kg·bw) and 8.34 μg/(kg·bw). Conclusion The detection rate of DON is the highest among different grain foods. Meanwhile, the concentration of DON in wheat flour poses a relatively high acute exposure risk to adult men and women. The contamination situation of DON shouldall be highly emphasized, in particular, attention shall be paid to the acute exposure risk of wheat flour to residents, which provides a reference for the risk assessment of DON in grains and subsequent research.