Objective To investigate the extent of lead contamination in commercial foods and assess the health risk from dietary lead intake of the residents in Guangzhou in 2023. Methods In 2023, the 310 samples were collected from 3 food categories in 11 districts of Guangzhou, China. Lead was measured in the samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Dietary exposure to lead was calculated based on the food consumption survey of Guangzhou residents in 2011, and the health risk of the population was evaluated using the margin of exposure (MOE) method. Results Lead was detected in 83.23% of the overall samples, and the over-standard rate was 0%, with an average lead content of 0.040 mg/kg. The highest lead level was found in bivalves, 0.205 mg/kg. The average daily dietary lead exposure of the whole population and all age groups (3-6 years old, 7-17 years old, 18-59 years old, and 60 years old and above) in Guangzhou and the consumers with high dietary exposure of all age groups (95th percentile P₉₅) were: 0.082, 0.120, 0.097, 0.078, 0.081 μg/(kg·d) and 0.225, 0.330, 0.268, 0.206, 0.226 μg/(kg·d). The contribution of rice and rice products, brassica vegetables, and leafy vegetables to dietary lead exposure was relatively significant. The MOE values for lead in residents of all age groups were greater than 1, with the MOE values for minors being lower than those for adults, particularly among high dietary exposure populations. Conclusion In 2023, there is a certain degree of lead contamination in the food items under close watch in the Guangzhou market. The average dietary lead exposure of residents of all age groups is within the acceptable range. However, it is still necessary to pay attention to key food items and take measures to reduce the dietary lead exposure risk for residents in Guangzhou.

Objective To explore the contents of 7 kinds of elements in agricultural products in a certain area in North China plain, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), tin (Sn), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr), and evaluate the safety risks of dietary ingestion. Methods The samples were pretreated by microwave digestion, and the contents of 7 kinds of heavy metals in 611 agricultural products collected in the certain area from 2022 to 2024 were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Index (P_i), Nemero comprehensive pollutant index (P_N) and target hazard quotient/total target hazard quota (THQ/TTHQ) were used to evaluate the pollution levels of heavy metals in agricultural products. Results All elements except Hg were detected in the agricultural products. Among them, the content of Pb and Cr in individual samples exceeded the limit values specified in GB 2762—2022 National food safety standard-Limits of contaminants in foods (Pb≤0.2 mg/kg, Cr≤0.5 mg/kg). The overall content levels of the 7 kinds of elements were relatively low, and their order in the agricultural products was Ni (0.192 mg/kg)>Cr (0.040 mg/kg)>Pb (0.017 mg/kg)>Sn (0.011 mg/kg)>As (0.009 mg/kg)>Cd (0.005 mg/kg), the heavy metal content of agricultural products in different types and regions was quite different, and the THQ/TTHQ of all agricultural products was less than 1, and the P_i and P_N were less than 1. Conclusion The quality and safety of agricultural products in the study area are in good condition, and the level of heavy metal pollution is relatively low. However, there may be potential heavy metal exposure risks in some individual villages and towns in the southeastern part, and the dietary exposure risks for children are greater than those for adults.

In recent years, mycotoxin contamination in food has become an important food safety issue with global concern. Mycotoxins are a type of secondary metabolites produced by fungi with characteristics of high toxicity, difficult decomposition and chemical stability. It is of great significance to establish an efficient and safe mycotoxin detoxification technology applicable to food. Based onenzyme catalysis, the biological detoxification technology has the advantages of high substrate specificity, mild conditions, green environment, which can overcome the damage of traditional physical and chemical detoxification technology to the quality and nutritional value of food. Immobilized enzyme technology can improve the catalytic performance of enzymes, endow them with values such as stability, reusability, and high throughput, as well as overcome the limitations of biological enzymes in the application process. This article reviewed the application of immobilized enzyme technology in food mycotoxin removal, analyzed the deficiencies of the current immobilized enzyme technology applied in food detoxification and possible future research directions, with a view to providing research ideas for the construction of more efficient immobilized enzyme catalysts.

Objective To analyse the types and content of metabolites in the stems and leaves of Platycodon grandiflorus by ultra performance liquid chromatography-Quadrupole/Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS). Methods Stems and leaves of two-year-old purple flowered Platycodon grandiflorus from different sources was used as experimental materials. UPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS technology was used to analyze the extracts of Platycodon grandiflorus stems and leaves in negative ion mode, using orbitrap for MS1 full scan and data dependent acquisition ion trap for MS2 scan, and screen for differential metabolites of Platycodon grandiflorum stems and leaves from different sources. Results A total of 18 metabolites were detected in the stems and leaves of Platycodon grandiflorum, including 4 flavonoids, 2 alkynyl glycosides, and 12 saponins (1 metabolite that had not been reported). The basic structure of this unknown compound was polygalacic acid-glucose- xylose/arabic glycoside. Through comparative analysis, differences in chemical composition of Platycodon grandiflorus among different sources were discovered. The 6 differential metabolites of Platycodon grandiflorus from China and South Korea and 1 differential metabolite of Platycodon grandiflorus from Yanbian area were screened. Conclusion The comprehensive analysis results indicate that the stems and leaves of Platycodon grandiflorus have rich chemical components, and the stems and leaves of Platycodon grandiflorus from different sources have compound differences, which have high development and utilization prospects, providing theoretical basis for the development and utilization of aboveground resources of Platycodon grandiflorus.

Objective To evaluate the dietary exposure levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic and chromium in Triticum aestivum L. in Anhui Province in 2023 and to evaluate dietary health risks combined with population consumption. Methods A total of 212 Triticum aestivum L. samples collected from Anhui Province in 2023 were analyzed for plumbum, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium content using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The contamination status of the 4 kinds of elements was evaluated using the contamination index method. The margin of exposure (MOE) was used for plumbum exposure assessment, while the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) or benchmark dose level (BMDL) compared with dietary exposure, expressed as the margin of safety (MOS), was applied for cadmium and arsenic exposure assessment. For chromium, the dietary exposure (EXP) was calculated as a percentage of the tolerable daily intake (TDI). Results Among the 212 Triticum aestivum L. samples, As levels did not exceed the standard limits. The exceedance rates for cadmium, plumbum, and chromium were 1.89%, 1.42% and 7.55%, respectively. The single-factor contamination index for all elements was less than 1, indicating safety, while the comprehensive contamination index was 1.737, suggesting mild contamination. The average dietary exposure levels of plumbum, cadmium, and arsenic for residents of different age groups and cities in Anhui Province showed MOE and MOS values greater than 1, and the EXP/TDI percentage for chromium was less than 1. However, for high-exposure P_97.5 populations, including children aged 13-36 months and 7-12 years, the EXP/TDI percentage for chromium exceeded 1. Similarly, in northern Anhui cities such as Fuyang, Huaibei, and Suzhou, the EXP/TDI percentage for Cr in high-exposure P_97.5 populations also exceeded 1. Conclusion The exposure risk levels of plumbum, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium from Triticum aestivum L. consumption among Anhui residents are generally acceptable. However, special attention shall be given to children, adolescents, and high-exposure populations in Fuyang, Huaibei, and Suzhou.

Objective To develop artificial hypoglycemic rice with leafy grass as a nutritional supplement, optimize its formula, and analyze its inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase and sensory quality. Methods The orthogonal experimental design was used to optimize the formula parameters of artificial rice, with corn amylose and rice starch as the main raw materials and edible leaf grass powder as the functional additive. The inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase was detected by enzyme labeling instrument to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect the samples, and the food sensory analysis was carried out according to the sensory evaluation method. Results The water extract of edible leaf grass showed a high inhibitory rate on α-glucosidase with an inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value 1.189 mg/mL, which was close to the inhibitory effect of the positive control acarbose. The optimized formula for producing artificial rice from edible leaf grass performed excellently in sensory evaluation, with good flavor, texture and appearance. Conclusion Edible leaf grass has excellent nutritional value and potential hypoglycemic activity. The artificial hypoglycemic rice develops based on it not only meets the special needs of diabetes patients, but also provides a new choice for the health food market, and has broad application prospects.

Objective To investigate the pollution of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in soil and nuts in the primary Carya illinoensis production areas of Anhui Province, and evaluate the ecological risk and human health risk. Methods A total of 15 soil and nut samples were collected from the main production areas of Carya illinoensis in Anhui Province, and the pollution characteristics of 14 kinds of OPFRs were analyzed. The ecological risk of soil was evaluated using the risk quotient (RQ) method, and the human health risk of consuming nuts was assessed using a health risk assessment model. Results The concentration range of OPFRs in soil samples from Carya illinoensis production areas in Anhui Province was 162.33-394.48 μg/kg, with an average of 305.83 μg/kg. Tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate (TEHP) had the highest detection concentration, at 52.62 μg/kg. The concentration range of OPFRs in nut samples was 127.57-310.81 μg/kg, with an average of 223.93 μg/kg. Tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) had the highest detection concentration, averaging 46.82 μg/kg. The RQ values of 11 kinds of OPFRs ranged from 3.50×10^-5 to 0.47, with tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) having RQ values between 0.1 and 1.0. The remaining RQ values were all less than 0.1. The health risk assessment of human intake of pecan showed that the hazard quotient (HQ) values of children and adults were both less than 0.1, and the risk of intake of TBEP was higher in children and adults, with the HQ value of adults slightly higher than that of children. Conclusion There is a particular ecological risk of OPFRs in the soil of some production areas of Carya illinoensis in Anhui Province, and the residues of OPFRs in nuts can be ignored in terms of human health risk. This study provides a basis for the safety assessment of novel pollutants in the soil and nuts of Carya illinoensis production areas.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of using the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence method for detecting the colonies number in chilled meat, and compare its performance with the national standard plate count method. Methods Effects of different concentrations of Triton X-100 and adenosine triphosphate double (Apyrase) on the remove of ATP from the somatic cells of chilled meat were determined. The colonies number in the chilled meat was measured using both the ATP bioluminescence method and the national standard plate count method, and the reproducibility of the ATP bioluminescence method was evaluated. Results The optimal concentrations of Triton X-100 and Apyrase for ATP removal from the somatic cells of chilled meat were found to be 0.2% and 0.10 U/mL, respectively, with the best ATP removal effect observed at these concentrations. The results of the ATP bioluminescence method and the national standard plate count method demonstrated a strong linear relationship, with a correlation coefficient (r²) of 0.9871. The ATP bioluminescence method indicated good reproducibility, and the results were stable and reliable. Conclusion This study further validates the applicability of ATP bioluminescence method for the quick detection of colonies number in chilled meat, demonstrating its advantages over the national standard plate count method.

Objective To establish a new method for simple identification of vitamin A (VA) and unsaturated fatty acids in natural cod liver oil. Methods The cod liver oil sample was saponified and injected into a high-performance liquid chromatography system to detect the content of VA. After saponification of cod liver oil and its excipients, injected them into a gas chromatography system to analyze the localization and percentage of linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and distinguish fish oil from vegetable oil. Results Under the new method, the linear relationship of VA concentration was good within the range of 30.00-1500.00 IU/mL (r²=0.9999); the average recovery rate was 96.1%. The relative standard deviation of instrument precision was 0.18%, the relative standard deviation of method precision was 1.13%, and the relative standard deviation of intermediate precision was 0.98%. There was a significant difference in the content of fatty acids between vegetable oils, fish oil and cod liver oil. Cod liver oil and fish oil were rich in EPA and DHA, while linoleic acid was low. Corn oil, rapeseed oil and olive oil did not contain EPA and DHA, but they were rich in linoleic acid. Conclusion The detection method establish in this article is simple and accurate, and can be used for the determination of VA and unsaturated fatty acid content in cod liver oil, laying the foundation for the development of ideal quality standards.

Objective To establish a method for the simultaneous determination of 24 kinds of β-blockers in eggs by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Methods The 80% acetonitrile aqueous solution was used as extraction solvent, QuEChERS was used as purification method, acetonitrile-saturated n-hexane was used for degreasing, Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C₁₈ (2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) column was used for gradient elution with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution as mobile phase. The ionization mode was spray positive ion mode, and quantitative analysis was performed using multiple reaction monitoring mode. The quantitative method was external standard. Results The 24 kinds of β-blockers in eggs showed a good linear relationship (r≥0.9963) in the concentration range. When the sample weight was 1 g (accurate to 0.001 g) and the final volume was 2 mL, the limit of detection was 3 μg/kg, and the limit of quantitation was 10 μg/kg. The average recoveries were 63.6%-108.0%, and the relative standard deviations (n=6) were 0.9%-7.4%. Conclusion This method has the advantages of simple operation, high accuracy, high sensitivity and good reproducibility, and can provide technical reference for the analysis of β-blocker in fresh eggs in daily life and sports events.