Headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME), followed by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) determination, has been used for the analysis of honey volatiles. Two SPME fibers were employed to study the composition of volatiles from various types of Spanish honeys. The best results were obtained with the Carboxen/PDMS fiber, using a homogenization time of 1 h at 70 degrees C and a sampling period of 30 min. A total of 35 compounds were detected, most of them identified by GC-MS and quantified using external standards. Differences in the composition of honey volatiles were obtained, and these results allowed the differentiation of honeys. However, further studies are necessary to confirm the utility of this technique as an alternative tool for the characterization of the floral origin of honeys.
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi that occur naturally in food and feed. The presence of these compounds in the food chain is of high concern for human health due to their properties to induce severe toxicity effects at low dose levels. The contamination of fruits with mycotoxins has not only caused health hazards but also resulted in economic losses, especially for exporting countries. The mycotoxins most commonly found in fruits and their processed products are aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin and the Alternaria toxins alternariol, alternariol methyl ether and altenuene. The aim of this work is to review the toxicity of these major mycotoxins, their natural occurrence in fruits, dried fruits, juices, wines and other processed products, the analytical methods available for their determination and the strategies for their control.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.