An analytical method for the quantification of residual solvents in annatto extracts, natural food colorants, was established using a static headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) coupled with a flame ionization detector (FID). As a sample diluent in a headspace sampling, dimethylformamide (DMF) was selected owing to its high capacity for dissolving both bixin-based and norbixin-based annatto extracts. The quantification of residual solvents was performed using the external standard method. The linearity of the calibration curves was assured with relative coefficients (R 2 ) that were greater than 0.999. The recoveries of all standard solvents spiked in the annatto extracts were in the range from 95.1% to 107.1% to verify the accuracy and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) values (n = 3) were in the range from 0.57% to 3.31%. The quantification limits (QL) were sufficiently lower than the limits specified by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). With the established HSGC method, six residual solvents (methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, and hexane) in 23 commercial annatto-extract products that consist of seven bixin-based and 16 norbixin-based products were quantified. The levels of residual ethyl acetate and hexane in all products were lower than the specified limits of JECFA. However, three samples of bixin-based products showed higher levels of residual 2-propanol (approximately 313.9 -427.7 ppm) than the specified limit. Other bixin products also showed higher concentrations of residual methanol (approximately 166.6 -394.7 ppm) and residual acetone (approximately 75.2 -179.8 ppm) than the limits of JECFA. In the case of norbixin-based products, nine samples showed higher levels of residual acetone (approximately 42.6 -139.5 ppm) than the limits of JECFA. This is the first survey of residual solvents in annatto extracts using the validated HSGC method.

Acetaminophen (AcAP), a widely-used antipyretic and analgesic drug, has been considered to exert its effects via central mechanisms, and many studies have demonstrated that the analgesic action of AcAP involves activation of the serotonergic system. Although the serotonergic system also plays an important role in thermoregulation, the contribution of serotonergic activity to the hypothermic effect of AcAP has remained unclear. In the present study, we examined whether the serotonergic system is involved in AcAP-induced hypothermia. In normal mice, AcAP (300 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) induced marked hypothermia (ca.

Enzymatically hydrolyzed guar gum (EHGG), which is used as a thickener or a soluble dietary fiber, is produced by partial hydrolysis of the guar gum (GG) backbone using mannan endo-β-1,4-mannosidase. In this study, we compared and evaluated 3 methods to distinguish EHGG from other polysaccharides used as food additives or monosaccharides. The first method is based on cross-linking reaction of saccharide hydroxyl groups mediated by borate ions. EHGG showed gelation and was distinguished from some soluble polysaccharides, which did not form gels, and also from polysaccharides with low solubility in water. The second method is based on co-gelation with xanthan gum. It was applicable to GG, but not to EHGG. The third method is based on the alcohol precipitation of hydrophilic polymers. EHGG, some soluble polysaccharides and monosaccharides were dissolved in water at the concentration of 10 , while GG and some polysaccharides were not.The 10 solutions thus obtained were mixed with 2-propanol at the ratio of 1 : 1 (v/v). A white precipitate was formed in the EHGG solutions and the tested soluble polysaccharide solutions, while it was not produced in the monosaccharide solutions. This result demonstrated that soluble polysaccharides including EHGG can be distinguished from polysaccharides with low solubility or monosaccharides by the third method.