Screening, Identification, and Quantification of Nutritional Components and Phytochemicals in Foodstuffs

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Analytical Methods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2020) | Viewed by 50881

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Dear Colleagues,

The interest in nutritional components, bioactive compounds, and phytochemicals in potential functional foods continues to grow, powered by the identification of health-promoting properties and potential applications of nutraceutical substances. These products may range from isolated nutrients, agri-foods, dietary supplements, and diets to genetically engineered "designer" foods, herbal products, and processed foods.

In recent years, nutraceutical foods, food supplements, herbal preparations, plant foods, and derived-products have become very attractive to the food industry, prompting their use as replacements for synthetic chemicals and nutraceuticals, but neglected and underutilized plant resources are suffering from less attention and research, and their nutritional, economic, and socio-cultural potentials are not fully exploited: the identification and quantification of nutritional substances and bioactive compounds in foods and the evaluation of their biological activities are important to gauge their efficacy as dietary interventions and in healthy applications.

Dr. Dario Donno
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • phytochemicals
  • agrobiodiversity
  • plant foods
  • HPLC
  • herbal preparations
  • mass spectrometry
  • health-promoting properties
  • human nutrition
  • analytical strategies
  • natural antioxidants

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 203 KiB  
Editorial
Screening, Identification, and Quantification of Nutritional Components and Phytochemicals in Foodstuffs
by Dario Donno
Foods 2021, 10(1), 125; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10010125 - 08 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1681
Abstract
Foods confer many health-promoting benefits to humans for the treatment/prevention of different diseases [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

15 pages, 1461 KiB  
Article
Effects of Genotype, Storage Temperature and Time on Quality and Compositional Traits of Cherry Tomato
by Miriam Distefano, Elena Arena, Rosario Paolo Mauro, Selina Brighina, Cherubino Leonardi, Biagio Fallico and Francesco Giuffrida
Foods 2020, 9(12), 1729; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9121729 - 25 Nov 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2577
Abstract
The experiment addressed the effects of two storage temperatures, namely 10 (T10) and 20 °C (T20), on main quality and functional traits of three cherry tomato cultivars (‘Eletta’, ‘Sugarland’ and ‘Ottymo’), after 0 (S0), 7 (S7 [...] Read more.
The experiment addressed the effects of two storage temperatures, namely 10 (T10) and 20 °C (T20), on main quality and functional traits of three cherry tomato cultivars (‘Eletta’, ‘Sugarland’ and ‘Ottymo’), after 0 (S0), 7 (S7) and 14 (S14) days of storage. At T10 both fruit weight and firmness were better retained during storage. At S14, T10 promoted fruit Chroma and overall fruit color deviation (ΔE*ab). Total polyphenols content (TPC) of fruits peaked at S7 (4660 mg GAE kg−1 DW) then declined at S14 (by 16%), with the highest values recorded at T10. Lycopene showed a similar trend, but with a higher average concentration recorded at T20 (488 mg kg−1 DW). β-carotene content peaked at S14, irrespective of the storage temperature. At S14, the concentrations of phytoene and phytofluene were higher at T20 (48.3 and 40.9 mg kg−1 DW, respectively), but the opposite was found at S7. ‘Sugarland’ and ‘Ottymo’ showed the highest ΔE*ab along storage, with the former cultivar proving the highest TPC and lycopene content, whereas ‘Eletta’ did so for phytoene and phytofluene. Our results suggest that unravelling the possible functional interactions among these three carotenoids would allow for a better orientation of breeding programs, targeting the phytochemical evolution of tomatoes during refrigerated storage. Full article
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11 pages, 2025 KiB  
Article
Nutrient Composition of Different Hazelnut Cultivars Grown in Germany
by Anke Katharina Müller, Ute Helms, Carsten Rohrer, Monika Möhler, Frank Hellwig, Michael Glei, Tanja Schwerdtle, Stefan Lorkowski and Christine Dawczynski
Foods 2020, 9(11), 1596; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9111596 - 03 Nov 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4033
Abstract
Hazelnuts are rarely cultivated in Germany, although they are a valuable source for macro- and micronutrients and can thus contribute to a healthy diet. Near the present, 15 varieties were cultivated in Thuringia, Germany, as a pilot study for further research. The aim [...] Read more.
Hazelnuts are rarely cultivated in Germany, although they are a valuable source for macro- and micronutrients and can thus contribute to a healthy diet. Near the present, 15 varieties were cultivated in Thuringia, Germany, as a pilot study for further research. The aim of our study was to evaluate the micro- and macronutrient composition of representative, randomly mixed samples of the 15 different hazelnut cultivars. Protein, fat, and fiber contents were determined using established methods. Fatty acids, tocopherols, minerals, trace elements, and ultra-trace elements were analyzed using gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass-spectrometry, respectively. We found that the different hazelnut varieties contained valuable amounts of fat, protein, dietary fiber, minerals, trace elements, and α-tocopherol, however, in different quantities. The variations in nutrient composition were independent of growth conditions, which were identical for all hazelnut varieties. Therefore, each hazelnut cultivar has its specific nutrient profile. Full article
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18 pages, 665 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical, Sensory, and Cooking Qualities of Pasta Enriched with Oat β-Glucans, Xanthan Gum, and Vital Gluten
by Ada Krawęcka, Aldona Sobota and Emilia Sykut-Domańska
Foods 2020, 9(10), 1412; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9101412 - 05 Oct 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3685
Abstract
The functional properties of β-glucans derived from oats and barley are confirmed by numerous in vitro and in vivo studies. This study aimed to assess the effect of adding 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% oat (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucans to physicochemical properties, as well as [...] Read more.
The functional properties of β-glucans derived from oats and barley are confirmed by numerous in vitro and in vivo studies. This study aimed to assess the effect of adding 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% oat (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucans to physicochemical properties, as well as the cooking and sensory qualities of durum wheat pasta. Additionally, to improve the cooking and sensory qualities of pasta, we added 5% of xanthan gum and vital gluten. The present study showed that the addition of β-glucans led to an increase of the water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), and viscosity of products. At the same time, an increase in the content of fat, ash, and dietary fiber was observed. The addition of (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucans influenced the cooking quality of the pasta, extending the minimum cooking time and increasing the loss of dry matter. At the same time, the color of the product changed. In the case of cooked pasta, the addition of β-glucans decreased the brightness and increased the yellowness and redness. It was found that the products enriched with 10–15% of β-glucans, as well as 5% of xanthan gum and vital gluten would yield functional pasta that may offer health benefits beyond its nutritional value. Further, this could influence high cooking and sensory quality. Full article
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26 pages, 1807 KiB  
Article
Screening and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds and Their Antioxidant Capacity in Different Fruit Peels
by Hafiz A. R. Suleria, Colin J. Barrow and Frank R. Dunshea
Foods 2020, 9(9), 1206; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9091206 - 01 Sep 2020
Cited by 178 | Viewed by 13327
Abstract
Fruit peels have a diverse range of phytochemicals including carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fibres, and phenolic compounds, some with remarkable antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, the comprehensive screening and characterization of the complex array of phenolic compounds in different fruit peels is limited. This study aimed [...] Read more.
Fruit peels have a diverse range of phytochemicals including carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fibres, and phenolic compounds, some with remarkable antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, the comprehensive screening and characterization of the complex array of phenolic compounds in different fruit peels is limited. This study aimed to determine the polyphenol content and their antioxidant potential in twenty different fruit peel samples in an ethanolic extraction, including their comprehensive characterization and quantification using the LC-MS/MS and HPLC. The obtained results showed that the mango peel exhibited the highest phenolic content for TPC (27.51 ± 0.63 mg GAE/g) and TFC (1.75 ± 0.08 mg QE/g), while the TTC (9.01 ± 0.20 mg CE/g) was slightly higher in the avocado peel than mango peel (8.99 ± 0.13 mg CE/g). In terms of antioxidant potential, the grapefruit peel had the highest radical scavenging capacities for the DPPH (9.17 ± 0.19 mg AAE/g), ABTS (10.79 ± 0.56 mg AAE/g), ferric reducing capacity in FRAP (9.22 ± 0.25 mg AA/g), and total antioxidant capacity, TAC (8.77 ± 0.34 mg AAE/g) compared to other fruit peel samples. The application of LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS tentatively identified and characterized a total of 176 phenolics, including phenolic acids (49), flavonoids (86), lignans (11), stilbene (5) and other polyphenols (25) in all twenty peel samples. From HPLC-PDA quantification, the mango peel sample showed significantly higher phenolic content, particularly for phenolic acids (gallic acid, 14.5 ± 0.4 mg/g) and flavonoids (quercetin, 11.9 ± 0.4 mg/g), as compared to other fruit peel samples. These results highlight the importance of fruit peels as a potential source of polyphenols. This study provides supportive information for the utilization of different phenolic rich fruit peels as ingredients in food, feed, and nutraceutical products. Full article
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25 pages, 10395 KiB  
Article
Castanea spp. Agrobiodiversity Conservation: Genotype Influence on Chemical and Sensorial Traits of Cultivars Grown on the Same Clonal Rootstock
by Gabriele L. Beccaro, Dario Donno, Guglielmo Gianni Lione, Marta De Biaggi, Giovanni Gamba, Sabrina Rapalino, Isidoro Riondato, Paolo Gonthier and Maria Gabriella Mellano
Foods 2020, 9(8), 1062; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9081062 - 05 Aug 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3357
Abstract
A large species diversity characterises the wide distribution of chestnuts in Asia, North America, and Europe, hence reflecting not only the adaptation of the genus Castanea to diverse environmental conditions, but also to different management strategies encompassing orchards. The characterisation and description of [...] Read more.
A large species diversity characterises the wide distribution of chestnuts in Asia, North America, and Europe, hence reflecting not only the adaptation of the genus Castanea to diverse environmental conditions, but also to different management strategies encompassing orchards. The characterisation and description of chestnut populations and cultivars are crucial to develop effective conservation strategies of one of the most important Italian and European fruit and wood species. Chestnut cultivars grown in the same pedoclimatic conditions and on the same clonal rootstock were characterised with sensory, spectrophotometric, and chromatographic analysis to determine the phytochemical composition and nutraceutical properties. A multivariate approach, including principal component analysis and conditional inference tree models, was also performed. The ease of peeling, seed colour, and intensity of sweetness were the sensory descriptors that allowed us to differentiate C. sativa cultivars. Antioxidant capacity ranged from 9.30 ± 0.39 mmol Fe+2 kg−1 DW (‘Bouche de Bètizac’) to 19.96 ± 1.89 mmol Fe+2 kg−1 DW (‘Garrone Rosso’). Monoterpenes represented the main component, reaching 88% for hybrids, followed by polyphenols (10–25% for hybrids and chestnuts, respectively). A multivariate approach showed that phenolic acids and tannins were the bioactive classes with the highest discriminating power among different genotypes, and that genotype is a significant variable (p < 0.05). In addition, most of the analysed chestnut cultivars showed a content of bioactive compounds similar to or higher than the main hazelnut, walnut, and almond varieties. Chestnut agrobiodiversity could be intended as strictly associated to the genotype effect and underlines the large variability within the genus Castanea, and therefore, the importance of in farm and ex situ conservation of local germplasm is part of a global strategy aimed at increasing the levels of agrobiodiversity. Full article
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22 pages, 1002 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Garlic Landraces from Foggia Province (Puglia Region; Italy)
by Anna Bonasia, Giulia Conversa, Corrado Lazzizera, Pasqua Loizzo, Giuseppe Gambacorta and Antonio Elia
Foods 2020, 9(7), 850; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9070850 - 29 Jun 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2664
Abstract
Interest in local landraces has unfortunately decreased over, the last decades, in which they have been continuously subjected to a high genetic erosion in favour of new modern varieties. Within the Puglia region (S-E Italy), Foggia province was found to be the richest [...] Read more.
Interest in local landraces has unfortunately decreased over, the last decades, in which they have been continuously subjected to a high genetic erosion in favour of new modern varieties. Within the Puglia region (S-E Italy), Foggia province was found to be the richest in vegetable landraces. In the present study, six garlic landraces collected from this area have been assessed for their chemical composition (minerals, organic acids, free sugars, volatile, and phenolic compounds) along with their main morpho-biometrical traits. A commercial genotype was also considered as a reference standard. The landraces show a large variability, but in general high morphological standards, high levels of cations and phenols, and low levels of volatile-(S)-compounds in comparison with the commercial genotype and the literature values. ‘Aglio di Peschici’ and ‘Aglio Rosso di Monteleone di Puglia’ are very rich in minerals and phenols (mainly ferulic acid and iso-rhamnetin). This increase in knowledge on the chemical properties of these garlic landraces could represent a tool for encouraging the consumption of a food product. At the same time, the consumption of these landraces would stimulate their cultivation and could highly contribute to protection against the risk of erosion of agro-biodiversity by their in situ/on-farm conservation. Full article
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7 pages, 208 KiB  
Article
Validation of Rapid Enzymatic Quantification of Acetic Acid in Vinegar on Automated Spectrophotometric System
by Irene Dini, Ritamaria Di Lorenzo, Antonello Senatore, Daniele Coppola and Sonia Laneri
Foods 2020, 9(6), 761; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9060761 - 09 Jun 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4296
Abstract
Vinegar is produced from the fermentation of agricultural materials and diluted acetic acid (diluted with water to 4–30% by volume) via sequential ethanol and acetic acid fermentation. The concentration of acetic acid must be measured during vinegar production. A Community method for analyzing [...] Read more.
Vinegar is produced from the fermentation of agricultural materials and diluted acetic acid (diluted with water to 4–30% by volume) via sequential ethanol and acetic acid fermentation. The concentration of acetic acid must be measured during vinegar production. A Community method for analyzing acetic acid in vinegar is a non-specific method based on the assumption that the total acid concentration of the vinegar is attributable to the acetic acid. It consists of titration with a strong base in the presence of an indicator. This test is laborious and has a time-consuming character. In this work, a highly specific automated enzymatic method was validated, for the first time, to quantify the acetic acid in the wine vinegar, in terms of linearity, precision, repeatability, and uncertainty measurement. The results were compared to the Community method of analysis. Regression coefficient ≅ 1 and the normal distribution of residuals in the ANOVA test confirmed the method’s linearity. LLOD (0.946 ppm) and LLOQ (2.00 ppm) defined the method’s sensitivity. The results of the tested and the Community methods, linearly distributed in the Shapiro–Wilk test, confirmed the method’s repeatability. The few anomalous data in the Huber test were due to random errors. The high selectivity of the enzymatic method, which exclusively measures acetic acid concentration, determined the significant differences between the two tests, examined in the accuracy determination. The enzymatic method can be considered applicable since its precision and uncertainty were lower than the Community method values (relative percentage deviations = 10%). The enzymatic method compared to the Community method reduces the analysis time and the risk of errors due to operators (avoid pipetting errors and wrong calculations), minimizes solvent and the sample consumption and guarantees assay quality through method standardization. Full article
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15 pages, 2790 KiB  
Article
Changes in Polyphenolics during Storage of Products Prepared with Freeze-Dried Wild Blueberry Powder
by Laura Lavefve, Cindi Brownmiller, Luke Howard, Donovon Reeves, Sean H. Adams, Jin-Ran Chen, Eva C. Diaz and Andy Mauromoustakos
Foods 2020, 9(4), 466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9040466 - 09 Apr 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2871
Abstract
Wild blueberry (WBB) powder can be added to the formulation of foods to encourage consumption of health-promoting polyphenolics, but the stability of polyphenolics throughout storage is important. We determined the stability of polyphenolics in five products (ice pop, oatmeal bar, graham cracker cookie, [...] Read more.
Wild blueberry (WBB) powder can be added to the formulation of foods to encourage consumption of health-promoting polyphenolics, but the stability of polyphenolics throughout storage is important. We determined the stability of polyphenolics in five products (ice pop, oatmeal bar, graham cracker cookie, juice, and gummy product) prepared with WBB powder. Samples stored at 21 °C, 4.4 °C, or −20 °C (ice pops only) were analyzed at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks for polyphenolic content and percent polymeric color. Total anthocyanins decreased over storage and storage temperatures in all products. However, the ice pop and the refrigerated juice both retained over 90% of their initial total anthocyanin content. The refrigerated oatmeal bar also showed good retention of anthocyanins (86%), but the gummy product retained only 43% and 51% when stored at 4.4 °C or 21 °C, respectively. The lower amount of polyphenolic compounds recovered in the gummies stored at 4.4 °C compared to 21 °C may be attributed to reduced extraction efficiency as a result of gel hardening at refrigerated temperature. Chlorogenic acid and flavonols were generally more stable than anthocyanins throughout storage. Full article
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13 pages, 1141 KiB  
Article
Developing and Validating a Method for Separating Flavonoid Isomers in Common Buckwheat Sprouts Using HPLC-PDA
by Davin Jang, Young Sung Jung, Mi-Seon Kim, Seung Eel Oh, Tae Gyu Nam and Dae-Ok Kim
Foods 2019, 8(11), 549; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods8110549 - 04 Nov 2019
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4282
Abstract
Buckwheat sprouts that are synthesized during the germination process are rich in flavonoids, including orientin, vitexin, rutin, and their isomers (isoorientin, isovitexin, and quercetin-3-O-robinobioside, respectively). The purpose of this study was to optimize and validate an analytical method for separating flavonoid [...] Read more.
Buckwheat sprouts that are synthesized during the germination process are rich in flavonoids, including orientin, vitexin, rutin, and their isomers (isoorientin, isovitexin, and quercetin-3-O-robinobioside, respectively). The purpose of this study was to optimize and validate an analytical method for separating flavonoid isomers in common buckwheat sprout extract (CSE). Factors, such as range, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, and limit of quantification, were evaluated for each standard using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). On the basis of resolution and symmetry, a column temperature of 40 °C with 0.1% (v/v) acidic water and acetonitrile as mobile phases, at a flow rate of 1 mL min−1 were determined to be the optimal analytical conditions. Calibration curves for orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, and rutin exhibited good linearity with correlation coefficients of 0.9999 over the 6.25–100.00 μg mL−1 range. Recovery values of 96.67–103.60% confirmed that the method was accurate for all flavonoids. The relative standard deviations of intra-day repeatability and inter-day reproducibility confirmed method preciseness, with values of less than 5.21% and 5.40%, respectively. The developed method was used to analyze flavonoids in CSE, with isomers satisfactorily separated and simultaneously quantified. We demonstrated that the developed HPLC method can be used to monitor flavonoids in buckwheat sprouts. Full article
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14 pages, 1833 KiB  
Article
Pulsed Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction as an Alternative Method to Conventional Maceration for the Extraction of the Polyphenolic Fraction of Ribes nigrum Buds: A New Category of Food Supplements Proposed by The FINNOVER Project
by Federica Turrini, Dario Donno, Gabriele Loris Beccaro, Paola Zunin, Anna Pittaluga and Raffaella Boggia
Foods 2019, 8(10), 466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods8100466 - 10 Oct 2019
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3076
Abstract
In this research, for the first time, an alternative method to produce Ribes nigrum bud derivatives is presented. Pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction (PUAE), using a food-grade solvent according to green chemistry principles, has been employed and compared to the conventional extraction method. Traditionally, bud [...] Read more.
In this research, for the first time, an alternative method to produce Ribes nigrum bud derivatives is presented. Pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction (PUAE), using a food-grade solvent according to green chemistry principles, has been employed and compared to the conventional extraction method. Traditionally, bud derivatives, a category of botanicals marketed as plant food supplements in the European Community, are produced by macerating meristematic tissues of trees and plants mainly spontaneously collected. Buds are a challenging raw material for the UAE, since meristematic tissues are much softer and fragile than their corresponding adult phenological stage. It is therefore important to assess whether the polyphenolic fraction, very susceptible to degradation, is conserved after UAE. Untargeted polyphenolic fingerprints (UV-Visible and fluorescence) coupled with chemometrics are employed to quickly screen the best extraction conditions, evaluated by the design of experiment (DoE) method. The polyphenolic fraction of the optimized PUAE extract was quantified by targeted HPLC fingerprint and its antiradical activity was determined. PUAE on a lab pilot reactor was proven to be the most practical approach for a rapid (20 min vs. 21 days maceration) and efficient extraction of bioactive polyphenolics from Ribes nigrum buds, encouraging the scale up to an industrial plan. Full article
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

18 pages, 677 KiB  
Review
Analytical Strategies for Fingerprinting of Antioxidants, Nutritional Substances, and Bioactive Compounds in Foodstuffs Based on High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry: An Overview
by Dario Donno, Maria Gabriella Mellano, Giovanni Gamba, Isidoro Riondato and Gabriele Loris Beccaro
Foods 2020, 9(12), 1734; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9121734 - 25 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4192
Abstract
New technology development and globalisation have led to extreme changes in the agri-food sector in recent years that need an important food supply chain characterisation from plant materials to commercial productions. Many analytical strategies are commonly utilised in the agri-food industry, often using [...] Read more.
New technology development and globalisation have led to extreme changes in the agri-food sector in recent years that need an important food supply chain characterisation from plant materials to commercial productions. Many analytical strategies are commonly utilised in the agri-food industry, often using complementary technologies with different purposes. Chromatography on-line coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the most selective and sensitive analytical methodologies. The purpose of this overview is to present the most recent MS-based techniques applied to food analysis. An entire section is dedicated to the recent applications of high-resolution MS. Covered topics include liquid (LC)– and gas chromatography (GC)–MS analysis of natural bioactive substances, including carbohydrates, flavonoids and related compounds, lipids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, and other different molecules in foodstuffs from the perspectives of food composition, food authenticity and food adulteration. The results represent an important contribution to the utilisation of GC–MS and LC–MS in the field of natural bioactive compound identification and quantification. Full article
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