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Occurrence of Rhodamine B (RhB) contamination in paprika caused by agricultural materials during the vegetation process has been reported. It may transfer during the process of active compounds extraction, and eventually exist in final products. Herein, the re-distribution of RhB during the extraction process was assessed in terms of RhB contents, as well as mass, color value and capsaicinoids yield of each process. Results revealed that natural RhB contamination at 0.55-1.11µg/kg originated from raw paprika fruit then transferred with the extraction proceeded. About 95.5% of RhB was found in red oleoresin. After separation of red oleoresin, 91.6% of RhB was remained in capsicum oleoresin, only 3.7% in paprika red. These results were consistent with total capsaicinoids recovery of each product. The RhB levels in edible capsicum oleoresin in our present study at 0.01-0.34µg/kg did not exceed the legal limits established by the European Union.

Experiments were conducted to assess the role of colonization of alfalfa roots by an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus etunicatum) in conjunction with a non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-100) in dissipation of phenanthrene in a soil spiked with phenanthrene at 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg kg(-1). After plant harvest the residual phenanthrene concentration in the soil decreased markedly. Mycorrhizal treatment enhanced phenanthrene dissipation in the rhizosphere and bulk soils irrespective of phenanthrene application rate. Addition of Triton X-100 resulted in the highest phenanthrene concentration in the rhizosphere soil among the treatments, while the lowest phenanthrene concentration in the bulk soil was obtained by AM inoculation and amendment with Triton X-100. AM inoculation and addition of the surfactant consistently promoted phenanthrene dissipation in the soil and decreased the microbial biomass based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. PLFA profiles demonstrated that AM inoculation together with addition of Triton X-100 altered the microbial community structure in the rhizosphere soil. The results of this study provide a reference value for phytoremediation of soil contaminated by organic pollutants. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.