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Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) are valuable antioxidants that are highly relevant for the protection of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in biological systems and food. Despite their low contributions to the total fatty acids, their widespread occurrence has been documented in food and biological samples. Like other fatty acids, FuFAs are also stored esterified, e.g., in triacylglycerols. However, FuFA-containing triacylglycerols had not been detected in lipidomics analyses. Here, we present a screening method that allows for the identification of traces of FuFA-containing triacylglycerols (TAGs) utilizing LC-Orbitrap-HRMS. Initially developed with the help of purposefully synthesized FuFA-containing TAGs, the screening method was successfully applied to the analysis of two fish oil samples and one mushroom extract sample. Several FuFA-containing TAGs could be identified by direct analysis using the method and database developed in this study. Graphical Abstract

Vitamin D2 is produced from its precursor ergosterol under the impact of ultraviolet (UV) light which is also commercially carried out to increase vitamin D2 contents in mushrooms (‘Novel Food’). However, this process is accompanied by the formation of various isomers that partly co-elute with the target compound and are currently difficult to analyze. For this reason, vitamin D2 and ergosterol were irradiated with the goal to generate and characterize various isomeric photoproducts with three analytical methods. High-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC–UV) was accompanied by using a chiral detector (CD) which was serially linked with the UV detector. Applied for the first time in this research area, HPLC-CD chromatograms provided complementary information which was crucial for the identification of several co-elutions that would have been overlooked without this approach. Additional information was derived from gas chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis. Diagnostic fragment ions in the GC/MS spectra allowed to distinguish four classes of tri- (n = 2), tetra-, and pentacyclic isomer groups. Despite several drawbacks of each of the applied methods, the shared evaluation allowed to characterize more than ten isomeric photoproducts of vitamin D2 including previtamin D2, lumisterol2, tachysterol2,trans-vitamin D2 isomers, and two pentacyclic isomers (suprasterols2 I and II), which were isolated and characterized by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR).

Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) are a group of excellent antioxidants in food. Since data in fungi were scarce, 37 commercial or collected edible and meadow fungi were analyzed on FuFA patterns and contents. FuFA amounts in fresh fungi ranged from not detectable (

Obesity is characterized by low-grade inflammation and increased gut permeability. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of a nutritional supplement on these parameters in subjects with overweight and obesity. A double-blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted in 76 adults with overweight or obesity (BMI 28 to 40) and low-grade inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) between 2 and 10 mg/L). The intervention consisted of a daily intake of a multi-strain probiotic of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, 640 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs), and 200 IU of vitamin D (n = 37) or placebo (n = 39), administered for 8 weeks. hs-CRP levels did not change post-intervention, other than an unexpected slight increase observed in the treatment group. Interleukin (IL)-6 levels decreased in the treatment group (p = 0.018). The plasma fatty acid (FA) levels of the arachidonic acid (AA)/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio and n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.001) decreased, and physical function and mobility improved in the treatment group (p = 0.006). The results suggest that hs-CRP may not be the most useful inflammatory marker, but probiotics, n-3 FAs, and vitamin D, as non-pharmaceutical supplements, may exert modest effects on inflammation, plasma FA levels, and physical function in patients with overweight and obesity and associated low-grade inflammation.

A variety of vitamin E dietary supplement capsules (DSC) based on different natural oils or synthesis products are currently found on the market whose vitamin contents need to be controlled before and after marketing. Here, we present an instrumental thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method which allows a direct determination of all tocopherols (T) and tocotrienols (T3) as well as α-tocopherol acetate simultaneously in one run with short analysis time. For this purpose, contents of the DSC were extracted, applied on silica gel 60 plates, and developed with n-hexane/ethyl acetate/acetic acid, 90:10:2 (v/v/v) as mobile phase. The UV scan of the plate at 293 nm was used for quantification based on the peak height. Following the scan, the plate was treated with 10% sulphuric acid in methanol which led to characteristic yellow-to-brown colouring of the tocochromanol spots which allowed to distinguish tocochromanols from matrix components with similar Rf values. In most cases, determined vitamin E contents matched well with the information listed on the label of the investigated DSC samples. The method is fast, easy to perform and gently treats the analytes as it requires no thermal treatment prior to quantification, which makes it suitable as a screening method.

The economics involved in processing cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale) might alter micronutrient profiles and concentrations. We analyzed and evaluated carotenoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids in (1) cashew kernels with testa recovered from nuts dried with and without the apple, and (2) testa‐free industrial grade baby butts, splits, and white whole kernels using HPLC, ICP‐OES, and GC‐MS techniques. The results indicated that drying cashews with the respective apple slightly decreased the concentration of some carotenoids and total fatty and amino acids, but increased the concentration of iron, magnesium, and total tocotrienols compared with the conventionally (sun‐) dried kernels. We also found high concentrations of carotenoids in the testa‐containing kernels. Among the industrially processed kernel, baby butt grade was associated with lower content of β‐carotene, total tocopherols, and tocotrienols, but with significantly higher concentrations in minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids than in white wholes and split grades. Conventional sun drying of cashew nuts revealed results similar to drying with apples regarding micronutrient concentrations. The high micronutrient content of industrial grade BB is reflected in widespread human consumption and better market value., Impact of nut drying technologies on carotenoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids in cashew kernels was investigated. Higher concentrations of the carotenoids lutein and β‐carotene in the testa‐containing kernels were confirmed. Higher concentrations of minerals, fatty acids and some amino acids were found in baby butts than in whole white and split grades, underlining the nutritional value and possible better market value of the baby butt grades.

Sterols are a highly complex group of lipophilic compounds present in the unsaponifiable matter of virtually all living organisms. In this study, we developed a novel gas chromatography with mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring (GC/MS-SIM) method for the comprehensive analysis of sterols after saponification and silylation. A new referencing system was introduced by means of a series of saturated fatty acid pyrrolidides (FAPs) as internal standards. Linked with retention time locking (RTL), the resulting FAP retention indices (RIFAP) of the sterols could be determined with high precision. The GC/MS-SIM method was based on the parallel measurement of 17 SIM ions in four time windows. This set included eight molecular ions and seven diagnostic fragment ions of silylated sterols as well as two abundant ions of FAPs. Altogether, twenty molecular ions of C27- to C31-sterols with 0–3 double bonds were included in the final method. Screening of four common vegetable oils (sunflower oil, hemp oil, rapeseed oil, and corn oil) enabled the detection of 30 different sterols and triterpenes most of which could be identified. Graphical abstract

Furan fatty acids (FuFA) are important antioxidants found in low concentrations in many types of food. In addition to conventional FuFA which normally feature saturated carboxyalkyl and alkyl chains, a few previous studies indicated the FuFA co-occurrence of low shares of unsaturated furan fatty acids (uFuFA). For their detailed analysis, the potential uFuFA were enriched by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) or countercurrent chromatography (CCC) followed by silver ion chromatography from a 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester oil, a 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester oil and a latex glove extract. Subsequent gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis enabled the detection of 16 individual uFuFA isomers with a double bond in conjugation with the central furan moiety. In either case, four instead of two uFuFA isomers previously reported in food, respectively, were detected by GC/MS. These isomers showed characteristic elution and abundance patterns in GC/MS chromatograms which indicated the presence of two pairs of cis/trans-isomers (geometrical isomers).

The microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) contains valuable nutrients such as proteins, polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and some docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), carotenoids such as fucoxanthin (FX), and beta-glucans, which may confer health benefits. In a randomized intervention trial involving 22 healthy individuals, we administered for two weeks in a crossover manner the whole biomass of PT (5.3 g/day), or fish oil (FO) containing equal amounts of EPA and DHA (together 300 mg/day). In an additional experiment, sea fish at 185 g/week resulting in a similar EPA and DHA intake was administered in nine individuals. We determined the bioavailability of fatty acids and carotenoids and assessed safety parameters. The intake of PT resulted in a similar increase in the n-3 PUFA and EPA content and a decrease in the PUFA n-6:n-3 ratio in plasma. PT intake caused an uptake of FX that is metabolized to fucoxanthinol (FXOH) and amarouciaxanthin A (AxA). No relevant adverse effects occurred following PT consumption. The study shows that PT is a safe and effective source of EPA and FX—and likely other nutrients—and therefore should be considered as a future sustainable food item.

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are a group of anthropogenic pollutants that consist of complex mixtures of polychlorinated n-alkanes of different chain lengths (~CWe developed a semi-quantitative and sensitive method for the examination of SCCPs and MCCPs in one GC run. This GC/ECNI-MS-SIM screening method was based on the recording of ClCorrectness of the results of the screening method was verified by analysis of edible oils with and without CPs, CP standards, as well as a technical CP mixture. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other polyhalogenated aromatic compounds, as well as brominated flame retardants, do not form all of the fragment ions analyzed by the screening method.After the screening, only CP-positive samples may need to be measured in detail. Measurement time will already be gained in the case of ~10% samples without CPs.

Aims The digestive tract of ruminants is specialized in the digestion of various plant components. One of the largest parts of the stomach is the so-called rumen, which contains a large number of micro-organisms that may degrade or modify fatty acids, for example by β-oxidation, chain elongation and/or hydrogenation. Methods and Results Here we performed incubation experiments with less common fatty acids by in vitro incubations with rumen fluid of fistulated cows for 24 h. Sample extracts were analysed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. As substrates, we selected one phenyl fatty acid and four furan fatty acids (FuFAs). All studied fatty acids were degraded by β-oxidation (two or three chain-shortening steps) while chain elongation or saturation of the aromatic part (terminal phenyl or central furan moiety) was not observed in any case. Conclusions The percentage of β-oxidation products was low, especially in the case of the FuFAs. This could be due to the rather long carbon number of FuFAs (19–22 carbon atoms). In addition, compound-specific differences in the degradation rates were observed in our experiments. Significance and Impact of the Study Our results produce evidence that FuFAs, which are valuable antioxidants that are known to be present in various feed items of the cow, can be effectively passed on the rumen into the milk.

Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) have been recognized as beneficial food ingredients to human health. Herein, a targeted quantitation approach by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-TQ/MS) was developed for the identification of FuFAs in common marine and other edible oils in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode without any isolation and enrichment. The limit-of-quantitation (LOQ, 0.6 pg) was determined under the optimized parameters in MRM mode. Identification of FuFAs in common edible oils demonstrated that marine fish oils were concentrated sources of 9-(3-methyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl)nonanoic acid (9M5), 11-(3,4-dimethyl-5-propylfuran-2-yl)undecanoic acid (11D3) and 11-(3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl)undecanoic acid (11D5). However, FuFAs were not identified in common plant oils. Additionally, 11D5 was identified in the lipids of Schizochytrium limacinum at a comparable level with that in marine fish oil. We believe that this protocol could facilitate the qualitative and quantitative analysis of FuFAs in food and biological samples.

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was grown in Bangladesh with four different feeding treatments as part of a project that aims to produce fish in a cost-effective way for low-income consumers in developing countries. Fillet and head tissue was analysed because both tissues were destined for human consumption. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses of transesterified fatty acid methyl ester extracts indicated the presence of ~ 50 fatty acids. Major fatty acids in fillet and head tissue were palmitic acid and oleic acid. Both linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids with three or more double bonds were presented in quantities > 10% of total fatty acids in fillet, but lower in head tissue. Erucic acid levels were below the newly proposed tolerable daily intake in the European Union, based on the consumption of 200 g fillet per day. Moreover, further analysis produced evidence for the presence of the dicarboxylic fatty acid azelaic acid (nonanedioic acid, Di9:0) in head tissue. To verify this uncommon finding, countercurrent chromatography was used to isolate Di9:0 and other dicarboxylic acids from a technical standard followed by its quantification. Di9:0 contributed to 0.4–1.3% of the fatty acid profile in head tissue, but was not detected in fillet. Fish fed with increasing quantities of flaxseed indicated that linoleic acid was the likely precursor of Di9:0 in the head tissue samples.

The naturally occurring antioxidant plastochromanol-8 (PC-8) is a member of the tocochromanol (vitamin E) family which features eight unsaturated isoprene units in the side chain compared to three in the case of γ-tocotrienol. Due to the lack of a commercially available PC-8 standard, we developed a route to gain relevant amounts of highly pure PC-8. Specifically, ∼320 g flaxseed oil was saponified and the bulky PC-8 was enriched by gel permeation chromatography. It followed countercurrent chromatography using the solvent system n-hexane/benzotrifluoride/acetonitrile (20:7:13, v/v/v). The final purification was achieved by centrifugal partition chromatography using the novel solvent system hexamethyldisiloxane/acetonitrile (1:1, v/v). This step provided ∼26 mg PC-8 (99.5 %, according to HPLC, GC and NMR analysis). Two further, hitherto unknown minor tocochromanols (1 % of PC-8) were detected and could be identified to be plastochromanol-7 (PC-7) and plastochromanol-9 (PC-9), i.e. tocochromanols with seven and nine unsaturated isoprene units, respectively, in the side chain.

Phosphate is a limiting plant nutrient and essential for corn growth and development. Thus, the impact of phosphate fertilization, location, and the variety of modern corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids on ...

Over the last decades, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs), and long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCPs) have become the most heavily produced monomeric organohalogen compound class of environmental concern. However, knowledge about their toxicology is still scarce, although SCCPs were shown to have effects on the thyroid hormone system. The lack of data in the case of MCCPs and LCCPs and the structural similarity with perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) prompted us to test CPs in the novel TTR-TR CALUX assay for their thyroid hormone transport disrupting potential. Four self-synthesized and additionally purified single chain length CP mixtures (C10-CPs, C11-CPs, C14-CPs and C16-CPs) and two each of industrial MCCP and LCCP products were tested in parallel with PFOA. All CP mixtures influenced the TTR binding of T4, giving activities of 1,300 to 17,000 µg/g PFOA equivalents and lowest observable effect concentrations (LOELs) of 0.95 to 0.029 mM/L incubate. Highest activities and lowest LOELs were observed for C16-CPs (48.3% Cl content, activity 17,000, LOEL 0.047 mM/L) and a LCCP mixture (71.7% Cl content; activity 10,000; LOEL 0.029 mM/L). A trend of higher activities and lower LOELs towards longer chains and higher chlorination degrees was implied, but could not be statistically confirmed. Irrespectively, the less well examined and current-use LCCPs showed the highest response in the TTR-TRβ CALUX assay.

Centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) and countercurrent chromatography (CCC) are two preparative techniques mainly used for the isolation and purification of natural products. While CPC benefits from a larger sample capacity, CCC typically provides better peak resolutions and hereby higher purities. In this study, we aimed to combine both advantages by the direct linking of CPC and CCC which was achieved by installation of switching valves and connection tube. The hyphenated CPC-CCC setup was tested with major alkylresorcinols which were obtained from a transesterified and hydrogenated rye extract. Injections of 1- and 5-g samples into the individual CCC system confirmed the limited sample capacity because of immediate flooding with the 5-g sample (total loss of stationary phase). In comparison, the CPC system was stable with 5- and 10-g samples but the peak resolution with 1-g sample was poorer than with the CCC system. Injections of 5- and 10-g samples into the CPC-CCC system were successful. However, a sample load of 10 g resulted in lower purities of the alkylresorcinols (80% or less) due to peak tailing. By contrast, injection of 5-g sample provided high amounts of ~ 1.2 g alkylresorcinols with purities of > 95%. Graphical abstract

Aims Toxaphene is a persistent organic pollutant, composed of approximately 1000 highly chlorinated bicyclic terpenes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if camphor, a structural analogue of toxaphene, could stimulate aerobic biotransformation of weathered toxaphene. Methods and results Two enrichment cultures that degrade camphor as the sole carbon source were established from contaminated soil and biosolids. These cultures were used to evaluate aerobic transformation of weathered toxaphene. Only the biosolids culture could transform compounds of technical toxaphene (CTTs) in the presence of camphor, while no transformation was observed in the presence of glucose or with toxaphene as a sole carbon source. The transformed toxaphene had lower concentration of CTTs with longer retention times, and higher concentration of compounds with lower retention times. Gas chromatography with electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry (GC/ECNI-MS) showed that aerobic biotransformation mainly occurred with Cl8 - and Cl9 -CTTs compounds. The patterns of Cl6 - and Cl7 -CTTs were also simplified albeit to a much lesser extent. Seven camphor-degrading bacteria were isolated from the enrichment culture but none of them could degrade toxaphene. Conclusion Camphor degrading culture can aerobically transform CCTs via reductive pathway probably by co-metabolism using camphor as a co-substrate. Significance and impact of the study Since camphor is naturally produced by different plants, this study suggests that stimulation of aerobic transformation of toxaphene may occur in nature. Moreover plants, which produce camphor or similar compounds, might be used in bioremediation of contaminated soils.

International audience; To date, nontargeted analysis (NTA) of halogenated organic compounds in biota has mostly been performed using GC/MS-based instruments. We intended to broaden the spectrum of physicochemical properties of amenable substances by taking advantage of liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry coupling paired with an electrospray ionization source. Thus, a NTA strategy was applied to a set of 12 blubber samples belonging to five marine mammal sentinel species stranded on the French Atlantic coasts. It involved specific postacquisition data interpretation using open-source software HaloSeeker 1.0 for annotating chemical formulas. A total of 135 distinct unequivocal molecular formulas were assigned to 466 polyhalogenated ion clusters of interest. The most intense representative ions were identified as bioaccumulative heptachloro-1,2′-bipyrrole (Cl7-BP), α-hexabromocyclododecane, and (1R,2S,4R,5R,1′E)-2-bromo-1-bromomethyl-1,4-dichloro-5-(2′-chloroethenyl)-5-methylcyclohexane (MHC-1) in the weight range of micrograms per gram of lipids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Cl7-BP, the most intense signal observed, is reported in biota. A dozen other compound families will require further in-depth work to gain structural information.

The increasing demand of valuable truffles (Tuber sp.) has prompted new areas of naturally growing truffles entering the market. Hence, the identification of valueless Tuber species is an important task to prevent food fraud. Here, we show that sterol patterns are suited to differentiate five Tuber species (Tuber magnatum, Tuber melanosporum, Tuber aestivum, Tuber albidum, and Tuber indicum varieties) from each other. Next to the known main sterols of Tuber, ergosterol and brassicasterol, occurrence of minor sterols in differing shares resulted in characteristic fingerprints in the five Tuber species, irrespective of the country of origin. A total of 27 sterols were evaluated, and we proposed assignment criteria of main sterol relations as well as eight distinct biomarkers within the minor compounds for the differentiation of European and Chinese truffles.

Alkylresorcinols (5-alkyl-1,3-dihydroxybenzenes, ARs) are bioactive phenolic lipid compounds which are particularly abundant in rye and partly other cereals. In this study on ARs, whole rye grain extracts were gained with cyclohexane/ethyl acetate (46/54, w/w). Silylated extracts were used to develop a gas chromatography with mass spectrometry method in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC/MS-SIM) for the sensitive detection of conventional ARs along with keto-substituted (oxo-AR) and ring-methylated ARs (mAR) with 5-alkyl chain lengths of 14 to 27 carbon atoms and 0 to 4 double bonds in one run. Analysis was performed by countercurrent chromatographic (CCC) fractionation using the solvent system n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (9/1/9/1, v/v/v/v). Subsequent GC/MS-(SIM) analysis of 80 silylated CCC fractions enabled the detection of 74 ARs in the sample. The CCC elution of the ARs followed the equivalent chain length (ECL) rule in which one double bond compensated the effect of two (additional) carbon atoms. Novel or rarely reported ARs were detected in virtually all classes, i.e. saturated AR (AR14:0), even-numbered monounsaturated AR isomers (AR16:1-AR26:1), triunsaturated ARs (AR25:3), oxo-ARs (AR17:0 oxo, AR19:1 oxo, AR21:2 oxo, AR23:2 oxo) and odd-numbered methyl-ARs (mAR15:0-mAR23:0). Positions of the double bonds of monounsaturated ARs and oxo-ARs were determined with the help of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) derivatives. Graphical abstract Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00216-020-02980-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

INTRODUCTION Capsaicinoids are alkaloids of high pungency which are exclusively formed by fruits of the genus Capsicum. Capsaicinoid content and composition of Capsicum fruits are influenced by ripening. OBJECTIVE Determination of changes in content and pattern of individual capsaicinoids in chilli pods with fruit ripening. Compound specific stable carbon isotope analysis (δ13 C values (‰), CSIA) was used for a better understanding of capsaicinoid development during fruit ripening. METHODOLOGY Cayenne chillies (Capsicum annuum) were grown in a glasshouse and harvested from different plants at four ripening stages (unripe, semi-ripe, ripe, overripe). Nine capsaicinoids (one verified by synthesis) were quantified by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For CSIA, an acetylation method for derivatising capsaicinoids was developed. RESULTS Variations in the patterns of the nine capsaicinoids were not relatable to a distinct ripening stage and also total contents varied extensively from plant to plant. However, changes in total capsaicinoid concentrations were systematic. In almost all plants, maximum values were reached in unripe fruits, then decreased to semi-ripe samples and increased again in the following ripening process. Likewise, δ13 C values of individual capsaicinoids were always by ~2‰ heavier in unripe than in semi-ripe or ripe fruits. However, direction of changes in sum-δ13 C values (‰) (taking contributions of all capsaicinoids together) could not be explained by corresponding variations in capsaicinoid concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Both quantification and δ13 C values (‰) verified the presence of ripening-related changes in the capsaicinoid content which may be caused by simultaneously proceeding reactions like synthesis, storage and degradation of capsaicinoids.

Phytol and tocopherols and their fatty acid esters (PFAE and TFAE) are isoprenoid lipid components which can be found for instance in vegetables. Their behavior during maturation of fruits and vegetables could reveal valuable information on their biosynthetic formation and biological function. As pods of the genus Capsicum contain considerable amounts of both PFAE and TFAE, two cultivars (i.e. Capsicum annuum var. Forajido and Capsicum chinense var. Habanero) were grown in a greenhouse project. The date of flowering and fruit formation of each blossom was noted and fruits were harvested in four specific periods which corresponded with different stages of ripening, i.e. unripe, semi-ripe, ripe and overripe. Quantification by means of gas chromatography mass spectrometry and creation of development profiles strongly supported the suggestion that PFAE and TFAE were formed as storage molecules during fruit ripening and parallel degradation of chlorophyll. Additionally, compound-specific carbon isotope ratios (δ13C values (‰)) of originally in PFAE and chlorophyll bound phytol ultimately proved that PFAE, besides tocopherols, serve as sink for the cytotoxic phytol moiety released from chlorophyll degradation during fruit ripening. Furthermore, color measurements were successfully implemented to simplify the usually cumbersome separation of chili fruits into different ripening degrees.

Fresh and preserved button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are among the most consumed varieties worldwide. The cultivation is highly optimized and largely based on the use of different compost mater...

Essential oils are widely used in the food and cosmetics industry as natural flavoring and fragrance substances. For this reason, a thorough quality control applying selected analytical methods is required. Oxidation along with hydroperoxide formation is an important drawback during production and storage of essential oils. Hydroperoxides constitute the main products formed upon photo-oxidation of essential oils. Due to hydroperoxide instability, gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses are required. According to the European Pharmacopoeia, titration is the official method for oxidation assessment. However, this analysis is time-consuming, and large sample quantities are required. Here, we present a simple and accurate spectrophotometric method for the detection of peroxide trace amounts in essential oils and terpenes. The principle is based on the formation of Wurster's red, which is enforced by the peroxide-driven oxidation of