Lanfranco Conte

University of Udine | UNIUD · Department of Agri Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences

The shelf‐life (SL) estimation of extra virgin olive oil is a timely concern for food producers not only to comply with EU regulations throughout the whole product life cycle, but also to maintain consumer trust in the producers. The application of accelerated shelf-life testing (ASLT) procedures could allow to speed up the process. In this study,...

A review of most common types of fraud in the olive oil sector has been carried out. The work was supplemented by the results of an international on-line survey of EU and non-EU stakeholders in the olive oil sector. The review confirms that most common infringements (fraud or non-compliance) are the marketing of virgin olive oil as extra virgin, an...

A method based on the selective extraction of zearalenone (ZON) from edible vegetable oils using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been developed and validated. Ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detection system was employed for the detection of zearalenone. The method was applied to the analysis of zearale...

Formation of toxic alkylbenzenes, total polar compounds (%TPC) and degradation of tocochromanol are monitored. Analyses of the oil extracted from fried potatoes confirm the trend observed in the frying oil. The fresh oil has a TPC content of 3%, which increases with the frying time, exceeding the acceptable value (25%) after about 25 h for deep‐fry...

Producers have to guarantee the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) quality characteristics reported in the Regulation (CEE) 2568/91 throughout the product shelf-life (SL). Unfortunately, due to the development of oxidative reactions, some quality indices change during storage leading to a progressive deterioration of EVOO quality. To avoid the risk of p...

The impact of the olive oil refining process on major antioxidant compound levels was evaluated by means of UHPLC analysis of lampante olive oils collected at different stages of the refining procedure (degumming, chemical and physical flash neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization). For this purpose, the evolution of the tocopherol fraction wa...

The evaluation of the content of waxes is request both by IOC Trade Standard and by Regulation (EEC) 2568/91 and its further amendments. The official method uses 15 g of silicic acid and elutes several fractions by using huge volumes of dangerous solvent (n-hexane). The developed method uses 1 g of silicic acid with a different particle size and le...

The phenols and fatty acids profile and in vitro antioxidant and hypoglycaemic activity of seed, peel, pulp or pulp plus seeds of Colombian fruits from Solanaceae and Passifloraceae families were investigated. Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC)-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid as d...

Background The physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics of olive oil (OO) are regulated by the European Union (EU) by Reg. (EEC) 2568/91 as amended, which also establishes methods for their analysis. Despite the fact that the OO sector is highly regulated, it is acknowledged that there are still problems; fats and oils, including OOs, ar...

Despite the great efforts devoted to the study of the chemical composition of olive oil, the identification of minor components, is still incomplete. Within this context, the characterization of esters of fatty alcohols with fatty acids is far from complete. The objective of this study was to investigate phytyl wax esters profile of extra‐virgin ol...

In the present study, a novel ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography method using charged aerosol detector (UHPLC-CAD) with an inverse-gradient solvent compensation has been developed for the analysis of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in extra-virgin olive oil. Using a gradient method with a superficially porous particles column, an improved separation...

The capability of propolis wax, beeswax, and their mixture to gel pomegranate seed oil (PSO) was studied. Samples were prepared increasing the concentration of waxes in pomegranate seed oil from 5 to 15% w/w. After propolis wax, beeswax, and PSO chemical characterization, thermal, and structural properties of wax‐based organogels were studied. Both...

In this study, curcumin loaded transparent microemulsions obtained using the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method were developed. Different lipids (sunflower, peanut, castor, and extra virgin olive oil, tristearin, and tripalmitin) were tested as curcumin carrier in microemulsions. The obtained systems were analyzed for transparency, particle s...

The profile of minor compounds, such as alcohols, sterols, free and alkyl fatty acids, waxes, etc., was investigated in different vegetable oils by a comprehensive gas chromatographic system, coupled with a simultaneous dual detection (flame ionisation detector and mass spectrometer) for quantitative and qualitative purposes. Such a system generate...

The present paper investigated on the presence of some hydrocarbon contaminants, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) comprising saturated (MOSH) and aromatic (MOAH) compounds, and polyolefin oligomeric saturated hydrocarbons (POSH) in olives and extra virgin olive oils from Tunisia. Olive fruits were colle...

The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of a molecularly imprinted polymer as a selective solid‐phase extraction sorbent for the clean‐up and pre‐concentration of patulin from apple‐based food products. Ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet absorbance detection was used for the analysis of patulin. The molecularly im...

Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) contains considerable amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids including conjugated linolenic acid (CLnA) isomers, like punicic acid (18:3–9cis, 11trans, 13cis), with remarkable therapeutic and preventive effects on human health. Unfortunately, different issues have to be overcome in the attempt to enrich food with PSO. A m...

The effect of processing aids (2.5 % of talc, NaCl or KCl) on oil extractability and the profile of phenolic and volatile compounds of Istarska bjelica and Leccino oils was studied. Talc significantly increased extractability in both cultivars, while salts increased extractability in Leccino cv. In the laboratory extracted oils, phenols were determ...

Herein we describe the influence of olive oil refining processes on the lignan profile. The detection of new isobaric lignans is suggested to reveal frauds in commercial extra-Virgin Olive Oils. We analyzed five commercial olive oils by HPLC-DAD-TOF/MS to evaluate their lignan content and detected, for the first time, some isobaric forms of natural...

Two data elaboration approaches for evaluating olive oils authenticity were compared: (I) determination of the difference between the theoretical and actual amounts of triacylglycerols with partition number 42 (ΔECN42⩽|0.2|); and (II) the global method, which considers also partition numbers 44 and 46 (returning a "correct"/"not correct" result). A...

At present, the geographical origin of extra virgin olive oils can be ensured by documented traceability, although chemical analysis may add information that is useful for possible confirmation. This preliminary study investigated the effectiveness of flash gas chromatography electronic nose and multivariate data analysis to perform rapid screening...

Waxes and fatty acid alkyl esters are minor components used as official parameters to control the authenticity and quality of a high-value olive oil product. A poor measurement can lead to a misleading classification of the oil. The official method requires their analysis together by capillary gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization det...

Thirteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified and quantified in three different roasted plant foods (Zea mays, Dioscorea rotundata and Musa paradisiaca) using a rapid method involving microwave assisted saponification and simultaneous extraction followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPL...

Microcrystalline waxes are mixtures of solid, saturated hydrocarbons mainly branched and characterized by carbon number over C60 . They are used as food additives for the surface treatment of confectionery and some fruit varieties, in chewing gum base, protective coatings, defoaming agents and surface finishing agents. Commission Regulation No 231/...

The volatile fraction of virgin olive oil is characterized by low molecular weight compounds that vaporize at room temperature. In order to obtain an aroma profile similar to natural olfactory perception, volatile compounds composition was determined by applying dynamic headspace, performed at room temperature, with cryogenic trap directly connecte...

The potentiality of a multidimensional comprehensive gas chromatographic (GC × GC) method, employing a simultaneous dual detection (FID and mass spectrometer), to generate peculiar two-dimensional chromatograms to be used as a chemical fingerprint, was investigated to characterize minor compounds in edible oil, particularly olive oil. The best colu...

Olive oil phenolic compounds have been correlated to several health benefits. Nevertheless, the use of such information for commercial purposes was forbidden until 2006, when a European Regulation on health claims in food products was enacted (Reg. 1924/2006). In the case of olive oil, Regulation 432/2012 states that the health effect can be claime...

This study investigates the applicability of an iterative approach aimed at defining a chemical blueprint of virgin olive oil volatiles to be correlated to the product sensory quality. The investigation strategy proposed allows to fully exploit the informative content of a comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) coupled to a mass...

The quantitative determination of alkyl esters in extra virgin olive oil has been adopted in Europe by Reg. (EU) No 61/2011 as an official quality parameter, after being previously adopted by the International Olive Council (IOC), after a collaborative experimentation. The adoption of the limit aroused a lively debate, while for some it was conside...

L’estrazione con fluidi supercritici, o supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), rappresenta una valida alternativa ai sistemi classici di estrazione con solvente e ad altre tecniche, come distillazione frazionata, estrazione in corrente di vapore e desorbimento termico.

L’estrazione in fase solida (SPE, solid-phase extraction) rappresenta attualmente la tecnica di preparazione del campione più nota e utilizzata per le analisi chimiche in diversi settori (clinico, ambientale, farmaceutico e, non ultimo, alimentare). Il processo di estrazione è basato sull’interazione degli analiti da estrarre, disciolti in una fase...

La microestrazione in fase solida (SPME, solid-phase microextraction), sviluppata da Pawliszyn e collaboratori nel 1989 (Arthur, Pawliszyn, 1990), è una tecnica che utilizza una fibra di silice fusa, rivestita esternamente da una piccola quantità di fase stazionaria adsorbente, che viene esposta al campione. Una volta completata l’estrazione, gli a...

La pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) — spesso indicata anche con gli acronimi PSE (pressurized solvent extraction) o ASE (accelerated solvent extraction, denominazione commerciale del primo estrattore basato su questo metodo) — è una tecnica di estrazione rapida ed efficiente comunemente impiegata con campioni solidi e semisolidi, che utilizza so...

La preparazione del campione si avvale di diverse tecniche atte a estrarre gli analiti di interesse da matrici più o meno complesse, rimuovere potenziali interferenti, effettuare una concentrazione selettiva dell’analita al fine di ottenere una sensibilità adeguata e una quantificazione affidabile. Gli aspetti che influenzano la scelta della tecnic...

Lo studio dei composti volatili è di grande importanza nel settore della scienza degli alimenti, poiché l’aroma (flavour), insieme ad aspetto e texture, rappresenta una fondamentale proprietà sensoriale dei prodotti alimentari, contribuisce a determinarne l’accettabilità da parte del consumatore e ne influenza la qualità. L’aspetto sensoriale, asso...

The first commercial differentiation of edible oils, from a technological point of view, distinguishes them as non‐refined (e.g., virgin) and refined, due to the higher commercial value of the former. From this basic quality originates one of the most diffused oils' fraud, the misdeclaration of one or all the phases of the refining process (i). How...

The main aim of the present research is to assess the possibility of quick screening of fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE) in olive oils using time domain reflectometry (TDR) and PLS multivariate statistical analysis. Eighteen virgin olive oil samples with fatty acid alkyl ester contents and fatty acid ethyl ester/methyl ester ratios (FAEE/FAME) rangin...

Packaging can represent a primary source of food contamination with mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH), especially when recycled cardboard or mineral oil based printing inks are used. A pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method, followed by on-line LC–GC analysis, has been optimized for rapid mineral oil det...

BACKGROUND Crude extracts obtained from the edible shoots of Cicerbita alpina using microwave-assisted extraction have been qualitatively profiled by liquid chromatography coupled with an ion trap mass spectrometry detector and an electrospray ionization interface (LC/ESI-MS3) for their phenolic content. The main challenge of the present investigat...

The present investigation deals with a method improvement to increase data throughput and reduce solvent consumption for both saturated and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbon determination using a coupled liquid–gas chromatographic system. The starting point of this work was the method proposed by Biedermann, Fiselier, and Grob in 2009. A total time...

This chapter describes the application of consumer methodologies to the study of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Due to the multivariate nature of consumer behavior, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to provide a more holistic view of the consumption behavior. A focus group technique showed that the diversity of the participant...

http://pubs.acs.org/articlesonrequest/AOR-THAIXdh7AEJ4YfwjCdFI The influence of the phenolic content in the olive paste of cv. Buža, increased by the addition of an aqueous solution of phenolic extract of freeze-dried olive pulp (cv. Istarska bjelica), on the final products of the lipoxygenase pathway in oil, was studied. An increase by 12%, 38% an...

The present work is focused on the development/optimization of a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography method, with dual detection [flame ionization (FID) and mass spectrometric], for the simultaneous identification and quantification of mineral-oil contaminants in a variety of food products. The two main classes of contaminants, namely...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are ubiquitous compounds, well-known to be carcinogenic, which can reach the food in different ways. Thus the analysis of such compounds has always been of great importance. The aim of the present review, is not only to give an overview of the most recent sample preparation and analytical approaches (such as pressur...

For the analysis of the most commonly encountered phthalates by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), absorption of phthalates from the laboratory air on the outer wall of the syringe needle is shown to be an important contribution to the blank problems. It was investigated for programmed temperature vapourizing (PTV) injection. Cleaning of...

This investigation focused on direct comparison of two popular multidimensional liquid–gas chromatography (LC–GC) systems, the Y-interface (retention gap approach) and the syringe-based interface (programmed temperature vaporizer approach). Such transfer devices are structurally very different, and could potentially have a substantial effect on the...

A rapid off-line solid phase extraction-large volume injection-gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (SPE-LVI-GC-FID) method, based on the use of silver silica gel and low solvent consumption, was developed for mineral oil saturated hydrocarbon (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbon (MOAH) determination in cardboard and dried foods pac...

The present contribution describes an investigation directed towards the use of a rapid heart-cutting multidimensional LC-GC-FID method for the analysis of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH), contained in different types of homogenized solid baby food (fish, meat and fruit products). The fish and meat products all contained vegetable oil (su...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous compounds released in the environment by different sources. The aim of the present work was to validate a solid-phase extraction (SPE) and a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method for the analysis of PAHs in a passive environmental sampler, namely a Dacron® (the comm...

The aim of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the national and European legislative framework regarding the commercial classes of olive oils. The earliest rule in Italy dates back to 1890, while the current commercial classes have been set by the EEC Regulation 2568/91 and its further several amendments. Finally, fu...

Liquid chromatography (LC) hyphenated with gas chromatography (GC) was first presented in 1979. Since then an intensive study has been carried out to explore different types of interfaces both for coupling normal-phase (NP) and reverse-phase (RP) LC with GC. The present review focuses on the technical progress and applications presented in the last...

Multidimensional techniques are very powerful tools for unraveling naturally-occurring complex samples. The potential of multidimensional techniques is reviewed, also, as a substitute for the preparation step, with special attention to the hyphenation of liquid chromatography (LC) with gas chromatography (GC). An excursus on the evolution of hyphen...

An optimised off-line SPE–GC–FID method based on the use of silver-silica gel was developed for the determination of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) in vegetable oils, including olive pomace oil. The method is specific in not including the aromatic hydrocarbons. The performance of different silica gels (untreated, activated and treated wi...

This paper reviews application in food science of proteomic techniques, which use high-performance separation methods combined with dedicated mass spectrometry and allow to detect global changes in protein composition. Due to complex biological composition of food, proteomics is increasingly used for characterization of food proteomes aimed at deve...

The performance of a novel rapid-scanning (20,000 amu/s) quadrupole mass spectrometer (qMS) has been evaluated in the comprehensive 2-D gas chromatography (GC×GC) analysis of pesticides contained in water. Analyte extraction was performed by using direct solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The MS system was operated using a rather wide m/z 50-450 m...

The present paper describes an investigation directed toward the development of a rapid heart-cutting LC-GC method for the analysis of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons contained in vegetable oils. The automated LC-GC experiments were carried out by using a system equipped with a syringe-type interface, capable of both heart-cutting and comprehens...

A fiber optic setup for diffuse-light absorption spectroscopy in the wide 400–1700nm spectral range is experimented for detecting and quantifying the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil caused by lower-grade olive oils. Absorption measurements provide spectral fingerprints of authentic and adulterated oils. A multivariate processing of spectrosc...

Because of its high price, extra virgin olive oil is frequently targeted for adulteration with lower quality oils. This paper presents an innovative optical technique capable of quantifying and discriminating the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil caused by lower-grade olive oils. An original set-up for diffuse-light absorption spectroscopy in...

The term "mineral paraffins" is usually used to indicate a complex mixture of branched and cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons (in the range of C15-C45), whose presence in foods reveals a contamination with mineral oil. Foods may be contaminated with food-grade "white oils" (from release agents, lubricating oils, and food contact materials), but also wit...

The present investigation is focused on a simple flow modulator (FM), for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC). The interface is stable at high temperatures, and consists of a metallic disc (located inside the GC oven) with seven ports, which are connected to an auxiliary pressure source via two branches, to the first and second...

A selection of top-quality extra virgin olive oils with excellent nutraceutic properties was artificially adulterated by means of lower-grade olive oils commonly used in commercial counterfeits. The oil sample set was analyzed by means of diffuse-light absorption spectroscopy performed in the wide 400-1700 nm spectral range. A setup based on optica...

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is a powerful technique which can enable a great increase in GC peak capacities. However, since secondary-column separations are very rapid, detectors with a fast acquisition rate are mandatory. Such a requirement has certainly limited the use of the quadrupole mass spectrometer in the GC×GC...

Propolis and propolis-based extracts, attained from beekeepers and the local market, were analysed for the presence of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including eight high molecular weight PAHs (PAH8), recently indicated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as suitable indicators of the presence of carcinogenic and genotoxic PAH...

A fiber optic setup for diffuse-light absorption spectroscopy in the wide 400-1700 nm spectral range is experimented for detecting and quantifying the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil caused by lower-grade olive oils. Absorption measurements provide spectral fingerprints of authentic and adulterated oils. A multivariate processing of spectros...

The bacteria fatty acid profile has been extensively studied for taxonomic classification purposes, since bacteria, in general, contain particular and rare fatty acids, compared with animal and plant tissues. As for any real-world sample type, the development of rapid and reliable methods for (i) sample identification (in this case, bacterium type)...

Extra virgin olive oils mixed with some types of lower quality olive oils were analyzed by means of fiber-optic diffuse-light absorption-spectroscopy in the 400-1700 nm range. Adulteration detection was achieved by means of multivariate processing of spectroscopic data. 1. Introduzione L'olio extra vergine di oliva (EVOO) italiano presenta propriet...

Because of its high price, the extra virgin olive oil is frequently target for adulteration with lower quality oils. This paper presents an innovative optical technique capable of quantifying the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil caused by lowergrade olive oils. It relies on spectral fingerprinting the test liquid by means of diffuse-light abs...

The present research is focused on the qualitative elucidation of the chemical profile of fresh tea tree essential oil and an oxidized, aged (circa 1984) counterpart by using the most powerful analytical tool available today for volatile analysis, namely comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) in combination with a mass spectromete...

Farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), sampled from three different culture systems (intensive in sea-cages, intensive in land-based basins and extensive in lagoon and storage basins of salt-work), of the Northern, Central and Southern Italy, were analyzed with the aim to employ nutritional trait to describe and to distinguish the “origin...

The present research is focused on the use of a solid-phase microextraction-comprehensive 2-D GC methodology, in the analysis of the volatile fraction of yerba mate. Yerba mate is used for the generation of a tea-like beverage, widely consumed in South America. A rapid-scanning quadrupole mass spectrometer (qMS), employed as a detection system and...

The focus of the present research is directed toward the development of a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) method, characterized by a greatly increased separation power, if compared with GC x GC approaches using classical column combinations. The analytical objective was achieved by using a 0.05 mm internal diameter (i.d.)...

The present research is based on the full exploitation of the separation power of a 0.05 mm internal diameter (ID) capillary, as a comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) GC (GC x GC) secondary column, with the objective of attaining very high-resolution second dimension separations. The aim was achieved by using a split-flow system developed in previou...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large class of organic compounds. It has been established that the main source of exposure to these compounds for human beings is through food, particularly fats and oils, due to the lipophilic nature of these polycyclic compounds. The aim of this work was to optimise and validate a method involving SPE...

A solid-phase microextraction method coupled with comprehensive gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vegetable oils has recently been reported. The present paper tested the possibility to use the solid-phase microextraction method coupled with one-dimensional gas chroma...

A survey on free glutamic acid (Glu) content in a variety of foods (broths, soups, sauces and salad dressings), with and without added monosodium glutamate (MSG), was carried out. A simple procedure, involving a dilution step for liquid samples or homogenization with 0.1 N HCl for solid and slurry samples, followed by derivatization with o-phthaldi...

Simple sample preparation procedures involving sonication and solid phase extraction (SPE), followed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrofluorometric detection, were used to analyse polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and olives collected in areas contaminated with creosote-treated railway ties. Ve...

Twenty eight mono- (MAHs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were simultaneously determined in fifty-four virgin olive oils from three successive crops in the same geographical region. MAHs such as: toluene, C2-, C3- and C4-benzenes, and PAHs species containing 2, 3 and 4 aromatic rings were detected and quantified. MAHs were predominant in all o...

A simple and fast solid-phase microextraction method coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oil, performed directly in a hexane solution of the oil. Sampling conditions (solvent used, extraction time, extraction temp...

The positional distribution of fatty acids (FA) in triacylglycerols (TAG) of 47 virgin olive oils from diverse cultivars grown in distinct areas of North-Eastern Italy was studied. Few data were previously available on oils from these geographical areas. The effects of climatic and geographical conditions on the stereospecific distribution of TAG i...