It is predicted that the global population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and the demand for food is expected to increase in the future. Currently, research is being conducted to increase the production of agricultural and livestock products and to utilize unused resources. On the other hand, conventional analysis methods such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry require extraction, making it difficult to locate components. Mass spectrometry imaging can visualize hundreds of molecules at once and is suitable for visualizing food ingredients. Therefore, in our food science laboratory, we are working on the application development of mass spectrometry imaging in the field of food science toward the realization of a society where sustainable food supply is possible.
Basic Information
Faculty name/Affiliation
Hirofumi Enomoto / Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering
Specialized Fields
Food chemistry, mass spectrometry
Research theme
Application development of mass spectrometry imaging in the field of food science
Application of mass spectrometry imaging for understanding of quality of agricultural and livestock products
The livestock, vegetables, fruits, and marine products that we use as food contain a wide variety of ingredients, and the composition of these ingredients affects the quality of nutrition, functionality, and safety. Therefore, in this research, in order to understand the quality of each food, we will work on comprehensive, qualitative, and quantitative visualization of food components by using mass spectrometry imaging, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our laboratory has so far clarified the characteristic distribution of sugars, organic acids, and flavonoids, especially in the strawberry "Tochiotome". We plan to proceed with the analysis of various agricultural and livestock products in the future.
Research to ensure meat safety
In Japan, the consumption of meat is suggested to have a positive effect on health, while in Europe and the United States, it is suggested that excessive intake of red meat such as beef and pork and its processed products is exposed to carcinogenic risk. Ensuiring the safety of meat becomes an important issue. Phospholipids are major nutritional and functional components of meat and are considered to affect its safety. Our laboratory has so far clarified the characteristic distribution of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and sphingomyelin among different tissues such as pork muscle and fat. In order to ensure the safety of meat, we plan to continue to analyze major components such as imidazole dipeptide.
Research on food used in plant oxylipins
Suppression of inflammation is one of the major strategies in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer and vascular disease. Jasmonates, which are a type of plant hormone, are a type of plant oxylipin, and have similar structures to lipid mediators that exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in humans, and are presumed to have similar effects. Using mass spectrometry imaging, our laboratory has so far discovered that oxylipins accumulate in the seed coats of kidney beans and soybeans, which are the world's major legumes. In the future, we plan to proceed with research on the use of these oxylipins as functional foods using experimental animals such as zebrafish.
Papers and Conferences Presentation
Paper presentation
Title
Journal title
Laboratory
Contents
Application of Mass Spectrometry Imaging to the Field of Meat Science
Spatial Analysis of Phosphatidylinositol Molecular Species in Pork Chop Tissues Using Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption / ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Novel Blotting Method for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Metabolites in Strawberry Fruit by Desorption / Ionization Using Through Hole Aluminuma Membrane
Unique distribution of diacyl-, alkylacyl-, and alkenylacyl-phosphatidylcholine species visualized in pork chop tissues by matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization–mass spectrometry imaging
Distribution analysis of anthocyanins, sugars, and organic acids in strawberry fruits using matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization-imaging mass spectrometry
Derivatization for detection of abscisic acid and 12-oxophytodienoic acid using matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization imaging mass spectrometry
Visualization of abscisic acid and 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid in immature Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds using desorption electrospray ionization-imaging mass spectrometry
Visualization of flavan-3-ols in ripe strawberry fruit (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) Using matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization-mass spectrometry
Visualization of Abscisic Acid and 12-Oxo-Phytodienoic Acid in Immature Phaseolus vulgaris L. Seeds Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Imaging Mass Spectrometry
Visualization of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid in immature seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris L. by desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging mass spectrometry
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