Interactions of Linearly Polarized and Unpolarized Light on Kiwifruit Using Aquaphotomics

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is an important tool for predicting the internal qualities of fruits. Using aquaphotomics, spectral changes between linearly polarized and unpolarized light were assessed on 200 commercially grown yellow-fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis ‘Zesy002’). Measurements were performed on different configurations of unpeeled (intact) and peeled (cut) kiwifruit using a commercial handheld NIR instrument. Absorbance after applying standard normal variate (SNV) and second derivative Savitzky–Golay filters produced different spectral features for all configurations. An aquagram depicting all configurations suggests that linearly polarized light activated more free water states and unpolarized light activated more bound water states. At depth (≥1 mm), after several scattering events, all radiation is expected to be fully depolarized and interactions for incident polarized or unpolarized light will be similar, so any observed differences are attributable to the surface layers of the fruit. Aquagrams generated in terms of the fruit soluble solids content (SSC) were similar for all configurations, suggesting the SSC in fruit is not a contributing factor here.

Predictive evaluation of multicomponent direct compress model tablets by integrating sphere UV-Vis spectroscopy and chemometrics

BACKGROUND: Control of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is essential to product formulation and bioavailability. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to predict tablet surface API concentration by chemometrics using integrating sphere UV-Vis spectroscopy, a non-destructive and contact-free measurement method. METHODS: Riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, dicalcium phosphate anhydrate, and magnesium stearate were mixed and ground with a mortar and pestle, and 100 mg samples were subjected to direct compression at a compaction pressure of 6 MPa at 7 mm diameter. The flat surface tablets were then analyzed by integrating sphere UV-Vis spectrometry. Standard normal variate (SNV) normalization and principal component analysis were applied to evaluate the measured spectral dataset. The spectral ranges were prepared at 300–800 nm and 500–700 nm with SNV normalization. Partial least squares (PLS) regression models were constructed to predict the API concentrations based on two previous datasets. RESULTS: The regression vector of constructed PLS regression models for each API was evaluated. API concentration prediction depends on riboflavin absorbance at 550 nm and the excipient dicalcium phosphate anhydrate. CONCLUSION: Integrating sphere UV-Vis spectrometry is a useful tool to process analytical technology.

Qualitative Discrimination of Intact Tobacco Leaves Based on Near-Infrared Technology

To explore the application of near-infrared (NIR) technology to the quality analysis of raw intact tobacco leaves, a nondestructive discrimination method based on NIR spectroscopy is proposed. A “multiregion + multipoint” NIR spectrum acquisition method is developed, allowing 18 NIR diffuse reflectance spectra to be collected from an intact tobacco leaf. The spectral characteristics and spectral preprocessing methods of intact tobacco leaves are analyzed, and then different spectra (independent or average spectra) and different algorithms (discriminant partial least-squares (DPLS) and Fisher’s discriminant algorithms) are used to construct discriminant models for verifying the feasibility of intact leaf modeling and determining the optimal model conditions. Qualitative discrimination models based on the position, green-variegated (GV), and the grade of intact tobacco leaves are then constructed using the NIR spectra. In the application and verification stage, a multiclassification voting mechanism is used to fuse the results of multiple spectra from a single tobacco leaf to obtain the final discrimination result for that leaf. The results show that the position-GV discrimination model constructed using independent spectra and the DPLS algorithm and the grade discrimination model constructed using independent spectra and Fisher’s algorithm achieve optimal results with intact leaf NIR wavenumbers from 5006–8988 cm−1 and the first-derivative and standard normal variate transformation preprocessing method. Finally, when applied to new tobacco leaves, the position-GV model and the grade model achieve discrimination accuracies of 95.18% and 92.77%, respectively. This demonstrates that the two models have satisfactory qualitative discrimination ability for intact tobacco leaves. This study has established a feasible method for the nondestructive qualitative discrimination of the position, GV, and grade of intact tobacco leaves based on NIR technology.

Inversion Evaluation of Rare Earth Elements in Soil by Visible-Shortwave Infrared Spectroscopy

According to historical information, more than 300 metal smelting enterprises have been in the southwest of Xiongan for 300 years; however, these polluting enterprises have been gradually closed with the increased intensity of environmental protection. In the paper, 264 soil samples were collected and analyzed in the range of 400 nm–2500 nm by the spectra vista corporation (SVC), and the spectral noise was smoothed by the Savitzky–Golay filter. In order to enhance the spectral differences and curve shapes, mathematical transformations, such as the standard normal variate (SNV), first-order differential (FD), second-order differential (SD), multiple scattering correction (MSC), and continuum removal (CR), were performed on the data, and the correlation between spectral transformation and contents of REEs was analyzed. Moreover, three machine learning models—partial least-squares (PLS), random forest (RF), back propagation neural network (BPNN)—were used to predict the contents of REEs. Experimental results prove that REEs are combined with spectral active substances, such as organic compounds, clay minerals, and iron oxide, and it is possible to determine the contents of REEs using the reflection spectrum. The R2 between the predicted values and measured contents reached 0.986 by using BPNN after FD transformation. More importantly, the predicted values basically agree with the actual situation for CASI/SASI airborne hyperspectral images, and this is an effective technique to obtain the contents of REEs in soil at the study area.

Estimating Soil Properties and Nutrients by Visible and Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy to Characterize Vineyards

Visible, near, and shortwave infrared (VIS-NIR-SWIR) reflectance spectroscopy, a cost-effective and rapid means of characterizing soils, was used to predict soil sample properties for four vineyards (central and north-western Spain). Sieved and air-dried samples were measured using a portable spectroradiometer (350–2500 nm) and compared for pistol grip (PG) versus contact probe (CP) setups. Raw data processed using standard normal variate (SVN) and detrending transformation (DT) were grouped into four subsets (VIS: 350–700 nm; NIR: 701–1000 nm; SWIR: 1001–2500 nm; and full range: 350–2500 nm) in order to identify the most suitable range for determining soil characteristics. The performance of partial least squares regression (PLSR) models in predicting soil properties from reflectance spectra was evaluated by cross-validation. The four spectral subsets and transformed reflectances for each setup were used as PLSR predictor variables. The best performing PLSR models were obtained for pH, electrical conductivity, and phosphorous (R2 values above 0.92), while models for sand, nitrogen, and potassium showed moderately good performances (R2 values between 0.69 and 0.77). The SWIR subset and SVN + DT processing yielded the best PLSR models for both the PG and CP setups. VIS-NIR-SWIR reflectance spectroscopy shows promise as a technique for characterizing vineyard soils for precision viticulture purposes. Further studies will be carried out to corroborate our findings.

Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging as a Monitoring Tool for On-Demand Manufacturing of Inkjet-Printed Formulations

This study evaluates the potential use of near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) for quantitative determination of the drug amount in inkjet-printed dosage forms. We chose metformin hydrochloride as a model active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and printed it onto gelatin films using a piezoelectric inkjet printing system. An industry-ready NIR-HSI sensor combined with a motorized movable linear stage was applied for spectral acquisition. Initial API-substrate screening revealed best printing results for gelatin films with TiO2 filling. For calibration of the NIR-HSI system, escalating drug doses were printed on the substrate. After spectral pre-treatments, including standard normal variate (SNV) and Savitzky-Golay filtering for noise reduction and enhancement of spectral features, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression were applied to create predictive models for the quantification of independent printed metformin hydrochloride samples. It could be shown that the concentration distribution maps provided by the developed HSI models were capable of clustering and predicting the drug dose in the formulations. HSI model prediction showed significant better correlation to the reference (HPLC) compared to on-board monitoring of dispensed volume of the printer. Overall, the results emphasize the capability of NIR-HSI as a fast and non-destructive method for the quantification and quality control of the deposited API in drug-printing applications. Graphical abstract

Fast and Green Method to Control Frauds of Geographical Origin in Traded Cuttlefish Using a Portable Infrared Reflective Instrument

An appropriate seafood origin identification is essential for labelling regulation but also economic and ecological issues. Near infrared (NIRS) reflectance spectroscopy was employed to assess the origins of cuttlefish caught from five fishing FAO areas (Adriatic Sea, northeastern and eastern central Atlantic Oceans, and eastern Indian and western central Pacific Oceans). A total of 727 cuttlefishes of the family Sepiidae (Sepia officinalis and Sepiella inermis) were collected with a portable spectrophotometer (902–1680 nm) in a wholesale fish plant. NIR spectra were treated with standard normal variate, detrending, smoothing, and second derivative before performing chemometric approaches. The random forest feature selection procedure was executed to select the most significative wavelengths. The geographical origin classification models were constructed on the most informative bands, applying support vector machine (SVM) and nearest neighbors algorithms. The SVM showed the best performance of geographical classification through the hold-out validation according to the overall accuracy (0.92), balanced accuracy (from 0.83 to 1.00), sensitivity (from 0.67 to 1.00), and specificity (from 0.88 to 1.00). Thus, being one of the first studies on cuttlefish traceability using NIRS, the results suggest that this represents a rapid, green, and non-destructive method to support on-site, practical inspection to authenticate geographical origin and to contrast fraudulent activities of cuttlefish mislabeled as local.

Feasibility study on the use of near-infrared spectroscopy for rapid and nondestructive determination of gossypol content in intact cottonseeds

Background Gossypol found in cottonseeds is toxic to human beings and monogastric animals and is a primary parameter for the integrated utilization of cottonseed products. It is usually determined by the techniques relied on complex pretreatment procedures and the samples after determination cannot be used in the breeding program, so it is of great importance to predict the gossypol content in cottonseeds rapidly and nondestructively to substitute the traditional analytical method. Results Gossypol content in cottonseeds was investigated by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Partial least squares regression, combined with spectral pretreatment methods including Savitzky-Golay smoothing, standard normal variate, multiplicative scatter correction, and first derivate were tested for optimizing the calibration models. NIRS technique was efficient in predicting gossypol content in intact cottonseeds, as revealed by the root-mean-square error of cross-validation (RMSECV), root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP), coefficient for determination of prediction (Rp2), and residual predictive deviation (RPD) values for all models, being 0.05∼0.07, 0.04∼0.06, 0.82∼0.92, and 2.3∼3.4, respectively. The optimized model pretreated by Savitzky-Golay smoothing + standard normal variate + first derivate resulted in a good determination of gossypol content in intact cottonseeds. Conclusions Near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with different spectral pretreatments and partial least squares (PLS) regression has exhibited the feasibility in predicting gossypol content in intact cottonseeds, rapidly and nondestructively. It could be used as an alternative method to substitute for traditional one to determine the gossypol content in intact cottonseeds.

Feasibility of UV-Vis Spectral Fingerprinting Combined with Chemometrics for Rapid Detection of Phyllanthus niruri Adulteration with Leucaena leucocephala

Phyllanthus niruri is widely used in Indonesia as immunostimulant. The morphology of Leucaena leucocephala leaves is similar to that of P. niruri leaves. L. leucocephala is easy to find and collect because it is widely distributed in the world. Therefore, it is likely P. niruri could be adulterated with L. leucocephala. Therefore, identification and authentication of P. niruri is important to ensure the raw materials used are original without any substitution or mixture with other similar plants causing inconsistencies in their efficacy. In this paper, we described feasibility used of UV-Vis spectral fingerprinting and chemometrics for rapid method for the identification and detection of P. niruri leaves adulterated with L. leucocephala leaves. UV-Vis spectra of samples measured in the interval of 200-800 nm and signal smoothing followed by standard normal variate were used for pre-processing the spectral data. Principal component analysis (PCA)with the absorbance data from the pre-processed UV-Vis spectra in the range of 250-700 nm as variables could distinguish P. niruri from L. leucocephala. PCA followed by discriminant analysis (DA) could successfully classified P. niruri mixed with 5, 25, and 50% L. luecocephala into their respective groups (96.81%). We also employed soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) for authentication of P. niruri and found that 88.3% of the samples were also correctly classified into their respective groups. A combination of UV-Vis spectroscopy with chemometrics, such as PCA-DA and SIMCA, were used for the first time for the identification and detection of P. niruri adulterated with L. leucocephala.

Spectroscopic analysis of chia seeds

Chia seeds are becoming more and more popular in modern diets. In this contribution NIR and 2D-fluorescence spectroscopy were used to determine their nutritional values, mainly fat and protein content. 25 samples of chia seeds were analysed, whereof 9 samples were obtained from different regions in Kenya, 16 samples were purchased in stores in Germany and originated mostly from South America. For the purchased samples the nutritional information of the package was taken in addition to the values obtained for fat and protein, which were determined at the Hohenheim Core Facility. For the first time the NIR and fluorescence spectroscopy were used for the analysis of chia. For the spectral evaluation two different pre-processing methods were tested. Baseline correction with subsequent mean-centring lead to the best results for NIR spectra whereas SNV (standard normal variate transformation) was sufficient for the evaluation of fluorescence spectra. When combining NIR and fluorescence spectra, the fluorescence spectra were also multiplied with a factor to adjust the intensity levels. The best prediction results for the evaluation of the combined spectra were obtained for Kenyan samples with prediction errors below 0.2 g/100 g. For all other samples the absolute prediction error was 0.51 g/100 g for fat and 0.62 g/100 g for protein. It is possible to determine the amount of protein and fat of chia seeds by fluorescence and NIR spectroscopy. The combination of both methods is beneficial for the predictions. Chia seeds from Kenya had similar protein and lipid contents as South American seeds.