Beef carcass contamination in a slaughterhouse and prevalence of resistance to antimicrobial drugs in isolates of selected microbial species

Meat contaminating bacteria may be the direct cause of foodborne diseases and represent a potential cause for the drug resistance of human pathogenic agents. The prevalence and resistance to 17 antimicrobial drugs of isolates of selected bacterial species were investigated in 70 swabs of beef carcasses and 70 subsequent samples of beef meat. Molecular techniques (coagulase gene typing Staphylococcus aureus and original gene typing Escherichia coli) were used in the differentiation of isolates. Carcasses were already contaminated after evisceration, least frequently with S. aureus strains (7.5% of samples), most frequently with coagulase-negative staphylococci strains (52.2% of samples). During carcass processing, contamination with resistant or polyresistant strains of S. aureus and E. coli significantly increased (P<0.01). Gene typing isolates of S. aureus and E. coli indicated that the strains probably originated in the processing plant.     

Comparison of HPLC and GLC methodologies for determination of glucosinolates using reference material

 The reference material rapeseed of known glucosinolate composition, was analysed by HPLC and GLC and two commercially available glucosinolates (glucotropaeolin and sinigrin) were used as internal standards. The HPLC method enabled determination of 11 different glucosinolates (as desulphoglucosinolates) that occur in the rapeseed. Only seven glucosinolates (as trimethylsilylated desulphoglucosinolates) were separated by GLC. The latter method did not allow the determination of methylsulphinylalkyl glucosinolates (glucoiberin, glucoraphanin and glucoallysin) and did not separate optical isomers of 2-hydroxy-3-butenyl glucosinolate (progoitrin and epi-progoitrin). Statistical evaluation of data (t-test, F-test) revealed no significant differences between the tested methods at the 95% confidence level. The advantages and disadvantages of both widely used chromatographic methods are discussed. Received: 26 May 1997 / Revised version: 11 July 1997     

EFFECTS OF CULTIVAR AND ENVIRONMENT ON β-GLUCAN CONTENT AND MALTING QUALITY OF TURKISH BARLEYS

Eight barley cultivars grown under the same agronomic conditions and samples of Tokak cultivar grown at six different sites of Turkey were used in this study. There were significant differences among the barley cultivars and growing locations in terms of β-glucan content (p<0.05). Among malt quality criteria tested for the 8 barley cultivars; friability, viscosity, Kolbach index and extract difference showed significant correlations (p<0.05) with the total β-glucan content. Similar correlations were also observed between the malt quality criteria (Kolbach index and extract difference) and β-glucan contents for the Tokak samples grown at different sites.     

Chlorinated phenols in human milk

The paper deals with the contamination of human milk with chlorinated phenols. The average and median concentrations of the chlorophenols investigated ranged from 0.75 to 9.74 g.kg^–1 and from being not detectable to 5.62 g.kg^–1, respectively, for the different compounds. The highest average and median levels were found for pentachlorophenol and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol. The concentrations determined were below the permissible levels.     

MR spectroscopy as a tool for in vivo determination of steatosis in liver transplant recipients

Object  

Among several non-invasive methods of liver fat analysis, the most important role is played by MR imaging and spectroscopy (MRS). This study describes the 1H MRS at 3T measurement of liver fat volume fraction f_fat{\phi_{{\rm fat}}} in a group of liver transplant patients, an at-risk group for the development of de novo steatosis.     

Comparison of textural information from argon(87 K) and nitrogen(77 K) physisorption

Argon(87 K) and nitrogen(77 K) adsorption of three types of porous samples (microporous, microporous-mesoporous and mesoporous) was evaluated. The shapes of isotherms, specific surface areas, mesopore-, micropore- and net pore volumes, pore-size distributions (PSD) and positions of micropore and mesopore PSD’s maxima were compared to ascertain the credibility of individual adsorbates for the texture information estimation. The shapes of adsorption isotherms for Ar and N₂ of all samples are similar and the adsorbed amounts at relative pressure x = 0.975 differ slightly. For mesoporous samples some differences are observed between specific mesopore surface areas derived from nitrogen and argon isotherms. Radii of pore size maxima from Ar(87 K) PSD’s are on average systematically lower than from N₂(77 K) for all samples. The Saito-Foley approach for ZSM-5 samples gives consistently lower mean pore radius from N₂(77 K) adsorbate than from Ar(87 K). This difference probably arises from the multiplication factor, Ω, in the Saito-Foley equation which includes physical properties (magnetic susceptibility, polarizability etc. at 77 and 87 K) and is not easy to obtain with sufficient precision. The use of both adsorbates Ar(87 K) and N₂(77 K) possesses some advantages as well some disadvantages and the comparison of textural properties of individual samples must be evaluated with respect to adsorbate.     

Vinyl triazole carrying metal‐chelated beads for the reversible immobilization of glucoamylase

Poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate–1‐vinyl‐1,2,4‐triazole) [poly(EGDMA–VTAZ)] beads with an average diameter of 100–200 μm were obtained by the copolymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) with 1‐vinyl‐1,2,4‐triazole (VTAZ). The copolymer hydrogel bead composition was determined by elemental analysis and was found to contain 5 EGDMA monomer units for each VTAZ monomer unit. The poly(EGDMA–VTAZ) beads were characterized by swelling studies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The specific surface area of the poly(EGDMA–VTAZ) beads was found 65.8 m²/g. Cu²⁺ ions were chelated on the poly(EGDMA–VTAZ) beads. The Cu²⁺ loading was 82.6 μmol/g of support. Cu²⁺‐chelated poly(EGDMA–VTAZ) beads with a swelling ratio of 84% were used in the immobilization of Aspergillus niger glucoamylase in a batch system. The maximum glucoamylase adsorption capacity of the poly(EGDMA–VTAZ)–Cu²⁺ beads was 104 mg/g at pH 6.5. The adsorption isotherm of the poly(EGDMA–VTAZ)–Cu²⁺ beads fitted well with the Langmuir model. Adsorption kinetics data were tested with pseudo‐first‐ and second‐order models. The kinetic studies showed that the adsorption followed a pseudo‐second‐order reaction model. The Michaelis constant value for the immobilized glucoamylase (1.15 mg/mL) was higher than that for free glucoamylase (1.00 mg/mL). The maximum initial rate of the reaction values were 42.9 U/mg for the free enzyme and 33.3 U/mg for the immobilized enzyme. The optimum temperature for the immobilized preparation of poly(EGDMA–VTAZ)–Cu²⁺–glucoamylase was 65°C; this was 5°C higher than that of the free enzyme at 60°C. The glucoamylase adsorption capacity and adsorbed enzyme activity slightly decreased after 10 batch successive reactions; this demonstrated the usefulness of the enzyme‐loaded beads in biocatalytic applications. The storage stability was found to increase with immobilization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Both Gas Chromatography and an Electronic Nose Reflect Chemical Polymorphism of Juniper Shrubs Browsed or Avoided by Sheep

Chemical polymorphism may contribute to variation in browsing damage by mammalian herbivores. Earlier, we demonstrated that essential oil concentration in juniper, Juniperus communis, was negatively associated with herbivore browsing. The aim of the present study was to characterize the volatile chemical composition of browsed and non-browsed J. communis. By using either gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) or an electronic nose device, we could separate sheep-browsed or non-browsed juniper shrubs by their essential oil pattern and complex odor matrix. The main components of the essential oil from J. communis were monoterpenes. We distinguished three chemotypes, dominated either by α-pinene, sabinene, or δ-3-carene. Shrubs belonging to the α-pinene- or sabinene-dominated groups were browsed, whereas all individuals with the δ-3-carene chemotype were unused by the local herbivores. The electronic nose also separated the browsed and non-browsed shrubs indicating that their odor matrix could guide sheep browsing. Responses of sheep could integrate the post-ingestive effects of plant secondary metabolites with sensory experience that stems from odor–phytotoxin interactions. Chemotype diversity could increase the survival rate in the present population of J. communis as certain shrubs could benefit from relatively better chemical protection against the herbivores.     

Entrapment of urease in poly(1‐vinyl imidazole)/poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid) network

In this article, urease was immobilized in a conducting network via complexation of poly(1‐vinyl imidazole) (PVI) with poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS). The preparation method for the polymer network was adjusted by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) study revealed that enzyme immobilization had a strong effect on film morphology. The proton conductivity of the PVI/PAMPS network was measured via impedance spectroscopy, under humidified conditions. The basic characteristics (Michealis‐Menten constants, pH_opt, pH_stability, T_opt, T_stability, reusability, and storage stability) of the immobilized urease were determined. The obtained results showed that the PAA/PVI polymer network was suitable for enzyme immobilization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011