Effects of different carbon sources and C/N values on nonvolatile taste components of Pleurotus eryngii

Pleurotus eryngii, the second largest industrial cultivation mushroom in China, is usually cultivated on substrates mainly consisting of sawdust and corncob. In this study, experiments were performed to determine the effects of different carbon sources and C/N values on nonvolatile taste components of P. eryngii. The effects of different carbon sources on nonvolatile taste components levels revealed that sawdust was beneficial to high levels of crude protein, amino acids, 5′‐nucleotides and equivalent umami concentration, while corncob was beneficial to high contents of carbohydrate, polysaccharides and trehalose. At the similar C/N values, relatively higher sawdust content was beneficial to umami amino acid production, while relatively higher corncob content was beneficial to high contents of carbohydrate, polysaccharides and mannitol. Higher C/N value was beneficial to high levels of crude protein, amino acids, 5′‐nucleotides and equivalent umami concentration, while lower C/N value was beneficial to high contents of carbohydrate, polysaccharides and trehalose. These results provided information for P. eryngii fruit body industrial cultivation to obtain specific nonvolatile taste components with high levels.     

HPLC–MS analysis of the green food colorant sodium copper chlorophyllin

Five commercial samples of sodium copper chlorophyllin, a green food colorant, were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using diode-array detection (DAD) and mass spectrometry (MS). Some of the constituents were identified using authentic standards, whereas others were identified tentatively based on their absorption spectra and mass data. The composition of three of the samples was very similar, whereas the other two were quite different. In the three former samples, the three largest peaks could be assigned to Cu chlorin e₆, Cu chlorin p₆, and Cu isochlorin e₄. In one of the two other samples, these three compounds were also among the largest peaks, whereas Cu chlorin e₆ was a small peak in the last sample and Cu chlorin p₆ was absent altogether. Porphyrins were also present in the samples, while except in one of the samples chlorins derived from chlorophyll b were largely absent.Industrial relevanceSodium copper chlorophyllin is a green food colorant made from chlorophyll. Sodium copper chlorophyllin is made by saponifying chlorophyll and coppering the resulting product. This processing leads to a complex mixture of compounds. An analytical method was developed that can be used to identify many of these compounds and show the extent of coppering and degradation of sodium copper chlorophyllin, which may be used industrially to optimize the production of sodium copper chlorophyllin.     

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in milk using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Organisms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (TBC) are responsible for tuberculosis, a chronic disease which represents a serious public health problem in the world. The most common means of contracting the disease are through inhalation of aerosols, drinking of unpasteurised milk from an infected cow and the sharing of common water or feed sources.In this study a rapid, sensitive and reliable PCR-based method for specific detection of the Mycobacterium TB complex directly from raw milk samples was developed. The DNA extraction method was effective and able to remove inhibitors and allowed the isolation of amplifiable DNA. The procedure demonstrated the presence of the TBC mpb70 gene in 36/50 (72%) of Albanian milk samples tested. The study highlights the need to screen extracommunitarian milk to define an epidemiological background and to guarantee the quality of the raw milk in countries lacking a suitable TB-infection control plan.     

Impact of cryoconcentration on casein micelle size distribution,micelles inter-distance,and flow behavior of skim milk during refrigerated storage

Cryoconcentration combined with a cascade effect was used to concentrate skim milk up to 25.12% total dry matter. Size, shape, and inter-micellar distance of casein micelles were characterized by ZetasizerNano-ZS, transmission electron microscopy, and ImageJ analyses. Flow properties of the cryoconcentrated skim milk were evaluated during 5 weeks of storage under refrigerated condition at 4 °C. Milk color was also evaluated according to the L*, a*, and b* system. The cryoconcentrated skim milk obtained after three cryoconcentration cycles was characterized by a monomodal distribution of its micelles with a tendency to smaller casein micelles. Approximately 60% of the total micellar volume was occupied by the casein micelles with a size of 100–200 nm, less than 18% of the volume with a size of 50–100 nm and only less than 1% was occupied by micelles with a size > 350 nm. This result shows that cryoconcentration changed the distribution of the mean size of the casein micelles to smaller units. No significant difference was observed on the inter-micellar distance. Cryoconcentration significantly improved the color of skim milk by increasing the L* value up to 67 which was similar to that of whole milk. Transition from a Newtonian to a non-Newtonian behavior was observed from the fourth week storage with a slight increase of casein micelle size.Industrial relevanceA concentration procedure of skim milk based on a complete block cryoconcentration technique was proposed. Application of this sub-zero technology permitted the concentration of skim milk total dry matter up to 25%. The casein micelle size was positively affected by moving the major part of the micelles toward the smaller size, whereas the inter-micellar distance was not affected. This new knowledge can be exploited in milk-based products to enhance the product stability. The cryoconcentrated skim milk color was positively affected since its L* value, which represents the milk whiteness, was significantly improved. The flow behavior of the cryoconcentrated milk was of Newtonian type up to 4 weeks of storage at 4 °C. The generated knowledge in this study can be easily used by the milk processing industry in order to make stable milk product with high dry matter content without adding milk powder, which negatively affects the product sensory properties (floury consistency).     

The analysis of trans fatty acid profiles in deep frying palm oil and chicken fillets with an improved gas chromatography method

An improved gas chromatography method for the simultaneous separation of 52 fatty acids (FAs) has been developed. For both oleic acid and linoleic acid, a good resolution was achieved for their positional and geometrical (cis/trans) isomers. This method was validated to be precise, accurate and sensitive. With this method, the FAs profiles in palm oil and chicken fillets were analyzed. In general, small changes were observed in the composition of FAs and formation of trans isomers after 8 h frying at the temperature lower than 200 °C. However, with extreme deep-frying process, the thermal degradation and TFAs formation in frying oil increased in direct proportion to frying temperature and time. Moreover, the FAs composition of fried chicken fillets was found to be mostly in correspondence with that of the frying oil, which might be due to the oil absorption or interaction between the frying oils and frying materials.     

Floral origin markers for authenticating Lavandin honey (Lavandula angustifolia x latifolia). Discrimination from Lavender honey (Lavandula latifolia)

The aim of this study was to identify the botanical origin of Lavandin honey, a monofloral product of recent proliferation obtained from a hybrid of the species Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. Lavandin was authenticated here in chemical, palynological and sensory terms, and discriminated from the more common Lavender honey (L. latifolia).A total of 14 physico–chemical parameters, 26 pollen types, 13 sensory attributes and 80 volatile compounds were identified and/or quantified for this purpose.High concentrations of γ-nonalactone, farnesol and acetovanillone, which were for the first time identified as components of honey aroma in this study, together with several lactones, dehydrovomifoliol, 4-methoxyacetophenone and decanal are proposed as chemical markers for authenticating Lavandin monofloral honey. In sensory terms, increased scores for “caramel” and “peach compote” sensations, together with an increased Rubus pollen content, provide additional useful information for the accurate authentication of Lavandin honey and its discrimination from Lavender honey (L. latifolia).Results showed enough floral markers to authenticate the botanical origin of Lavandin honey allowing its marketing as monofloral rather than generic honey.     

Mass spectrometry-based electric nose system for assessing rice quality during storage at different temperatures

A mass spectrometry-based electronic nose (MS e-nose) was used to measure changes in rice quality during storage at different storage conditions. Rice was stored for 4 months at four different temperatures (0 °C, 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C) and tested for fat acidity, sensory characteristics, and flavor pattern analysis using the MS e-nose. When the rice was stored for long durations at higher temperatures, fat acidity increased and sensory quality was low. Flavor volatile profiles of the rice determined by MS e-nose revealed a tendency for the results to separate into three groups (months 1 + 2, 3, and 4). Volatile profile changes in rice during storage depended on the storage time, regardless of storage temperature. It is likely that the fat acidity and sensory evaluation results, which were related, could be distinguished by their volatile-producing metabolic activities. Accordingly, MS e-nose system was successfully used to screen and qualitatively evaluate stored rice.     

A survey on the Aflatoxin M1 occurrence and seasonal variation in buffalo and cow milk from Southern Italy

This study evaluates the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in 804 samples of raw milk from cow and buffalo, collected randomly in Campania and Calabria regions of Southern Italy over a two years period.The competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to analyze AFM1 in the samples. AFM1 levels result above the CCβ value of 0.004 μg/kg in 51 (12.3%) cow milk samples and in 28 (7.2%) buffalo milk samples. Positive results from screening analysis were confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection (HPLC-FLD) after a procedure of centrifugation, extraction and immunoaffinity column clean-up of milk. Only one cow milk sample exceeded the maximum limit (0.05 μg/kg) set by the European Regulation.The occurrence of AFM1 contamination was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in cold season, particularly fall, than in warm season, principally spring.Our results indicate that feedstuff used in the buffalo and cow farms were not highly contaminated with aflatoxins, determining a good quality of the analyzed milk. Therefore, the AFM1 contamination of the milk does not represent a serious public health problem in both regions in Southern Italy.     

Cross-linked chitosan polymers as generic adsorbents for simultaneous adsorption of multiple mycotoxins

The primary objective of this study was to synthesize three types of cross-linked chitosan polymers and further investigate their adsorption capability for multiple mycotoxins, including aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin (T2). Among these synthetic adsorbents, cross-linked chitosan-glutaraldehyde complex presented the highest adsorption capability for AFB₁ (73%), OTA (97%), ZEN (94%) and FB₁ (99%), but no obvious adsorption for DON and T2 (<30%). The effect of various incubation conditions (contact time, dosage and pH) was also studied. Subsequently, the experimental data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Hill models. The best fitting model to describe AFB₁ and FB₁ adsorption was Langmuir model (R² ≥ 0.99), with the theoretical maximum adsorption amounts of 5.67 mg/g for AFB₁ and 15.7 mg/g for FB₁. The Hill model was the best model for OTA and ZEN adsorption (R² > 0.98), with the predicted maximum adsorption amounts were 24.8 mg/g for OTA and 9.18 mg/g for ZEN. In addition, the adsorption capability of adsorbent for the simultaneous presence of multiple mycotoxins was also evaluated in buffer system and simulated gastrointestinal condition. The results indicated that the coexisted multiple mycotoxins didn't affected the adsorption capability of adsorbent, whereas the adsorption amounts of toxins were decreased by some gastrointestinal components. The findings of this research suggest that chitosan–glutaraldehyde complex has the potential to be applied as multitoxin adsorbent material for reducing the combined adverse effect of multiple mycotoxins on humans and animals.