Mapping haze-komi on rice koji grains using β-glucuronidase expressing Aspergillus oryzae and mass spectrometry imaging

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Immobilization of surface non-affinitive protein onto a metal surface by an external electric field

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Protein hydrolysates from animal processing by-products as a source of bioactive molecules with interest in animal feeding: A review

Industrial processing of livestock, poultry and fish produces a large amount of waste in a solid or liquid form that can either be destroyed or be used to make compost, biogas or other low-added value products. However, the by-products from animal processing industries have a potential for conversion into useful products of higher value, such as protein hydrolysates, with interesting applications in animal feed. Low amounts of animal protein hydrolysates included in aqua-feeds may enhance growth rate and feed conversion of farmed fish and crustacean. Animal protein hydrolysates may also be incorporated in diets to enhance the nonspecific immunity of fish. As well, these hydrolysates can be used as a good source of amino acids for newly weaned animals. Protein hydrolysates from animal by-products including antimicrobials, antioxidants, opioid-like and/or other interesting bioactive molecules have promising and interesting applications on companion and production animals. By-products from animal processing industries are therefore a promising source of bioactive peptides of considerable interest for animal care, always within the framework of the existing legislation. Possible drawbacks and future trends of the use of animal by-products and/or production of protein hydrolysates from those materials are also discussed.     

Comparative tarsal morphology of two secondary stored product beetle pests,Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) and Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), that vary in their climbing ability on smooth surfaces

Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Cryptolestes ferrugineus are serious secondary pests that infest commodities and packaged food. Both species differ in their climbing ability on smooth surfaces, such as the surfaces of packages or grains. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that tarsal and inter-claw adhesive structures of the species differ significantly. To test this hypothesis, we morphologically described and compared (quantitatively and qualitatively) the claws and setal structures on the tarsi and claws of O. surinamensis and C. ferrugineus using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The main difference found was in the presence and/or quantity of tarsal and inter-claw adhesive structures between O. surinamensis and C. ferrugineus. The profound morphological differences regarding the presence and higher quantity of adhesive structures can explain why O. surinamensis is a better climber than C. ferrugineus on inclined smooth surfaces. The shape of the claws was similar in both species, but those of C. ferrugineus were slightly shorter and sharper (i.e., claw tip radius = 1.17 μm) than those of O. surinamensis (tip radius = 1.63 μm), indicating that C. ferrugineus is better morphologically adapted to move over rough material with smaller asperities. The obtained results suggest that the presence or absence of adhesive tarsal structures can be used for assessment of the ability of various pests to move on smooth surfaces of packaging or grains. The outcomes of the work may also provide inspiration to material and biomimetic scientists to improve pest-proof packaging material with anti-adhesive properties.     

Significant population structure in Australian Cryptolestes ferrugineus and interpreting the potential spread of phosphine resistance

An analysis of the population genetics of Cryptolestes ferrugineus, across all major regions in Australia where grain is grown and stored in bulk, provides an initial step in investigating the movement of these insects and implications for the spread of phosphine resistance. Microsatellite data revealed two levels of genetic structure. Across Australia, two clusters were detected, one in eastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania) and Western Australia (Cluster 1) and one in South Australia (Cluster 2). Intermediate between them, in eastern South Australia, are a couple of populations that are equally admixed for the two clusters. Populations in Western Australia and western SA belong to different clusters suggesting that the extensive and arid Nullarbor Plain restricts the natural dispersal of these beetles. Isolation-by-distance and the detection of clustering among local populations suggests there is considerable gene flow at a local scale in C. ferrugineus, and we infer this is by flight. Limited natural gene flow between eastern and western Australia might, in part, explain why extremely high resistance has not been detected in Western Australia.     

Development of single nucleotide polymorphism markers from ESTs for discrimination between domestic and imported manila clams,Ruditapes philippinarum

Large amounts of the manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, have been imported from Dalian (China) recently to meet the increasing demand in Korea. To ensure the quality and safety of the domestic marine product, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between domestic manila clams and clams that are imported from Dalian, China. We developed expressed sequence tags (ESTs)-derived single nucleotide polymorphism markers using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 780,000 ESTs were assembled, and 49,540 putative SNPs were identified from 46,405 contigs. Twenty-one polymorphic SNPs from 11 primers were finally selected as diagnostic markers. Genotype analysis showed that 21 SNP markers had the opposite alleles (transitions or transversions) between domestic and imported samples, which were useful for distinguishing clam origins. The GENECLASS 2.0 program was used to estimate the ability of the markers in the discrimination between domestic and imported populations. The 21 SNP markers had 98.96% ability to discriminate domestic manila clams and 100% ability to identify those imported. These markers could be useful for discriminating between domestic and imported manila clams and can contribute to the prevention of falsified labeling of this species.     

Microbial control using bacteria of the almond moth,Cadra (Ephestia) cautella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Almond moth, Cadra (Ephestia) cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is one of the most serious pests of dried fruits and other stored products. Almond moth is polyphagous pest that is widespread in Turkey and all over the world. Almond moth larvae cause serious damages on trees, warehouse and threshing floor of drying fig. Though various cultural, chemical and biological methods are used to control this pest, it is still effective in Turkey and various part of the world. In order to find a significant microbial control agent against this pest, we isolated 13 bacterial isolates and identified these isolates based on morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular characteristics. According to these characteristics, isolates were identified as Serratia marcescens (Eca1 and Eca3), Serratia sp. (Eca11), Bacillus thuringiensis (Eca2, Eca4, Eca6, Eca7, Eca8, Eca9, Eca10, Eca12, Eca13) and Bacillus axarquiensis (Eca5). The insecticidal activities of these isolates were performed against three insect species from Lepidoptera group which cause serious damage in warehouses. The highest insecticidal activity is 57% for Eca9 isolate on the 3rd instar larvae of C. cautella, 100% for Eca9 isolate on the 3rd instar larvae of Plodia interpunctella and 100% for Eca10 and Eca3 isolate on the 3rd instar larvae of E. kuehniella. Results indicate that Eca9, Eca3 and Eca10 isolates may be valuable as potential biological control agents for the control of warehouse pests.     

Effects of UV-C treatment on inactivation of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on grape tomato surface and stem scars,microbial loads,and quality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light inactivation as affected by the location of pathogens on the surface and at stem scars of whole grape tomatoes. A mixed bacterial cocktail containing a three strain mixture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (C9490, E02128 and F00475) and a three serotype mixture of Salmonella enterica (S. Montevideo G4639, S. Newport H1275, and S. Stanley H0558) were used. Tomatoes were spot inoculated using approximately 100 μL of inocula to achieve a population of about 10^7±1 CFU/tomato. Additionally, the effects of treatment on color, texture, lycopene content, and background microbial loads during post UV-C storage at 4 °C for 21 days were determined. Results showed that UV-C doses of 0.60–6.0 kJ/m² resulted in 2.3–3.5 log CFU per fruit reduction of E. coli O157:H7 compared to 2.15–3.1 log CFU per fruit reduction for Salmonella on the surfaces. Under the same conditions, log reductions achieved at stem scar were 1.7–3.2 logs CFU for E. coli O157:H7 and 1.9–2.8 logs CFU for Salmonella. The treatment was effective in controlling native microbial loads during storage at 4 °C as the total aerobic mesophilic organisms (PCA) and anaerobic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts of treated tomatoes were significantly (p < 0.05) lower during storage compared to the control group and the yeast and mold populations were reduced significantly below the detection limit. Furthermore, the firmness of tomato and its color was not affected by the UV-C doses during storage. UV-C radiation could potentially be used for sanitizing fresh tomatoes and extending shelf-life. The results of this study indicate that the specific location of pathogens on the produce influences the effectiveness of UV-C treatment, which should be taken into consideration for the design of UV-C systems for produce sanitization.