Large‐scale submerged fermentation of Antrodia cinnamomea for anti‐hepatoma activity

BACKGROUND: Submerged cultivation of Antrodia cinnamomea was carried out for manufacturing the fermentation product with anti‐hepatoma activity. The fermentation process was optimized for different parameters at shake flask level to obtain products with high inhibition potency against Hep G2 hepatoma cells. Scale‐up of the fermentation process was then achieved from 250 mL shake flask to 5 L, 500 L and 5‐ton fermenters. RESULTS: Glucose and malt extract were found to be the best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The initial pH of 5.0 and an operating temperature of 22 °C were the best for a product with lowest IC₅₀ value. A shorter cultivation time was required when the scale of fermentation increased from 5 L to 5 tons. The reducing sugar and solids contents of the broth filtrate were correlated exponentially with the IC₅₀ of the ethanolic extract of mycelium for hepatoma cells, and the level of ergosterol in the mycelium extract follows the same profile as the increase in Hep G2 cells inhibition. CONCLUSION: When Antrodia cinnamomea is cultured in a 5‐ton fermenter, 4 weeks are required for the fermentation product to reach the highest anti‐hepatoma activity. The solid and reducing sugar contents of the broth filtrate as well as the ergosterol content in the ethanol extract of mycelium can serve as the marker during fermentation for manufacturing product with anti‐hepatoma activity. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Anaerobic granular reactors for the treatment of dairy wastewater: A review

Considerable research has been conducted on the treatment of dairy wastewater by anaerobic granular reactors. Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (ASBR) and static granular bed reactors (SGBR) are the conventional granular reactor types most commonly applied in dairy wastewater treatment. Hybrid systems have also been developed to increase treatment efficiency and overcome the operational problems associated with the treatment of this substrate. Effects of parameters including temperature, organic loading and operating protocols on the performance of granular reactors are summarised. Individual and hybrid granular reactors are evaluated based on organic matter removal and methane production capacity.     

Enhancing the levels of 4‐vinylguaiacol and 4‐vinylphenol in pilot‐scale top‐fermented wheat beers by response surface methodology

Top‐fermented wheat beers are desired by consumers because of their distinctive clove‐like and phenolic aroma, in which two characteristic flavour substances, 4‐vinylguaiacol (4VG) and 4‐vinylphenol (4VP), are of vital importance. In this paper, the levels of 4VG and 4VP were the subject of an intensive and detailed investigation. The influence of wheat malt proportion, mashing‐in temperature, boiling time and fermentation temperature on 4VG and 4VP was studied by pilot‐scale brewing experiments using a 10 hL mashing vessel and 20 hL fermentation tanks. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to explore the possibilities for enhancing the concentration of 4VG and 4VP in top‐fermented wheat beers. Statistical analysis of the results showed that for the ranges of wheat malt proportion studied, mashing‐in temperature, boiling time and fermentation temperature all had a significant influence (p <0.05) on 4VG and 4VP production. Based on the response surface plots, the optimal brewing parameters that maximized 4VG and 4VP levels were as follows: (a) wheat malt proportion 40%; (b) mashing‐in temperature 44°C; (c) boiling time 88 min; and (d) fermentation temperature 19.5°C, resulting in significantly increased levels of 4VG and 4VP (2.418 mg/L and 1.402 mg/L, respectively). These brewing and fermentation parameters were concluded to be the optimal conditions to highlight the typical flavour and aroma of top‐fermented wheat beers. Copyright © 2015 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Lipid fraction of creams collected in the Parmigiano‐Reggiano cheese production area in response to extruded linseed supplementation of dairy cows’ diets: GC‐FID and FT‐MIR evaluation

This study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed on the fatty acid and triglyceride composition of creams obtained by natural creaming of cows’ milk and collected in the ‘Parmigiano‐Reggiano cheese’ protected designation of origin area. The inclusion of linseed in the diet of experimental dairy cows’, resulted in creams with increased unsaturated fat levels and healthy fatty acids such as omega‐3 and conjugated linoleic acid isomers, as well as higher levels of long‐chain triglycerides. The combination of infrared spectroscopy and chemometric methods was able to differentiate cream samples based upon differences in cows’ diets and supplemented extruded linseed.     

Matrix effects of milk,dairy factory wastewater and soil water on the determination of disinfection by‐products and para‐cresol using solid‐phase microextraction

Assessing pollutant concentrations can be hampered by the complex matrices found in the dairy supply/processing chain. Matrix effects were examined using solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) used to sample haloacetic acid methyl esters (HAAMe) and para‐cresol. In general, HAAMe were more difficult to detect with a polydimethylsiloxane fibre than with carboxen–polydimethylsiloxane fibre. Headspace sampling generally provided better detection of HAAMe than direct immersion with the reverse true for para‐cresol. For para‐cresol, equivalent ratios up to 18.8 were detected. Other compounds detected included sulphides, VOC's, phenols and indoles. For milk samples, most compounds collected by SPME were found using direct immersion.     

Manufacture of dry‐ and brine‐salted soft camel cheeses for the camel dairy industry

Two experiments were conducted in a camel cheese study to (i) compare camel cheese to bovine cheese made from bovine milk standardised to simulate camel milk, and (ii) describe the technology for manufacture of dry (SCC‐D) and brine‐salted soft camel cheese (SCC‐B). Comparable cheese yield (camel: 7.4 ± 0.15, cow: 7.3 ± 0.55 kg/100 kg of milk) and levels of dry matter loss in whey were observed. Clotting time was 234 s for both cheeses which were made using thermophillic starters. Cheese yield was 9.31 ± 0.64 kg/100 kg with 425.6 ± 38.2 g/kg cheese dry matter for SCC‐D and 8.22 ± 0.90 kg/100 kg with 469 ± 73.8 g/kg dry matter for SCC‐B.     

Microwave‐assisted degradation of chitosan with hydrogen peroxide treatment using Box‐Behnken design for enhanced antibacterial activity

Low molecular mass (MM) chitosan with high degree of deacetylation (DDA) has excellent bioactivity including antioxidant, antibacterial and encapsulation properties. In this work, to reduce the MM of chitosan, microwave‐assisted heating treatment (MAHT) conditions were investigated using three factors at three levels Box‐Behnken design (BBD). Microwave heating (MH) time, H₂O₂ concentration and solid‐to‐liquid ratio significantly affected the DDA and MM of chitosan. The antibacterial activities of chitosan before and after degradation were investigated based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The results showed that a second‐order polynomial equation fitted the observed values using multiple regression analysis and had a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.9591 and 0.9161 for the DDA and MM of chitosan, respectively). An optimisation study was performed using Derringer's desirability function methodology, and the optimal conditions were 80‐s MH time, 1.5% H₂O₂ concentration and 1:40 solid‐to‐liquid ratio. The MIC and MBC of chitosan before and after degradation against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium were 0.031 and 0.063 mg mL^?1, and 0.25 and 0.125 mg mL^?1, respectively. The optimised DDA and MM of chitosan were 90.58 ± 2.04% and 124.25 ± 14.36 kDa, respectively, which significantly reduces the use of oxidant reagent.     

Effect of the thermo‐alkaline treatment over the thermal degradation of corn starch

In this work, thermogravimetric data were used for to study the thermal degradation of corn starch with and without thermo‐alkaline treatment. Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, modified Coats–Redfern, and Kissinger methods were used to determine the activation energy. Corn starch treated with calcium hydroxide exhibited the highest activation energy values during the whole thermal degradation process which could be related to the physical crosslinking process between starch constituents and Ca ions as was confirmed by the infrared analysis. The energy activation was dependent of the conversion, indicating that this degradation is a complex process. DSC at high temperatures, used for starch, corroborated that the degradation in this material is a complex process governed by different chemical reactions. Thermo‐alkaline treatment has a decelerator role in thermal degradation of corn starch.     

Laboratory‐scale Dry/Wet‐Milling Process for the Extraction of Starch and Gluten from Wheat

A laboratory‐scale process is presented for the manufacture of starch and gluten from wheat. Main feature of this process is that whole wheat kernels are crushed dry between smooth rolls prior to wet disintegration in excess water in such way that gluten formation is prevented and fibres can be removed by sieving. Centrifugation of the endosperm suspension yields a dough which can be separated into starch and gluten using an established batter process. The results suggest that starch recovery is increased in comparison to a conventional wheat flour process without a concomitant decrease in protein recovery. Although starch purification was omitted, a total starch with a low protein content is obtained. On the other hand, the protein content of the gluten fraction is rather low due to difficulties in removing the starch. Despite this, the effect on dough mechanical properties by the addition of gluten obtained from wet‐milled wheat is comparable to the effect of gluten from flour.     

The comparison of biosorption of nutritionally significant minerals in single‐ and multi‐mineral systems by the edible microalga Spirulina sp.

BACKGROUND: This paper deals with the biosorption process as a method of enrichment of natural biomass of the edible microalga Spirulina sp. with microelement metal ions, which is of significance in terms of animal nutrition. The influence of the following process parameters was studied for the biosorption of Cr(III): pH and biomass concentration on kinetics and equilibrium of biosorption. The enrichment process were performed in single‐ and multi‐mineral systems for nutritionally significant minerals such as Cu(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Cr(III) under the conditions that were determined for Cr(III). RESULTS: The best operational parameters for the process were selected as pH 5 and Cs 1 g L^?1. The maximum biosorption capacity 71.2 mg g^?1, 18.4 mg g^?1, 83.9 mg g^?1, 31. 8 mg g^?1 and 26.5 mg g^?1, were reached for Cu(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Cr(III), respectively. To cover 100% of animal demand on microelements, 4.91 g of the preparation for laying hens and 9 g for swine of enriched microalgae in the single‐metal system should be added to 1 kg of fodder. In the multi‐metal system the competition between microelements was high enough to make it impossible to reach a suitable ratio between bound metal ions. CONCLUSIONS: Two methods of production of mineral feed additives were proposed: a single‐metal system and a multi‐metal system. Performing the biosorption process in the single‐metal system enabled the preparation of additives with the desired composition. Carrying out biosorption in the multi‐metal system is easier, technologically, but the ratio of bound microelements is difficult to predict. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

3‐Chloropropane‐1,2‐diol (3‐MCPD) in Soy Sauce: A Review on the Formation,Reduction, and Detection of This Potential Carcinogen

Soy sauce, a dark‐colored seasoning, is added to enhance the sensory properties of foods. Soy sauce can be consumed as a condiment or added during the preparation of food. There are 3 types of soy sauce: fermented, acid‐hydrolyzed vegetable protein (acid‐ HVP), and mixtures of these. 3‐Chloropropane‐1,2‐diol (3‐MCPD) is a heat‐produced contaminants formed during the preparation of soy sauce and was found to be a by‐product of acid‐HVP‐produced soy sauce in 1978. 3‐MCPD has been reported to be carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, and reproductively toxic in laboratory animal testing and has been registered as a chemosterilant for rodent control. 3‐MCPD is classified as a possible carcinogenic compound, and the maximum tolerated limit in food has been established at both national and international levels. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the detection of 3‐MCPD in soy sauce, its toxic effects, and the potential methods to reduce its concentration, especially during the production of acid‐HVP soy sauce. The methods of quantification are also critically reviewed with a focus on efficiency, suitability, and challenges encountered in analysis.     

Nonthermal Processes for Shelf‐Life Extension of Seafoods: A Revisit

For the past two decades, consumer demand for minimally processed seafoods with good sensory acceptability and nutritive properties has been increasing. Nonthermal food processing and preservation technologies have drawn the attention of food scientists and manufacturers because nutritional and sensory properties of such treated foods are minimally affected. More importantly, shelf‐life is extended as nonthermal treatments are capable of inhibiting or killing both spoilage and pathogenic organisms. They are also considered to be more energy‐efficient and to yield better quality when compared with conventional thermal processes. This review provides insight into the nonthermal processing technologies currently used for shelf‐life extension of seafoods. Both pretreatments such as acidic electrolyte water and ozonification and processing technologies, including high hydrostatic pressurization, ionizing radiation, cold plasma, ultraviolet light, and pulsed electric fields, as well as packaging technology, particularly modified atmosphere packaging, have been implemented to lower the microbial load in seafood. Thus, those technologies may be the ideal approach for the seafood industry, in which prime quality is maintained and safety is assured for consumers.     

A comparison of the physico‐chemical properties of low‐cholesterol ghee with standard ghee from cow and buffalo creams

Low‐cholesterol ghee with 90% less cholesterol was prepared using β‐cyclodextrin. The physico‐chemical properties such as Reichert‐Meissl (RM) value, Polenske value, Butyro‐refractometer (BR) reading at 40°C, Iodine value and free fatty acids (FFA) as oleic acid in cow standard ghee and the corresponding low‐cholesterol ghee remained almost unaltered. A similar trend was also observed in buffalo ghee. Fat soluble vitamins (β‐carotene, A and E) in both cow and buffalo low‐cholesterol ghee were very similar to that of respective standard ghee samples. However, 65 to 70% loss of vitamin D was observed in low‐cholesterol ghee.     

Evaluation and standardisation of small‐scale canning methods for small white beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) canned in tomato sauce

Canning and evaluation procedures should be standardised to ensure that beans selected, based on canning quality, meet the requirements set by the market and processors. For the purpose of evaluating the canning qualities of small white beans in tomato sauce, three small‐scale canning techniques were evaluated, one of which was found to deliver a product with quality parameters similar to those of international standards. Using South African small white bean cultivars and the selected method, Teebus, the cultivar used by industry as the standard to indicate acceptable canning quality, displayed better visual appearance and less split beans than with the other two methods. The percentage washed drained weight and texture values of Teebus were also in agreement with international standards. The evaluation procedure for the small white beans after canning was also optimised, by comparing two procedures, which identified texture, visual appearance (scale 1 to 10), splits (scale 1 to 10), hydration coefficient, clumping, size and colour as the statistically most suitable quality parameters. With the aid of the developed method, it was possible to define standard values for South African ‘choice’ and ‘standard’ grade beans, which previously was based only on ‘visual inspection’ by a trained inspection panel. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

A survey of the occurrence and properties of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus intermedius in water buffalo milk and dairy products in Turkey

Antimicrobial resistance, β‐lactamase activity and mecA gene of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus intermedius isolated from raw water buffalo milk and dairy products in Turkey were determined. All strains showed resistance to at least one antibiotic but none was resistant to vancomycin. Of the 97 S. aureus and 35 S. intermedius strains, 9 (9.2%) and 2 (5.7%) were resistant to oxacillin and harboured mecA gene. β‐lactamase activity of 13.4% and 5.7% of S. aureus and S. intermedius strains was positive, respectively. Overall, 2.5% and 0.55% of the samples were contaminated with methicillin‐resistant S. aureus and S. intermedius, respectively.     

Combining culture‐dependent and culture‐independent molecular methods for the isolation and purification of a potentially novel anaerobic species from pit mud in a Chinese liquor distillery

Strain S12–27–1‐3‐5 (a potentially novel anaerobic species) with a 16S rRNA sequence homology of <97% was isolated and purified from pit mud by combining culture‐dependent and culture‐independent molecular methods, such as cloning of 16S rRNA, amplified rRNA restriction analysis, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain S12–27–1‐3‐5 was related to Aminobacterium mobile strain ILE‐3 DSM 12262^T and Aminobacterium colombiense strain DSM 12261^T (95 and 96% similarity value, respectively). The results verified that cloning of the 16S rRNA was efficient to identify whether a potentially new bacterial taxon existed in impure isolates and that the DGGE method was a powerful tool for screening the target bacteria and for identifying duplicate strains. Therefore, the application of the culture‐independent molecular methods for the isolation and purification of a potentially novel species was effective. Strain S12–27–1‐3‐5 (= DSM 27871 = JCM 19605 = CICC 10731^T) was an anaerobic amino acid‐degrading bacterium. The results of fermentation experiments demonstrated that strain S12–27–1‐3‐5 produced volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and the presence of Methanosarcina barkeri enhanced the generation of VFAs, which contribute to the aroma composition of Chinese liquor. This work could enrich the species resources and promote the development and utilization of an uncultured species. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

A cotton‐specific gene,stearoyl‐ACP desaturase,used as a reference for qualitative and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detection of genetically modified organisms

Biotechnology has permitted the modification of agricultural materials in a very precise way to improve productivity and yields. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based methods have been the first choice of most analytical laboratories for routine use in the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and their derived products. These methods rely on the amplification of transgenic sequences and quantification of the transgenic DNA by comparison with an amplified reference gene. This paper describes the specific primers and probe for the cotton stearoyl‐ACP desaturase (sad1) gene, and PCR cycling conditions suitable for the use of this sequence, which acts as an endogenous reference gene in both qualitative and quantitative PCR assays. The two methods were tested with 18 cotton varieties and identical amplification products were obtained with all of them. No amplification products were detected when DNA samples from other species, including soybean, rapeseed, tobacco, maize, tomato, potato, cucumber, pea, red pepper, sunflower, sesame, rice, peach, banana, apple, pumpkin, barley and carrot, were used as templates, which demonstrates that this system is specific for cotton. In real‐time quantitative PCR analysis, the detection limit was as low as 6 pg of DNA, which indicates that this method is suitable for application to processed food samples that contain very low copies of target DNA. Southern blot analysis confirmed that the sad1 gene was a single copy in the tested cotton varieties. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry