Co-products of beef processing enhance non-haem iron absorption in an in vitro digestion/caco-2 cell model

Beef processing produces high volumes of protein rich, low value, ‘waste’ co-products such as offal. Beef improves uptake of low bioavailable non-haem iron (found in vegetables, fortificants, supplements) and this effect is dubbed the ‘meat-factor’, although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we investigate whether bovine co-products (kidney, lung, heart) not previously studied share this enhancing potential. This was determined by coupled in vitro digestion of co-products and subsequent caco-2 cell ferritin formation (an intracellular iron storage protein). In this study we show that bovine co-products significantly increase caco-2 cells’ response to non-haem iron from infant rice cereal. The presence of these co-products, (kidney, lung and heart), increased relative uptake (by 207.13%, 171.21%, 265.28%, respectively), to a greater extent than beef (30.23%). Our findings present a novel function for co-products of beef processing that may have potential as food ingredients to improve non-haem iron bioavailability, thus adding value.     

Phase-sensitive non-classicality criteria for phase-independent quantum states

A recently introduced hierarchy of necessary and sufficient conditions for non-classicality of a quantum state [Th. Richter and W. Vogel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 283601 (2002)] is applied to the characterization of phase-insensitive quantum states. Even under such conditions it may be important to analyse the relation between different phase values in the quadrature distributions in order to demonstrate the non-classical nature of the state under study.     

Mechanical material characterization of photosensitive polymers

In addition to the development of materials and technologies for smart HARMST applications the analysis of the thermo-mechanical material properties seems to be necessary to describe the photosensitive polymers applied. To do this, a microtensile analysis system has been developed to determine stress–strain curves, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio. The results are compared with those of dynamical mechanical thermal analysis and discussed.