Identification and kinetics of oxidized compounds from phosphatidylcholine molecular species

Heat-induced oxidative modifications of two phosphatidylcholine molecular species as potential functional food components were evaluated. 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (SOPC) and 1-stearoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (SLPC) were chosen as models. The optimal temperature for hydroperoxide formation was determined by MS for each standard: 125 °C for SLPC and 150 °C for SOPC. Oxidation was performed at these temperatures and degradation products were identified using LC–ESI-MS combined to an acid treatment. Kinetics of formation of oxidation products from SOPC and SLPC were monitored over 120 min and curves were drawn for each identified structure. Results showed that native phospholipids rapidly decreased with heat and that oxidation products showed functions, such as hydroxyl, oxo or epoxy groups. Kinetics pointed out that some of these quite stable oxidation products are likely to be found in sizable amounts in processed foods containing phospholipids.     

FT-NIR spectroscopy for the quality characterization of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.)

Abstract: The nondestructive assessment of apricot fruit quality (Bora cultivar) was carried out by means of FT-NIR reflectance spectroscopy in the wavenumber range 12000 to 4000 cm⁻¹. Samples were harvested at four different ripening stages and scanned by a fiber optical probe immediately after harvesting and after a storage of 3 d (2 d at 4 °C and 1 d at 18 °C); the flesh firmness (FF), the soluble solids content (SSC), the acidity (A), and the titratable acidity (malic and citric acids) were then measured by destructive methods. Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) analysis was used to classify spectra according to the ripening stage and the storage: partial least squares regression (PLS) models to predict FF, SSC, A, and the titratable acidity were also set-up for both just harvested and stored apricots. Spectral pretreatments and wavenumber selections were conducted on the basis of explorative principal component analysis (PCA). Apricot spectra were correctly classified in the right class with a mean classification rate of 87% (range: 80% to 100%). Test set validations of PLS models showed R² values up to 0.620, 0.863, 0.842, and 0.369 for FF, SSC, A, and the titratable acidity, respectively. The best models were obtained for the SSC and A and are suitable for rough screening; a lower power prediction emerged for the other maturity indices and the relative predictive models are not recommended. Practical Application : The results of the study could be used as a tool for the assessment of the ripening stage during the harvest and the quality during the postharvest storage of apricot fruits.     

Short communication: Genomic prediction using imputed whole-genome sequence variants in Brown Swiss Cattle

The accuracy of genomic prediction determines response to selection. It has been hypothesized that accuracy of genomic breeding values can be increased by a higher density of variants. We used imputed whole-genome sequence data and various single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) selection criteria to estimate genomic breeding values in Brown Swiss cattle. The extreme scenarios were 50K SNP chip data and whole-genome sequence data with intermediate scenarios using linkage disequilibrium-pruned whole-genome sequence variants, only variants predicted to be missense, or the top 50K variants from genome-wide association studies. We estimated genomic breeding values for 3 traits (somatic cell score, nonreturn rate in heifers, and stature) and found differences in accuracy levels between traits. However, among different SNP sets, accuracy was very similar. In our analyses, sequence data led to a marginal increase in accuracy for 1 trait and was lower than 50K for the other traits. We concluded that the inclusion of imputed whole-genome sequence data does not lead to increased accuracy of genomic prediction with the methods.     

Weissella cibaria short-fermented liquid sourdoughs based on quinoa or amaranth flours as fat replacer in focaccia bread formulation

Production of the traditional Italian Focaccia bread (FcBread) requires reformulation to meet the new rules for healthier foods. We tested the applicability of a short-fermented (15 h) liquid sourdough (LS) (dough yield, DY, 250), obtained using quinoa (Q) or amaranth (Am) flour fermented with a Weissella cibaria strain (C43-11) producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) as fat replacer in yeast-leavened FcBread. The LSs were applied during the FcBread-making process at industrial pilot plant, reducing the added fat amount by 20% (FcBread-QLS and FcBread-AmLS) and products were compared with reference samples not containing EPS. All the products were analysed for physico-chemical properties (pH, TTA, organic acids, protein content and profile, instrumental colour), textural properties, sensory quality and glycemic index. The application of both pseudo-cereal-based W. cibaria LSs in FcBread allowed obtaining products with a reduced amount of fat, increased protein amount, mainly due to the albumin and glutenin/glutelin fractions, reduced glycemic index, improved texture and preserved in the traditional sensory profile of ‘focaccia’.     

Juice and by-products from pomegranate to enrich pancake: characterisation and shelf-life evaluation

In this study, a fortified pancake with all parts of pomegranate as juice and by-products, added in the formulation, was designed. The influence of pomegranate addition on nutritional and sensory quality of pancake, as well as on its shelf-life, was assessed. As one would expect, the enrichment significantly improved the pancake polyphenolic content as compared to the control sample. Surprisingly, pomegranate addition did not affect its sensory quality. In fact, the enriched pancake was greatly appreciated from the sensory point of view. Results also suggested that the addition of pomegranate improved the glycemic index (GI). In fact, while a value of GI equal to 100 was obtained for the control sample, a GI of 71 was measured for the fortified sample. In terms of shelf-life, 30 days were obtained for the enriched pancake, whereas the control sample remained acceptable for about 26 days.     

Extract of Salicornia europaea in fresh pasta to enhance phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity

Extract from Salicornia europaea was added to durum wheat fresh pasta. Sensory properties, cooking quality, microbiological stability, content in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, before and after pasta digestion were studied. The extract was obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. From the technological point of view the extract did not affect pasta dough and the cooking parameters and sensory properties of the enriched samples were found similar to the control pasta. No antimicrobial effect was exerted by the extract. From the chemical point of view interesting findings were recorded for pasta before and after digestion. Specifically, data of bioaccessible fraction of digested sample showed a significantly higher amount of total phenols and flavonoid content (11.52 mg gallic acid g⁻¹ and 0.55 mg quercetin g⁻¹ respectively) than digested control pasta (9.54 mg gallic acid g⁻¹ and 0.23 mg quercetin g⁻¹ respectively). The antioxidant activity of enriched sample also increased compared to the control pasta (6.20 vs. 2.50 μmoles FeSO₄ g⁻¹).