Use of infrared ocular thermography to assess physiological conditions of pigs prior to slaughter and predict pork quality variation

Infrared thermography (IRT) body temperature readings were taken in the ocular region of 258 pigs immediately before slaughter. Levels of lactate were measured in blood taken in the restrainer. Meat quality was assessed in the longissimus dorsi (LD), semimembranosus (SM), and adductor muscles. Ocular IRT (IROT) temperature was correlated with blood lactate levels (r = 0.20; P = 0.001), with pH taken 1 hour postmortem (pH1: r = − 0.18; P = 0.03) and drip loss (r = 0.20; P = 0.02) in the LD muscle, and with pH1 in the SM muscle (r = − 0.20; P = 0.02). Potentially, IROT may be a useful tool to assess the physiological conditions of pigs at slaughter and predict the variation of important meat quality traits. However, the magnitude of the correlations is rather low, so a further development of image capture technique and further studies under more variable preslaughter conditions ensuring a larger pork quality variation are needed.     

Changes in the volatile profile of skim milk powder prepared under different processing conditions and the effect on the volatile flavor profile of model white chocolate

The objective of this work is to determine the extent to which changes in the skim milk powder (SMP) manufacturing process alter the volatile profile of SMP, and whether these changes are carried through to a final product when the SMP is used as an ingredient and subjected to further processing. The manufacture of SMP is a multistage process involving a preliminary concentration step, heat treatment, and a drying stage. However, the methods and conditions used by the industry are not standardized, and the inherent variability in the production of SMP has consequences for the end-users, such as the confectionery industry, where the SMP is used as an ingredient during the production of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and caramel. This study investigates the effect of each stage of the manufacturing process on the concentration of reducing sugars and available amino groups (as precursors of the Maillard reaction) as well as on the volatile products of the Maillard reaction and lipid degradation. Eight types of SMP were produced using combinations of different processing conditions: concentration (by evaporation or reverse osmosis), heat treatment (low heat or high heat), and drying (spray-drying or freeze-drying). Maillard precursors were quantified after each processing stage and volatile compounds were extracted using solid-phase microextraction, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The resulting SMP were incorporated into a model white chocolate system, produced under varying conching conditions. We demonstrate not only that changes in the SMP manufacturing conditions affect the volatile profile of SMP, but also that these differences can be carried through to a final product when the SMP is used to prepare a model white chocolate. Understanding these differences is important to the industry for controlling the flavor of the end product.     

Effect of Radio Frequency Heating on Nalidixic Acid-Adapted Shiga Toxin-Producing and Non-pathogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> Strains in Buffer

This study aimed to evaluate the use of nalidixic acid-adapted strains of three major Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and non-pathogenic E. coli for the use of radio frequency (RF) heating using phosphate buffer saline (PBS). The effectiveness of RF was evaluated on cocktails of various STEC serotypes (O157:H7, O26:H11, O111) and non-pathogenic E. coli at different endpoint temperatures (55, 60, and 65 °C). All strains were successfully adapted to nalidixic acid (Nal). In general, the results indicated that Nal-adapted strains were not significantly different from Nal-sensitive strains evaluated either before treatment or at the endpoint temperatures. Nal-adapted strains were, therefore, confirmed to be effective as marker organisms in studies involving the use of RF in buffer. Results also showed that the thermal inactivation of strains was more effective as the treatment temperature increased, particularly at 65 °C, which showed a 6.0 log CFU/ml reduction. The results of the present study serve as a baseline to study RF as a potential intervention technology for non-intact beef products.     

Performance assessment of membrane distillation for skim milk and whey processing

Membrane distillation is an emerging membrane process based on evaporation of a volatile solvent. One of its often stated advantages is the low flux sensitivity toward concentration of the processed fluid, in contrast to reverse osmosis. In the present paper, we looked at 2 high-solids applications of the dairy industry: skim milk and whey. Performance was assessed under various hydrodynamic conditions to investigate the feasibility of fouling mitigation by changing the operating parameters and to compare performance to widespread membrane filtration processes. Whereas filtration processes are hydraulic pressure driven, membrane distillation uses vapor pressure from heat to drive separation and, therefore, operating parameters have a different bearing on the process. Experimental and calculated results identified factors influencing heat and mass transfer under various operating conditions using polytetrafluoroethylene flat-sheet membranes. Linear velocity was found to influence performance during skim milk processing but not during whey processing. Lower feed and higher permeate temperature was found to reduce fouling in the processing of both dairy solutions. Concentration of skim milk and whey by membrane distillation has potential, as it showed high rejection (>99%) of all dairy components and can operate using low electrical energy and pressures (<10 kPa). At higher cross-flow velocities (around 0.141 m/s), fluxes were comparable to those found with reverse osmosis, achieving a sustainable flux of approximately 12 kg/h·m² for skim milk of 20% dry matter concentration and approximately 20 kg/h·m² after 18 h of operation with whey at 20% dry matter concentration.     

Could hop-derived bitter compounds improve glucose homeostasis by stimulating the secretion of GLP-1?

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) is by far the greatest contributors to the bitter property of beer. Over the past years, a large body of evidence demonstrated the presence of taste receptors in different locations of the oral cavity. In addition to the taste buds of the tongue, cells expressing these receptors have been identified in olfactory bulbs, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. In the gut, the attention was mainly directed to sweet Taste Receptor (T1R) and bitter Taste Receptor (T2R) receptors. In particular, T2R has shown to modulate secretion of different gut hormones, mainly Glucagon-like Peptide 1 (GLP-1), which are involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and the control of gut motility, thereby increasing the sense of satiety. Scientific interest in the activity of bitter taste receptors emerges because of their wide distribution in the human species and the large range of natural substances that interact with them. Beer, whose alcohol content is lower than in other common alcoholic beverages, contains a considerable amount of bitter compounds and current scientific evidence shows a direct effect of beer compounds on glucose homeostasis. The purpose of this paper is to review the available literature data in order to substantiate the novel hypothesis of a possible direct effect of hop-derived bitter compounds on secretion of GLP-1, through the activation of T2R, with consequent improvement of glucose homeostasis.     

Purification and characterization of a cationic peroxidase from artichoke leaves

Peroxidases are part of a large group of enzymes associated with cell wall biosynthesis, response to injury, disease, resistance and wound repair. Among peroxidase isoenzymes, a soluble cationic peroxidase (ALSP), not yet described, has been partially purified and characterized from artichoke leaves. The enzyme was shown to be a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 51 000 and an isoelectric point of 9. The substrate specificity of the ALSP is characteristic of class III (guaiacol‐type) peroxidases. The ALSP was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, affinity chromatography, anionic exchange high‐performance liquid chromatography and isoelectrofocusing. The increase in specific activity was 43 times compared to the crude extract as estimated by the guaiacol assay. Three ALSP fragments were sequenced by tandem mass spectrometry de novo sequencing method. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Freshness evaluation of grass carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ctenopharyngodon idellus</Emphasis>) by electronic nose

A novel grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) freshness rapid evaluation method using electronic nose (EN) was proposed in this paper. Total viable counts (TVC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were examined. EN responses to grass carp samples stored at 4?°C were continuously measured for 8 days. Microbial growth model was developed based on modified Gompertz regression. Results of TVC and GC–MS provided freshness references for EN analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) and stochastic resonance (SR) were utilized in EN measurement data analysis. PCA qualitatively discriminated grass carp samples in different freshness. SR output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) eigenvalues (SNRmax) quantitatively discriminated freshness for all samples. Grass carp freshness evaluation model was developed by non-linear regression between SNRmax values and storage time. Validation experiments results demonstrated that the proposed grass carp freshness rapid evaluation method presented good forecasting accuracy. The proposed method is promising in aquatic product freshness analysis.     

Antibiotic susceptibility of members of the Lactobacillus acidophilus group using broth microdilution and molecular identification of their resistance determinants

The range of antibiotic susceptibility to 13 antibiotics in 101 strains of the Lactobacillus acidophilus group was examined using the lactic acid bacteria susceptibility test medium (LSM) and broth microdilution. Additionally, microarray analysis and PCR were applied to identify resistance genes responsible for the displayed resistant phenotypes in a selection of strains. In general, narrow as well as broad unimodal and bimodal MIC distributions were observed for the Lactobacillus acidophilus group and the tested antimicrobial agents. Atypically resistant strains could be determined by visual inspection of the obtained MIC ranges for ampicillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, erythromycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, streptomycin and tetracycline. For most of these atypically resistant strains underlying resistance determinants were found. To our knowledge erm(A) was detected in lactobacilli for the first time within this study. Data derived from this study can be used as a basis for reviewing present microbiological breakpoints for categorization of susceptible and resistant strains within the Lactobacillus acidophilus group to assess the safety of microorganisms intended for use in food and feed applications.     

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Bioactive Compounds: Fundamentals,Applications and Economic Perspectives

This review provides an updated overview of the most important applications of supercritical fluids in the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant matrices. The main factors influencing the extraction yields, solubility, and manufacturing costs are described. Aspects concerning the operational processing in the extraction and fractionation are also discussed. The data compiled herein are focused on the extraction of essential oils, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols, and tocotrienols.