Effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid in combination with monounsaturated fatty acids on the composition and quality traits of cooked loin

Three levels (0%, 1% and 2%) of a conjugated linoleic acid oil (CLA) were combined with two levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (low – 19% average and high – 39% average) for pig feeding (n = 48, eight animals per treatment). The composition and quality traits (fat content, cooking losses, lipid oxidation, fatty acid profile, volatile profile and sensory analysis) of cooked loin, as affected by dietary CLA, MUFA, and CLA × MUFA interaction were studied. CLA and CLA × MUFA did not affect the intramuscular fat content, cooking losses, lipid oxidation, volatile profile and sensory traits of cooked meat. Therefore, CLA could be supplemented to the pig diet without detriment of the measured quality traits of cooked meat, and regardless of the MUFA level of pig diets. Dietary CLA increased the content of SFA and decreased the level of MUFA of meat, and led to a CLA enrichment, regardless the MUFA level of pig diets, but the content of CLA isomers of fresh meat decreased after the cooking process.     

Monitoring of physical–chemical and microbiological changes in fresh pork meat under cold storage by means of a potentiometric electronic tongue

This work describes the correlation found along 10 days between potentiometric measurements obtained by using an electronic tongue and the variation in certain physicochemical, microbial and biochemical parameters measured on a whole piece of pork loin stored under refrigeration. The electronic tongue consists of a set of six electrodes made of Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn and C, and a reference electrode. Through the use of various multivariate analysis techniques, such as: PCA and two types of artificial neural networks (i.e. multilayer perceptron (MLP) and fuzzy ARTMAP) it was found that it is possible to determine the time elapsed in relation to the degradation of the loin by using simple potentiometric measurements. Additionally, in the same pork sample used to measure redox potentials with the electronic tongue, the following parameters were also determined; pH, microbial count, concentrations of inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP), inosine (Ino) and hypoxanthine (Hx). Through the use of PLS analysis, it was found a rather good correlation between pH and the potentiometric data. Also a remarkable correlation was observed between the measures carried out with the electronic tongue and the so-called K-index that simultaneously measures the variation in the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation products. These results suggest that this simple, or a similar electronic tongue, could be useful for the undemanding qualitative or semi-quantitative evaluation of freshness in meat samples in a wide range of situations.     

Invited review: Acid whey trends and health benefits

In recent years, acid whey production has increased due to a growing demand for Greek yogurt and acid-coagulated cheeses. Acid whey is a dairy by-product for which the industry has long struggled to find a sustainable application. Bulk amounts of acid whey associated with the dairy industry have led to increasing research on ways to valorize it. Industry players are finding ways to use acid whey on-site with ultrafiltration techniques and biodigesters, to reduce transportation costs and provide energy for the facility. Academia has sought to further investigate practical uses and benefits of this by-product. Although modern research has shown many other possible applications for acid whey, no comprehensive review yet exists about its composition, utilization, and health benefits. In this review, the industrial trends, the applications and uses, and the potential health benefits associated with the consumption of acid whey are discussed. The proximal composition of acid whey is discussed in depth. In addition, the potential applications of acid whey, such as its use as a starting material in the production of fermented beverages, as growth medium for cultivation of lactic acid bacteria in replacement of commercial media, and as a substrate for the isolation of lactose and minerals, are reviewed. Finally, the potential health benefits of the major protein constituents of acid whey, bioactive phospholipids, and organic acids such as lactic acid are described. Acid whey has promising applications related to potential health benefits, ranging from antibacterial effects to cognitive development for babies to human gut health.     

穿越时空的奇迹

人们对于钻石的渴望可以追溯到4，000年前，当时人类在印度初次发现钻石。从那时起，人们就相信纯净的钻石拥有无与伦比的力量。莫卧尔王朝的财宝展示了印度钻石惊人的品质和工艺，在16世纪到18世纪，欧洲的国王和主后相互争夺莫卧尔王朝遗留下来的钻石。18世纪流传下来胸衣、带扣、头饰、领针和纽扣均镶上钻石，这表明有权势的贵族流行用钻石装饰华服……钻石的故事穿越了时空。[编者按]     

Modulation of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the drinking water disinfection byproduct lodoacetic acid by suppressors of oxidative stress

Drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are generated by the chemical disinfection of water and may pose a hazard to the public health. Previously we demonstrated that iodoacetic acid was the most cytotoxic and genotoxic DBP analyzed in a mammalian cell system. Little is known of the mechanisms of its genotoxicity. The involvement of oxidative stress in the toxicity of iodoacetic acid was analyzed with the antioxidants catalase and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). lodoacetic acid toxicity was quantitatively measured with and without antioxidants in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100 and with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The endpoints included cytotoxicity in S. typhimurium or in CHO cells, mutagenicity in S. typhimurium, and genotoxicity in CHO cells. Neither catalase nor BHA reduced the level of iodoacetic acid induced cytotoxicity in S. typhimurium. In CHO cells neither antioxidant caused a significant reduction in iodoacetic acid induced cytotoxicity. However, in S. typhimurium, BHA or catalase reduced the mutagenicity of iodoacetic acid by 33.5 and 26.8%, respectively. Likewise, BHA or catalase reduced iodoacetic acid induced genomic DNA damage by 86.5 and 42%, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that oxidative stress is involved in the induction of genotoxicity and mutagenicity by iodoacetic acid.     

Selective release of ACE-inhibiting tryptophan-containing dipeptides from food proteins by enzymatic hydrolysis

Enzymatic hydrolysis of hen egg white lysozyme led to hydrolysates with pronounced inhibition of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). Two dipeptides, alanyl-tryptophan (AW) and tryptophanyl-tryptophan (WW), were identified for the first time in lysozyme hydrolysates by LC–ESI-TOF-MS and quantified by RP-HPLC-UV/fluorescence. Hydrolysis conditions were established for enhanced release of ACE-inhibiting tryptophan-containing dipeptides from alpha-lactalbumin and hen egg white lysozyme. The highest ACE inhibition potency and release of tryptophan-containing dipeptides were observed for the hydrolysates prepared by chymotrypsin followed by thermolysin. All identified dipeptides showed a significant and competitive inhibitory effect on ACE activity (AW: IC₅₀ = 20 μmol/L; WW: IC₅₀ = 68 μmol/L, IW: IC₅₀ = 0.7 μmol/L, WL: IC₅₀ = 10 μmol/L) in vitro and proved to be moderate resistant towards simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Protein hydrolysates containing tryptophan-containing dipeptides are interesting candidates as ingredients for functional foods with possible blood pressure-lowering effect, but also as a good source for the amino acid tryptophan.     

Effect of storage and packaging on fatty acid composition and oxidation in dry fermented sausages made with added olive oil and antioxidants

Dry fermented sausages produced by a partial substitution of pork backfat with pre-emulsified olive oil were manufactured and stored (2 and 5 months) using different packaging conditions (aerobic/vacuum piece/vacuum slices) in order to evaluate the intensity of the oxidation process. Also the effect of the addition of butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) to one of the modified batches was studied. Addition of olive oil, especially with antioxidants, was more effective than using vacuum storing methods in avoiding lipid oxidation during storage. After 5 months of storage at 4 °C, the combination of the increase in oleic acid and the preservation of PUFA by the antioxidant activity of the olive oil emulsion and antioxidants (when added), lead to better MUFA+PUFA/SFA ratios in olive oil containing sausages (1.90-1.98 g/100 g fatty acids) and particularly in antioxidants containing sausages (2.02-2.16 g/100 g) than in control ones (1.72 g/100 g). Vacuum packaging of the piece was the best method to minimise formation of lipid oxidation volatile compounds.     

Thermo-oxidation of cholesterol: Effect of the unsaturation degree of the lipid matrix

The influence of the unsaturation degree of different triacylglycerols (tristearin, triolein, trilinolein and trilinolenin) on cholesterol oxidation at 180 °C, was evaluated. Cholesterol degraded faster when heated alone than in the presence of triacylglycerols; moreover, the more unsaturated the matrix, the slower the degradation of cholesterol. Both cholesterol and triacylglycerols degradation fit a first order kinetic model (R² > 0.9), except for the tristearin sample. Cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) and peroxides were formed during the heating treatment. The presence of any type of lipid matrix postponed and decreased the maximum concentration of both oxidation parameters. Maximum total COPs concentrations were achieved at 20 min in neat cholesterol, 120 min in tristearin and triolein and 180 min in polyunsaturated matrix samples. 7-Ketocholesterol was the main COP in most cases during the whole heating treatment. Both the presence of triacylglycerols and their unsaturation degree inhibited cholesterol thermooxidation at 180 °C.     

Genetic analysis of new progesterone-based fertility traits in dairy cows measured on-farm

The objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the agreement of a standard laboratory ELISA for progesterone (P4) with an automated on-farm ELISA kit operated under commercial conditions in 1,297 milk samples from 50 dairy cows; (2) to study the influence of the method of detection of luteal activity on genetic parameters of fertility traits based on P4 measured with an automated on-farm ELISA once weekly from wk 3 to 9 postpartum in the milk of 1,304 cows; and (3) to study the influence of sampling frequency (once or twice weekly from wk 3 to 9) on the same traits from 296 cows. Luteal activity can be detected when there is an active corpus luteum in the ovary producing P4 and indicating the onset of reproductive cyclicity after calving. The on-farm ELISA overestimated P4 contents by a mean square error of prediction of 2.76 ng/mL and had an intermediate Spearman correlation with the laboratory kit (0.54). For the second objective, the postpartum interval to the commencement of luteal activity (C-LA), proportion of luteal activity between d 15 and 63 postpartum (P-LA), calculated as the number of samples above the threshold for high P4 values divided by the number of all samples, and delay of first ovulation (DOV1), defined as C-LA occurring later than d 45 postpartum, were derived from the P4 profiles. Both C-LA and DOV1 were determined by (a) thorough qualitative visual inspection of the profile, (b) the profile's mean as threshold for the first increase in P4 postpartum, indicating commencement of luteal activity, and (c) 3 ng/mL as threshold for the first increase in P4, a value that has been used by many other studies. Similarly, P-LA was determined by using methods (b) and (c). Estimates of heritability were 0.04 to 0.13 for C-LA, 0.12 to 0.23 for P-LA, and 0.03 to 0.07 for DOV1. Genetic correlation of P-LA with C-LA and with the profile's mean P4 was ?1.00. The profile's mean had a higher estimate of heritability (0.11–0.12) than C-LA or DOV1. It can be calculated as the arithmetic mean of all P4 values of a profile, whereas C-LA, P-LA, and DOV1 need a definition of a threshold for high P4 values. We therefore suggest the profile's mean as a promising candidate for further research. For the third objective, once-weekly sampling was mimicked by neglecting every second sample, and C-LA and DOV1 shifted toward a later onset of cyclicity. Thus, a common standard for sampling regimen and detection algorithm is essential to avoid incompatibility between studies.