A new vinylpyranoanthocyanin pigment occurring in aged red wine

A new pyranoanthocyanin–vinylphenol pigment was detected in an aged Port red wine. The UV–Vis spectrum of this pigment was found to have a λ_max of 538 nm that is bathochromically shifted from that of original anthocyanins, exhibiting a more purple hue in acidic solution. This newly formed pigment was synthesized in model solution through the reaction between malvidin 3-O-glucoside–pyruvic acid adduct and vinylphenol and its structure was assigned by NMR and mass spectrometry. This pigment is reported herein for the first time.     

Widely distributed lysogeny in probiotic lactobacilli represents a potentially high risk for the fermentative dairy industry

Prophages account for most of the genetic diversity among strains of a given bacterial species, and represent a latent source for the generation of virulent phages. In this work, a set of 30 commercial, collection and dairy-isolated Lactobacillus casei group strains were used. A species-specific PCR assay allowed a reclassification, mainly of strains previously considered Lactobacillus casei, into either Lactobacillus paracasei or Lactobacillus rhamnosus. All the strains were induced with mitomycin C, allowing direct recovering of phage DNA in 25 cases, which corroborates the widely occurrence of lysogeny on Lactobacillus genomes, including probiotic strains of Lactobacillus casei group. Ten out of 11 commercial strains studied contained prophages, evidencing the potential risks of their use at industrial scale. Strains were also induced by treatment with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide but, however, this agent was not able to evidence a prophage release for any of the strains tested. According to a RAPD-PCR fingerprinting with M13, 1254 and G1 primers, most of the commercial strains presented a high degree of homology and, regarding BglII- and BamHI-restriction profiles of phage DNA, six of them harboured the same prophage. Surprisingly, both Lactobacillus paracasei ATCC 27092 and Lactobacillus paracasei ATCC 27139 shared a second prophage with both an INLAIN collection and a commercial Lactobacillus paracasei strains, whereas two collection strains shared a third one. On the other hand, mitomycin C-inducible prophages were detected only on about a half of the strains isolated from dairy products, which had (with only one exception) from moderate to high correlation coefficients according to RAPD-PCR fingerprinting. After induction, supernatants were filtered and tested against nine Lactobacillus strains of the set sensitive to previously assayed virulent phages, allowing isolation of two new virulent phages: ф iLp1308 and ф iLp84. Both phages were able to lyse all but one strains sensitive to previously assayed phage MLC-A.     

Sensory acceptability of raw and extruded bovine rumen protein in processed meat products

The use of bovine rumen protein (raw and extruded) as a replacement for extruded soy protein concentrate in three meat products (pork sausage, chicken hamburger, and kibbe) was investigated. Similarity between rumen and soy protein meat products was assessed using triangle tests and sensory acceptability evaluated by consumer panelists using a nine-point hedonic scale. The addition of raw rumen protein was detected in all meat product types tested, while extruded rumen protein was only detected in kibbe. The addition of raw rumen protein decreased the acceptability of pork sausage aroma and flavor, but improved kibbe appearance, texture and overall acceptability. The addition of extruded rumen protein reduced the acceptability of chicken hamburger texture, but improved pork sausage flavor. Replacement of soy protein by bovine rumen protein is feasible based upon sensory results, but depended upon its form and the type of meat product to which it was added.     

Thermodynamic Evaluation of the Phase Stability and Microstructural Characterization of a Cast B1914 Superalloy

The boron-carbon superalloys (BC alloys) were developed to reduce the carbon content of the alloys to less than 0.02 wt.% and increase the boron content to 0.1 wt.% in some Ni-based superalloys. In this study, we have used characterization techniques, such as DTA, XRD, SEM coupling, and thermodynamic calculation using Thermo-Calc software, to obtain information about the phase transformation reaction temperatures and the elemental compositions of the microstructural constituents encountered in the B1914 superalloy. The microstructure of the B1914 superalloy was composed of a gamma (γ) phase with a dendritic structure and gamma prime (γ′) phase with a cuboidal shape. Precipitates of γ′ and a lamellar eutectic, composed of γ/(Mo,Cr,Ni)₃B₂, were identified in the interdendritic region. The thermodynamic calculation results have shown to be a valuable tool for predicting the transformation temperature, such as liquidus, γ’ solvus, and incipient melting point. These transformations are important parameters used in casting simulation software for determining the heat treatment and welding repair conditions for parts made from this alloy.     

Electrochemical Evaluation of Corrosion on Borided and Non-borided Steels Immersed in 1 M HCl Solution

In this study the corrosion resistances of AISI 1018 and AISI 304 borided and non-borided steels were estimated using polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Boriding of the steel samples was conducted using the powder-pack method at 1223 K with 6 h of exposure. Structural examinations of the surfaces of the borided steels showed the presence of a Fe₂B layer with isolated FeB teeth on the AISI 1018 steel, whereas a compact layer of FeB/Fe₂B was formed on the AISI 304 steel. Polarization resistance and EIS of the borided and non-borided steels surfaces were performed in a corrosive solution of 1 M HCl. The EIS data were analyzed during 43 days of exposure to the acid solution. Impedance curves obtained during this period for the borided and non-borided steels were modeled using equivalent electrical circuits. The results of both electrochemical techniques indicated that boride layers formed at the steel surfaces effectively protect the samples from the corrosive effects of HCl. The main corrosion processes observed on the boride layers were pitting and crevice corrosion.     

Sizing methodology for hybrid systems based on multiple renewable power sources integrated to the energy management strategy

This work presents a design methodology for a hybrid energy system based on multiple renewable power sources and bioethanol. The new concept of generation consists on having multiple power sources such as a PEM fuel cell system fed by the hydrogen produced by a bioethanol reformer and wind-solar sources working all together supervised by the energy management system. The necessary heating for the bioethanol reforming reaction can be provided by the renewable sources to enhance the efficiency of the hydrogen production. It is worth noting that, from the power balance as well as backup point of views, the hybrid system is equipped with energy storage devices. An optimal sizing methodology integrated with the energy management strategy is proposed here for designing the overall hybrid system. The suggested approach is based on genetic algorithms, using historical climate data and load demands over a period of one year. Several simulation results are given to show the methodology performance in terms of loss of power supply probability (LPSP), costs and bioethanol consumption.     

Antioxidant protection of high-pressure processed minced chicken meat by industrial tomato products

Pressure-treatment at 300 MPa of minced chicken breast meat did not induce significant lipid oxidation during chill storage for up to 15 days, while pressure-treatment at 600 and 800 MPa enhanced formation of secondary lipid oxidation products measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. However, a waste product from industrial tomato paste production was found to yield efficient protection against lipid oxidation in pressurized chicken meat. Addition of 0.30% tomato waste or of 0.10% final tomato paste to minced meat led to a lag phase of 6 days for formation of secondary oxidation products in meat pressure treated at 600 MPa. The waste product seemed special efficient in protecting chicken meat pressurized at 800 MPa, as a notably lower rate of formation of secondary oxidation products was found. Flavonoids washed out with the waste fraction may be more efficient as antioxidant than the other phenolics or carotenoids present in the other paste processing fractions. Addition of tomato paste fractions did not influence radical formation measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy and the tomato waste is considered to be effective as antioxidant at subsequent reactions leading to secondary lipid oxidation products.     

Juice from king palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae) leaf sheathes: chemical characterisation and use in soft drink formulation

The heart of palm is a food extracted from several species of palm trees. Only 10–20% of the raw material is transformed into canned hearts of palm, therefore this agro‐industry generates a large quantity of solid residue. The aim of this work was to extract and characterise a juice produced from this solid residue. This extract is compared with the traditional fruit juices (orange and pineapple juices), obtaining higher contents of minerals, such as magnesium (22.80 mg/100 g) and potassium (276.90 mg/100 g), phenolic compounds (gallic, 3,4‐dihydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, syringic and caffeic acids) and high free radical scavenging capacity (expressed as 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl), which suggest high antioxidant activity. Additionally, a new soft drink was formulated using this king palm juice as its main ingredient. The soft drink samples formulated with this juice had high sensory acceptability and high intention of consumption, which suggests an important and low‐cost application for this industrial residue.     

The mineral phase quantification of vermiculite and interstratified clay minerals-containing ores by X-ray diffraction and Rietveld method after K cation exchange

Hydrothermal transformations and weathering are important mineralizing processes in carbonatite-related ores. But the transformation products of mafic minerals, such as the clay minerals, vermiculite and interstratified phases, preclude the use of X-ray diffraction, particularly the Rietveld method, for mineral phase quantification. After treatment with KCl, vermiculite and interstratified phases (all peaks roughly at 1.2, 1.4-1.5 and 2.4 nm) are converted to a phlogopite-like structure with d(0 0 1) = 1.0 nm, which can successfully be refined. The method was tested using three carbonatite-derived ores, with a total phlogopite-like phase content ranging from 1.2 to 32.3 wt.%. Comparison of the chemical analyses with the calculated chemical composition, based on the phase quantification and the mineral composition is in good agreement for major elements, such as Si, Fe and Al. For P results were also very good, but Ti and Nb are generally underestimated, and Ba is overestimated. Minerals with lower contents, as pyrochlore, approach the diffraction detection limit. Problems to accurately determine mineral composition for some of the phases also impacts on the reconciliation. The chemical composition of the pyrochlore group minerals changed, but not to an extent to constrain the usefulness of the technique. Cation exchange successfully extended the amenability of the Rietveld method for phase quantification.