Phenolic acids composition and antioxidant activity of canola extracts in cooked beef,chicken and pork

Crude polyphenol extracts (15 or 100 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/kg meat) from canola meal reduced the formation of 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in pre-cooked beef (66–92%), pork (43–75%) and chicken (36–70%). The canola extract contained sinapic (99.7%), ferulic (0.28%) and p-hydroxybenzoic acids (0.07%).     

Hydrothermal Growth of Vertical ZnO Nanorods

Vertically aligned, single crystalline ZnO nanorods with a high packing density and diameter of ∼60 nm have been successfully synthesized via a low-temperature hydrothermal route on glass substrates pre-deposited with a ZnO seeding layer. The seeding layer exhibits an epitaxial effect on the growth and alignment of the ZnO nanorods. This epitaxial effect can arise from two considerations, namely the crystalline orientation and surface roughness of the seeding layer, which can be controlled by the curing temperature. The ZnO seeding layer that was cured at 350°C exhibited a preferred (0002) crystalline orientation of wurtzite hexagonal structure and a low surface roughness. It was demonstrated to promote the vertical growth of ZnO nanorods. The ZnO nanorods grew in an almost linear relationship with hydrothermal time up to 8 h, but thereafter started to dissolve as the reaction time extended beyond 8 h, due to competition from the homogeneous nucleation of ZnO microparticles in the solution.     

Analysis of environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals using the E-screen method and stir bar sorptive extraction in wastewater treatment plant effluents

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have become a major issue in the field of environmental science due to their ability to interfere with the endocrine system. Recent studies show that surface water is contaminated with EDCs, many released from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This pilot study used biological (E-screen assay) and chemical (stir bar sorptive extraction-GC-MS) analyses to quantify estrogenic activity in effluent water samples from a municipal WWTP and in water samples of the recipient river, upstream and downstream of the plant.The E-screen assay was performed on samples after solid phase extraction (SPE) to determine total estrogenic activity; the presence of estrogenic substances can be evaluated by measuring the 17-β-estradiol equivalency quantity (EEQ). Untreated samples were also assayed with an acute toxicity test (Vibrio fischeri) to study the correlation between toxicity and estrogenic disruption activity.Mean EEQs were 4.7 ng/L (± 2.7 ng/L) upstream and 4.4 ng/L (± 3.7 ng/L) downstream of the plant, and 11.1 ng/L (± 11.7 ng/L) in the effluent. In general the WWTP effluent had little impact on estrogenicity nor on the concentration of EDCs in the river water. The samples upstream and downstream of the plant were non-toxic or weakly toxic (0 < TU < 0.9) while the effluent was weakly toxic or toxic (0.4 < TU < 7.6). Toxicity and estrogenic activity were not correlated.At most sites, industrial mimics, such as the alkylphenols and phthalates, were present in higher concentrations than natural hormones. Although the concentrations of the detected xenoestrogens were generally higher than those of the steroids, they accounted for only a small fraction of the EEQ because of their low estrogenic potency. The EEQs resulting from the E-screen assay and those calculated from the results of chemical analyses using estradiol equivalency factors were comparable for all samples and closely correlated.     

Ni supported on sepiolite catalysts for the hydrogenation of furfural to value-added chemicals: influence of the synthesis method on the catalytic performance

Topics in Catalysis - Nickel-based catalysts supported on sepiolite catalysts, with a nickel loading between 1 and 10 wt%, have been synthesized by several synthetic strategies...     

Photoprotective Role of Photosynthetic and Non-Photosynthetic Pigments in Phillyrea latifolia: Is Their “Antioxidant” Function Prominent in Leaves Exposed to Severe Summer Drought?

Carotenoids and phenylpropanoids play a dual role of limiting and countering photooxidative stress. We hypothesize that their “antioxidant” function is prominent in plants exposed to summer drought, when climatic conditions exacerbate the light stress. To test this, we conducted a field study on Phillyrea latifolia, a Mediterranean evergreen shrub, carrying out daily physiological and biochemical analyses in spring and summer. We also investigated the functional role of the major phenylpropanoids in different leaf tissues. Summer leaves underwent the most severe drought stress concomitantly with a reduction in radiation use efficiency upon being exposed to intense photooxidative stress, particularly during the central hours of the day. In parallel, a significant daily variation in both carotenoids and phenylpropanoids was observed. Our data suggest that the morning-to-midday increase in zeaxanthin derived from the hydroxylation of ß-carotene to sustain non-photochemical quenching and limit lipid peroxidation in thylakoid membranes. We observed substantial spring-to-summer and morning-to-midday increases in quercetin and luteolin derivatives, mostly in the leaf mesophyll. These findings highlight their importance as antioxidants, countering the drought-induced photooxidative stress. We concluded that seasonal and daily changes in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pigments may allow P. latifolia leaves to avoid irreversible photodamage and to cope successfully with the Mediterranean harsh climate.     

Development of a stakeholder identification and analysis method for human factors integration in work system design interventions – Change Agent Infrastructure

In any work system design intervention—for example, a physical workplace re-design, a work process change, or an equipment upgrade—it is often emphasized how important it is to involve stakeholders in the process of analysis and design, to gain their perspectives as input to the development, and ensure their future acceptance of the solution. While the users of an artifact or workplace are most often regarded as being the most important stakeholders in a design intervention, in a work-system context there may be additional influential stakeholders who influence and negotiate the design intervention's outcomes, resource allocation, requirements, and implementation. Literature shows that it is uncommon for empirical ergonomics and human factors (EHF) research to apply and report the use of any structured stakeholder identification method at all, leading to ad-hoc selections of whom to consider important. Conversely, other research fields offer a plethora of stakeholder identification and analysis methods, few of which seem to have been adopted in the EHF context. This article presents the development of a structured method for identification, classification, and qualitative analysis of stakeholders in EHF-related work system design intervention. It describes the method's EHF-related theoretical underpinnings, lessons learned from four use cases, and the incremental development of the method that has resulted in the current method procedure and visualization aids. The method, called Change Agent Infrastructure (abbreviated CHAI), has a mainly macroergonomic purpose, set on increasing the understanding of sociotechnical interactions that create the conditions for work system design intervention, and facilitating participative efforts.     

Polar Lipids Reduce In Vitro Duodenal Lipolysis Rate of Oat Oil and Liquid Oat Base Products

Alternative ways for increased appetite control are today widely sought for due to the growing global health issues connected to obesity. In in vivo studies, oat has been proven an attractive candidate for inducing satiety. Oat is rich in polar lipids, of which the galactolipids are especially interesting, and a hypothesis is that these lipids play an important role for the ileal brake mechanism. In this study, the aim is to investigate the role of polar oat lipids on pancreatic lipolysis rate, using a pH-stat based in vitro digestion model of the duodenum. Lipolysis of oat oil, a mix of oat oil/rapeseed oil (RSO), as well as a liquid oat base (OB) simulating an oat drink with different polar lipid content are investigated, and compared with RSO as control. Increasing the polar lipid content of the product digested leads to a significantly decreased lipolysis rate, and this effect is even observed when mixing RSO with a low amount of oat oil (10%). The results support the hypothesis that polar lipids can delay lipolysis also in a complex, natural system like the liquid OB, and even a minor amount of oat lipids can have large effect on lipolysis rates. Practical applications: The number of studies connecting galactolipids with a decreasing effect on duodenal lipolysis is growing; however, the mechanism behind this phenomenon is still not clarified. Here, the same effect is seen in a complex, natural food system. These findings open up for interesting future food products, where inclusion of oat oil, even at low concentrations, can have a prolonging effect on satiety. Oat for human consumption is an increasing market, thanks to the positive health benefits oat has been connected to, in combination with the current trend toward climate-friendly plant-based options for meat and dairy products. It is believed that oat oil can be attractive as an ingredient in various food products, for example, protein bars and spreads. More studies are needed to confirm the results in vivo. However, a great potential is seen for the use of oat oil to enhance appetite control.     

Correlations of sensory parameters with physicochemical characteristics of Argentinean honeys by multivariate statistical techniques

Honey acceptability is mainly determined by its colour, crystallisation degree and aroma. In the present work, the sensory characteristics and physicochemical parameters of Argentinean honeys from different ecoregions were analysed. Moisture content, Pfund colour, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, electrical conductivity, sugar profile and volatile compounds were analytically determined in honey samples, while sensory characteristics (crystal size, fluency score, sweetness, persistence, granularity, crystallisation, colour intensity and aroma) were evaluated by a trained panel. Significant correlations were found between honey crystallisation degree and hydroxymethylfurfural content and diastase activity (P ≤ 0.05). It could be confirmed that honey crystallisation interferes with the visual perception of colour. Floral, fresh fruit, ripe fruit, balsamic and wood aromas could be successfully linked to honey volatile profile (P ≤ 0.05). These results demonstrate that the parameters that could best guarantee the consumers’ preference can be successfully associated with the chemical composition of honey by multivariate statistical analysis.     

Strategies to Modulate Specialized Metabolism in Mediterranean Crops: From Molecular Aspects to Field

Plant specialized metabolites (SMs) play an important role in the interaction with the environment and are part of the plant defense response. These natural products are volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds produced from common building blocks deriving from primary metabolic pathways and rapidly evolved to allow a better adaptation of plants to environmental cues. Specialized metabolites include terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosinolates, tannins, resins, etc. that can be used as phytochemicals, food additives, flavoring agents and pharmaceutical compounds. This review will be focused on Mediterranean crop plants as a source of SMs, with a special attention on the strategies that can be used to modulate their production, including abiotic stresses, interaction with beneficial soil microorganisms and novel genetic approaches.