Soil and Soilless Tomato Cultivation Promote Different Microbial Communities That Provide New Models for Future Crop Interventions

The cultivation of soilless tomato in greenhouses has increased considerably, but little is known about the assembly of the root microbiome compared to plants grown in soil. To obtain such information, we constructed an assay in which we traced the bacterial and fungal communities by amplicon-based metagenomics during the cultivation chain from nursery to greenhouse. In the greenhouse, the plants were transplanted either into agricultural soil or into coconut fiber bags (soilless). At the phylum level, bacterial and fungal communities were primarily constituted in all microhabitats by Proteobacteria and Ascomycota, respectively. The results showed that the tomato rhizosphere microbiome was shaped by the substrate or soil in which the plants were grown. The microbiome was different particularly in terms of the bacterial communities. In agriculture, enrichment has been observed in putative biological control bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus and in potential phytopathogenic fungi. Overall, the study describes the different shaping of microbial communities in the two cultivation methods.     

Capturing the Intangible and Tangible Aspects of Heritage: Personal versus Official Perspectives in Cultural Heritage Management

In discussions on how to handle local heritage values, local values or insider-ness are often seen as synonymous with intangible aspects of heritage. At the same time, expert knowledge is usually associated with material objects, whereby experts have had the power to define what to preserve. In this study of three Norwegian towns, complementary and interdisciplinary methods have been used to address the relationship between personal and official perspectives on cultural heritage values and their tangible and intangible aspects. Results from interviews asking people to describe places they value in the area in which they live have been compared with results from a study of the official heritage plans in three selected towns. The study shows that a gap has unintentionally been constructed in the understanding of cultural heritage. To bridge the gap additional methods for documentation of cultural heritage and their contexts have to be developed. Experiments with various forms of active user participation are one way to introduce new additional approaches and thereby create local engagement and awareness of the role cultural heritage can play.     

Antioxidative activity of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) in minced,cooked pork meat

The sensory intensity measured as theabsolute threshold value of spice andrecognition of spice was evaluated for summer savory and rosemary in meat balls. The values forabsolute threshold value of spice were found to be significantly lower for rosemary than for summer savory. The antioxidative activity of the spices was analysed in two accelerated model systems and in a storage experiment. In one of the model systems, oxidation was accelerated by heat and by an elevated pressure of oxygen. Both spices significantly improved the oxidative stability of the meat balls in this model system. In the second model system metal catalyst oxidation in a meat slurry was used and a reduction in the oxidative processes in samples containing the spices was again shown. In both model systems a slightly higher antioxidative activity was seen for rosemary compared to summer savory. In the storage experiment, the spices were added at a sensorially acceptable level and the heat-treated meat balls were stored at 5°C. A significant reduction in the development of warmed-over flavour (WOF) caused by the addition of spices was measured by a reduction in 2-thiobarbituricacid-reactivesubstances (TBARS) and in hexanal. A reduction in TBARS of approximately 30% in meat balls containing added spices was seen independently of packaging in 1% oxygen or in atmospheric air and the reduction (30%) was constant throughout the storage period.     

Oxidative and sensory changes during bulk and retail storage of hot-filled turkey casserole

 Oxidative and sensory changes in hot-filled turkey casserole were investigated during bulk storage at 3°C and during retail storage at 4°C. Oxidative changes, assessed as warmed-over flavour (WOF) by a trained sensory panel or determined as levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), showed no development during bulk storage for up to 3 weeks, whereas scores of WOF and levels of TBARS increased rapidly during retail storage for up to 3 days. The development of WOF during retail storage was avoided when the product was vacuum-packed or gas-packed. Only insignificant microbiological changes were observed during bulk storage of the product or during the subsequent retail storage. Received: 8 October 1997 / Revised version: 19 December 1997     

Strawberry varieties for industrial jam production

Twelve strawberry varieties were investigated for potential use by the jam processing industry. Chemical, physical and sensory analyses were performed with fresh and thawed fruits and with jams made from the fruits. Fresh fruits were analysed for dry matter, soluble solids, pH, titratable acids and ascorbic acid. Total anthocyanin and degradation indexes were determined in both fresh fruits and in jams. Firmness of fresh and thawed fruits, as well as the amount of juice lost upon thawing (drip loss) were tested for each variety. Except for colour, no significant correlation (P<0.05) existed between the chemical analyses and the sensory parameters. There was significant relationship between total anthocyanin content and visual colour as judged by a taste panel. There was no correlation between firmness of fresh and thawed fruits. Drip loss and firmness of fresh fruits and jams gave a negative correlation. There was no relationship between drip loss and texture measurements in thawed fruits. Except for colour, there were no correlations between the chemical analyses. Based on the results, Jonsok, Totem and Bounty varieties appeared suitable for industrial jam production when compared to the Senga Sengana variety now in use.     

Investigation of plant extracts for the protection of processed foods against lipid oxidation. Comparison of antioxidant assays based on radical scavenging, lipid oxidation and analysis of the principal antioxidant compounds

 Antioxidant activities of plant extracts from spices, coffee, tea, grape skin, and tomato peel slurry were evaluated using a number of analytical methods including the quantification of principal compounds. Similar rankings in the activities of these extracts were obtained by evaluating their efficiencies as scavengers of stable free radicals: Fremy's salt, galvinoxyl or α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Similar results were obtained with the lipid oxidation assays based on thermal acceleration (formation of conjugated dienes in methyl linoleate at 40  °C or the Rancimat test at 100  °C with lard). Rankings of the extract activity obtained by scavenging of hydroxyl radicals generated in the Fenton reaction were similar to those obtained by an oxygen consumption assay with linoleic acid as substrate and metmyoglobin as catalyst. However, the results of the latter two assays differed from those of the other assays. In the overall ranking, coffee and rosemary extracts were amongst the most potent extracts whereas the tomato peel slurry showed no activity. Received: 16 February 2000 / Revised version: 7 July 2000     

Endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) with removal of common bile duct stones

Endoscopic papillotomy with removal of common bile duct stones was successfully performed in 14 patients. In 11 patients stones were found after cholecystectomy. In the remaining 3 patients there was a high operative risk. No serious complications occurred. Consequently the removal of choledocholithiasis by endoscopic papillotomy is an alternative to traditional treatment.     

Oxidative stability of chilled pork chops following long term freeze storage

Two orylag(?) rabbit genotypes, Castor and Chinchilla, feed restricted from 8 to 18 weeks of age at 130 g/d or fed ad libitum, were compared for growth, feed efficiency, carcass traits, and meat sensory characteristics. The total body electrical conductivity (ToBEC) value was also measured to predict meat quality. The feeding level was more restrictive for Castor than for Chinchilla rabbits (74% and 90%, respectively). As expected, growth, feed efficiency, carcass yield and adiposity were altered in both genotypes with feed restriction. For restricted animals, tenderness, juiciness, flavour, flouriness, stickiness and fatness were not affected by the genotype. Feed restriction only significantly decreased flouriness in the Castor genotype. Correlations between meat characteristics and sensory traits were low, and the ToBEC value was not correlated with organoleptic quality.     

Treatment of creosote-contaminated groundwater in a peat/sand permeable barrier--a column study

A column study was conducted to determine if a permeable barrier can be used to treat creosote-contaminated groundwater based on sorption and biodegradation, and to determine which processes remove the various creosote compounds. Creosote-contaminated water (sterile and non-sterile) was applied to sterile and non-sterile saturated columns with peat (20 vol.%) and sand (80 vol.%) for 2 months. Temperature was 9 degrees C, inlet oxygen concentration 9-10mg/l and average residence time was two days. The peat/sand barrier material removed 94-100% polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 93-98% nitrogen/sulfur/oxygen (NSO)-containing heterocyclic aromatic compounds, and 44-97% total phenols. The peat/sand material efficiently sorbed PAHs (>2 rings) and three-ring NSO-compounds, and also sorbed significant amounts of two-ring NSO-compounds and naphthalene. Naphthalene and NSO-compounds not sorbed were biological degraded. Phenol and cresols were efficiently removed by microbial degradation. The barrier material was somewhat less efficient removing dimethylphenols (DMPs) and trimethylphenols (TMPs), where DMPs were hardly sorbed and TMPs were hardly degraded. The results imply that a peat/sand barrier can treat creosote-contaminated groundwater. Modifications might be needed for enhanced removal of DMPs and TMPs, and oxygen supply might be necessary in aquifers with low oxygen content.