Effect of long term dietary supplementation with plant extract on carcass characteristics meat quality and oxidative stability in pork

The effects of dietary supplementation in pigs with plant extract (PE) from Lippia spp., titrated in verbascoside (5 mg/kg feed), from weaning to slaughter (166 days), on carcass characteristics, meat quality, collagen characteristics, oxidative stability and sensory attributes of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle were examined. Ten pigs per treatment were slaughter at a live weight of 109.5 ± 1.4 kg. No influence on carcass characteristics, LD meat quality parameters and collagen characteristics were observed. Dietary PE increased (P < 0.001) α-tocopherol levels in LD muscle. Raw LD of pig fed PE showed lower (P < 0.001) lipid oxidation levels than controls. A reduction (P = 0.05) of fat odor and rancid flavor intensity in cooked LD muscle stored at 4 °C for 24 h was observed in the treated group. This study shows that PE is an effective antioxidant in pork meat, enhancing oxidative status and sensory attributes, without affecting other meat quality parameters.     

Comparison of Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) Essential Oils Extracted by Supercritical CO2, Hexane and Hydrodistillation

The effects of three different extraction methods, namely hydrodistillation, supercritical CO₂ extraction (SCE) and hexane extraction on the yield, chemical composition and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of lavender essential oil were investigated in this study. SCE produced a yield of 6.7 % (dry weight), which was comparable to that of solvent extraction (7.6 %), but significantly higher than that of hydrodistillation (4.6 %). The chemical composition of the oils showed considerable variations among the extraction methods, with linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor and borneol making up approximately 80 % of identified components in all extracts. Hexane extraction produced oils with the presence of waxes, colour pigments and albuminious materials with semi-solid consistency, while hydrodistillation extracts showed signs of thermal degradation. The SCE extracts had an aroma with the closest resemblance to the starting material, showing negligible thermal degradation, and exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity than the hydrodistillation and hexane extracts. Oils produced by SCE and hydrodistillation had antimicrobial activities higher than hexane extracts. The results of this study demonstrate that SCE is a promising process for the extraction of lavender essential oil.     

A screening method based on UV–Visible spectroscopy and multivariate analysis to assess addition of filler juices and water to pomegranate juices

Consumer demand for pomegranate juice has considerably grown, during the last years, for its potential health benefits. Since it is an expensive functional food, cheaper fruit juices addition (i.e., grape and apple juices) or its simple dilution, or polyphenols subtraction are deceptively used.     

Use of sourdough fermented wheat germ for enhancing the nutritional, texture and sensory characteristics of the white bread

Lactobacillus plantarum LB1 and Lactobacillus rossiae LB5, isolated from wheat germ and selected based on the kinetics of acidification, were used as starters for the manufacture of sourdough fermented wheat germ. A bread containing sourdough fermented wheat germ as an ingredient (SFWGB) was compared to breads made with (raw wheat germ bread, RWGB) or without (wheat flour bread, WFB) raw wheat germ. The higher concentration of free amino acids mainly differentiated SFWGB from WFB and RWGB. The in vitro protein digestibility of WFB was the highest, even if sourdough fermentation of wheat germ attenuated the difference. Phytase and antioxidant activities of SFWGB were highest. The specific volume and cell-total areas were also the highest for SFWGB. As determined by texture profile analysis, the values of hardness, resilience and fracturability of breads containing wheat germ were lower than those found in WFB. The crust lightness showed a decrease from WFB to SFWGB. As determined by sensory analysis, SFWGB had mainly acid taste and flavour and resulted more salty. Sourdough fermented wheat germ is an ingredient able to enhance nutritional, texture and sensory properties of bread.     

Comparative Study and Quality Evaluation of Italian Focaccias Seasoned with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

An extra virgin olive oil was used as seasoning for three different types of focaccia produced on an industrial scale. This oil and samples of the oil extracted from the focaccias after baking were submitted to routine analyses and to silica gel column chromatography to separate polar compounds. These were then subjected to high performance size-exclusion chromatographic (HPSEC) analysis and it allowed to determine oxidative and hydrolytic degradation products. The results were compared with those obtained from artisan focaccias, seasoned with the same oil and toppings, by statistical analyses. The different technologies and the toppings employed directed in different ways the oxidative and hydrolytic processes in the oil.     

Authenticity and quality of animal origin food investigated by stable‐isotope ratio analysis

Authentication of a food product is the procedure by which it is verified that the product matches the statements on the label, and that it conforms to what is established by regulations. This testing process includes analysis of the ingredients, determination of the geographical origin, and examination of the production methods. In particular, the use of rapid, effective and reliable analytical methods, when correctly applied to verify the authenticity and the traceability of the product, represents a valuable and irreplaceable tool for the authorities to carry out control functions. Tools and methodologies from scientific innovation and technological evolution can help to quickly locate particularly sophisticated frauds and adulterations. The feeding regime of livestock is a fundamental issue for the properties and safety of animal origin food, but this regime is often hidden from the consumer, making the zootechnical sector more prone to fraudulent practices. This review reports the results recently obtained in authentication of animal origin food by the application of stable‐isotope ratio analysis, the most promising analytical technique in this field.© 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Multicomponent Cascade Reactions: A Novel and Expedient Approach to Functionalized Indoles by an Unprecedented Nucleophilic Addition‐Heterocyclization‐Oxidative Alkoxycarbonylation Sequence

A novel multicomponent cascade process is reported, based on the sequential combination between an initial nucleophilic attack step to an imine moiety and a palladium‐catalyzed oxidative heterocyclization‐alkoxycarbonylation process. By this new process, five simple molecules [2‐alkynylaniline imines, alcohol (ROH), carbon monoxide (CO), alcohol (ROH), and oxygen (O₂)] are sequentially activated, selectively leading to high value‐added functionalized indole derivatives in a single operation.     

Engineering ethics and accreditation

The teaching of ethics in engineering poses challenges to teachers as well as to accreditors who need to identify and assess the ethical content of the engineering curriculum. If a stand-alone module on ethics is offered, the task might appear easy; however, the introduction of ethics within an engineering degree should not be constrained to a single module, but rather considered in relation to the whole curriculum. Consequently, the accreditors face a harder task: questions such as, “how should the modules been looked at?”, “how should the assessment of ethics been carried out?” are just examples clarifying the difficulty. Since the accreditation is based on learning outcomes, additional challenges arise when devising the questions that the accreditors ask the students. The paper concentrates mainly on the accreditation process; the teaching and assessment of the ethical provision is not considered in detail. A checklist that could be used as a practical tool during accreditation visits is introduced as a possible guide. Although mainly based on the experience drawn from Chemical Engineering in the UK, the results are quite general and could be translated and applied to the majority of engineering curricula worldwide.     

Near-visible stereolithography of a low shrinkage cationic/free-radical photopolymer blend and its nanocomposite

In this work, a newly prepared cationic/free-radical photopolymer, which consists of two epoxies and a tetrafunctional acrylate, is presented for the first time for a visible light stereolithography (SL), showing the advantages of both cationic and free-radical resins. An onium salt, commonly used as a cationic UV initiator, and a photosensitizer make the blend suitable for a near-visible (405 nm) SL. An increase in the polymerization rate and a drop in the induction period are observed for the newly prepared cationic/free-radical blend, compared with either only cationic systems or free-radical resins. This suggests that the combination of cationic and free-radical polymerizations in a single resin has a positive synergistic effect. The addition of silica nanoparticles to the blend provides a reinforcing and toughening effect. Indeed, the resin loaded with silica shows a 31% increase in the elastic modulus, compared with the unfilled resin. Regarding the values of tensile strength and elongation at break, they, respectively, grow by 47 and 15%, when the nanocomposite resin is compared with the neat resin. A very low volumetric shrinkage of 0.7% and a remarkable printing quality of objects obtained with this new photopolymer will enable the 3D printing of microrobots, bioengineering microdevices, and sensors. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48333.     

Discovery of Inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei by Phenotypic Screening of a Focused Protein Kinase Library

A screen of a focused kinase inhibitor library against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense led to the identification of seven series, totaling 121 compounds, which showed >50 % inhibition at 5 μm . Screening of these hits in a T. b. brucei proliferation assay highlighted three compounds with a 1H‐imidazo[4,5‐b]pyrazin‐2(3H)‐one scaffold that showed sub‐micromolar activity and excellent selectivity against the MRC5 cell line. Subsequent rounds of optimisation led to the identification of compounds that exhibited good in vitro drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) properties, although in general this series suffered from poor solubility. A scaffold‐hopping exercise led to the identification of a 1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine scaffold, which retained potency. A number of examples were assessed in a T. b. brucei growth assay, which could differentiate static and cidal action. Compounds from the 1H‐imidazo[4,5‐b]pyrazin‐2(3H)‐one series were found to be either static or growth‐slowing and not cidal. Compounds with the 1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine scaffold were found to be cidal and showed an unusual biphasic nature in this assay, suggesting they act by at least two mechanisms.