Comparison of deterioration of rye under two different storage regimes

Deterioration of stored rye samples was studied at different moisture contents and temperatures. Germination, presence of visible and invisible microflora, and free fatty acid values (FAV) were determined for samples at 10.0, 12.5, 15.0 and 17.5% moisture content (wet mass basis) stored at 10, 20, 30 and 40 °C for 16 weeks. Results of deterioration at constant moisture content (case 1) were compared with previously reported results for deterioration under declining moisture content (case 2). Germination rate was almost the same for all the moisture content samples stored at 10 °C for both cases, but a significant decrease was observed at other temperatures with high moisture content. Fatty acid values remained similar in both cases when rye was stored at 10 and 20 °C, whereas at 30 and 40 °C, FAVs of the rye samples in which the moisture content was maintained were high and increased with an increase in temperature and moisture content. Visible mould appeared early in the samples whose moisture content was maintained. Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus glaucus group were the predominant fungal species present in both the cases throughout the study. The rate of deterioration was significantly different between the two cases.     

Antioxidant capacity and related parameters of different fruit formulations

Fruits and vegetables are known as good sources of phytochemicals, essential to prevent degenerative diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). They contain a variety of antioxidants, which are useful to scavenge radical oxygen species (ROS). Besides smoothies, fruit purees, concentrates and juices - used by the food industry for these new beverages - were analysed. Total phenolics by Folin-Ciocalteu method, vitamin C content and antioxidant capacity (AOC) by FRAP, TEAC and ORAC assay were analysed by using high-throughput methods on a microplate reader. Vitamin C content ranged from 31 ± 3 mg/100 g in drinkable pomegranate concentrate to 1373 ± 125 mg/100 g in acerola puree; total phenolics content was quantified between 51 ± 1 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g in the mango-peach smoothie and 1152 ± 62 mg/100 g in the ascorbic acid rich acerola puree. The AOC differed depending on kind of fruit and antioxidant assay used. In most fruit products the major portion of AOC was generated by polyphenolic compounds, except acerola puree and orange juice. Very good correlations between total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity were found in the single fruit products, however not in the fruit and vegetable smoothies. Most of the analysed smoothies were able to supply with one package nearly the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of vitamin C for adults of 100 mg per day.     

Influence of pasture and concentrates in the diet of grazing dairy cows on the fatty acid composition of milk

In five short-term experiments conducted in Victoria in 1997 and 1998, grazing dairy cows were given either pasture alone or pasture supplemented with high-energy concentrates, and the fatty acid profiles of milk fat were measured. We established the effects of these feeds on some aspects of milk fat of importance for human nutrition, but we specifically focused on the hypothesis that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations in milk fat increase as pasture intake increases, and decrease as more concentrates are fed. In agreement with previous research, feeding fresh pasture alone resulted in high concentrations (1.0-1.8 g/100 g milk fat) of CLA. When the effect of level of pasture consumption on CLA content was examined, a significant positive relationship (r2 = 0.35; P < 0.05) was obtained. When cereal grain concentrates were used to supplement pasture intake, the CLA content of milk fat generally declined (P < 0.05), except where the amount of concentrates given led to a marked reduction in total milk fat concentration. The use of cereal grain concentrates also generally resulted in significant (P < 0.05) increases in medium-chain saturated fatty acids, but always reduced the contribution of butyric acid to milk fat, from 4.5 to 3.9 g/100 g milk fat, on average.     

Associations between management practices and within-pen prevalence of calf diarrhea and respiratory disease on dairy farms using automated milk feeders

Data on management practices used with automated milk feeders (AMF) are needed to identify factors associated with calf health in these systems. The objectives of this observational, longitudinal, cross-sectional study were to estimate the prevalence of calf diarrhea (CD) and bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and to identify factors associated with prevalence of these diseases at the pen level on dairy farms feeding milk to group-housed calves with AMF. Seventeen dairy farms with AMF in Ontario, Canada, were visited 4 times, seasonally, over 1 yr. The clinical health of all calves (n = 1,488) in pens (n = 35) with AMF was scored to identify the number of calves with CD and BRD. Data on calf, feeder, and pen management practices were analyzed using generalized linear mixed regression models for each disease. Overall calf-level prevalence of CD and BRD were 23 and 17%, respectively. Median (interquartile range, IQR) within-pen prevalence of CD and BRD were 17% (7 to 37%) and 11% (0 to 28%), respectively. Median age (IQR) for diarrheic calves was 25 d (16 to 42 d), and for calves with BRD was 43 d (29 to 60 d). Factors associated with lower within-pen prevalence of CD were the administration of vitamin E and selenium at birth [odds ratio (OR) = 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32 to 0.99], feeding of probiotics (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.93), and adding fresh bedding every 2 to 3 d (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.76) compared with every 7 or more days. In contrast, sharing air with older cattle (>9 mo old) was associated with increased within-pen prevalence of CD (OR = 4.54, 95% CI: 1.88 to 10.52). Additionally, total bacteria counts ≥100,000 cfu/mL in milk samples taken from the AMF mixing jar were associated with increased within-pen prevalence of CD during the summer visit (OR = 3.34; 95% CI: 1.31 to 8.54). Increased total solids in milk or milk replacer (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.85) and feeding whole milk versus milk replacer (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.75) were associated with lower within-pen prevalence of BRD. Factors associated with greater within-pen prevalence of BRD were sharing air with weaned cattle up to 8 mo old (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.26 to 8.16), and greater depth of the wet bedding pack. The use of maternity pens for reasons other than just calving was associated with increased prevalence of both CD and BRD (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.03 to 3.33; OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.21 to 5.58, respectively). These results suggest that isolation from older animals and frequent cleaning of the feeder and pen may help to reduce disease prevalence in group-housed calves fed with an AMF.     

Vacuolar and extracellular maturation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteinase A

The vacuolar aspartyl protease proteinase A (PrA) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is encoded as a preproenzyme by the PEP4 gene and transported to the vacuole via the secretory route. Upon arrival of the proenzyme proPrA to the vacuole, active mature 42 kDa PrA is generated by specific proteolysis involving the vacuolar endoprotease proteinase B (PrB). Vacuolar activation of proPrA can also take place in mutants lacking PrB activity (prb1). Here an active 43 kDa species termed pseudoPrA is formed, probably by an autocatalytic process. When the PEP4 gene is overexpressed in wild-type cells, mature PrA can be found in the growth medium. We have found that prb1 strains overexpressing PEP4 can form pseudoPrA extracellularly. N-terminal amino acid sequence determination of extracellular, as well as vacuolar pseudoPrA showed that it contains nine amino acids of the propeptide, indicating a cleavage between Phe67 and Ser68 of the preproenzyme. This cleavage site is in accordance with the known substrate preference for PrA, supporting the notion that pseudoPrA is formed by autoactivation. When a multicopy PEP4 transformant of a prb1 mutant was grown in the presence of the aspartyl protease inhibitor pepstatin A, a significant level of proPrA was found in the growth medium. Our analyses show that overexpression of PEP4 leads to the secretion of proPrA to the growth medium where the zymogen is converted to pseudoPrA or mature PrA in a manner similar to the vacuolar processing reactions. Amino acid sequencing of secreted proPrA confirmed the predicted cleavage by signal peptidase between Ala22 and Lys23 of the preproenzyme.     

Storage life of frozen salmonoids Effect of light and packaging conditions on carotenoid oxidation and lipid oxidation

Summary The combined effect of oxygen transmission of packaging material and of exposure to light with different spectral distribution on the oxidative degradation of carotenoids and lipids in frozen salmonoids has been characterized in a storage experiment with steaks of rainbow trout. The degradation of the carotenoid astaxanthin, as followed by HPLC analysis and tristimulus colorimetric measurement, was sensitive to the radiant flux density of UV light and less sensitive to the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging material, in agreement with previous findings for photooxidation of carotenoids in food model systems. This is in contrast to the lipid oxidation, which was found to be dependent on the accessability of oxygen rather than on exposure to UV light. Formation of peroxides in the product culminated after 3 months of storage (up to 8.4 mEq kg^–1 oil), and preceded the formation of thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances. The product in packaging material with a high oxygen transmission rate (60 cm³ m^–2 bar^–1 per 24 h) reached a level of approximately 5 mol malonaldhyde/kg^–1 product, when stored exposed to standard fluorescent light or fluorescent light with a high UV component. Rancid taste was not detected by sensory evaluation for any of the products after 6 months of storage, whereas a bitter taste was noted for the product exposed to UV light.

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Die Haltbarkeit von Lachsforellen Einfluß von Licht und Verpackung auf die Carotenoid- und Fettoxydation

Zusammenfassung Der kombinierte Effekt von Sauerstoffdurchgang durch Verpackungsmaterial und der Lichteinwirkung verschiedener spektraler Verteilung auf den oxidativen Abbau der Carotinoide und Fette in gefrorenen Lachsforellen wurde in einem Lagerungsversuch untersucht. Der Abbau des Carotenoids Astaxanthin wurde mit HPLC undTristimulus-Calorimetrie beobachtet, und war empfindlich gegenüber UV-Licht und weniger empfindlich gegenüber der Sauerstoffdurchlässigkeit der Verpackung, was mit früheren Ergebnissen für Photooxidation der Carotinoide in Modellsystemen übereinstimmt. Dies widerspricht der Fettoxidation, die mehr von Sauerstoffzugang abhängig ist als von der Entwicklung des UV-Lichtes. Die Bildung von Peroxiden des Produktes kuliminierte nach 3monatiger Lagerung (bis 8,4 meq/kg Öl) und ging der Bildung von Thiobarbitursäure-aktiven Substanzen voraus. Das Produkt im Material mit hohem Sauerstoffdurchgang (60 cm³ m^–2 bar^–1 pro 24 h), das bei normalen fluorescierendem Licht oder bei fluorescierendem Licht mit hohem UV-Anteil aufbewahrt wurde, erreichte einen TBS-Wert von ungefähr 5 mol Malonaldehyd/kg Fleisch. Ein ranziger Geschmack wurde durch sensorische Bewertung nach 6monatiger Lagerung nicht erkannt, wohl aber ein bitterer Geschmack bei dem UV-Licht ausgesetzten Proben.

     

Response of dairy cows to high doses of a sustained-release bovine somatotropin administered during two lactations. 2. Health and reproduction.

Eighty-two lactating Holstein cows in their first, second, or third lactation received either one, three, or five concurrent i.m. injections of a unit dose (.6 g) of zinc methionyl bST (sometribove) or five doses of the vehicle. Injections were given at 14-d intervals from 60 +/- 3 d postpartum until the end of lactation or necropsy. Thirty-eight animals were continued on treatment for a 2nd yr. Sometribove did not affect the incidence of ketosis, milk fever, tetany, or pneumonia. Digestive disorders, primarily cows going off feed, were increased by bST during yr 1 only. The incidence of lameness was increased by bST in some time frames because of an increase in the 3.0-g bST group. Lameness was not associated with treatment-specific histopathologic changes or with abnormalities in cartilage or bone. Reproductive health generally was unaffected by treatment, but delayed conception and increased incidence of abortion were noted. Incidence of cystic ovaries was unaffected by bST. Pregnancy rates were decreased during the 100-d breeding interval of yr 1 but not during the 215-d interval of yr 2. The incidence of clinical mastitis was increased by bST, primarily at the 3.0-g dose. During the 2-yr study, 0, 3, 3, and 2 cows died or became moribund on 0, .6, 1.8, and 3.0 g of bST, respectively. Health issues identified for further evaluation included lameness and clinical mastitis for the 3.0-g group and early removal from the herd and decreased reproductive performance for all bST groups. Bovine somatotropin caused no treatment-specific toxic effects in dairy cows even at 3.0 g every 14 d.     

Biochemical and physicochemical properties of thermally treated natural actomyosin extracted from normal and PSE pork Longissimus muscle

Biochemical and physicochemical properties of thermally treated natural actomyosin (NAM) from normal and pale, soft and exudative (PSE) pork were studied. About 37% and 25% of available sulphydryl groups formed disulphide bonds or other permanent chemical bonds at 70 °C in NAM from normal and PSE pork, respectively. Surface hydrophobicities of NAM from normal and PSE pork at 70 °C were 3.6 and 2.4 times greater than that at 40 °C. About 90% of the α-helical structure of NAM was lost by heating to 70 °C. The temperature at maximum α-helical content decline of NAM was in accordance with the peak 3 thermal transition obtained by differential scanning calorimetry and the lowest storage modulus (G′) during thermal rheology. NAM from normal pork underwent aggregation with a higher extent of hydrophobic interaction and disulphide bonds, higher temperatures at maximum velocity for conformational change and unfolding than that from PSE pork. As a consequence, NAM from normal pork had superior rheological properties.     

Cryoimmunoglobulin IgGk with microtubular ultrastructure associated with pyoderma gangrenosum

Based on the hitherto published population data of the human red cell PGM1 and acid phosphatase polymorphisms, the geographical distributions of their gene frequencies were analyzed. As far as the acid phosphatase alleles are concerned, a marked geographical gradient was found as the Pa and Pb alleles showed significant correlations with the mean annual temperatures of the various human biotopes (Pa:r = -0.706; Pb:r = +0.812). Against that, the world distribution of the PGM1 alleles did not show a comparable correlation (PGM1 1:R = +0.063; PGM2 1:R = -0.063). The possible reasons for the distribution pattern of the acid phosphatase alleles are discussed.     

Red blood cell catechol O-methyl transferase and response to imipramine in unipolar depressive women

When baseline red blood cell catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) was measured in 15 unipolar depressive women, the authors found a linear correlation between COMT and response to imipramine (best outcome occurring at low COMT). The results of this study were not related to such variables as intensity of depression, family history, or psychiatric history. The authors suggest that this assay may be useful either as a predictor of response to the drug or as a guide in choosing the optimum dose.