Changes in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity during convective drying of murta (Ugni molinae T.) berries

Murta (Ugni molinae T.) berries were air‐dried at five temperatures (40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C), and the changes in β‐carotene, phenolic acids, total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacities (DPPH and ORAC) were investigated. The berries showed a high content of β‐carotene, which decreased during drying temperature between 40 °C and 80 °C. Free and bound phenolic acids were also determined, showing gallic acid to be the prevalent phenolic acid. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the dried berries showed a higher decrease at lower temperature due to longer drying time. The radical‐scavenging activity also showed higher antioxidant activity at higher drying temperatures (70–80 °C) than at lower drying temperatures (40–50 °C). Total phenolic content (TPC) and flavonoids showed good correlation with antioxidant capacity. Murta berries proved to be an excellent source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds and are therefore a potential ingredient for new functional food products.     

Influence of different stabilizing operations and storage time on the composition of essential oil of thyme (Thymus officinalis L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

The effect of different stabilizing techniques on the composition of essential oil of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus officinalis L.) during one year of storage is reported. The study was aimed to know what is the stabilizing technique to keep at the best the original essential oil composition. The fresh samples were collected and treated as follows: air-dried in a laboratory scale pilot dryer, frozen in a forced-air freezer and freeze-dried in a laboratory freeze-dryer. The fresh sample served as control. The treated samples were packaged with appropriate packaging material and stored at 20 °C or −20 °C for 12 months. All the samples were hydrodistilled every three months and the oils composition was obtained by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Quantification of known compounds was done with the use of an internal standard. Freezing best maintained the composition of rosemary and thyme essential oil. Appropriate packaging of air-dried and freeze-dried herbs resulted in negligible quality loss up to one year of storage. The frozen and stored thyme samples showed the best retention of thymol, the most important compound, as well as of γ-terpinene and carvacrol.     

Infectivity of Trichinella nativa in traditional northern (country) foods prepared with meat from experimentally infected seals

The infectivity of Trichinella nativa larvae in three traditional northern (country) foods was assessed. Foods were prepared with meat from seals experimentally infected with Trichinella nativa and evaluated over a 317-day period during which this food was fed directly to cats while mice were orally inoculated with larvae recovered following the digestion of the food in a solution containing 1% pepsin and 1% HCl at 37 degrees C. Foods examined were igunaq (meat and blubber placed in a seal skin bag and allowed to ferment), nikku (air-dried meat), and sausage (meat, fillers, salt, and spices). Sausage was examined both in a raw state and after partial cooking. Infective T. nativa larvae survived in igunaq, nikku, raw frozen sausage, and poorly cooked sausage for at least 5 months under controlled laboratory conditions. Core temperatures of partially cooked sausage never exceeded 50 degrees C. Caution should be exercised in using these data to establish guidelines for the consumption of raw products, since the survival of infective larvae could be unpredictably extended under field conditions. These data indicate significant food safety risks associated with igunaq, nikku, and sausage prepared with Trichinella-infected meat and provide information for use in risk management and in directing future research.     

Differentiation in the Lipid Quality of Wild and Farmed Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata)

ABSTRACT: The elements of differentiation that characterize the quality of the lipid fraction of wild and farmed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) were investigated. Reared fish of either species had a total lipid content significantly higher than the wild counterparts. Liquid chromatography of unsaponifiable lipids showed, on a lipid gram basis, higher cholesterol levels in wild fish and comparable amounts of squalene, all‐trans retinol, and α‐tocopherol. Gas chromatography of total lipids revealed differences between the fatty acid profiles of wild and reared fish.     

Detection of endogenous Snf1 and its activation state: application to Saccharomyces and Candida species

The stress-response Snf1 protein kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae serves as a powerful model for studies of the eukaryotic Snf1/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family. Central to studies of Snf1 are methods that determine its activation state under various physiological and genetic conditions. Here, we have developed a convenient and sensitive method for immunoblot analysis of endogenous yeast Snf1 and its activation-loop threonine (Thr210) phosphorylation. The method employs readily obtainable reagents and yields results that faithfully reflect the environmental and genetic conditions tested. Using our method, we have obtained evidence that Snf1 remains stress-regulated in reg1 Delta cells, revealing the existence of a Snf1 signalling mechanism(s) that is independent of Reg1-PP1 phosphatase. In addition to strains of common laboratory S. cerevisiae backgrounds, we have applied the method to two pathogenic Candida species, C. glabrata and C. albicans. We have detected proteins whose gel mobilities, immune properties and regulation patterns are consistent with those expected for the corresponding Snf1 homologues. Because Snf1 activation is a sensitive marker of several types of stress, including artifactual stresses associated with common cell harvesting and protein extraction procedures, the convenient and efficient protein extraction method described here should be advantageous for SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analyses of stress-regulated and other proteins from various yeast species.     

Growth,nutritional quality and safety of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) cultured in the lagoon of Venice (Italy)

Quality aspects of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from a suspended culture in the lagoon of Venice (Valle Dogà) were examined in different seasons over a 1‐year period. Ecophysiological and commercial quality indicators (condition index, content of meat, shell and intervalvar fluid), nutritional quality parameters (proximate and mineral composition, glycogen content, fatty acid profile, cholesterol, plant sterols, fat‐soluble vitamins content) and levels of organic pollutants (polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides) were determined at different times of the year. Seasonal variations were observed in the nutrient content, with particular regard to moisture (ranging from 866.8 g kg^?1 in June to 938.8 g kg^?1 in September), protein (23.9 g kg^?1 in September to 76.6 g kg^?1 in June), ash (22.5 g kg^?1 in February to 29.5 g kg^?1 in July), lipid (3.0 g kg^?1 in September to 8.8 g kg^?1 in June) and glycogen (0.7 g kg^?1 in September to 11.5 g kg^?1 in February). In spite of this variability, the nutritional quality of the oysters was generally good, especially just before gamete release when the concentration of nutrients was at its maximum. Low levels of organochlorine chemicals were detected in the edible meat of oysters but, because only a limited number of samples were analysed, no general conclusion can be drawn on the safety of seafood from this area. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Where Are We with RPE Replacement Therapy? A Translational Review from the Ophthalmologist Perspective

The retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) plays a pivotal role in retinal homeostasis. It is therefore an interesting target to fill the unmet medical need of different retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and Stargardt disease. RPE replacement therapy may use different cellular sources: induced pluripotent stem cells or embryonic stem cells. Cells can be transferred as suspension on a patch with different surgical approaches. Results are promising although based on very limited samples. In this review, we summarize the current progress of RPE replacement and provide a comparative assessment of different published approaches which may become standard of care in the future.     

Possible Implications of Bacteriospermia on the Sperm Quality,Oxidative Characteristics,and Seminal Cytokine Network in Normozoospermic Men

This study focused on the identification of bacterial profiles of semen in normozoospermic men and their possible involvement in changes to the sperm structural integrity and functional activity. Furthermore, we studied possible fluctuations of selected cytokines, oxidative markers, and antibacterial proteins as a result of bacterial presence in the ejaculate. Sperm motility was assessed with computer-assisted sperm analysis, while sperm apoptosis, necrosis and acrosome integrity were examined with fluorescent methods. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was quantified via luminometry, sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated using the TUNEL protocol and chromatin-dispersion test, while the JC-1 assay was applied to evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential. Cytokine levels were quantified with the biochip assay, whilst selected antibacterial proteins were quantified using the ELISA method. The predominant species identified by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry were Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus capitis and Micrococcus luteus. The results revealed that the sperm quality decreased proportionally to the increasing bacterial load and occurrence of conditionally pathogenic bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed a substantial resistance of randomly selected bacterial strains to ampicillin, vancomycin, tobramycin, and tetracycline. Furthermore, an increased bacterial quantity in semen was accompanied by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha as well as ROS overproduction and lipid peroxidation of the sperm membranes. Our results suggest that semen quality may be notably affected by the bacterial quantity as well as quality. It seems that bacteriospermia may be associated with inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, sperm structural deterioration, and a subsequent risk for the development of subfertility, even in normozoospermic males.