Fatty acid composition of spanish shortenings with special emphasis on <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis> unsaturation content as determined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography

A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic procedure was used to analyze 34 edible fats (22 shortenings and 12 vegetable margarines) as neat fats (IR_NF) to determine their total trans fatty acid (TFA) content. The sloping baseline was corrected with a reference spectrum based on a nonprocessed olive oil. The calibration was done using seven partially hydrogenated fats with an individual TFA content previously determined by the combination of gas chromatography (GC) with argentation thin-layer chromatography. Taking into account the different absorptivities of various trans isomers, different correction factors were calculated using the calibration standards (0.83 and 1.71 for single trans bonds in both diethylene and triethylene and for trans, trans-diethylene fatty acids, respectively) and applied to calculate the total TFA of samples. Moreover, the samples were converted to their methyl esters and reanalyzed following the same procedure (IR_FAME). Differences in TFA content of fats were not found when a t-test was used to compare the results obtained by IR_NF vs. either IR_FAME or GC, suggesting that IR of neat fats could be used, thus avoiding the need to prepare sample solutions in organic solvents and to prepare fatty acid methyl esters. The mean TFA content (determined by IR_NF) of a representative group of Spanish shortenings (22 samples) that varied widely in terms of fat sources, processes, and purposes (bakery, sandwiches, ice cream, coatings, chocolate coverings) was 6.55±11.40%, although more than 54% contained <3% of TFA. Fatty acid composition of shortenings by direct GC using a 100-m polar cyanopolysiloxane capillary column indicated that the mean trans-18∶2 isomer content was 0.58%, ranging from 0.9 to 3.4%. Small amounts of trans-18∶3 isomers (<0.3%) were observed in 18 of the 22 shortenings studied; the maximal value was <2%. The mean value of the fraction saturated+TFA of shortenings was high (59.95±12.73%), including two values higher than 83%.     

Semiconducting polyurethane/polypyrrole/polyaniline for microorganism immobilization and wastewater treatment in anaerobic/aerobic sequential packed bed reactors

The development of new materials for microorganism immobilization is very important in wastewater treatment. In this work polyurethane (PU) foams were modified polymerizing pyrrole and aniline onto their surface by chemical oxidization to obtain polyurethane/polypyrrole (PU/PPy), polyurethane/polyaniline (PU/PANI), and PU/(PPy‐co‐PANI) supports which were used to immobilize microorganisms for municipal wastewater treatment in batch mode and continuous flow using two sequential (anaerobic/aerobic) packed bed reactors (PBR) varying the total hydraulic retention time (HRT). The supports were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and tested in chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal during treatment of a municipal wastewater. It was observed from SEM analysis that globular nanostructures of PPy and PPy‐co‐PANI were formed onto the PU surface with average diameters between 100 and 300 nm, which are typical of aqueous polymerization of pyrrole monomer; however irregular nanostructures were observed when PANI was homopolymerized onto the PU foam. Batch wastewater treatment after 14 days showed COD removal efficiencies of 77%, 69%, 78%, and 80% for PU foam, PU/PPy, PU/PANI, and PU/(PPy‐co‐PANI), respectively; which was explained as a function of polymers morphology deposited onto the PU foam surface. Also it was observed from the sequential PBR that for 24 h and 36 h of HRT, 80 and 90% of COD removal can be achieved; respectively.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42242.     

Raman analysis of surimi gelation by addition of wheat dietary fibre

Raman analysis has been carried out to study the effects of Vitacel^® wheat dietary fibre (WDF) during gelation of surimi. The main results reveal the following: (a) Vitacel^® comprises natural cellulose I as major component; (b) hydration of WDF leads to νCH frequency upshifting and decreasing intensity. On the basis of these spectral features it is suggested that water transfer from protein to WDF can occur in surimi gels. WDF hydration can be interpreted in the sense that this fibre either takes water that is delivered from the gel protein upon heat-mediated formation of β-sheets and hydrophobic contacts and/or or acts as an active dehydrating agent. An increase of solvent-exposed hydrophobic side chains is observed in the sol phase, upon the addition of WDF, which may cause breaking of intermolecular protein hydrophobic contacts; a subsequent change upon WDF-containing gel formation is the reduction in the νCH intensity, which may be indicative of increasing hydrophobic WDF-protein contacts. Interestingly, these results constitute molecular data, to be considered when designing restructured fish products with these fibre ingredients.     

Mercury levels in freshwater fish of the state of South Carolina

Samples of fish from freshwater sources of rivers, lakes and ponds all over the state of South Carolina were collected during the Summer of 1974 and 1975. The fish collected were Bass, Bluegill, Redbreast, Catfish, Shad, Carp, Crappie, Mudfish and Pike. Samples were analyzed using the flameless atomic absorption procedure outlined by Hatch and Ott, and Uthe et al as modified for use with Perkin-Elmer, Coleman MAS-50 mercury analyzer. Triplicate samples of fish tissue were analyzed by wet digestion method. The mean mercury levels in ppb were determined for baseline mercury levels. A significant finding of this report is that those species for which fish of widely differing weights were analyzed, larger fish had higher mercury levels. Mercury levels exceeding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guideline of 500 ppb for fish tissues have been found in the Mudfish from Edisto River and Pike fish from Lake Murray. Higher levels of mercury occurred in the highly vascularized blood tissues of liver and kidney than in muscle. Carnivorous and bottom-feeding fishes are the most reliable indicators of mercury pollution.     

Evolution of ascorbic acid and peroxidase during industrial processing of broccoli

The ascorbic acid content and peroxidase activity of raw, canned and frozen (after blanching times of 60, 90, 120 and 150 s) broccoli florets and stems were determined. The ascorbic acid content represented 1.12 and 0.78 g kg⁻¹ fresh weight in raw florets and stems respectively. After blanching (for different times) and freezing, the ascorbic acid content decreased to values of 0.55–0.56 g kg⁻¹ fresh weight in florets and 0.35–0.36 g kg⁻¹ fresh weight in stems. The industrial processing involved in canning decreased the ascorbic acid content to 0.18 g kg⁻¹ fresh weight in florets. The peroxidase activity observed in the florets and stems of raw broccoli was 308.8 and 278.6 µmol min⁻¹ per 100 g fresh weight respectively. The peroxidase activity remaining in frozen florets varied from 0.9 to 0.2%, while that in stems showed values of between 7.5 and 8.4%. These values for stems were within the range recommended for residual activity after blanching and freezing. The peroxidase activity of canned broccoli florets was practically undetectable. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lipid and protein structure analysis of frankfurters formulated with olive oil-in-water emulsion as animal fat replacer

Lipid and protein structural characteristics of frankfurter formulated with olive oil-in-water emulsion stabilized with soy protein isolate (SPI) as pork backfat replacer were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Proximate composition and textural properties were also evaluated. Different frankfurters were reformulated: F/PF with pork backfat, F/SPI with oil-in-water emulsion stabilized with SPI and F/SPI + SC + MTG with emulsion stabilized with a combination of SPI, sodium caseinate (SC) and microbial transglutaminase (MTG). Replacement of pork backfat with these emulsions produced an increase (P < 0.05) of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness but a reduction (P < 0.05) of adhesiveness. F/SPI and F/SPI + SC + MTG frankfurters showed the lowest (P < 0.05) half-bandwidth in the 2922 cm⁻¹ band, which could be related to lipid chains were more ordered than in F/PF. Modifications in the amide I band profile revealed a higher concentration of aggregated intermolecular β-sheets in F/SPI + SC + MTG samples. Lipid and protein structural characteristics could be associated with specific textural properties of healthier frankfurters.     

Attenuation of cocaine-induced locomotor activity by butyrylcholinesterase.

A primary enzyme for the metabolism of cocaine is butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). To determine whether the systemic administration of BChE can increase the metabolism of cocaine sufficiently to alter a behavioral effect, rats were tested in a locomotor activity chamber after receiving 17 mg of cocaine per kg intraperitoneally. In rats pretreated intravenously with 5,000 IU of horse serum-derived BChE, the locomotor activity effect was significantly attenuated. BChE pretreatment increased plasma BChE levels approximately 400-fold. When added to rat plasma, this amount of BChE reduced the cocaine half-life from over 5 hr to less than 5 min. BChE altered the cocaine metabolic pattern such that the relatively nontoxic metabolite ecgonine methyl ester was produced, rather than benzoylecgonine. These results suggest that systemic administration of BChE can increase the metabolism of cocaine sufficiently to alter a behavioral effect of cocaine and thus should be investigated as a potential treatment for cocaine abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)