The Barley Chloroplast Mutator (cpm) Mutant: All Roads Lead to the Msh1 Gene

The barley chloroplast mutator (cpm) is a nuclear gene mutant that induces a wide spectrum of cytoplasmically inherited chlorophyll deficiencies. Plastome instability of cpm seedlings was determined by identification of a particular landscape of polymorphisms that suggests failures in a plastome mismatch repair (MMR) protein. In Arabidopsis, MSH genes encode proteins that are in charge of mismatch repair and have anti-recombination activity. In this work, barley homologs of these genes were identified, and their sequences were analyzed in control and cpm mutant seedlings. A substitution, leading to a premature stop codon and a truncated MSH1 protein, was identified in the Msh1 gene of cpm plants. The relationship between this mutation and the presence of chlorophyll deficiencies was established in progenies from crosses and backcrosses. These results strongly suggest that the mutation identified in the Msh1 gene of the cpm mutant is responsible for the observed plastome instabilities. Interestingly, comparison of mutant phenotypes and molecular changes induced by the barley cpm mutant with those of Arabidopsis MSH1 mutants revealed marked differences.     

On the Acetylation of Phenanthrene and 9-chlorophenanthrene

Friedel-Crafts acetylation of phenanthrene ( 1a ) in sym-tetrachloroethane yields mixtures of 2-, 3- and 9-acetylphenanthrenes ( 2a, 3a, 4 ). The distribution of isomers is found to depend strongly upon the method of mixing the reagents. Acetylation of 9-chlorophenanthrene ( 1b ), performed by a variety of methods and solvents, led mainly to 3-acetyl-9-chlorophenanthrene ( 3b ) (≥85%). Previously unreported 2-acetyl-9-chlorophenanthrene ( 2b ) was found to form up to a maximum 11% in nitrobenzene.     

Effect of finishing and ageing time on quality attributes of loin from the meat of Holstein–Fresian cull cows

The effects of finishing time, (T0 = 0, T1 = 30 and T2 = 60 days), on Holstein–Friesian cull cows (n = 18) and post-mortem ageing, (1, 7, 14, 21, 35 and 42 days), under vacuum conditions of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscles were investigated. The objective of this research was to study how finishing feeding (based on a commercial concentrate and corn silage), following a pasture period of 90 days, affected carcass and meat quality. Ageing time effect was also evaluated on the main quality attribute of added value pieces, such as “striploin of ox” from cull cows. Finishing treatment affected intramuscular fat content (IMF), moisture percentage, water-holding capacity (WHC), colour parameters and shear force of meat at 24 h post-mortem, whereas ageing time enhanced meat tenderness, when this was measured by two textural tests, Warner–Braztler (WB) and textural profile analysis (TPA). A minimum shear force was achieved at 7 and 14 days of ageing for T1 and T2, respectively. No differences (P > 0.05) could be found in colour parameters from 7 to 42 days. The results show that a finishing time of two months is very beneficial, due to the increase in meat fatness, improved overall carcass quality and luminosity (L*). Furthermore, 14 ageing days were sufficient to improved tenderness. Ageing time did not have an effect on lipid oxidation (P > 0.05) and this leads us to conclude that meat shelf life exceeded 42 days under vacuum conditions’.     

Intramuscular fatty acid composition of “Galician Mountain” foals breed: Effect of sex,slaughtered age and livestock production system

The effects of sex, slaughtered age (9 vs. 12 months) and livestock production system (freedom extensive system vs. semi extensive system) of “Galician Mountain” foals breed on the fatty acid composition were studied. The sex and slaughtered age of the animals had no statistical significance in the intramuscular fatty acids. Furthermore, the livestock production system showed differences in the fatty acid profiles from the Longissimus dorsi. The feeding system showed significant differences in PUFA content (P < 0.001) higher in freedom extensive production system that semi extensive system, whereas MUFA content was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in semi extensive system. This major PUFA content in freedom extensive production showed a significant (r = 0.70, P < 0.01) correlation with C18:3n− 3 content and can be attributed to their eaten only pasture until slaughtered. The higher MUFA contents (P < 0.001) observed for semi extensive production system foals were very significant (r = 0.98, p < 0.01) correlated with C18:1cis−9 content and less significant (r = 0.81, P < 0.01) correlated with C16:1cis−9 content. In addition, the data reinforced the evidence that foals from extensive production system on wood pasture have a higher nutritional quality (mainly due to the higher levels of n−3 PUFA) when compared to concentrate-fed foals, as a result of the beneficial effects of grass on meat fatty acid profiles.     

Seasonal variations in total fatty acid composition of muscles and eye sockets of tucunaré (Cichla sp.) from the Brazilian Amazon area

Seasonal variations in total fatty acid compositions of tucunaré, Cichla sp. in the Janauacá Lake of the Amazon basin were determined by GC. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were found to be at higher concentrations than monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in two seasonal periods. Major fatty acids were palmitic (16:0, 48.5–51.6% of total SFA), oleic (18:1ω9, 43.9–50.2% of total MUFA), docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6ω3, 13.5–27.9% of total PUFA) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4ω6, 16.0–19.6% of total PUFA). Polyunsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant in muscle during the flood period, and more especially fatty acids 22:6ω3 (10%) and 20:4ω6 (7%). There were no significant variations amongst total lipid SFA, MUFA, and PUFA from eye sockets. The ω6 fatty acid percentages were always higher than the ω3 fatty acid percentages in tucunaré, with ω6/ω3 ratios varying between 1.02 and 1.6 in the flood and drought periods.     

Enzymatic de-glycosylation of rutin improves its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities

Bioavailability and biological properties of flavonoid glycosides can be improved after the enzymatic hydrolysis of specific glycosyl groups. In this study, we evaluate the antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of rutin after enzymatic hydrolysis performed by α-l-rhamnosidases (hesperidinase from Penicillium sp. and naringinase from Penicillium decumbens) previously heated at 70 °C for 30 min to inactivate the undesirable β-d-glucosidase activity. The highest in vitro antioxidant activity determined by DPPH radical scavenging was achieved with rutin hydrolyzed by hesperidinase. Rutin was predominantly bioconverted into quercetin-3-glucoside. There was no statistical difference between xanthine oxidase inhibition by rutin before and after hydrolysis. However, in vitro inhibitory activity against ten human tumor cell lines showed that hydrolyzed rutin exerted a more potent antiproliferative effect than quercetin and rutin on various cancer cell lines, specially glioma, and ovarian and breast adenocarcinomas. These results indicate that quercetin-3-glucoside could be a promising functional derivative obtained by rutin hydrolysis.     

Chitosan biobased and intelligent films: Monitoring pH variations

Many factors can influence the shelf-life product, such as pH, water activity, nutrient levels available oxygen, etc. Variations in food pH could occur due to microorganism growth and chemical reactions that may impact flavour, consistency and shelf-life. The objective of this paper was to obtain and characterize the fast pH-colourimetric indicator device, applying a simple manufacturing technique, using food grade and biodegradable materials. The intelligent film was based on natural compounds as chitosan and anthocyanin (pH-colourimetric indicator). Chitosan intelligent films (C-ATH, 2.0 g/100 g) were obtained incorporating anthocyanin (1.0 g/100 g) in matrix films. Initially, a dark violet colour was observed in chitosan films dried. When immersed in different pH buffers, the colour range of the films varied from pink (in acid pH) to bluish-green (in neutral pH) and to violet (in basic pH). The water solubility and water vapour transmission rate of C-ATH were decreased to 60% and 48%, respectively, as compared to control film (CF, without indicator). The mechanical properties such as tensile strength and rigidity were maintained, and the elongation at break was reduced to 47% compared to CF. The advantages of this system were the simple manufacturing process, biodegradability and usage of natural and safe compounds.     

Biobased surfactant-like molecules from organic wastes: the effect of waste composition and composting process on surfactant properties and on the ability to solubilize Tetrachloroethene (PCE)

In this work, four surfactant-like humic acids (HAs) obtained from garden lignocellulose wastes and kitchen food wastes mixed with garden-lignocellulose wastes, both before and after composting, were tested for surfactant properties and the ability to solubilize tetrachloroethene (PCE). The waste-derived HAs showed good surfactant properties, lowering the water surface tension from 74 mN m(-1) to 45.4 +/- 4.4 mN m(-1), with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 1.54 +/- 1.68 g L(-1), which is lower than many synthetic ionic surfactants. CMC was affected by both waste origin and composting processes. The addition of food waste and composting reduced CMC by adding alkyl-C (measured by CP MAS 13C NMR) and N- and S-HA contents (amide molecules), so that a multistep regression was found [CMC = 24.6 - 0.189 alkyl C - 2.64 (N + S); R2 = 0.77, P < 0.10, n = 6]. The four HAs solubilized PCE at the rate of 0.18-0.47 g PCE/g aqueous biosurfactant. These results were much higher than those reported in the literature for a commercial HA (0.026 g/g), but they were in line with those measured in this work for nonionic surfactants such as Tween-80 (0.69 g/g) and Triton X-100 (1.08 g/g).     

Microalgae biomass interaction in biopolymer gelled systems

Microalgae are an enormous biological resource, representing one of the most promising sources for the development of new food products and applications. Pea protein/κ-carrageenan/starch gels, interesting vegetarian alternatives to dairy desserts, served as model systems to study the addition of microalgal biomass, its effect, and subsequent rheological behaviour. Spirulina and Haematococcus gels presented a markedly different rheological behaviour compared to the control mixed biopolymer gelled system. The present goal is to clarify how these microalgae affect the gelation and interact with each biopolymer present in the complex mixed gel system. Hence, the aim of the present work is to study the effect of Spirulina and Haematococcus microalgal biomass addition on the rheological behaviour of pea protein, κ-carrageenan and starch simple gels, as well as in pea protein/κ-carrageenan and pea protein/starch systems. The gelation process was monitored in-situ through dynamic oscillatory measurements (temperature, time and frequency sweep tests) for a 24 h maturation period, and rheological results were supported with fluorescence optical microscopy observations. The addition of Spirulina and Haematococcus to biopolymer gelled systems induced significant changes in the gels’ rheological behaviour and microstructure. In general, it was observed that the gelling mechanism is ruled by the biopolymers, while microalgae seem to be embedded in the gel network acting as active particle fillers. The addition of Haematococcus resulted in more structured gels in comparison to the control and Spirulina systems. In the case of κ-carrageenan gels, both microalgae induced a large increase in the rheological parameters, which should be related to the high ionic content of microalgal biomass. Spirulina addition on starch systems promoted a decrease in the gels’ rheological parameters. This should be related to the starch gelatinization process, probably by competing for water binding zones during the granules’ hydration process.     

Optimization and Validation of a UV–HPLC Method for Vitamin C Determination in Strawberries (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fragaria ananassa</Emphasis> Duch.), Using Experimental Designs

Vitamin C or total ascorbic acid (TAA) in fruits can be assumed as ascorbic acid (AA) plus dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) content. The aim of this work was to optimize and validate, using experimental designs, a new high-performance liquid chromatographic method for vitamin C determination in strawberries. The mobile phase (MP) consisted of a 0.03 M sodium acetate/acetic acid buffer, 5% methanol. For optimization, a Box–Behnken design was used (three factors at three levels: (a) pH of MP, 3.8–5.8; (b) wavelength, 240–270 nm; and (c) flow rate, 0.5–1.2 ml min⁻¹). Responses were: AA and TAA areas, peak widths, and retention times. A global optimization was performed using the Derringer desirability function, and a value of 0.84 was reached for the combination of design factors: A = 5.8, B = 251 nm, and C = 1.15 ml min⁻¹. Method validation, using AA standard solutions, included: linearity study, limits of detection and quantification, and calibration and analytical sensitivity quantifications. Precision and accuracy were studied in strawberry extracts. The coefficients of variation (percent) were: AA, 1.5%; TAA, 1.8%, and DHA, 4.9%. Accuracy was evaluated with AA standard spiked in 30–150% range of the expected amount of analyte in real samples. The joint confidence elliptical region test and t test were employed for the study of the difference between recoveries (percent) and the ideal 100%. The robustness was analyzed using a fractional factorial design (3⁴⁻²), and an AA recovery study after slight changes in operative variables was performed. The results indicate that the optimized method was linear, sensible, precise, accurate, and robust.