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Short-term effects of selenium supplementation of cows' feed on the content and distribution of selenium, copper and zinc in bovine milk, whey and blood plasma

The effect of selenium supplementation of feed on the Se content in bovine milk, whey and plasma, and on the distribution of Se, Zn and Cu in whey and plasma was investigated. In a cross-over study two groups of cows were given a basal feed with 0.16 ppm selenite (approx. 3 mg Se/d) with or without 25 mg yeast Se/d for 2 weeks. In the supplemented group the Se content increased 10-fold in milk, 10-fold in whey and 2-fold in plasma, and after the cessation of the supplementation, selenium in milk decreased with a calculated half-life of 3.5 d. In another experiment, two groups of cows were given either 100 mg yeast Se/d for 1 week or only the basal feed. The increase in Se content in both whole and defatted milk was 40-50-fold, and in whey it was approx. 20-fold. Size-exclusion chromatography of whey using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for detection showed that supplementation increased the proportion of Se in the beta-lactoglobulin-alpha-lactalbumin fraction. Distribution of Cu and Zn was essentially unaffected. In plasma, supplementation increased the Se content in all major Se fractions like selenoprotein P, albumin and low-molecular-weight compounds, but the distribution profiles of Zn and Cu underwent no major changes. The study showed for the first time the rapid kinetics of the Se increase and decrease in milk after the initiation and cessation of supplementation, respectively, and the preferential appearance of Se in the beta-lactoglobulin-alpha-lactalbumin fraction of whey. Milk highly enriched in selenium will be a useful tool for different research purposes.     

Oxidative Stability of Polyunsaturated Edible Oils Mixed With Microcrystalline Cellulose

The oxidative stability of mixtures of edible oils containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was investigated. The mixtures studied consisted of oils of either camelina (CAM), cod liver (CLO), or salmon (SO) mixed with either colloidal or powdered MCC. A 50:50 (w/w) ratio of oil:MCC resulted in an applicable mixture containing high levels of PUFA edible oil and dietary fiber. The oxidative stability of the formulated mixtures and the pure oils was investigated over a period of 28 days. The peroxide value (PV) was assessed as a parameter for primary oxidation products and dynamic headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze secondary volatile organic compounds (VOC). CAM and the respective mixtures were oxidatively stable at both 4 and 22 °C during the storage period. The marine oils and the respective mixtures were stable at 4 °C. At 22 °C, an increase in hydroperoxides was found, but no increase in VOC was detected during the time-frame investigated. At 42 °C, prominent increases in PV and VOC were found for all oils and mixtures. Hexanal, a common marker for the degradation of n-6 fatty acids, propanal and 2,4-heptadienal (E,E), common indicators for the degradation of n-3 fatty acids, were among the volatiles detected in the headspace of oils and mixtures. This study showed that a mixture containing a 50:50 ratio of oil:MCC can be obtained by a low-tech procedure that does not induce oxidation when stored at low temperatures during a period of 1 month.     

Einflu? von Natriumehlorid auf den Abbau von Adenosintriphosphat und Glykogen im zerkleinerten Rindermuskelpost mortem

Zusammenfassung Ein Zusatz von 2% Natriumchlorid zu unmittelbar nach dem Schlachten zerkleinertem Rindermuskel bewirkt eine Beschleunigung des post-mortem-Abbaues von Adenosintriphosphat (ATP) zu Inosiumonophosphat, eine raschere Spaltung von Adenosindiphosphat, eine beschleunigte Freisetzung von anorganischem Phosphat und eine Verzögerung der Bildung von Hypoxanthin. Erhöhung des NaCl-Zusatzes von 2% auf 4% verstärkt diese Wirkung.Als Ursache für diese Wirkung von NaCl kommt eine Aktivierung der ATPasen des sarkoplasmatischen Reticulums und des Sarkolemms durch Na⁺-Ionen, eine Aktivierung der 5-Adenyl-säure-aminohydrolase durch NaCl oder eine verstärkte Freisetzung von Ca⁺⁺-Ionen aus dem sarkoplasmatischen Reticulum durch Austausch gegen Na in Betracht. Am wahrscheinlichsten ist die letztere Mbglichkeit.Ein Zusatz von 2% NaCl zum zerkleinerten Prae-rigor-Muskel beeinflußt die Geschwindigkeit der Umwandlung von Glykogen zu Lactat innerhalb der ersten 6 Std post mortem nicht; darnach tritt eine Hemmung des Glykogenabbaues und der Lactatbildung ein. Diese Wirkung wird durch Erhöhung des NaCl-Zusatzes auf 4% verstärkt. Der Einfluß von NaCl auf die pH-Veränderungen post mortem entspricht der Wirkung des Salzes auf die Lactatbildung. Die Bildung von Glucose-6-phosphat post mortem wird durch NaCl etwas gehemmt. Eine wesentliche Hemmung der Enzymaktivitäten durch NaCl scheint jedoch erst in späteren Stadien der Glykolyse einzutreten. Nur 70% des abgebauten Glykogens werden in Lactat umgewandelt.

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Influence of sodium chloride on the break-down of adenosine triphosphate and glycogen in ground beef muscle postmortem

Summary Addition of 2% sodium chloride to ground pre-rigor beef muscle causes an increase in the rate of break-down of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to inosine monophosphate, a faster break-down of adenosine diphosphate, a faster increase in inorganic phosphate and a slower formation of hypoxanthin. Increasing the NaCl concentration from 2% to 4% enhances these effects.The following influences could be responsible for this effect of NaCl: (1) activation of the ATPases of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and sarcolemma by Na+ ions; (2) activation of 5'-adenylic acid-aminohydrolase by NaCI ; (3) enhanced release of Ca++ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum by exchange against Na+. The last effect seems to be the most probable.Addition of 2% NaCl to ground pre-rigor muscle does not influence the rate of transformation of glycogen into lactate within the first 6 hours post mortem. After this period, NaCl has an inhibiting effect on the break-down of glycogen and the formation of lactate. This effect is enhanced by increasing the NaCl concentration up to 4%. The effect of NaCl on the change in pH post mortem reflects the influence of the salt on the formation of lactate. NaCl also causes some inhibition of the formation of glucose-6-phosphate post mortem. The main inhibition of enzymes by NaCl, however, seems to occur during the later stages of glycolysis. Only about 70% of the glycogen, which was broken-down, is metabolized to lactate.

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Diese Arbeit wurde durch Mittel des Forschungskreises der Ernährungsindustrie e.V. unter Beteiligung des Verbandes der Deutschen Fleischwaren- und Feinkostindustrie e.V. unterstützt.     

Untersuchungen zum Kristallabbau bei der Reduktion von Wüstit

Reduktionsversuche an auf Eisen aufoxydiertem Wüstit mit Kohlenmonoxid-Kohlendioxid-Stickstoff- und Wasserstoff-Wasserdampf-Stickstoff-Gasgemischen. Mikroskopische Beobachtung der anreduzierten Wüstitoberfläche. Beeinflussung der Reduktion durch die Oberflächentopographie des Wüstits. Analogie der Wüstitreduktion unter gleichgewichtsnahen Bedingungen zur Kristallverdampfung.     

Laboratory and Field Study of the Attraction of Male Pea Midges, Contarinia pisi, to Synthetic Sex Pheromone Components

Behavioral activity of the recently identified sex pheromone components of the pea midge, Contarinia pisi, (2S,11S)-diacetoxytridecane, (2S,12S)-diacetoxytridecane, and 2-acetoxytridecane, was tested in wind tunnel and field-trapping experiments. In the wind tunnel, the attractancy of the three-component blend in a 7 : 10 : 0.1 ratio (following the above order, mimicking the ratios found in gland extract) did not differ significantly from female gland extract, whereas a mixture of the two major components (7 : 10) only attracted 2% of the males to the source. In the field, traps baited with the three-component blend caught by far the largest number of males. Traps baited with the two major components only caught slightly more than the blank traps, and catches in traps baited with 2-acetoxytridecane alone did not differ from catches in the blank traps. Traps baited with the racemate of all three components did not catch more than the blank traps, indicating that some of the enantiomers are inhibitory.     

STRESSES IN VISCOELASTIC PLATE DRIED CONVECTIVELY

The deformations and drying-induced stresses in a saturated porous plate insulated on one side and dried convectively on the others were analysedPlate material is assumed to be elastic and viscoelastic. A rigorous solution of the problem is presented using Laplace transformations and the method of variable separation. The results are presented in the form of a series resulting from the solution of a Sturm-Liouville problem. The shrinkage stresses in the plate are caused by non-uniform distribution of the moisture content. The thermal stresses are not included as the consideration were confined to only constant rate drying period.     

Metal-ion-induced formation and stabilization of protein cages based on the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus

The cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is a versatile building block for the construction of nanoreactors and functional materials. Upon RNA removal, the capsid can be reversibly assembled and disassembed by adjusting the pH. At pH 5.0 the capsid is in the native assembled conformation, while at pH 7.5 it disassembles into 90 capsid protein dimers. This special property enables the encapsulation of various molecules, such as protein and enzymes, but only at low pH. It is possible to stabilize the capsid at pH 7.5 by addition of negatively charged polyelectrolytes or negatively charged particles, but these methods all fill the interior of the capsid, leaving little or no space for other cargo molecules. This pH restriction therefore severely limits the range of enzymes that can be encapsulated, and hampers the investigation of the CCMV capsid as a nanoreactor for the study of enzymes in confined spaces. Herein, the interaction of N-terminal histidine-tag-modified capsid proteins with several metal ions is reported. Depending on the conditions used, nanometer-sized protein particles or capsidlike architectures are formed that are stable at pH 7.5. This metal-mediated stabilization methodology is employed to form stable capsids containing multiple proteins at pH 7.5, thereby greatly expanding the scope of the CCMV capsid as a nanoreactor.