Chemical composition,nutritive value and voluntary intake of tropical tree foliage and cocoyam in pigs

The composition of the leaves of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) and of two trees (Trichanthera gigantea and mulberry, Morus alba), their nutritive value in pigs and voluntary intake by pigs were determined. The average protein content ranged from 170 to 240 g kg^?1 dry matter (DM) and that of neutral detergent fibres from 218 to 398 g kg^?1 DM. The leaves are interesting sources of calcium (up to 69 g kg^?1 DM), potassium, iron and manganese. The proteins are well balanced in essential amino acids, with lysine ranging from 43 to 57 g kg^?1 proteins. The apparent faecal digestibility was determined by difference in 35 kg pigs fed a diet containing 35% leaf meal. The digestibility coefficients of DM, N and energy were, respectively, 47–57, 33–36 and 51–53%. The digestible energy value ranged from 1.674 to 2.037 kcal kg^?1 DM. The voluntary intake of Trichanthera and Xanthosoma was measured in sows weighing 100 kg on average. The intake reached 3.4 kg fresh leaves day^?1 (0.51 kg DM) and 1.0–1.1 kg dry leaf meal/day. It is concluded that low energy density is the main limiting factor of tree foliage for pig nutrition but that they are good sources of minerals and well‐balanced proteins. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Methods used for the isolation, enumeration, characterisation and identification of Enterococcus spp. 2. Pheno- and genotypic criteria

This paper reviews the methodology applied for the identification and characterisation of enterococci and covers phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic techniques. Although conventional phenotypic typing schemes are useful for rapid and simple identification of enterococcal species for routine applications, other methods like standardised sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), antimicrobial susceptibility testing, serotyping, pyrolysis mass spectrometry (pyMS) and vibrational spectroscopic methods allow a more in-depth characterisation of enterococci. Many of the recently described enterococcal species exhibit deviations from hitherto so-called classical enterococci with regard to their phenotypical properties. Therefore, genotypic methods have to be used to clarify their possible assignment to the genus Enterococcus. In this review, special emphasis is given on recently developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based typing methods such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), specific and random amplification (SARA) and modifications of PCR-ribotyping as well as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and partial sequence analysis. The use of PCR and probes for genus and species identification of enterococci is also considered like the application of sequence data of conserved DNA regions (e.g., ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes) in the case of species identification.     

小麦籽粒品质与馒头品质关系的研究

馒头是我国主要食品之一，消费量和面条相当，且南方的消费量还在逐年增长。21世纪以前，国内学者对制做馒头小麦粉品质的要求，馒头品质的评价方法，馒头品质与小麦品种籽粒品质的关系所能提供的研究资料十分有限。国外学者从70年代起就一直注意跟踪和研究这些问题。由于馒头的地域种类较多，不同人群对馒头的喜好不同，评价馒头品质指标的标准化程度不够，使不同结果之间有一定的差异，或完全相反。作者通过对小麦品种籽粒品质的分析，制作馒头面团发酵特性和油炸结果测定，馒头品质的评价认为：馒头对小麦粉品质的要求范围较大，从中筋到弱筋小麦品种都可以制作馒头；筋力愈高，面团的发酵时间愈长，馒头的弹性愈高；小麦品种小偃107制作的馒头色白，体积较大；小偃107的发酵面团在油炸过程中体积增加，有可能表现出吸油率低的特点。     

Influence of defined milk products on the flavour of white coffee beverages using static headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/olfactometry and sensory analysis

The influence of milk processing and ingredients on the sensory properties of white coffee beverages has, as yet, not been thoroughly investigated, so in this study analysed milk products processed in a defined manner were added to a standardized, fresh coffee beverage; the resulting odour, taste and retronasal odour perception were measured by intensity tests, and selected volatiles were analysed by static headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. After adding pasteurized consumers’ milk, the effects of a different fat content (3.5 and 1.5%) and fat dispersion were studied. The milk with the lower fat content and with smaller fat globules, resulting from double homogenization (each 250/50 bar), induced a more intense coffee-related retronasal odour perception, whereas the milk-related impression was nearly the same. The addition of casein increased the creamy and milky retronasal odour perception and reduced the coffee-related taste and retronasal odour. These correlations may result in a custom-made development of milky coffee beverages controlled in their nasal and retronasal odour and taste by the defined processing of the milk component. With instrumental analysis it was observable that the effect of the addition of twice-homogenized, twice-pasteurized low-fat milk and of the addition of whole milk was similar. In both cases more volatiles were released from the beverage than with the addition of low-fat milk that was homogenized once. This is an unexpected result, because the whole milk has a higher fat content than the low-fat milk and therefore a greater retention of the flavour compounds was expected. Is it possible that the flavour compounds are not dissolved in fat and that interactions happen only with fat globule membrane constituents?     

Efficacy of an advanced sewage treatment plant in southeast Queensland, Australia, to remove estrogenic chemicals

The estrogenicity profile of domestic sewage during treatment at a medium-sized (3800 EP) advanced biological nutrient removal plant in Queensland, Australia, was characterized using a sheep estrogen receptor binding assay (ERBA) and the MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation assay (E-Screen). The raw influent was highly estrogenic (20-54 ng/L EEq), and primary treatment resulted in a slight increase in estrogenicity that was detected in one of the assays (6-80 ng/L). Concurrent chemical analysis suggested that most of the estrogenicity in the influent was due to natural hormones (>48%). Secondary activated sludge treatment followed by nitrification/denitrification effectively removed > 95% of the estrogenic activity (to <0.75-2.6 ng/L), and estrogenicity of the final tertiary-treated effluent was below the detection limit of both assays (<0.75 ng/L).     

Detection of UF resin on wood particles and in particleboards: potential of selected methods for practice-oriented offline detection

In the wood-based panel industry, controlling the manufacturing process is crucial for ensuring product quality, using resources efficiently and cutting production costs. One major aspect for the final quality of particleboards is the distribution of resin on particles within a board. This study deals with the comparison of techniques that can be used for a practice-oriented detection of urea formaldehyde resin within an industrial environment. Resin detection was carried out by staining the resin with visible and fluorescent dyes as well as by near infrared spectroscopic (NIR) in combination with CHN elemental analysis. Using the fluorescent dye Brilliant Sulphaflavine, resin as well as single resin droplets could be detected best. NIR measurements did not lead to coherent results and should be further improved, especially because of its potential for online detection.     

Fungicides and photochemistry: Photodegradation of the azole fungicide penconazole

In order to examine the photostability of the fungicide penconazole (1-(2,4-dichloro--propylphenethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole,1) in the field, model experiments with organic solvents were performed. Photodegradation (>280 nm) of penconazole was found to be more efficient in isopropanol and cyclohexane solution than in the presence of cyclohexene. Photolysis in isopropanol and cyclohexane resulted in considerable formation of 1-(4-chloro--propylphenethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (2) and 5H,6H-(1,2,4-triazolo)-[5,1-a]-9-chloro-6-propyl-isoquinoline (3). Furthermore, photodehalogenation of3 yielded traces of 5H,6H-(1,2,4-triazolo)-[5,1-a]-6-propyl-isoquinoline (4) and, in the presence of isopropanol 5H,6H-(1,2,4-triazolo)-[5,1-a]-9-(2-hydroxy-2-methylethyl)-6-propyl-isoquioline (5). Additionally, a lot of polar products were found in high yields which could not be isolated and characterized individually. In the presence of cyclohexene, on the other hand, photodecomposition and photodehalogenation to photoproduct2 were found to be the main degradation pathways and photoproduct3 was only detected as a trace component.

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Fungicide und Photochemie: Photoabbau des Azol-Fungicides Penconazol

Zusammenfassung Zur Voruntersuchung der Photostabilität des Fungicides Penconazol (1-(2,4-Dichlor--propylphenethyl)-1H-1, 2,4-triazol,1) wurden Modellexperimente in organischen Lösungsmitteln durchgeführt. Der Photoabbau (>280 nm) nimmt von Cyclohexen zu Cyclohexan und Isopropanol hin deutlich zu. Bei Bestrahlung in Isopropanol oder Cyclohexan entstehen als Hauptprodukte (1-(4-Chlor--propylphenethyl)-1H-1, 2,4-triazol (2) und 5H,6H-(1,2,4-Triazolo)-[5,1,-a]-9-chlor-6-propyl-isochinolin (3). Photodehalogenierung von 3 führt in geringem Umfang zu 5H,6H-(1,2,4-Triazo-lo)-[5, 1-a]-6-propyl-isochinolin(4) und in Gegenwart von Isopropanol zu 5H,6H-(1,2,4-Triazolo)-[5,1-a]-9-(2-hydroxy-2-methylethyl)-6-propyl-isochinolin (5) als Photoadditionsprodukt. Daneben entsteht in hohem Ausmaß eine komplexe Fraktion polarer Komponenten, die einer Einzelisolierung und -charakterisierung nicht mehr zugänglich waren. In Cyclohexen hingegen erfolgte neben Photodehalogenierung zu2 hauptsächlich Photolyse zu polaren Komponenten, während Photoprodukt3 nur in Spuren entstand.