Combined application of essential oils from Origanum vulgare L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. to inhibit bacteria and autochthonous microflora associated with minimally processed vegetables

This study assessed the occurrence of an enhancing inhibitory effect of the combined application of Origanum vulgare (OV) and Rosmarinus officinalis (RO) essential oils against bacteria associated to minimally processed vegetables using the determination of Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) index, kill-time assay in vegetal broth and application in vegetable matrices. Moreover, it was determined chemical composition of the essential oils and their effects alone and in mixture on sensory characteristics of minimally processed vegetables. Carvacrol (66.9 g/100 g) was the most prevalent compound in OV essential oil, while for RO was 1.8-cineole (32.2 g/100 g). OV and RO essential oil showed MIC in a range of 1.25-5 and 20-40 ??L/mL, respectively. FIC indices of the combined application of the essential oils were 0.5 against Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica and Aeromonas hydrophilla suggesting a synergic interaction. Only for Pseudomonas fluorescens FIC index was 0.75 purposing additive effect. Application of the essential oils alone (MIC) or in mixture (¼ MIC + ¼ MIC or ¼ MIC + ½ MIC) in vegetable broth caused significant decrease (p < 0.05) in bacterial count over 24 h. Mixture of essential oils reduced (p < 0.05) the inocula of all bacteria in vegetable broth and in experimentally inoculated fresh-cut vegetables. Similar efficacy was found to reduce the autochthonous microflora in vegetables. Sensory evaluation of vegetables sanitized with essential oils revealed that the scores of the most evaluated attributes fell between like slightly and neither like nor dislike. The combination of essential oils at sub-inhibitory concentrations could mean an interesting approach to sanitize minimally processed vegetables.     

Fresh cut ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango pre-treated with citric acid and coated with cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) starch or sodium alginate

This work aimed to evaluate quality parameters of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango slices pre-treated with citric acid and cassava starch or sodium alginate edible coatings, with or without glycerol. Samples only treated with citric acid were also evaluated. Mango slices dipped in sanitising solution were used as control. Colour parameters, mechanical properties, weight loss and respiration rate were analysed during 15 days at 5 °C. Cassava starch coating, with or without glycerol, provided higher stress at failure and lightness values than control sample throughout storage (p ≤ 0.05). The citric acid promoted colour preservation, but increased significantly samples weight loss during storage. Sodium alginate coatings did not maintain quality characteristics, showing stress at failure and lightness values lower than control after 15 days. All coatings reduced respiration rate, but citric acid dipping and cassava starch coating without glycerol treatments were more effective, reaching values around 41% lower, when compared to control sample.

Industrial Relevance

Fresh-cut mangoes are appreciated world-wide for its exotic flavour and nutritional composition. However, their shelf life is limited by changes in colour, texture, appearance and microbial growth. The edible coatings act as gas and water vapour barrier, extending the storage time of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. Thus, cassava starch and alginate are alternatives to preserve minimally processed mangoes, maintaining the quality parameters of fresh fruit. This work is useful for the minimal processing industry in order to increase shelf life of fresh-cut mangoes, which can be considered an alternative to fast food and other ready-to-eat products, attending the demand for healthy and convenient foodstuffs.     

Quantification of Listeria monocytogenes in minimally processed leafy vegetables using a combined method based on enrichment and 16S rRNA real-time PCR

Modern lifestyle markedly changed eating habits worldwide, with an increasing demand for ready-to-eat foods, such as minimally processed fruits and leafy greens. Packaging and storage conditions of those products may favor the growth of psychrotrophic bacteria, including the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. In this work, minimally processed leafy vegetables samples (n = 162) from retail market from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, were tested for the presence or absence of Listeria spp. by the immunoassay Listeria Rapid Test, Oxoid. Two L. monocytogenes positive and six artificially contaminated samples of minimally processed leafy vegetables were evaluated by the Most Probable Number (MPN) with detection by classical culture method and also culture method combined with real-time PCR (RTi-PCR) for 16S rRNA genes of L. monocytogenes. Positive MPN enrichment tubes were analyzed by RTi-PCR with primers specific for L. monocytogenes using the commercial preparation ABSOLUTE™ QPCR SYBR^® Green Mix (ABgene, UK). Real-time PCR assay presented good exclusivity and inclusivity results and no statistical significant difference was found in comparison with the conventional culture method (p < 0.05). Moreover, RTi-PCR was fast and easy to perform, with MPN results obtained in ca. 48 h for RTi-PCR in comparison to 7 days for conventional method.     

Application of Kubelka–Munk analysis to the study of translucency in fresh-cut tomato

In order to assess the development of translucency in fresh-cut tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum cv. Belissimo) during refrigerated storage, two experiments were conducted. In the first one, tomato slices obtained from fruits at breaker and at red stage were stored at 5 ± 0.5 °C and monitored at regular intervals for 9 days. In the second one, slices obtained from fruits at the light-red stage were stored at 5 ± 0.5 °C, 9 ± 0.7 °C and 13 ± 0.7 °C for 4 days. Intact (control) fruits were stored at the same conditions and sliced immediately before the evaluations. In both experiments, translucency was assessed using Kubelka–Munk analysis and through visual evaluation using a scale from 0 to 4. The translucency of cut tomato slices increased during storage in both experiments. Fruits at red stage got translucent faster than fruits at breaker stage and the intensity of translucency was also higher for more ripe fruit. The storage temperature did not influence significantly the development of translucency, indicating that the water soaking of the pericarp tissue is not a result of chilling injury. The K/S (absorption coefficient/scattering coefficient) ratio increased during storage for cut fruits and remained practically constant for intact fruits, reflecting the effects of treatment observed visually. Additional experiments indicated that the removal of the locular gel combined or not with washing and drying the slice cut surface inhibited the development of translucency.

Industrial relevance

The development of translucency is a common alteration in the appearance of fresh-cut fleshy tissue after processing, which renders the product unappealing for consumption. It is of interest for the fresh-cut industry to be able to assess the development of translucency and then evaluate the effect of different procedures in its occurrence and intensity. This paper presents the use of Kubelka–Munk analysis, a technique of widespread use in other fields like printing and painting, to assess the development of translucency in sliced tomato and to study how this process is affected by storage temperature and maturity stage of the fruit.     

Evaluation of minimally processed salads commercialized in Portugal

During the last decades food borne outbreaks associated with consumption of raw vegetables have been increasing and green leafy vegetables seem to be the most frequently implicated products.In order to determine the microbial quality and the incidence of the major food borne pathogens in Minimally Processed (MP) salads commercialized in Portugal, a survey was conducted in Lisbon Retail Markets, from July 2007 to August 2008, to determine microbial contamination loads and identify potential pathogenic bacteria.A total of 151 samples were purchased from 2 supermarkets: 38 romaine lettuce, 12 various spinach and 101 mixed salads with three or four different ingredients. The samples were tested for aerobic psychotropic micro-organisms (APM), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Listeria spp., presumptive Bacillus cereus, Aeromonas hydrophila and Clostridium perfringens counts as well as for presence of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157. Samples were also evaluated for taste quality.The results showed that APM counts of romaine lettuce and mixed salads had a similar median, respectively, 6.2 and 6.5 log cfu/g and mixed spinach had the highest one (7.6 log cfu/g). The median value found for Enterobacteriaceae was 5.44 log cfu/g. Only four samples showed positive result for E. coli (2.65%) but just one (0.8%) had a slightly higher load of contamination. Although the percentage and levels of contamination loads were low, these mustn’t be ignored, for the reason that the strains in three of the samples belong to VTEC group (1.99%). E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. and C. perfringens weren’t detected in any sample. For the enumeration of Listeria spp., two samples (1.32%) had presence of Listeria innocua and L. monocytogenes had an incidence of 0.66%. A. hydrophila was identified in 11 samples (7.28%), and in 8 of them with considerable counts (>10⁵). Contamination with B. cereus was found in 22.7% of samples analyzed, though in small numbers, which doesn’t represent a major concern to food safety. All isolated strains were assessed for its potential toxin production and it was found that 40% of these strains had this ability. Results from sensory panel showed organoleptic differences in salads during its shelf-life period.     

求解极小SMT不可满足子式的宽度优先搜索算法

极小不可满足子式能够为可满足性模理论(SMT)公式的不可满足的原因提供精确的解释,帮助自动化工具迅速定位错误.针对极小SMT不可满足子式的求解问题,提出了SMT公式搜索树及其3类结点的概念,并给出了不可满足子式、极小不可满足子式与3类结点之间的映射关系.基于这种映射关系,采用宽度优先的搜索策略提出了宽度优先搜索的极小SMT不可满足子式求解算法.基于业界公认的SMT Competition 2007测试集进行实验的结果表明,该算法能够有效地求解极小不可满足子式.     

The complexity of homomorphisms and renamings for minimal unsatisfiable formulas

We investigate the complexity of deciding whether for minimal unsatisfiable formulas F and H there exists a variable renaming, a literal renaming or a homomorphism such that (F) = H. A variable renaming is a permutation of variables. A literal renaming is a permutation of variables which additionally replaces some of the variables by its complements. A homomorphism can be considered as a literal renaming which can map different literals to one literal.     

基于双模型的MUS求解方法

求解不可满足问题的极小不可满足子集(minimal unsatisfiable subset, MUS)是人工智能领域的重要研究方向.MARCO-M方法是目前采用单一极大化模型求解MUS效率最高的方法,但此方法未对求解空间进行进一步有效剪枝.针对MARCO-M方法的不足,结合可满足问题求解复杂度低于不可满足问题的特征,提出基于双模型即极大-中间化模型的MARCO-MAM方法求解MUS.此方法对中间模型求解若得到极大可满足子集(maximal satisfiable subset, MSS),则利用可满足问题对应求解空间对不可满足问题的求解空间进行剪枝,即利用MSS对应的空间来对MUS搜索空间进行剪枝,进而通过缩减未探索空间来提高MUS求解效率;如果中间模型进行求解得到MUS时,则减少了MARCO-M方法中MUS的不可满足迭代求解次数.此方法避免了MARCO-M方法单一极大化模型求解MUS时未有效利用其他优化技术对求解空间进行剪枝的问题.实验结果表明:与MARCO-M方法相比MARCO-MAM方法效率较高,尤其在大规模问题或较大搜索空间时效率提高更为明显.     

MAX(1)和MARG(1)中公式改名的复杂性

改名是一个将变元映射到变元本身或它的补的函数,变元改名是公式变元集合上的一个置换,文字改名是一个改名和一个变元改名的组合.研究CNF公式的改名有助于改进DPLL算法.考虑判定问题"对于给定的CNF公式H和F是否存在一个变元(或文字)改名ψ使得ψ(H)=F?"的计算复杂性.MAX(1)和MARG(1)是极小不可满足公式的两个子类,这两个子类中的公式可以用树表示.树同构的判定问题在线性时间内是可解的.证明了对于MAX(1)和MARG(1)中的公式,文字改名问题在线性时间内可解,变元改名问题在平方次时间内可解.