Mass spectrometry fragmentation pattern of coloured flavanol‐anthocyanin and anthocyanin‐flavanol derivatives in aged red wines of Rioja

Background and Aims: During wine ageing, a great variety of reactions take place, resulting in an immense variety of products whose structure sometimes remains unknown. The aim of this work is the study of different fragmentation patterns of flavanol‐anthocyanin derivatives formed along the wine ageing; these patterns are useful for elucidating the different structures of these compounds and other new related ones. Methods and Results: Several wines from the Protected Denomination of Origin Rioja have been studied by an analytical method that combines column chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass and tandem mass spectrometric detections. Thirty‐five coloured flavanol‐anthocyanin compounds formed by direct reaction or by acetaldehyde‐mediated condensation have been identified. For direct reaction derivatives, two different fragmentation patterns (one of them not previously reported) have been observed depending on the position of flavanol in the coloured derivative. Several compounds have been identified in aged wines for the first time to the authors' knowledge, like (+)‐gallocatechin‐cyanidin‐3‐glucoside and (+)‐catechin‐cyanidin‐3‐glucoside Conclusions: The developed analytical procedure has allowed the identification of some compounds for the first time, and two different fragmentation patterns have been observed depending on the position of flavanol in the pigment. Significance of the Study: The establishment of different fragmentation patterns allows the structural elucidation of unknown compounds.     

Study on the Complementation of Two Proteins of Low Quality: Black Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Sesame (Sesamun incdicum L.).

In order to determine the complementary potential of black bean and sesame proteins, female rats were fed diets with 10% protein from black bean, sesame or combinations of these. Data showed that diets with these proteins combined had better quality than either protein alone. Maximum protein quality was observed when the two protein sources were mixed in a 1:l (w/w) ratio. This mixturn had PER and NPR values 2 and 5 times higher, respectively, than those of the black bean protein alone and 61 and 71% of the values of PER and NPR, respectively, obtained with a casein diet. Also, there was no alteration of serum or liver lipids.     

A SIMPLE METHOD TO DETERMINE DIFFUSION OF SODIUM IN THE EPIDERMIS OF GREEN OLIVES

The present study reports a simple method, both mathematical and experimental, to determine variable effective diffusion coefficients for sodium through the skins of olives. Skins removed from green olives, variety Arauco (also known as Criolla), were studied using a lye concentration of 2.25% (w/w) of NaOH at 20C. The diffusion of sodium was evaluated through fresh skins and previously alkali‐treated skins. The measured values of effective diffusion coefficients for untreated (fresh) olive skins increased two orders of magnitude during the processing time, from 10^?12 to 10^?10 m²/s. Whereas, the effective diffusion coefficients determined for previously treated olive skins were of the order of 10^?10 m²/s and increased very little with treatment time.     

Microbial characterisation and stability of a farmhouse natural fermented milk from Spain

This work reports the microbial characterisation of a farmhouse natural fermented milk (NFM) with good sensorial properties produced in Spain. Culturing and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses showed thatLactococcus lactissubsp.lactis and L. lactissubsp.cremoris(approximate levels of 10⁹ cfu/mL) were dominant in this NFM, whileLactobacillus plantarumappeared at a lower level (10⁶–10⁷ cfu/mL). Repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)‐PCR typing of the isolates identified single strains each ofLc. lactissubsp.lactis, Lc. lactissubsp.cremorisandLb. plantarum. These three strains formed a stable microbial association which has been maintained for at least some decades.     

STARCH MOBILIZATION AND SUCROSE ACCUMULATION IN THE PULP OF KEITT MANGOES DURING POSTHARVEST RIPENING

Sugar is a determinant for the quality of mangoes, but information about its accumulation is scarce. Although starch can contribute to sugar production during ripening, not much is known about the enzymes involved. This work presents the changes in carbohydrate and enzymes during the development and ripening of Keitt mangoes. Starch disappearance was concomitant to a fivefold increase of sucrose, the most abundant sugar of the ripe fruits. The activities of α-amylase, β-amylase, phosphorylase and isoamylase were detected in the pulp, and while α-amylase increased parallel to the starch content, β-amylase presented a 20-fold increase during ripening. On the other hand, high phosphorylase activity was observed when fruits were still accumulating starch, and lowered during ripening. Isoamylase was detected during development and increased slightly during ripening, which would be in agreement to the expected role for isoamylases as acting on both subproduct of starch synthesis and degradation.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The present work reinforces our previous works that Keitt mangoes do not ripen when attached to the tree. This fact allowed us to study all the starch degradation after mango harvesting which does not occur with the other cultivars. Data obtained in this work reinforce the role of α-amylase, β-amylase and isoamylase rather than the starch phosphorylases on starch granule degradation in mangoes, and the subsequent soluble sugar accumulation.     

PRESENCE OF LISTERIA IN MEXICAN CHEESES

The presence of Listeria was investigated in ripened cheeses (Chihuahua, Manchego) and fresh cheese (Panela) from street vendors and retail stores in Mexico City. Cheeses were tested for Listeria, pH, NaCl, moisture and fat. Listeria selective cold enrichment was used to recover Listeria from positive samples. Fresh cheese had the lowest pH and NaCl contents and the highest moisture Chihuahua and Manchego cheeses made with pasteurized milk were negative for Listeria. Panela cheese samples were the most contaminated. The presence of Listeria was 65% in fresh cheeses: Listeria murrayi 20% , Listeria inoccua 15% , Listeria grayi 15%, and Listeria monocytogenes 15%. L. monocytogenes serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b and 4b were isolated from positive samples.     

Effect of Adjusting the Water Activity to 0.95 with Different Solutes on the Kinetics of Thiamin Loss in a Model System

The kinetics of thiamin degradation in a model system of pH 6.0 and water activity (a_w) 0.95 controlled with NaCl, KC1, glycerol or Na₂SO₄, was studied. The type of solute used to adjust a_w, had a dramatic influence on the rate of degradation of thiamin. The loss of vitamin increased in the following order: NaCl > KCl > glycerol > Na₂SO₄. Activation energies, however, were independent of the type of solute and ranged between24–28 kcallmole.