Furan formation from lipids in starch-based model systems, as influenced by interactions with antioxidants and proteins

The formation of furan upon sterilization of a lipid-containing starch gel was investigated in the presence of various antioxidants, namely, α-tocopherol, β-carotene, and ascorbic acid, with and without proteins. Results indicated that α-tocopherol did not significantly influence furan formation from oxidized lipids. β-Carotene, suggested previously to be a furan precursor itself, did influence the generation of furan in a concentration-dependent manner, although to a limited extent. Surprisingly, the presence of lipids seemed to limit the furan generation from β-carotene. Interestingly, the addition of ascorbic acid to the emulsions containing soybean or sunflower oils considerably enhanced the formation of furan from these oils. This was also the case when fresh oils were applied, shown previously to be nearly unable to generate furan. This observation can be explained by an intensified ascorbic acid degradation stimulated by the presence of lipids.     

Analysis of the factors creating consumer attributes of roasted beef steaks

The aim of the study was to analyze the factors creating consumer attributes of roasted beef steaks of various animals. Eight cuts from 30 carcasses (characterized by various types of animal, conformation and fat class, rib fat thickness, ossification score) were selected. Samples were prepared using the roasting method and consumers rated the tenderness, juiciness, flavor, overall acceptability (rated in a 100‐point scale), and satisfaction (rated from 2 to 5) for analyzed samples. No influence of type of animal, fat class, conformation class or ossification score on the results of consumer analysis was observed. For all analyzed factors, the influence of cut on consumer analysis was observed (the highest values of all consumer attributes were observed for tenderloin ‐ for juiciness significantly higher than for other cuts, for tenderness, flavor and MQ4 comparable only with rump (RMP231), while for overall acceptability and satisfaction – with both rump cuts). For rib fat thickness consumer attributes of roasted beef meat were not linear, but the influence was observed – the highest values of consumer attributes were observed for 13 mm rib fat thickness.     

Variability and relationships between Pb,Cu, and Zn concentrations in soil solutions and forest floor leachates at heavily polluted sites

Seasonal variability of Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in litter leachates and soil solutions was examined in an afforested zone surrounding a copper smelter in SW Poland. Litter leachates (with zero‐tension lysimeters) and soil solutions (with MacroRhizon suction‐cup samplers, installed at a depth of 25–30 cm) were collected monthly at three sites differing in contamination levels in the years 2009 and 2010 (total Cu: 2380, 439, and 200 mg kg^–1, respectively). Concentrations of Cu in the litter leachate were correlated with dissolved organic C (DOC), whereas Zn and Pb were mainly related to leachate pH. Metal concentrations in the soil solution were weakly influenced by their total content in soils and the monthly fluctuations reached 300, 600, and 700% for Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Metal concentrations in soil solutions (Cu 110–460 μg L^–1; Zn 20–1190 μg L^–1; Pb 0.5–36 μg L^–1) were correlated with their contents in the litter leachates. Chemical speciation, using Visual Minteq 3.0, proved organically‐complexed forms even though the correlations between metal concentrations and soil solution pH and DOC were statistically insignificant. The flux of organically‐complexed metals from contaminated forest floors is believed to be a direct and crucial factor affecting the actual heavy metal concentrations and their forms in the soil solutions of the upper mineral soil horizons.     

Efficient transplantation via antibody-based clearance of hematopoietic stem cell niches

Upon intravenous transplantation, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can home to specialized niches, yet most HSCs fail to engraft unless recipients are subjected to toxic preconditioning. We provide evidence that, aside from immune barriers, donor HSC engraftment is restricted by occupancy of appropriate niches by host HSCs. Administration of ACK2, an antibody that blocks c-kit function, led to the transient removal of >98% of endogenous HSCs in immunodeficient mice. Subsequent transplantation of these mice with donor HSCs led to chimerism levels of up to 90%. Extrapolation of these methods to humans may enable mild but effective conditioning regimens for transplantation.     

NIR spectroscopy and partial least-squares regression for determination of natural alpha-tocopherol in vegetable oils

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and partial least-square regression were used for determination of alpha-tocopherol in edible oils after extraction with ethanol. The standard error of calibration and the standard error of prediction were calculated for evaluation of the calibration models. The chemometric calibration model was prepared in spectral region 6500-4500 cm(-1) for standard alpha-tocopherol solutions (0.54-53.54 mg/mL). Obtained mean concentrations of natural alpha-tocopherol in different types of oils varied from 17.53 to 57.10 mg/100 g. Net analyte signal calculation was used to estimate detection limit (DL = 0.12 mg/mL), quantification limit (QL = 0.40 mg/mL), sensitivity (SEN = 0.045 mg/mL), and selectivity (SEL ranged between 0.24 and 0.54% of the measured reflectance signal) of the proposed NIR method. The comparable precision (RSD = 0.68-2.80% and 0.79-3.06%) and accuracy (recovery, 97.2-102.4% and 96.8-103.2%) for the proposed NIR and standard HPLC methods, demonstrate the benefit of the NIR method in the routine analysis of alpha-tocopherol in vegetable oils.     

Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii exopolysaccharide and sunflower husk biochar as factors affecting immobilization of both tetracycline and Cd2+ ions on soil solid phase

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Industrialization and application of large amount of fertilizers together with animal wastes increased pollution of environment with antibiotics and heavy metals....     

Phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of Polish blue-berried honeysuckle genotypes by HPLC-DAD-MS, HPLC postcolumn derivatization with ABTS or FC, and TLC with DPPH visualization

In this study, different Polish cultivars of blue-berried honeysuckles (Lonicera caerulea L.), wild and bog bilberry, were analyzed for bioactive compounds. The chemical properties verified included composition of anthocyanins and other polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and profiles of antioxidants by HPLC postcolumn derivatization or TLC. The antioxidant activities of different blue-berried honeysuckle cultivars were similar to that of wild-growing bilberries (ranging from 170 to 417 μmol TE/g dm in ABTS and from 93 to 166 μmol TE/g dm in DPPH and Folin-Ciocalteu tests). The major anthocyanin in the blue-berried honeysuckle was cyanidin-3-glucoside, which constituted 84-92% of the total anthocyanins. The TLC and HPLC postcolumn antioxidant profiles indicated that anthocyanins are the major antioxidants in all berries studied. Wild berries and the cultivars of the blue-berried honeysuckles are also a similar source of such minerals as K, Mg, and Ca.     

Unraveling the chemical composition of caramel

Caramel is one of mankind's best known dietary materials obtained from carbohydrates by heating. Much effort has been expended toward the chemical characterization of the components of caramel but impeded by a lack of suitable analytical techniques sufficiently powerful for providing insight into an extraordinarily complex material. This paper reports the characterization of caramel formed by heating from glucose, fructose, and saccharose using a conceptually novel combination of mass spectrometrical techniques. The analytical strategy employed uses high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) followed by targeted liquid chromatography-tandem MS experiments. Caramel is composed from several thousand compounds formed by a small number of unselective and chemoselective reactions. Caramelization products include oligomers with up to six carbohydrate units formed through unselective glycosidic bond formation, dehydration products of oligomers losing up to a maximum of eight water molecules, hydration products of sugar oligomers, disproportionation products, and colored aromatic products.     

Phenolic compound profiles and antioxidant capacity of Persea americana Mill. peels and seeds of two varieties

Avocado processing by the food and cosmetic industries yields a considerable amount of phenolic-rich byproduct such as peels and seeds. Utilization of these byproducts would be favorable from an economic point of view. Methanolic (80%) extracts obtained from lyophilized ground peels and seeds of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) of the Hass and Shepard varieties were characterized for their phenolic compound profiles using the HPLC-PAD technique. The structures of the identified compounds were subsequently unambiguously confirmed by ESI-MS. Compositional analysis revealed that the extracts contained four polyphenolic classes: flavanol monomers, proanthocyanidins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonol glycosides. The presence of 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid, and procyanidin A trimers was identified in seeds of both varieties. Intervarietal differences were apparent in the phenolic compound profiles of peels. Peels of the Shepard variety were devoid of (+)-catechin and procyanidin dimers, which were present in the peels of the Hass variety. Peels of both varieties contained 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and quercetin derivatives. The differences in the phenolic profiles between varietals were also apparent in the different antioxidant activity of the extracts. The peel extracts had a higher total phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity when compared to the seed extracts. The highest TEAC and ORAC values were apparent in peels of the Haas variety in which they amounted to 0.16 and 0.47 mmol Trolox/g DW, respectively. No significant (p > 0.05) differences were apparent between the TEAC values of seeds of the two varieties but the ORAC values differed significantly (p < 0.05). Overall these findings indicate that both the seeds and peel of avocado can be utilized as a functional food ingredient or as an antioxidant additive.     

Effect of Flooding on Contamination of Agricultural Soils with Metals and PAHs: The Middle Vistula Gap Case Study

During the intensive flood in May–June 2010, the floodplains in Little Poland Vistula Gap, used mostly for agriculture, were waterlogged for a period of over 1 month. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the flood on the level of contamination of the soils in this region. The analysis included basic physicochemical soil properties, contents of ten metals, and concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The studies cover two territories on opposite sites of the river Vistula (Wilkow and Janowiec) differing in their areas (70 and 4.6 km²) and time of water logging (30 and 10 days). Forty soil samples were collected from both areas immediately after the flood event from the upper (0–30 cm) soil layer together with four samples from the 30–60-cm depth layer. This was supplemented by eight samples from the flood-deposited sediment layer (thickness, 2 cm). The concentrations of identified metals (As, Ba, Cr, Sn, Zn, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb) at all the sampling points were below the Polish legal limits for the upper layer of soils for agriculture use. The same regarded the median contents of nine PAHs compounds specified in the Polish regulations. In both areas, the median contents of Σ16 PAHs (0.21–0.35 mg kg⁻¹), Zn (10.3–10.6 mg kg⁻¹), Pb (9.2–10.7 mg kg⁻¹), and Cd (0.03 mg kg⁻¹) were much below the mean concentrations of those contaminants in arable soils on the national and European levels. The results show that this severe flooding episode in “clean” agricultural area had no immediate negative impact on the soils as regards the basic physicochemical properties (organic matter content, acidity, nitrogen content) and did not result in excessive soil contamination.