Methods for the characterisation of breadcrumb,an important ingredient of stuffed pasta

Very few methods have been proposed to evaluate the technological characteristics of breadcrumb, an ingredient of stuffed pasta. Nevertheless, the physical properties of this raw material can play a relevant role in modifying the filling texture, which is important both for the filling workability and product consistency after cooking. The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable methodologies for describing breadcrumb characteristics, with particular attention to those features that can potentially influence the performance of this ingredient. Three lots of two different types of commercial breadcrumb were analysed for their chemical composition, particle size distributions, pasting properties, and water binding capacity. The texture of breadcrumb/water dispersion was also evaluated using different methods. Chemical analyses did not prove to give a satisfactory differentiation between samples. On the contrary, the different rheological tests adopted (Bostwick, Farinographic, and compression test) turned out to be very effective in describing the thickening properties of breadcrumb. In particular, a statistically significant differentiation (P < 0.05) between the samples was obtained by means of the Bostwick consistometer, an easy to use, rapid and cheap instrument that turned out to be suitable for defining the technological characteristics of breadcrumb.     

Pseudocereals as alternative sources for high folate content in staple foods

Total folate content was determined in the pseudocereals amaranth (four varieties), quinoa and buckwheat in comparison to four cereal species (eight wheat varieties, four barley varieties, one oat variety, one rye variety). Amaranth and quinoa were found to possess very high total folate contents: in amaranth, total folate ranged from 52.8 to 73.0 and in quinoa it was 132.7 μg/100 g dm, about ten times as much as in wheat. The bran fractions contained on average 124% of total folate, while only 57% on average was present in the flour fractions.     

Effect of land-use on small mammal abundance and diversity in a forest–farmland mosaic landscape in south-eastern Norway

During the last century the boreal forests of south-eastern Norway have been converted into patchworks of agricultural areas, clear-cuts and even-aged conifer monocultures. Even though Scandinavian forest ecosystems are strongly influenced by small mammals’ dynamics, the effects of anthropogenic changes on these communities are still debated. We conducted an extensive capture–mark–recapture study to examine the relative abundance and distribution of 11 species of small mammals during the reproductive season with respect to all available landscape-scale habitat types and fine-scale vegetation characteristics.     

Effect of introduced exotic tree litter on consumption patterns of the introduced exotic isopod Armadillidium vulgare

The feeding preferences and consumption rates of the exotic woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare were measured on litters from the autochthonous Rio Grande cottonwood and the exotic Russian olive. When offered a choice between five litter types (green and shed leaves of Russian olive and cottonwood, and fruits of Russian olive), the isopods consumed more of the exotic plant litter (green leaves and the fruits of Russian olive) than of the autochthonous cottonwood. When offered only one diet, consumption rates of green leaves and fruits of Russian olive were again the highest. Feeding was related with N and C:N ratios of the litter, with highest consumption of diets with low and high C:N ratios and lowest consumption of diets with intermediate C:N ratios. The N content was highest (and C:N ratios lowest) on isopods feeding shed leaves of Russian olive. Growth was not related to the amount or the C:N ratio of the food consumed, being highest for animals feeding on shed leaves of cottonwood. Our results show that the consumption patterns and the C and N body composition of the exotic woodlouse A. vulgare are altered when fed with Russian olive litter, suggesting that the replacement of the autochthonous cottonwood by the exotic Russian olive may negatively affect the maintenance of the population of these exotic detritivores in the area.     

Development of qualitative and semiquantitative immunoassay-based rapid strip tests for the detection of T-2 toxin in wheat and oat

Novel qualitative as well as semiquantitative rapid strip tests for screening of T-2 mycotoxin in agricultural commodities were developed. Colloidal gold particles were coated with monoclonal anti-T-2 antibodies and used as detector reagent, indicating the strip test results by formation of up to two colored lines in a competitive assay format. The test line comprises a protein conjugate of the T-2 mycotoxin and the control line an antispecies-specific antibody to confirm the correct test development. To perform the test, 5 g of sample was extracted in a ratio of 1:5 with methanol/water (70:30) by shaking for 3 min and the extract directly used without further cleanup steps. The T-2 toxin lateral flow device (LFD) presented has a cutoff level around 100 microg/kg for naturally contaminated wheat and oat. The semiquantitative test may be used in the lower micrograms per kilogram range and allows for rapid semiquantitative photometric classification of the level of sample contamination. For both tests, results were obtained within 4 min. The developed LFDs therefore allow for the first time fast and on-site screening for the determination of T-2 toxin in cereals.     

Antioxidant Compounds Recovery from Juçara Residue by Thermal Assisted Extraction

This study aimed to recover bioactive compounds by solid-liquid extraction from the agro-industrial residue obtained during juçara fruits processing into pulp. A preliminary study using different solvents (methanol, ethanol and water) indicated ethanol in aqueous solution as the best solvent for antioxidants recovery. Then, a Box-Behnken design was applied considering as independent variables the solvent composition (30–70% ethanol in water), temperature (30–70 °C) and time (30–60 min), in order to evaluate the effects of these factors on antioxidant activity in juçara extract. Results showed that the extracts with higher antioxidant activity were obtained using 30% ethanol at 70 °C for 60 min; measurements included ABTS and DPPH assays, determination of total phenolic content and total monomeric anthocyanins. Furthermore, the effect of pH in antioxidants recovery was evaluated. For this purpose, the 30% ethanol solution was acidified to pH 1 and 2 with HCl. Principal component analysis showed the formation of three distinct groups: one characterized by high bioactive compounds content (pH 1.0), another with superior antioxidant activity (pH 5.75, non-acidified), and finally the group at pH 2 presenting the worst concentrations in the evaluated responses. HPLC analysis showed the presence of cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside in the extracts. Therefore, the conventional solid-liquid extraction using renewable solvent can be successfully applied to recover bioactive compounds from juçara residue, which can be used by different food industries.     

Quantification of milk fat in chocolate fats by triacylglycerol analysis using gas-liquid chromatography

The development and in-house testing of a method for the quantification of milk fat in chocolate fats is described. A database consisting of the triacylglycerol profiles of 310 genuine milk fat samples from 21 European countries and 947 mixtures thereof with chocolate fats was created under a strict quality control scheme using 26 triacylglycerol reference standards for calibration purposes. Out of the individual triacylglycerol fractions obtained, 1-palmitoyl-2-stearoyl-3-butyroyl-glycerol (PSB) was selected as suitable marker compound for the determination of the proportion of milk fat in chocolate fats. By using PSB values from the standardized database, a calibration function using simple linear regression analysis was calculated to be used for future estimations of the milk fat content. A comparison with the widely used butyric acid method, which is currently used to determine the milk fat content in nonmilk fat mixtures, showed that both methods were equivalent in terms of accuracy. The advantage of the presented approach is that for further applications, i.e., determination of foreign fats in chocolate fats, just a single analysis is necessary, whereas for the same purpose, the C4 method requires two different analytical methods.     

Effect of fertilizers and irrigation on multi-configuration electromagnetic induction measurements

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) data are often used to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of soil texture, soil water content and soil salinity. We hypothesized that the EMI methodology might thus also offer potential to detect agricultural legacy effects originating from fertilizer application and irrigation of different fields. Therefore, we performed EMI measurements on two long-term field experiments (LTFE) at Thyrow near Berlin (Germany) that differed in agricultural management with regard to long-term irrigation in combination with mineral (NPK and lime) and organic amendments (straw and farmyard manure). Two different rigid-boom multi-coil EMI instruments were used to measure simultaneously the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) over nine different depth ranges to study the entire soil profile from topsoil to deep subsoil. Additionally, soil samples were taken from the different treatments to ground-truth the measurements and disentangle the nutrient application or irrigation effects from natural soil heterogeneity. The soil samples indicated a rather homogenous soil and the correlation between soil parameters or states were not significant. However, the treatments showed significant differences in measured ECa values. In general, ECa values were largest on regularly irrigated as well as on mineral and organic fertilized plots, with regular irrigation exhibiting the largest impact on EMI records even though the last application was months before the EMI measurement. Overall, this study reveals that EMI data can support the classical in situ assessment of agricultural management effects within LTFE, while offering new potentials in detecting and understanding legacy effects of agricultural management on spatial soil properties at farm level.     

Differential alterations in the ability of bovine neutrophils to generate extracellular and intracellular reactive oxygen species during the periparturient period

The periparturient period of a dairy cow is associated with increased incidence and/or severity of certain infectious diseases, including mastitis. It is believed that the heightened physiological demands of calving and initiation of milk production contribute to a state of immunosuppression during this period. Previous studies have indicated that neutrophil production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is a critical element of the host innate immune response to bacterial infection, is impaired in the 1-2week period following calving. However, whether there is comprehensive inhibition of ROS production or selective inhibition of particular ROS remains unknown. The present study provides evidence that neutrophils isolated from cows (n=20) after calving have an increased capacity to generate intracellular ROS and an impaired ability to release extracellular superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide.     

Phytocomplexes from liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) leaves--chemical characterization and evaluation of their antioxidant, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity

Three extracts of different polarities of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. leaves were characterized and evaluated for their antioxidant, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity. In total, thirty components have been identified and quantified through the use of liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet-visible diode-array-detector (UV-vis-DAD) and mass spectrometry (MS). The main components belong to the polyphenols family, being flavonoid and dihydrostilbene derivatives. The extracts have been investigated for their antioxidant, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities, which are fundamental requirements of efficacious chemo-preventive agents. The ethyl acetate extract proved to be the most valuable, evidently for the conspicuous presence of several polyphenols, namely flavonoids and dihydrostilbenes.