Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils isolated from Thymbra capitata L. (Cav.) andOriganum vulgare L

Antilisterial activities of Thymbra capitata and Origanum vulgare essential oils were tested against 41 strains of Listeria monocytogenes. The oil of T. capitata was mainly constituted by one component, carvacrol (79%), whereas for O. vulgare three components constituted 70% of the oil, namely, thymol (33%), gamma-terpinene (26%), and p-cymene (11%). T. capitata essential oil had a significantly higher antilisterial activity in comparison to O. vulgare oil and chloramphenicol. No significant differences in L. monocytogenes susceptibilities to the essential oils tested were registered. The minimum inhibitory concentration values of T. capitata essential oil and of carvacrol were quite similar, ranging between 0.05 and 0.2 microL/mL. Antioxidant activity was also tested, the essential oil of T. capitata showing significantly higher antioxidant activity than that of O. vulgare. Use of T. capitata and O. vulgare essential oils can constitute a powerful tool in the control of L. monocytogenes in food and other industries.     

Colorimetric evaluation of phenolic content and GC-MS characterization of phenolic composition of alimentary and cosmetic argan oil and press cake

The global phenolic content of argan oil and press cake samples (alimentary and cosmetic) was evaluated using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method and the phenolic composition of argan oil (alimentary and cosmetic) and press cake (alimentary) samples were analyzed by GC-MS after extraction with 80:20 (v/v) methanol:water and silylation. Identification of chromatographic peaks was made by mass selective detection. Nineteen simple phenols were detected, 16 in press cake, 6 in the alimentary oil, and 7 in the cosmetic oil, among which 15 compounds [3-hydroxypyridine (3-pyridinol), 6-methyl-3-hydroxypyridine, catechol, resorcinol, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, vanillin, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, vanillyl alcohol, 3,4-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenethyl alcohol, methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, hydroxytyrosol, protocatechuic acid, epicatechin, and catechin] were identified for the first time in such materials.     

Monitoring biochemical changes in bacterial spore during thermal and pressure-assisted thermal processing using FT-IR spectroscopy

Pressure-assisted thermal processing (PATP) is being widely investigated for processing low acid foods. However, its microbial safety has not been well established and the mechanism of inactivation of pathogens and spores is not well understood. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to study some of the biochemical changes in bacterial spores occurring during PATP and thermal processing (TP). Spore suspensions (approximately 10(9) CFU/mL of water) of Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Bacillus sphaericus, and three strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens were treated by PATP (121 degrees C and 700 MPa) for 0, 10, 20, and 30 s and TP (121 degrees C) for 0, 10, 20, and 30 s. Treated and untreated spore suspensions were analyzed using FT-IR in the mid-infrared region (4000-800 cm(-1)). Multivariate classification models based on soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) were developed using second derivative-transformed spectra. The spores could be differentiated up to the strain level due to differences in their biochemical composition, especially dipicolinic acid (DPA) and secondary structure of proteins. During PATP changes in alpha-helix and beta-sheets of secondary protein were evident in the spectral regions 1655 and 1626 cm(-1), respectively. Infrared absorption bands from DPA (1281, 1378, 1440, and 1568 cm(-1)) decreased significantly during the initial stages of PATP, indicating release of DPA. During TP changes were evident in the bands associated with secondary proteins. DPA bands showed little or no change during TP. A correlation was found between the spore's Ca-DPA content and its resistance to PATP. FT-IR spectroscopy could classify different strains of bacterial spores and determine some of the changes occurring during spore inactivation by PATP and TP. Furthermore, this technique shows great promise for rapid screening PATP-resistant bacterial spores.     

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus found in milk macrophages but not in milk lymphocytes or mammary gland epithelia of naturally infected sheep

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) causes ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. JSRV can be transmitted via infected colostrum or milk, which contain somatic cells (SCs) harboring JSRV provirus. Nevertheless, the cell types involved in this form of transmission and the involvement of the mammary gland remain unknown. We separated adherent cells (macrophages and monocytes) by plastic adherence, and lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and B cells) by flow cytometry, from SCs in milk samples from 12 naturally infected, PCR blood test JSRV–positive, subclinical ewes. These cell populations were tested by PCR to detect JSRV provirus. The ewes were euthanized, and mammary gland samples were analyzed immunohistochemically to detect JSRV surface protein. We did not detect JSRV provirus in any milk lymphocyte population, but milk adherent cells were positive in 3 of 12 sheep, suggesting a potential major role of this population in the lactogenic transmission of JSRV. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal positive results in mammary epithelial cells, pointing to a lack of participation of the mammary gland in the biological cycle of JSRV and reducing the probability of excretion of free viral particles in colostrum or milk.     

The industries of the future in Mexico: Local and non-local effects in the localization of “knowledge-intensive services”

The current characteristics in the global economy have defined “knowledge-intensive services” (KIS) as part of the so-called “industries of the future” due to the attributes of their employment and central function in the development processes in science, technology, art, and culture. This study outlines as a central hypothesis that the localization of KIS depends on different factors according to the type of knowledge being developed (analytical, synthetic, and symbolic). The main objective in this work is to explore the spatial economic factors associated with the localization and changes (positive and negative) when using KIS in the “national urban system” in México between 2004 and 2014. To do so, the services sector is defined according to the “intensity” and the “types” of knowledge that they develop. An analysis of spatial econometrics is carried out that distinguishes between the geographic (local) effect and the spatial (non-local) effect of the independent variables using data and microdata from the period 2004 to 2014. The results partly correspond with the central hypothesis of the study and offer possibilities of public policies to take advantage of and to promote the benefits of KIS, especially regarding cities in developing countries looking to become part of the 21st century economy.     

ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Is Located in the Plastid and Cytosol in the Pulp of Tropical Banana Fruit (Musa acuminata)

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is a key enzyme of starch synthesis in seeds, tubers and fruits. UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is an important...