1H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry study of water state in milk protein mixtures

1H NMR signal was used to characterize highly hydrated milk protein dispersions (3-20% dry matter) with various micellar casein concentrations (3-15%), whey protein concentrations (0-3%), lactose concentrations (0-7.5%), CaCl(2) concentrations (0-2 mM), and pH (6.2-6.6). The results showed the predominant effect of micellar casein concentration on water state and were consistent with the three-site relaxation model in the absence of lactose. The relaxation rates observed for these dispersions were explained by the free water relaxation rate, the hydration water relaxation rate, and the exchangeable proton relaxation rate. Hydration water was found to be mainly influenced by casein micelle concentration and structure. The variations in hydration with pH were consistent with those observed for classical measurement of voluminosity observed at this range of pH. The effects of lactose and whey protein content are discussed.     

Niobium-zirconium chronometry and early solar system development

Niobium-92 (92Nb) decays to zirconium-92 (92Zr) with a half-life of 36 million years and can be used to place constraints on the site of p-process nucleosynthesis and the timing of early solar system processes. Recent results have suggested that the initial 92Nb/93Nb of the solar system was high (>10(-3)). We report Nb-Zr internal isochrons for the ordinary chondrite Estacado (H6) and a clast of the mesosiderite Vaca Muerta, both of which define an initial 92Nb/93Nb ratio of approximately 10(-5). Therefore, the solar system appears to have started with a ratio of <3 x 10(-5), which implies that Earth's initial differentiation need not have been as protracted as recently suggested.     

Effect of pulsed-light treatment on milk proteins and lipids

Pulsed-light treatment offers the food industry a new technology for food preservation. It allows the inactivation of numerous micro-organisms including most infectious foodborne pathogens. In addition to microbial destruction, one can also question whether pulsed-light treatment induced conformational changes in food components. To investigate this question, the influence of pulsed-light treatment on protein components of milk was evaluated by using UV spectroscopy, spectrofluorometry, electrophoresis, and determination of amino acid composition. Pulsed-light treatment resulted in an increase of UV absorbance at 280 nm. The intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) showed a 7 nm red shift after 10 pulses. SDS-PAGE showed the formation of dimers after treatment of BLG by 5 pulses and more. No significant changes in the amino acid composition of proteins and lipid oxidation were observed after pulsed-light treatment. The obtained results indicated changes in the polarity of the tryptophanyl residue microenvironment of BLG solutions or changes in the tryptophan indole structure and some aggregation of studied proteins. Hence, pulsed-light treatment did not lead to very significant changes in protein components; consequently, it could be applied to process protein foods for their better preservation.     

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties of marennine, a blue-green polyphenolic pigment from the diatom Haslea ostrearia (Gaillon/Bory) Simonsen responsible for the natural greening of cultured oysters

Among microalgae, the marine diatom Haslea ostrearia has the distinctive feature of synthesizing and releasing, into the surrounding environment, a blue-green polyphenolic pigment called marennine. The oyster-breeding industry commonly makes use of this natural phenomenon for the greening of oysters grown in the ponds of the French Atlantic coast. This article reports the in vitro antioxidant properties of pure marennine. Two kinds of evaluation systems were adopted to test the antioxidative activity of marennine: antioxidant capacity assays (beta-carotene and thymidine protection assays and iron reducing power assay) and free radical scavenging assays (DPPH*, O2*-, and HO*). In almost all cases, marennine exhibited significantly higher antioxidative and free radical scavenging activities than natural and synthetic antioxidants commonly used in food, as shown by comparing median effective concentration (EC 50) values, for each test independently. This medium molecular weight polyphenol (around 10 kDa) from microalgae is thus a potentially useful natural antioxidant. Because of its blue-coloring property and water solubility, it could also be used as a natural food-coloring additive.     

Clinical, radiographic, endoscopic, bronchoalveolar lavage and lung biopsy findings in horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage

A clinical study was performed to determine whether clinical, endoscopic, radiographic, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological, and pulmonary biopsy findings could be correlated in horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) compared with controls. Racing standardbred horses were selected as either EIPH (n = 10) or control (n = 10), based on repeated postexertional endoscopy of the lower airways. Complete physical and respiratory examinations were performed and blood samples were submitted for arterial blood gas analysis, hematologic study, and fibrinogen determination. Bilateral chest radiographs were taken with the horse standing, and a BAL sample was obtained for cytological examination. Lung was biopsied transcutaneously. Weighted scores were calculated for clinical, radiographic, and pulmonary biopsy findings. The conclusion was that only routine physical examination may help the clinician when EIPH is suspected in horses, especially when there are abnormal findings on percussion of the caudodorsal areas of the chest.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium</Emphasis> disease of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agaricus bisporus</Emphasis>: variations in host contribution to total fungal DNA in relation to symptom heterogeneity

The pathogenic fungus Verticillium fungicola, responsible for dry bubble disease of the common mushroom Agaricus bisporus, causes various symptoms on its host, bubbles (undifferentiated spherical masses), bent and/or split stipes (blowout) and spotty caps. Host DNA quantification by real-time PCR was used to observed relationships between the type of symptom and the relative amount of A. bisporus and V. fungicola in diseased mushrooms. Verticillium fungicola is involved in bubble formation but does not appear to regulate its growth. Quantifications in bubbles and stipe-bubbles (morphology between bubble and sporophore with stipe blowout) showed that the pathogen has no effect on the growth of undifferentiated host hyphae but prevents morphological differentiation if not initiated and stops it when initiated hyphae are affected. Mushrooms with stipe blowout exhibiting both mature and abortive lamellae reveal that V. fungicola has a restricted area of action in host tissues. Despite their visual aspect, healthy looking parts of mushrooms showing spots or stipe blowout were actually contaminated. Discolouration and symptom development are two distinct events. The colour of the tissues was correlated to the percentage of A. bisporus DNA, suggesting that discolouration is not an efficient defensive mechanism, and occurs at the time V. fungicola developed enough to induce tissues necrosis.     

Mycoplasma bovis infections in Swiss dairy cattle: a clinical investigation

Mycoplasma bovis causes mastitis in dairy cows and is associated with pneumonia and polyarthritis in cattle. The present investigation included a retrospective case–control study to identify potential herd-level risk factors for M. bovis associated disease, and a prospective cohort study to evaluate the course of clinical disease in M. bovis infected dairy cattle herds in Switzerland. Eighteen herds with confirmed M. bovis cases were visited twice within an average interval of 75 d. One control herd with no history of clinical mycoplasmosis, matched for herd size, was randomly selected within a 10 km range for each case herd. Animal health data, production data, information on milking and feeding-management, housing and presence of potential stress- factors were collected. Composite quarter milk samples were aseptically collected from all lactating cows and 5% of all animals within each herd were sampled by nasal swabs. Organ samples of culled diseased cows were collected when logistically possible. All samples were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In case herds, incidence risk of pneumonia, arthritis and clinical mastitis prior to the first visit and incidence rates of clinical mastitis and clinical pneumonia between the two visits was estimated. Logistic regression was used to identify potential herd-level risk factors for M. bovis infection. In case herds, incidence risk of M. bovis mastitis prior to the first visit ranged from 2 to 15%, whereas 2 to 35% of the cows suffered from clinical pneumonia within the 12 months prior to the first herd visit. The incidence rates of mycoplasmal mastitis and clinical pneumonia between the two herd visits were low in case herds (0–0.1 per animal year at risk and 0.1-0.6 per animal year at risk, respectively). In the retrospective-case-control study high mean milk production, appropriate stimulation until milk-let-down, fore-stripping, animal movements (cattle shows and trade), presence of stress-factors, and use of a specific brand of milking equipment, were identified as potential herd-level risk factors. The prospective cohort study revealed a decreased incidence of clinical disease within three months and prolonged colonization of the nasal cavity by M. bovis in young stock.     

Comparison of components released by fermented or active dried yeasts after aging on lees in a model wine

Comparison of different components released during autolysis with fermented or active dried yeast, which has never been reported previously, is related in this paper. Three autolysates were elaborated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a model wine (pH 3.5) at 30 or 18 degrees C. Composition of the autolysate appears to depend on both the growth medium and the physiological state of the yeast. The autolysate obtained from active dried yeast presents a higher total nitrogen concentration (a factor of 1.5-1.9 for the fermented yeast autolysate), a greater proportion of free amino acids (42 vs 16-25%), the lowest proportion of oligopeptides (25 vs 31-37%) and polypeptides (27 vs 45-34%), and an absence of nucleosides. Distribution of amino acids in peptides and proteins is relatively homogeneous in the autolysates but shows significant differences in free amino acids. Parietal macromolecules (mannoproteins and glucans) are present in greater quantities in autolysates elaborated from fermented yeast. The influence of the different fractions of these autolysates (<0.5, 0.5-1, 1-10, and >10 kDa) on bacterial growth has been investigated.