Effects of Sodium Alginate and Chitosan Coating Combined with Three Different Essential Oils on Microbial and Chemical Attributes of Rainbow Trout Fillets

ABSTRACT

Meat products, such as fish meat, are known to be susceptible to undesirable chemical and microbial reactions that characterize spoilage. In this study, the effect of a sodium alginate and chitosan coating incorporated with Mentha piperita, Artemisia dracunculus, and Zataria multiflora essential oils on chemical and microbial attributes of rainbow trout meat was evaluated during storage at 4°C. Chemical and microbial assays were performed on rainbow trout fillets with alginate and chitosan coatings and 0.2% concentration of test essential oils. The results showed that the alginate coating with essential oils significantly decreased production of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and reduced the growth of foodborne spoilage bacteria during storage at 4ºC. At day 12, the best results were obtained in chitosan coating + Z. multiflora, with 5.96 ± 0.12, 4.93 ± 0.12, and 3.83 ± 0.2 for total viable counts, psychrotrophic bacterial count, and lactic acid bacteria count, respectively. Moreover, the lowest amounts of chemical analysis were observed in chitosan coating + Z. multiflora at the final day (0.54 ± 0.03 and 20.31 ± 0.1 for TBA and TVBN, respectively). Our study revealed that essential oils can be used as effective natural components against undesirable chemical and microbial reactions in fish meat.     

行距对大豆竞争有限资源的影响

不同行距引起大豆生长竞争.当某一因子的直接供应不能满足群体生长的需要而成为限制因子时,竞争便开始.本文主要从基因型、光、水、养分和杂草等5方面综述过去40年行距变化对大豆竞争资源的影响.研究表明,不同品种对行距变化的反映不同,其依赖于季节降雨和灌溉.有限结荚习性类型可获得较高产量,抗倒伏的大豆品种适于窄行种植.无限结荚习性大豆在一定的行距条件下也可获得最佳产量.与宽行大豆种植相比,窄行大豆栽培增加光截获(LI),其原因在于LAI、消光系数的增加及分枝类型品种的选择.水分利用效率和蒸发蒸腾作用不受行距影响,但在灌溉条件下产量增加.行距变化对养分吸收影响较大,随着行距的减小,植株产量和N、P、K的吸收均增加,且增加幅度受施肥水平制约.行距不影响N素的固定.行距不影响杂草密度、萌发高峰及持续时期,但在窄行栽培条件下可减少杂草的数量及干重,再配以适量的除草剂可获得良好的除草效果.不同行距条件下的大豆生理反应、养分和水分的吸收及转运,不同冠层的光能利用以及土壤环境的变化仍需进一步深入研究.     

Electro-spun polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mat as a keratoprosthesis skirt and its cellular study

Artificial keratoprostheses are indispensable for visual rehabilitation in patients with end-stage corneal blindness. This study aimed to assess the biocompatibility of polyethylene terephthalate nanofibrous mats and its potential as a novel synthetic keratoprosthesis skirt material for corneal tissue engineering. Nanofibrous mats were prepared by an electrospinning method and were first treated with the CO₂ plasma to yield carboxylic groups on the surface; finally, the modified PET mat was cross linked with collagen using water-soluble carbodiimide as a coupling agent. The samples were evaluated by ATR-FTIR, scanning electron microscope (SEM), contact angle, and cell culture. The cross-linking of collagen on PET surface was confirmed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and SEM images The 79° difference was obtained in the contact angle analysis, obtained for the collagen-cross-linked nanofibrous mat than the non-modified nanofibrous mat. Cellular investigation showed limbal epithelial progenitor cells (LEPCs) has been better adhesion, cell growth, and proliferation of collagen-crosslinked nanofibrous samples than other samples. The bioavailability of PET fibers with covalently attached collagen was found to be identical to that of PET fibers with covalent attachment is a suitable method for enhancing the biocompatibility of scaffolds special as a good skirt in keratoprosthesis designs.     

Control of Listeria Monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 Inoculated on Fish Fillets Using Alginate Coating Containing Lactoperoxidase System and Zataria multiflora Boiss Essential Oil

The present study was conducted to investigate the inhibitory effect of alginate coating incorporated with Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil (ZEO) and lactoperoxidase system (LPOS), individually and in combination, in order to control inoculated Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O₁₅₇:H₇ in rainbow trout fillets during 16days of storage at 4°C. The antibacterial activity of ZEO was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O₁₅₇:H₇ through determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC). In vivo study was performed by inoculating four strains of L. monocytogenes as culture cocktail and one strain of E. coli O₁₅₇:H₇ on trout fillets for their survival evaluation during the 16-day storage. Results indicated that ZEO and LPOS, when used in combination in alginate solution, had a stronger effect on the control of mentioned bacteria in trout fillets; however, their individual use could significantly inhibit their growth, when compared to the control. Moreover, it has been implicated that alginate coating, when used with no antimicrobial agent, had a supportive effect on the growth of these pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the application of alginate coating containing ZEO and LPOS is recommended in foods, especially fish and fish products.     

Alginate coarse/nanoemulsions containing Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil as edible coatings and the impact on microbial quality of trout fillet

In this study, the effect of edible coarse/nanoemulsions of alginate as coating containing Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil (ZEO) on the microbial quality of fish fillets was investigated at three concentrations (i.e. 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% [w/v]) in 16 days of storage at 4°C. Moreover, a comparison was made between the fabricated coarse emulsion and nanoemulsion coatings by particle size and polydispersity index analyses. Sample analysis was performed with regard to total viable count (TVC), total psychrophilic count (TPC), hydrogen sulphide‐producing bacteria count (HSC) and Enterobacteriaceae count (ENC) on days 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16. According to the findings, all the samples showed increased microbial counts during the storage periods. The highest reduction rates of TVC (about 2 log CFU/g), TPC (about 1 log CFU/g), HSC (about 1.5 log CFU/g) and ENC (about 3 log CFU/g) were observed in the nanoemulsion of alginate containing 1% w/v ZEO (NE 1%) samples, compared with alginate and control samples. The microbial growth was significantly inhibited in all treatments, compared with that in the control (p < .05). Accordingly, it can be concluded that nanoemulsion coating was more effective than coarse emulsion to prolong the durability of fish fillets and revealed a faster and greater inhibition of microbial flora, compared with coarse emulsions during the storage time.     

Pb isotopic variability in melt inclusions from oceanic island basalts, polynesia

Previous studies have suggested that melting processes are responsible for the trace element variability observed in olivine-hosted basaltic melt inclusions. Melt inclusions from three individual lava samples (two from Mangaia, Cook Islands, and one from Tahaa, Society Islands) have heterogeneous Pb isotopic compositions, even though the erupted lavas are isotopically homogeneous. The range of Pb isotopic compositions from individual melt inclusions spans 50 percent of the worldwide range observed for ocean island basalts. The melt inclusion data can be explained by two-component mixing for each island. Our data imply that magmas with different isotopic compositions existed in the volcanic plumbing system before or during melt aggregation.     

Tetravalent uranium in calcite

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray fluorescence microprobe studies of 35-million-year-old calcite from a Mississippi Valley-type zinc ore deposit indicate substitution of tetravalent uranium for divalent calcium. Thus, tetravalent uranium has a stable location in calcite deposited under reducing conditions. This result validates uranium-series dating methods (including uranium/lead dating) for ancient calcite and shows that calcite provides a sink for uranium in deep groundwater aquifers and anoxic lacustrine and marine basins.     

Reproductive Patterns in the Non‐Breeding Season in Asinina de Miranda Jennies

This study aims to characterize the reproductive patterns in Asinina de Miranda jennies during the non‐breeding season. Reproductive activity was surveyed in 12 females, aged between 3 and 18 years old, using ultrasound and teasing with a jack. The animals were monitored from September to April, six in each consecutive year. Of these 12 females, nine showed disruption to the normal pattern of ovarian activity during the non‐breeding season. Loss of normal cyclicity included anoestrus (41.7%), silent ovulatory oestrus (25%), and persistence of corpus luteum (8.3%). Only three females maintained a regular cyclic pattern with oestrous behaviour during the non‐breeding season. Anoestrus began in early November and lasted for an average of 147 ± 28 days (113–191 days), ending near to the spring equinox. Onset of silent oestrous cycles began more erratically, between October and February. In both groups the first behavioural ovulation of the year occurred around the time of the spring equinox. Disrupted reproductive activity was preceded by a shorter oestrous cycle only in females entering anoestrus. The mean follicle size in the first ovulation of the year was larger than in the reproductive season (44.7 ± 2.45 mm vs 39.2 ± 3.60 mm) in anoestrous jennies with protracted oestrus. Though age and body condition score (BCS) were associated, changes in BCS below a threshold of four points (for anoestrus) and five points (for silent oestrus) contributed greatly to disruption of reproductive cycles. BCS in females with regular oestrous cycles during the winter season remained unchanged or exceeded five points prior to the winter solstice.     

Lactational traits of importance in dairy cows and applications for emerging biotechnologies

New molecular and quantitative genetic technologies are the latest in a long list of technologies that have been introduced to dairy industries over many decades to improve the performance of cows. The catalysts for future advances will be sequencing of the bovine genome and development of high-throughput technologies to identify and exploit relevant variation in DNA sequences. The new technologies will allow the selection of animals based on specific genotypes that suit specific applications such as once-daily (OAD) milking or extended lactation.

These technologies will also allow exploitation of between-cow variation in milk composition, which is currently hidden by bulking of milk on and between farms. Thus, there are opportunities to produce milk from herds of cows selected for specific milk composition that might be, for example, more suitable for cheese-making or have milkfat with specific properties to enhance human health. Identification of genes and gene polymorphisms associated with improved resistance to specific diseases in cows and other farm species also represents a real opportunity to improve animal health over the coming decade.

New levels of genetic regulation have been identified, e.g. microRNA and epigenetics, the impacts of which on the performance of cows and humans are only just beginning to be understood.

There is a potential role for veterinarians to provide or be the interface for provision of genetic advice to farmers in much the same way that nutritional advice is currently given.