Effect of processing conditions on phytic acid, calcium, iron, and zinc contents of lime-cooked maize

Tortillas are made by cooking maize in a lime solution during variable times and temperatures, steeping the grain for up to 12 h, washing and grinding it to a fine dough, and cooking portions as flat cakes for up to 6 min. The effects of the main processing steps on the chemical composition, nutritive value, and functional and physicochemical characteristics have been areas of research. The present work evaluates the effect of lime concentration (0, 1.2, 2.4, and 3.6%) and cooking times (45, 60, and 75 min) on phytic acid retention of whole maize, its endosperm, and germ, as well as on the content of calcium, iron, and zinc on the same samples. The effects of steeping time and temperature and steeping medium on the phytic acid of lime-cooked maize were also studied. Finally, phytic acid changes from raw maize to tortilla were also measured. The results indicated that lime concentration and cooking time reduce phytic acid content in whole grain (17.4%), in endosperm (45.8%), and in germ (17.0%). Statistical analyses suggested higher phytic acid loss with 1.2% lime and 75 min of cooking. Cooking with the lime solution is more effective in reducing phytic acid than cooking with water. Steeping maize in lime solution at 50 degrees C during 8 h reduced phytic acid an additional 8%. The total loss of phytic acid from maize to tortilla was 22%. Calcium content increased in whole maize, endosperm, and germ with lime concentration and cooking and steeping times. The increase was higher in the germ than in the endosperm. The level, however, can be controlled if steeping of the cooked grain is conducted in water. Iron and zinc contents were not affected by nixtamalization processing variables but were affected in steeping.     

Antioxidant activity in hepatopancreas of the shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) by electron paramagnetic spin resonance spectrometry

Free radical scavenging properties of hepatopancreas extracts of Pleoticus muelleri were evaluated by electron paramagnetic spin resonance spectrometry methods (EPR) against the stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The present study was carried out to characterize different physiological stages of the shrimp under environmental and nutritional stress, evaluating the effect on growth, survival, and functional morphology of the hepatopancreas. Feeding trials were carried out on juveniles (1 g initial weight) held in aquaria. Each diet, with different concentrations of vitamins A and E, was tested in triplicate groups during 25 days. The control groups were fed with fresh squid mantle and with a vitamin-free diet. For all of the diets, the extracts exhibited strong DPPH radical scavenging activity, suggesting that the tissue is a powerful natural antioxidant. Individuals fed with different concentrations of vitamin E showed the strongest effect on the DPPH radicals, reducing the DPPH radicals to 50%, after an incubation period of 3 min. In contrast, the extracts of control animals, fed with squid mantle, had the weakest antioxidant activity (4%). These data indicated that the presence of vitamin E in the diet can provide immediate protection against free radicals.     

Effect of drying of figs (Ficus carica L.) on the contents of sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds

Fresh figs were subjected to two different drying processes: sun-drying and oven-drying. To assess their effect on the nutritional and health-related properties of figs, sugars, organic acids, single phenolics, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity were determined before and after processing. Samples were analyzed three times in a year, and phenolic compounds were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). In figs, monomer sugars predominate, which is important nutritional information, and the content of sugars as well as organic acids in fresh figs was lower than in dried fruits. However, the best sugar/organic acid ratio was measured after the sun-drying process. Analysis of individual phenolic compounds revealed a higher content of all phenolic groups determined after the oven-drying process, with the exception of cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. Similarly, higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were detected after the drying process. With these results it can be concluded that the differences in analyzed compounds in fresh and dried figs are significant. The differences between the sun-dried and oven-dried fruits were determined in organic acids, sugars, chlorogenic acid, catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, luteolin-8-C-glucoside, and total phenolic contents. The results indicate that properly dried figs can be used as a good source of phenolic compounds.     

Evaluation of the effect of roasting on the structure of coffee galactomannans using model oligosaccharides

The roasting process induces structural changes in coffee galactomannans. To know more about the reaction pathways that occur during the roasting of coffee, mannosyl and galactomannosyl oligosaccharides, having a degree of polymerization (DP) between 3 and 4, were used as models for galactomannans. These compounds were dry-heated under air atmosphere from room temperature to 200 °C, being maintained at 200 °C for different periods of time. The roasted materials were analyzed by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS, MALDI-MS, and ESI-MSn) and methylation analysis. In the MS spectra were identified several [M+Na]+ ions belonging to a series from a single hexose to 10 hexose residues ([Hex1-10+Na]+). The ions corresponding to their respective mono- and tridehydrated derivatives ([Hex2-10-H2O+Na]+ and [Hex2-10-3H2O+Na]+, respectively) were also identified. ESI-MSn as well as deuterium-labeling and alditol derivatization experiments showed that the tridehydrations occur at the reducing end of the oligosaccharides. The identification of (1→2)- and (1→6)-linked mannose residues and (1→4)-linked glucose residues by methylation analysis allowed the conclusion that transglycosylation and isomerization reactions occur during dry thermal processing.     

纤维素酶高产菌株选育研究进展

本文综述和对比了各类产纤维素酶微生物的特点;介绍了产酶发酵条件优化、诱变育种及纤维素酶基因克隆等方法的研究进展;展望了选育高产菌株的研究趋势。     

Effluents from Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Wastes: Treatment by Chemical and Electrochemical Processes

The treatment of effluent from anaerobic digestion of organic wastes was carried out using chemical and electrochemical processes, namely, chemical coagulation (CC) with lime, electrocoagulation (EC) with iron consumable electrodes, and electrochemical oxidation (EO) with a boron-doped diamond anode, at different experimental conditions. In the CC assays, the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, 50%, was achieved for a lime concentration of 70 g L^?1 after 2 h experiment. Under the experimental conditions studied, EC promoted COD removals of 80% after 5 h and EO led to COD removals of 43% after 6 h electrolysis, being this last removal increased to 60% when chloride was added to the effluent. A combined EC+EO treatment was also performed, utilizing the most favorable experimental conditions obtained in the individual processes, and global removals of 95% in COD and 44% in ammonia nitrogen were attained after 5 h of EC followed by 6 h of EO. These results proved that the combined process can be an efficient alternative in the treatment of effluents from anaerobic digestion of organic wastes with the characteristics of the studied effluent.     

Failure of predator conditioning: an experimental study of predator avoidance in brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Many studies have documented that hatchery‐reared salmonids generally have inferior survival after being stocked compared with wild conspecifics, hatchery and wild salmonids have been observed to differ in their antipredator responses. The response of brown trout (Salmo trutta) juveniles (0+) of differing backgrounds to a live predator was compared in two experiments. First, the antipredator behaviour of predator‐naïve hatchery‐reared brown trout and wild‐exposed brown trout were assessed in behavioural trials which lasted for eight days. Second, predator‐naïve and predator‐conditioned hatchery‐reared brown trout were assessed in identical behavioural trials. Brown trout were ‘predator‐conditioned’ by being held in a stream‐water aquarium with adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and adult brown trout for two days prior to behavioural trials. Predator‐conditioned hatchery‐reared brown trout spent more time in shelters in the trial aquaria than predator‐naïve hatchery‐reared fish, but did not differ in time spent in the predator‐free area. Predator conditioning may account for the increased time spent in the shelter, but does not appear to have affected time spent in the predator‐free area. However, even if significant alteration in behaviour can be noted in the laboratory, the response might not be appropriate in the wild.     

Essential Oregano Oil as a Growth Promoter for the Yellowtail Tetra,Astyanax altiparanae

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of oregano oil as a growth promoter for the yellowtail tetra, Astyanax altiparanae. The fish (1.46 ± 0.09 g) were distributed into twenty‐four 60‐L aquaria at a stocking density of 0.5 fish/L. Six isonitrogenous (350 g crude protein/kg) and isocaloric (4272 kcal gross energy/kg) diets containing 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/kg of oregano oil were evaluated. At the end of 90 d there was a quadratic effect of oregano oil levels for weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio and carcass weight, and the estimated values to maximize these variables were between 0.2 and 0.6 g/kg. There was also a quadratic effect on the feed conversion ratio, and the estimated value to improve this variable was 0.62 g/kg. A positive linear effect of the treatments was observed for muscle glycogen. With increased levels of oregano oil in the diet, there was a reduction in dry matter and ether extract and an increase in the protein content of the carcass. Thus, it can be concluded that oregano oil, at the level of 0.5 g/kg, acts as a growth promoter for A. altiparanae by improving growth performance and carcass composition.     

Physiological response of ‘Larry Ann’ plums to cold storage and 1-MCP treatment

The aim of this work was to study the specific effects of low temperature and 1-MCP treatment on ethylene metabolism and oxidative behaviour in plums (Prunus × salicina cv. Larry Ann). Control fruit were stored at 20 °C or 0 °C and the 1-MCP (625 nL L^?1) treated fruit at 0 °C. Changes in the kinetics of ethylene production upon removal were related to changes in ACC metabolism (ACC and MACC levels), oxidative behaviour (H₂O₂ content) and enzymatic antioxidant potential (SOD, CAT and POX enzymes) during cold storage. Low temperature stress inhibited the synthesis of MACC, which appeared to be the basic process that regulated ACC and ethylene production at ambient temperature. Although 1-MCP treatment inhibited ethylene production and ACC accumulation in the cold, it did not inhibit the accumulation of MACC. Neither cold nor 1-MCP treatment induced oxidative stress. Nevertheless, the 1-MCP treatment significantly impaired the increase in POX activity observed during cold storage. Collectively these results showed the underlying role that ACC metabolism plays in the ripening behaviour of cold-stored plums, confirming previous results. The results also indicate that MACC and malonyl transferase activity are the key regulatory factors that control ripening and possibly some ethylene-related disorders such as chilling injury in cold-stored plums.     

The influence of early yield on the accumulation of major taste and health-related compounds in black and red currant cultivars (Ribes spp.)

The focus of our study was to investigate the effect of crop load on the accumulation and composition of primary metabolites (sugars and organic acids), selected groups of flavonoids (anthocyanins and flavonols), and total phenolics in two subsequent years in four black currant cultivars ('Titania', 'Triton', 'Tsema', and 'Cacanska crna') and three red currant cultivars ('Junifer', 'Rolan', and 'Stanza'). For the determination and quantification of compounds, high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array with a mass spectrometer was used. Significant differences among cultivars were detected in all analyzed compounds. Anthocyanins were the predominant phenolic group and were more abundant in black currant cultivars as compared to red ones. Similar amounts of sugars and organic acids were measured in both Ribes species; however, vitamin C was 3-fold higher in black currants. A larger crop load in the second year had a negative effect on the sugar content of berries and promoted a higher degree of acids, with the exception of vitamin C, which was higher in the year with a lower crop load. On the other hand, the content of anthocyanins and flavonols was higher in the year with a larger crop load, while there were no differences in total phenolic content.