Gluten Structural Evolution During Pasta Processing of Refined and Whole Wheat Pasta from Hard White Winter Wheat: The Influence of Mixing,Drying, and Cooking

An attempt was made to evaluate gluten structural changes in refined and whole wheat pasta from hard white winter wheat to elucidate the impact of whole wheat components on the formation and structure of the gluten network in pasta. Attenuated total reflectance–FTIR spectroscopy was used to track gluten secondary structure through most of the major steps in pasta processing: raw material, mixing, drying, and cooking. Protein solubility, accessible thiols, and SDS‐PAGE data were also collected to provide additional information on the nature of protein interactions and network composition. Few secondary structural differences were observed between refined and whole wheat flours from hard white wheat. However, mixing induced a significant shift to β‐sheet structures in refined dough that was not equally matched by whole wheat dough. Drying under both high temperature, short time (HT) and low temperature, long time (LT) conditions resulted in a reversion to structural distributions similar to those for flour in both pastas. However, greater protein denaturation in HT samples was indicated by lower protein solubility also in the presence of denaturants and disulfide reducing agents. Cooking generated a substantial increase in β‐sheet structures for both pasta systems. This structure was greatest in refined and LT samples. Thiol accessibility data indicate the presence of a highly aggregated, compact gluten network in refined pasta, mostly driven by hydrophobic association. Conversely, the network in whole wheat pasta was more loosely associated and dependent on disulfide bonding, both of which fit well with the secondary structural data.     

Presence of Cocaine in the Tissues of the European Eel, Anguilla anguilla, Exposed to Environmental Cocaine Concentrations

The presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites in surface waters has to be considered a new type of hazard, still unknown, for the aquatic ecosystem, due to the potent pharmacological activities of all the illicit drugs. Our research was therefore aimed at evaluating the impact of illicit drugs on the aquatic fauna, till now still undervalued. To this aim, we verified the ability of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), a well-known biomonitor of environmental contamination, to bioaccumulate cocaine, one of the most abundant illicit drugs found in surface waters. Silver eels were exposed to a nominal cocaine concentration of 20?ng/l for 1?month; at the same time, control, carrier, and post-exposure recovery groups were made. Brains, gills, liver, kidney, muscle, gonads, spleen, digestive tract, and sections of dorsal skin were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Cocaine was found in the tissues of the treated eels and, at low concentrations, in almost all tissues of post-exposure recovery eels. These results indicate that cocaine is able to accumulate into the eel tissues; its presence suggests potential risks for eels since cocaine could affect their physiology and contribute to their decline, and for humans consuming contaminated fish.     

A decision-support system for Salmonella in broiler-chicken flocks

We built a decision-support system to assess the risk of contamination of chicken-broiler flocks by Salmonella at the end of the rearing period. This system was developed from the survey data from 85 chicken-broiler flocks located in western France. First, we estimated the probability of contamination of the house by Salmonella before placement of day-old chicks via a cleansing inspection using a visual-inspection grid, a decontamination evaluation using count-plates, and risk factors for Salmonella persistence in the barn after cleansing and disinfection. Second, we estimated (using a logistic model) the probability of prevalent contamination of the flock by Salmonella at the end of the rearing period. Validation was carried out on 60 flocks selected from seven production companies in western France. The risk estimated by the model was compared to the Salmonella status of the flock (gold standard) assessed by samples taken from the environment of the broilers and analysed with classical bacteriological methods. The sensitivity was 97.8% and the specificity 64.3%.     

Risk factors for stillbirths in two swine farms in the south of Brazil

We evaluated stillbirth risk factors in two commercial swine farms of the Rio Grande do Sul State (south of Brazil). The study was conducted during 1 month in Farm A and during 2 months in Farm B, both during 1999. Data for all farrowings that occurred during the study period were recorded (101 for Farm A and 373 for Farm B), without interference in the farm management. In Farm A, 39% of all litters born during the period of interest had stillborn piglets and the stillborn risk for piglets was 12%. In Farm B, 25% of all litters had stillborn piglets whereas the stillborn risk was 2%. Variables considered as potential risk factors for stillbirths were: parity (1, 2–3, 4+); breed (purebred or crossbred); sow body-condition (normal or fat); use of oxytocin during parturition (yes or no); obstetric intervention through vaginal palpation (yes or no); farrowing duration (<4 or ≥4 h); mummified fetuses (yes or no); total litter size (<12 or ≥12 piglets); and litter birth weight (<11 or ≥11 kg). All stillborn piglets had their classification validated by necropsy. In multivariable logistic-regressions, the cases were the litters having at least one stillborn piglet. In Farm A, litters having at least 12 pigs and in which oxytocin was used during the parturition had 20.8-times-higher odds of stillborn occurrence. In Farm B, litters from sows having parity ≥4 had 2.2-times-higher odds of stillborn occurrence than litters from parity 2 to 3 females, litters having ≥12 pigs had 2.0-times-higher odds of a stillborn piglet than smaller litters and farrowings in which vaginal palpation was performed had 8.0-times-higher odds. Farrowing room management to minimize stillborn risk should target higher-parity females, large litters and optimization of practices of obstetric interventions.     

Nuclear Remodelling in Growing Oocytes of Sheep

Veterinary Research Communications - Russo, V., Martelli, M., Mauro, A., Di Giacinto, O., Nardinocchi, D. and Berardinelli, P., 2007. Nuclear remodelling in growing oocytes of sheep. Veterinary...     

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of canine pyoderma isolates of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius for biofilm formation

Biofilm-forming ability is increasingly being recognized as an important virulence factor in several Staphylococcus species. This study evaluated the biofilm-forming ability of sixty canine derived clinical isolates of S. pseudintermedius, using three phenotypic methods, microtiter plate test (MtP), Congo red agar method (CRA) and tube adherence test, and the presence and impact of biofilm-associated genes (icaA and icaD). The results showed that icaA and icaD genes were detected concomitantly in 55 (91.7%) of 60 isolates. A majority (88.3%) of the strains screened had matching results by the tube adherence test, MtP and PCR analysis. Better agreement (95%) was found between the PCR-based analysis and the CRA. Results of the icaA and icaD gene PCRs showed good agreement with CRA results, with a kappa of 0.7. Comparing the phenotypic methods, the statistical analysis showed that the agreement among the phenotypical tests using categorical data was generally good. Considering two classes (biofilm producer and biofilm non-producer), the percentage of matching results between the CRA method and the tube adherence test and between the CRA method and the MtP was 93.3%. A concordance of 100% was revealed between the MtP and the tube adherence test. The results indicate a high prevalence of the ica genes within S. pseudintermedius isolates, and their presence is associated with in vitro formation of a biofilm. A combination of phenotypic and genotypic tests is recommended for investigating biofilm formation in S. pseudintermedius.     

Evaluation of 2-alkylcyclobutanones in irradiated cured pork products during vacuum-packed storage

The 2-Alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) content was determined in three Italian cured pork products (salame Milano, coppa, and pancetta) irradiated at different targeted irradiation doses (2, 5, and 8 kGy) during vacuum-packed storage. Among 2-ACBs, three different compounds were investigated, namely, 2-dodecylcyclobutanone, 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone, and 2-(tetradec-5'-enyl)cyclobutanone. 2-ACBs were absent from the nonirradiated samples, whereas their content increased with irradiation dose. Their presence was recorded occasionally at 2 kGy and constantly at higher irradiation doses (5 and 8 kGy). The plot of 2-ACBs content against targeted irradiation doses showed an exponential relationship. The effect of vacuum-packed storage time on the 2-ACBs content was dependent on the irradiation dose. During vacuum-packed storage for up to 60 days, the 2-ACBs content remained unchanged in the cured pork products irradiated at 2 and 5 kGy, whereas a significant increase was observed in the pork products irradiated at 8 kGy.