Chilling Method Research Articles

Carcass chilling method and electrical stimulation effects on meat quality and color in lamb

Five treatments: Control (C), Pre-evisceration Electrical Stimulation (CES: 15 Hz, 700 mA, 500 μs pulse width, 45 s pulse duration), vascular Rinse & Chill® (RC), CES + RC (ESRC), and RC with ES after evisceration (RCES:15 Hz, 600 mA, 1000 μs, 45 s), were applied to 21 lambs each. After being excised from the carcass, muscles were vacuum packaged and aged (Longissimus lumborum, LL, 3 and 22 d postmortem; Semimembranosus, SM, 3 d postmortem). Temperature, pH, purge, cooking loss, color, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), and consumer sensory evaluations were determined. CES and ESRC resulted in the fastest drop in pH below 6 and ESRC had the lowest likelihood of cold shortening. Sensory tenderness in the ESRC LL was greater than C. No differences in WBSF were found among treatments. RC generally produced lamb with higher lightness (L*). The rapid drop in pH likely was responsible for the increased purge and cooking loss observed. Color was affected by the order of ES and RC application.

The quality of frozen-thawed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fillets as affected by sub-chilling before freezing.

To maintain the quality of frozen Atlantic salmon after thawing and highlight the potential for moving from air fright to boat for long-distance export, a study was designed to investigate the effects of sub-chilling before rapid freezing on the quality of thawed fillets. Atlantic salmon chilled on wet ice before filleting and freezing was used as a control for the experimental factor chilling, whereas fresh fillets were used for the frozen-thawed samples. The pre-freezing chilling method interacted with the storage protocol and significantly affected the product. For fresh stored fillets, sub-chilling improved the microbiological and textural stability and degradation of proteins. After 1 month of frozen storage, sub-chilled fillets gave better color and textural properties, less adenosine triphosphate degradation and protein denaturation. In addition, sub-chilled 4-month-frozen fillets also showed improved microbial stability compared to those initially chilled with ice before frozen storage. Quality was lost as a function of storage. Fresh fillets generally had higher bacterial counts, surface breaking force, firmness, hue and contents of inosine monophosphate, and lower drip loss and inosine (HxR) levels than those stored frozen-thawed. Moreover, 4-month-frozen fillets had higher HxR levels and lower psychrotrophic viable count growth than those that were frozen for 1 month. The time fillets were stored frozen did not profoundly affect their quality. It is concluded that a frozen product might be competitive with a fresh product when sub-chilling is performed before freezing, especially when including the environmental benefits of frozen export by boat rather than air freight. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Exploring the influence of slaughterhouse type and slaughtering steps on Campylobacter jejuni contamination in chicken meat: A cluster analysis approach

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), a foodborne pathogen, poses notable hazards to human health and has significant economic implications for poultry production. This study aimed to assess C. jejuni contamination levels in chicken carcasses from both backyard and commercial slaughterhouses in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. It also sought to examine the effects of different slaughtering practices on contamination levels and to offer evidence-based recommendations for reducing C. jejuni contamination. Through the sampling of 105 chicken carcasses and subsequent enumeration of C. jejuni, the study captured the impact of various slaughtering practices. Utilizing k-modes clustering on the observational and bacterial count data, the research identified distinct patterns of contamination, revealing higher levels in backyard operations compared to commercial ones. The application of k-modes clustering highlighted the impact of critical slaughtering practices, particularly chilling, on contamination levels. Notably, samples with the lowest bacterial counts were typically from the chilling step, a practice predominantly found in commercial facilities. This observation underpins the recommendation for backyard slaughterhouses to incorporate ice in their post-evisceration soaking process. Mimicking commercial practices, this chilling method aims to inhibit C. jejuni growth by reducing carcass temperature, thereby enhancing food safety. Furthermore, the study suggests backyard operations adopt additional measures observed in commercial settings, like segregating equipment for each slaughtering step and implementing regular cleaning protocols. These strategic interventions are pivotal in reducing contamination risks, advancing microbiological safety in poultry processing, and aligning with global food safety enhancement efforts.

Dynamic blood flow imaging with 99mTc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate as a therapeutic response marker in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon.

We evaluated the predictive value of dynamic blood flow scintigraphy with 99mTc-HDP (hydroxymethylene diphosphonate) for therapeutic response in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). Eighty patients who underwent dynamic blood flow scintigraphy using the one-hand chilling method were enrolled. We analyzed the quantitative variables as the ratio of chilled fingers to ambient fingers (CAfinger), that of the chilled hand to ambient hand (CAhand), and that of chilled fingers to ambient palm (FPR) (CAFPR) at 15 and 30s after 99mTc-HDP bolus injection. Total cumulative radioactivity counts for 180s were obtained. We evaluated the clinical utility of these quantitative parameters with other clinical variables, including RP severity, therapeutic compliance, types of RP, and scintigraphic interpretation of findings in patients with RP. Fifty-two patients showed poor therapeutic response. There were significant differences between good- and poor-therapeutic responder groups in RP intensity (p = 0.003), CAfinger15s (p = 0.008), CAfinger30s (p = 0.002), CAfinger180s (p = 0.011), CAhand15s (p = 0.008), CAhand30s (p = 0.007), CAhand180s (p = 0.017), CAFPR30s (p = 0.004), and CAFPR180s (p = 0.002). After multivariate logistic regression analysis, only CAfinger30s (p = 0.002) had an independent predictive value of the therapeutic response. 99mTc-HDP dynamic blood flow scintigraphy could be helpful in predicting the therapeutic response in patients with RP.

Subzero saline chilling with or without prechilling in icy water improved chilling efficiency and meat tenderness of broiler carcasses

Freshly slaughtered carcasses need to be chilled to improve product quality, meat safety, and processing efficiency. This research investigated the effect of subzero saline chilling (SSC) on broiler carcasses with or without prechilling in icy water. Water immersion chilling at 0.5°C (WIC) or SSC at 4% NaCl/-2.41°C (SSC) was a major chilling step. For the combination of pre- and postchilling, the warm water immersion chilling (WWIC) at 10°C was used as prechilling and the WIC as postchilling (WWIC-WIC), and WIC was used as prechilling and the SSC as postchilling (WIC-SSC). The internal temperature of breast fillets was monitored during chilling. Carcasses in a prechiller were transported to a postchiller when their internal temperature reached 15°C. Chilling was completed when the carcass temperature reached 4.4°C or below, and breast fillets were harvested at 3-h postmortem to measure the pH and sarcomere length. Color (L*, a*, and b*) values were evaluated on both breast skin and skinless breast surfaces. Meat tenderness was evaluated using the breast fillets after overnight storage and cooking to an internal temperature of 76°C. The carcasses in the SSC and WIC-SSC showed shorter chilling times (85-91 min) than those (100-144 min) of WIC and WWIC-WIC. A higher chilling yield was observed for the carcasses in WIC-SSC, and a lower cooking yield was seen for the carcasses in WWIC-WIC than other chilling methods (P < 0.05). The breast fillets of broilers in the SSC and WIC-SSC showed lower shear forces and longer sarcomere length than the WIC and WWIC-WIC. No difference was found for L* and a* values, while lower b* value was observed in the SSC than the other chilling methods (P < 0.05). Based on these results, chilling of broiler carcasses in the SSC (4% NaCl/-2.41°C) with or without prechilling in WIC at 0.5°C significantly improved chilling efficiency and meat tenderness, with minor color changes on carcasses.

Investigation into Thermal Cooling with Different Ferrofluid Flow Arrangements for a Lithium-Ion Battery Pack

Energy storage performance and its long life are strongly related to its operating conditions. Due to greater power density, more compactness, and longer service life, thermal chilling methods are essential to keep the designed temperature range. The 18650 lithium-ion cylindrical battery module (60 cells) with ferrofluid (0.015% by volume) as coolant with two different flow arrangements was investigated with charging and discharging processes. The turbulent model was used to solve the model of determining the maximum temperature and the temperature distribution, which significantly affects the long lifecycle and thermal performance. Model I gives a maximum temperature of 30 °C, and model II has a maximum temperature of 32 °C. In addition, model I gives a lower battery pack temperature difference than model II. Regarding cell temperature, the top zone of the cells has a higher temperature than the bottom zone and gives a maximum difference of about 0.25–0.5 °C for model I and 0.50-1.00 °C for model II. The predicted temperature distributions are compared with those from the experimental data, and good agreement is reached. The improved flow direction of coolant significantly affects the decreasing maximum operating temperature and the cell temperature difference.

Effects of broiler chilling methods on the occurrence of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat and comparison of detection methods for PSE meat using traditional and Nix colorimeters

The aims of this study were to i) estimate the occurrence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat in modern commercial Ontario broiler flocks, ii) determine the effects of the chilling method (water vs. air) on PSE meat, and iii) investigate a new inexpensive colorimeter (10% of the price of traditional color meters), the Nix Color Sensor, as an objective color measurement of chicken meat. Between June 2019 to March 2020, a total of 17 different broiler flocks were processed. The color of 1,700 boneless skinless Pectoralis major muscles was randomly measured (100/flock), where 255 samples were also measured for pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, and penetration force. In addition, a traditional Minolta colorimeter was used to measure random 95 samples from a single water-chilled flock and subsequently compared the values obtained with the Nix Color Sensor. Strong correlations of L* values (rho=0.75; P < 0.001), a* values (rho=0.72; P < 0.001), and b* values (rho=0.80; P < 0.001) were observed. When an L* value of 43 was used as the cut-off for the Nix, 12.5% of fillets were classified as PSE meat. Statistical differences (P < 0.05) were observed between the air and water-chill methods for L*, pH, and WHC. However, there were no significant differences observed between the 2 methods for cooking loss and penetration force values. The study indicated that PSE meat is still a challenge in Ontario broilers, and that the L*, pH, and WHC of breast meat (all indicate meat quality) are affected by the chilling method. In addition, the Nix was found to be an affordable, objective, and convenient sensor for measuring chicken meat color.

Homogenization effect on precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties of an extruded AA7050 alloy

Abstract In this study, effect of homogenization on precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties during aging in AA7050 alloy was investigated. The billet material produced by direct chill method was homogenized at 470 °C for 12–20 h and then extruded to form T-profile. The electrical conductivity of the alloy aged at 120 and 185 °C for 0–36 h were measured and precipitation kinetics were calculated based on the relationship between increased electrical conductivity and amount of precipitates during aging. Time dependent precipitation fraction change curves using Avrami equations revealed that precipitation accelerated as the homogenization time increased due to increased nucleation and growth rates of precipitates. Peak hardness values in aging were reached depending on the increase in homogenization time, however, lower peak hardness (∼185 HV) was determined at 185 °C aging compared to the obtained ones (195–197 HV) at 120 °C aging. Depending on the increase in homogenization time, an increase trend in strength was detected in peak aged alloys. The application of longer time homogenization and subsequent aging caused an increase in strengths. The studied homogenization and aging conditions could be a useful guide for achieving the highest strength and ideal elongation values in commercial practice for the AA7050 alloy.

Microbiological Quality of Red Meat Offal Produced at Australian Export Establishments.

A national baseline study of offal hygiene was undertaken at 17 Australian export establishments. A total of 1756 samples of different offal types were analysed for aerobic plate count (APC), generic Escherichia coli, and coliform bacteria. Average APC values varied from 1.51 to 5.26 Log10 CFU/g, depending on species and offal type. The average APC on beef, sheep, lamb, and goat offal was 3.25, 3.38, 3.70, and 2.97 Log10 CFU/g, respectively. There is a small but significant difference in APC on offal sampled frozen (3.26 Log10 CFU/g) and offal sampled fresh (3.73 Log10 CFU/g). Escherichia coli prevalence on beef, sheep, lamb, and goat offal was 15.4%, 28.1%, 17.5%, and 39.3%, respectively. The number of E. coli on positive offal samples ranged from 1.42 to 1.82 Log10 CFU/g. While the quality of some offal approach that of muscle meat, the hygienic quality of red meat offal can be understood by considering the anatomical site from which it is harvested, the usual bacterial levels found at that site, the difficulty in hygienically removing the offal from the carcase, the process prior to packing, and the chilling method used.

Physical and biochemical changes in ultra-rapid air chilled broiler muscle and quality of marinated chicken breast filets

The effect of ultra-rapid chilling in air at −20 °C over water-immersion chilling on broiler carcasses was investigated for physical and biochemical attributes. Forty-eight eviscerated carcasses were divided into two groups, one group were subjected to air chilling and other to water-immersion chilling, and samples were drawn at time periods of 1, 3 and 24 h post-chill to analyze for pH, ratios of adenine: inosine nucleotide (R-values), expressible moisture, cook yield, tenderness and color. Ultra-rapid air chilled carcasses showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in pH, expressible moisture and cook yield at chosen post-chill time intervals over the carcasses chilled using water-immersion technique. It was concluded that air chilled carcasses had higher pH and expressible moisture, but the R-values, and shear values did not show significant differences, and only slight difference in color of carcasses processed by the two chilling methods. In a separate experiment with 108 commercially processed carcasses, quality attributes of pre-rigor marinated breast filets were studied after subjecting the carcasses to air chilling and water-immersion chilling. Twelve filets from air and water chilled carcass aged for 1, 3, and 24 h were tumble marinated for 25 min in a Sodium Tri Polyphosphate (STPP) and NaCl solution with different pick up levels of 10, 15 and 20%. After measuring marinade absorption, filets were aged at 2 °C for 24 h. No differences were observed between the air and water chilling treatments in terms of marinade retention at different marinade target levels (10, 15 and 20%) and time intervals (24, 27 and 47 h) but cook yield of air chilled marinated fillet was higher. In conclusion, processors using further-processing operations that debone meat may find that AC to be more suitable alternative for cooling poultry carcasses because fillet color, marination yield, and tenderness were not affected, but cook yield was improved.

Influence of various chilling methods on the sustainable beef production based on high voltage electrical stimulation.

Among the challenges of sustainable management of meat production, the key issue is to improve the energy efficiency of production processes, which will consequently affect the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Such effects are achieved by combining various chilling systems with electrical stimulation that determines the quality of meat at the slaughter stage. The novelties of the research undertaken included determining the impact of various variants of meat production (chilling method: slow, fast, accelerated + HVES/NES) on changes in the basic (industrial) quality indicators (pH and temperature) of beef produced from Polish Holstein-Friesian breed cattle, and then indicating the optimal variant for energy-efficient (sustainable) beef production. The HVES and the fast chilling method yielded positive economic (meat weight loss), technological (high quality, hot-boning), energetic (lower electricity consumption), and organizational effects (reduced chilling and storage surfaces and expenditures for staff wages) compared to the slow and accelerated methods. Reaching the desired final temperature with an increased amount of chilled meat enables obtaining a few-fold decrease in the specific energy consumption and a higher energy efficiency of the process. This allows recommending the above actions to be undertaken by entrepreneurs in the pursuit of sustainable meat production.

Fabrication of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Foams with Wrinkled Pores and Superior Energy Absorption Properties by CO2 Foaming and Fast Chilling

AbstractPrecise control and delicate manipulation of pore morphology are challenges for supercritical CO2 (scCO2) foaming of polymer foams to boost their performances and extend their applications. Herein, a simple two‐step scCO2 foaming and fast chilling method is proposed to fabricate thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foams with unique wrinkly structures inside the pores by introducing a fast cooling procedure in an ice water bath right after the foaming process. The combined effects of the increase of TPU surface tension and the decrease of CO2 pressure inside the pores induce intense intermolecular stress on the pore walls, which trigger the formation of micro‐sized wrinkles on the pore walls. The wavelength of the wrinkly structure can be reduced from 2.8 to 1.1 µm by raising the foaming temperature, which is associated with the wrinkled structure changing from hexagon to labyrinth. Compared with conventional foams, wrinkled foams possess superior compressive modulus, strength, and energy absorption performance, and wrinkled foams with wrinkles display better energy absorption. This study provides a facile approach to produce wrinkled foams with controllable morphology and gives insights into the remarkable compressive performance of the wrinkled foams, which make them promising materials for energy absorption applications.

Comparison of the immersion chilling and freezing and traditional air freezing on the quality of beef during storage.

Compared to traditional air freezing, immersion chilling and freezing shows an improvement in the freezing effect on meat quality, but it is not known whether this advantage persists over longer storage periods. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare the effects of immersion chilling and freezing (ICF) and traditional air freezing (TAF) on the physical and chemical indexes in beef longissimus muscle during a storage period of 150 days. In the current study, the longissimus muscle from Luxi cattle (aged 20–24 months) was analyzed, with samples independently frozen by ICF and TAF. After the core temperature was frozen to below −18 degrees by the two chilling methods, samples were transferred to a −18 degrees cold room for further storage. During the storage period, physical and chemical indexes, mainly including color and texture qualities, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N) and peroxide value (POV) were measured and comparatively analyzed at several fixed time points. A higher freezing rate was observed in ICF (5.124 cm/h) than in TAF (0.194 cm/h), and better microstructure was observed in ICF treatment. Besides, peak force values and total energy values were significantly lower in the TAF group than in the ICF group during the first 45 days of freezing storage time (p < .05). ICF also showed better color quality due to higher L* values than TAF samples during the first 75 days of frozen storage (p < .05). In addition, the thawing loss (after 75 days of storage), total volatile base nitrogen, and peroxide value (in the 30 to 75 days of storage period) were lower in the ICF than in the TAF group. In conclusion, the immersion chilling and freezing is more conducive to the quality of beef during storage at −18 degrees compared to traditional air freezing.

Effects of chilling rate on the freshness and microbial community composition of lamb carcasses

The freshness and microbial community composition of lamb carcasses were evaluated under three chilling rates treatments: conventional chilling (chilling rate was 1.76 °C/h), very fast chilling-I (VFC-I, chilling rate was 12.52 °C/h), and very fast chilling-II (VFC-II, chilling rate was 14.52 °C/h). The results showed that the freshness indicator including total viable counts (TVC), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values of VFC-II treatment were lower than conventional chilling and VFC-I treatments, and the bacterial species richness of the three treatments increased with the extension of storage time. The VFC-II treatment could inhibit the growth of Psychrotrophs and Corynebacterium. At the genus level, the Psychrotrophs became the main dominant spoilage bacterium, and the Turicibacter, Macrococcus, and Brevibacterium were positively correlated with TVB-N significantly. The chilling methods affected the initial diversity of microbiota, and the higher diversity of the microbial community was, the lower abundance of carbon metabolism and purine metabolism was. In conclusion, the VFC-II treatment is conducive to the preservation of lamb carcass.

Characterization of Carcass Color Differences Between Hens (Small Birds) and Meat-Type Male Pheasants (Large Birds)

The underlying changes in hen carcass color upon freezing were compared with the color of meat-type male pheasants upon freezing. Chemical and physical assessments of these two pheasant types (n=5) and the effects of different chilling methods on hen carcasses (n=10) were evaluated. The results showed that hen carcasses exhibited more red pigmentation (myoglobin, hemoglobin), as well as significantly higher pH values and redness, than the carcasses from meat-type pheasants. The moisture content was higher in hens than in meat-type pheasants, especially in the skin. The intermediate fiber (IIA) type was the only type found in the pectoralis major muscle, regardless of pheasant type. Chilling method significantly changed the color attributes of the hen carcass. Immersion chilling decreased skin redness (less pigmentation and Commission Internationale de l ́Eclairage [CIE] a*); the breast meat was less red than that from the chilling-in-a-bag condition. The skin had substantially higher levels of red pigmentation than the breast muscles, irrespective of the pheasant type and chilling method (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Our findings suggest that the more intense red appearance may be related to a combination of greater residual hemoglobin levels and higher pH within the skin. The greater moisture content of the skin may have facilitated the development of greater transparency to the darker, more red breast muscle.

Investigate Temperature Preheating on the Chill Plate to Identify Surface Characteristic on the Ductile Iron by Sand Casting

The chilled casting method is widely used in the metal casting industry to accelerate the mold's cooling rate. This method is very suitable for surface hardening by depositing the elements contained in the chill material onto the surface of the object being cast. One of the factors that influence surface hardness characteristics is the diffusion temperature. This study aims to determine the microhardness, surface layer thickness, and the element contained on the surface. The main material produced into Y-Block is ductile cast iron, the chill material is SS 304 plate with a thickness of 0.2mm. However, before the liquid material is poured into a mold, the chill plate is inserted into the surface of the pattern in the mold, then the plate was preheated. The result showed that the highest preheating temperature has produced microstructure around the surface area namely eutectic carbide of (FeCr)7C3, and (FeCr)3C. SEM-EDX analysis shows that 7.13%Cr is contained on the coating layer at a thickness of 0.020 mm and an average hardness of 700-900 HV.

The influence of extraction methods on rutin yield of cassava leaves (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Rutin, a well-known bioflavonoid, was found abundantly in cassava leaves. In the present study, extraction techniques including maceration, boiling, reflux, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were optimised to increase the yield of rutin. Extraction parameters such as solvents, solid-liquid ratio, temperature, and time were optimised to give better extraction yields for each method. HPLC analysis showed a high content of rutin which is up to 2.4% per dry weight of cassava leaves. The extraction yields under optimised condition were found to be 16.00 ± 0.21, 20.38 ± 0.66, 22.33 ± 2.3, 24.49 ± 0.41, and 23.37 ± 1.00 g rutin per kg dry weight for maceration, boiling, reflux, UAE and MAE methods, respectively. Specifically, UAE reduced the extraction time to 90 min, using only 40–60% of aqueous ethanol. Meanwhile, MAE completed the extraction under 5 min and no significant differences in output was observed between the use of water and aqueous ethanol. Accordingly, with the extraction efficiency of up to 99 and 94%, respectively, both processes provided better results. The subsequent green purification using chilling method produced a typical cassava bioflavonoid containing 82% of rutin and 17% of nicotiflorin. This study informs a new abundant source of rutin and provides the optimum condition of extraction methods for high yield of rutin from cassava leaves.

Effects of different chilling procedures on honey bees (Apis mellifera) for anesthesia

Immobilization is required for the examination and manipulation of honey bees (Apis mellifera), and many techniques have been developed to render honey bees immobile until this date. Among them, two methods, which are carbon dioxide (CO2) and low-temperature narcosis, have been commonly used to induce anesthesia on the bees. Although CO2-induced anesthesia changes the behavior and physiology of honey bees, the anesthesia induced by cold is considered commonly as non-damaging for the bees. There are a very limited number of studies on the effects of different chilling protocols in honey bees. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different chilling procedures on the survival rate and depth of anesthesia in honey bees. A total of 4 groups were formed, one of which was the control group. Three temperatures (+4°C, -20°C and -80°C) were applied to three different experimental groups. Furthermore, four different exposure times were implemented on each experimental group (n=20 worker bees in each trial). The depth of anesthesia was assessed and scored based on the movements and anesthesia recovery time in honeybees. There was a statistically significant relationship between duration and survival/death rate in the applications at +4°C, -20°C and -80°C (P&amp;lt;0.001). The method that was applied for 5 minutes at -20°C was the most ideal chilling method (P&amp;lt;0.03) and showed the lowest mortality in addition to the high depth of anesthesia. This study may assist in selecting the safest and deepest anesthesia method required in any study on honey bees.

Taste masking of water-soluble drug by solid lipid microspheres: a child-friendly system established by reversed lipid-based nanoparticle technique.

A child-friendly taste-masking strategy using solid lipid microsphere (SLM) has been proposed to obscure the undesirable taste of some water-soluble drugs. In this study, the reversed lipid-based nanoparticle (RLBN) technique was used to encapsulate a water-soluble drug to facilitate the preparation of SLM. The model drug used was atomoxetine hydrochloride (ATX), and a three-step method was used to prepare ATX-RLBN. Taste-masking microsphere (ATX-RLBN-SLM) was prepared by the spray chilling method. The drug release mechanism was studied by high-performance liquid chromatography and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, in vitro taste evaluation method was established and ATX bioavailability was investigated employing pharmacokinetic studies. The obtained ATX-RLBN-SLM had smooth spherical particles with a size of about 80μm. The drug encapsulation and loading efficiencies were 98.28%±0.59% and 0.89%±0.04%, respectively. In vitro drug release studies showed that nearly 96% drug was retained in the microspheres within 10min at pH 6.8 and a complete release was triggered by lipase, accompanied by variation in the morphology. Taste assessment revealed that ATX-RLBN-SLM could efficiently mask the bitter taste and improved the bioavailability of ATX. Atomoxetine hydrochloride-reversed lipid-based nanoparticle-solid lipid microsphere exhibited excellent taste-masking effect with negligible leakage in the oral cavity environment and thorough collapse upon lipase stimulation, simultaneously enhancing the bioavailability of ATX. The study paves a new way to efficiently mask the undesirable taste of some water-soluble drugs.

Microbiological Stability and Overall Quality of Ready-to-Heat Meals Based on Traditional Recipes of the Basilicata Region

The quality of ready meals is affected by several factors that may impair stability and nutritional value. In this work, we evaluated the overall quality of four traditional meals (Basilicata region) prepared according to the cook&chill method, packaged in air or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP; 70% N2 and 30% CO2), and stored at 4 °C for seven days. The shelf-life was determined by Listeria monocytogenes challenge testing and inactivation by microwave (MW) heating was assessed. The counts at the production day were excellent in three meals out of four, whereas one had high levels of spoilage and pathogens both as soon as the preparation and after seven days. MAP was partially effective only against the growth of the aerobic mesophilic species, whereas sensory analysis revealed that MAP may preserve many of sensory attributes. The average shelf-life of the meals ranged from 11 to 13 days, however, the potential shelf-life was undetectable in one out four meals, as L. monocytogenes growth was inhibited two days after the inoculum. In the inoculated meals, MW heating provided a partial inactivation (25%) of the pathogen. The overall quality of type the meals was partially satisfactory; post-cooking contaminations may affect the microbial load and reduce the palatability over the storage period and, above all, may involve biological hazards which consumers’ habits may not be able to eliminate.