First Week Of Storage Research Articles

Cytoskeletal changes in Erythrocytes during storage in banked blood

Introduction: Erythrocytes have flexible, non-nucleated bi-concave shape with lipid bilayer cytoskeleton. Any alterations of erythrocyte shape make it susceptible to hemolysis. Blood for transfusion purpose is routinely stored in Citrate Phosphate Dextrose Adenine (CPDA-1) containing blood bags. During storage, blood undergoes an array of different morphological changes termed as “storage lesions” which makes it more fragile. This study was aimed to determine the structural and functional modifications in erythrocytes in CPDA-1 blood stored in local blood bank of KPK. Material & Methods: Blood from twenty healthy volunteer donors was taken and kept in CPDA-1 containing blood bags at Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS), Khyber Medical University (KMU). Hb-levels and Erythrocyte, Reticulocyte counts, Mechanical Fragility Index (MFI) and immunofluorescence staining for ankiyrin1 protein were performed on fresh blood samples. Samples for reticulocyte count was taken for 5 consecutive days while for the remaining parameters, blood was taken at 5 days interval till day 20th. The light and fluorescence micrographs were obtained accordingly and osmotic fragility tests were performed. Results: A significant mean reduction in erythrocyte counts and Hb-level was observed from day 0 to 20 (p=0.001), while MFI increased from day 0 to day 20 (12.88%±7.58 p=0.001). Reticulocyte count also decreased from day 0 up to day 5 (p=0.001). A weak association was observed between changes in MFI and erythrocyte morphology from day 0 to 20 (r=0.349), while the intensity and pattern of ankyrin1 protein expression appeared to change from day 10. Conclusion: Blood stored for a week has same properties as fresh blood, however, important structural alterations start to appear after the first week of storage and worsen with time. Therefore, to gain better transfusion results, blood stored for up to one week can safely be transfused.

Thermotolerance, Survival, and Stability of Lactic Acid Bacteria After Spray Drying as Affected by the Increase of Growth Temperature

Microencapsulation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) via spray drying differs from that of common bioactive substances in that the intrinsic stress tolerance of cells can be modulated to improve cell survival. In this study, elevated growth temperatures that were 3–5 °C above the standard conditions were used to culture Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), and Lactobacillus acidophilus for spray drying. The heat-adapted cultures showed lower bacterial population than the controls by 0.45 log at stationary growth phase and produced lactobacilli cells with elongated shape, while their metabolic activities were maintained similar to the controls. Heat-adapted L. cremoris and LGG demonstrated increases in survival by 0.7–1.5 log and 0.3 log, respectively, after heat treatment at 60 °C. The thermotolerance of L. acidophilus grown at 42 °C was dependent on growth phase, and the culture entered death phase within 24 h of incubation. The survival of heat-adapted L. cremoris and L. acidophilus after spray drying was increased by 21.0% and 13.7%, respectively, whereas the increase shown by LGG was relatively insignificant (9.9%). Spray-dried powders containing heat-adapted cells showed substantial reduction of viability at the first week of storage, reaching 1.03–1.23 log, compared to 0.87–0.90 log of reduction shown by the controls. The findings demonstrated that strain-specific cellular response toward variations in growth conditions is crucial to the intrinsic properties of LAB and to cell survival during spray drying and storage. Controlling cellular response is one of the key factors in developing a viable spray drying scheme for active LAB.

To Determine the Morphological Changes in Red Blood Cells During Storage in Blood Banks

Background: During storage of blood, the red blood cells undergo shape changes which cause fragility and endothelial interaction leading to deterioration the quality of blood in blood banks.Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the morphological changes in red blood cells during storage in blood banks. Material and Methods: In this experimental study, a total 20 healthy volunteers between 17 to 40 years blood donors-Blood bags were taken, ten from each center i.e. MMCTH blood bank Mardan and KTH blood bank Peshawar. The specimen analysis was done at IBMS (Institute of Basic Medical Sciences) of KMU (Khyber Medical University) Peshawar. The exclusion criteria were People with anemia, hepatitis B &C, HIV and syphilis. The duration of this study was six months. The inform consent was taken from each donor. The total blood 250 ml from vein in cubital fossa from each blood donor was collected in 250ml pediatric blood bag with CPDA-1 solution. Blood bags were put up in the blood bank at +2 to +6 °C and stored till 20 days. Blood specimen of about 5cc were collected in 5cc syringe from each blood bag on 0, 5th,10th ,15th and 20th day for following parameters and thin film red blood cell was prepared for examination by light microscope. Morphological changes in RBCs examined via light microscope as well as grading the RBCs status in the peripheral blood film, the occurrence of distorted RBC simply in random fields; such as +1(scored 1 to 5 altered RBC present in each field), +2 (an average of 6 to 15 altered RBC in each field), +3(16 to 25 altered RBC in each field) and +4(more than 25 altered RBC present in each field). The multi head light microscope NIKON eclipse 50 was used for examination of peripheral blood slide and we took images of randomly selected field. The image J software was used for slide examination.Results: The morphological analysis of red blood cells, count of 200 cells in each blood slide in randomly selected fields are: On day 0 the majority of cells were normally shaped (97.95±1.297 (mean±SD).With increasing storage time, the percentage of morphologically abnormal red cells rose sharply. Mean percentage of abnormal cells on day 5, 10, 15 and 20 was 28.80±10.00, 51.73±12.47, 64.78±14.66 and 68.10±7.92 respectively. This increase in percentage of abnormally shaped cells was significant as determined by one way ANOVA (p =0.001). There was a big difference of percentage of abnormal RBCs on day 0 and in = 5 to= 10 days and in = 15 to = 20 days of blood storage. The mean values of day 0 of abnormal cells was 2.05±1.297 (Mean ± Std. Deviation), abnormal cells in= 5 to= 10 days was 40.26± 16.101 (Mean ± Std. Deviation) and on day = 15 and in = 20 day was 66.44± 11.75. The mean difference from day 0 to day 20 was 63.93±10.45 (Mean ± Std. Deviation).The one way ANOVA was significant, P= 0.001.Conclusion: This study confirms the hematological and morphological changes, when blood stored at 2 °C to 6 °C for up to 21 days. The significant morphological changes were observed on 5th day of blood storage. These findings suggested that approximately a week old stored blood is as good as the fresh blood; however, significant morphological and biochemical changes begin to appear after the first week of storage and these changes aggravate with time. Hence in order to achieve best possible transfusion outcomes, stored blood up to one week can be utilized.

To Determine the Morphological Changes in Red Blood Cells During Storage in Blood Banks

Background: During storage of blood, the red blood cells undergo shape changes which cause fragility and endothelial interaction leading to deterioration the quality of blood in blood banks.Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the morphological changes in red blood cells during storage in blood banks. Material and Methods: In this experimental study, a total 20 healthy volunteers between 17 to 40 years blood donors-Blood bags were taken, ten from each center i.e. MMCTH blood bank Mardan and KTH blood bank Peshawar. The specimen analysis was done at IBMS (Institute of Basic Medical Sciences) of KMU (Khyber Medical University) Peshawar. The exclusion criteria were People with anemia, hepatitis B &C, HIV and syphilis. The duration of this study was six months. The inform consent was taken from each donor. The total blood 250 ml from vein in cubital fossa from each blood donor was collected in 250ml pediatric blood bag with CPDA-1 solution. Blood bags were put up in the blood bank at +2 to +6 °C and stored till 20 days. Blood specimen of about 5cc were collected in 5cc syringe from each blood bag on 0, 5th,10th ,15th and 20th day for following parameters and thin film red blood cell was prepared for examination by light microscope. Morphological changes in RBCs examined via light microscope as well as grading the RBCs status in the peripheral blood film, the occurrence of distorted RBC simply in random fields; such as +1(scored 1 to 5 altered RBC present in each field), +2 (an average of 6 to 15 altered RBC in each field), +3(16 to 25 altered RBC in each field) and +4(more than 25 altered RBC present in each field). The multi head light microscope NIKON eclipse 50 was used for examination of peripheral blood slide and we took images of randomly selected field. The image J software was used for slide examination.Results: The morphological analysis of red blood cells, count of 200 cells in each blood slide in randomly selected fields are: On day 0 the majority of cells were normally shaped (97.95±1.297 (mean±SD).With increasing storage time, the percentage of morphologically abnormal red cells rose sharply. Mean percentage of abnormal cells on day 5, 10, 15 and 20 was 28.80±10.00, 51.73±12.47, 64.78±14.66 and 68.10±7.92 respectively. This increase in percentage of abnormally shaped cells was significant as determined by one way ANOVA (p =0.001). There was a big difference of percentage of abnormal RBCs on day 0 and in = 5 to= 10 days and in = 15 to = 20 days of blood storage. The mean values of day 0 of abnormal cells was 2.05±1.297 (Mean ± Std. Deviation), abnormal cells in= 5 to= 10 days was 40.26± 16.101 (Mean ± Std. Deviation) and on day = 15 and in = 20 day was 66.44± 11.75. The mean difference from day 0 to day 20 was 63.93±10.45 (Mean ± Std. Deviation).The one way ANOVA was significant, P= 0.001.Conclusion: This study confirms the hematological and morphological changes, when blood stored at 2 °C to 6 °C for up to 21 days. The significant morphological changes were observed on 5th day of blood storage. These findings suggested that approximately a week old stored blood is as good as the fresh blood; however, significant morphological and biochemical changes begin to appear after the first week of storage and these changes aggravate with time. Hence in order to achieve best possible transfusion outcomes, stored blood up to one week can be utilized.

Postharvest quality and storage life of Kuini (Mangifera Odorata Griff) at different storage temperature

Mangifera Odorata or locally called Kuini, is a mango species with attractive striking orange flesh and have strong and unique smell, make it special in local market. Research is being carried out in MARDI from seed production to marketing to expose M. odorata to local and export market. Postharvest handling technology is one of importance aspect that has been develop to cater the market needs for commercialization. Proper postharvest handling will reduce postharvest losses, maintain freshness and to prolong storage life to make sure consumer get the premium quality of fruit. In postharvest handling, one of most important factors to maintain quality during handling, distribution and display is storage at the optimum temperature. Effect of different storage temperature on quality and storage life of M. odorata var. Tembaga were carried out. M. odorata at 11 to 12 weeks after fruit set were harvest at MARDI Sintok, Kedah and transported to packinghouse MARDI Serdang for storage study. On arrival at MARDI Serdang, fruit were sorted, washed, drain, packed and stored at different storage temperature (8, 10, 13, 15 and 250C). Visual quality assessment (appearance, disease quality changes), physical (texture, colour (Lightness, hue, chroma)) and chemical (pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), ascorbic acid, soluble solid content (SSC)) analysis were carried out weekly. Results of this study showed that storage duration and different storage duration significantly affected SSC. pH, TTA, chroma of M. odorata. The highest TSS, pH and chroma of M. odorata at 100C and the lowest at 250C. The highest TTA of M. odorata at storage temperature 80C and 130C, and the lowest TTA at 250C. Ascorbic acid content not significantly affected by different storage temperature from 8 to 150C, but significant different compare to ascorbic acid content at ambient storage temperature. Ascorbic acid content of M. odorata significantly lower at 250C compare to storage at 8 C - 150C. Lightness and texture of M. odorata slightly decrease during storage but not significant (P>0.05). Lightness of M. Odorata was not significantly affected by different storage temperature. Hue of M. Odorata significantly affected by storage duration and but not affected by different storage temperature. Hue of M. odorata significantly increased in the first weeks of storage, followed by significant decreased at week 2, maintain until week 4 and significantly decreased at week 5. Quality observed visually showed that freshness of M. Odorata maintain 5 weeks at 80C, 4 weeks at 100C, 2 weeks at 10 – 150C and 1 week at 250C.

Improving the microbiological quality, health benefits, and storage time of cold-stored ground mutton supplemented with black seed

Consumers worldwide are concerned about adverse health effects of preservatives used in food that they eat. Therefore, improving the safety and storage time of food has become an urgent issue. This study was designed to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant effects of black seed oil (BSO, 1%, 2%, and 3%) and black seed powder (BSP, 2%, 4%, and 6%) supplementation on ground mutton during cold storage (4 °C for 21 days). The best antibacterial effect was obtained with 3% BSO, whereas 4% BSP exerted the best antioxidant effect. BSO induced a significant reduction in colony count and psychrotrophic count in the first week of storage. Addition of 4% BSP resulted in a pronounced and significant antimicrobial effect against Enterobacteriaceae with a reduction of 1.7 log10 cfu⁄g (40%). In addition, 3% BSO caused a reduction of 1.6 log10 cfu⁄g (24%) in inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7. BSP induced a significant decrease in lipid peroxidase activity (thiobarbituric acid number significantly decreased) and antioxidant activity (catalase activity significantly increased). Sensory characteristics of meat treated with black seeds improved. Therefore, black seeds can be used as a meat additive because of their antibacterial and antioxidant effects that improve safety, quality, and shelf life of meats.

Molecular monitoring of the poplar wood chip microbiome as a function of storage strategy

One of the most challenging aspects of using wood chips as renewable energy source is the loss of biomass related to storage. Therefore, we installed three outdoor industrial-scale piles (250 m³) of poplar wood chips and monitored the bacterial and fungal communities by next-generation sequencing over a storage period of 120 d. Two of the three piles were supplemented with calcium dihydroxide (Ca(OH)2) (1.5%, 3% w/w) in order to test its potential as alkaline stabilization agent to preserve woody biomass during storage. Shifts in the microbial community composition occurred almost entirely in the beginning of the storage experiment, which we attribute to the temperature rise of up to 60 °C within the first week of storage. Later, however, we found little changes. Independent of Ca(OH)2 concentration, a consortium of lignocellulolytic and thermotolerant microorganisms dominated the stored wood chip microbiota emphasizing their role as key players during wood decomposition. Although the addition of Ca(OH)2 altered the physicochemical properties of wood chips, it did not prevent loss of biomass. Especially the pH was increased in Ca(OH)2 treated piles. However, only minor differences in the microbial communities’ composition were detected following Ca(OH)2 addition, highlighting the microbes tolerance towards and adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

Effects of storage on dry matter, energy content and amount of extractives in Norway spruce bark

Wood bark is one of the major feedstocks in bioenergy and bioeconomy scenarios in Finland. Currently it is used mainly for producing heat and power, which make buffer storage essential due to seasonal variations in the demand for energy. The storage of bark is associated with problems like the occurrence of self-heating, biomass losses, and the reduction of its quality as fuel. Extraction of valuable extractives from the bark before burning is an interesting option when aiming to increase the value of this side-stream. However, the content of extractives starts to decrease immediately after tree felling and this degradation continues during storage.This study examined changes in fuel quality and extractive amounts during the storage of Norway spruce (Picea abies) bark from sawmills. The moisture content of the bark decreased five percent during the storage period of eight weeks. The temperature in the storage pile rose within one week to over 50° and there was evidence of appreciable initial biological activity within the bark. The dry matter losses of spruce bark were on average six % per month.The content of acetone-soluble extractives decreased significantly, being 66.2% of the original amount after eight weeks’ storage. The most significant changes in extractive content occurred within the two first weeks of storage when 30% of the extractives were lost. This means that in order to utilize these valuable compounds, the material should be sent for further processing as soon as possible after debarking.

Influence of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) essential oil on the microbial, chemical, and sensory properties of chicken fillets wrapped with gelatin film.

The present study aimed to develop a novel active edible film based on gelatin incorporated with 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% w/w anise essential oil as a natural preservative and investigate the shelf life extension potential of chicken fillets during 12 days of refrigerated storage. The chicken fillets were wrapped with the essence-free and anise essential oil-loaded gelatin films, and microbial counts, chemical and sensory tests were surveyed during chilled storage. Results showed that aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp counts significantly decreased at all levels of anise essential oil during the first week of storage, while psychrotrophs, yeasts, and molds numbers began to reduce at concentrations of 0.6 and 0.9% from day 6. The using of anise essential oil caused a significant decrease of chemical parameters of chicken fillets, and the values of pH, peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, and total volatile basic-nitrogen reached from 7.42, 5.7 meq/kg, 2.21 mg malondialdehyde/kg, and 24.94 mg N/100 g for the essence-free wrapped samples to 4.8, 6.35 meq/kg, 1.73 mg malondialdehyde/kg, and 18.78 mg N/100 g for the ones wrapped with 0.9% anise essential oil-loaded gelatin films at the end of storage day. In conclusion, application of gelatin films loaded with 0.6 and 0.9% anise essential oil can be advised for wrapping chicken fillets to prolong the shelf life for at least one week.

Prickly Pear By-Product in the Feeding of Livestock Ruminants: Preliminary Investigation.

Simple SummaryThe question of sustainability of animal nutrition has become a popular topic. The gains made by recycling safe, yet otherwise valueless, by-products and wastes from human food and fiber production (green feeds) may lessen the competition between humans and animals for crops and decrease the environmental impact of food production. In this context, prickly pear by-product, which results from Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. fruits processed for juice extraction, could be an optimum by-product to ruminant feeding. This study evaluates the nutritional characteristics and its stability during storage using potassium metabisulfite as a preservative agent. This preliminary investigation showed this by-product could represent, for its chemical composition, an interesting and suitable feeding source to be used to increase the environmental and economic sustainability of ruminant livestock. On the basis of the results, the use of preservative was able to slightly slow down the early phase of the acidification process and limit the presence of spoilage microorganisms after a three-week storage period. The high content of soluble sugars in the prickly pear by-product suggests that a likely storage technique could be ensiling the mass with straw.In Sicily, the current increasing cultivation of Opuntia ficus-indica corresponds to an availability of prickly pear by-product (PPB) that results from fruit processing for juice extraction. This investigation aims to evaluate the nutritional traits of PPB for ruminant feeding and its stability during a 21-day outdoor storage, using potassium metabisulfite (PMB) as a preservative agent, added to the PPB mass at different doses (0, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg). The fractioning of PPB showed that it included 28% of peel and pulp and 72% of seeds on a dry matter (DM) basis. On the whole, this by-product was low in crude protein (5.32% DM), high in fiber content (51.38%, 41.15% and 14.64% DM for NDFom, ADFom and ADL respectively), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC, 29.68% DM), and soluble sugars (13.3% DM), with a moderate level of net energy for lactation (4.59 MJ/kg DM). Storage was the main factor of alteration of PPB chemical composition with the exception of ether extract. A decline of NFC and soluble sugars, due to microbial fermentation, was observed with all PMB treatments, especially during the first week of storage, probably due to evolution of both coccus (M17) and rod LAB (MRS), which increased their loads at the seventh day of storage.

The effect of stevia, emulsifier and milk powder on melting rate, hardness and overrun of ice cream formulations during storage

Four types of ice creams were manufactured using stevia (S), milk powder (PP), emulsifier (PS) and UHT whole milk (C), and were investigated for physical, chemical and sensory characteristics. The pH values of ice cream samples ranged from 5.82 to 6.62. The hardness values from textural analyses was around 3.40 and 598.61 N. The highest overrun ratio (29.27 %) was found in PP ice cream during the first week of storage. The substitution of sucrose by stevia powder led to a significant elevation of the hardness of ice cream.

Effects of Pretreatments on the Shelf Life and Quality of Carrots (Daucus carota Subspecies Sativus) Stored at Different Temperatures

Carrot is one of the top ten most important vegetables in the world due to its nutritional contents however, it is highly perishable. One major way to extend its shelf life is to store in the refrigerator but these can only prolong the shelf life for only a few weeks. Therefore, there is the need to research how the shelf life can be extended further. Fresh matured carrots bought from Shasha market in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria were washed with potable water and grouped into 7; each group was subjected to different pretreatment except the 7th group that was left untreated. All the carrot groups were dried in sun for five hours and then packed aseptically into different sterile air tight polyethylene food bags. Each group was replicated and one batch was stored in the refrigerator (4 ± 2°C) while the other batch was stored at room temperature (30 ± 2°C). At intervals of one week, the samples were monitored for presence of soft rot, wrinkle, weight loss etc. All carrots stored at 30 ± 2°C got spoiled after first week of storage irrespective of the type of pretreatment they were subjected to. However, pretreated carrots stored at 4 ± 2°C had their shelf life extended with those treated with moringa seed aqueous extract having the best result at 24th week. This work shows that moringa seed aqueous extract can be used to extend the shelf life of carrots stored in the refrigerator.

Monitoring of active constituents of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) rhizome stored under supplemented white LED-light with different light intensities

Previous research showed possible applications of supplemented light to increase active compounds in harvested underground part of medicinal plants. Accordingly, the effect of supplementing white LED (light emitting diode) at different light intensities on the main constituents (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin) of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) rhizomes was investigated every week during storage. Rhizomes were stored for six weeks at room temperature of 24.7-34.5°C and 56-76% RH. During storage, rhizomes were illuminated with varied number (0 (control), 1, 2 or 3 tube (s)) of white LEDs at light intensities of 0 µmol m‑2 s‑1, 14-15 µmol m‑2 s‑1, 41-42 µmol m‑2 s‑1 and 61-62 µmol m‑2 s‑1, respectively. The LEDs were operated for 6 h (3:00 to 6:00 am and 6:00 to 9:00 pm) daily. Concentrations of curcuminoid, crude extracts and volatile oil fluctuated during storage. There was an increase in these attributes during the first week of storage and then a decline thereafter till week 4. The highest increase in all parameters occurred in week 5 and decreased at week 6 where there were significant differences among treatments (p<.05). Under the treatment using 61-62 µmol m‑2 s‑1 of white light LEDs, curcuminoid content (4.42% w/w) and crude extract (5.72% w/v) were 10.78 and 16.02% greater than the control. There was no significant difference in volatile oil content (1.10-2.10%).

The effect of invertase concentration on quality parameters of fondant.

Fondant is a saturated sugar solution which is a paste- or cream-like heterogeneous system consisting of a solid phase (saccharose crystals), a liquid phase (saturated saccharose solution and glucose/invert sugar) and a gaseous phase. Fondant is used as a filling material and as a coating material for pastry, confectionery and chocolate products. Therefore, mechanical properties are important for both machinability and sensory properties of the fondant. In the present study, the invertase enzyme was added at different concentrations (0.1-0.5%) to investigate its effect on the textural and rheological properties of the fondant during the storage period as well as on the sugar composition. After the first week of storage, the hardness of the control sample decreased from the initial value of 221.1-69.24g and 48.22g for the addition of 0.1 and 0.5% enzyme. G' and G″ values of the fondant decreased by treatment with invertase enzyme. The positive effect of the invertase addition to fondant was also perceived in sensory evaluation. Therefore, using invertase enzyme enabled the product having desired quality characteristics. The results of the present study highlighted that invertase enzyme can be used to soften the product improving the sensory characteristics and machinability and reducing or eliminating the crystallization of sucrose which negatively affects the quality parameters. Depending on the intended purpose of the fondant, the invertase concentration can be optimized.

Storage Stability of Additive-free Salacca sp. Fruit Leather

We developed additive-free fruit leather made from snake fruit (Salacca sp.), one of the exotic fruits of Madura, Indonesia. Mature snake fruit variety native of Bangkalan Regency was peeled, the seed was discarded, and flesh was blanched for 5 minutes, cooled and then crushed in an electric blender to form a smooth slurry. The slurry was then cooked until thick, spread onto a flat surface, and then dried in an oven at 60°C until dry. Fruit leather with a water content of around 10% was kept in aluminium foil or polypropylene plastic bag at 25 and 35°C for 3 weeks. Every week, fruit leather was examined for tensile strength, water activity, colour (L, a b*values), and titratable acidity. Sensory analysis was performed using ten semi-trained panellists to score hardness, chewiness, sweetness, astringency, aroma, shininess, and cohesiveness. Results indicated that tensile strength apparently increased during storage. Polypropylene bag showed lower water activity and value, but higher titratable acidity of fruit leather. Storage time increased water activity, titratable acidity, but reduced all colour parameters. Higher storage temperature led to higher L and b values. On the contrary, sensory analysis results indicated the limited effect of factors studied. The shininess of fruit leather reduced with the progress of storage, and cohesiveness increased in the first week of storage only, followed by constant reduce towards the storage time. Astringency in snake fruit is a limiting factor. However, snake fruit leather showed moderate level (4.6 out of 9 score) of astringency.

Red cell storage lesion and the effect of buffy-coat reduction on the biochemical parameters

BackgroundBiochemical and metabolic changes in stored RBC may influence the clinical outcome. We aimed to study the temporal changes in the biochemical parameters and the effect of buffy-coat reduction on RBC storage lesions. Materials and methodsA prospective observational study was conducted on fifteen RBC units five each of buffy coat reduced CPD/SAGM (quadruple bags), non-buffycoat reduced CPD/SAGM (triple bags) and non-buffycoat reduced CPDA (double bags). Biochemical parameters such as K+, LDH, pH plasma hemoglobin and percentage hemolysis were measured sequentially on day 7,14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. ResultsExtracellular K+ and LDH increased rapidly starting from the first week of storage. And the all the parameters including percentage hemolysis were significantly higher in RBC stored in CPDA (double bags) compared to that stored in SAGM (triple and quadruple). The difference observed in buffy-coat reduced units in comparison to the non-leukocyte reduced units were statistically not significant. ConclusionThe quality of red cells stored in SAGM was superior to that suspended in CPDA measured in terms of percent hemolysis, plasma hemoglobin, potassium and LDH. There was no effect of buffy-coat leukocyte reduction on the red cell storage lesion.

Evaluation of volatile organic compound release in modified atmosphere-packaged minced raw pork in relation to shelf-life

Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from fresh meat during storage have the potential to be reliable parameters for monitoring shelf-life and/or spoilage using simple sensors. The VOC release profiles in raw, minced pork packaged under modified atmosphere (70% O2, 30% CO2) stored at 4 °C were measured on days 0, 3, 6, and 12 of storage by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS). Additional sensory and solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry/olfactometry (SPME-GC–MS/O) analyses of sample subsets allowed for a comparison of VOC profile changes with changes in sensory impressions and aided compound identification. Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and acids were observed to change over time, either increasing continuously or decreasing after reaching maximum concentrations early to mid-way during storage. Marked differences were observed in the concentrations of several compounds between the fresh (day 0) and aged samples (day 12). Sensory analyses indicated strong increases in buttery and greasy odours, moderate increases in cheesy, vomit-like, sweaty and sour-cream-like odours, and decreases in fruity odours. The number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae, pseudomonads, psychrotrophs, mesophiles, yeasts and moulds increased throughout storage. Percentage wise, LAB dominated the microbial population at each sampling point and pH decreased during storage. Values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) indicated marginal lipid oxidation during the first week of storage. The present study provides useful information on the development of characteristic volatile spoilage compounds and offers insights for the potential future implementation of specific sensors to monitor shelf-life.

Oxygen Consumption and Acoustic Activity of Adult Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) during Hermetic Storage.

Acoustic monitoring was applied to consider hermetic exposure durations and oxygen levels required to stop adult Callosobruchus maculatus activity and economic damage on cowpea. A 15-d study was conducted with six treatments of 25, 50, and 100 C. maculatus adults in 500 and 1000 mL jars using acoustic probes inserted through stoppers sealing the jars. Acoustic activity as a result of locomotion, mating, and egg-laying was measured by identifying sound impulses with frequency spectra representative of known insect sounds, and counting trains (bursts) of impulses separated by intervals of <200 ms, that typically are produced only by insects. By the end of the first week of storage in all treatments, oxygen levels declined to levels below 4%, which has been demonstrated to cause mortality in previous studies. Concomitantly, insect sound burst rates dropped below an acoustic detection threshold of 0.02 bursts s−1, indicating that the insects had ceased feeding. Statistically significant relationships were obtained between two different measures of the acoustic activity and the residual oxygen level. Based on the experimental results, a simple equation can be used to estimate the time needed for oxygen to decline to levels that limit insect feeding damage and thus grain losses in hermetic storage containers of different insect population levels and various volumes.

Reduction rate of nematode egg counts and third-stage larvae development from sheep and goat faeces preserved at 4οC

Gastrointestinal nematode parasites cause major production losses to small ruminants. The most common way to diagnose or monitor the worm burdens in sheep and goats remains the quantitative parasitological examinations, i.e. the faecal egg counts. However, the reliability of the results of such methods depends greatly on the conditions and duration of the storage of the faecal samples prior to examination. The aim of this research was to evaluate the reduction rate and the maximum storage period, without significant losses, of nematode egg counts and third-stage larvae development from sheep and goat faeces preserved at 4οC. Towards this end, a pooled faecal sample was formed by collecting faeces from naturally infected sheep and goats (separately). Faecal egg counts and coprocultures were performed on fresh faeces and on preserved ones every week and up to 119 days post sampling. It was concluded that the preservation at 4oC, i.e. into a refrigerator, of fresh faeces from sheep and goats for parasitological examinations poses danger of misdiagnosis, if not performed in a period not exceeding 3 weeks of time. The rate of reduction of the faecal nematode egg counts starts to be significant lower than the ones performed with fresh samples, for both sheep and goats, after the third week of storage. The percentage of the gastrointestinal nematode larvae developing to the infective third–stage alters significantly for the Haemonchus genus, soon after the first week of storage (p&lt;0.05).

The possible causal relationship between fragmentation of genomic DNA and formation of viable, but non-culturable probiotic bacteria upon storage in dry state.

In this study, the aim was to establish if loss of DNA integrity is a cause of loss of culturability for probiotic bacteria during storage in dry state. The number of colony forming units (CFU), number of metabolically active cells, and DNA integrity during dry storage of probiotic strains, B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and L. acidophilus LA-5, were investigated. The probiotic strains were freeze-dried and stored at 20°C, with and without oxygen present, and at water activity levels 0.22 or 0.32. Dry storage resulted in a decrease in CFU during the entire storage period. The number of metabolically active cells was unchanged during storage of B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, but did decrease during the first week of storage of L. acidophilus LA-5. Loss of DNA integrity was evident for both strains during storage and correlated well with the loss of CFU. Both loss of CFU and loss of DNA integrity were significantly greater for both strains when oxygen was present and when aw was increased. Statistical analysis indicates a possible causal relationship between DNA degradation and loss of culturability and this idea is consistent with the function of DNA at cell division. The study contributes with new knowledge of the cause for loss of CFU during dry storage of probiotic bacteria, which possibly can aid in the improvement of preservation techniques. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:231-242, 2018.