Amount Of Total Acids Research Articles

Effects of Dietary L-Proline and L-Alanine on Growth Performance, and Flesh Quality of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Juveniles

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of amino acids L-proline and L-alanine on growth performance, amino acid, and fatty acid levels in the fillet of juvenile common carp. Four hundred and fifty juvenile common carp were randomly distributed in 30 tanks and fed with three levels of proline (5 [P5], 10 [P10], and 15 [P15] g/kg), three levels of alanine [A] (5 [A5], 10 [A10], and 15 [A15] g/kg), three levels of proline-alanine combination [PA] (2.5 + 2.5 [2.5PA], 5 + 5 [5PA], 7.5 + 7.5 [7.5PA] g/kg feed) and basal diet (control). The highest body weight gain (25.85 ± 0.1 g) and survival rate (91.11 ± 3.84) were observed in 7.5 PA treatment. The highest protein content (64.58 ± 0.49) was noticed in 2.5 PA; however, compared to combined treatments (5 PA and 2.5 PA), it did not show any significant difference (P<0.05). The highest total amount of essential amino acids (48.30 ± 48.3) was observed in 7.5 PA treatment. The highest amount of DHA (5.65 ± 0.08), total EPA, and DHA (8.91 ± 0.13) were in 7.5 PA treatment. Finally, it can be concluded that two amino acids L-proline and L-alanine at the combined level of 5 PA can improve the growth performance, survival, and fillet composition in the juvenile common carp.

SOLUTION BLOWN OF PLA NANOFIBER CONTAINING OZONATED MORMODICA OIL AND ITS MICROCAPSULES TO OBTAIN ANTIBACTERIAL MEDICAL TEXTILES SURFACES

In the scope of the study, it was aimed to obtain antibacterial nanofiber surfaces containing Momordica oil, its ozonated oil form and its microcapsules forms. First of all, Mormodica oil was exposed to ozone gas for 135 min. After that, crude and ozonated mormodica oil were microencapsulated by using simple coacervation. Subsequently, %10 PLA polymer solution were prepared and used for obtaining PLA nanofiber surface by using solution blowing spinning. Besides, PLA polymer solution were mixed with crude mormodica oil, ozonated mormodica oil and their microcapsules forms and then these solutions were spun by using solution blowing spinning. Obtained ozonated oil, microcapsules and nanofiber surfaces were characterized via measurement of total unsaturated fatty acid amount in the oils, scanning electron microscope, FT-IR analysis and antibacterial activity test. The data showed that mormodica oil were ozonated. Microencapsulation process was done successfully and obtained nanofiber containing mormodica oil and its microcapsules. Moreover antibacterial activity showed that mormodica oil and ozonated mormodica oil showed antibacterial activity against to S.aureus and E.coli bacteria according to the disc diffusion method. The nanofiber surfaces containing ozonated oil and its microcapsules showed antibacterial activity against to S.aureus and E.coli bacteria according to the ASTM E 2149-01 method. As a result, it was obtained biodegradable nanofiber containing microcapsules and showing antibacterial activity.

Nutritional and biological value of canned pate from japanese sardine <i>Sardinops melanostictus</i>

Nutritional and biological value and the dietary lipid indices are determined for 2 recipes of pate canned food from japanese sardine S ardinops melanostictus (sardine-iwashi). The first recipe uses the fish and vegetable raw materials, but the second one includes additionally vegetable oil used for sautéing of the vegetables. The content of proteins in both products was 13.7–15.5 %, fat content — 14.3–17.4 %, carbohydrates — 4.6–4.8 %. The proteins were completed and balanced in terms of amino acid composition. The lipids were represented mainly by triacylglycerides, the portion of phospholipids was 6.0–6.4 %. Among fatty acids of the lipids, the most numerous group was PUFAs (38.8 % of the total amount of fatty acids for the 1 st recipe, 41.3 % — for the 2 nd recipe). The PUFAs amount in 100 g of canned food was 5.86 and 7.05 g, respectively. The content of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA was 25.2 % and 9.9 % of the total number of fatty acids for the 1 st recipe and 18.6 % and 20.5 % for the 2 nd recipe. Among PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3) dominated in the pate of the 1 st recipe (14.2 %) but linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) dominated for the 2 nd one (19.6 %). The sum of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids was 19.0 % of total fatty acids or 3.14 g/100 g of the pate for the 1 st recipe but 14.1 % or 2.40 g/100 g for the 2 nd recipe. The dietary indices (or health lipid indices) were determined as the ratio of certain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the product. The indices of atherogenic- ity and thrombogenicity were 0.59 and 0.24 for the 1 st recipe and 0.41 and 0.24 for the 2 nd recipe, respectively. The hypocholesterolemic index was evaluated as 2.26 and 3.49 for the 1 st and 2 nd recipes, respectively. Low values of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity and high value of hypocholesterolemic index provide positive effect of the lipid profile on cholesterol metabolism and rate of thrombosis in the human blood vessels.

Environmental factors drive microbial succession and huangjiu flavor formation during raw wheat qu fermentation

As the core raw material of huangjiu (Chinese rice wine) production and brewing, changes of physichemical factors during the fermentation process significantly affect the succession of the microbial community of raw wheat qu (RWQ), also playing important role in huangjiu quality. In this report we analyzed the community structure and driving force RWQ microorganisms with different processes (manual qu, MAQ; mechanical qu, MEQ), and evaluating the flavor of huangjiu. The production procedure was divided into three stages. Dominant microorganisms were Aspergillus, Alternaria, Epicoccus, Bacillus, Pantoea, Saccharopolyspora and Staphylococcus. In early stage, microbial community of MAQ was significantly correlated with temperature and water content, oxygen in middle stage, while no significant driving force in the last stage. Water content and oxygen affected MEQ community significantly in early stage, while in the final stage, fungal community was affected by both temperature and water content, and bacterial community was significantly correlated with oxygen. Glucoamylase activity reached its maximum at 50 °C, while the α-amylase activity decreased with the rise of temperature. The highest amylase activity was obtained with 19% initial water addition. Amylase activity showed positive correlation with the thickness of RWQ. The total amount of organic acids was higher in mechanical huangjiu at the end of pre-fermentation. Contents of n-hexanol, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl hexanoate and guaiacol in manual huangjiu were significantly higher than those in mechanical one, while the content of 4-vinylguaiacol was lower.

METABOLIC ACTIVITY OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIAL STRAINS AFTER THEIR INTRODUCTION INTO ALFALFA HAYLAGE

Objective. Study the metabolic activity of strains of lactic acid bacterial strains after their introduction into alfalfa haylage as a component of preservatives. Methods. Microbiological (determining the number of microorganisms, obtaining antibiotic-resistant mutants of bacterial strains), zootechnical (pH level, accumulation and ratio of organic acids in the fermentation process), statistical. Results. Lactobacillus plantarum KT-L18/1str, L. plantarum 32str strains introduced into the haylage substrate are stored in the feed in an active state for a long time and at day 30 of fermentation take a dominant position among native lactic acid bacteria, retaining 80 % of the acid-forming capacity and antagonistic activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The best results of the action of the studied lactic acid bacteria (LAB) after introduction into alfalfa haylage were obtained when the mass was dry-cured to a moisture content of 60–61 %, while the share of lactic acid in the total amount of organic acids formed in the experimental variants of the haylage ranged from 85.5 % to 89.3 % versus the control, where the share of lactic acid reached only 42 %. Increasing the degree of feed acidification in experimental variants at a given alfalfa moisture content ensured a decrease in the butyric acid content to 1.12–1.7 % versus 26.3 % in the control variant. Treatment of alfalfa haylage dry-cured to a moisture content of 38–39 % with strains of lactic acid bacteria did not affect the increase in the proportion of lactic acid. Conclusion. The use of probiotic L. plantarum KT-L18/1str and L. plantarum 32str made it possible to establish their competitiveness and metabolic activity in the process of alfalfa haylage preparation. The use of LAB probiotic strains for alfalfa haylage preparation improved fermentation processes, in particular, when dry matter content was at the level of 39–40 %.

The Effect of Whole Buckwheat Flour Addition on Physico-Chemical Characteristics, Biological Active Compounds and Fatty Acids Profile of Breads

To evaluate the impact of fortification of the wheat bread with whole buckwheat flour on chemical characteristics, bioactive components
 and fatty acids, six types of bread with different whole-grain buckwheat flour concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50) were prepared. The bread made with whole buckwheat flour had inferior physical characteristics in comparison to the bread made solemnly with wheat flour that was taken as a reference sample. The quantities of ash (1.66 g/100g), fats (3.42 g/100g), proteins (16.23 g/100g), total fibers (soluble and insoluble) (80.0318.95 g/100g dry matter), total polyphenols (13.24 g GAE/100g DM) and antioxidant activity increased with the increment of the added content of whole buckwheat flour up to 50%WBF, whereas the number of carbohydrates was decreased. The amount of total monounsaturated fatty acids also increased with subsequent higher concentrations of whole buckwheat flour in bread (39.01 g/100 g fats against 20.90 g/100 g fats for the control bread), the most prominent of which was oleic acid. The results lead to the conclusion that whole buckwheat fortified bread has better chemical and nutritional characteristics than wheat bread. The sensory evaluation test ranked the one with 30% whole buckwheat flour as the most acceptable. The flour blend (wheat flour – buckwheat flour) can be included in the development of new innovative and high in nutrition products.

Synthesis of Sulfonated Carbon from Discarded Masks for Effective Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), as one of the top ten important platform chemicals, can be used to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), 2,5-dimethyl furan (DMF), levulinic acid, and other chemicals. An environmentally friendly system for the synthesis of sulfonated carbon materials from discarded masks has been proposed. A series of mask-based solid acid catalysts (bMC-SO3H) were prepared by a simple two-step process. Mechanochemical pretreatment (ball milling) of waste mask and sulfonated group precursor, followed by thermal carbonization under nitrogen gas, were used to synthesize sulfonated porous carbon. The total acid amount of the prepared bMC-SO3H was measured by the Boehm method, which exhibited 1.2–5.3 mmol/g. The addition of the sulfonated group precursor in the mechanochemical treatment (ball milling) process caused intense structure fragmentation of the discarded masks. These sulfonated porous carbons (bMC(600)-SO3H) as solid acid catalysts achieved fructose conversion of 100% and HMF yield of 82.1% after 120 min at 95 °C in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride. The bMC-SO3H could be reused five times, during which both the HMF yield and fructose conversion were stable. This work provides a strategy for the synthesis of sulfonated carbon from discarded masks and efficient catalyzed fructose upgrading to HMF.

Bioactive Components of Meat Powder and Viscera-Gonad Holothuria Scabra from Terung Island Waters, Batam, Indonesia

Holothuria scabra contains some bioactive components that are highly needed by humans in functional and healthy food. This study aims to determine differences in chemical content and bioactive components, the amount of water-soluble protein, salt-soluble protein, amino acid profile, and fatty acid profile from meat powder ingredients and viscera-gonad. The research stages include the weeding process and sample preparation, making meat powder and sea cucumber viscera-gonad, and testing the chemical and bioactive composition. Yields of sea cucumber meat powder and viscera-gonads were 95.45% and 95.92%, respectively. Sea cucumber meat powder has a slightly grayish creamy white color (69.32% white degree), while the sea cucumber gonad powder has a slightly brownish grayish-white color (63.09% white degree). The chemical contents of meat powder and edible gonad of sea cucumber are water content 9.12% and 16.12%, protein 79.50% (dw) and 51.83% (dw), fat 2.14% (dw) and 20.09% (dw), ash 4.14% (dw) and 9.52% (dw), carbohydrates 13.88% (dw) and 18.57% (dw), respectively. Components of bioactive in sea cucumber extract generally contain flavonoid components, saponins, alkaloids and steroids, and specifically, the meat is not identified flavonoid compounds. Water-soluble protein and salt-soluble protein in the sea cucumber powder decreased compared to the fresh sea cucumber. Essential amino acids in sea cucumber amino were most abundant in meat of 74.09% and viscera-gonads of 49.95%. The dominant essential amino acids in sea cucumber meat included lysine (6.78%) and leucine (7.11%), in the viscera-gonad of leucine amino acid types (3.81%) and arginine (4.16%). The amount of total fatty acids in sea cucumber meat (1.71%) was smaller than that of sea cucumber gonads (18.49%). The types of fatty acids identified in the meat and the sea cucumber viscera-gonad were saturated fatty acids of 1.08% and 8.97%; saturated fatty acids of 0.63% and 4.96%; while compounds saturated fatty acids in meat were not identified and in viscera-gonads by 4.56%.

Bioaccessibility and Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus sp. to Enhance Nham Protein Hydrolysates in Thai Fermented Sausage.

The development of functional food products is increasingly gaining lots of interest and popularity among stakeholders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioaccessibility of three Lactobacillus sp. starter cultures, including Lacticaseibacillus casei KKU-KK1, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus KKU-KK2, and Lactobacillus acidophilus KKU-KK3, in order to enhance the performance of the probiotic potential of Nham protein hydrolysates in Thai fermented sausage using microencapsulation technology. Probiotic microcapsules were created from a novel wall material made up of a combination of glutinous rice flour and inulin through a freeze-drying process. Accordingly, the results of three formulations of Nham probiotic and spontaneous fermentation (control) characterized by their physicochemical and microbiological characteristics displayed a correlation between an increase in the amount of total acidity, the population of lactic acid bacteria, and the generated TCA-soluble peptides, while the pH and total soluble protein gradually decreased under proteolysis during the fermentation time. The fractionation of Nham protein hydrolysates (NPHs) was prepared using a microwave extraction process: NPH-nham1, NPH-nham2, and NPH-nham3 (10 mg/mL with fermentation time 114 h), exhibited the highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity and FRAP-reducing power capacity as well, compared to NPH-nhamcontrol at p < 0.05. Moreover, those NPHs peptides showed dose-dependent inhibiting of selected pathogenic bacteria (E. coli TISTR 073, S. aureus TISTR 029, and Ent. aerogenes TISTR 1540). Anti-microbial properties of NPHs peptides against gram-negative bacteria were higher than against gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, the bioaccessibility of NPHs peptides was significantly enhanced by micro-encapsulation and showed a potential bioactive characteristic for developing into a probiotic agent.

Catalytic cracking and catalyst deactivation/regeneration characteristics of Fe-loaded biochar catalysts for tar model compound

The maximum toluene removal efficiency of Fe-loaded biochar was 95.36 % over a reaction time of 90 min. Carbon deposition was the leading cause of the deactivation of the catalysts. For ABC-Fe4%, the carbon yield increased with the toluene feeding time, but the rate decreased. The increase in iron concentration in the catalyst leads to a reduction in carbon yield and removal efficiency. The gas results show that H2 is the main gas produced after the reaction, with a maximum selectivity for H2 of 81.78 %. When the Fe concentration in the catalyst increases, the selectivity of CO increases from 7.61 to 23.84 %, and the corresponding H2 decreases to 65.15 %. There is competition between the toluene and the deposited carbon for the iron oxides in the catalyst; the higher the concentration of iron oxides, the easier the reaction between the catalyst and the deposited carbon. ABC-Fe4% has a reduction peak of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3, an acid site with a total acid amount of 1.39 mmol/g, and a more abundant oxygen-containing functional group and oxygen vacancy structure, which make it have the best removal efficiency and regenerative usability.

The study of the elemental and amino acid composition of Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. thalli batches harvested in Ukraine

Aim. To study the elemental and amino acid composition of Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. thalli batches harvested in Ukraine.Materials and methods. Seven batches of C. islandica thalli harvested in different regions of Ukraine in late summer/early fall 2019 were used for the study. The elemental composition of the raw material was studied by atomic absorption spectrometry with photographic registration. The component composition of free and bound amino acids in the raw material was determined by the HPLC method. Results and discussion. The presence of at least 19 macro-, trace and ultra-trace elements was determined in 7 batches of the raw material. The predominance of the following elements was found: potassium 190 mg/100 g (batch 6) – 325 mg/100 g (batch 7); silicon 30 mg/100 g (batch 1) – 115 mg/100 g (batch 4); calcium 37 mg/100 g (batch 6) – 86 mg/100 g (batch 4). It was determined that the quantitative content of molybdenum and cobalt did not exceed 0.03 mg/100 g, the content of cadmium, astatine and mercury did not exceed 0.01 mg/100 g. The quantitative content of lead met the requirements of the monograph of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine (SPhU) 2.0. The total ash content in the batches of the raw material ranged from 0.61 ± 0.02 % to 1.43 ± 0.05 %, meeting the requirements of the monograph of the SPhU 2.0. The presence of 7 amino acids was determined; 5 of them were nonessential (aspartic and glutamic acids, serine, arginine, and alanine) and 2 were essential (threonine and valine). The quantitative content of the total amount of free amino acids was 0.794 μg mg-1, the total amount of bound ones was 3.276 μg mg-1.Conclusions. For the first time, the elemental composition of 7 batches of C. islandica thalli harvested in Ukraine was determined. In each batch, potassium was the predominant element (from 190 mg/100 g to 325 mg/100 g depending on the batch). The component composition of free and bound nonessential and essential amino acids was determined (the quantitative content of the total amount of free amino acids was 0.794 μg mg-1, the total amount of bound ones was 3.276 μg mg-1); alanine (0.289 μg mg-1) was the dominant component among free amino acids, while arginine (0.993 μg mg-1) prevailed among bound ones. The results obtained will be used for further studies of the raw material of C. islandica harvested in Ukraine.

Characteristics of palm oil-based oleogel and its potency as a shortening replacer

This investigation aimed to determine the effect of beeswax (BW) and palm oil concentrations on the characteristics of oleogels which were then compared with a commercial shortening to evaluate their potential to be used as a shortening replacer. The characteristics of palm oil-based oleogel were investigated. Crude palm oil (CPO) and palm oil-based cooking oil (CO) are both rich in palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1), and linoleic acid (C18:2), but the amount of total saturated fatty acids in CPO is higher than in commercial CO. The binary blends of palm oil (CPO and CO) and beeswax (BW) were used in various concentrations to prepare palm oil-based oleogel. Oleogels containing higher concentrations of BW had a greater oil binding capacity. The addition of BW produced needle-like and spherical crystals. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a broad peak between 5.6° 2θ and 21.2° 2θ, (4.6 Å), resembling β polymorphism produced by monoacylglycerol aliphatic chains. The solid fat content of the CPO-based oleogel indicated that the product was more heat-resistant and had a profile more similar to shortening than the CO-based oil. As the BW concentration increased, the peak temperature of the sample also increased according to the differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The characteristics of palm oil-based oleogel products were comparable to that of commercial shortening; thus, they can be used as shortening replacers.

Novel chromatographic purification of succinic acid from whey fermentation broth by anionic exchange resins.

Replacement of the petroleum-based refineries with the biorefinery is regarded as an essential step towards a "zero" waste (circular) economy. Biobased succinic acid (SA) is listed by the United States Department of Energy among the top ten chemicals with the potential to replace chemicals from petroleum synthesis with renewable sources. Purification of bio-based succinic acid from fermentation by-products such as alcohols, formic acid, acetic acid and lactic is a major drawback of fermentative SA production. This study addresses this issue through a novel chromatographic separation using three distinct anionic resins: Amberlite IRA958 Cl (strong base anion exchange resin), Amberlite HPR 900 OH (strong base anion exchange resin) and Amberlyst A21 (week base anion exchange resin). The influence of process variables such as flow rate (0.18 BV/h, 0.42 BV/h and 0.84 BV/h), eluent concentration (1%, 5% and 10% HCl) and temperature (20, 30 and 40°C) were investigated. The results indicated SA separation efficiency of 76.1%, 69.3% and 81.2% for Amberlyst A21, Amberlite HPR 900 OH and Amberlite IRA958 Cl, respectively. As the regenerant HCl concentration increased from 1 to 10%, calculated succinic acid separation efficiencies decreased from 80.3 to 70.7%. Notably, as the regenerant strength increased from 1 to 10%, the total amount of organic acids desorbed from the resin sharply increased. At operation temperatures of 20, 30 and 40°C, SA separation efficacies were 81.2%, 73.9% and 76.4%, respectively. The insights from this study will be of great value in design of chromatographic separation systems for organic acids.

Effects of the Addition of Dendrobium officinale on Beer Yeast Fermentation

Dendrobium officinale is a precious Chinese medicinal plant that is rich in polysaccharides, flavonoids, polyphenols, and other bioactive ingredients, and has a variety of biological activities. To explore the effects of D. officinale on the growth and metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, different concentrations (0, 10, 30, 50, and 100 g/L) of fresh D. officinale were added to the wort during the fermentation. The amount of yeast, alcohol content, reducing sugars, total acidity, pH, CO2 loss, and foam height were analyzed. Meanwhile, the glucose uptake, cell viability, key enzyme activity of yeast, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, and consumer acceptance of brewed samples were also analyzed. The results showed that the growth and metabolism of yeast could be promoted by a suitable dosage of D. officinale but were inhibited at high dosage (100 g/L). The addition of D. officinale increased the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase, while the highest concentration of D. officinale (100 g/L) decreased the glucose uptake and cell activity of the yeast. The contents of total phenolics and esters, along with the scavenging activity against ABTS radicals, were increased, indicating that the antioxidant activity and aromatic characteristics of beer would be improved by the addition of D. officinale.

Comparison of Acidity Test Method of Nickel Phosphate Silica Catalyst for Production Levulinic Acid from Glucose

The reaction of levulinic acid production from glucose has a reaction stage that requires a high temperature and high activation energy so that in this levulinic acid production reaction a catalyst is needed. The required catalyst must have a lewis acid site and a bronsted acid site so that the acidity of the catalyst is very influential for the successful production of levulonic acid. Silica nickel phosphate catalysts have lewis acid sites from Ni metal and bronsted acid sites from phosphoric and silica groups. The acidity of the catalyst was measured using the pyridine and ammonia adsorption method and the acidity center strength method using the TGA-DTA base adsorption-desorption. The adsorption of ammonia and pyridine uses the gravimetric method so that it can easily obtain the amount of total acidity of the catalyst and the acidity of the catalyst surface while the TGA-DTA method shows the acid strength of the actual catalyst, which is the real state of the catalyst when catalyzing a reaction and shows the catalyst's resistance to high temperatures. These two methods of measuring acidity have the same disadvantage that they cannot show and know the number of lewis acid sites and bronsted acid sites.

Effects of dietary substitution of peanut meal for soybean meal on egg production, egg quality, oxidative status, and yolk fatty acid profile in laying ducks

There is an urgent need to evaluate and introduce alternatives for the unsustainable and traditional feed stuffs in poultry. This study evaluated the effects of graded replacement of soybean meal (SBM) by peanut meal (PNM) on egg production, egg quality, oxidative status, and yolk fatty acid profile in laying ducks. In total, 360 Longyan ducks aged 21 weeks were allocated to five treatments, each containing six replicates of 12 birds. Birds were fed the diets containing PNM replacing 0 (control), 25, 50, 75 or 100% of SBM for 16 weeks. With the increase of PNM level, egg production was improved (quadratic, P < 0.05), egg weight and feed consumption were decreased, feed conversion ratio and egg mass were impaired at 100% PNM, and yolk colour was enhanced (quadratic, P < 0.05). Plasma malondialdehyde concentration was increased at 100% PNM, while plasma glutathione concentration was decreased (quadratic, P < 0.01) as PNM substitution increased. Total cholesterol content in yolk decreased (P < 0.01) in response to increased PNM substitution. The contents of saturated fatty acids C20:0 and C22:0 in yolk increased (linear or quadratic, P < 0.05) with increased PNM substitution, but the contents of saturated fatty acid C18:0, monounsaturated fatty acid C22:1, and polyunsaturated fatty acids C18:3n-3 and C22:6n-3 in yolk were decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as PNM replacement increased. The contents in yolk of polyunsaturated fatty acid C18:2n-6, C20:2n-6, C20:3n-6, C20:4n-6, and total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids increased with the highest contents obtained at 75% PNM substitution. The ratio between n-6 and n-3 increased (linear, P < 0.05) as PNM substitution increased. The transcript abundance in liver of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors γ and fatty acid synthase showed quadratic (P < 0.05) responses with PNM replacement, with the highest expression of both genes being obtained with 75% substitution with PNM. Replacement of dietary SBM with 100% PNM decreased egg production and antioxidant capacity and increased the ratio of omega fatty acid in yolk between n-6 and n-3 in laying ducks. The obtained results indicate that PNM can be used to replace up to 75% of SBM in the diet of laying ducks without negative effects on the egg-laying production or egg quality. The regression model indicated that the maximal egg mass was obtained at no more than 67.6% replacement of SBM with PNM in the diet of laying ducks.

Exogenous salicylic acid regulates organic acids metabolism in postharvest blueberry fruit.

Fruit acidity is an essential factor affecting blueberry organoleptic quality. The organic acid content in blueberry fruit mainly contributes to fruit acidity. This study aims to evaluate the effect of exogenous salicylic acid (SA), the principal metabolite of aspirin, on the organoleptic quality and organic acid metabolism in rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Ait, 'Powderblue') during cold storage (4 °C). Results showed that SA-treated fruit reduced fruit decay and weight loss delayed fruit softening, and decline of total soluble solids (TSS). TA and total organic acid amounts stayed the same during the late storage period in SA-treated fruit. Four kinds of organic acid components, malic acid, quinic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid, were at higher levels in fruit treated by SA as compared to control. SA enhanced the activities of PEPC, NAD-MDH, and CS to promote the synthesis of malic acid and citric acid. Meanwhile, the activities of NADP-ME, ACL, and ACO, which participated in the degradation of malic acid and citric acid, were inhibited by SA. qPCR results also showed that the expression of VcPEPC, VcNAD-MDH, and VcCS genes were upregulated. In contrast, SA downregulated the expression of VcNADP-ME, VcACL, and VcACO genes. In conclusion, SA could regulate the key genes and enzymes that participated in organic acids metabolism to maintain the freshness of blueberry during cold storage, therefore minimizing the economic loss.

Effects of Tenebrio molitor larvae and its protein derivatives on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of tofu

This study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of tofu fortified with mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larvae) proteins and their derivatives. The synergistic effects of plant- and animal-based proteins as well as the advantages of bioactive peptides were evaluated. Tofu was prepared by soy (S), by mixing in a 1:1 ratio of soy and mealworm powder (SM), soy and mealworm protein isolate (SMPI), and soy and mealworm protein hydrolysate (SMPH). SM, SMPI, and SMPH tofu had different proximate compositions, particularly in terms of their protein and lipid contents, compared to S. Mealworm derived tofus had a higher amount of essential, branched-chain, and total amino acids than S. The in vitro ileal digestibility of SMPH (94.10%) was significantly higher than that of S (58.35%), SM (64.64%), and SMPI (73.38%). Moreover, SM, SMPI, and SMPH had higher antioxidant and radical scavenging capacity and total phenolic content than S. Mealworm derived tofu had strong anti-inflammatory effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. Conclusively, tofu developed from mealworm and its protein derivatives can potentially be used to fortify traditional tofu; SMPH, in particular, has the most significant potential among all tofu variations in terms of functionality and nutritional value, providing added health benefits.

Evaluation of the Phytochemical Composition of Phenolic and Triterpene Compounds in Fruit of Large Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) Grown in Latvia.

We carried out a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the phytochemical composition of the fruits of large cranberry cultivars ‘Ben Lear’, ‘Bergman’, ‘Kalnciema agra’, ‘Lemunyon’, ‘Pilgrim’, ‘Stevens’, and ‘Tina’ grown in Latvian climatic conditions. The following predominant compounds were found in cranberry fruit samples: peonidin-3-O-galactoside, peonidin-3-O-arabinoside, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside, myricetin-3-galactoside, quercetin-3-galactoside, quercetin-3-α-L-arabinofuranoside, quercetin 3-rhamnoside, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid. During the berry ripening period (from 16 August until 15 September), a trend of decreasing amounts of compounds was found in the fruit samples of the studied cranberry cultivars: the total amount of proanthocyanidins decreased by 1.3 times, the total amount of the identified flavonols decreased by 1.3 times, the total amount of triterpenoids decreased by 1.2 times, and the total amount of chlorogenic acid decreased by 1.7 times. During the period from 16 August until 15 September, the total amount of anthocyanins in the cranberry fruit samples increased by 2.6 to 17 times. The highest total amount of anthocyanins (5305.80 ± 27 µg/g) was detected in fruit samples of the cranberry cultivar ‘Kalnciema agra’ collected on 15 September. The amount of biologically active compounds in cranberry fruit samples varies during berry ripening. Thus, the choice of the picking time is one of the factors that determines the phytochemical composition of raw cranberry material.

Pfaffia glomerata is a hyperaccumulator candidate: Cd and Zn tolerance, absorption, transfer, and distribution

Pfaffia glomerata is a candidate for phytoremediation due to its high biomass and high bioaccumulation efficiency of multiple heavy metals. It is essential to further evaluate its tolerance, absorption, transfer, and distribution to multiple heavy metals. In the current study, we evaluated the tolerance, absorption, transfer, and distribution of P. glomerata in a Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn combined-contaminated environment by two hydroponic experiments. The results demonstrated that P. glomerata was not affected by Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn exposure, except for the 50 μM Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn treatment, which significantly decreased the stem biomass. In a single Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn exposure, the root of P. glomerata absorbed Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn in the order of Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu. Almost all Pb and Cu accumulated in the plant roots and were hardly transferred to the aboveground parts. Therefore, the order of total Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn extraction of a single plant in multiple Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn exposures at the same concentration was Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Cd and Zn in roots, stems, and leaves increased with the concentration of Cd and Zn in the solution, and was > 1. In contrast with Cd and Zn, the BCFs of Cu and Pb in the stems and leaves were < 1. The element distribution of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Mn in the stem of P. glomerata was dispersed, indicating that the stem of P. glomerata does not have a detoxification mechanism for distributing metals to the area of low biological activity. The total amount of tartaric acid, critic acid, and DOC secreted by P. glomerata roots decreased with the increase in Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn exposure. However, further investigation is needed to unravel the interaction between the LMWOAs secreted by the root of P. glomerata and heavy metals.