Changes in the soluble nitrogen fraction of milk throughout PDO Grana Padano cheese-making

The behaviour of soluble nitrogen compounds during Grana Padano cheese-making was studied at eight dairies. Raw milk, skimmed milk, sweet whey and the derived natural whey culture, collected from 24 processes, were analysed for soluble whey proteins (\u3b1-lactalbumin and \u3b2-lactoglobulin), proteose-peptones (PP), small peptides (SP), caseinomacropeptides (CMPs), and free amino acids (FAAs). The PP fraction increased during milk natural creaming, then part of it was selectively retained in the curd and the rest degraded in the first few hours of whey fermentation, together with \u3b1-lactalbumin, CMPs and part of SP. Features outlined for the whey culture were confirmed on 30 samples collected at six different dairies. A time course study of the whey fermentation showed that degradation of \u3b1-lactalbumin began when the pH dropped below 4, whereas \u3b2-lactoglobulin content did not change. Uptake of specific FAAs was shown to support the initial growth of lactic acid bacteria in whey

Macromolecular Traits in the African Rice Oryza glaberrima and in Glaberrima/Sativa Crosses, and Their Relevance to Processing

Molecular properties of proteins and starch were investigated in 2 accessions of Oryza glaberrima and Oryza sativa, and in one NERICA cross between the 2 species, to assess traits that could be relevant to transformation into specific foods. Protein nature and organization in O. glaberrima were different from those in O. sativa and in NERICA. Despite the similar cysteine content in all samples, thiol accessibility in O. glaberrima proteins was higher than in NERICA or in O. sativa. Inter-protein disulphide bonds were important for the formation of protein aggregates in O. glaberrima, whereas non-covalent protein-protein interactions were relevant in NERICA and O. sativa. DSC and NMR studies indicated only minor differences in the structure of starch in these species, as also made evident by their microstructural features. Nevertheless, starch gelatinization in O. glaberrima was very different from what was observed in O. sativa and NERICA. The content of soluble species in gelatinized starch from the various species in the presence/absence of treatments with specific enzymes indicated that release of small starch breakdown products was lowest in O. glaberrima, in particular from the amylopectin component. These findings may explain the low glycemic index of O. glaberrima, and provide a rationale for extending the use of O. glaberrima in the production of specific rice-based products, thus improving the economic value and the market appeal of African crops

Simultaneous determination of natural and synthetic steroid estrogens and their conjugates in aqueous matrices by liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of nine free and conjugated steroid estrogens was developed with application to environmental aqueous matrices. Solid phase extraction (SPE) was employed for isolation and concentration, with detection by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) using electrospray ionisation (ESI) in the negative mode. Method recoveries for various aqueous matrices (wastewater, lake and drinking water) were determined, recoveries proving to be sample dependent. When spiked at 50 ng/l concentrations in sewage influent, recoveries ranged from 62-89 % with relative standard deviations (RSD) < 8.1 %. In comparison, drinking water spiked at the same concentrations had recoveries between 82-100 % with an RSD < 5%. Ion suppression is a known phenomenon when using ESI; hence its impact on method recovery was elucidated for raw sewage. Both ion suppression from matrix interferences and the extraction procedure has bearing on the overall method recovery. Analysis of municipal raw sewage identified several of the analytes of interest at ng/l concentrations, estriol (E3) being the most abundant. Only one conjugate, estrone 3-sulphate (E1-3S) was observe

Riverhood: political ecologies of socionature commoning and translocal struggles for water justice

Mega-damming, pollution and depletion endanger rivers worldwide. Meanwhile, modernist imaginaries of ordering ‘unruly waters and humans’ have become cornerstones of hydraulic-bureaucratic and capitalist development. They separate hydro/social worlds, sideline river-commons cultures, and deepen socio-environmental injustices. But myriad new water justice movements (NWJMs) proliferate: rooted, disruptive, transdisciplinary, multi-scalar coalitions that deploy alternative river–society ontologies, bridge South–North divides, and translate river-enlivening practices from local to global and vice-versa. This paper's framework conceptualizes ‘riverhood’ to engage with NWJMs and river commoning initiatives. We suggest four interrelated ontologies, situating river socionatures as arenas of material, social and symbolic co-production: ‘river-as-ecosociety’, ‘river-as-territory’, ‘river-as-subject’, and ‘river-as-movement’

Resistência a Septoria lycopersici em espécies de Solanum (Secção Lycopersicon) e em progênies de S. lycopersicum &#215; S. peruvianum

Septoria leaf spot (Septoria lycopersici) is one of the major fungal diseases of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) in tropical and subtropical regions with humid climates and/or in areas cultivated under sprinkler irrigation systems. Sources of resistance have been found in accessions of Solanum (section Lycopersicon) species. However, many of the described sources are not effective under Brazilian conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate wild and cultivated Solanum (section Lycopersicon) germplasm to S. lycopersici isolates. A collection of 124 accessions was initially evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Ten accessions were highly resistance (HR), whereas 33 were classified as having a resistant (R) response to S. lycopersici isolates. Field evaluation was also conducted with a sub-set of accessions identified as either HR or R in the greenhouse experiment. This field evaluation confirmed greenhouse tests and indicated the presence of some potential sources of rate-reducing resistance. One highly resistant and eight resistant S. habrochaites accessions were identified as being resistant under both conditions, confirming that this wild species is one of the most promising sources of resistance to S. lycopersici. Five new sources with high levels of resistance were found in S. peruvianum accessions (PI-306811, CNPH-1036, LA-1910, LA-1984 and LA-2744). One accession derived from an interspecific cross between S. lycopersicum and S. peruvianum was also found to be highly resistant and might be useful to introgress resistance factors from this wild species into cultivated tomato germplasm. However, additional breeding efforts will be necessary to introgress into the cultivated tomato the resistance factors identified in other S. peruvianum accessions due to the presence of natural crossing barriers between the two species.A mancha-de-septória (Septoria lycopersici) é importante doença fúngica do tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicum) em áreas tropicais e subtropicais com alta umidade ou quando esta hortaliça é cultivada sob irrigação por aspersão. Fontes de resistência têm sido encontradas em germoplasma de Solanum (secção Lycopersicon). No entanto, muitas das fontes descritas não funcionam nas condições brasileiras. Avaliou-se uma coleção de germoplasma de tomate cultivado e selvagem (Solanum secção Lycopersicon) visando identificar novas fontes de elevada resistência. Uma coleção de 124 acessos foi inicialmente avaliada sob condições de casa de vegetação. Somente dez acessos foram classificados como altamente resistentes e 33 foram classificados como resistentes. Um ensaio de campo foi também conduzido com um subconjunto de acessos promissores identificados no primeiro experimento. Foi confirmada a resposta da maioria dos acessos avaliados em casa de vegetação e indicou a presença de fontes de resistência capazes de reduzir a taxa de progresso da doença. Um acesso de S. habrochaites com elevada resistência e oito acessos resistentes foram identificados, confirmando que esta espécie representa uma das mais promissoras fontes de genes de resistência a S. lycopersici. Cinco novas fontes com elevados níveis de resistência foram identificadas em acessos da espécie S. peruvianum (PI-306811, CNPH-1036, LA-1910, LA-1984 e LA-2744). Um acesso, derivado de cruzamento interespecífico entre S. lycopersicum e S. peruvianum também mostrou-se altamente resistente e poderá ser útil na introgressão deste(s) gene(s) em germoplasma de tomateiro cultivado. No entanto, esforços adicionais de melhoramento serão necessários para transferir para o tomateiro cultivado os fatores de resistência identificados em outros acessos de S. peruvianum, uma vez que existem barreiras naturais de cruzamentos entre estas duas espécies

Qualitative aspects and validation of a screening method for pesticides in vegetables and fruits based on liquid chromatography coupled to full scan high resolution (Orbitrap) mass spectrometry

The analytical capabilities of liquid chromatography with single-stage high-resolution mass spectrometry have been investigated with emphasis on qualitative aspects related to selective detection during screening and to identification. The study involved 21 different vegetable and fruit commodities, a screening database of 556 pesticides for evaluation of false positives, and a test set of 130 pesticides spiked to the commodities at 0.01, 0.05, and 0.20 mg/kg for evaluation of false negatives. The final method involved a QuEChERS-based sample preparation (without dSPE clean up) and full scan acquisition using alternating scan events without/with fragmentation, at a resolving power of 50,000. Analyte detection was based on extraction of the exact mass (±5 ppm) of the major adduct ion at the database retention time ±30 s and the presence of a second diagnostic ion. Various options for the additional ion were investigated and compared (other adduct ions, M + 1 or M + 2 isotopes, fragments). The two-ion approach for selective detection of the pesticides in the full scan data was compared with two alternative approaches based on response thresholds. Using the two-ion approach, the number of false positives out of 11,676 pesticide/commodity combinations targeted was 36 (0.3 %). The percentage of false negatives, assessed for 2,730 pesticide/commodity combinations, was 13 %, 3 %, and 1 % at the 0.01-, 0.05-, and 0.20-mg/kg level, respectively (slightly higher with fully automated detection). Following the SANCO/12495/2011 protocol for validation of screening methods, the screening detection limit was determined for 130 pesticides and found to be 0.01, 0.05, and ≥0.20 mg/kg for 86, 30, and 14 pesticides, respectively. For the detected pesticides in the spiked samples, the ability for unambiguous identification according to EU criteria was evaluated. A proposal for adaption of the criteria was made