Nutritional properties of organic and conventional beef meat at retail

BACKGROUND: Consumers perceive that organic meat has superior nutritional properties compared to conventional meat,although the available evidence from commercial samples is very scarce. The present study compared the nutritional composi-tion of organic and conventional beef meat sold at retail, including, for the first time, the bioactive compounds coenzyme Q10,carnosine, anserine, creatine and taurine. Sampling comprised two muscles: longissimus thoracis and supraspinatus.RESULTS: Organic beef had 17% less cholesterol, 32% less fat, 16% less fatty acids, 24% less monounsaturated fatty acids,170% more휶-linolenic acid, 24% more휶-tocopherol, 53% more휷-carotene, 34% more coenzyme Q10and 72% more taurinethan conventional beef. Differences between organic and conventional samples were clearly dependent on the muscle becauselongissimus thoracis and supraspinatus showed different patterns of compound accumulation.CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, a higher amount of bioactive compounds in organic beef meat is reported for the first timein the present study. Retail organic beef had a higher nutritional value than retail conventional beef, which resulted frombetter-balanced lipid and bioactive compound contents.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Bioactive extracts from persimmon waste: influence of extraction conditions and ripeness

In this work, a bioactive persimmon extract was produced from discarded fruits. A central composite design was used to evaluate the effect of different extraction parameters and ripeness stages of persimmon fruits on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the resulting extracts. Significantly greater phenolic contents were obtained from immature persimmon (IP) fruits. The optimum IP extract with the conditions set by the experimental design was industrially up-scaled and its composition and functional properties were evaluated and compared with those obtained under lab-scale conditions. Both extracts contained significant protein (>20%) and phenolic contents (similar to 11-27 mg GA/g dry extract) and displayed significant antiviral activity against murine norovirus and hepatitis A virus. Moreover, the extract showed no toxicity and significantly reduced the fat content and the cellular ageing of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) without affecting the worm development. These effects were mediated by down-regulation of fat-7, suggesting an anti-lipogenic activity of this extract

Technical note: The CAMS greenhouse gas reanalysis from 2003 to 2020

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has recently produced a greenhouse gas reanalysis (version egg4) that covers almost 2 decades from 2003 to 2020 and which will be extended in the future. This reanalysis dataset includes carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). The reanalysis procedure combines model data with satellite data into a globally complete and consistent dataset using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts' Integrated Forecasting System (IFS). This dataset has been carefully evaluated against independent observations to ensure validity and to point out deficiencies to the user. The greenhouse gas reanalysis can be used to examine the impact of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations on climate change (such as global and regional climate radiative forcing), assess intercontinental transport, and serve as boundary conditions for regional simulations, among other applications and scientific uses. The caveats associated with changes in assimilated observations and fixed underlying emissions are highlighted, as is their impact on the estimation of trends and annual growth rates of these long-lived greenhouse gases.</p

Bioactive extracts from persimmon waste: influence of extraction conditions and ripeness

In this work, a bioactive persimmon extract was produced from discarded fruits. A central composite design was used to evaluate the effect of different extraction parameters and ripeness stages of persimmon fruits on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the resulting extracts. Significantly greater phenolic contents were obtained from immature persimmon (IP) fruits. The optimum IP extract with the conditions set by the experimental design was industrially up-scaled and its composition and functional properties were evaluated and compared with those obtained under lab-scale conditions. Both extracts contained significant protein (>20%) and phenolic contents (similar to 11-27 mg GA/g dry extract) and displayed significant antiviral activity against murine norovirus and hepatitis A virus. Moreover, the extract showed no toxicity and significantly reduced the fat content and the cellular ageing of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) without affecting the worm development. These effects were mediated by down-regulation of fat-7, suggesting an anti-lipogenic activity of this extract

Application of emerging technologies to obtain legume protein isolates with improved techno-functional properties and health effects

Current demand of consumers for healthy and sustainable food products has led the industry to search for different sources of plant protein isolates and concentrates. Legumes represent an excellent nonanimal protein source with high-protein content. Legume species are distributed in a wide range of ecological conditions, including regions with drought conditions, making them a sustainable crop in a context of global warming. However, their use as human food is limited by the presence of antinutritional factors, such as protease inhibitors, lectins, phytates, and alkaloids, which have adverse nutritional effects. Antitechnological factors, such as fiber, tannins, and lipids, can affect the purity and protein extraction yield. Although most are removed or reduced during alkaline solubilization and isoelectric precipitation processes, some remain in the resulting protein isolates. Selection of appropriate legume genotypes and different emerging and sustainable facilitating technologies, such as high-power ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, high hydrostatic pressure, microwave, and supercritical fluids, can be applied to increase the removal of unwanted compounds. Some technologies can be used to increase protein yield. The technologies can also modify protein structure to improve digestibility, reduce allergenicity, and tune technological properties. This review summarizes recent findings regarding the use of emerging technologies to obtain high-purity protein isolates and the effects on techno-functional properties and health.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Research history and main discoveries of the fossil-Lagersttäte Camp dels Ninots maar (Caldes de Malavella, Girona, Spain).

The Camp dels Ninots is located in the western part of the town of Caldes de Malavella (Girona), at 20 km to the south of the city of Girona, with a 275.000 m2 surface. Its UTM (ETRS89) coordinates are 483202E and 46311454N, and with a height of 93 m according to sea level (Fig. 1). The name Camp dels Ninots (field of puppets) is related to the presence of abundant diagenetic silica nodules with rounded shapes (menilites), which are mostly made of opal (SiO2·nH2O), that have been classically collected by locals. The Camp dels Ninots site is a phreatomagmatic explosion volcano of Pliocene age (3.1 Ma) which subsequently formed a lake. The specific geological conditions, corresponding to lake sedimentation, make it ideal for the preservation of fossils. The appearance of complete skeletons mostly in anatomical connection makes the site to be considered, according to the German term, a Fossil-Lagerstätte. Currently, the lands that make up the Camp dels Ninots are agricultural fields, mostly cereals, although, they are also remarkable for the many wells that, until a few years ago, were employed to extract water for industrial use.The Camp dels Ninots project is sponsored by projects 2014-100575 (Generalitat de Catalunya), SGR2017-859 (AGAUR) and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain, under project CGL2016-80000-P (MINECO).Peer Reviewe