Quality properties and storage stability of beef burger as influenced by addition of orange peels (albedo)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of using the orange albedo (OA) on the quality attributes of low fat beef burger. The analysis included: chemical composition, water-holding capacity, cooking loss% and pH values as well as sensory evaluation of low fat beef burger prepared with the introduction of the OA with a concentration of 5% as a partial fat replacer were also studied. Microbiological analysis of frozen minced meat semi-finished products (burger patties, at minus 18 °C) stored for 126 days was included. According to the obtained results, the OA contains 1.47% of lipids, 1.42% of protein and 24.61% of dietary fiber. The result also showed that the usage of OA has a positive impact on organoleptic indicators of beef burger. Nutritional value, waterholding capacity, cooking loss% and pH of treated burger patties were improved. In addition, the caloric value of treatment samples decreased because of replacing the animal fat with the OA in recipe. During the storage of semi-finished products, Thiobarbituric values (TBA) showed that treatment samples substantially developed using OA instead of animal fat had a lower level of lipid oxidation compared to control samples. The shelf life of treated burger patties was significantly increased compared to control sample by decreasing the microbial growth and rate of fatty acids oxidation. Finally, OA could be accepted as a functional component in meat products

Salmonella enterica species isolated from local foodstuff and patients suffering from foodborne illness: Surveillance, antimicrobial resistance and molecular detection

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella enterica in raw chicken meat, eggs, and ready-to-eat foods containing poultry products and among patients suffering from diarrhea as a result of ingestion of this foodborne pathogen in Baghdad, Iraq. It assesses the antibiotics susceptibility, virulence and pathogenicity of S. enterica isolates. Thirteen Salmonella spp. isolates from foodstuff and seven from clinical patients were recovered from 80 and 20 samples, respectively. Isolates from foodstuff samples displayed the highest resistance to nalidixic acid (69.23%), followed by chloramphenicol (53.84%). Salmonella spp. isolated from clinical samples showed resistance to both azithromycin and cefotaxime at the same percentage level (71.42%). The results of antibiotic resistance gene amplification (gyrA, mphA) were analyzed and showed that these genes were present in 100% and 50% of phenotypically resistant isolates, respectively. Virulence genes invA, avrA, and sipB were found on average in 86% of food isolates, accounting for 69.2%, 92.3%, and 95%, respectively. In addition, the detection of these virulence genes among clinical isolates showed their presence at the same level (85.7%). Our study revealed that unhygienic chicken slaughterhouses and lack of food safety management are strong indicators of a high probability of the Salmonella presence in our food products in the Iraqi markets

Nile perch fish nuggets: Partial replacement of fish flesh with sesame hulls and sunroot — Quality assessment and storage stability

This study aimed to produce Nile perch fish nuggets by replacing a part of fish flesh with different concentrations of sesame hulls and sunroot to reach the optimal recipe. Chemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of nuggets were evaluated during 3 months of frozen storage at –18 °C. According to the obtained data on the chemical composition of raw materials, Nile perch flesh had the highest content of protein (20.21%), sesame hulls contained the highest amount of fat (13.54%), fiber (17.24%) and ash (16.11%), while sunroot tubers had the highest amount of carbohydrates (15.76%). Based on the sensory score, the acceptable replacement ratio for fish nuggets prepared with sunroot (T1) and sesame hulls (T2) was 10% and 7.5%, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) analysis at zero time shows that the T1 samples had the minimum value compared to the T2 and control samples. During storage, the TBA levels increased slightly in all samples, but after three months T1 also showed the lowest value. The total plate count (TPC) and psychrophilic bacterial (PSY) count in the samples were affected by the period of frozen storage at –18 °C. The initial TPC and PSY loads were 2.32 and 2.02 log cfu/g for control; 2.24 and 1.72 log cfu/g for T1; 2.30 and 1.47 log cfu/g for T2, respectively. During storage, the values of TPC and Psy slightly decreased. In conclusion, this study succeeded in the replacement of Nile perch fish with sesame hulls and sunroot as new sources to improve the nutritional value and quality characteristics of fish nuggets.This study aimed to produce Nile perch fish nuggets by replacing a part of fish flesh with different concentrations of sesame hulls and sunroot to reach the optimal recipe. Chemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of nuggets were evaluated during 3 months of frozen storage at –18 °C. According to the obtained data on the chemical composition of raw materials, Nile perch flesh had the highest content of protein (20.21%), sesame hulls contained the highest amount of fat (13.54%), fiber (17.24%) and ash (16.11%), while sunroot tubers had the highest amount of carbohydrates (15.76%). Based on the sensory score, the acceptable replacement ratio for fish nuggets prepared with sunroot (T1) and sesame hulls (T2) was 10% and 7.5%, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) analysis at zero time shows that the T1 samples had the minimum value compared to the T2 and control samples. During storage, the TBA levels increased slightly in all samples, but after three months T1 also showed the lowest value. The total plate count (TPC) and psychrophilic bacterial (PSY) count in the samples were affected by the period of frozen storage at –18 °C. The initial TPC and PSY loads were 2.32 and 2.02 log cfu/g for control; 2.24 and 1.72 log cfu/g for T1; 2.30 and 1.47 log cfu/g for T2, respectively. During storage, the values of TPC and Psy slightly decreased. In conclusion, this study succeeded in the replacement of Nile perch fish with sesame hulls and sunroot as new sources to improve the nutritional value and quality characteristics of fish nuggets

Aggregate production planning considering performance evolution : a case study

Due to the violent market competition, organizations should respond quickly to customer needs. This strategic objective can be reached through the development of robust production planning. One of the most important factors in production planning is the workforce productivity which is a dynamic manufacturing property, i.e. the workforce productivity increases thanks to in-job training. This phenomenon is known as production progress function or work-based-learning. Considering this phenomenon in industrial planning can lead to robust manufacturing plans. The current study introduces a novel model for a medium term production planning, which used to find the yearly optimum aggregate production plan in order to minimize the total production costs in respecting the operational constraints and considering the production progress function. The resultant model is a linear mixed integer program that can be solved optimally. The data used in validating and running the model was taken from an Egyptian factory that is dedicated to produce electric motors. The model was solved optimally using ILOG CPLEX Software. By comparing the results of this study against the adopted approach in the factory; one can find that the model succeeded to minimize the production costs by about 5.43 % for first year, 2.66% for the second, and 1.86% for the third one. In monetary units these percentages can be translated respectively to 11.7 million L.E., 6.3 million L.E., and 4.7 million L.E

Clitoria ternatea extract-loaded chitosan nanoparticles ameliorate diabetes and oxidative stress in diabetic rats

501-515Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the expanding global health problems and is the most common metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, which significantly contributes to producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). More than 400 plant species with hypoglycemic activity have been mentioned in the literature. Clitoria ternatea (C. ternatea), often called Butterfly pea or Asian pigeonwing, is a plant species member of the Fabaceae family. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the methanolic extract of C. ternatea (CT-Mx)'s and/or chitosan-loaded nanoparticles (CHNPs) antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects in normal and diabetic rats produced by streptozotocin (STZ). A total of 20 male albino rats had been divided into 4 groups, control non-diabetic (NC), STZ/diabetic control, STZ/diabetic + CT-Mx, and STZ/diabetic + CT-CHNPs groups. After 28 days, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation, and mRNA gene expression were assessed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies were performed for pancreatic tissues. In the STZ/diabetic (Gp2) rats, levels of FBG, AST, ALT, and both CDKN1A and TP53 gene expression were significantly increased. Moreover, the hyperglycemia-induced hepatic oxidative state is evidenced by a significant increment of lipid peroxidation and deterioration in SOD and GSH levels. On the contrary, both the STZ/diabetic + CT-Mx and STZ/diabetic + CT-CHNPs showed discernible improvement in diabetes-associated complications; however, STZ/diabetic + CT-CHNPs (Gp4) rats significantly suppressed the generated oxidative stress and improved antioxidant activity, liver function, and insulin secretion. Also, their pancreatic section exhibited architecture with normal regenerative pancreatic endocrine islets with normal distribution and number of beta cells and suppressing inflammatory and apoptotic gene expression compared to Gp2. Nanocarrier agents showed excellent antihyperglycemic and effects after antioxidative, making it a promising technology for diabetics

H19 and TUG1 lncRNAs as Novel Biomarkers for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Diabetic Patients

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder due to enteric nervous system impairment that produces different patterns of digestion. IBS is a common finding in diabetic patients. The functions of lncRNAs in IBS are still not clear and need to be further investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic roles of lncRNA H19 and TUG1 for IBS associated with diabetes and to evaluate their association with clinical and laboratory findings. Subjects and Methods: Samples from 42 diabetic patients, 42 diabetic patients with IBS, and 42 healthy controls were obtained. The LncRNA H19 and TUG1 expressions were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: The patients with IBS had significantly lower levels of lncRNA H19 and TUG1 expression than the healthy controls and diabetic-only patients (p < 0.001). LncRNA H19 and TUG1 can discriminate between diabetic-only patients and those with IBS (areas under the ROC curves of 0.95 and 0.722, respectively). The TUG1 expression levels were significantly different among types of IBS (IBS-D lower than IBS-M and IBS-C lower than IBS-M; p = 0.0165 and p = 0.043, respectively). H19 and TUG1 were downregulated in patients with poor glycemic control. lncRNA H19 and TUG1 expression in diabetic patients with IBS significantly negatively correlated with the IBS severity scoring system. Both lncRNAs’ expression significantly predicted the disease severity. LncRNA H19 expression can be an independent predictor for disease severity (adjusted odds ratio = 0.00001, 95% CI = 0–0.5, p = 0.045). Conclusions: Diabetic patients with IBS had significantly lower levels of lncRNA H19 and TUG1 expression than healthy controls and diabetic-only patients. LncRNA H19 had better diagnostic performance criteria for IBS. LncRNA H19 expression can be an independent predictor for IBS severity

Modeling the Effects of Cypermethrin Toxicity on Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Pneumonitis Rats: Macrophage Phenotype Differentiation and p38/STAT6 Signaling Are Candidate Targets of Pirfenidone Treatment

Although the classic form of asthma is characterized by chronic pneumonitis with eosinophil infiltration and steroid responsivity, asthma has multifactorial pathogenesis and various clinical phenotypes. Previous studies strongly suggested that chemical exposure could influence the severity and course of asthma and reduce its steroid responsiveness. Cypermethrin (CYP), a common pesticide used in agriculture, was investigated for the possible aggravation of the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic pneumonitis and the possible induction of steroid resistance in rats. Additionally, it was investigated whether pirfenidone (PFD) could substitute dexamethasone, as an alternative treatment option, for the induced steroid resistance. Fifty-six male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into seven groups: control, PFD alone, allergic pneumonitis, CYP alone, allergic pneumonitis/CYP-exposed, allergic pneumonitis/CYP/dexamethasone (Dex), and allergic pneumonitis/CYP/PFD-treated groups. Allergic pneumonitis was induced by three intraperitoneal OVA injections administered once a week, followed by an intranasal OVA instillation challenge. CYP (25 mg/kg/d), Dex (1 mg/kg/d), and PFD (100 mg/kg/d) were administered orally from day 15 to the end of the experiment. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was analyzed for cytokine levels. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and periodic acid Schiff (PAS)-stained lung sections were prepared. Immunohistochemical identification of p38 MAPK and lung macrophages was performed. The inflammatory/oxidative status of the lung and PCR-quantification of the STAT6, p38 MAPK, MUC5AC, and IL-13 genes were carried out. The allergic pneumonitis-only group showed eosinophil-mediated inflammation (p p p < 0.05) by PFD, meanwhile not by dexamethasone treatment. Pirfenidone could replace dexamethasone treatment in the current rat model of CYP-induced severe steroid-resistant asthma via inhibiting the M1 macrophage differentiation through modulation of the STAT6/p38 MAPK pathway

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Thymoquinone and Lycopene Mitigate the Chlorpyrifos-Induced Toxic Neuropathy

CPF (chlorpyrifos) is an organophosphate pesticide used in agricultural and veterinary applications. Our experiment aimed to explore the effects of thymoquinone (TQ) and/or lycopene (LP) against CPF-induced neurotoxicity. Wistar rats were categorized into seven groups: first group served as a control (corn oil only); second group, TQ (10 mg/kg); third group, LP (10 mg/kg); fourth group, CPF (10 mg/kg) and deemed as CPF toxic control; fifth group, TQ + CPF; sixth group, (LP + CPF); and seventh group, (TQ + LP + CPF). CPF intoxication inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AchE), decreased glutathione (GSH) content, and increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress biomarker. Furthermore, CPF impaired the activity of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) along with enhancement of the level of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. CPF evoked apoptosis in brain tissue. TQ or LP treatment of CPF-intoxicated rats greatly improved AchE activity, oxidative state, inflammatory responses, and cell death. Co-administration of TQ and LP showed better restoration than their sole treatment. In conclusion, TQ or LP supplementation may alleviate CPF-induced neuronal injury, most likely due to TQ or LPs’ antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects