Antimicrobial Edible Films and Coatings for Meat and Meat Products Preservation

Animal origin foods are widely distributed and consumed around the world due to their high nutrients availability but may also provide a suitable environment for growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Nowadays consumers demand high quality food with an extended shelf life without chemical additives. Edible films and coatings (EFC) added with natural antimicrobials are a promising preservation technology for raw and processed meats because they provide good barrier against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. This review gathers updated research reported over the last ten years related to antimicrobial EFC applied to meat and meat products. In addition, the films gas barrier properties contribute to extended shelf life because physicochemical changes, such as color, texture, and moisture, may be significantly minimized. The effectiveness showed by different types of antimicrobial EFC depends on meat source, polymer used, film barrier properties, target microorganism, antimicrobial substance properties, and storage conditions. The perspective of this technology includes tailoring of coating procedures to meet industry requirements and shelf life increase of meat and meat products to ensure quality and safety without changes in sensory characteristics

Identificación de los Genes cry en Cepas Mexicanas de Bacillus thuringiensis con Potencial Insecticida Identificación de los Genes cry en Cepas Mexicanas de Bacillus thuringiensis con Potencial Insecticida

En el presente estudio se determinó la morfología y la composición proteica de los cristales de las cepas LBIT-499 y LBIT-504 de B. thuringiensis, ambas nativas de Guanajuato, México. La primera mostró sólo cristales bipiramidales mientras que la segunda presentó cristales tanto bipiramidales como cúbicos. Estos cristales estuvieron compuestos de proteínas de aproximadamente 130 y 60 kDa, respectivamente. En ambas cepas, además de la LBIT-500 y LBIT-544, se detectó una gran variedad de genes cry1. En éstas últimas se encontraron los genes cry2A y cry2B, en la LBIT- 504 sólo el cry2B y en la LBIT-499 no se detectó ningún cry2. This report revealed the crystal morphology and protein composition of strains LBIT-499 and LBIT-504 of B. thuringiensis, native to Guanajuato, Mexico. LBIT-499 showed only bipyramidal crystals, while LBIT-504 showed both bipyramidal and cubical crystals. These crystals were composed by proteins of ca. 130 and 60 kDa, respectively. Both strains as well as LBIT-500 and LBIT-544, showed a great variety of cry1 genes, while cry2A and cry2B were identified in LBT-500 and LBIT-544, LBIT-504 showed only the cry2B gene, and no cry2 was detected in LBIT-499.</p

Alimentos Bajos en Energía: ¿Qué es lo que Debemos saber de Ellos? Alimentos Bajos en Energía: ¿Qué es lo que Debemos saber de Ellos?

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "BookmanOldStyle","serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">En los últimos años, los alimentos modificados en su composición (“light” o “lite”), se han vuelto muy populares. Sin embargo, a pesar de que la Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-086- SSA1, 1994 define a cada uno de estos productos, hay un total desconocimiento entre los consumidores, con relación a su clasificación y uso adecuado. En este trabajo se analizan algunos de los factores que causan obesidad y cambios en hábitos alimentarios de la población; la fabricación de alimentos modificados bajos en energía, su origen, clasificación y uso correcto. Adicionalmente, se presentan los principales productos que existen en el mercado mexicano y se analiza el tipo de ingredientes que utilizan y la seguridad de su consumo.</span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><br>During the past few years, fabricated low-caloric foods (light or lite) have become very popular. Even though the Mexican Official Standard defines each of these products since 1994, Mexican consumers have not knowledge about their classification and proper use. This work analyzes some of the factors that lead to obesity and changes in the food consumption habits of the population; the fabrication of modified low-caloric foods, their origin, classification and proper use. Additionally, it presents the main low-calorie foods available in the Mexican market and gives information on the type of ingredients used in their fabrication and about the guarantee associated with the consumption of these products

Cloning, Sequencing, and Expression of the Chitinase Gene chiA74 from Bacillus thuringiensis

The endochitinase gene chiA74 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kenyae strain LBIT-82 was cloned in Escherichia coli DH5αF′. A sequence of 676 amino acids was deduced when the gene was completely sequenced. A molecular mass of 74 kDa was estimated for the preprotein, which includes a putative 4-kDa signal sequence located at the N terminus. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high degree of identity with other chitinases such as ChiB from Bacillus cereus (98%) and ChiA71 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar pakistani (70%). Additionally, ChiA74 showed a modular structure comprised of three domains: a catalytic domain, a fibronectin-like domain, and a chitin-binding domain. All three domains showed conserved sequences when compared to other bacterial chitinase sequences. A ca. 70-kDa mature protein expressed by the cloned gene was detected in zymograms, comigrating with a chitinase produced by the LBIT-82 wild-type strain. ChiA74 is active within a wide pH range (4 to 9), although a bimodal activity was shown at pH 4.79 and 6.34. The optimal temperature was estimated at 57.2°C when tested at pH 6. The potential use of ChiA74 as a synergistic agent, along with the B. thuringiensis insecticidal Cry proteins, is discussed

Expanding the Use of a Fluorogenic Method to Determine Activity and Mode of Action of Bacillus thuringiensis Bacteriocins Against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

Previously we described a rapid fluorogenic method to measure the activity of five bacteriocins produced by Mexican strains of Bacillus thuringiensis against B. cereus 183. Here we standardize this method to efficiently determine the activity of bacteriocins against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It was determined that the crucial parameter required to obtain reproducible results was the number of cells used in the assay, that is, ~4 × 108 cell/mL and ~7 × 108 cell/mL, respectively, for target Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Comparative analyses of the fluorogenic and traditional well-diffusion assays showed correlation coefficients of 0.88 to 0.99 and 0.83 to 0.99, respectively, for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The fluorogenic method demonstrated that the five bacteriocins of B. thuringiensis have bacteriolytic and bacteriostatic activities against all microorganisms tested, including clinically significant bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Proteus vulgaris, and Shigella flexneri reported previously to be resistant to the antimicrobials as determined using the well-diffusion protocol. These results demonstrate that the fluorogenic assay is a more sensitive, reliable, and rapid method when compared with the well-diffusion method and can easily be adapted in screening protocols for bacteriocin production by other microorganisms