28 research outputs found
Effect of an edible nanomultilayer coating by electrostatic self-assembly on the shelf life of fresh-cut mangoes
This work aims at evaluating the effect of an alginate-chitosan nanomultilayer coating, obtained by electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembling, in the quality and shelf life of fresh-cut mangoes. Coated and uncoated fresh-cut mangoes were stored under refrigeration (8 °C) for 14 days. The changes in mass loss, titratable acidity, pH, ascorbic acid content, total soluble solids, malondialdehyde content, browning rate, and microbial count were evaluated during storage. At the end of the storage period, lower values of mass loss, pH, malondialdehyde content, browning rate, soluble solids, microorganisms proliferation, and higher titratable acidity were observed in the coated mangoes. The nanomultilayer coating did not improve the retention of vitamin C during storage of fresh-cut mangoes. Results suggest that chitosan-alginate nanomultilayer edible coating extends the shelf life of fresh-cut mangoes up to 8 days.Author Marthyna Pessoa de Souza thanks Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES/PDEE-Brazil) and Fundacao de Amparo a Ciencia e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE, Brazil) for granting her scholarships. The authors thank the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the Project "BioInd-Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes", REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, and FEDER (Portugal)
Pets as Sentinels of Human Exposure to Neurotoxic Metals
The idea that animals may be used as sentinels of environmental hazards
pending over humans and the associated public health implications is not a new one.
Nowadays pets are being used as bioindicators for the effects of environmental contaminants
in human populations. This is of paramount importance due to the large
increase in the worldwide distribution of synthetic chemicals, particularly in the
built environment. Companion animals share the habitat with humans being simultaneously
exposed to and suffering the same disease spectrum as their masters.
Moreover, their shorter latency periods (due to briefer lifespans) enable them to act
as early warning systems, allowing timely public health interventions. The rise on
ethical constraints on the use of animals and, consequently, on the sampling they
can be subjected to has led to the preferential use of noninvasive matrices, and in
this case we are looking into hair. This chapter focuses in three non-essential metals:
mercury, lead, and cadmium, due to their ubiquitous presence in the built environment
and their ability of affecting the mammal nervous system. There is a fairly
short amount of studies reporting the concentrations of these metals in pets’ hair,
particularly for cats. These studies are characterized, and the metal concentrations
corresponding to different parameters (e.g., age, sex, diet, rearing) are described in
order to provide the reader with a general vision on the use of this noninvasive
matrix on the studies conducted since the last two decades of the twentieth
century.publishe
Effect of a diet containing folate and hazelnut oil capsule on the methylation level of the ADRB3 gene, lipid profile and oxidative stress in overweight or obese women
International audienc