Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of propolis in "Alheira", a fermented meat sausage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) in the control of Listeria innocua PHLS 2030c (as a surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes) during storage of Alheira at 4°C. Total phenolic content was evaluated to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of EEP against the growth of L. innocua by the agar dilution method. Alheiras were manufactured by incorporating EEP (0.28 mg/mL) and pathogenic bacteria and storage during 62 days at 4°C. Growth of L. innocua was determined during storage. The behaviour of L. innocua in the food matrix was significantly affected (p < 0.01) by the addition of EEP. The ethanolic extract of propolis reduced the Listeria population to below the detection limit of the technique after 8 days of storage. These results suggest that incorporation of EEP in a food susceptible to Listeria contamination may be an interesting alternative to existing chemical preservatives and can extend the shelf life of these products

Volatile organic compounds and consumer preference for meat from suckling goat kids raised with natural or replacers milk

Most of European Union goats are slaughtered with carcase weights between 5 kg and 11 kg. Some farmers rear kids with milk replacers to produce cheese with the dams’ milk. The aim of this experiment was to study the volatile compounds (VOCs) of meat of suckling light kids reared with natural milk or milk replacers and to study the influence of consumers’ psychographic characteristics on the sensory preference for meat. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to identify the VOCs and consumers evaluated the flavour, juiciness and overall acceptability. Thirty-five VOCs were detected and 44.3%, 25.1%, 6.9% and 2.3%, were aldehydes, hydrocarbons, ketones and alcohols, respectively. The influence of the rearing system on VOCs clearly depended on the breed. The use of milk replacers did not affect the percentage of linear aldehydes compared to the use of natural milk. However, the major aldehyde, hexanal (34.8%), was related to the use of natural milk and correlated positively with both the flavour (r = 0.21) and overall acceptability (r = 0.24). On the other hand, hydrocarbons such as hexane were related to MR, and 2-methyl-pentane and 3-methyl pentane were correlated with the acceptability of flavour (r = −0.22 and −0.25, respectively) and with the overall acceptability (r = −0.21 and −0.24). The 2-penthyl furan and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were correlated with the overall acceptability (r = −0.22 and −0.22, respectively). Therefore, the acceptability of meat from suckling kids fed natural milk was greater for older consumers and people with a moderate consumption of meat.Unión Europea, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO). [RTA2012-0023-C03]; CYTED [116RT0503

Addition of Grape Skin and Stems Extracts in Wines during the Storage to Reduce the Sulfur Dioxide: Impact on Red Wine Quality

This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of bioactive extracts obtained from red wine by-products, such as grape skins and stems, for reducing or eliminating the use of SO2 in red wine production. Special attention was focused on guaranteeing the microbiological stability of the red wines and protecting them against oxidation. Therefore, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the extracts and red wines were studied. Red grape stems and skins, by-products of the wine industry, from six types of monovarietal wines, were used. Extracts obtained from stems displayed higher concentrations of total phenolic compounds and higher in vitro antioxidant activity. Both stem and skin extracts demonstrated higher antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and lower activity against yeasts. In the wines produced, higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were observed, mainly in the skin extract batches. This study highlights that bioactive extracts obtained from by-products of wine making could be used to reduce or eliminate the use of SO2 in wine production. In this way, healthier red wines could be obtained while guaranteeing their microbiological stability and protecting them from oxidation. Furthermore, the use of these by-products is strongly associated with the circular economy, as they could help to reduce the environmental impact of the wine industry

Evaluation of the combined effect of chitosan and lactic acid bacteria in alheira (fermented meat sausage) paste

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of chitosan, Pediococcus acidilactici HA-6111-2 (bacteriocinogenic strain with antilisterial activity) and Pediococcus pentosaceus HA-3083-3 (a nonbacteriocinogenic strain), added individually or in combination, in the control of Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium during storage of Alheira paste at 4C. The behavior of pathogenic bacteria in the food matrix was significantly affected by the addition of chitosan. Chitosan at 0.3% reduced pathogenic bacteria counts in Alheira paste by 2-3 log cfu/g during the first 7 days of storage. This effect was increased when chitosan was used synergistically with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (P < 0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that addition of chitosan to Alheira did not affect sensory attributes. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the combined effect of bacteriocinogenic or nonbacteriocinogenic LAB and chitosan against pathogenic bacteria in fermented meats.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

El microcrédito y su incidencia en el desarrollo socioeconómico de las madres solteras de Guayaquil

Para la elaboración del presente trabajo de investigación, se realizó un análisis de la población ubicada al Noroeste de la ciudad de Guayaquil, en especial de las madres solteras que de una u otra manera ha accedido a microcréditos en diferentes instituciones financieras de Guayaquil con el objetivo de mejorar su situación económica y social a través de la inversión en actividades productivas. Para conseguir resultados óptimos se realizó un estudio descriptivo, así como también una investigación directa a través de encuestas que permitieron conocer si su calidad de vida mejoró. La conclusión más relevante de la presente investigación es que las madres cabeza de hogar en su mayoría no son beneficiarias de ningún tipo de ayuda por parte del gobierno; sin embargo, han logrado tener posibilidades de acceder a créditos con las instituciones financieras que creyeron en sus propuestas de emprendimiento y en la mejoría de los negocios ya formalizados

Antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of propolis in &quot;Alheira&quot;, a fermented meat sausage ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) in the control of Listeria innocua PHLS 2030c (as a surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes) during storage of Alheira at 4°C. Total phenolic content was evaluated to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of EEP against the growth of L. innocua by the agar dilution method. Alheiras were manufactured by incorporating EEP (0.28 mg/mL) and pathogenic bacteria and storage during 62 days at 4°C. Growth of L. innocua was determined during storage. The behaviour of L. innocua in the food matrix was significantly affected (p &lt; 0.01) by the addition of EEP. The ethanolic extract of propolis reduced the Listeria population to below the detection limit of the technique after 8 days of storage. These results suggest that incorporation of EEP in a food susceptible to Listeria contamination may be an interesting alternative to existing chemical preservatives and can extend the shelf life of these products

Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils Obtained from Autochthonous Aromatic Plants

The aim of this work was to determine the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of six plants widely distributed in the Dehesa of Extremadura, such as Calendula officinalis, Cistus ladanifer, Cistus salviifolius, Cistus multiflorus, Lavandula stoechas, and Rosmarinus officinalis. The content of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils against pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and yeasts as well as aflatoxin-producing molds were determined. A great variability was observed in the composition of the essential oils obtained from the six aromatic plants. The Cistus ladanifer essential oil had the highest content of total phenols (287.32 ppm), followed by the Cistus salviifolius essential oil; and the Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil showed the lowest amount of these compounds. The essential oils showed inhibitory effects on the tested bacteria and also yeasts, showing a maximum inhibition diameter of 11.50 mm for Salmonella choleraesuis and Kregervanrija fluxuum in the case of Cistus ladanifer and a maximum diameter of 9 mm for Bacillus cereus and 9.50 mm for Priceomyces carsonii in the case of Cistus salviifolius. The results stated that antibacterial and antiyeast activity is influenced by the concentration and the plant material used for essential oil preparation. In molds, aflatoxin production was inhibited by all the essential oils, especially the essential oils of Cistus ladanifer and Cistus salviifolius. Therefore, it can be concluded that the essential oils of native plants have significant antimicrobial properties against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, so they could be studied for their use in the industry as they are cheap, available, and non-toxic plants that favor the sustainability of the environment of the Dehesa of Extreme&ntilde;a

Influence of starter culture and a protease on the generation of ACE-inhibitory and antioxidant bioactive nitrogen compounds in Iberian dry-fermented sausage “salchichón”

The effect of the addition of an autochthonous starter culture and the protease EPg222 on the generation of angiotensin-I–converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory and antioxidant compounds by the dry-fermented sausage “salchichón” was investigated. Sausages were prepared with purified EPg222 and Pediococcus acidilactici MS200 and Staphylococcus vitulus RS34 as the starter culture (P200S34), separately and together, ripened for 90 days, and compared to a control batch. Among the ripening time points (20, 35, 65, 90 days) studied, batches inoculated with EPg222 had higher nitrogen compound concentrations at 63 days of ripening. ACE-inhibitory and antioxidant activities were also highest in both batches with EPg222 at 63 days of ripening, and these activities were stable in most cases after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. These activities were correlated with the most relevant compounds detected by HLPC-ESI-MS. The principal components analysis (PCA) linked the P200S34 + EPg222 batch with the major compounds identified. The antioxidant activity was higher at 63 days of ripening, especially in highly proteolytic batches, such as P200S34 + EPg222. The ACE-inhibitory activity was not associated with any of the major compounds. The use of the enzyme EPg222 in association with the starter culture P200S34 in the preparation of dry-cured meat products could be of great importance due to their demonstrated ability to produce compounds with high biological activity, such as ACE-inhibitory and antioxidant activity

Antifungal Effect of Autochthonous Aromatic Plant Extracts on Two Mycotoxigenic Strains of <i>Aspergillus flavus</i>

This study identified the compounds obtained from four native Dehesa plants, which were holm oak, elm, blackberry and white rockrose, and evaluated their ability to inhibit the growth and production of aflatoxins B1 and B2 of two strains of mycotoxigenic Aspergillus flavus. For this purpose, phenolic compounds present in the leaves and flowers of the plants were extracted and identified, and subsequently, the effect on the growth of A. flavus, aflatoxin production and the expression of a gene related to its synthesis were studied. Cistus albidus was the plant with the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, followed by Quercus ilex. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were mainly identified, and there was great variability among plant extracts in terms of the type and quantity of compounds. Concentrated and diluted extracts were used for each individual plant. The influence on mold growth was not very significant for any of the extracts. However, those obtained from plants of the genus Quercus ilex, followed by Ulmus sp., were very useful for inhibiting the production of aflatoxin B1 and B2 produced by the two strains of A. flavus. Expression studies of the gene involved in the aflatoxin synthesis pathway did not prove to be effective. The results indicated that using these new natural antifungal compounds from the Dehesa for aflatoxin production inhibition would be desirable, promoting respect for the environment by avoiding the use of chemical fungicides. However, further studies are needed to determine whether the specific phenolic compounds responsible for the antifungal activity of Quercus ilex and Ulmus sp. produce the antifungal activity in pure form, as well as to verify the action mechanism of these compounds

Strategies to Increase the Biological and Biotechnological Value of Polysaccharides from Agricultural Waste for Application in Healthy Nutrition

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in the extraction and identification of new high added-value compounds from the agro-food industry that will valorize the great amount of by-products generated. Many of these bioactive compounds have shown beneficial effects for humans in terms of disease prevention, but they are also of great interest in the food industry due to their effect of extending the shelf life of foods by their well-known antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. For this reason, an additional research objective is to establish the best conditions for obtaining these compounds from complex by-product structures without altering their activity or even increasing it. This review highlights recent work on the identification and characterization of bioactive compounds from vegetable by-products, their functional activity, new methodologies for the extraction of bioactive compounds from vegetables, possibly increasing their biological activity, and the future of the global functional food and nutraceuticals market