Influence of milk quality and cheese-making procedure on functional fatty acid transfer in three Italian dairy products: Mozzarella, Raveggiolo and Ricotta

Cheese quality traits are affected firstly by milk quality and secondly by processing protocols. The cheese-making procedure plays an important role in the transfer of functional fat components from milk to cheese with important implications on the nutritive value of dairy products. To evaluate the influence of the cheese-making procedure, three fresh Italian cheeses from the same milk bulk, Mozzarella, Raveggiolo and Ricotta were processed and analyzed in terms of fatty acid transfer from milk to dairy products. The fatty acids were transferred with several differences. In particular, C14:0 (P = 0.0011) and C14:1 (P = 0.0007) showed the highest value in Raveggiolo while C16:0 was higher in Raveggiolo and Ricotta (P = 0.0002). Trans-monoene fatty acids have a detrimental effect on human health, however trans C18:1 isomers, from 6 to 10, and trans12 showed no significant differences in transfer from milk to dairy products. In contrast, vaccenic and linoleic acids, which are beneficial fatty acids for human health, were recovered in higher percentages in Raveggiolo than in Mozzarella and Ricotta (P = 0.0188 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The recovery of oleic acid, an antiatherogenic fatty acid, was higher in Ricotta (P < 0.0001). No effect on conjugated linoleic acid was found

Effect of different doses of cracked whole soybean on milk fatty acid composition in buffalo

In order to improve the health characteristics of buffalo milk and Mozzarella, the effect of two concentrates differing in linoleic acid (LA) content on milk fatty acid (FA) composition was con- sidered. Dietary LA supplementation, in fact, is the most effec- tive strategy to increase milk content of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has potentially positive effects on human health. Thirty-two buffaloes were randomly allotted in two groups: exper- imental (EG) and control (CG). During the first period (P1, from 26 to 82 days in milk) EG fed a total mixed ratio (TMR) composed by barley silage, alfalfa and grass hay, maize meal and 3 kg of a concentrate composed by 30% cracked whole soybean (WS) and 70% horse bean (HB), which provided 12.6 g/kg DM of LA. During the second period, (P2, from 97 to 152 days in milk), the experi- mental concentrate was 70/30 WS/HB that provided 25.4 g/kg DM of LA. During both periods CG fed a diet based on the same for- age than EG and a concentrate composed by maize meal, soybean meal, and cotton seeds (7.2 g/kg DM of LA). Individual milk sam- ples were weekly collected and data of milk FA composition were analysed by a repeated measures model. At the end of each peri- od, milk from each group was separately processed and six Mozzarella cheese for group were sampled. During P1, LA con- tent of milk from EG was significantly higher than milk from CG (1.85 vs. 1.52% of TL), whereas CLA and vaccenic acid (VA) con- tent did not differ between groups. During P2, the LA content in EG milk was more than two times higher than that in CG milk (3.91 vs. 1.59% of TL). Also CLA (0.59% of TL vs. 0.38% of TL for EG and GC respectively) and VA (1.67%of TL vs. 1.25% of TL for EG and CG, respectively) milk content significantly differed between groups. Oleic acid (OA) content significantly differed between treatments, being higher in milk from EG (+17%). Interestingly, differences were observed also in the substrate/product ratio related to stearoil-CoA desaturase enzyme (SCD). This enzyme acts either on C18:0, that is con- verted in OA, and on C14:0, C16:0 and VA, which are converted in cis9 unsaturated FA. Results suggested a higher affinity of SCD for C18:0. The desaturation index of C18:0, in fact, was more than ten times higher than that of other substrates. The FA com- position of mozzarella reflected that observed in milk, confirm- ing that cheesemaking did not affect the transfer of FA from milk to cheese

NEW TRENDS IN THE BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF MILK: A REVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND PROCESSING EFFECTS

Milk has a complex highly variable nutritional com-position based on the different species and animal breeds, together with the strategy and management of the animal feed. It is the first food consumed by chil-dren, exclusively for the initial months because it contains all the nutrients necessary for body growth and the development of cognitive functions. Consid-ering the Mediterranean diet, cow and goat milk is consumed fresh or used for the production of dairy products, while sheep and buffalo milk is used exclu-sively for cheese production. In developing countries, sheep milk or milk from particular animal species such as the yak is also used for fresh consumption and is a low-cost food source for consumers. Milk is the only raw food with a complete profile of all nutri-ents, from proteins to fats, carbohydrates, water, min-erals, and vitamins. Several bioactive compounds are present in milk or originate during protein digestion and fat fraction. Thus, milk can be defined as a func-tional food because it adapts to the definition "any food or food ingredient that can provide a health ben-efit over the traditional nutrients it contains"

Cellular Contact Guidance on Liquid Crystalline Networks with Anisotropic Roughness

: Cell contact guidance is widely employed to manipulate cell alignment and differentiation in vitro. The use of nano- or micro-patterned substrates allows efficient control of cell organization, thus opening up to biological models that cannot be reproduced spontaneously on standard culture dishes. In this paper, we explore the concept of cell contact guidance by Liquid Crystalline Networks (LCNs) presenting different surface topographies obtained by self-assembly of the monomeric mixture. The materials are prepared by photopolymerization of a low amount of diacrylate monomer dissolved in a liquid crystalline solvent, not participating in the reaction. The alignment of the liquid crystals, obtained before polymerization, determines the scaffold morphology, characterized by a nanometric structure. Such materials are able to drive the organization of different cell lines, e.g., fibroblasts and myoblasts, allowing for the alignment of single cells or high-density cell cultures. These results demonstrate the capabilities of rough surfaces prepared from the spontaneous assembly of liquid crystals to control biological models without the need of lithographic patterning or complex fabrication procedures. Interestingly, during myoblast differentiation, also myotube structuring in linear arrays is observed along the LCN fiber orientation. The implementation of this technology will open up to the formation of muscular tissue with well-aligned fibers in vitro mimicking the structure of native tissues

Effect of chestnut tannin extract (Castanea sativa Miller) on the proliferation of Cladosporium cladosporioides on sheep cheese rind during the ripening

Strains belonging to the genus Cladosporium can cause black spots on the surface of sheep cheese, making it impossible to sell. Two water solutions of chestnut tannin extract (i) 200 g L-1 (CHE200) and (ii) 400 g L-1 (CHE400), and the chestnut tannin extract powder (CHEP) were tested in a cheese making trial in which 60 cheese units were allotted to 5 experimental groups (each of 12 cheeses: C1, control 1 without any treatment; C2, control 2 treated with a silver ion solution; and cheeses LCHE200, LCHE400, and LCHEP, treated with CHE200, CHE400, and CHEP, respectively). The cheeses were ripened in a room polluted with Cladosporium cladosporioides with the aim to create conditions for the proliferation of this fungus on the cheeses. The results indicated that chestnut tannin extract at a concentration of 200 g L-1 is capable of completely inhibiting C. cladosporioides proliferation, avoiding spoilage of the sheep cheese

Effect of Dietary Chestnut or Quebracho Tannin Supplementation on Microbial Community and Fatty Acid Profile in the Rumen of Dairy Ewes

Ruminants derived products have a prominent role in diets and economy worldwide; therefore, the capability to control the rumen microbial ecosystem, for ameliorating their quality, is of fundamental importance in the livestock sector. e aim of this study was to evaluate the e ect of dietary supplementation with chestnut and quebracho tannins on microbial community and fatty acid pro le, in the rumen uid of dairy ewes. Multivariate analysis of PCR-DGGE pro les of rumen microbial communities showed a correlation among the presence of chestnut or quebracho in the diet, the speci c Butyrivibrio group DGGE pro les, the increase in 18:3 cis9, cis12, and cis15; 18:2 cis9 and cis12; 18:2 cis9 and trans11; 18:2 trans11 and cis15; and 18:1 trans11 content, and the decrease in 18:0 concentration. Phylogenetic analysis of DGGE band sequences revealed the presence of bacteria representatives related to the genera Hungatella, Ruminococcus, and Eubacterium and unclassi ed Lachnospiraceae family members, suggesting that these taxa could be a ected by tannins presence in the diets. e results of this study showed that tannins from chestnut and quebracho can reduce the biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids through changes in rumen microbial communities

Effect of chestnut tannins and short chain fatty acids as anti-microbials and as feeding supplements in broilers rearing and meat quality

Chestnut tannins (CT) and saturated short medium chain fatty acids (SMCFA) are valid alternatives to contrast the growth of pathogens in poultry rearing, representing a valid alternative to antibiotics. However, the effect of their blends has never been tested. Two blends of CT extract and Sn1-monoglycerides of SMCFA (SN1) were tested in vitro against the proliferation of Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella typhymurium, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni. The tested concentrations were: 3.0 g/kg of CT; 3.0 g/kg of SN1; 2.0 g/kg of CT and 1.0 g/kg of SN1; 1.0 g/kg of CT and 2.0 g/kg of SN1. Furthermore, their effect on broiler performances and meat quality was evaluated in vivo: one-hundred Ross 308 male birds were fed a basal diet with no supplement (control group) or supplemented with CT or SN1 or their blends at the same concentration used in the in vitro trial. The in vitro assay confirmed the effectiveness of the CT and SN1 mixtures in reducing the growth of the tested bacteria while the in vivo trial showed that broiler performances, animal welfare and meat quality were not negatively affected by the blends, which could be a promising alternative in replacing antibiotics in poultry production