The influence of stems and oak chips on the fermentation and color stabilization during maturation of red wines produced by cv. Shesh i Zi

In Albania the autochthonous cv. ‘Shesh i Zi’ it is well known for red wine production. During the wine production, the main problem with this variety is the collapse of its color after alcoholic fermentation. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of oak chips and stems during alcoholic fermentation. In this study, were used 100 kg grapes of cv. ‘Shesh i Zi’ from Tirana area. For the production of wines were used three different vinification schemes (classic, oak chips and stems). The wines were analyzed by spectrophotometric methods such total tannins, total anthocyanins, color parameters. The obtained results were statistically analyzed with Statistix 9 software. Wines produced in the presence of stems and oak chips increase the formation of bonds between tannins and anthocyanins preserving the color of the wines

Carcass and Meat Quality Traits of Medium-Growing Broiler Chickens Fed Soybean or Pea Bean and Raised under Semi-Intensive Conditions

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the total replacement of flaked soybean (Glycine max L., SOY) with raw pea (Pisum sativum L., PEA) on the carcass and meat quality traits of two medium-growing broiler strains (Kabir Rosso Plus, KB; New Red, NR). Birds were housed in 20 pens (five replications/groups, six birds each). At 83 days of age, 40 birds (2/replication) were slaughtered and the pectoral muscle (PM) was removed for analyses. Diet did not affect slaughter weight, carcass traits and meat quality. A pea diet determined a significant increase of MUFA and a decrease of PUFA, n-3 and n-6 PUFA; hence, the pea-fed group had a lower PUFA/SFA and a higher n-6/n-3 ratios compared to the soy-fed. NR chickens were heavier, with higher carcass and cut weights (p p p < 0.05) pH. Fatty acids were slightly affected by genotype. Replacing soybean with pea adversely affects meat fatty acid composition in terms of nutritional profile

Brettanomyces spoilage in Albanian wines assessed by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods

In the Albanian winemaking industry, there is little awareness of the potential detrimental effect of Brettanomyces in wines. The aim of this study was to detect and quantify Brettanomyces cells in 22 Albanian bottled wines, representing all the viticultural areas of Albania. A combined approach, including culture-dependent (viable plate counting) and culture-independent (qPCR) methods, was applied. Spoilage indicators (ethylphenols and total and volatile acidity), as well as the primary factors known to influence the growth of Brettanomyces in wine (pH, SO2 and ethanol concentration), were also investigated. Brettanomyces was detected in only five (1 Merlot, 4 Sheshi i Zi) out of 22 samples analyzed using viable counting, with loads ranging from 1.30 ± 0.03 log CFU mL-1 to 3.99 ± 0.00 log CFU mL-1, while it was never detected in the Kallmet samples. When qPCR was applied, Brettanomyces cells were detected and quantified in all of the samples with a generally low load ranging from 0.47 ± 0.13 to 3.99 ± 0.01 log cells mL-1. As a general trend, the loads of spoilage by this yeast were low (≤ 1.92 log cells mL-1), with the exception of five samples that were also positive by plate counting. A positive correlation between the growth of this spoilage yeast on Dekkera/Brettanomyces differential media (DBDM) and its detection at high levels by qPCR was observed. A significant positive correlation between Brettanomyces and the concentration of ethylphenols and volatile acidity was also found. In summary, the results of this study demonstrated the low incidence of Brettanomyces spoilage yeasts in Albanian red wines. Practical Application: The awareness of Brettanomyces spoilage in the Albanian winemaking industry is very low. This study represents the first contribution to understand the extent of this spoilage yeast in Albanian autochthonous cultivars, which tend to have high economic value, to ensure product quality and safety. qPCR is confirmed to be a very sensitive method to rapidly detect Brettanomyces spoilage in wine samples