Occurrence of Phthalate Esters in Coffee and Risk Assessment

Coffee, one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, is commercialized as powder and beans in different types of packaging and extracted through several methods. In this regard, the present study focused on evaluating the concentration of two of the most used phthalates in plastic materials (bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP)) in coffee powder and beverages to assess their migration from different packaging and machines. Furthermore, the levels of exposure to these endocrine disruptors in regular coffee consumers were estimated. Samples of packaged coffee powder/beans (n = 60) from different forms of packaging (multilayer bag, aluminum tin, and paper pod) and coffee beverages (n = 40) that were differently extracted (by professional espresso machine (PEM), Moka pot (MP), and home espresso machine (HEM)) were analyzed by extraction of the lipid fraction, purification, and determination by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Risk due to consumption of coffee (1–6 cups) was assessed based on tolerable daily intake (TDI) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). No significant differences emerged in DBP and DEHP concentrations among different types of packaging (multilayer, aluminum, and paper), whereas higher levels of DEHP were reported in beverages extracted by PEM (6.65, 2.58–11.32) than by MP (0.78, 0.59–0.91) and HEM (0.83, 0.62–0.98). The presence of higher DEHP levels in coffee beverages than in coffee powder may be due to its leaching through machine components. However, the levels of PAEs did not exceed the specific migration limits (SMLs) set out for food contact materials (FCM), and exposure to PAEs from coffee beverages was low, justifying the small risk due of its consumption. Consequently, coffee can be considered a safe beverage for exposure to some phthalic acid esters (PAEs)

Level of Biogenic Amines in Red and White Wines, Dietary Exposure, and Histamine-Mediated Symptoms upon Wine Ingestion

Biogenic amines (BAs) are involved in physiological processes. Foods where typically high levels of BAs occur are fermented food and beverage. This work set out to evaluate the occurrence of BAs in red and white wines, and to also ascertain the dietary exposure to BAs among consumers. Besides, a case report of a probable histamine intoxication upon ingestion of contaminated wine was described. The samples were analyzed through derivatization with dansyl chloride and HPLC-UV detection. Red wines showed higher levels of BAs, especially putrescine (PUT) and histamine (HIS), than white wines (median concentrations of 7.30 and 2.45 mg/L, respectively). However, results of our investigation showed that the dietary exposure to BAs through the consumption of wine (red and white) were lower than the recommended maximum levels for the acute exposure to HIS and tyramine (TYR). In contrast, the levels of BAs in wine on tap were much higher than in bottled wine and close to recommended values. The levels of HIS, TYR, and PUT in tap wine of 9.97, 8.23, and 13.01 mg/L, respectively, were associated with histamine-mediated symptoms in six young individuals after consumption of about three glasses of wine. The overall results and multivariate analysis confirm that red wine shows a higher concentration of BAs than white wine, especially putrescine and histamine. This finding is attributable to the malolactic fermentation that is common for most red wine production. It is also evident that incorrect preservation processes can lead to an increase in BA levels, probably due to the action of bacteria with high decarboxylase activity. The exposure values, although below the toxicity thresholds, could lead to histamine-mediated symptoms in susceptible individuals, also according to the case report discussed in this study

New Insights into Muscle Fibre Types in Casertana Pig

Little is known about the Casertana pig. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sex on histochemical and morphometrical characteristics of muscle fibres (myocytes) in this pure breed and to verify the presence of giant fibres as well as vascularity of the muscle. Finally, maximum shortening velocity and isometric tension were measured in single muscle fibres. Sixteen Casertana pigs (8 males, 8 females) from a farm in Campania (Italy) were slaughtered at one year of age. Muscle tissues were obtained from psoas minor, rhomboideus and longissimus dorsi. Myofibres were stained for myosin adenosine triphosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, and α-amylase-periodic acid schiff. For all fibre types, the area and perimeter were measured. Slowtwitch oxidative fibres, fast-twitch glycolytic fibres and fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic fibres were histochemically differentiated; an image-analyzing system was used. The results showed significant differences between the sexes in the size of all three fibre types. The psoas minor muscle had a high percentage of slow-twitch oxidative fibres and contained more capillaries per fibre and per mm2 than rhomboideus and longissimus dorsi, in which fast-twitch glycolytic fibres dominated. The cross-sectional area of all fibre types was larger in longissimus dorsi than in rhomboideus and psoas minor muscles; the giant fibres were present in the longissimus dorsi muscle only. Besides, isometric tension values were higher in fast-twitch glycolytic fibres than in the other ones. Variations in fibre type composition may contribute to meat quality

Structural changes of in vitro matured buffalo and bovine oocytes following cryopreservation.

The aim of this work was to evaluate chromatin and spindle organization of buffalo and bovine in vitro matured oocytes after vitrification/warming by Cryotop and after their exposure to cryoprotectants (CP). In vitro matured oocytes were vitrified/warmed and exposed to the vitrification/warming solutions containing ethylene glycol (EG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and sucrose as CP. Two hours after warming, oocytes were fixed and immunostained for microtubules and nuclei and examined by fluorescence microscopy. Data were analyzed by Chi Square test. A higher percentage of Telophase II stage oocytes was found in the toxicity (26 and 34% in bovine and buffalo) and the vitrification groups (13 and 7% in bovine and buffalo) compared to the control, indicating occurrence of activation. An increased percentage of oocytes with abnormal spindle and chromosome organization was found in oocytes exposed to CP (24 and 13% in bovine; 32 and 30% in buffalo respectively) and in those vitrified (26 and 31% in bovine; 26 and 29% in buffalo respectively) compared to the control (0 in bovine and 2.5 % in buffalo)

Acrylamide in Baby Foods: A Probabilistic Exposure Assessment

Acrylamide (also known as 2-propenamide) (AA) is a toxicant that develops in food during high-temperature cooking, and its occurrence is common in biscuits and baked snacks. AA is known for its in vivo neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects, and it is considered a potential carcinogen for humans. Infants may be exposed to AA as early as during weaning through baked food such as biscuits. This study set out to ascertain the concentration of AA in food products intended for infants to assess the dietary exposure to this food contaminant. AA levels were determined through GC/MS and bromination, and dietary exposure was evaluated by a probabilistic method based on Monte Carlo simulation. The results showed that the probability of a carcinogenic exposure is 94%, 92%, and 87%, respectively, for 6-, 12-, and 18-months infants, suggesting the need to delay the introduction of baked products in the diet of weaned infants. It should be noted, however, that these conclusions were drawn considering the biscuits as the primary source of exposure

Valutazione dell’effetto del Sistema Calpaina/Calpastatina sull’intenerimento della carne di Bovino Podolico durante la fase di frollatura.

Obiettivo dello studio è stato valutare l’attività di tale sistema enzimatico attraverso analisi biochimiche (espressione e attività della μ-calpaina, della p-94, della calpastatina e della -actina) immediatamente dopo il sacrificio degli animali e la variazione del sistema nel corso della frollatura di su diversi muscoli di Bovino Podolico: 1. testa (masseter) 2. collo (brachiocaephalicus) 3. cintura e dell’arto toracici (supraspinatus) 4. torace (diaphragma) 5. addome (rectus abdominis) (psoas minor) (psoas major) al fine di identificare a quali tempi di frollatura si verificano cambi significativi a livello strutturale dovuti ai processi di proteolisi intervenuti sui tagli scelti

Histochemical and Morphometrical Characterization and Distribution of Fiber Types in four muscles of Ostrich (Struthio camelus).

A staining procedure used for simultaneously determining three different fibre types in single sections bovine, porcine or ovine skeletal muscle was modified for use with Ostrich skeletal muscle. The muscle fibres of Gastrocnemius pars externa, Tibialis cranialis caput tibiale, Tibialis cranialis caput femorale and Fibularis longus tendo caudalis were studied. The histochemical results revealed the presence of three types of fibre only in the Gastrocnemius pars externa muscle: fast-twitch glycolytic fibres (FG), fast-twitch oxidative glycolytic fibres (FOG) and slow-twitch oxidative fibres (SO), while in the other muscles the FG fibres were absent. The percentage distribution of fibres types showed a higher incidence of SO fibres compared to FOG fibres in Tibialis cranialis caput femorale and Tibialis cranialis caput tibiale muscles, while it was opposite in the case of the Fibularis longus tendo caudalis muscle. In the Gastrocnemius pars externa muscle the FG fibres outnumber the other fibres, followed by the SO and FOG fibres. The results of the analysis of variance show significant interaction between muscle · fibre type for every morphometric parameter evaluated. Differences about value of fibres area exists between Tibialis cranialis caput femorale and Fibularis longus tendo caudalis muscles. Both fibre types in Tibialis cranialis caput tibiale muscle have mean values of transversal section area smaller than Tibialis cranialis caput femorale. The other morphometric parameters show a similar trend. The Gastrocnemius pars externa muscle presents similar dimensions of muscle fibres for the FG and FOG types, and significantly smaller for the SO type

Effetto del sistema calpaina/calpastatina sulla degradazione miofibrillare durante la fase post-mortem in 3 muscoli dell’arto pelvico di struzzo (Struthio camelus massaicus)

Obiettivo di questo studio è stato provvedere ad una descrizione dettagliata di tre muscoli dell’arto pelvico di struzzo Red Neck, valutare attraverso l’utilizzo di metodiche istochimiche le differenze isto-morfometriche della fibra muscolare, immunolocalizzare il sistema calpaina/calpastatina e determinare la sua attività durante le fasi successive alla morte dell’animale