Study of Water Binding Capacity, pH, Chemical Composition and Microstructure of Livestock Meat and Poultry

This paper shows the results of analysis of chemical composition, water binding capacity, pH and microstructure of maral meat, goat meat, lamb, and turkey meat. From the analysis, the high content of protein and ash is observed in turkey meat, fat prevails in lamb, and less amount in maral meat and goat meat. pH value lies between 5.7 (turkey white meat) and 6.4 (goat meat). Low value of water binding capacity is detected in turkey meat (58.2% in red meat, 59.2% in white meat) and high value – in maral meat 79.57%. The morphology and microstructure of meat have some differences in position and diameter of muscle fibers. Micrographic investigation shows that the largest diameter of muscle fibers was observed in turkey white meat (46.58 µm) and the smallest – in muscle tissue of lamb (29.92 µm). Obtained results will be useful for further processing and developing meat products

Development of Minced Meatball Composition for the Population from Unfavorable Ecological Regions

In this paper, a new technology for meatball production is presented. The ingredients in the formulation used are low value parts of poultry meat (neck and back part), rice, sea cabbage (Laminaria) and carrot. Three variants of meatball were prepared with different weight ratios of Laminaria: variant 1 – 15%, variant 2 – 10% and variant 3 – 5%. The comparative quality and organoleptic indicators of meatballs are studied. As a result, when compared with the control meatballs, the developed meatballs have soft consistency, a pleasant flavor, better sensory characteristics and balanced composition. The highest level of protein was obtained in variant 2 (19.7%) while the lowest one was determined in the control sample (10.1%). Variant 2 meatball also showed an increased level of mineral elements – 3.11%, compared with variant 1 (2.6%) and variant 3 (1.6%). The moisture content of the developed meatballs varied from 67.1% to 69.3% and these values are much higher than in the control sample (61.64%). Also, the developed meatballs show a higher content of fat compared with the control sample. Different proportions of Laminaria in meatball formulations caused significant changes in content of I, Mg, K and Na. The concentrations of these elements were reduced when the Laminaria weight ratio in meatballs was lowered. Using Laminaria demonstrated a positive effect to the food quality of meatball

Computational Calculation and Molecular Docking of Thymol and O-Benzoyl Thymol as Inhibitor TYK2 Enzyme

Thymol is the active ingredient in plants from Thymus vulgaris (thymus). The calculations and molecular docking have been done computationally for the thymol and o-benzoyl thymol. This computational calculation aims to obtain a stable structure and electronic properties of thymol and o-benzoyl thymol. The computational analysis used DFT for geometry optimization in the gas phase using B3LYP functional and 3-211G(d) as the basis set. The optimized structure of thymol and o-benzoyl thymol is not planar. The functional benzoyl decreases the bond length, increases the bond angle, and turns the dihedral. The electronic properties, such as atomic charge and density of HOMO-LUMO, show the difference between the two molecules. The optimized structure of thymol and o-benzoyl thymol is used for molecular docking with the TYK2 enzyme (tyrosine kinase). In this research, thymol and o-benzoyl thymol can inhibit TYK2 enzyme with the bond affinity is about -5.909 kcal/mol and -7.456 kcal/mol, respectively, for thymol o-benzoyl thymol. The primary molecular interaction is hydrophobic

Assessment of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues in Water and Sediment Collected from the Southern Caspian Sea

Pollution of water resources by uncontrolled pesticide use is a serious health and environmental issue. In this study, concentrations of three organophosphorus pesticides (diazinon, malathion, and azinphos-methyl) in water and sediment samples from five estuaries (Sefidrud, Chalus, Babolrud, Tajan, and Gorganrud) along the Caspian Sea were investigated. Samples were collected from surface water and sediment during summer to autumn, and pesticides were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results indicated that salinity and turbidity in Gorganrud were higher (salinity: range 2–8%; turbidity: range 1–9%) compared to other stations. Higher diazinon (water: 0.08±0.06, sediment: 0.04±0.01), malathion (water: 0.09±0.06, sediment: 0.05±0.01) and azinphos-methyl (water: 0.1±0.08, sediment: 0.06± 0.02) concentrations were observed in the Tajan river compared to other stations. Mean concentrations of diazinon, malathion and azinphos-methyl pesticides were higher in the summer compared to the autumn. Azinphos-methyl concentrations were higher than sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), which warrants ongoing monitoring. Our research provides insights into the presence of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) in rivers that enter into the Caspian Sea. Further work to better understand the environmental pollution of OPs in the Caspian Sea is ongoing

Immobilized enzymes as potent antibiofilm agent

Biofilm has been a point of concern in hospitals and various industries. They not only cause various chronic infections but are also responsible for the degradation of various medical appliances. Since the last decade, various alternate strategies are being adopted to combat the biofilm formed on various biotic and abiotic surfaces. The use of enzymes as a potent anti-fouling agent is proved to be of utmost importance as the enzymes can inhibit biofilm formation in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way. The physical and chemical immobilization of the enzyme not only leads to the improvement of thermostability and reusability of the enzyme, but also gains better efficiency of biofilm removal. Immobilization of amylase, cellobiohydrolase, pectinase, subtilisin A and β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (DspB) are proved to be most effective in inhibition of biofilm formation and removal of matured biofilm than their free forms. Hence, these immobilized enzymes provide greater eradication of biofilm formed on various surfaces and are coming up to be the potent antibiofilm agent.Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Zinc oxide nanoparticles in meat packaging: A systematic review of recent literature

Questions have been raised apropos food spoilage, which may pose a great hazard to the global environment and human health. Amongst bio-safe material that retains photocatalysis and impacts, photo-oxidizing on biological and species chemical are ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs). In this respect, this current paper covers a wide range of topics, starting from the ZnO-NPs synthesis and antibacterial potential to their functional application in meat packaging. A deep comparison of the physicochemical properties of ZnO-NPs synthesized through different routers was reported. In addition, a special focus has been given to antibacterial mechanisms that underlie synthesis parameters. This review also examined the ZnO-NPs impact on the chemico–physico–mechanical properties of the functional coatings/films features. Likewise, the employment of ZnO-NPs in meat packaging was also evaluated. As safer nanoparticles, ZnO-NPs enhance stored meat product quality by microflora growth limitation and retards lipid/protein oxidation. Remarkably, active packaging comprising ZnO-NPs, synthesized or not by plants, showed an eco-friendly solution and future alternative in the meat industry. Information about these topics could help students and scientific researchers who are engaged in chemical engineering, chemistry and meat technology communities to approach the complex thematic of ZnO-NPs.CYTED | Ref.119RT0568GAIN (Axencia Galega de Innovación) | Ref. IN607A2019/01Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Essential oils composition and biological activity of Chamaecyparis obtusa, Chrysopogon nigritanus and Lavandula coronopifolia grown wild in Sudan

Generally, there are scant data about the constituents and eventually the biological activity of essential oils (EOs) from aromatic plants that grow naturally in Sudan. The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition, and antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of EO extracted from the fruit of Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold and Zucc.) Endl. (family Cupressaceae), root of Chrysopogon nigritanus (Benth.) Veldkampis (family Poaceae) and aerial part of Lavandula coronopifolia Poir (family Lamiaceae). The fruit of C. obtusa contained only monoterpenes, mainly hydrogenated ones, with α-pinene (69.07%) as the major component. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes comprised the highest content of the C. nigritanus root EO with cedr-8-en-15-ol (28.69%) as the major constituent while aerial parts of L. coronopifolia contained both monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes and the oxygenated monoterpene lavandulol (26.56%) as dominant compounds. The EO of the root of C. nigritanus significantly displayed (p < 0.05) the highest anti-DPPH radical, Fe3+- and Cu2+-reducing and metal-chelating activities, while that of C. obtusa fruit significantly exerted (p < 0.05) the best anti-ABTS radical and total antioxidant activity. The two EOs significantly exhibited (p < 0.05) the highest anti-acetylcholinesterase and -butyrylcholinesterase activities, respectively, while EO of L. coronopifolia was the only oil to show a considerable inhibitory effect against the tyrosinase and α-glucosidase enzymes. In conclusion, EOs from these three plants could be natural agents with promising functional properties for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications

Microwave-vacuum extraction technique as a green and clean label technology: kinetics, efficiency analysis, and effect on bioactive compounds

Grape pomace is a rich source of bioactive compounds and dietary fiber. This study aims to valorize the grape pomace by microwave-vacuum-assisted drying and extraction, which is a novel, green, and clean label technology. The drying and extraction of bioactive compounds from the grape pomace was optimized using response surface methodology. Box-Behnken design was used for three process variables, i.e., time, power, and vacuum levels. The highest drying rate was observed (5.53 g/100 g min after 10 min of drying) at the combination of 80 W and 20 inHg. This combination significantly reduced the drying time (25%) and resulted in the highest yield (64.5%) of bioactive compounds. Equally, changes in moisture ratio behavior were rapid under these processing conditions. Furthermore, Midilli model (R2 = 0.999, RMSE = 0.002, SSE = 3.71 × 10−6) was the best to justify the fitness of experimental values with predicted values. In addition, the diffusion coefficient, activation energy, and extraction yield were increased with increase in power and pressure. The concentration of bioactive components was higher in dried pomace compared to the extract. The extraction was successfully achieved without the use of solvent and the characteristics of extracted phenolics remained unaltered. Based on these findings, the microwave-vacuum-assisted drying and extraction process can be claimed as a sustainable approach.Universidade de Vigo/CISUGAxencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607A2019/0

Inhibitory Potential of Chromene Derivatives on Structural and Non-Structural Proteins of Dengue Virus

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has become a serious health issue across the globe. It is caused by a virus of the Flaviviridae family, and it comprises five different serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-5). As there is no specific medicine or effective vaccine for controlling dengue fever, there is an urgent need to develop potential inhibitors against it. Traditionally, various natural products have been used to manage dengue fever and its co-morbid conditions. A detailed analysis of these plants revealed the presence of various chromene derivatives as the major phytochemicals. Inspired by these observations, authors have critically analyzed the anti-dengue virus potential of various 4H chromene derivatives. Further, in silico, in vitro, and in vivo reports of these scaffolds against the dengue virus are detailed in the present manuscript. These analogues exerted their activity by interfering with various stages of viral entry, assembly, and replications. Moreover, these analogues mainly target envelope protein, NS2B-NS3 protease, and NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, etc. Overall, chromene-containing analogues exerted a potent activity against the dengue virus and the present review will be helpful for the further exploration of these scaffolds for the development of novel antiviral drug candidates

Bioactive compounds screening of Rafflesia sp. and Sapria sp. (Family: Rafflesiaceae) as anti-SARS-CoV-2 via tetra inhibitors: An in silico research

Context: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread, causing a global pandemic with diverse symptoms and increased risk of mortality. Various symptoms and comorbidities contribute to a higher likelihood of death in patients. Additionally, existing antiviral drugs have shown incomplete efficacy. Rafflesia sp. and Sapria sp. are parasitic plants with potential medical applications as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Aims: To evaluate the bioactive compounds derived from Rafflesia sp. and Sapria sp. as dual inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Ligand samples were obtained from the PubChem database. Target proteins essential for SARS-CoV-2 entry were obtained from the RCSB PDB. The antiviral potential of the bioactive compounds was evaluated using the Pass Online webserver. The bioactivity and inhibitory potential of selected ligands were analyzed using the SwissADME and Molinspiration web servers. In addition, a specific docking method was performed using PyRx software to determine binding activity and molecular interactions. Results: Computational analysis revealed that leucoanthocyanidin, ellagic acid, and catechin functioned as dual inhibitors, targeting angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), furin, and cathepsin L for antiviral activity. However, valrubicin and diminazene, serving as control drugs for ACE2 and furin, respectively, demonstrated the most effective results through this mechanism. Further studies are required to validate these findings. Conclusions: The combination of bioactive compounds derived from Rafflesia sp. and Sapria sp. shows potential antiviral activity through a dual inhibitor mechanism involving leucoanthocyanidin, ellagic acid, and catechin, which target SARS-CoV-2 proteins, namely ACE2, TMPRSS2, furin, and cathepsin L