Cheese: Food Perception and Food Choice

In light of the increasing interest in the economic and socio-political impact of the ‘traditional food’ trend, it is essential to understand the determinant factors that lead to traditional consumer choices. The standardization of sensory quality evaluation methods marks the pressing need for food product certification, particularly foods with specific sensory characteristics, such as those with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Consumer perception of particular foods, especially for foods that are culturally and socially contingent, such as cheese, must be understood as both a psychophysical reflex and a learned social practice. Consumers create their own perceptions based on the overall intrinsic or extrinsic cheese characteristics, mainly sensory characteristics that reflect others' attributes. These characteristics are normally linked to the specific cheese manufacture process. Some patents propose the use of adapted cheesemaking equipment (EP1982582A2), suitable for the manufacture of small-scale cheeses, such as some PDO cheese. Thus, sensory evaluation of any kind of cheese is based, in the initial phase, on knowledge of the sensory methods for cheese evaluation and, in a second phase, on the familiarity of the cheese characteristics and verbalization of desirable and undesirable attributes. This paper presents a case study based on the traditional food product, Évora cheese, assembled with PDO cheeses, whose sensory and physicochemical quality attributes are essential in order to obtain this designation and ensure the genuine properties that characterize them, as well as ascertaining exactly how they are perceived and further accepted by the consumer

Avaliação de alterações no perfil proteico da saliva de modelo animal de obesidade

Dissertação de mest., Ciências Biomédicas, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Univ. do Algarve, 2011A obesidade é um problema de saúde pública, muitas vezes associado a um consumo aumentado de gordura, o que poderá ter a ver com alterações na percepção dos alimentos. A saliva é uma mistura complexa de proteínas e minerais, com funções fisiológicas importantes, tendo um papel na percepção dos alimentos. Assim, o estudo das alterações na função e composição salivares, associadas ao ganho de peso, são importantes. O objectivo geral deste trabalho foi avaliar alterações induzidas pelo consumo de uma dieta rica em gordura a nível da secreção salivar, mais concretamente a nível da proteína -amilase, relacionando com o ganho de peso. Não havendo um modelo ideal para o estudo da obesidade, utilizaram-se ratos Wistar submetidos a uma dieta rica em gordura. Esta estirpe tem a vantagem de apresentar animais que se tornam obesos e animais resistentes a essa obesidade, quando sujeitos a este tipo de dietas. Os animais foram divididos em dois grupos, um sujeito à administração de uma dieta standard e outro de uma dieta enriquecida em óleo de girassol, durante um período de 18 semanas. Os pesos e os consumos alimentares foram controlados semanalmente. Recolheu-se saliva mista, estimulada com pilocarpina, em vários pontos do ensaio. No final os animais foram sacrificados, com recolha das glândulas salivares para avaliação histológica. Após o período de ensaio verificou-se que a dieta utilizada não induziu obesidade, ainda que se conseguissem estabelecer dois grupos de animais: mais pesados, com níveis superiores de leptina e menos pesados, com níveis inferiores. Não foram observadas alterações na secreção de -amilase. Esses resultados podem estar relacionados com o tipo de gordura usado na formulação da ração, como é discutido no presente trabalho. Ainda assim, verificam-se diferenças no tamanho dos ácinos das glândulas salivares, sugerindo alterações na função salivar. Estudos futuros poderão ser importantes para compreender e clarificar algumas das hipóteses propostas

Prevalência de dor em emergência pré-hospitalar

Enquadramento/fundamentação – A dor, além de fenómeno multidimensional, quando aguda, é sinal de alarme e salvaguarda da integridade física, devendo ser reconhecida e iniciado tratamento imediato, para evitar efeitos deletérios. Não se conhecem estudos, no âmbito da sua prevalência e controlo, em emergência pré-hospitalar, em Portugal. Objetivos gerais: Determinar a prevalência da dor nos utentes assistidos pelos meios de emergência pré hospitalar (EPH) diferenciados do Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM), enviados pelo Centro de Orientação de Doentes Urgentes (CODU) de Coimbra, no mês de janeiro de 2012 e identificar fatores associados: à avaliação/não avaliação pelos profissionais, presença, intensidade da dor, às medidas implementadas e sua reavaliação; Metodologia: Realizado um estudo retrospetivo através da análise dos registos de utentes, após chamada para o número europeu de emergência – 112, assistidos pelos meios de EPH, que podem ser: Suporte Imediato de Vida (SIV), na Ambulância SIV, ou de Suporte Avançado de Vida (SAV), nas Viatura Médica de Emergência e Reanimação (VMER), e Helicóptero de Emergência Médica (HEM). Resultados: Das 1170 ativações analisadas, incluímos 553 utentes considerados capazes de autorrelato de dor. Esta foi avaliada em 338 e não encontrado registo em 215 utentes. A prevalência encontrada foi de 39,24%, maioritariamente ligeira, sendo intensa a máxima em 19,5 % das situações. Associados à avaliação da dor, estiveram o meio SIV, as situações de trauma e a doença médica de origem cardíaca. Não foi avaliada essencialmente quando não era queixa primária na ativação, quando meio ativado foi o SAV, nos casos de doença médica e tratando-se de causa não cardíaca. Associados à presença de dor, estiveram a idade inferior a 65 anos, a assistência pelo meio SIV, a doença médica e nesta, na de origem cardíaca. A dor esteve significativamente ausente em utentes com idades superiores ou iguais a 65 anos, assistidos pelo meio SIV, em que a dor estava presente na queixa primária, nas situações de doença médica, à exceção das de origem cardíaca. Associados à dor moderada a máxima estiveram as situações de trauma, a utilização de escala numérica, o uso de paracetamol e morfina; enquanto a ausência de dor ou ligeira se associaram à doença médica. Relativamente às medidas de controlo da dor, as farmacológicas estiveram associadas às queixas de origem cardíaca, enquanto as não farmacológicas ao uso de escala numérica. A reavaliação da dor teve associado o meio SIV e a administração de morfina. Conclusões: Encontrámos uma prevalência de dor de 39,24% e assimetrias na sua valorização e controlo, referentes ao tipo de ocorrência e ao meio de emergência, destacando-se a origem cardíaca na mais valorizada e o meio SIV na avaliação, presença e reavaliação de dor. Palavras Chave: emergência pré hospitalar, dor.ABSTRACT Background – The pain, as a multidimensional phenomenon, when acute, is a warning and protector of the physical integrity, should be recognized and treatment initiated immediately to avoid deleterious effects. Are not known studies, of its prevalence and control, in emergency pre-hospital in Portugal. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of pain in clients assisted by means of pre-hospital emergency (EPH) differentiated from the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), sent by the Guidance Center Emergency Patients (CODU) Coimbra, in the month of January 2012 and identify associated factors: evaluation / assessment by non professionals, presence, intensity of pain, the measures implemented and their revaluation; Methods: Conducted a retrospective study by analyzing the records of clients assisted by means of EPH INEM, in January 2012, (after call to the European emergency number 112). These media can be EPH teams: Immediate Life Support (SIV), the Ambulance SIV, or Advanced Life Support (ALS), the Vehicle and Emergency Medical Resuscitation (VMER), and Helicopter Emergency Medical (HEM). Results: Of the 1170 activations analyzed included 553 users deemed capable of self-reported pain. Of these, pain was evaluated in 338 and found no record in 215 patients. The prevalence was 39.24%, corresponding to 217 cases, mostly mild, and intense maximum in 19.5% of cases. Associated with pain assessment was the middle SIV, situations of trauma and medical cardiac disease. The pain was not evaluated primarily when the pain was not the primary complaint activation, through the SAV was enabled, in cases of medical illness and treat yourself to noncardiac causes. Associated with the presence of pain, the age was less than 65 years, through assistance by SIV in these medical illnesses and, in cardiac origin. Pain was significantly absent in users aged greater than or equal to 65 years, assisted by half SIV in which the pain was present in the primary complaint in situations of medical illness, with the exception of cardiac origin. Pain associated with moderate to maximum were trauma situations, use of a numerical scale, the use of paracetamol and morphine while mild or no pain was associated with medical illness. For measures of pain control, the pharmacological been associated with complaints of cardiac origin, while the use of non-pharmacological numerical scale. Reassessment of pain was associated with the middle SIV and morphine. Conclusions: We found a prevalence of 39.24% of pain and asymmetries in their recovery and control for the type of occurrence and means of emergency, especially in the cardiac valued and SIV through the assessment, reassessment and presence of pain. Keywords: prehospital emergency, pain

O envolvimento de proteínas salivares na sensibilidade gustativa

A variabilidade na sensibilidade gustativa é considerada relevante na aceitação dos alimentos e desenvolvimento de doenças associadas ao comportamento alimentar. Os gostos doce e amargo induzem, respetivamente, aceitação ou aversão inatas. Apesar da contribuição genética, esta não explica completamente as diferenças inter-individuais e sendo a saliva o principal constituinte do ambiente exterior das células recetoras do gosto, contactando diretamente com os alimentos, a sua composição poderá condicionar a perceção gustativa. O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi avaliar a relação entre a composição salivar e a sensibilidade para os gostos doce e amargo. A componente prática dividiu-se em dois ensaios, um com jovens adultos e outro com crianças, em que foram realizados testes sensoriais, recolhas de saliva e avaliações antropométricas. Nas crianças foram ainda avaliadas preferências alimentares. O maior enfoque dado à saliva foi relativamente à composição proteica, avaliada com recurso a técnicas de separação, identificação e imunomarcação. Contudo, parâmetros como cortisol e leptina salivares foram também avaliados dado o seu possível envolvimento na perceção oral e relação com Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC). A relação entre proteínas salivares (ex. cistatinas, α-amilase, proteína indutora de prolactina) e sensibilidade foi observada para ambos os gostos, mas de forma diferente para cada um deles. Também foi observada a influência do sexo e IMC na relação entre saliva e gosto. Algumas diferenças poder-se-ão dever à contribuição diferente das diferentes glândulas salivares para o total da saliva, que também poderá diferir entre normoponderais e excesso de peso. Tendo-se confirmado, no presente estudo, que a sensibilidade gustativa se relaciona com as preferências e uma vez que os resultados sugerem que a mesma pode ser moldada por condições hormonais (ex. leptina) e/ou estados emocionais (ex. cortisol), é de realçar a relevância que o conhecimento do meio oral pode ter na compreensão da aceitação e escolhas alimentares; Abstract: The Involvement of Salivary Proteins in Taste Sensitivity The variability in taste sensitivity is relevant for the acceptance of food and for the development of diseases associated with eating behaviour. Sweet and bitter tastes induce, respectively, innate aversion or acceptance. Despite the genetic contribution, this does not fully explain the inter-individual differences. Being saliva the main constituent of the external environment of taste cells, directly contacting with food, its composition can influence gustatory perception. The general objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between saliva composition and the sensitivity to sweet and bitter tastes. The experimental part was divided into two trials, one with young adults and other with children, in which sensory tests, saliva collections and anthropometric evaluation were performed. In children food preferences were also evaluated. The major focus of saliva was on the protein composition, evaluated using techniques of separation, identification and immunostaining. However, parameters like salivary cortisol and leptin were also evaluated given their possible involvement in oral perception and relation with Body Mass Index (BMI). The relationship between salivary proteins (e.g. cystatins, α-amylase, prolactin-inducing protein) and sensitivity was observed for both tastes, but differently for each of them. The influence of sex and BMI on the relationship between saliva and taste was also observed. Some differences may be due to the different contribution of different salivary glands to total saliva, which may also differ between normoponderal and overweight. In the present study, it was confirmed that taste sensitivity is related to preferences and, since the results suggest that it can be shaped by hormonal conditions (e.g. leptin) and/or emotional states (e.g. cortisol), it is important to emphasize the relevance that the knowledge about the characteristics of the oral environment can have in the understanding of acceptance and food choices

The Role of Saliva in Food Sensory Perception: Relevant Knowledge to Design Healthy Foods

Food choices and consumption are determined by a range of factors that contribute to aversion or pleasure and guide to final intake. Among these, the sensorial characteristics of food have a major and decisive role in choice behaviour. Although some of the mechanisms involved in oral food perception, namely in taste and astringency perception, are considerable known, many questions remains, particularly in what concerns variations among individuals in their sensitivity for food sensorial aspects. The understanding of the mechanisms leading to different responses for the same sensorial stimulus is particularly important to understand food choices. Bitter has been the basic taste most studied for variations among individuals in perception and in how this influences food behaviour and nutritional status. The observation, at several years ago, that some individuals are very sensitive to the bitterness of the compounds phenyl thiocarbamide (PTC) or 6-n-propylthyouracil (PROP), whereas others are almost insensitive, triggered the emergence of diverse studies about the motif for that, resulting in the identification of gene polymorphisms for the bitter taste receptor TAS2R38. Subsequently to that, polymorphisms for other receptors and taste qualities have been identified. Even so, these genetic variations are not able to explain the total diversity in taste/oral sensations responses. In recent years, it has begun to become apparent that saliva has a relevant role in taste recognition mechanisms. Apart from astringency, which is well known to depend on salivary proteins to develop and being perceived, basic tastes started to be related with saliva composition. Some salivary proteins, among which carbonic anhydrase VI, cystatins, amylase and others, have been observed to relate with taste perception. However, saliva secretion changes with taste stimulation and according dietary habits. Moreover, body weight condition, metabolic status or diverse pathologies are responsible for changes in saliva composition. Being this fluid important in modulating oral food perception, to know individuals’ saliva composition becomes of interest for modulating or directing choices. Based on the literature and recent scientific results, the role of saliva in food sensory perception will be discussed according to these two angles. The question of the high between-subject variability in view of saliva properties and its consequence on perception will be emphasized.Acknowledgements This article was funded by FCT-Science and Technology Foundation as part of Project UID/AGR/00115/2013. Funding was additionally provided by the FCT-Portuguese Science Foundation: research contract IF/01778/2013-Elsa Lamy, while FCT was not involved in carrying out this study or submitting it for publication

Stabilization of Myc through Heterotypic Poly-Ubiquitination by mLANA Is Critical for γ-Herpesvirus Lymphoproliferation

Host colonization by lymphotropic γ-herpesviruses depends critically on expansion of viral genomes in germinal center (GC) B-cells. Myc is essential for the formation and maintenance of GCs. Yet, the role of Myc in the pathogenesis of γ-herpesviruses is still largely unknown. In this study, Myc was shown to be essential for the lymphotropic γ-herpesvirus MuHV-4 biology as infected cells exhibited increased expression of Myc signature genes and the virus was unable to expand in Myc defficient GC B-cells. We describe a novel strategy of a viral protein activating Myc through increased protein stability resulting in increased progression through the cell cycle. This is acomplished by modulating a physiological post-translational regulatory pathway of Myc. The molecular mechanism involves Myc heterotypic poly-ubiquitination mediated via the viral E3 ubiquitin-ligase mLANA protein. EC5SmLANA modulates cellular control of Myc turnover by antagonizing SCFFbw7 mediated proteasomal degradation of Myc, mimicking SCFβ-TrCP. The findings here reported reveal that modulation of Myc is essential for γ-herpesvirus persistent infection, establishing a link between virus induced lymphoproliferation and disease

Changes in the salivary protein profile of morbidly obese women either previously subjected to bariatric surgery or not

Saliva is a non-invasive source of biomarkers useful in the study of physiological mechanisms. Moreover, this fluid has diverse functions, among which food perception and ingestion, making it particularly suitable for the study of obesity. The aims of this study were to assess changes in salivary proteome among morbidly obese women, with a view to provide information about mechanisms potentially related to the development of obesity, and to evaluate whether these changes persist after weight loss. Mixed saliva samples from morbidly obese women (N = 18) who had been either subjected (group O-BS) or not (group O) to bariatric surgery and women with normal weight (N = 14; group C) were compared for protein profiles, alpha-amylase abundance and enzymatic activity, and carbonic anhydrase (CA) VI abundance. Differences in salivary obese profiles were observed for 23 different spots. Zinc-alpha-2 glycoprotein-containing spots showed higher abundance in group O only, whereas cystatin S-containing spots presented higher abundance in the two groups of obese subjects. Most of the spots identified as salivary amylase were present at lower levels in group O-BS. With regard to the amylase enzymatic activity, increases were observed for group O and decreases for group O-BS. One interesting finding was the high correlation between levels of CA VI and body mass index in group O, which was not observed for groups O-BS or C. The differences between groups, mainly regarding salivary proteins involved in taste sensitivity and metabolism, point to the potential of using saliva in the study of obesity development

Exploring the Applicability of Calorespirometry to Assess Seed Metabolic Stability Upon Temperature Stress Conditions—Pisum sativum L. Used as a Case Study

Original ResearchThe availability of phenotyping tools to assist breeding programs in the selection of highquality crop seeds is of obvious interest with consequences for both seed producers and consumers. Seed germination involves the activation of several metabolic pathways, such as cellular respiration to provide the required ATP and reducing power. This work tested the applicability of calorespirometry, the simultaneous measurement of heat and CO2 rates, as a phenotyping tool to assess seed respiratory properties as a function of temperature. The effect of temperature on seed germination was evaluated after 16 h of seed imbibition by calorespirometric experiments performed in isothermal mode at 15, 20, 25, and 28 C on the seeds of three cultivars of peas (Pisum sativum L.) commonly used in conventional agriculture (cvs. ‘Rondo’, ‘Torta de Quebrar’, and ‘Maravilha d’América’). Significant differences in metabolic heat rate and CO2 production rate (RCO2) as well as in the temperature responses of these parameters were found among the three cultivars. A seed germination trial was conducted during the 6 days of imbibition to evaluate the predictive power of the parameters derived from the calorespirometric measurements. The germination trial showed that the optimal germination temperature was 20 C and low germination rates were observed at extreme temperatures (15 or 28 C). The cv. ‘Torta de Quebrar’ showed significantly higher germination in comparison with the other two cultivars at all three temperatures. In comparison with the other two cultivars, ‘Torta de Quebrar’ has the lowest metabolic heat and CO2 rates and the smallest temperature dependence of these measured parameters. Additionally, ‘Torta de Quebrar’ has the lowest values of growth rate and carbon use efficiency calculated from the measured variables. These data suggest that calorespirometry is a useful tool for phenotyping physiologic efficiency at different temperatures during early germination stages, and can determine the seeds with the highest resilience to temperature variation, in this case ‘Torta de Quebrar’info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinants of tannin-rich food and beverage consumption: oral perception vs. psychosocial aspects.

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are usually associated with lower risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Besides fibre, this has been primarily linked to the presence of polyphenols, including tannins, which have antioxidant properties. However, these compounds also have adverse effects; for example, on the absorption of iron (Fe), and possibly other trace minerals. Food preferences and consumption are determined by a conjugation of diverse factors. Perception at oral cavity level plays a major role in influencing preferences for tannin-rich foods: first, these items are characterised by their production of astringent sensations and bitter taste, which, at higher levels, induce aversion; second, salivary proteins interact with tannins, modulating their post-ingestive effects. Additionally, food choices largely depend on psychological and social factors. Beliefs, habits, values, and past experiences have a major influence on the foods selected. The present chapter aims to review the potential roles of physiological, including sensory and post-ingestive, factors, as well as psychosocial factors, on intake of tannin-rich foods and beverages. The nutritional relevance of tannins, including the principal food and beverage sources of tannins, and the positive and negative health effects, will be reviewed. Focus will be placed on the involvement of oral cavity in the choices of tannin-containing products, including the importance of astringency perception and how such perception is linked to individual oral cavity medium and salivary protein profiles. Finally, and due to the importance of hedonics in the final food choices, psychosocial determinants of food intake in general and of polyphenol-rich food consumption in particular (cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions) will be presented