Antonio Bonelli

Preliminary results on quality and quality changes in reared meagre (Argyrosomus regius): body and fillet traits and freshness changes in refrigerated commercial-size fish

Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) intensively reared in tank by a Tuscany farm and fed commercial diets, were examined to study a) marketable and flesh nutritional traits in commercial-size fish and b) loss of freshness under refrigerated storage condition. Eighty fish, sampled in May, July and November (at 24, 26, 30 months of age) were submitted to linear measurements and weight of the most important body components. Whole fillets were analysed for moisture, lipid and fatty acid composition. Data were analysed by ANOVA (sampling date). A sub sample of fifty-four meagre (902–1840 g b.w.) was stored at 1 °C with ice cover and evaluated every 24 h after death until spoilage for the EU freshness classes, dielectric properties, rigor index, muscular and eye liquor pH, K1% freshness index. Data were analysed by regression on time after death. A small sample of meagre (n = 6) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) (n = 6), reared in analogous rearing condition in the same farm were compared by ANCOVA on body weight (average b.w. 668 g). Meagre were characterised by 1.04 condition factor, 44% fillets, 6% viscera, negligible mesenteric fat (≅1%) and 94.5% dressing yield. The head incidence increased (P < 0.01) with b.w. increase. Moisture increased while lipid decreased (P < 0.01) in fillet from July to November (74.47 vs 75.96%; 2.93 vs 2.06%). An index of thrombogenicity calculated from the quantitative fatty acid composition was very low (0.10). In comparison with sea bass of the same body weight, meagre had greater length (41.2 vs 37.6 cm), head incidence (29.9 vs 20.7%) and dressing (94.8 vs 89.2%) and lower viscera (5.2 vs 10.9%), mesenteric fat (0.9 vs 7.9%) and intramuscular fat (2.24 vs 12.78%) incidences. Meagre had a 9-day shelf-life (E class from 1st to 3rdd and A class from 4th to 7thd). Rigor index and impedance remained higher than 90% and 66, respectively until the 3rdd after death. The quality traits found for this species indicated meagre as a promising candidate for Mediterranean aquaculture.

Effect of Rearing System on Body Traits and Fillet Quality of Meagre (Argyrosomus Regius, Asso 1801) Chilled for a Short Time

The purpose of this study was to evaluate qualitative traits of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) from two different rearing systems (land-based tank filled with geothermal water vs offshore sea cage) and after short-term storage at chilling temperature (1, 2, or 3 days). Fish originated from the same batch were fed the same diet. Morpho-biometric traits, L*, a*, and b* colour parameters, texture, free water, proximate composition, total lipids, fatty acids, iron, and selenium contents were analyzed in the fillets. Most parameters were affected by rearing system. Compared to tank-reared fish, caged fish were shorter, poorer in visceral fat, and had higher incidence in cavity content and liver, lower incidence in gonads and head. Caged fish also had softer fillets in the epaxial site, which showed a higher tendency towards greenish colour. Caged fish also showed higher lipid content but lower Fe and Se content. Tank-reared fish fillets were more abundant in PUFAn-3, mainly due to DHA (18.54 vs 12.95%; P<0.001) and consequently showed the best healthiness indexes. Minimal changes, mostly involving colour and texture, were detected during the first three days of refrigerated storage. During storage, no significant modification of the parameters investigated could be ascribed to the rearing system.

Characteristics of cured lard of Cinta Senese pig fed acorn and chestnut

Riassunto Caratteristiche del lardo stagionato di suini Cinta Senese alimentati con ghianda e castagna. Sono stati utilizzati 30 campioni di lardo stagionato provenienti da altrettanti suini di razza Cinta Senese di cui 10 allevati in recinto all’aperto ed alimentati con miscela commerciale, 10 in bosco di castagna, 10 in bosco di ghianda. I soggetti alimentati a ghianda, rispetto a quelli alimentati a castagna e miscela, hanno fornito lardo più ricco di C18:1 (45,2 vs. 44,2 vs. 42,3%) e di MUFA (48,1 vs. 46,9 vs. 45,0%) e più basso di PUFA n-6 (15,5 vs. 16,5 e 16,9%). Alla prova sensoriale il lardo dei gruppi ghianda e castagna ha fornito valori più elevati per “giallo” (29,9 vs. 26,4 vs. 19,9), per “untuosità” (35,5 vs. 33,4 vs. 26,1) e per “gradimento complessivo” (44,8 e 44,3 vs. 40,6).

Effect of Replacing a Soy Diet with Vicia Faba and Pisum Sativum on Performance, Meat and Fat Traits of Cinta Senese Pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of diets containing genetically modified organism-free legumes as a replacement of soybean on the basis of performance, carcass composition and quality of local pig meat (Cinta Senese). Twenty-four Cinta Senese barrows were divided into 3 dietary groups and were each fed with a diet containing different protein sources: soybean meal (SOY), Vicia faba (FABA) and Pisum sativum (PEA) (8 pigs for each group). The diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric and contained approximately 14.5% crude protein and 14.8 MJ/kg of digestible energy (on dry matter). Each group was reared outdoors in a paddock of 3500 m2. In vivo performances were not different among groups. At slaughter, differences in subcutaneous fat thickness appeared only in the outer layer, at the last thoracic vertebra level, which was lowest in the PEA group. No differences were found in the sample joint composition. With regard to the chemico-physical traits of meat and fat, the FABA group had the highest values of redness in lean and backfat, while the PEA group showed higher moisture and lower fat content in meat compared to the SOY group. Differences in the fatty acid profile of backfat were found only for the C16:1 percentage that was higher in FABA than SOY pigs. In conclusion, Vicia faba and Pisum sativum could be a good alternative to soybean in the growing-fattening of Cinta Senese pigs.

Seasonal effect on the technological and chemical traits of sheep “ricotta Pistoiese” cheese

Abstract The “ricotta di pecora pistoiese” is comprised in the list of the traditional agro-food products of Tuscany and the relative PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) has be required. This research, analysing the making process, aimed to evaluate its chemical and nutritive traits as influenced by some factors, with particular attention to the season. During the four seasons of two consecutive years, the making process of ricotta cheese was monitored in four farms for a total of 32 control-days. Yields, chemical composition and fatty acid profile of fat were determined. The amount of milk added to whey influenced the fat and protein content and the yields at 0 and 24 hours. Season affected only the protein content, higher in winter and spring. Fatty acid composition was influenced strongly by the season being the ricotta cheese ofsummer richer of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA than that of autumn and winter, probably due to the feeding regimen based mainly on fresh grass.

Quality characteristics of the Musculus longissimus dorsi from Pecora dell’Amiata reared in Tuscany

Pecora dell’Amiata sheep is registered in the Regional population register of the autochthonous endangered sheep and goat breeds, and it is a double purpose breed (meat and milk). It derives from the mount Amiata area in Tuscany. In Tuscany the sheep meat consumption occurs in particular in Easter and in Christmas time. Because of the new markets, ewe meat has shown in the last years a consumption increase. In Italy, the more consumed ovine meat is the suckling lamb meat. In the last years, this kind of meat production and consumption decreased in Italy, but the ewe meat consumption has been slowly increased, because of the spread of typical regional food, and the new market needs. The trial was performed with ewes and lambs deriving from the local breed Pecora dell’Amiata. In this work, the Musculus longissimus dorsi ( M. longissimus thoracis + lomborum ) physical-chemical and nutritional characteristics of 23 ewes and 20 lambs were compared. The ewes of the trial were over 7 years old while the lambs were on average 80 days old. Ewe meat has shown lower drip loss (4.14 vs 2.71%) and lightness (L* 38.6 vs 45.3) values, and higher PH (6.15±0.07), shear force (8.4 vs 2.31 kg), fat content (5.9 vs 2.0%). The lamb meat lipids had higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content (PUFA: 14.58 vs 9.25%) and higher PUFA/Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) ratio (0.31 vs 0.20). The PCA analysis identified two distinct groups regarding ewe and lamb meat respectively for the fatty acids composition and the health indices. Ewe meat showed dietetic and nutritional characteristics similar to that of lamb meat. These characteristics may allow in the future, to the ewe meat valorisation, now not appreciated by Tuscan and Italian market.

Wet aging effect on beef meat physical traits

than that caused by recognized “enterohaemorrhagic” STEC serogroups such as O157 and O111. More widespread use of PCRor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based screening tests for the presence of STEC of any serogroup in animal samples will undoubtedly result in increased detection of similar non-O157 outbreaks in the future. This will provide more accurate data on the epidemiology of human STEC disease.

Lipid traits and dietary quality of sea bass fillets from Orbetello

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of obtaining: a) reliable estimates of sea bass fillet weight and lipid/fatty acid content from simple non destructive morphometric measurements; b) estimates of healthy eating quality evaluation from effects of consumption on blood biomarkers related to atherosclerotic/thrombogenic processes. A series of parameters were measured in 708 fish. Estimates of fillet weight from b.w. and max. thickness (R2=0.96, rsd=±20.55g) and of lipid content from b.w., total length, max. thickness and condition factor (R2= 0.69, rsd=±3.3g) were found to be very reliable; flesh n-3 PUFA and EPA content were also estimated from condition factor and max. girth (R2=0.32, rsd=±0.42g; R2=0.38, rsd=±0.13g). Flesh healthy eating quality was evaluated from changes in blood biomarkers (lipid profile, inflammatory markers, haemorheological profile) in dyslipidemic subjects who had eaten fillets three times a week for 10 weeks. A weekly flesh intake of 807g increased erythrocyte n-3 PUFA (P<0.05) and decreased triglycerides (P<0.008), interleukin-6 (P<0.03), interleukin-8 (P<0.04), Whole Blood Viscosity 20.400 (P<0.04) and erythrocyte filtration (P<0.008). Short term intake of sea bass therefore seemed associated with favourable biochemical changes in dyslipidemic subjects, as reflected by lower circulating levels of markers of atherosclerosis.