Antonio Panebianco

Influence of slaughtering method on some aspects of quality of gilthead seabream and smoked rainbow trout.

The effects of several slaughter methods on the quality of fresh and smoked trout and fresh gilthead seabream were evaluated during storage at 2°C. Electrically stunned trout had slower ATP depletion of raw muscle and lower lipid oxidation in smoked product during storage. Gilthead seabream immersed in an ice slurry (IS group) after the harvest showed a more regular ATP depletion than in fish exposed to CO2. Nevertheless, in the case of the IS group, self-initiated behaviour, response to handling and breathing all ceased only after 15–20 min, whereas carbon dioxide-stunned fish appeared dead after 5 min. However, gilthead seabream group having slower ATP depletion also showed lower lipid oxidation of muscle during storage. In both species this could be due to the rapid conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase to xanthine oxidase induced by the rapid consumption of ATP. Xanthine oxidase, in the presence of redox iron and reintroduced oxygen, can produce hydrogen peroxide and, consequently, hydroxyl radicals.

Activity of Thymus vulgaris essential oil against Anisakis larvae

Anisakiasis is an important food-borne disease especially in countries with high fish consumption. The increase of cases of human disease and the virtual absence of effective treatments have prompted the research on new active compounds against Anisakis larvae. As well known, the disease is related to the consumption of raw or almost raw seafood products, but also marinated and/or salted fishery products, if the processing is insufficient to destroy nematode larvae can represent a risks for the consumers. In the light of the biocidal efficacy against different pathogens demonstrated for various essential oils, the aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TEO) against anisakidae larvae. The TEO at 10% and 5% concentration in oil sunflower seeds, caused in vitro the death of all larvae within 14 h, with cuticle and intestinal wall damages. The results obtained showing a significant activity against Anisakis larvae, suggest further investigation on TEO as a larvicidal agent and on its potential use in the industrial marinating process.

Hygienic Evaluation of Marinated Sea Bass and Challenge Test for Listeria monocytogenes

Giuffrida, A., Ziino, G., Orlando, G. and Panebianco, A., 2007. Hygienic evaluation of marinated sea bass and challenge test for Listeria monocytogenes. Veterinary Research Communications, 31(Suppl. 1), 369–371

Antimicrobial activity of combined thyme and rosemary essential oils against Listeria monocytogens in Italian mortadella packaged in modified atmosphere: Thyme & Rosemary EOs vs L. monocytogenes

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes has been reported as a cause of illnesses related to the consumption raw and processed foods, contaminated during and/or after processing. The ability of L. monocytogenes to multiply at 4°C makes the occurrence in ready-to-eat (RTE) of particular concern. Nowadays, different strategies are applied in order to control pathogens in food products and in particular on the use of essential oils (EOs). The inhibitory effect of thyme and rosemary EOs (0.025% and 0.05%) was determined on a mix of three strains of L. monocytogenes in Italian mortadella packaged in modified atmosphere and stored at 4°C for 30 days. Thymol and p-cymene were the main components of thyme EO, while α-pinene, camphor and eucalyptol of rosemary EO. The use of combined rosemary and thyme EOs exhibited bacteriostatic activity against L. monocytogenes. After 30 days of storage L. monocytogenes charges in treated samples was lower of 2.29 log CFU/g in Group A and 2.79 log CFU/g in Group B compared with control samples. The sensory evaluation, showed the permanence of a strong odor related to EOs used. This work shows that the combined use of thyme and rosemary EOs could be used to control L. monocytogenes in mortadella.

Application of an interspecific competition model to predict the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila on fish surfaces during refrigerated storage

The growth of Aeromonas hydrophila and aerobic natural flora (APC) on gilthead seabream surfaces was evaluated during the refrigerated storage (21 days). The related growth curves were compared with those obtained by a conventional third order predictive model obtaining a low agreement between observed and predicted data (Root Mean Squared Error = 1.77 for Aeromonas hydrophila and 0.64 for APC). The Lotka-Volterra interspecific competition model was used in order to calculate the degree of interaction between the two bacterial populations (\beta_{Ah/APC} and \beta{APC/Ah}, respectively, the interspecific competition coefficients of APC on Aeromonas hydrophila and vice-versa). Afterwards, the Lotka-Volterra equations were applied as tertiary predictive model, taking into account, simultaneously, the environmental fluctuations and the bacterial interspecific competition. This approach allowed to obtain a best fitting to the observed mean growth curves with a Root Mean Squared Error of 0.09 for Aeromonas hydrophila and 0.28 for APC. Finally, authors carry out some considerations about the necessary use of competitive models in the context of the new trends in predictive microbiology.

Activity of R(+) limonene on the maximum growth rate of fish spoilage organisms and related effects on shelf-life prolongation of fresh gilthead sea bream fillets.

R(+)limonene (LMN) is the major aromatic compound in essential oils obtained from oranges, grapefruits, and lemons. The improvement of preservation techniques to reduce the growth and activity of spoilage microorganisms in foods is crucial to increase their shelf life and to reduce the losses due to spoilage. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of LMN on the shelf life of fish fillets. Its effectiveness was preliminarily investigated in vitro against 60 strains of Specific Spoilage Organisms (SSOs) and then on gilt-head sea bream fillets stored at 2±0.5°C for 15days under vacuum. LMN showed a good inhibitory effect against tested SSOs strains. On gilt-head sea bream fillets, LMN inhibited the growth SSOs effectively, and its use resulted in a shelf-life extension of ca. 6-9days of treated fillets, compared to the control samples. The LMN addition in Sparus aurata fillets giving a distinctive smell and like-lemon taste to fish fillets that resulted pleasant to panellists. Its use contributed to a considerable reduction of fish spoilage given that the fillets treated with LMN were still sensory acceptable after 15days of storage. LMN may be used as an effective antimicrobial system to reduce the microbial growth and to improve the shelf life of fresh gilt-head sea bream fillets.

ESBL-producing bacteria and MRSA isolated from poultry and turkey products imported from Italy.

Beninati C., Reich F., Muscolino D., Giarratana F., Panebianco A., Klein G., Atanassova V. (2015): ESBL-producing bacteria and MRSA isolated from poultry and turkey products imported from Italy. Czech J. Food Sci., 33: 97–102. ESBL and MRSA-producing bacteria in food-producing animals may contribute to increased incidences of infection in humans. This study was carried out on 38 samples obtained from 32 chickens and 6 turkey products purchased at retail outlets of Hannover (Germany) and imported from Italy. The samples included the thigh, breast fillet, gizzard, sausage, liver, heart, and roll, and were processed for the detection of ESBL producing E. coli and MRSA producing Staphylococcus aureus . Twenty-six chicken products (68.4%) of the total of poultry products analysed proved to be positive for E. coli and for phenotypical detection of ESBL. Six turkey products (100%) were positive for ESBL produc ing E. coli . Staphylococcus aureus was found in 4 chicken products (10.52%) that resulted positive in the detection of MRSA. Serratia spp. were reported in 4 samples that were also positive for ESBL. Thirty-three E. coli isolates from the poultry and turkey products were all resistant to at least one or more of the compounds tested. The highest resistance levels were observed, notably, against ampicillin and cefotaxim.

Hygienic-sanitary evaluation of sushi and sashimi sold in Messina and Catania, Italy

Sushi and sashimi are traditional Japanese food, mostly consisting of raw seafood alone or in combination with rice. Eating sushi and sashimi has become popular in many countries even outside Japan. This food is not free from health risks such as ingestion of pathogenic bacteria or parasite. The aim of this study was to investigate on hygienic-sanitary quality of sushi and sashimi sold in the cities of Messina and Catania, Southern Italy. Fifty samples (38 sushi and 12 sashimi) were analysed to determinate the aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB), psycrophilic bacteria (PB), Enterobacteriaceae, specific spoilage organisms (SSOs), Pseudomonas spp., coagulase-positive staphylococci, micrococci, Vibrio spp., Bacillus cereus, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. In sushi, AMB ranged from 5.00 to 8.18 log CFU/g, PB from 4.70 to 7.13 log CFU/g, Enterobacteriaceae from 1.41 to 6.67 log CFU/g, while SSOs and Pseudomonas spp. from 3.49 to 7.72 and from 3.36 to 8.00 log CFU/g, respectively. Micrococci ranged from 3.53 to 5.03 log CFU/g and coagulase positive staphylococci were found in 16 samples (2.00 to 3.60 log CFU/g). Bacillus cereus was found in 3 samples (1.70 to 4.00 log CFU/g), while Vibrio spp. was found in 15 of the sushi samples (1.70 to 3.70 log CFU/g). In sashimi, the AMB, PB and SSOs values were higher than 7.00 log CFU/g, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were from 6.00 to 8.00 log CFU/g, while Vibrio spp. were found in six samples with means of 2.00 log CFU/g. No Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in all sushi and sashimi samples.

Effects of allyl isothiocyanate on the shelf-life of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) fillets.

Muscolino D., Giarratana F., Beninati C., Ziino G., Giuffrida A., Panebianco A. (2016): Effects of allyl isothiocyanate on the shelf-life of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) fillets. Czech J. Food. Sci., 34: 160–165. The effect of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a natural compound found in plants belonging to the family Cruciferae, on the shelf-life of fish fillets was evaluated. Preliminarily, the effectiveness of AITC was investigated in vitro against some strains of Specific Spoilage Organisms (SSOs). The inhibitory effect of AITC vapour was screened evaluating the bacterial growth in a jar. A strong inhibitory effect against the tested SSOs was observed. Successively, the shelf-life of gilthead sea bream fillets treated with AITC vapour and stored at 2°C was evaluated and compared with untreated samples. AITC inhibited the growth of SSOs effectively, and its use resulted in a shelf-life extension by ca. 8 days in treated fillets, compared to the control samples. The AITC addition in fillets yielded a distinct but pleasant flavour and contributed to a considerable reduction of fish spoilage.

Occurrence of hyperostotic pterygiophores in the silver scabbardfish, Lepidopus caudatus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Trichiuridae)

Background. Hyperostosis is a productive change characterized by an increase of the periosteal ossification combined with resorption of the bony tissue. It is common in several fish species. Its presence has been report- ed in the silver scabbardfish, Lepidopus caudatus (Euphrasen, 1788). The aim of the presently reported study is to improve the k nowledge on the presence of hyperostotic pterygiophores in L. caudatus. Materialsandmethods. In total, 50 specimens of Lepidopus caudatus, captured off the coast of Messina (Sicily, Italy) were examined by radiography. Deformed pterygiophores were decalcified and processed for histopatho- logical examination, and the sections obtained were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Results. Forty (80%) of the 50 specimens examined showed skeletal deformities exclusively o n the pterygio- phores of the dorsal fin. In total, 433 deformities were observed. Histological examination showed slight expan- sion of the bone tissue, which was poor in cells and characterised by thin layers of compact bone tissue. Macroscopic, radiographic, and histological findings were consistent with diagnosis of hyperostosis. Conclusion. Hyperostosis of L. caudatus does not affect its consumption. However, it may be a complication for filleting t echniques as the presence of hyperostosis along the longitudinal axis of teleosts does not allow a com- plete and repeatable filleting technique. This could increase the possibility of bacterial contamination, loss of muscle tissue, and imperfections in cutting and trimming.