Giuseppe Martino

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for unambiguous detection of different milk species employed in cheese manufacturing.

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility to differentiate the 4 most important species in Italian dairy industry (cow, buffalo, sheep, and goat), applying a bottom-up proteomic approach to assess the milk species involved in cheese production. Selective peptides were detected in milk to use as markers in cheese products. Trypsin-digested milk samples of cow, sheep, goat, and buffalo, analyzed by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry provided species-specific peptides, some of them recognized by Mascot software (Matrix Science Ltd., Boston, MA) as derived from well-known species specific proteins. A multianalyte multiple reaction monitoring method, built with these specific peptides, was successfully applied to cheeses with different composition, showing high specificity in detection of species involved. Neither aging nor production method seemed to affect the response, demonstrating that chosen peptides well act as species markers for dairy products.

Novel oligopeptides based e-nose for food quality control: Application to extra-virgin olive samples

The potential of an electronic nose to discriminate olive oil samples based on their sensory profiles is proposed. The e-nose was constituted by an array of seven quartz crystal microbalance sensors modified with Gold Nanoparticles (GNPs) conjugated to short peptides. Forty olive oil samples headspaces were characterised by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis to evaluate chemical composition; in parallel, they were chemically and sensory evaluated according to European Regulation EEC 2568/91 and amendments and EU Regulation 640/2008. The steady state sensor responses obtained with the e-nose setup were used to evaluate the discrimination properties of the system by principal component analysis and partial least square method. The results of this study provided a promising perspectives for the use of the electronic nose as a low-cost, easy to use and rapid system for the quality control of extra virgin, virgin and lampante (non-edible) olive oil. This system ...

Dietary supplementation with dried olive pomace in dairy cows modifies the composition of fatty acids and the aromatic profile in milk and related cheese

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary integration of dried olive pomace (DOP), a by-product of olive oil separation, on nutritional and aromatic properties of milk and cheese. Twenty dairy cows were divided into 2 groups that were balanced for milk yield, parity, and days in milk. The control group was fed a conventional diet (20 kg of dry matter/head per day), whereas the experimental group (EG) received the conventional diet supplemented with DOP as 10% of dry matter. During the trial, milk yield was recorded and the samples of milk, cheese, total mixed rations, and DOP were collected and analyzed to determine the chemical-nutritional composition and aromatic profile. Atherogenic and thrombogenic indices were calculated on the basis of the fatty acid (FA) profile of milk and cheese. Data were analyzed according to the mixed model for milk yield and chemical composition, including cows nested within treatment as a random effect, whereas the general linear model was used for the analysis of cheese parameters. Differences were assessed by Tukeys test. The EG diet had a lower content of palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids and a higher level of oleic acid compared with the control. Dietary DOP integration did not affect milk yield and composition with the exception of protein content, which was greater in EG and significantly affected by diet and period. Instead, period was found to be significant for fat and casein in both groups. Dietary supplementation with DOP modified the FA profile of milk and cheese. There was a decrease in short- and medium-chain FA, but significance was achieved only for palmitic acid. The stearic, isomer trans of oleic (in particular vaccenic acid), oleic, and isomer trans of linoleic acids significantly increased. Monounsaturated FA increased in EG milk and cheese and saturated FA were significantly lower, whereas no difference was marked between the groups regarding level of polyunsaturated FA. Supplementation with DOP reduced atherogenic and thrombogenic indices and increased conjugated linoleic acid in both milk and cheese. The free fatty acids, ketones, lactones, esters, and phenylalanine catabolites were increased in raw milk, whereas only leucine metabolism was affected by diet in pasteurized milk cheese at both 1 and 30 d of ripening. The present results pointed out that DOP supplementation may improve the nutritional and nutraceutical properties and modify the aroma of milk and derived cheese.

Comparison of Performance, Meat Lipids and Oxidative Status of Pigs from Commercial Breed and Organic Crossbreed

Simple Summary In recent years, the development of alternative rearing methods, capable of satisfying requests regarding product quality, yet also taking animal welfare and environmental protection into consideration, is becoming an increasingly important consumer demand. When pigs are reared in free range and organic systems, outdoor access is given to pigs; and such rearing conditions increases energy demand for activity and thermoregulation, which reduces growth rate, but improves some meat quality characteristics, such as leaner meat with lower C14:0 and higher C20:1n9, and oxidative stability. Abstract The aim of this research was to determine the effect of rearing systems for pig production, as concerns performance, meat lipid content, the fatty acid profile, histidinic antioxidants, coenzyme Q10, and TBARs. One hundred pigs were assigned to one of three treatments: intensively reared commercial hybrid pig (I), free range commercial hybrid pig (FR) or organically reared crossbred pig (O), according to organic EU Regulations. I pigs showed the best productive performance, but FR and O increased: C20:1n9, Δ9-desaturase (C18) and thioesterase indices in meat. Lipid, dipeptides and CoQ10 appeared correlated to glycolytic and oxidative metabolic pathways. We can conclude that all studied parameters were influenced by the rearing system used, and that differences were particularly evident in the O system, which produced leaner meat with higher oxidative stability. In this respect, the organic pig rearing system promotes and enhances biodiversity, environmental sustainability and food quality.

Concentrations of Contaminants with Regulatory Limits in Samples of Clam (Chamelea gallina) Collected along the Abruzzi Region Coast in Central Italy.

Concentrations of pollutants with regulatory limits were determined in specimens of Chamelea gallina, a species of clam collected along the Abruzzi coastal region of the central Adriatic Sea. Nine sampling sites were selected to evaluate the distribution of contaminants in the environment and the health risk for consumers. The concentrations of all the examined compounds were lower than the maximums set by European legislation. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total mercury were below the detection limit (0.18 μg/kg for benzo[a]anthracene, 0.30 μg/kg for chrysene, 0.12 μg/kg for benzo[b]fluoranthene, 0.08 μg/kg for benzo[a]pyrene, and 0.0050 mg/kg for total mercury) in all the analyzed samples. Mean concentrations of lead and cadmium were 0.104 and 0.110 mg/kg, respectively. Of the non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, PCB-153, PCB-180, and PCB-138 were the most abundant at all sampling sites (1a to 9a) at 0.25 mi (ca. 0.4 km) and at some sampling sites (1b, 2b, 3b, 5b and 7b) at 0.35 mi (ca. 0.56 km). Principal component analysis revealed that the concentrations of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls were similar at the majority of sampling sites, and O8CDD and 2,3,7,8-T4CDF were the predominant dioxin congeners.

Effect of diet supplementation with Ascophyllum nodosum on cow milk composition and microbiota

Iodine deficiency remains a major public health concern in many countries, including some European regions. This study aimed at understanding the effect of a supplement of marine alga Ascophyllum nodosum as a iodine fortifier in the cow diet, on the compositional and microbiological quality of milk. The results obtained in this work indicated that the dietary inclusion of A. nodosum exerted significant effects on cow milk composition. In particular, it increased iodine content and reduced the quantity of free amino acids without modifying the free fatty acid content. From a microbiological point of view, statistically significant differences were found in presumptive mesophilic lactobacilli, mesophilic lactococci, and Pseudomonas spp. counts. Based on a culture-independent method, milk obtained after dietary inclusion of A. nodosum harbored the highest number of Firmicutes (e.g., Lactococcus lactis) and the lowest number of Proteobacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas). In addition to changes in bacterial population, diet supplementation with A. nodosum changed the catabolic profiles of the milk community, according to Biolog Ecoplate (Biolog Inc., Hayward, CA) results. The results of this study suggest that the dietary inclusion of the marine alga A. nodosum led to an improvement of the iodine content in milk, and to a modification of its microbiota with a positive effect on milk hygiene and transformation.

Influence of Iodine Feeding on Microbiological and Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Biogenic Amines Content in a Raw Ewes’ Milk Cheese

Iodine is an essential trace element involved in the regulation of thyroid metabolism and antioxidant status in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ewes’ dietary iodine supplementation on biogenic amines content as well as microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics in a raw milk cheese at different ripening times (milk, curd, and 2, 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days). Two cheese-making trials were carried out using milk from ewes fed with unifeed (Cheese A) or with the same concentrate enriched with iodine (Cheese B). The results indicated that the counts of principal microbial groups and physico-chemical characteristics were quite similar in both cheeses at day 90. Cheese B was characterized by a higher content of biogenic amines and propionic acid. Propionic bacteria were found in both cheeses mainly in Trial B in agreement with the higher content of propionic acid detected.

Determination of Free Fatty Acids in Cheese by Means of Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Followed by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Cheese as milk derivate plays a key role in our diet due to their nutritional and functional properties; free fatty acids (FFAs) and especially conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) represent important healthy components in a dairy matrix. In this study, with the aim to detect FFAs in dairy products, we have developed a fast and accurate analytical protocol based on a matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. The proposed method provides a rapid and selective sample pretreatment and a reliable instrumental analysis. The use of MSPD extraction with a suitable dispersing phase as C18, allowed the retention of triglycerides, which are the main cause of interference and matrix effect in this type of analysis and permits a selective elution of the FFAs. The whole method was validated demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed method: correlation coefficients greater than 0.99 were obtained for all analytes; matrix effects were minimized and recoveries ranged between 75 and 105%, with good reproducibility (≤ 12%).

Lipolytic volatile compounds in dairy products derived from cows fed with dried olive pomace

The study was aimed at evaluating the effects of dietary supplementation with dried olive pomace in dairy cows on the development of lipolytic volatile compounds in raw milk and cheese. Twenty dairy cows, homogeneous for milk yield, parity and days in milk, were randomly assigned to a basal diet (CON) and a conventional diet integrated with dried olive pomace (DOP) as 10% of dry matter. After 60 days of treatment, raw bulk milk of CON and DOP groups was sampled and used to produce cheese that was sampled at 1, 7 and 30 days of ripening. Volatile compounds were analyzed by the SPME-GC/MS technique. Dietary treatment influenced C6, C8, C10 and C12 free fatty acids, the short-chain ethyl and methyl esters, many of ketones and γ- and δ-lactones in raw milk. Cheese showed main differences between groups after 7 days of aging. Levels of methyl decanoate and ethyl esters of even fatty acids from C4 to C14, as well as 2-heptanone, 6-dodecen-γ-lactone, octanal and some C9 secondary lipolytic catabolites such as 8-nonen-2-one, 2-nonanone and 2-nonenal were higher in DOP cheese. The γ-dodecalactone, δ-octalactone, 2-octenal and 1-hexanol were higher in the experimental cheese at 30 days of ripening. DOP dietary integration in feeding operations of dairy cows may modify the evolution of volatile compounds derived from lipolysis in milk and cheese toward moldy and peach notes. A sensory evaluation of these changes will be necessary to understand the consumer acceptability that represents an important feedback to drive dairy industry choices.

Feeding influence on the oxidative stability of poultry meat treated with ozone

Objective Ozone is considered a strong antimicrobial agent with numerous potential applications in the food industry. However, its high oxidizing potential can induce alterations in foods by acting on the unsaturated fatty acids. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ozonation on the oxidative stability of chicken breast meat obtained from animals subjected to different feeding strategies. Methods Samples were obtained from commercial hybrid chickens (ROSS 508), some of which were nourished with a feed enriched with fats of animal origin, while the lipid source was vegetal for the remaining birds. Samples of meat belonging to both groups were treated with ozone and then analysis was performed to evaluate alterations in physical properties, lipid content, fatty acid profile, and oxidation stability. Results Ozone induced a significant reduction in drip loss in meat samples obtained from animals nourished with vegetable fats; this nutritional strategy also produced meats leaner and richer in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, useful for the assessment of lipid oxidation, were higher in samples obtained from animals fed with vegetable fats with respect to diet based on the addition of animal fats. Conclusion The ozone treatment improved the physical parameters of meat samples obtained from animals fed with vegetable fats, however the same samples showed a higher lipid oxidation compared to what observed in the case of the dietary intake of animal fats, probably as a consequence of the marked increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids which are more susceptible to peroxidation.