Martin Mellen

Antibacterial activity against Clostridium genus and antiradical activity of the essential oils from different origin.

In the present study, the antimicrobial and antiradical activities of 15 essential oils were investigated. The antimicrobial activities were determined by using agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods against Clostridium genus and antioxidant properties of essential oils by testing their scavenging effect on DPPH radicals activities. We determined the antibacterial activity of Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium hystoliticum, Clostridium intestinale, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium ramosum. We obtained the original commercial essential oils samples of Lavandula angustifolia, Carum carvi, Pinus montana, Mentha piperita, Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Pinus sylvestris, Satureia montana, Origanum vulgare L. (2 samples), Pimpinella anisum, Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Abies alba Mill., Chamomilla recutita L. Rausch and Thymus vulgaris L. produced in Slovakia (Calendula a.s., Nova Lubovna, Slovakia). The results of the disk diffusion method showed very high essential oils activity against all tested strains of microorganisms. The best antimicrobial activity against C. butyricum was found at Pimpinella anisum, against C. hystoliticum was found at Pinus sylvestris, against C. intestinale was found at Satureia hortensis L., against C. perfringens was found at Origanum vulgare L. and against C. ramosum was found at Pinus sylvestris. The results of broth microdilution assay showed that none of the essential oils was active against C. hystoliticum. The best antimicrobial activity against C. butyricum was found at Abies alba Mill., against C. intestinale was found at Abies alba Mill., against C. perfringens was found at Satureia montana and against C. ramosum was found at Abius alba and Carum carvi. Antioxidant DPPH radical scavenging activity was determined at several solutions of oil samples (50 μL.mL−1–0.39 μL.mL−1) and the best scavenging effect for the highest concentration (50 μL.mL−1) was observed. The antioxidant properties were different in particular plant species. The highest% of inhibition after 30 min. of reaction was observed at Origanum vulgare (93%), Satureia montana (90.66%) and Lavandula augustifolia (90.22%).

Carotenes Content in Carrot Roots (Daucus carota L.) as affected by Cultivation and Storage

Carotenes Content in Carrot Roots (Daucus carota L.) as affected by Cultivation and Storage The influence of area, variety, year and storage on β-carotene content and dry matter content of selected carrot varieties were tested. Carrot roots of four varieties were examined during two years period (2002-2003), cultivated under different climatic and soil conditions in three areas of Slovakia - Nitra, Komárno and Prusy. Carrot varieties (Nevis F1, Idaho F1, Florida F1, Kathmandu F1) showed the greatest mean content of β-carotene (23.25 mg·100 g-1) in Nitra area, year 2003. Irrigation showed negative influence on β-carotene content. The highest content of β-carotene showed variety Florida F1 (26.3 mg·100 g-1). Mean higher contents of dry matter were determined in the year 2003 compared to the year 2002. Loss of β-carotene during carrot storage was observed higher in the cellar than in the cold storage. Mean loss of β-carotene in dry matter for cold storage was 13.57-14.28%, compared to cellar 20-27.3%. Zawartość Karotenu w Korzeniach Marchwi (Daucus Carota L.) w Zależności od Warunków Uprawy i Przechowywania Badano wpływ rejonu uprawy, odmiany, roku i przechowywania na zawartość β-karotenu i zawartość suchej masy u wybranych odmian marchwi. Oceniano korzenie czterech odmian marchwi przez okres dwóch lat (2002-2003), uprawianych w różnych warunkach glebowo-klimatycznych w trzech rejonach Słowacji - Nitra, Komárno i Prusy. Odmiany marchwi (Nevis F1, Idaho F1, Florida F1, Kathmandu F1) wykazały największą średnią zawartość β-karotenu (23,25 mg·100 g-1) w rejonie Nitra w roku 2003. Nawadnianie miało negatywny wpływ na zawartość β-karotenu. Największą zawartością β-karotenu wykazała się odmiana Florida F1 (26,3 mg·100 g-1). Wyższe wartości średniej zawartości suchej masy odnotowano w roku 2003 w porównaniu z rokiem 2002. Większe straty w zawartości β-karotenu obserwowano podczas przechowywania marchwi w piwnicy niż w chłodni. Średni ubytek β-karotenu w suchej masie wynosił 13,57-14,28% w chłodni w porównaniu do 20-27,3% w piwnicy.

Microbiological quality of chicken thighs meat after four essential oils combination, EDTA and vaccum packing

Normal 0 false false false CS JA X-NONE The aim of the present work to monitoring chicken the microbiological quality of vaccum packaged thighs after treatment by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), anise ( Pimpinella anisum ), spearmint ( Mentha spicata var. crispa ), thyme ( Thymus vulgaris L.) oregano ( Origanum vulgare L.) essential oils and stored in at 4 ±0.5 °C for a period of 16 days. The following treatments of chicken thighs were used: air-packaged control samples, control vacuum-packaged samples, vacuum-packaging with EDTA solution 1.5% w/w, control samples, vacuum-packaging after treatment with Pimpinella anisum, Mentha spicata var. crispa essential oil at concentrations 0.2% v/w, vacuum-packaging after treatment with Thymus vulgaris L., Origanum vulgare L. essential oil at concentration 0.2% v/w. The quality assessment of all samples was done microbiologically and following microbiological parameters were detected: the anaerobic plate count, Enterobacteraceae counts, lactic acid bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. counts. The number of anaerobic plate count ranged from 3.69 log CFU.g -1 in all tested group on 0 day to 5.68 log CFU.g -1 on 16 day in control group stored in air condition. The number of lactic acid bacteria ranged from 2.00 log CFU.g -1 in all tested group on 0 day to 4.82 log CFU.g -1 on 16 day in group with oregano, thyme essential oils combination. Enterobacteriacea counts in chicken thighs was 0.68 log CFU.g -1 on 0 day to 7.58 CFU.g -1 on 16 day in air-packed meat samples . The Pseudomonas spp. was not found in all tested samples. Among the antimicrobial combination treatments examined in this work, the as application of vacuum packaging, EDTA and essential oils treatment was the most effective against the growth of Enterobactericeae , inhibitory effect on anaerobic plate count also was observed. The results of this present study suggest the possibility of application the Pimpinella anisum, Mentha spicata var. crispa , Thymus vulgaris L., Origanum vulgare L. essential oil of as natural food preservatives and potential sources of antimicrobial ingredients for food industry for chicken thighs meat treatment.

Application of lavender and rosemary essential oils improvement of the microbiological quality of chicken quarters

The aim of the present work was monitoring of chicken quarters microbiological indicators after treatment by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia L.) and rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil, stored under vacuum packaging, at 4 ±0.5°C for a period of 16 days. The following treatments of chicken quarters were used: Air-packaging control samples, control vacuum-packaging samples, vacuum-packaging with EDTA solution 1.50% w/w, control samples, vacuum-packaging with Lavandula angustifolia essential oil at concentrations 0.2% v/w and vacuum-packaging with Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil at concentration 0.2% v/w. The quality assessment of all samples was established by microbiological analysis. Sampling was carried out after certain time intervals: 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 days. Chicken quarters were stored under vacuum packaging, at 4 ±0.5°C during experiment. Microbiological analyses were conducted by using standard microbiological methods. Anaerobic plate count were determined using Plate Count Agar, after incubation for 2 days at 35°C under anaerobic condition. Pseudomonas spp. were determined on Pseudomonas Isolation agar after incubation at 48 h at 25°C. For lactic acid bacteria were inoculated into Rogosa and Sharpe agar after incubation 48-78 h at 37°C in an aerobic atmosphere supplemented with carbon dioxide (5% CO 2 ). For members of the family Enterobacteriaceae violet red bile glucose agar were used and samples were incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The initial APC value of chicken quarter was 3.00 log CFU.g -1 on 0 day. The number of anaerobic plate count ranged from 3.00 log CFU.g -1 in all tested group on 0 day to 6.11 log CFU.g -1 on 16 day in control group stored in air condition. The initial LAC value of chicken quarter was 3.00 log CFU.g -1 on 0 day. The number of lactic acid bacteria ranged from 3.00 log CFU.g -1 in all tested group on 0 day to 3.58 log CFU.g -1 on 16 day in control group stored in air condition. The initial Enterobacteriacea genera value of chicken quarter was 2.00 log CFU.g -1 on 0 day. Presences of these bacteria were found on all groups at 16 days. The results of this present study suggest the possibility of application the Lavandula angustifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil as natural food preservatives and potential sources of antimicrobial ingredients for food industry.

Antioxidant effect of natural honeys affected by their source and origin

Abstract In purpose to examine the antioxidant activity of 15 natural honeys of different origin ABTS method was used, total phenol content and dry matter content of honey samples were determined. Honeys were collected from different locations of Slovakia, Poland and Serbia and were represented as monofloral and multifloral samples (10) which originated from Poland and Slovakia, forest samples (4) originated from Serbia and honeydew honey. Average values of antioxidant activity observed in samples of honeys ranged from 0.62 to 4.63 mmol/kg. The highest antioxidant activity was detected in buckwheat honey and the lowest was shown in acacia honey. By observing the impact of individual honey samples on antioxidant activity it was found that the sample had a highly statistically significant effect. 10 homogeneous groups which varied in the antioxidant activity among each other were established by all 15 samples. Antioxidant activity of honeys could be a positive influence factor in terms of honey differentiation, especially in the case of the forest honeys collected from different places. Monofloral and multifloral honeys (10) established 5 homogenous groups, but in the case of several multifloral honeys which originated from different places of Poland and Slovakia no statistically significant differences were found.

ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF HERBAL EXTRACTS AND THEIR FOOD APPLICATION

Herbal extracts are considered as a good sources of antioxidant compounds. This work describes antioxidant effect of 15 kinds of herbs. Three different antioxidant assays were used, Trolox equivalent antiradical activity (TEAC), test based on deoxyribose oxidation and DPPH method. The TEAC values ranged from 0.38mM to 0.77 mM. Deoxyribose assay showed antioxidant activity of selected extracts expressed as the inhibition of formation of oxidative products of deoxyribose from 2.68 to 50.05 %. The DPPH method values ranged from 6.47 to 73.80 %. Extracts of Prunus spinosa L., Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne were the best antioxidants confirmed by all methods. Scrophularia nodosa L. extract showed the weak antioxidant effect determined by all selected methods. Phenolic content was in relation to the antioxidant effect of herbs, very high significancy between DPPH and polyphenols content was found. To improve selected properties of apple juice (taste, smell, functional properties) by addition of medicinal herbs was achieved in this work. Antioxidant effect of apple juice variants with herbs additions determined by DPPH method was high and ranged from 73 to 78.49 %. Herbal extracts can be utilised in selected combinations to improve sensory and functional properties of some kinds of beverages. doi:10.5219/75

Effect of feeding of 5% prefermented cereal-based bioproduct enriched with γ-linolenic acid on production indicators, chemical composition, fatty acid profile and lipid oxidation of broiler meat

Abstract The aim of this work was to study the effect of the addition of prefermented cereal-based bioproduct (5%; BP) enriched with γ-linolenic acid to the commercial feed for broiler chickens on the production indicators, chemical composition, fatty acid profile and lipid oxidation of the meat. BP was prepared by solid-state fermentation using fungal strain Cunninghamella elegans CCF 2591. Spelt bran was used as a substrate. A total of 80 broiler chickens (COBB 500) were used in this experiment. Half of them (experimental group) was fed with experimental feed and second half (control group) was fed only with commercial compound feed. Administration of BP to the broilers positively influenced production indicators. Broilers of the experimental group reached higher final weight, and showed lower average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and feed intake compared to the control group. Meat of the experimental group consisted of the lower amount of total protein and fat. BP influenced fatty acid profile as well. Meat of the experimental group, in comparison to control, contained higher amount of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and lower amount of saturated fatty acids. Mainly the amount of α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid was higher. Significantly higher concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was observed in muscles of experimental group during 7-day storage in refrigerator. Based on the results obtained we can conclude that replacing 5% of the commercial feed by BP could not only improve performance parameters of chickens, but also affect chemical composition and fatty acid content of meat.

Analysis of Consumer Preferences at Organic Food Purchase in Romania

Abstract The decision-making process of consumers buying organic food is affected by several factors. Because of organic agriculture in Romania is growing, the objective of this paper was to analyze consumer opinions and preferences concerning organic food products in Romania. The survey involved 350 respondents. The respondents were divided into two groups using the Hierarchical multiple factor analysis (HMFA). The strongest reason for buying organic food for Romanian respondents is health care, presented by 42% of respondents. Respondents prefer to buy organic foods directly from the producers, followed by supermarkets, specialized shops and pharmacies. The prevailing price of monthly purchase of organic food is 10 to 20€. The respondents are able to pay for organic food from 5 to 10% more than for conventional food.

Sauvignon wine quality as affected by its processing and storage

The colour and limpidity are the first sensory attributes of wines that are appreciated by consumers, predisposing their acceptance or rejection. The aim of this work was to monitor the effect of harvest, processing (different clarification and treatment of must) and storage on the quality of Sauvignon wine. The wines were stored for two years in the wine cellar at 12°C and 70 % of humidity, in the bottles. The acid content, residual sugar and alcohol content among chemical parameters and sensory profile of wines were observed. Sensory quality of wines was evaluated by the aromatic profile (profile method). Based on acquired results, two years of wine storage significantly affected the total acid content of wines and alcohol content. Different treatments of must affected residual sugars, the variant with the maximum dose of the clarification preparation (highly pure cellulose, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, gelatin and mineral adsorbents) showed statistically the highest content of residual sugars. From the sensory point of view, sensory profiles of wines were different compared to the first and second harvest of grape, sensory profiles of wines were changed also after two years of storage. The fourth variant appeared to be the best stable, treated with the addition of clarification preparation at the dose of 30 g. 100 L-1 must. Because from the same variety Sauvignon were produced wines of different chemical and sensory qualities, some gastronomy recommendations were done as well.

Effect of feeding of prefermented bioproduct containing gamma-linolenic acid and beta-carotene on selected parameters of broiler chicken meat quality

The aim of the work was to evaluate the effect of addition of prefermented bioproduct with a increased content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially gamma-linolenic acid) and beta-carotene into commercial feed on the selected qualitative parameters. The chemical composition, the color, the loss of water, the pH and the concentration of lactic acid of the meat of broiler chickens (COBB 500) were monitored. Bioproduct was prepared from corn scrap, which was fermented using the lower filamentous fungus Umbelopsis isabellina CCF2412. The prepared material was mixed into the commercial compound feed intended for broiler chickens at a ratio of 10%, and was fed from the 11 th day of age of the chickens until the time of slaughter. The obtained results were compared with the results of control group, which was represented by broiler chickens fed only with a commercial compound feed. Feeding of bioproduct, in terms of chemical composition, affected mainly the fat content in breast and thigh meat, which was lower in the experimental group. Meat color (measured by colorimetric assay) was not affected and differences were significant only at a value a*, which was higher in the experimental group. Statistically significant differences in the water losses of meat were not recorded, but the feeding of bioproduct affected the pH of the meat, and also the concentration of lactic acid and both parameters were higher in the meat of control group.