Renata Pietrzak-Fiećko

Assessment of the chlorinated hydrocarbons residues contamination in edible mushrooms from the North-Eastern part of Poland.

The aim of the study was to determine the content of chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in edible mushrooms from the north-eastern part of Poland. Material consisted of two species of fungi: Xerocomus mushrooms (Xerocomus badius), Boletus mushrooms (Boletus edulis). The dried samples (cups and cut-up material) were extracted with Soxhlet method in order to obtain lipid substances. In the fat chlorinated hydrocarbons were determined by Ludwicki et al. (1996) method. The separation and quantitative determination of DDT, DDE, DDD and γ-HCH were conducted with the method of gas chromatography using an electron capture detector - ECD. In all tested samples the presence of γ-HCH, DDT and its metabolites (DDE, DDD) was detected. The higher content of γ-HCH was found in Xerocomus mushrooms (average 0.125 μg/kg of mushrooms); in the Boletus mushrooms -0.11 μg/kg of mushrooms. The content of ΣDDT in cups of Xerocomus mushrooms was more than 2-fold higher than in those of Boletus mushrooms (3.78:1.71 mg/kg of mushrooms). The opposite relationship was observed for cut-up material. The higher concentration of ΣDDT was found in Boletus mushrooms (2.26 mg/kg of mushrooms) while in Xerocomus mushrooms this content was 0.91 mg/kg of mushrooms. Despite the fact that chlorinated hydrocarbons were determined in all samples under study, their contents do not exceed acceptable levels indicating that the consumption of mushrooms does not pose a health risk to consumers from the organochlorine compounds.

Slaughter yield and fatty acid profiles of fillets of pike (Esox lucius L.) caught before and after spawning

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the impact pike fishing season (before spawning in fall (group A) and after spawning in spring (group B)) had on the slaughter yield and fillet fatty acid profile. The slaughter yield of fillets with skin and skinned fillets from the group B fish was significantly lower (by approximately 7.5% of body weight). The fatty acid profile of the fish meat from the groups examined differed significantly. The fillets of pike caught before spawning were dominated by unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), while those from fish caught after spawning had mainly saturated fatty acids (SFA). The share of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the fillets of fish that had spawned was sixfold lower, and the n-3 PUFA differences were nearly ninefold. The content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids in fillets of fish that had spawned was ninefold lower than in those that had not yet done so. Consequently, the ratio of n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA in pike from group A was over three times higher than that in the fish that had spawned (2.61 vs 0.82). Fillets from pike that have spawned are a significantly poorer source of valuable fatty acids for consumers.

Effect of lactation period on the fatty acid composition in mares' milk from different breeds

Abstract. Analyses were carried out on the fatty acid composition of milk fat originating from mares of three breeds: Polish Cold-Blooded, Wielkopolski and Konik Polski. Milk was collected from mares in the early, mid and late lactation. Determination of fatty acids was conducted with the gas chromatography method. The analysis of the fatty acid composition demonstrated that over the entire lactation period unsaturated fatty acids (from 52.96 % to 62.46 %), represented mainly by linolenic (22.15 %) and oleic (19.98 %) acid, were predominantly present only in samples originating from mares of the Wielkopolski breed. In milk of mares of Konik Polski, saturated fatty acids appeared to predominate (51.95 % and 52.95 %) in the early and mid lactation, whereas unsaturated fatty acids (62.28 %) predominated in the late lactation. In the case of milk samples of the Polish Cold-Blooded mares, saturated fatty acids (represented mainly by palmitic acid) were observed to prevail in the early and late lactation (55.77 % and 61.31 %), whereas unsaturated fatty acids (52.20 %) were found to negligibly prevail in the mid lactation. The study confirmed that fatty acid composition was determined by the period of lactation and breed of the mares.

Pesticide contaminants in selected species of edible wild mushrooms from the north-eastern part of Poland

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the level of chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in selected edible mushrooms from north-eastern Poland. The experiment was carried out on 45 samples consisting of 15 fruiting bodies each of the following species: Boletus edulis, Imleria badia and Cantharellus cibarius. Dried samples were subjected to extraction of lipids with a Soxhlet and a standard procedure—based on the decomposition of lipids by concentrated sulfuric acid and the release of organic insecticides to the hexane layer—was used to determine chlorinated hydrocarbons. The quantitative determination of DDT, DDE, DDD and γ-HCH were conducted using gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Chlorinated hydrocarbons were found in all tested samples. The contents of these compounds varied between all three species. Mean content of γ-HCH in B. edulis, I. badia and C. cibarius was: 2.60; 4.83; 7.52 µg kg−1 of lipids, while the content of ΣDDT was: 57.02; 25.20; 127.10 µg kg−1 of lipids, respectively. These results show that mushrooms from the north-eastern part of Poland can be used as potential bio-indicators of environmental contamination with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Moreover, the studied fungi could still be used as food due to the low levels of analyzed organochlorine compounds.

Assessment of Fatty Acid Composition and Technological Properties of Northern Pike (Esox lucius) Fillets: The Effects of Fish Origin and Sex

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of northern pike origin (wild vs. farmed) and sex (female vs. male) on chemical composition, including fatty acids, and technological properties of fresh fillets. Fish origin influenced moisture, protein, fat, and ash contents, pH and color of the fillets, and the proportion of 22 out of 25 determined fatty acids, whereas sex affected expressible water, pH, lightness and redness of fillets, and only a single fatty acid (C20:0) proportion. Farmed pike had higher protein and fat content and lower moisture and ash than wild pike. Higher proportion and content of total polyunsaturated and n-3 fatty acids, as well as lower n-6/n-3 ratio, were found in farmed pike. Thus, it can be concluded that the commercial feed positively affected fatty acid proportion and content in the fish tissue and increased its nutritional value.

The Effect of Thermal Treatment Method on Fatty Acid Composition in Northern Pike (Esox lucius) Fillets

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of thermal treatment methods, such as microwave cooking, steaming, and shallow pan-frying on fatty acids composition in northern pike fillets. All methods of thermal treatment increased fat content in the fillets. Microwave cooking decreased the proportion of saturated fatty acids and increased the proportion of total, n-3, and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids as compared with fresh fillets. Steam cooking did not affect the proportion of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, whereas pan-frying significantly increased the proportion of monounsaturated and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. All cooked fillets, regardless of the thermal treatment used, had acceptable n–6/n–3 ratio; however, microwave cooking enabled fish products to obtain more beneficial n-6/n-3 ratio than frying. Due to high polyunsaturated fatty acids content and low n-6/n-3 ratio, microwave cooking may be recommended for preparing wild pike fillets in households.

Chloroorganic insecticides in the fat of different assortment of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) meat

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the content of chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in fat of different assortment of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The research material consisted of 108 fish from six different producers. Thirty-six fish were analysed as fresh, 36 fish as frozen after six months storage, and 36 fish as traditionally smoked. Chromatographic determination of γ-HCH, DDT, DDD, and DDE was performed with an Agilent Technologies 6890N. The presence of the compounds was detected in all tested fat samples. The content of γ-HCH was five-fold higher in frozen fish (average 2.11 ng/g of fat) than in fresh and smoked fish (0.42 ng/g of fat and 0.43 ng/g of fat, respectively). Total DDT (ΣDDT) content was found higher after refrigerated storage but did not exceed acceptable levels, indicating that the fat in the meat of rainbow trout is an attractive nutritional compound with a low concentration of tested chemical pollutants.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons residues in milk fat of selected farm animals from the north-eastern part of Poland

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine and compare the concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons residues (DDT, DDE, DDD, γ-HCH) in the milk fat of selected species of farm animals. The experiment was carried out on cow’s, sheep’s, goat’s, and mare’s milk samples originating from different parts of north-eastern Poland. The samples were prepared using Röse-Gottlieb’s and Ludwicki’s methods. The determination of the compounds was conducted with gas chromatography. All tested samples contained the residues of chlorinated hydrocarbons. The results varied depending on the animal species as well as the places of sample collections. The highest content of γ-HCH and ΣDDT was determined in cow’s milk (22.75; 53.12 μg/kg of fat, respectively). The lowest level of γ-HCH and ΣDDT was observed in sheep’s milk (0.25; 5.94 μg/kg of fat, respectively). The content of chlorinated hydrocarbons did not exceed the maximum acceptable levels of these compounds.