Valentin Nicorescu

Mechanisms of Oxidative Processes in Meat and Toxicity Induced by Postprandial Degradation Products: A Review

Antioxidant system loss after slaughtering, reactive species production, cell disruption, contact with oxygen and light, heme and nonheme iron, and irradiation starts up mainly by 2 related oxidative processes: lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Products generated in these processes are responsible for meat quality loss, and some of them are suspected to be toxic to humans. This review article is focused on reactive species implicated in oxidative processes in meat, on lipid peroxidation mechanisms, heme protein, and nonheme protein oxidation, and on some toxic oxidation and digestion products. Nonenzymatic fatty acid peroxidation is exemplified by an arachidonic acyl group, and the initiation of chain reaction can be described by 3 pathways: singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical from the Fenton reaction, and perferrylmyoglobin. Enzymatic oxidation of fatty acids is exemplified using linoleic acid, and the main characteristics of lipoxygenase are also presented. Heme protein oxidation is described in an interrelation with lipid peroxidation and the significance for food quality is shown. For protein oxidation, 3 different mechanism types are described: oxidation of amino acid residues, oxidation of protein backbone, and reactions of proteins with carbonyl compounds from lipid peroxidation. The effects of oxidative damage on protein properties and bioavailability are also shown. At the end of each oxidative process, the postprandial toxicity induced by oxidation products and the dietary degradation products are presented. Also discussed are reports by some researchers who suggest that dietary lipid and protein oxidation products and heme iron from red meat are in part cytotoxic and/or genotoxic.

Plant Polyphenols as Antioxidant and Antibacterial Agents for Shelf-Life Extension of Meat and Meat Products: Classification, Structures, Sources, and Action Mechanisms

Oxidative processes and meat spoilage bacteria are major contributors to decreasing the shelf-life of meat and meat products. Oxidative processes occur during processing, storage, and light exposure, lowering the nutritional and sensory value and acceptability of meat and generating toxic compounds for humans. Polyphenols inhibit oxidative processes in 3 ways: as reactive species scavengers, lipoxygenase inhibitors, and reducing agents for metmyoglobin. Thus, polyphenols are candidate antioxidants for meat and meat products. The cross-contamination of meat with spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms can occur in production lines and result in economic losses. The ability of polyphenols to interact with bacterial cell wall components and the bacterial cell membrane can prevent and control biofilm formation, as well as inhibit microbial enzymes, interfere in protein regulation, and deprive bacterial cell enzymes of substrates and metal ions. Thus, polyphenols are candidate antimicrobial agents for use with meat and meat products. Commercially available polyphenols can decrease primary and secondary lipid peroxidation levels, inhibit lipoxygenase activity, improve meat color stability, minimize the degradation of salt-soluble myofibrillar protein and sulfhydryl groups, and retard bacterial growth. Further studies are now needed to clarify the synergistic/antagonistic action of various polyphenols, and to identify the best polyphenol classes, concentrations, and conditions of use.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF HAWTHORN (CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA) BERRIES ETHANOLIC EXTRACT AND BUTYLATED HYDROXYLANISOLE (BHA) ON LIPID PEROXIDATION, MYOGLOBIN OXIDATION, CONSISTENCY AND FIRMNESS OF MINCED PORK DURING REFRIGERATION

BACKGROUND Following public concern on the use of synthetic food antioxidants, there is an increasing demand for the application of mixed or purified natural antioxidants to maintain quality of meat products quality during storage. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of ethanolic extract of hawthorn berry, compared to butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA), on lipid peroxidation, myoglobin oxidation, protein electrophoresis pattern, consistency and firmness of minced pork during refrigeration at 4 °C, and to identify the relationship between chemical modifications and consistency variation. RESULTS After 6 days of refrigeration it was found that the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value of minced pork containing 200 mg GAE kg-1 total phenolics in minced meat (200 HP) was significantly lower (0.1543 ± 0.006 mg) compared to BHA-treated meat. The ratio of oxymyoglobin to metmyoglobin in treated minced pork was respectively 0.845 for 200 HP and 0.473 for BHA-treated minced meat. Concentrations of 100 HP or 300 HP will generate statistically higher firmness than BHA in minced pork. CONCLUSION Hawthorn berry ethanolic extract was more effective than BHA in reducing lipid oxidation and protein degradation, for maintaining firmness and consistency of minced pork during 6 days of refrigeration at 4 °C.

Burdock (Arctium lappa) Leaf Extracts Increase the In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy of Common Antibiotics on Gram-positive and Gram-negative Bacteria

Abstract This work aimed to study the potential effects of four Arctii folium extracts, 5 mg gallic [GAE] acid equivalents per 1 mL sample, on six antibiotics (Ampicillin/AM, Tetracycline/TE, Ciprofloxacin/CIP, Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim/SXT, Chloramphenicol/C and Gentamicin/CN) tested on four Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228) and five Gram-negative (Proteus mirabilis ATCC 29245, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, E. coli ATCC 11229, E. coli ATCC 8739, and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778) bacteria. Arctii folium extracts were the whole ethanol extract/W and subsequent ethyl acetate/EA, aqueous/AQ, and chloroform/CHL fractions. Chemical qualitative analysis (HPTLC method) emphasized five main polyphenol compounds in Arctii folium polar extracts: chlorogenic acid (Rf≈0.52/0.55) and its isomer, 1,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (Rf≈0.90/0.92), plus cynarin (Rf≈0.77), hyperoside (Rf≈0.68/0.64) and isoquercitrin (Rf≈0.69/0.71). Microbiological screening indicated Arctii folium polar extracts (AQ and W) efficacy on S. epidermidis ATCC 12228; the MIC values were in the range of common antibiotics, being 32 and 128 μg GAE per mL sample respectively. The unpredictable effects (stimulatory or inhibitory) of Arctii folium extracts in combination with typical antibiotics as well as a potential use of the whole ethanol extract/W for restoring the antimicrobial potency of susceptible antibiotics have also been evidenced.

Epilobi Hirsuti Herba Extracts Influence the In Vitro Activity of Common Antibiotics on Standard Bacteria

Abstract Epilobium genus has been confirmed as an effective source of natural antimicrobials. However, the influence of Epilobi hirsuti herba derived products on usual antibiotics activity has not been studied. In this study, several standardized Epilobi hirsuti herba extracts (EHE) were evaluated in order to asses their potential effects on usual antibiotics tested on standard Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains in vitro. The results emphasized that the bacterial strains ranged from sensitive (MIC values between 50–200 μg GAE mL-1) (S. epidermidis ATCC 12228) to very resistant (E. coli strains), E. faecalis ATCC 29212 being practically immune to EHE. In terms of synergistic interaction, Tetracycline and Ampicillin combinations lead to the most important stimulatory effects, the diameters of the inhibition zone being even 60% bigger compared to the antibiotic alone. Synergistic effects between myricetin(galloyl) derivates and Tetracycline were also revealed on P. aeruginosa and E. coli strains. Together, it clearly demonstrated not only EHE’s own antimicrobial properties, but also their capacity to influence the antimicrobial potency of some common antibiotics. These results could be useful for the area of herbal medicines and as potential candidates in managing microbial resistance, but also for physicians and pharmacists using combined antibacterial therapy.

The diagnosis of flea bite hypersensitivity in dog - methods and techniques.

Flea bite hypersensitivity is an allergic reaction to the bites of dog-flea (Ctenocephalides canis), cat-flea (Ctenocephalides felis) or human-flea (Pulex irritans)