From Sea Water to Salt Crystals: An Onsite Investigation of Microplastics in a Conventional Sea Salt Farming System.

This study investigated microplastic (MP) contamination in conventional sea salt farming systems. Various crude sea salt samples (n = 22) that were traditionally produced were collected from salt farms and local vendors. Salt water (n = 15), macroalgae (n = 6), and clay of pond floors (n = 6) were collected from ponds subjected to different production (stabilization, evaporation, and concentration and crystallization concentration) processes. All samples were analyzed for MP abundance and characteristics. The potential sources of MP contamination in the salt were also investigated. The mean abundance of MPs in the salt water and clay of pond floor increased progressively throughout the production process and reached its highest level in the concentration and crystallization ponds (7400 MP particles/m3 in salt water and 19,336 MP particles/m2 in the clay of the pond floor). A maximum of 26,500 MP particles/kg of macroalgal material indicated the potential sink of MPs on the surface of the algae. Approximately 34-2377 MP particles/kg salt were found in the crude sea salt samples. However, the mean abundance (378 MP particles/kg of salt) indicated nonsignificant impacts of different harvesting processes on MP contamination. Most MP size distributions, shapes and polymer types in the salts were similar to those found in the salt water, macroalgae and clay of the pond floor. Approximately 99% of the MPs were fragments that were suspected to be decomposed from larger plastic debris and plastic machinery and tools used at the salt farm. Similar patterns of polymer distribution, in which PP > PE > PET > PS, were found for all samples studied.

Nondestructive testing of runny salted egg yolk based on improved ConvNeXt-T.

Salted egg yolks from salted duck eggs are widely utilized in the domestic and international food industry as both raw materials and ingredients. When salted egg yolks are not fully cured and matured, they exist in a fluid state, with a mixture of solid and liquid internally. Due to this composition, they are susceptible to deterioration during storage and usage, necessitating their detection and classification. In this study, a dataset specifically for salted egg yolks was established, and the ConvNeXt-T model, employed as the benchmark model, underwent two notable improvements. First, a lightweight location-aware circular convolution (ParC) was introduced, utilizing a ParC-block to replace a portion of the original ConvNeXt-T block. This enhancement aimed to overcome the limitations of convolution in extracting global feature information while integrating the global sensing capability of vision transformer and the localization capability of convolution. Additionally, the activation function was modified through substitution. These improvements resulted in the final model. Experimental results indicate that the enhanced model exhibits faster convergence on the custom salted egg yolk dataset compared to the baseline model. Furthermore, a significant reduction of model parameters by a factor of 4 led to a 2.167 percentage point improvement in the accuracy of the test set. The ParC-ConvNeXt-SMU-T model achieved an accuracy of 96.833% with 26.8 million parameters. Notably, the improved model demonstrates exceptional effectiveness in recognizing salted egg yolks. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study can be widely applied in the process of salted egg yolk production and quality inspection, which can improve the actual sorting efficiency of salted egg yolks and reduce the labor cost at the same time. It can also be used for nondestructive testing of salted egg yolks by governmental enterprises and other regulatory authorities.

Pre-rigor salting improves gel strength and water-holding of surimi gel made from snakehead fish (Channa argus): The role of protein oxidation.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pre-rigor salting on the quality characteristics of surimi gels prepared from snakehead fish muscle. Pre-rigor and post-rigor muscle were mixed with 0.3% or 3% NaCl (w/w) and made into surimi gels, respectively. Results showed that pre-rigor muscle had a higher content of ATP, longer sarcomere, higher pH and greater protein solubility. Metabolic profile suggested that pre-rigor muscle had higher content (a 28-fold increase) of antioxidants such as butyryl-l-carnitine. Transmission electron microscopy showed more damage of mitochondria in post-rigor muscle. Surimi paste from pre-rigor meat chopped with 3% NaCl generally showed greater radical scavenging ability and had higher content of free sulfhydryl. Surimi gel made from pre-rigor muscle salted with 3% NaCl showed a larger gel strength (3.18 kg*mm vs. 2.22 kg*mm) and better water-holding (86% vs. 80%) than that of post-rigor group. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that: In addition to other factors such as pH, degree of denaturation, etc., less protein oxidation in pre-rigor salted surimi also contributes to the improved gel properties.

Enhancing saltiness perception in bone broth: the additive effect of oil and optimization of sodium-reduction formula for consumer acceptability.

BACKGROUND: Excessive NaCl intake in liquid and semi-solid food (e.g. soup, hot pot base, sauce) poses a high risk to human health, and reducing NaCl intake is a major concern for global health. RESULTS: Using the generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) method, the study verified the possibility of sodium reduction through oil addition. The compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT) were determined. The gLMS results showed that the saltiness intensity of samples containing 0.36% NaCl and 2.29% sunflower seed oil was significantly higher than that of samples containing only 0.36% NaCl (P < 0.05). CAT and HRT results indicated that by adding 3.59% sunflower oil, the NaCl content could be reduced to a minimum of 0.14% without causing sensory rejection in bone broth samples. The quantitative descriptive analysis method was used to determine the effects of NaCl and oil concentrations on the sensory attributes of bone broth samples. Furthermore, it was used to analyze the consumer acceptability drivers in combination with the hedonic scale to optimize the formulation of reduced-salt bone broth products. Notably, sample E (0.36% NaCl, 2.29% fat) not only had a significant salt reduction effect with a 20% decrease in NaCl, but also had improved overall acceptability. CONCLUSION: This study provides theoretical guidance for designing salt-reduction cuisine within the catering and food industries, including bone broth and hot pot bases. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tri-frequency simultaneous ultrasound pickling for the acceleration of the NaCl content and quality improvement of pork (longissimus dorsi).

BACKGROUND: The pickling process with NaCl is an essential step for pork preservation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different ultrasonic intensities of tri-frequency simultaneous ultrasound (TSIU) pickling on the NaCl content and quality of pork (longissimus dorsi). After 30 min pickling, the NaCl content, moisture content, pickling yield, cooking loss, textural properties, color, pH, moisture migration and distribution as well as microstructure of pork were assessed. RESULTS: Results showed that among all the ultrasonic treatment intensities (85-150 W L-1), the NaCl content of the sample pickled by an intensity of 101.3 W L-1 was higher than that of other intensities. TSIU 101.3 W L-1 showed 59.95% higher NaCl content than the control sample. In addition, the sample treated with TSIU of 101.3 W L-1 had higher pickling yield and moisture content, better textural properties of pork (including hardness and chewiness), and less cooking loss. The results of the low-field nuclear magnetic resonance showed that, compared with the control group, the relaxation time T21 of the ultrasound-assisted pickling samples increased, while the proportion of T22 (A22) reduction ranged from 175.0% to 379.9%. The microstructure designated that the ultrasonic treatment could facilitate changes in meat texture. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound marination of different intensities promoted the diffusion of NaCl and affected the quality of pork tenderloins. The TSIU at 101.3 W L-1 could better accelerate NaCl transport and homogeneous distribution on meat, thereby improving the sample quality. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Towards phenotyping adaptive traits in camels: A study of the influence of hypotonic saline solutions on blood cell area.

Single-humped camels are livestock of physical, physiological, and biochemical adaptations to hot desert environments and to water scarcity. The tolerance of camels to water deprivation and their exceptional capacity for rapid rehydration requires blood cells with membranes of specialized organization and chemical composition. The objectives of this study are to examine the changes in the area (a proxy for volume) of camel blood cells in solutions with decreasing concentrations of NaCl and consequently identify the conditions under which blood cells can be phenotyped in a large population. Whole-blood samples from three healthy adult female camels were treated with four different concentrations of NaCl and examined at six incubation-periods. Observationally, red blood cells in all treatments remained intact and maintained their elliptical shape while white blood cells experienced some damage, lysing at concentrations below 0.90%. Average basal (in 0.90% NaCl) RBC area was ~15 µm² and swelled in the various treatments, in some cases reaching twice its original size. Excluding the damaged cells, the average area of combined WBCs, ~32.7 µm², expanded approximately three times its original size. We find that camel WBCs, like their RBCs, are adapted to hypotonic environments, and are capable of expanding while maintaining their structural integrity.

Shrimp Cultured in Low-Salt Saline-Alkali Water has a Better Amino Acid Nutrition and Umami─Comparison of Flavors between Saline-Alkali Water- and Seawater-Cultured Litopenaeus vannamei.

The advantages of Litopenaeus vannamei farming in saline-alkali water have gradually attracted attention, but few studies have focused on its flavor. In this study, L. vannamei cultured in saline-alkali water (SS) and ordinary seawater (CS) (both have a breeding time of 120 days) were selected for analysis (n = 5). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure free amino acids and flavoring nucleotides in the muscles of L. vannamei, while the taste activity value (TAV) and equivalent umami concentration (EUC) were used to analyze the degree of umami. The total essential amino acids (TEAA) in the SS group were 238.41 ± 46.24 mg/mL, significantly higher than that in the CS group (107.06 ± 15.65 mg/mL). The total amount of flavor nucleotides in the SS group was 2948.51 ± 233.66 µg/mL, significantly higher than those in the CS group (2530.37 ± 114.67 µg/mL). The content and TAV of some free amino acids (Glu, Cys-s) in the SS group were significantly higher. Meanwhile, due to the significant increase in IMP, the synergistic effect of free amino acids and flavored nucleotides leads to higher EUC. The significant separation of SS and CS samples in principal component analysis (PCA) indicates a significant difference between the two groups. Our results indicate that shrimp cultured in saline-alkali water has a stronger umami. This study enriches the basic theories related to the flavor of salt-alkali water crustaceans.

A combination of omics-based analyses to elucidate the effect of NaCl concentrations on the metabolites and microbial dynamics during the ripening fermentation of Pixian-Douban.

The study investigated the effect of different sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (10%, 15%, and 20%) on the ripening fermentation of Pixian-Douban, a traditional fermented condiment. The results showed that NaCl affected the dynamics of physicochemical parameters, volatile components, fatty acids, amino metabolites, organic acids, and microbial composition, and their dynamic modes were different. After 253 days fermentation, the 10% NaCl Pixian-Douban had significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of total organic acids (20,308.25 mg/kg), amino metabolites (28,144.96 mg/kg), and volatiles (3.36 mg/kg) compared to 15% and 20% NaCl Pixian-Douban. Notably, the possible health risk associated with high concentration of biogenic amines in 10% NaCl Pixian-Douban is of concern. Moreover, correlation analyses indicated that the effect of NaCl on the quality of Pixian-Douban may be mainly related to bacteria. This study deepens the knowledge about the role of NaCl in ripening fermentation of Pixian-Douban and contributes to develop low-NaCl Pixian-Douban product.

Unveiling the aromatic differences of low-salt Chinese horse bean-chili-paste using metabolomics and sensomics approaches.

To achieve salt reduction while ensuring flavor quality of Chinese horse bean-chili-paste (CHCP), we comprehensively explored the effect of indigenous strains Tetragenococcus halophilus and Candida versatilis on the aroma profiles of low-salt CHCP by metabolomics and sensomics analysis. A total of 129 volatiles and 34 aroma compounds were identified by GC × GC-MS and GC-O-MS, among which 29 and 20 volatiles were identified as significant difference compounds and aroma-active compounds, respectively. Inoculation with the two indigenous strains could effectively relieve the undesired acidic and irritative flavor brought by acetic acid and some aldehydes in salt-reduction samples. Meanwhile, inoculated fermentation provided more complex and richer volatiles in low-salt batches, especially for the accumulation of 3-methylbutanol, 1-octen-3-ol, benzeneacetaldehyde, phenylethyl alcohol, and 4-ethyl-phenol etc., which were confirmed as essential aroma compounds of CHCP by recombination and omission tests. The research elucidated the feasibility of bioturbation strategy to achieve salt-reducing fermentation of fermented foods.

Could the aroma of spices produce a cross-modal enhancement of food saltiness and contribute to reducing salt intake?

BACKGROUND: As a result of its correlation with cardiovascular diseases, salt intake must be reduced. According to multi-sensory integration, aroma plays an important role in saltiness enhancement; this could enable a food's salt content to be reduced without losing acceptance. We therefore studied the effect of three spices, Curcuma longa, Laurus nobilis L. and Petroselinum crispum L., on saltiness enhancement through sensory tests on consumers. This was followed by olfactometric analysis with the aim of relating the effect to the spices' aromatic composition. RESULTS: According to the odour-induced salty taste enhancement (OISE) mean values, bay leaf and turmeric had the highest effect on saltiness enhancement, at a similar level to dry-cured ham aroma, wherwas parsley had a significantly lower OISE value. Only one odour-active compound (OAC), eugenol, showed a direct correlation with the spices' OISE values. Turmeric primarily had OACs with sweet aroma, whereas bay leaf had more OACs belonging to the spicy-aroma category. CONCLUSION: The three spices, turmeric, bay leaf and parsley, investigated in the present study appear to enhance the salty taste of mashed potato with a low salt content. The results suggest that an interaction effect among OACs with different aromatic ranges may exist. Therefore, when the global OAC modified frequency value, grouped according to aroma range, was considered, the sweet range appears to counteract the effect of the spicy aroma on saltiness. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Salt elicitation to enhance phytochemicals in durum wheat seedlings.

BACKGROUND: Salt has been identified as an elicitor that can increase the accumulation of phytochemicals in seedlings during the germination process. However, the salinity level required to maximize the yield of phytochemicals, particularly phenolic compounds, needs further investigation for several plant species. To address this issue, we imposed increasing levels of salinity (NaCl solutions) on the sprouting substrate of Triticum durum (var. Platone) grains, at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mM (0_S, 50_S, 100_S, 150_S, 200_S, 250_S, and 300_S, respectively). RESULTS: The highest NaCl doses (250_S and 300_S) significantly impacted germination performance and were excluded from further analysis. The seedlings harvested at 8 days after sowing exhibited different growth stages depending on the salinity level: wheatgrass for 0_S, early wheatgrass for 50_S, intermediate between sprout and wheatgrass for 100_S, sprout for 150_S, and very early sprout for 200_S. Furthermore, salinity induced the concentration of phenolic compounds (PhCs) in the seedlings' tissues (i.e., both roots and shoots) in a salinity-dependent manner. The highest values were observed at 200_S, with an increase of 187% of the total investigated PhCs in comparison with 0_S, averaged over shoots and roots. In particular, in 200_S, the accumulation of phenolic acids was up to fourfold higher in roots, and that of flavonoids was up to twofold higher in shoots. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the use of 200 mM NaCl applied to the sprouting substrate is excessive for producing edible sprouts but may be suitable for phytochemical extraction purposes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of the differences between low-salt solid-state fermented soy sauce and high-salt diluted-state fermented soy sauce in China: from taste-active compounds and aroma-active compounds to sensory characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to determine the components related to sensory properties in soy sauce and to characterize the differences between low-salt solid-state fermented soy sauce (LSFSS) and high-salt diluted-state fermented soy sauce (HDFSS). The taste and aroma active components of 18 commercially available soy sauces (eight types of LSFSS and 10 types of HDFSS) were characterized. The relationship between these compounds, soy sauce samples, and sensory properties was modeled by partial least squares regression. RESULTS: The analysis showed that the 11 taste-active components, including glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, threonine, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, reducing sugar and salt, contributed greatly to the taste of soy sauce. In addition, umami, saltiness and sweetness are the characteristic tastes of HDFSS, whereas sourness and bitterness were the characteristic tastes of LSFSS. At the same time, seven aroma-active compounds, namely 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, ethanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethyl acetate, 2-phenethyl alcohol, 3-methyl thiopropanol and 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methylfuran-3-one, played a decisive role in the flavor of soy sauce. In addition, HDFSS presented the aroma attributes of smoky, alcoholic, floral, fruity and caramel-like, whereas LSFSS mainly presented sour and malty aroma attributes. CONCLUSION: The present study reveals new insight into the relationship between the chemical composition and sensory characteristics of soy sauce, which is of great significance for developing an objective measurement system and providing a theoretical basis to improve the sensory quality of soy sauce. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Determination of 14 perfluoroalkyl substances in Chinese mitten crab by multi-plug filtration cleanup coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have become a new food-safety problem. Dietary intake is a major pathway of human exposure to PFASs. Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is a high-end aquaculture product popular among consumers in China. Conventional extraction methods for PFASs are cumbersome and time consuming, and result in incomplete purification; thus, this technique does not meet the requirements for PFAS detection. Herein, an analytical strategy was established for the rapid detection of 14 PFASs in Chinese mitten crab based on multi-plug filtration cleanup (m-PFC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The carbon-chain length of the 14 PFASs analyzed in this study ranged from 4 to 14, and they are perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluoro-n-pentanoic acid (PFPeA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA), perfluoro-1-butane sulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluoro-1-hexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoro-1-octane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluoro-1-decanesulfonate (PFDS). The m-PFC column was prepared using carboxy-based multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and used to reduce the interference of sample impurities. The samples were extracted with 5 mL of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution, 15 mL of acetonitrile and extraction salt (2 g Na2SO4 and 2 g NaCl). The supernatant (10 mL) was purified using the m-PFC column, concentrated to near dryness under nitrogen, and then redissolved in 1 mL of methanol. Finally, the sample solution was filtered through a 0.22 µm polypropylene syringe filter for UPLC-MS/MS analysis. The target analytes were separated using a Shimadzu Shim-pack G1ST-C18 chromatographic column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 2 µm) using methanol (A) and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution (B) as the mobile phases via gradient elution. The linear gradient program were as follows: 0-0.5 min, 10%A-35%A; 0.5-3 min, 35%A-60%A; 3-5 min, 60%A-100%A; 5-6.5 min, 100%A; 6.5-7 min, 100%A-10%A. The target analytes were analyzed using negative electrospray ionization in multiple-reaction monitoring mode, and quantitative analysis was performed using the internal standard method. In this study, we optimized the mobile-phase system as well as the extraction solvent, time, volume, and salt. The 14 PFASs exhibited good peak shapes and sensitivities when the 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution-methanol system was used as the mobile phase. Compared with acetonitrile or methanol alone, the extraction efficiencies of the 14 PFASs were significantly improved when 5 mL of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution was added, followed by 15 mL of acetonitrile. The extraction efficiencies of the 14 PFASs did not differ significantly when the extraction time was within 3-15 min. The extraction salt (MgSO4, Na2SO4, NaCl, (NH4)2SO4, and Na2SO4+NaCl) significantly affected the extraction efficiencies of the 14 PFASs. The highest extraction efficiencies of the 14 PFASs, which ranged from 47.9% to 121.9%, were obtained when Na2SO4+NaCl was used as the extraction salt. Under the optimal experimental conditions, good linearities (R2=0.998-0.999) were obtained for seven PFASs (PFBS, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFDA, PFDoDA, PFTeDA) at 0.10-100 µg/L, and seven PFASs (PFBA, PFPeA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFUnDA, PFDS) at 0.50-100 µg/L. The average spiked recoveries for the 14 PFASs in Chinese mitten crabs at three levels ranged from 73.1% to 120%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) in the range of 1.68%-19.5%(n=6). The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) of the 14 PFASs were in the range of 0.03-0.15 and 0.10-0.50 µg/kg, respectively. The developed method was applied to the analysis of crab samples collected from three farms in Shanghai, and PFASs with total concentrations of 3.52-37.77 µg/kg were detected in all samples. The detection frequencies for PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFTeDA, and PFOS were 100%. PFDA, PFUnDA, PFOS, and PFDoDA were the most abundant congeners, accounting for 31.2%, 30.6%, 15.0%, and 10.9%, respectively, of the 14 PFASs detected. The proposed method is simple, efficient, accurate, and suitable for the rapid analysis of 14 PFASs in Chinese mitten crabs.

Determination of polyfluoroalkyl substances in cosmetic products using dispersed liquid-liquid extraction coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS.

Human exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) via cosmetics has been of increasing concern due to the tremendous detrimental health impacts of PFASs. Developing an effective method for extracting and determining PFASs in cosmetics is crucial in accurately assessing their corresponding human exposure risk. Herein, this study developed a new sample pre-treatment method to address the challenges posed by the variety and complexity of cosmetic matrices. Seventeen PFASs in cosmetic products, including 9 perfluoro carboxylic acids and 8 perfluorosulfonic acids, were simultaneously determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The whole pre-treatment process can be divided into three steps. In step 1, cosmetics with diverse matrix types can be effectively dispersed during extraction by using saturated sodium chloride-acetonitrile and saturated sodium chloride-tetrahydrofuran as extraction solvents. In step 2, the pre-purification step employs a potassium ferrocyanide-zinc acetate co-precipitant to remove high molecular weight interferents from the extraction solution, thereby enhancing the efficiency of solid-phase extraction (SPE). In step 3, WAX-SPE is utilized to further eliminate interferents from the extraction solution while concentrating the analytes, meeting the trace analysis requirements for PFASs in cosmetics. The method detection limits were 0.09-0.26 ng g-1. The recoveries ranged from 70.1% to 114.7%, with relative standard deviations in the range of 2.0-19.1%. The method was applied to cosmetic samples in the Guangzhou market, and the total concentration of PFASs ranged from 0 to 10.8 ng g-1. This method has strong anti-interference ability, good applicability, high sensitivity, and good reproducibility, making it suitable for the analysis and detection of perfluorinated acids in cosmetic samples. It provides technical support for cosmetics safety regulation.

Salinigranum marinum sp. nov. and Halohasta salina sp. nov., halophilic archaea isolated from sediment of a marine saltern and inland saline soil.

Two halophilic archaeal strains, ZS-10T and GSL13T, were isolated from the Zhoushan marine saltern in Zhejiang, and an inland saline soil from the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, PR China, respectively. The cells of strain ZS-10T were pleomorphic while those of strain GSL13T were rod-shaped. Both of them stained Gram-negative and formed red-pigmented colonies on agar plates and their cells lysed in distilled water. The optimum growth of strain ZS-10T was observed at 40 °C, 3.4 M NaCl, 0.03 M MgCl2 and pH 7.5, while that of strain GSL13T was at 37 °C, 3.1 M NaCl, 0.5 M MgCl2 and pH 7.5. Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses indicated that these two strains were related to Salinigranum and Halohasta, respectively. Strains ZS-10T and GSL13T could be differentiated from the current members of Salinigranum and Halohasta based on the comparison of diverse phenotypic characteristics. The average amino acid identity, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values among strain ZS-10T and current species of Salinigranum were 75.8-78.6 %, 80.6-81.9 % and 24.3-26.1 %, respectively. These values between strain GSL13T and current species of Halohasta were 78.4-80.8 %, 79.8-82.8% and 22.7-25.7 %, respectively, clearly below the threshold values for species demarcation. The polar lipids of strain ZS-10T were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me) and sulphated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-DGD-1), while those of strain GSL13T were phosphatidic acid, PG, PGP-Me, phosphatidylglycerol sulphate and S-DGD-1. The polar lipid profile of strain GSL13T was identical to those of Halohasta, whereas strain ZS-10T did not contain the minor glycolipids detected in the current Salinigranum species. The phenotypic, phylogenetic and genome-based results suggested that strains ZS-10T (=CGMCC 1.12868T=JCM 30241T) and GSL13T (=CGMCC 1.15214T=JCM 30841T) represent two novel species, for which the names Salinigranum marinum sp. nov. and Halohasta salina sp. nov. are proposed.

Smart control of soil water and salt content for improving irrigation management of tomato crop field: Kairouan area.

A good assessment of soil water and salt content is required for sustainable irrigation with brackish/saline water. The use of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been initiated for the tomato crop (Savera variety) as part of the PRIMA MEDITOMATO project. An experiment was carried out between February and June 2022 at a farmer's site. For continuous soil water and salt content assessment, TEROS (11/12) probes were implemented at depths of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 cm. The data logging process was performed by a ZL6 device and delivered by the ZENTRA Cloud web application (METER GROUPE Company). For the accuracy of the introduced sensors, calibration tests were first processed. Results of the calibration of the probes in the laboratory and in situ showed linear relationships between the humidity values measured by ZL6 (θZL6) and those determined by the gravimetric method, with high correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.86 and 0.96, respectively. There were also strong linear relationships between the ECbulk(ZL6) and the ECe measured on saturated paste extract with high correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.96 and 0.95. Corrected data, according to the determined linear regression equations, present the real-time assessment of soil water and salt content over the entire growth stage of tomatoes. The results of this monitoring showed that soil water content remained close to its status at field capacity (32%) at the beginning of the assessment and increased with the intensification of irrigation, reaching 46 and 54% at 20 and 30 cm, respectively, around mid-April. The salinity level was greater with depth. Indeed, it was low in topsoil with the increase in irrigation frequency and higher at 30 and 60 cm toward the end of the tomato cycle. According to this study, real-time data given by ZENTRA Cloud allows us to adjust irrigation management on time.

Interventional effect of compound sugar and salt on the thermal instability behavior of liquid egg yolk.

In this study, the influence of compound sugar (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, and arabinose) and compound sugar and salt (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, arabinose, and NaCl) on the thermal stability of heat-treated liquid egg yolk was explored. The results showed that the addition of 4% compound sugar or 4% compound sugar salt could significantly enhance the heat resistance of liquid egg yolk and increase the denaturation temperature of liquid egg yolk to above 77°C. Moreover, the addition of sugar and salt could improve the functional properties of liquid egg yolk to varying degrees, allowing it to maintain excellent emulsification and soluble protein content after heat treatment. Further analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the increase in α-helix content in liquid egg yolk treated with sugar salt also contributes to improving the thermal stability of egg yolk. The method of inhibiting egg yolk aggregation caused by heat treatment provided in this study provides a selective method and theoretical basis for the commercial production of heat-resistant liquid egg yolk.

Regional distribution and diversity of Aspergillus and Penicillium species on Croatian traditional meat products.

Various factors, such as weather and production practices (e.g., environmental hygiene, process duration, raw material quality, ripening temperature, and relative humidity), in combination with the intrinsic product properties (e.g., pH, aw, salt content), significantly affect the growth of surface moulds. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify surface moulds retrieved from traditional meat products (TMPs) and correlate these data to the production region and production technology. The surface of 250 TMPs (dry-fermented sausages, n = 108; dry-cured meat products, n = 142) from five Croatian regions were sampled during a two-year period. Dry-fermented sausages had a significantly higher pH and a lower salt concentration when compared to dry-cured meat products. In total, 528 isolates were obtained, comprising 20 Penicillium and 17 Aspergillus species. The species most frequently isolated from the dry-fermented sausages were P. commune (32.4 %), A. proliferans (33 %), and P. solitum (14.8 %), while A. proliferans (52.1 %), P. commune (28.9 %) and P. citrinum (19.7 %) predominated in dry-cured meat products. Aspergillus predominated on the TMPs from southern Croatia, while Penicillium was prevalent on products from the other four regions, possibly due to differences in weather conditions. Seven potentially mycotoxigenic species (A. creber, A. flavus, A. niger, A. westerdijkiae, P. citrinum, P. commune, and P. nordicum) were isolated and identified. Regular monitoring of mould species and their toxigenic metabolites present on traditional meat products is of the utmost importance from the public health perspective, while the results of such a monitoring can prove beneficial for the tailoring of the production technology development.

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) kernel oil bodies recovered by aqueous extraction for utilization as ingredient in food emulsions: Exploration of their microstructure, composition and the effects of homogenization, pH, and salt ions on their physical stability.

Natural oil-in-water emulsions containing plant oil bodies (OBs), also called oleosomes, rich in health-promoting omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 PUFA) are of increasing interest for food applications. In this study, we focused on walnut kernel OBs (WK-OBs) and explored their microstructure, composition and physical stability in ionic environments as well as the impact of homogenization. A green process involving aqueous extraction by grinding of WK allowed the co-extraction of OBs and proteins, and centrifugation was used to recover the WK-OBs. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images showed the spherical shape of WK-OBs with an oil core envelopped by a layer of phospholipids (0.16 % of lipids) and embedded proteins. Their mean diameter was 5.1 ± 0.3 µm. The WK-OBs contained 70.1 % PUFA with 57.8 % ω6 linoleic acid and 12.3 % ω3 α-linolenic acid representing 68 % and 11.6 % of the total fatty acids in the sn-2 position of the triacylglycerols (TAG), respectively. Trilinolein was the main TAG (23.1 %). The WK-OBs also contained sterols (1223 ± 33 mg/kg lipids; 86 % ß-sitosterol), carotenoids (0.62 ± 0.01 mg/kg lipids; 49.2 % ß-carotene), and tocopherols (322.7 ± 7.7 mg/kg lipids; 89 % γ-tocopherol), confirming their interest as health-promoting ingredients. The decrease in the size of WK-OBs under high-pressure homogenization avoided phase separation upon storage. The anionic WK-OB surface at neutral pH was affected by stressful ionic environments (pH, NaCl, CaCl2), that induced aggregation of WK-OBs and decreased the physical stability of the emulsions. Emulsions containing WK-OBs are promising to diversify the market of the ω3-rich plant-based food products and beverages.

Effect and mechanism of DC magnetic field combined with calcium chloride on saltiness and flavor enhancement of low salt pork gel.

This study intended to investigate the synergistic effect of direct current magnetic field (DC-MF) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) on improving the saltiness and quality of pork gel and to explore the potential adjustment mechanisms involved. Pork mince was subjected to low-salt treatment of DC-MF for 3 h (T1), CaCl2 substitution (T2) or DC-MF combined with CaCl2 (T3) respectively under high and low salt controls (HC and LC). Heat-induced gels of pork mince were prepared and analyzed in terms of gel texture, saltiness perception, moisture status, salt release and protein structure. Results indicated that DC-MF combined with CaCl2 treatment could reduce the addition of sodium chloride by 5% while maintaining the saltiness and overall acceptability of mince as well as improving its texture and yield. Further studies revealed that DC-MF in concert with CaCl2 treatment could not only increase the moisture content of mince gel, but also enhance saltiness perception by causing gel matrix to release salt-bearing juices under external forces. The energy spectrum analysis also illustrated that co-treatment technique could avoid the salt loss of minced meat during cooking process. Finally, a possible potential regulatory mechanism was speculated that the synergistic action of DC-MF and CaCl2 could alter the gel texture and sodium salt availability by modifying protein conformation and inducing a competitive binding reaction site for calcium and sodium ions. In conclusion, synergistic treatment by DC-MF and CaCl2 was a potential strategy in meat salt reduction.