Effect of Cadherin-11 Expression on the Prognosis of a Newly Diagnosed Primary Glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Cadherin-11, a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule, is associated with higher tumor grade and decreased patient survival. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of cadherin-11 expression in the progression and prognosis of a newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma (GBL). METHODS: Between 2007 and 2016, 52 out of 178 patients diagnosed with a GBL and satisfied the following criteria: 1) a new primary GBL, 2) gross-total resection, 3) immunohistochemically-available tissue, and 4) standardized adjuvant treatment. RESULTS: In terms of staining intensity, the low-intensity cadherin-11 group showed longer progression-free survival (PFS) than the high-intensity cadherin-11 group (median PFS, 12.0 months [95% CI, 11.1-12.9] vs. median PFS, 6.0 months [95% CI, 3.7-8.3]; p<0.001). The low-intensity cadherin-11 group revealed longer overall survival (OS) than the high-intensity cadherin-11 group (median OS, 20.0 months [95% CI, 11.8-16.6] vs. median OS, 15.0 months [95% CI, 11.8-18.2]; p=0.003). The staining intensity of cadherin-11 was a statistically significant factor in PFS and OS in terms of univariate and multivariate analyses (univariate analysis: p<0.001 and p=0.005; multivariate analysis: p<0.001 and p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Our clinical study demonstrates high cadherin-11 expression may be associated with poor PFS and OS for a newly diagnosed primary GBL.

Investigation of Physicochemical and Sensory Quality Differences in Pork Belly and Shoulder Butt Cuts with Different Quality Grades.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of quality grade (QG) on the physicochemical composition and eating quality attributes of pork belly and shoulder butt. Seventy-two growing-finishing crossbred pigs were slaughtered and their carcasses were graded according to the Korean pork carcass grading system. Based on the grading criteria, the carcasses were classified into: QG 1+ (n=23), QG 1 (n=23) and QG 2 (n=26) groups. At 24 h postmortem, belly and shoulder butt cuts were collected from the QG groups and used for analysis of meat quality, flavor compounds and eating quality attributes. Results showed that the variation in fat content among QG was approximately 2% in the both cut types. The QG showed no effects on all the quality traits: cooking loss, pH and color of the belly or shoulder butt (p>0.05). Thirty-five flavor compounds comprising mainly fatty acids oxidation/degradation-derived products (e.g., aldehydes) and only few Maillard reaction-derived products (e.g., sulfur-and nitrogen-containing compounds) were identified. However, the QG showed a minor effect on the flavor profiles in both the belly and shoulder butt. Regarding the sensory quality, no effects of the QG were found on all the eating quality attributes (color, flavor, juiciness, tenderness and acceptability) for both the belly and shoulder butt cuts (p>0.05). Thus, it may be concluded that the current pork carcass grading standards do not reflect the real quality and value of the belly and shoulder butt cuts.

Clinical significance of vitamin D in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

BACKGROUND: Although recent studies show vitamin D deficiency is associated with cognitive decline, urinary incontinence, and gait instability, there has been no study on the effect of vitamin D on idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) characterized by the classic symptom triad of cognitive decline, urinary incontinence, and gait instability. We investigated the clinical significance of vitamin D in patients with iNPH. METHODS: Between 2017 and 2020, 44 patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery were divided into low (< 15 ng/mL) and high (≥ 15 ng/mL) vitamin D groups according to the concentration of 25(OH)D, an effective indicator of vitamin D status. They were respectively evaluated according to clinical and radiological findings. RESULTS: The low vitamin D group (n = 24) showed lower preoperative cognition compared to the high vitamin D group (n = 20) in terms of Korean-Mini Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE) and iNPH grading scale (iNPHGS) (K-MMSE: 20.5 ± 5.4 versus 24.0 ± 4.5, p = 0.041; iNPHGS cognitive score: 2 ± 0.9 versus 1 ± 0.6, p = 0.025). And the low vitamin D group showed pre- and postoperatively more severe urinary incontinence (preoperative iNPHGS urinary score: 1 ± 1.0 versus 0 ± 0.9, p = 0.012; postoperative iNPHGS urinary score:1 ± 1.0 versus 0 ± 0.9, p = 0.014). The score of narrow high-convexity sulci for the low vitamin D group was lower (low vitamin D group: 1 ± 0.7 versus high vitamin D group: 2 ± 0.4, p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Lower concentration of vitamin D in iNPH may be related to lower preoperative cognition, pre- and postoperative urinary incontinence, and brain morphological change.

Meat quality characteristics of pork bellies in relation to fat level.

OBJECTIVE: Pork belly is considered as the most commercially important and preferable primal cut by consumers worldwide. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the effects of fat levels on the meat quality characteristics of pork bellies. METHODS: Seventy-eight growing-finishing pigs collected from different commercial pig farms were slaughtered and used in the present study. After slaughter 24 h, bellies were fabricated according to the Korean Pork Cutting Specification, and immediately sampled for analysis of their fat content. Based on the fat levels, the bellies were segregated into three different groups: low fat (LF, fat ≤20%, n = 15), medium fat (MF, fat 21% to 30%, n = 30), and high fat (HF, fat ≥31%, n = 33). The bellies were then analyzed for meat quality traits, fatty acids, flavor compounds and eating quality properties. RESULTS: The HF group had lower moisture and cooking loss levels compared to the other groups (p<0.05). The LF group presented higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to the other groups (p<0.05). The LF group showed higher amounts of the Maillard reaction-derived flavor compounds (e.g., 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethyl, and 4-methylthiazole) associated with meaty and roasty flavors whereas, the HF group showed higher amounts of oleic acid- derived compounds (e.g., nonanal and octanal) associated with the fatty and oily flavors. Interestingly, significantly higher scores for all the eating quality attributes (flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and overall acceptance) were found in the HF group compared to those in the LF or MF group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The high-fat bellies (fat ≥31%) had a better technological quality and eating quality compared to the low-fat bellies (fat ≤20%). Thus, increasing the fat content may improve the technological quality and eating quality traits of pork bellies, however, this increase may also result in more trimmed loss due to excessively deposited body fat.

Back-fat thickness as a primary index reflecting the yield and overall acceptance of pork meat.

Predicting aspects of lean meat yield and eating quality of pork based on some particular carcass traits become increasingly important from an economic profitability point of view. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the back-fat (BF) thickness with lean meat yield and meat quality traits of crossbred pigs. A total of 220 crossbred pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) ♀ × Duroc ♂] reared under identical conditions and harvested at 180 days old were slaughtered and screened for BF thickness. Four BF thickness groups: 12-15, 16-20, 21-25, and 26-30 mm were classified, and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles from these groups were used to analyze meat quality characteristics. Results showed that increasing BF thickness decreased the lean meat yield and loin lean area. Increasing BF thickness up to 26-30 mm increased intramuscular fat content and pH of LD muscles. The LD muscles of the thicker BF (21-30 mm) groups received significantly higher flavor, juiciness, and overall acceptability scores than those of the thinner back-fat (12-20 mm) groups. Overall, when all the pre-harvest factors are kept the same, BF thickness could be considered as a primary index for predicting lean meat yield, and the minimal back-fat thickness of 21-30 mm is required to improve the overall acceptability of pork meat.

Relationship between body size traits and carcass traits with primal cuts yields in Hanwoo steers.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between body size traits, carcass traits, and primal cuts in Hanwoo steers. METHODS: Sixty-one beef carcasses were classified for conformation and primal cut weight. Additionally, carcass weight, fat thickness, carcass dimensions, and longissimus muscle area were determined to complement the grading. RESULTS: The average live weight and cold carcass weight were 759 and 469 kg, respectively. The mean carcass meat, fat, and bone proportions were 551, 298, and 151 g/kg, respectively. Primal cuts weights showed significant positive correlations (p<0.001) of 0.42 to 0.82 with live weight, carcass weight, and longissimus muscle area and a significant negative correlation with carcass fat (without shank, -0.38 to -0.10). Primal cut weights were positively correlated (p<0.01) with carcass length (0.41 to 0.77), forequarter length (0.33 to 0.57), 6th lumbar vertebrae-heel length (0.33 to 0.59), 7th cervical vertebrae carcass breadth (0.35 to 0.58), 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae breadth (0.36 to 0.65), 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth (0.38 to 0.63), and coxae girth (0.34 to 0.56) and non-significantly related to cervical vertebrae length and coxae thickness. CONCLUSION: There was a high correlation among live weight, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, carcass length, 7th cervical vertebrae carcass breadth, 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae breadth, and 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth of the primal cuts yield. The correlation between fat and primal cut yields was highly significant and negative. Carcass length and 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth, appear to be the most important traits affecting primal cut yields.

Comparison of Tastes-Related Components and Eating Quality between Hanwoo Steer and Cow Longissimus thoracis Muscles.

The objective of this study was to compare tastes-related components and eating quality properties between Hanwoo steer and cow meats. Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscles with same quality grade (1+ grade) collected from left sides of the steer and cow carcasses were used for analyses of technological quality traits, free amino acids (FAAs), metabolites, nucleotides, fatty acids and sensory attributes. there were no differences occurring in the chemical composition (fat, protein, moisture and collagen) and technological quality traits (cooking loss, water holding capacity, shear force and color) between the two beef types (p>0.05). The cow meat exhibited significantly higher amounts of some FAAs associated with umami (e.g., glutamic acid and lysine), sweetness (e.g., proline and glutamic acid) and saltiness (e.g., histidine and glutamic acid) compared to the steer meat (p<0.05). Regarding the nucleotides, no differences occurred in all the identified nucleotides between the two beef types (p>0.05). A total of 27 metabolites were identified, however, only some compounds (e.g., acetate, creatine, creatinine, glucose and inosine, etc.) showed their significantly higher amounts in the cow meat compared with those in the steer meat (p<0.05). In terms of sensory aspects, the panelists found no differences in scores of all the eating quality traits between the two sex types of beef (p>0.05). Overall, excepts some variations in tastes-active compounds, there were no differences in the quality characteristics in general and eating quality in particular between the cow and steer meats when they were in the same quality grade.

Metabolomics Analysis of the Beef Samples with Different Meat Qualities and Tastes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the meat metabolite profiles related to differences in beef quality attributes (i.e., high-marbled and low-marbled groups) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The beef of different marbling scores showed significant differences in water content and fat content. High-marbled meat had mainly higher taste compounds than low-marbled meat. Metabolite analysis showed differences between two marbling groups based on partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Metabolites identified by PLS-DA, such as N,N-dimethylglycine, creatine, lactate, carnosine, carnitine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, betaine, glycine, glucose, alanine, tryptophan, methionine, taurine, tyrosine, could be directly linked to marbling groups. Metabolites from variable importance in projection plots were identified and estimated high sensitivity as candidate markers for beef quality attributes. These potential markers were involved in beef taste-related pathways including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Among these metabolites, carnosine, creatine, glucose, and lactate had significantly higher in high-marbled meat compared to low-marbled meat (p<0.05). Therefore, these results will provide an important understanding of the roles of taste-related metabolites in beef quality attributes. Our findings suggest that metabolomics analysis of taste compounds and meat quality may be a powerful method for the discovery of novel biomarkers underlying the quality of beef products.

Comparison of Storage Stability, Volatile Compounds and Sensory Properties between Coarsely-and Finely-Marbled 1+ Grade Hanwoo Beef Loins.

This study aimed at comparing the storage stability, fatty acids profile, volatile flavor compounds and eating quality of Hanwoo beef longissimus thoracis (LT) muscles between two marbling morphological groups (fineness and coarseness). The 1+ grade Hanwoo LT muscles were measured for marbling fleck morphology at the 13th thoracic vertebrae location by using computerized image analysis. Results reveal that both marbling groups had similar proximate composition (protein, fat, moisture and collagen), color and technological quality traits (p>0.05). However, the coarse marbling group presented greater C18:2n6 and polyunsaturated fatty acids contents compared to the fine marbling group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the fine marbling group presented lower volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) contents compared to the coarse marbling group after 14 d storage (p<0.05). Also, higher amounts of C18:2n6 oxidation-derived volatile compounds such as hexanal and 3-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-hexadiene, were found in the coarse marbling group. In term of sensory aspects, the finely-marbled group received higher scores of flavor and taste compared to the coarse marbling group (p<0.05). Overall, the marbling flecks morphology partially showed its effects on the storage stability, fatty acids profile and eating quality of the 1+ grade Hanwoo beef LT muscle.

Effect of Indocyanine Green and Infrared Diode Laser to Streptococcus mutans Biofilms.

Objective: The aim of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the effects of the indocyanine green (ICG)-near-infrared (NIR) photoreaction on Streptococcus mutans biofilms. Background: ICG recently emerged as a photosensitive agent for photodynamic therapy. Although the effects of ICG-NIR on S. mutans inhibition are documented, little is known about its influence on biofilms, which are resistant to antimicrobial treatment and a major cause of plaque that leads to dental caries. Methods: ICG was used as a photosensitizer with a diode laser irradiated in a rectangular shape (810 nm, 300 mW) as a light source on S. mutans ATCC 25175 biofilms. Viability was determined by the colony forming unit (CFU) count and confocal laser-scanning microscopy. The biofilm surface temperature was measured with a one-channel thermocouple thermometer. Results: ICG and NIR diode laser significantly decreased the CFU count of S. mutans compared with the control group in a time-dependent manner. When irradiated with light after ICG application, temperature changes of 8.4°C, 12.4°C, and 14.9°C were observed with 10, 30, and 60 sec of irradiation, respectively. Conclusions: The ICG-NIR diode laser photoreaction can inhibit S. mutans biofilms, especially at 60 sec. An optimized protocol is needed for clinical application of ICG-NIR diode laser treatment.

Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics analysis and characteristics of beef in different fattening periods.

Beef quality is influenced by the fattening period. Therefore, meat metabolomics profiles from the different fattening periods (e.g., short-term vs. long-term) were analyzed for identify potential indicators using nuclear magnetic resonance. Additionally, blood, free fatty acid, sensory, and mineral compositions in Korean steers were determined. Blood, free fatty acid, and mineral concentrations showed significant differences between short-term and long-term groups that were fed different diets. However, there were no sensory differences in the two fattening groups. Additionally, the metabolic profiles of meats were clearly separated based on multivariate orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis. Six metabolites of variable importance in the projection plot were identified and showed high sensitivity as candidate markers for meat characteristics. In particular, lactate, carnosine, and creatine could be directly linked to scientific indicators of the fattening stage (31 vs. 28 mo) of meat. Our findings suggest that the metabolomics approach could be a powerful method for the detection of novel signatures underlying the managing period of beef.

Effect of Photodynamic Therapy on Multispecies Biofilms, Including Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, and Candida albicans.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on multispecies oral caries biofilms composed of Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, and Candida albicans. Background: The abovementioned microorganisms largely cause dental caries, especially early childhood caries (ECC), by synthesizing of acids in the presence of sugar. PDT is considered an effective process to remove oral biofilms, and erythrosine, an oral bacterial disclosing agent, is an ideal dye that can be used as a photosensitizer in PDT. However, until now, there are no studies that have reported the effect of erythrosine-mediated PDT on biofilms, including the three microorganisms. Methods: The biofilms were formed on hydroxyapatite discs, and erythrosine was used as the photosensitizer, diluted to a concentration of 40 µM for 3 min. Light was irradiated for 10 and 20 sec using a blue light-emitting diode dental curing light. After the experiment, the colony-forming units of each microbial group cultured on blood agar plates were counted, and a confocal laser-scanning microscope was used to evaluate the effect of PDT. Results: The counts of all three microorganisms significantly decreased in the PDT group compared with those in the control group. For S. mutans and L. casei, there was a larger decrease proportional to the amount of energy irradiated. Conclusions: Overall, PDT showed a significant antimicrobial effect against oral biofilms composed of the three microorganisms, suggesting its potential clinical application for infants with ECC.

Effect of various polishing burs on surface roughness and bacterial adhesion in pediatric zirconia crowns.

To evaluate the effect of various polishing points on surface roughness of pediatric zirconia crowns and to correlate findings with bacterial adhesion. Zirconia discs (n=40) were fabricated and divided into five groups according to point type used to roughen and polish: I (negative control [not roughened]); II (positive control [roughened]); and III-V, representing three commercially available point brands. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopy were used to assess surface roughness. The number of colony forming units were counted after biofilm formation. A statistically significant difference was found in surface roughness and bacterial adhesion between the positive control and the other four groups, with no difference between negative control and the three point groups. Surface roughness and bacterial adhesion were significantly and positively correlated. Surface roughness and bacterial adhesion in pediatric zirconia crowns were not significantly different from other materials regardless of polishing system.

Live weights at slaughter significantly affect the meat quality and flavor components of pork meat.

One-hundred-twenty crossbred pigs finished at 175-185 days of age were used to investigate the effects of live weights at slaughter on the meat quality, volatile flavor compounds, and sensory attributes of pork meat. Based on the live weights at slaughter, three weight groups (n = 36 per group) were classified as follows: light weight (LW: 100 kg), medium weight (MW: 110 kg), and heavy weight (HW: 120 kg). After slaughter, longissimus dorsi muscle samples were taken and used for the analyses of aforementioned parameters. The HW group had higher fat content and water holding capacity compared to the LW or MW group (p < 0.05). The HW group also showed higher levels for majority of unsaturated fatty acids and total polyunsaturated fatty acids than the LW group (p < 0.05). The slaughter weight significantly affected the amounts of 11 among the 47 flavor compounds identified. Significantly higher amounts of fatty acids oxidation-derived flavor compounds (aldehydes) were found in the HW group than in the other groups. Noticeably, increasing slaughter weight was associated with higher sensorial scores for flavor, juiciness, and acceptance scores (p < 0.05). Based on the obtained results, 120 kg body weight is recommended as the market weight for this commercial breed without compromising the meat quality.

The fates of microbial populations on pig carcasses during slaughtering process, on retail cuts after slaughter, and intervention efficiency of lactic acid spraying.

This study was conducted to detect and identify microbial populations on pig carcasses at different slaughtering stages and on retail pork cuts at 24 h after slaughter as well as to evaluate the intervention efficiency of sprays containing different concentrations (2% and 4%) of lactic acid. The sprays were applied to the carcass surfaces at the end of the slaughter line. Microbial samples were collected from carcass surfaces after bleeding and after eviscerating, and from retail cuts at 24 h after chilling/spraying. The detected microorganisms were identified through using a Microflex identification instrument and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The diversity of the bacterial genera; Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Enterococci, Escherichia, Acinetobacter and Corynebacterium spp. showed counts ranging from 2.70 to 4.91 log10 cfu/100 cm2 on the carcasses during slaughter. Most of these genera were also detected on the carcasses after 24 h of chilling. Three species (Staphylococcus hyicus, Acinetobacter albensis, and Corynebacterium xerosis) were also found on the retail cuts of non-sprayed carcasses but not on those of the sprayed groups. Significantly greater reductions in all bacterial species were observed on the carcasses and retail cuts that were sprayed with lactic acid, particularly at the 4% level. Thus, spraying with 4% lactic acid may be an effective intervention for controlling bacterial contamination on pig carcasses to improve the microbiological safety of pork meat.

Lactobacillus plantarum (KACC 92189) as a Potential Probiotic Starter Culture for Quality Improvement of Fermented Sausages.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fermenting temperature on the applicability of Lactobacillusplantarum for production of fermented sausages as starter cultures, and its applicable efficiency was also compared with those inoculated with commercial starter culture or non-inoculated control. The L. plantarum isolated from a naturally-fermented meat, identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and again identified by denovo Assembly Analysis method was used as a starter culture. Six treatments: 3 with L. plantarum at different fermenting temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C), and other 3 treatments (1 with commercial starter culture, 1 with its mixture with L. plantarum and 1 non-inoculated control) fermented under the same conditions (25°C) were prepared. Results revealed that the fermenting temperature considerably affected the pH change in samples added with L. plantarum; the highest pH drop rate (1.57 unit) was obtained on the samples fermented at 30°C, followed by those at 25°C (1.3 unit) and 20°C (0.99 unit) after 4 days fermentation. Increasing the temperature up to 30°C resulted in significantly lower spoilage bacteria count (5.15 log CFU/g) and lipid oxidation level in the products inoculated with L. plantarum. The sensory analysis also showed that the samples added with L. plantarum at 30°C had significantly higher odor, taste and acceptability scores than those fermented at lower temperatures. Under the same processing condition, although the L. plantarum showed slightly lower acidification than the commercial starter culture, however, it significantly improved the eating quality of the product.

Comparison of Drying Yield, Meat Quality, Oxidation Stability and Sensory Properties of Bone-in Shell Loin Cut by Different Dry-aging Conditions.

This study aimed to investigate the drying yield, meat quality, oxidation stability and sensory properties of Hanwoo beef loin subjected to different dry-aging conditions. A total of 54 Hanwoo beef loins (bone-in, 6th-13th ribs) with fat cover at 2 d postmortem were assigned to four groups and hung in a dry-aging room at a controlled temperature (2℃-4℃), humidity (65%-85%) and air velocity (3 m/s). Four treatment conditions were tested; the respective temperature, humidity and treatment duration are as follows: T1, 2℃, 85%, 60 d; T2, 2℃, 65%, 20 d+2℃, 75%, 20 d+4℃, 85%, 20 d; T3, 2℃, 75%, 20 d+4℃, 85%, 40 d; T4, 4℃, 85%, 60 d. The drying yield, total aerobic counts and fat contents increased, whereas the moisture content, meat color (CIE L*, a*, and b*), and Warner-Bratzler shear force values decreased significantly during the aging period for all treatments (p<0.05). The cooking loss (%) did not change significantly until 40 d, and it was significantly higher in T1 and T4 than in T2 and T3 at 60 d (p<0.05). The water-holding capacity, pH and lipid oxidation [thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values] increased during aging (p<0.05). The sensory scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall acceptability of dry-aged loin muscles increased as the aging period increased. T2 and T3 had significantly higher sensory scores and T1 had significantly lower scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall acceptability at 20, 40, and 60 d for loin muscles (p<0.05).

The effects of pre-and post-slaughter spray application with organic acids on microbial population reductions on beef carcasses.

As an attempt to control bacterial cross-contamination of beef carcasses, in the present investigation acetic acid and lactic acid (3% v/v) were used for bacterial decontamination. For the decontamination, cows were sprayed with each above acid at two different stages; (i) on live animal's hides, (ii) on carcass surfaces immediately after slaughter. Microbiological samples were taken on different hide areas of animals before spraying and on carcass surfaces at 24h after spraying. Meat quality traits were also analyzed on the sprayed animals. The detected microorganisms were identified using 16SrRNA gene sequencing. A diversity of bacterial species such as Staphylococcus, Shigella, Bacillus, Escherichia and Salmonella etc. were found on both external hide and carcass surface samples. The decontamination sprays significantly reduced the numbers (2-5 log unit) of all aforementioned bacterial species on carcass surfaces as compared with non-sprayed control. Thus, the two times-spray applications with the acid could be an effective tool for reducing bacterial cross-contaminations of beef carcass without adverse effect on meat quality.

Effects of Additions of Monascus and Laccaic acid on the Color and Quality Properties of Nitrite-Free Emulsion Sausage during Refrigerated Storage.

This effect of Monascus and Laccaic acid on the chemical composition, physical, texture and sensory properties of sausage were investigated during storage. Eight treatments (T) of sausage such as T1 (12 ppm sodium nitrite), while T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T7 were formulated with different ratios of Monascus/Laccaic acid: 63/7.0, 108/12, 135/15, 59.5/10.5, 102/18 and 127.5/22.5 ppm, respectively. The batch formulated without nitrite or Monascus and laccaic acid was served as control (C). The control sausages had higher pH values compared to the treated ones at 3, 10 and 28 d storage (p<0.05). After 10 d storage, the pH values decreased in treated sausage samples (p<0.05). The T1 and T4 presented the lowest yellowness and lightness values, respectively over the storage period. The redness values were increased as increasing Monascus and Laccaic acid amounts (T2-T4, T5-T7). The addition of Monascus and Laccaic acid had significantly higher hardness and springiness values (p<0.05) compared with the control in 3, 19 or 28 d storage. The results indicated that the addition of Monascus and Laccaic acid could improve the redness of the products.

Cholesterol-lowering and lipid oxidation reduction potentials of traditional seasonings in Salchichon dry-fermented sausages.

Five different natural/traditional seasonings including doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochu-jang (red pepper paste), fresh medium-hot and hot peppers, and garlic were used, and 1 % (w/w) each was incorporated into formulations of Salchichon fermented sausage type. After ripening for 51 days, the products were assessed for quality parameters, lipid oxidation, cholesterol content and sensory characteristics. In general, incorporation of the seasonings did not cause color or texture defects whereas it had beneficial effects on improvement of product's quality; however the effects differed depending on each type of seasonings added. Noticeably, most treatments with the seasonings significantly reduced the lipid oxidation. Additionally, incorporating doenjang, gochu-jang, medium-hot peppers, hot peppers and garlic resulted in reduction of 32.03, 28.96, 36.30, 19.53 and 33.03 mg cholesterol/100 g sample, corresponding to 26.78, 24.21, 30.35, 16.33 and 27.61 %, respectively. Higher scores for the sensory traits such as aroma, taste, color and acceptability were also observed for the samples with seasonings. The current work demonstrated that the tested seasonings represent potentially natural ingredients for producing healthier Salchichon fermented sausages.