Concentration of lipids, cholesterol, and fatty acid profile in chicken breast meat affected by wooden breast myopathy frozen for up to 12 mo.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of frozen storage for 12 mo on the concentrations of lipids and cholesterol and fatty acid profile of wooden chicken breast meat. A total of 120 samples of chicken breasts were selected, according to the degree of "wooden breast" myopathy ["severe," "moderate," and "normal" (absence of myopathy)], from male chickens slaughtered at 42 d of age, from Cobb 500 strain. Part of the samples (n = 20/grade of severity) were evaluated on the day of collection and the remainder were packaged, frozen and stored at -18°C for up to 12 mo. At the beginning (collection day) and at the end of the proposed freezing period (12 mo), analyses of lipid, cholesterol, and fatty acid profile were carried out. Percentage of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids were evaluated. Meats affected by wooden breast myopathy had lower levels of PUFA that exert beneficial effects on health, such as DHA, EPA and ARA, and this profile is impaired by prolonged storage (12 mo), which results in important nutritional losses for the consumer.

Physical, chemical, and microbiological evaluation of sausages produced with chicken meat affected by deep pectoral myopathy.

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the chemical composition, lipid oxidation, and physical characteristics of fresh sausages produced with meat from the pectoralis major muscle affected by deep pectoral myopathy. For the characterization of myopathy, samples were collected from broiler chickens slaughtered between 42- and 46-days old in a slaughterhouse in the state of São Paulo. The experiment consisted of samples from pectoralis major muscle of birds affected or not by DPM (normal-absence of myopathy and DPM category 3-progressive degeneration of the pectoralis minor with a greenish appearance). After classification of the samples, a part of raw products with the pectoralis minor removed, was submitted to microbiological and physical analyses for the characterization of DPM. Afterward, only the pectoralis major muscle was used to manufacture fresh sausages and 2 groups were established. The evaluated parameters were: color, pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), shear force (SF), water activity (Aw), and chemical composition. Meat pH was higher (P < 0.05) in meats with DPM, however, WHC values were lower (71.92%), which made CL value increase (25.31%). In addition, the coloring increased and the technological characteristics of raw breasts were less favorable with the presence of DPM. All fresh sausages' color (except a* higher control group), pH, and Aw values were higher in DPM group. No effect on SF values was observed between fresh sausages. In chemical composition, only protein content increased in fresh sausages with DPM. Microbiological analyses did not indicate bacterial contamination of raw samples and fresh sausages. Data obtained in the present study suggest fresh sausages produced with breasts affected by DPM are a viable alternative and may confer more favorable qualitative characteristics to sausages than the raw marketed meat.

Effect of freezing on the quality of breast meat from broilers affected by wooden breast myopathy.

The objective of the present study was to characterize possible variations in the quality of wooden chicken breast meat during freezing for 12 mo, in order to prove whether the shelf life recommended by the industry allows the storage of that type of meat without compromising its consumption. Three hundred samples of male Cobb 500 broilers slaughtered at 42 d of age were used. Part of the samples (n = 20 normal-control group; n = 20 moderate degree; n = 20 severe degree) were analyzed on the day of collection (beginning), previously kept under refrigeration (4°C). The other samples were stored (-18°C) for up to 12 mo. At the end of each proposed freezing period (3, 6, 9, and 12 mo), physical and chemical analyses were performed (per period: n = 20 normal-control group; n = 20 moderate degree; n = 20 severe degree). Color (L*, a*, and b*), pH, water-holding capacity, cooking losses, tenderness, lipid oxidation, chemical composition, cholesterol concentration, mineral profile, and collagen concentration were evaluated. The physicochemical quality of wooden chicken breast meat is significantly altered during frozen storage for 12 mo, being of inferior quality when compared to normal chicken breast meat, which can negatively affect consumer acceptance. However, it should be noted that even after 12 mo of freezing, the meats did not show oxidative rancidity.

Research Note: Quality parameters of turkey hens breast fillets detected in processing plant with deep pectoral myopathy and white striping anomaly.

The increase in the consumption of poultry meat intensified production, which allowed the emergence of myopathies associated with broiler and turkey meat. The aim to examine possible quality alterations in the 240 Pectoralis major muscle (breast fillets) from carcasses of turkey breeder hens. Regarding DPM, 120 samples of breast fillets from turkey of the Nicholas strain with Pectoralis minor muscle together were selected according to the occurrence of the myopathy in the Pectoralis minor muscle (tender), as follows: DPM score 2 (n = 40), DPM score 3 (n = 40), and a control group unaffected by DPM, score 0 (n = 40). Then, different 120 samples, from the same flock of birds, were selected according to White Striping (WS) anomaly in the Pectoralis major muscle (breast fillets), considering the degree of severity of the striations apparent in the muscle, as follows: moderate (n = 40), severe (n = 40) and a control group (normal) without the presence of WS anomaly (n = 40), with set up as a completely randomized design with 3 treatments for DPM and WS. We evaluated in meat of turkey breeder hens color, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), shear force (SF), sarcomere length (SL) and total, soluble and insoluble collagen contents. The color parameters lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) of turkey breeder hens breast fillets were altered by the occurrence of DPM and WS and as except CL, there were a difference for WHC and SF (P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed for sarcomere length (P < 0.05) between fillets without myopathies and with DPM Score 2 and 3 too. Higher values of total collagen (%) were observed for the most severe category of involvement for both myopathies. The DPM and WS affect the color and in a partial reduction texture of the breast fillets meat of turkey breeder hens and this may have a negative economic impact on the meat industry, because these are the main points evaluated by the consumer, in the most value commercial cut.

Impact of deep pectoral myopathy on chemical composition and quality parameters of chicken breast fillet.

One of the current myopathies affecting the chicken meat industry is deep pectoral myopathy (DPM), also known as green muscle disease or Oregon disease, the condition is considered a major problem in poultry processing lines. Thus, the present study proposes to examine the meat quality of the Pectoralis major muscle (breast fillet) from carcasses of broilers affected by DPM in Pectoralis minor muscle (tender) and from a control group. Breast fillets samples were harvested from Ross AP95 broilers that were slaughtered at 42 days of age and were selected to the occurrence of the myopathy (score 2 and score 3) and from a control group without (score 0) the presence of myopathy. Chemical composition, cholesterol, fatty acid profile, pH, color, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, shear force, sarcomere length, and collagen were analyzed in the breast fillet. And with the results it was observed the samples classified as DPM score 2 had a higher moisture and a lower protein percentage. The higher values lipid was found in the samples from broilers affected by DPM. There was no difference (P > 0.05) fatty acid profile only to C10:0, C15:0, C17:0, C20:0, and C18:2c9,t11. Differences were detected (P < 0.05) for the pH, WHC, SF, and sarcomere length of the samples from broilers affected by DPM. The higher pH observed in the samples from birds classified as DPM score 2 and the higher WHC values were observed in the samples affected by DPM (score 2 and 3). The SF (P < 0.05) among samples, with the most tender samples (lower SF values) being those unaffected by the condition DPM (score 0). The dorsal side surface, where the Pectoralis major muscle is in contact with the Pectoralis minor muscle, higher L* values were found in the meat affected by the myopathy. Although deep pectoral myopathy affects the Pectoralis minor muscle of broilers, it can also alter the qualitative characteristics and chemical composition of the breast fillets (Pectoralis major muscle).

Efficacy of a Binuclear Cyclopalladated Compound Therapy for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Murine Model of Infection with Leishmania amazonensis and Its Inhibitory Effect on Topoisomerase 1B.

Leishmaniasis is a disease found throughout the (sub)tropical parts of the world caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. Despite the numerous problems associated with existing treatments, pharmaceutical companies continue to neglect the development of better ones. The high toxicity of current drugs combined with emerging resistance makes the discovery of new therapeutic alternatives urgent. We report here the evaluation of a binuclear cyclopalladated complex containing Pd(II) and N,N'-dimethylbenzylamine (Hdmba) against Leishmania amazonensis The compound [Pd(dmba)(µ-N3)]2 (CP2) inhibits promastigote growth (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 13.2 ± 0.7 µM) and decreases the proliferation of intracellular amastigotes in in vitro incubated macrophages (IC50 = 10.2 ± 2.2 µM) without a cytotoxic effect when tested against peritoneal macrophages (50% cytotoxic concentration = 506.0 ± 10.7 µM). In addition, CP2 was also active against T. cruzi intracellular amastigotes (IC50 = 2.3 ± 0.5 µM, selective index = 225), an indication of its potential for use in Chagas disease therapy. In vivo assays using L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c showed an 80% reduction in parasite load compared to infected and nontreated animals. Also, compared to amphotericin B treatment, CP2 did not show any side effects, which was corroborated by the analysis of plasma levels of different hepatic and renal biomarkers. Furthermore, CP2 was able to inhibit Leishmania donovani topoisomerase 1B (Ldtopo1B), a potentially important target in this parasite. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT02169141.).

Physical and chemical characteristics of the longissimus dorsi from swine reared in climate-controlled and uncontrolled environments.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ambient temperature on the physical and chemical characteristics of the longissimus dorsi muscle by comparing the quality of meat from pigs reared in a controlled and in an uncontrolled environment, the latter provided with a shallow pool. Twenty castrated male pigs of the Topigs line were randomly allotted to two treatments: a controlled environment, with constant temperature (22 °C) and relative humidity (70%); and an uncontrolled environment in a conventional shed for rearing pigs equipped with a shallow pool, where pigs were subject to climatic variations. Meat from pigs kept in the controlled environment showed a greater capacity to retain intracellular water, higher tenderness, and lower cholesterol levels than meat from pigs reared in the uncontrolled environment, but displayed higher lipid oxidation and a lower concentration of DHA. Treatments had no effect on color, pH, chemical composition, or fatty acid profile (except DHA concentration). Rearing pigs in sheds equipped with a shallow pool minimizes the effects of environmental heat on meat quality, allowing the production of high-quality meat in warm climate regions without expensive investments. Animals reared in an uncontrolled environment equipped with a shallow pool are able to produce meat with characteristics within the quality standards and with similar quality to that of meat from animals raised in controlled environment.

Recent advances in nanoparticle carriers for coordination complexes.

Coordination compounds are substances in which a central metal atom is bonded to nonmetal atoms, or groups of atoms, called ligands. Examples include vitamin B12, hemoglobin, chlorophyll, dyes and pigments, as well as catalysts used in organic synthesis. Coordination compounds have received much attention in recent years. This interest was prompted by the discovery that several coordination compounds exhibit activity against bacteria, fungi and cancer. Some coordination compounds are not in clinical use, because of poor water solubility. Because they are unable to cross the lipid membranes of cells, bioavailability and efficacy are low. Some researchers have applied nanotechnology to coordination compounds, hoping to reduce the number of doses required and the severity of side effects, and also to improve biological activity. Nanotechnology can deliver active components in sufficient concentrations throughout treatment, guiding it to the desired location of action; conventional treatments do not meet these requirements. In this study we review some drug delivery systems based on nanotechnology, such as microemulsions (MEs), cyclodextrin (CD), polymeric nanoparticles (PN), solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), magnetic and gold nanoparticles (MNPs / AuNPs) and liquid crystalline systems (LC), and coordination compounds.