Nerve Injury and Peripheral Nerve Functional Loss From Injection and Suture Needles: An Experimental Study on Rats.

BACKGROUND: During invasive procedures involving needles, there is a chance of damage to peripheral nerves. Therefore, a method for experimentally simulating these situations is needed. OBJECTIVES: In this study we aimed to evaluate peripheral nerve lesions caused by the entry and exit of an injection needle, nerve transfixion through a suture stitch, and the injection of saline solution and lidocaine into the nerve. METHODS: After obtaining approval from the Animal Ethics Committee, we randomly divided 36 Wistar rats, weighing approximately 250 g each, into 6 groups (control, sham, suture, needle, saline, and lidocaine groups), with 6 animals in each group. All procedures were performed on the left paws of the rats. After the procedure, walking track analysis was performed to assess the walking function of rats for 8 weeks. Four months after the procedures, we performed bilateral electrophysiological studies (measuring the latency and amplitude of the electrical impulse in the peroneal nerve). Subsequently, the rats were euthanized, and bilateral tissue samples were collected from the peroneal nerve and tibialis cranialis muscle for morphometric histological analysis. RESULTS: In the walking track analysis, all groups showed normalization of walking functionality after 13 days. There was little histological change between the groups, and no functional loss related to the procedures was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Procedures involving the infusion of local anesthetic or saline solution, or suture needles, are safe with regard to peripheral nerve function loss. Accidents tend not to cause nerve impairment.

Sensory profile and technological characterization of boneless dry-cured ham with lactulose added as a prebiotic.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the technological and sensory profile of boneless dry-cured ham added with different contents of lactulose as a prebiotic ingredient. METHODS: In addition to the control samples (without the addition of lactulose), three treatments were formulated to contain 2, 4 or 6% lactulose. Technological (lactulose content, CIE color and texture profile analysis) and sensory (acceptance and check-all-that-applies tests) analyses were performed on the final product. RESULTS: The lactulose content in the finished product (1.86±0.23%, 3.16±0.18% and 2.51±1.35%) was lower than the lactulose originally added (2, 4 and 6% respectively). The addition of 4% and 6% lactulose made (P < 0.05) the products darker (lower L*) and redder (lower h) with higher hardness and chewiness values, when compared to control samples. The additions of 2% and 4% lactulose reduce the appearance acceptability of the products, but overall the treatments were well accepted. CONCLUSION: The use of up to 4% lactulose as a prebiotic in the production of boneless dry-cured hams provides an alternative to improving its nutritional value with little alteration in the technological characteristics and still meeting the sensory characteristics desired by consumers.

Impact of adding papain to sous vide cooking on texture and sensorial traits of marinated semitendinosus beefsteaks.

Sous vide meat is an emerging food category, the consumption of which has increased owing to greater convenience, sensory traits, elderly consumers acceptance, and low-cost cuts use. However, required prolonged thermal treatment to achieve desired tenderness, impact energy-consumption besides triggering lipid oxidation, undesired off-flavors, and cooked meat profiles. Using a response surface methodology (RSM), this study evaluated the effects of the vegetal proteolytic papain (0 to 20 mg/kg) and low-temperature sous vide cooking (SVC) time (1 to 8 h at 65°C) in low-value marinated M. semitendinosus beefsteaks on technological characteristics associated with tenderness, and lipid oxidation. Additionally, the sensory profile traits of the pre-selected treatments were described using check-all-that-apply (CATA) and preference mapping. Shear force (WBsSF) was reduced with greater papain addition, whereas higher cooking losses (CL) were observed with longer SVC cooking times. Both the released total collagen and TBARS values increased with increasing papain concentrations and SVC times. Combining high levels of papain (>10 mg/kg) and SVC time (>6 h) resulted in lower WBsSF values (<20 N) but higher CL (>27%) and the CATA descriptors "aftertaste" and "mushy." The optimized conditions (14 mg/kg papain; 2 h SVC) also reduced WBsSF values (<26 N) with lower CL (<20%) and were most preferred and described as "juicy" and "tender" by consumers. Observed results suggest that combined mild SVC and papain may potentiate tenderness, conjointly favor juiciness and oxidation, further representing a promising tool for reducing SVC time without compromising valued sous vide sensory traits.

Assessment of Japanese radish derivatives as nitrite substitute on the physicochemical properties, sensorial profile, and consumer acceptability of restructured cooked hams.

This study aimed to evaluate the technological and sensory properties of restructured cooked hams prepared with natural curing agents (0.5% radish powder, HRP; 3% radish juice, HRJ; and 0.5% radish pulp powder, HRPP) and with 40 and 150 mg/kg sodium nitrite (HN40 and HN150, respectively). No difference was observed for pH, proximate composition, or cooking loss. Higher residual nitrite contents were observed in the HN150, followed by the radish derivatives hams and HN40. All radish derivatives hams had a similar hue (h) color to HN40, but the h values of HRJ also did not differ from the HN150 ones. The stability of the cured color was not affected. Consumers perceived a non-characteristic aroma and flavor in the radish derivatives hams, but the HRJ had the best acceptance scores. The HRJ appearance was similar to the HN150, and the other sensory attributes were like the HN40. The potential use of radish derivatives, especially radish juice, as natural curing agents was confirmed.

Application of gamma radiation in the beef texture development during accelerated aging.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gamma radiation (3 kGy) on the quality of post-rigor beef (M. longissimus lumborum) aged for up to 21 days at different temperatures (1, 7, and 15°C). Irradiation reduced the mesophilic and lactic acid bacteria counts, which were higher in the non-irradiated samples aged at 7 and 15°C. The water retention capacity was lower in the irradiated beef, resulting in higher values of exudation and cooking losses. High aging temperatures increased the exudation loss and myofibrillar proteolysis (lower fragmentation index; FI) and reduced the total and insoluble collagen contents and the beef Warner-Bratzler square Shear Force (WBsSF). However, irradiated beef had higher FI and SF than non-irradiated ones, increasing the time required for the beef tenderizing. Gamma irradiation (3 kGy) can be used to ensure the microbiological safety during short storage at high temperatures (up to 15°C) in order to accelerate the process of beef tenderizing.

Combined effects of gamma irradiation and aging on tenderness and quality of beef from Nellore cattle.

Combined effects of gamma irradiation (0, 3, 6 and 9 kGy) and aging (1 and 14 days) on quality attributes of vacuum-packaged beef from Nellore cattle were evaluated. The meat water holding capacity was affected by irradiation, increasing (p < 0.05) purge and cooking loss regardless of the dose used. Irradiation negatively affected myofibrillar fragmentation, but samples irradiated at 9 kGy had (p < 0.05) higher soluble collagen and lower shear force values. The meat metmyoglobin reducing activity was reduced (p < 0.05) by the irradiation process, inducing the metmyoglobin accumulation with increasing dose applied. Samples irradiated at 9 kGy presented (p < 0.05) higher lipid oxidation and lower oxymyoglobin proportion and color redness and chroma values. It was concluded that irradiation at 9 kGy combined with aging can be used as an effective tool for improving the tenderness of Nellore beef, but resulted in a discoloration of the beef.

Effect of freezing/irradiation/thawing processes and subsequent aging on tenderness, color, and oxidative properties of beef.

This study evaluated the use of gamma irradiation (3, 6 and 9 kGy) in frozen vacuum-packed beef and subsequent thawing and aging for up to 14 days. The effects on tenderness, color, and oxidative properties were determined and compared to non-irradiated controls for frozen/thawed and chilled vacuum-packed beef. The combined irradiation and freezing/thawing processes increased total exudate loss and reduced the meat water-holding capacity, regardless of the dose used. Myofibrillar fragmentation was favored by the freezing/thawing processes and negatively affected by irradiation. Lower shear force values were observed in the non-irradiated frozen/thawed samples. Frozen samples irradiated at 9 kGy had a higher percentage of soluble collagen, lipid peroxidation, and a more reddish color tone. The meat reducing capacity and oxygen consumption were reduced by freezing and further by irradiation, which also included accumulation of metmyoglobin. It was concluded that irradiation of frozen meat and its subsequent thawing and aging does not confer any additional advantages for beef technological quality.

The use of distributed random forest model to quantify risk predictors for tracheostomy requirements in septic patients: A retrospective cohort study.

The search for early clinical risk factors in the intensive care setting may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. The objective of this retrospective study is to identify and quantify early predictors for patients who would require tracheostomy. Five hundred and forty four septic patients were divided in 2 groups: non-tracheostomized (NT) (n = 484) and tracheostomized (T) (n = 60). The patients consisted of 241 males (49.8%) in NT and 27 (45%) in T group, respectively (P = .4971). The median and interquartile range difference of age of NT group was of 72 years [59-82] and T of 75 [55.0-83.5] (P = .4687). The SAPS 3 for the group NTxT was 70 [55-85] and 85.5 [77-91] (P = .0001), the SOFA of 9 [6-13] and 12 [10-14] (P = .0002). The comparison of logistic regression analysis for predictors of non-tracheostomy and tracheostomy groups showed an adjusted odds ratio (OR) for SAPS 3 range between 74 and 87 of 18.14 (95%CI = 3.36-97.84) and between 88 and 116 of 27.77 (95%CI = 4.43-174.24) (P < .05). For SOFA, the adjusted OR between 10 and 13 was 12.23 (95%CI = 2.46-60.81) and between 14 and 20 was 8.45 (95%CI = 1.58-45.29) (P < .05). The need for blood transfusions and dialysis presented an OR of 2.74 (95%CI = 1.23-6.08) and 3.33 (95%CI = 1.43-7.73) (P < .05), respectively. Our data shows that SAPS 3 ≥ 74, SOFA ≥ 11, blood transfusions and the need for dialysis were independently associated and could be considered major predictors for tracheostomy requirements in septic patients.

Retail display of beef steaks coated with monolayer and bilayer chitosan-gelatin composites.

The effects of edible monolayer and bilayer chitosan-gelatin coatings on the weight loss, lipid oxidation, color preservation (display-life), and shelf-life of beef steaks during 10 days of retail display (at 4 °C; 12 h light/day) were evaluated. The edible coatings had a homogeneous crack-free surface, with the bilayer films being two times thicker than the monolayer coatings. During storage, the control samples had higher pH values and more weight loss (P < .05) than the coated ones. The coatings effectively retarded (P < .05) lipid oxidation and microbial growth (psychrotrophic bacteria, molds, and yeast), extending the shelf-life from 6 to 10 days. The coatings also significantly prevented metmyoglobin accumulation on the beef surface, as reflected in the maintenance of the CIE color indices and sensorial redness perception throughout storage. These effects were similar for both the monolayer and bilayer films, suggesting that chitosan-gelatin coatings could improve the shelf-life and display-life of beef during retail storage.

Effects of PSE meat and salt concentration on the technological and sensory characteristics of restructured cooked hams.

The effects of the use of normal and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat on the technological and sensorial quality of restructured cooked hams elaborated with different salt contents (0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, and 2.4%) were investigated. A low salt content implied (P < .05) high cooking loss (6.27 vs 3.25%), expressive moisture and C* values and low hardness. Products elaborated with PSE meat had (P < .05) lower cohesiveness, energy to fracture and hue tone colour and higher springiness than did samples elaborated with normal meat. Salty taste perception was slightly higher for the PSE meat-based products, which were also preferred by the assessors when salt contents lower than 1.6% were used. It was concluded that when PSE meat was used, the addition of 1.2% salt was sufficient to maintain the technological and sensory characteristics of the restructured cooked hams.

The use of APACHE II, SOFA, SAPS 3, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, and lactate to predict mortality of surgical critically ill patients: A retrospective cohort study.

Several prognostic indices have been employed to predict the outcome of surgical critically ill patients. Among them, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and simplified acute physiology score (SAPS 3) are widely used. It seems that biological markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, and blood lactate levels correlate with the degree of inflammation during the immediate postoperative phase and could be used as independent predictors. The objective of this study is to compare the different predictive values of prognostic indices and biological markers in the outcome of 847 surgical patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the postoperative phase.The patients were divided into survivors (n = 765, 57.4% males, age 61, interquartile range 51-71) and nonsurvivors (n = 82, 57.3% males, age 70, interquartile range 58-79). APACHE II, APACHE II death probability (DP), SOFA, SAPS 3, SAPS 3 DP, CRP, albumin, and lactate were recorded on ICU admission (first 24 hours). The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to measure the index accuracy to predict mortality.The AUROC and 95% CI for APACHE II, APACHE II DP, SOFA, SAPS 3, SAPS 3 DP, CRP/albumin ratio, CRP, albumin, and lactate were 0.850 (0.824-0.873), 0.855 (0.829-0.878), 0.791 (0.762-0.818), 0.840 (0.813-0.864), 0.840 (0.813-0.864), 0.731 (0.700-0.761), 0.708 (0.676-0.739), 0.697 (0.665-0.728), and 0.601 (0.567-0.634), respectively. The ICU and overall in-hospital mortality were 6.6 and 9.7%, respectively. The APACHE II, APACHE II DP, SAPS 3, SAPS 3 DP, and SOFA scores showed a better performance than CRP/albumin ratio, CRP, albumin, or lactate to predict in-hospital mortality of surgical critically ill patients.Even though all indices were able to discriminate septic from nonseptic patients, only APACHE II, APACHE II DP, SOFA and to a lesser extent SAPS 3, SAPS 3 DP, and blood lactate levels could predict in the first 24-hour ICU admission surgical patients who have survived sepsis.

APOE-epsilon4 polymorphism and cognitive deficit among the elderly population of Fernando de Noronha.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphism of the gene for apolipoprotein E (APOE) is an important risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease. The epsilon4 allele of the APOE gene has been linked with a number of neuropsychiatric illnesses, and also with stress and depression among geriatric populations. OBJECTIVE: To identify APOE-epsilon4 polymorphism and correlate this with cognitive deficit among the elderly population of the island of Fernando de Noronha. METHOD: Neuropsychiatric tests (mini-mental state examination, verbal fluency test and clock drawing test) were applied to 52 elderly people without Alzheimer's disease. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and genotyping of APOE was done by the PCR-RFLP method. RESULTS: 87% of the elderly population (mean age 69.6+/-7.0) had cognitive deficit. CONCLUSION: The observed frequency of the epsilon4 allele was 10%, but the correlation between the presence of epsilon4 and cognitive deficit in this population was not statistically significant.

Prevalence and predictors for compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease (c-ACLD) in patients with chronic Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) infection.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictor factors for compensated advanced chronic liver disease (c-ACLD) in patients with hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infection. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included consecutive HDV-infected patients defined by positive anti-HDV. Patients with hepatitis C coinfection, liver transplantation or presence of conditions that limit liver (LSM) or spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) were excluded. Blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, SSM and LSM by transient elastography (FibroScan®) were performed at the same day. Alcohol consumption was quantified using the AUDIT score and c-ACLD was defined by LSM ≥ 15 kPa performed by an experimented operator blinded for clinical and laboratory data. RESULTS: 101 patients were eligible and few patients were excluded due to negative anti-HDV (n = 7), hepatitis C coinfection (n = 2), liver transplantation (n = 10) and limitation for LSM or SSM (n = 5). Therefore, 77 patients [61% male, age = 43 (IQR,36-52) years] were included. The prevalence of c-ACLD was 57% (n = 44/77). Patients with c-ACLD had a higher rate of detectable HBV viral load (p = 0.039), higher levels of transaminases, GGT, alkaline phosphatases, total bilirubin and INR (p<0.001 for all), as well as lower platelet count and albumin levels (p>0.001 for both) compared to those without c-ACLD. Patients with c-ACLD had higher SSM [65.2 (IQR,33.8-75.0) vs 21.8 (16.5-32.0) kPa; p<0.001] and higher splenic volume [475 (IQR,311-746) vs 154 (112-283) cm3; p<0.001] compared to those without. Detectable HBV viral load (>10 UI/ml), alkaline phosphatase (per IU/L) and GGT levels (per IU/L) were independently associated with c-ACLD in all multivariate models. Splenic volume [per cm3,OR = 1.01 (95%CI,1.01-1.02);p = 0.002], SSM [per kPa, OR = 1.04 (1.01-1.07);p = 0.012] and splenomegaly [yes vs no,OR = 28.45 (4.42-182.95);p<0.001] were independently associated with c-ACLD. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of c-ACLD was high in patients with chronic HDV infection in western Amazon basin. HBV viral load, liver enzymes and splenic features can be used to predict severe liver disease in HDV-infected patients.

Effects of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine on the development of the rat retina.

In recent years there has been growing use of methamphetamine (METH) by pregnant women, resulting in an increasing number of children exposed prenatally to this drug of abuse. METH is known to be potentially neurotoxic to human adults, but there is minimal information with respect to the consequences of such exposure to the fetus. The purpose of this study was to ascertain external parameters of animal development, as well as neurochemical and immunohistochemical alterations at three key points of retinal development (postnatal day [PND] 7, 14, and 30). Rats of the Wistar strain were used in this experimental model. Pregnant females received a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight per day of METH-HCl in 0.9% saline, from gestational day (GD) 8 to 22. The control group to be used was pair fed and saline injected. Litters were randomly culled at PND 1 to 8 pups. Analysis of maternal body weight gain during pregnancy showed that females treated with METH had lower body weights than control-treated females. The body weight on PND 1, showed that animals treated with METH prenatally had smaller body weights than the control-treated animals and also that females weighed less than males. Prenatal exposure to METH did not alter the retinal levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the male group and the level of dopamine (DA) in both female and male groups when compared with their respective pair fed control groups during the first month of life. Correlating with the neurochemical data, no obvious changes on the localization of TH immunoreactivity in the rat retina at PND 7, 14, and 30 could be detected between control and METH-treated animals. Thus, exposure to METH disrupted this pattern in a gender-dependent manner. These data confirm previous observation that developing rats are protected against the adult type of METH-induced neurotoxicity. Therefore, conventional markers used for adult animals appear to be unsatisfactory to demarcate boundaries of the PND 1 to 30 critical periods.

Effects of postnatal exposure to methamphetamine on the development of the rat retina.

Since the development of different cell types in the retina occurs at different rates, it is possible that exposure to an exogenous substance may produce effects during one time period, but not during another. This study aims to analyze the effects of methamphetamine (METH) in the growth pattern of an experimental model as well as neurochemical and immunohistochemical parameters of the dopaminergic system of the rat retina. The three development stages chosen in this study are key markers in rat eye development. Rats were given 15 mg/kg body weight per day of METH as subcutaneous injections in 0.9% saline (3 mL/kg weight/day) from the day after birth PND 1 to PND 6, PND 13, and PND 29. Each daily dose was split into two. The control group was injected subcutaneously with saline. Both the schedule and volume for injecting saline in the control group were the same as for the METH-treated group. There were no significant differences in the total number of offspring per litter among treatment groups. All offspring had similar body weight at birth. Analysis of body weight on PND 1, showed that animals treated with METH had similar body weights to control-treated animals and females had smaller weights than males. For growth evolution, only litters with a sex ratio of four males and four females were used. Animals treated with METH had smaller body weights than the control-treated animals for all ages studied (PND 7, 14, and 30). Within the control group at PND 30, a significant difference was found in the body weight of females, which was lower when compared with males. For the postnatal model, 7 deaths occurred for the METH-exposed group. No deaths occurred in the control group in a total of 16 saline-injected litters comprising 186 pups. Although the levels of dopamine (DA) was within normal values for the postnatally exposed METH group when compared with its respective control group at PND 7 and 30, at PND 14 this was not the case: in this experimental group, the level of DA was lower than in the control group for both females and males. Support for this result was not evident from the TH immunoreactivity studies, probably because the methodology lacks the sensitivity to distinguish any mild effects, such as that observed in the postnatal model at PND 14. The level of the DA metabolite 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) remained unaffected at all ages studied, for both females and males. The results obtained in this study support the view that, during the critical periods in which the catecholamines can influence the development of neurones, METH transiently affects the pattern of the dopaminergic system in the developing retina.

Myelin Lipids Inhibit Axon Regeneration Following Spinal Cord Injury: a Novel Perspective for Therapy.

Lack of axon regeneration following spinal cord injury has been mainly ascribed to the inhibitory environment of the injury site, i.e., to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and myelin-associated inhibitors (MAIs). Here, we used shiverer (shi) mice to assess axon regeneration following spinal cord injury in the presence of MAIs and CSPG but in the absence of compact myelin. Although in vitro shi neurons displayed a similar intrinsic neurite outgrowth to wild-type neurons, in vivo, shi fibers had increased regenerative capacity, suggesting that the wild-type spinal cord contains additional inhibitors besides MAIs and CSPG. Our data show that besides myelin protein, myelin lipids are highly inhibitory for neurite outgrowth and suggest that this inhibitory effect is released in the shi spinal cord given its decreased lipid content. Specifically, we identified cholesterol and sphingomyelin as novel myelin-associated inhibitors that operate through a Rho-dependent mechanism and have inhibitory activity in multiple neuron types. We further demonstrated the inhibitory action of myelin lipids in vivo, by showing that delivery of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin, a drug that reduces the levels of lipids specifically in the injury site, leads to increased axon regeneration of wild-type (WT) dorsal column axons following spinal cord injury. In summary, our work shows that myelin lipids are important modulators of axon regeneration that should be considered together with protein MAIs as critical targets in strategies aiming at improving axonal growth following injury.

A single FTO gene variant rs9939609 is associated with body weight evolution in a multiethnic extremely obese population that underwent bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The rs9939609 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is involved in obesity. Few studies have been conducted on patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of FTO SNPs on body weight, body composition, and weight regain during a 60-mo follow-up period after bariatric surgery. METHODS: The rs9939609 was genotyped in 146 individuals using a real-time polymerase chain reaction TaqMan assay. Data for lifestyle, comorbidities, body weight, body mass index (BMI), excess weight loss (EWL), and body composition were obtained before and 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 mo after surgery. Data were analyzed by comparing two groups of patients according to rs9939609 FTO gene polymorphism. Mixed-regression models were constructed to evaluate the dynamics of body weight, BMI, and EWL over time in female patients. RESULTS: No differences were observed between the groups during the first 24 mo after surgery. After 36, 48, and 60 mo, body weight, fat mass, and BMI were higher, whereas fat-free mass and EWL were lower in the FTO-SNP patient group. Weight regain was more frequent and occurred sooner in the FTO-SNP group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a different evolution of weight loss in obese carriers of the FTO gene variant rs9939609 after bariatric surgery. However, this pattern was evident at only 2 y postbariatric surgery, inducing a lower proportion of surgery success and a greater and earlier weight regain.

Avaliação de diferentes métodos de cozimento e de cisalhamento na determinação da maciez de lombos suínos de diferentes qualidades / Evaluation of different cooking and shear methods to assess tenderness of pork loins from different qualities

Objetivou-se avaliar a maciez de lombos suínos (M. Longissimus thoracis) de diferentes classes de qualidade (RFN, PSE e RSE) por dois métodos de cozimento (micro-ondas e grelha) e dois protocolos (SSF e WBsSF) de determinação de força de cisalhamento (FC). As classes de qualidade de carne suína não difeririam (P>0,05) quanto a FC, independentemente do método de cozimento ou protocolo de cisalhamento usado. Maior repetibilidade da FC foi observada quando do cozimento em micro-ondas (SSF = 0,77; WBsSF = 0,75), tendo alta correlação (r = 0,72) entre os dois protocolos. Concluiu-se que que as classes de qualidade da carne suína não diferem quanto à maciez instrumental e que o cozimento em micro-ondas associado ao protocolo SSF é altamente promissor para avaliação da maciez instrumental da carne suína.

Comparação dos colorímetros Nix Color Sensor Pro e MINOLTA CM-5 na avaliação da cor da carne bovina descongelada e maturada / Comparison of Nix Color Sensor Pro and MINOLTA CM-5 colorimeters in the evaluation of thawed and aged beef color

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a capacidade dos colorímetros Nix Color Sensor Pro (NIX) e CM-5 (MINOLTA) para detectar a variação de cor em amostras de carne bovina submetidas a diferentes taxas de congelamento (lento x rápido) e diferentes tempos de maturação (0 e 14 dias). Todos os índices de cor mensurados foram maiores (P<0,05) no colorímetro MINOLTA do que no colorímetro NIX, que registra a cor das amostras cárneas como sendo mais escuras, com menor intensidade e com tonalidade menos vermelha. A variação nos índices de cor medida pelos aparelhos não foi compatível, indicando efeitos diferentes pelos tratamentos avaliados. Conclui-se que o NIX não pode ser considerado comparável ao MINOLTA ao medir a cor da carne bovina.

Efeito da radiação gama sobre a oxidação lipídica da carne bovina / Effect of gamma radiation on lipid oxidation of beef

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes doses de radiação (1, 2, 3, 6 e 9 kGy) sobre a oxidação lipídica de contrafilés bovinos pela determinação das substâncias reativas ao ácido 2-tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) e por cromatografia gasosa utilizando a técnica de microextração em fase sólida (SPME). As amostras irradiadas apresentaram maior concentração de aldeídos, com maior incidência de nonanal, independentemente da dose aplicada. Maiores concentrações de hexanal foram observadas nas amostras irradiadas por maiores doses (6 e 9 kGy), mas os maiores valores de TBARS foram observados nas amostras irradiadas por 3 e 6 kGy. Uma redução nos valores de aldeídos, especialmente nonanal e octanal, foi observada para amostras irradiadas por 2 kGy quando comparadas às demais amostras irradiadas. Conclui-se que o processo de irradiação aumentou o grau de oxidação das amostras, que consequentemente, aumentou a concentração dos aldeídos presentes.