Fate of pyrrolizidine alkaloids during processing of milk of cows treated with ragwort.

To investigate the fate of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) during milk processing, milk of cows treated via rumen fistula with a mixture of 84% (w/w) ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris, syn. Senecio jacobaea) and 16% narrow-leaved ragwort (Senecio inaequidens) was processed using laboratory scale heating systems with industrial settings. Pasteurised and sterilised (UHT) milk were produced, as well as set-type yoghurt and cheese. Samples were analysed for 29 PAs using LC-MS/MS, of which 11 PAs were detected above LOQ in the samples (0.1 µg l-1). Alterations in the PA concentration and composition between the standardised milk and the corresponding end-product(s) were evaluated. The heat treatments applied for pasteurisation and UHT sterilisation to prepare semi-skimmed consumption milk did not affect the PA levels in the end-products. In yoghurt, after fermentation of standardised milk (6 h, pH 4.4), 73% of total PAs were recovered. The PA concentration, specifically dehydrojacoline, was decreased, although not quantifiable, during cheese production. A further decrease of 38% during 6 weeks of ripening was observed. The results show that the PA concentration of natural contaminated cow's milk is not affected by heat treatment applied for pasteurised and sterilised milk, but that microbial fermentation of the milk leads to a lowered PA concentration in yoghurt and cheese. This is probably due to microbiological degradation, since PAs are fairly stable under acidic conditions.

Improving the product stability and fertilizer value of cattle slurry solid fraction through co-composting or co-ensiling.

Separating dairy cattle slurry in a liquid and solid fraction (SF) is gaining more interest, since it enables a more targeted use of both fractions. However, the valorization of the SF is limited on P-rich soils, due to its high P content, and the export or use as bedding material requires sanitation. Therefore, we investigated the influence of composting or ensiling the SF, whether or not mixed with bulking agents, on the product quality in terms of fertilizer value, sanitation and stability. Ensiling can be considered as a controlled storage method for conserving C and nutrients. Soil amendment with co-ensiled SF resulted in a higher N mineralization and crop growth compared to amendment of co-composted SF. Co-composting SF with structure-rich feedstock materials optimized the composting process and sanitation when compared with composting pure SF and did not increase the risk for extreme-heat-resistant spores of thermophilic aerobic spore-forming bacteria (X-TAS). Further, the composts contained more P per unit of fresh weight than the silages, beneficial for the export of the composted SF. The oxygen uptake rate was found to be less powerful to determine the stability of fresh, composted and ensiled SF.

Enzymatic hydrolysis as a means of expanding the cold gelation conditions of soy proteins.

Acid-induced cold gelation of soy protein hydrolysates was studied. Hydrolysates with degrees of hydrolysis (DH) of up to 10% were prepared by using subtilisin Carlsberg. The enzyme was inhibited to uncouple the hydrolysis from the subsequent gelation; the latter was induced by the addition of glucono-delta-lactone. Visual observations, confocal scanning laser microscopy images, and the elasticity modulus showed that hydrolysates gelled at higher pH values with increasing DH. The nonhydrolyzed soy protein isolate gelled at pH approximately 6.0, whereas a DH = 5% hydrolysate gelled at pH approximately 7.6. Gels made from hydrolysates had a softer texture when manually disrupted and showed syneresis below a pH of 5-5.5. Monitoring of gelation by measuring the development of the storage modulus could be replaced by measuring the pH onset of aggregate formation (pH(Aggr-onset)) using turbidity measurements. The rate of acidification was observed to also influence this pH(Aggr-onset). Changes in ionic strength (0.03, 0.2, and 0.5 M) had only a minor influence on the pH(Aggr-onset), indicating that the aggregation is not simply a balance between repulsive electrostatic and attractive hydrophobic interactions, but is much more complex.

The occurrence and prevention of ethanol fermentation in high-dry-matter grass silage.

Ethanol is a common, usually minor fermentation product in ensiled forages, the major product being lactic acid. Occasionally, high levels of ethanol are found in silages. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of high-dry-matter (DM) grass silages containing ethanol as the main fermentation product (ethanol silages), to describe the fermentation process in such silages and to determine the effect of grass maceration prior to wilting and addition of a bacterial inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecium strains on fermentation. Twenty-one laboratory silages produced between 1993 and 1995, 21 farm silages produced between 1980 and 1989 and 36 farm silages produced in 1995 (all produced without additive) were examined for pH and chemical composition. Dry matter (DM) loss during ensilage was determined for the laboratory silages only. Four laboratory silages were identified as ethanol silages. Mean concentrations of ethanol, lactic acid and acetic acid were 48.1, 15.5 and 6.0 g kg-1 DM respectively. In the silages that contained lactic acid as the main fermentation product (lactic acid silages) these values were 7.7, 45.5 and 15.1 g kg-1 DM. Mean DM loss and pH were 62.8 g kg-1 DM and 5.32 respectively for ethanol silages and 24.4 g kg-1 DM and 4.69 for lactic acid silages. There was no difference between ethanol silages and lactic acid silages in the mean concentration of ammonia-N (94 g kg-1 total N), and butyric acid was not detected (<0.2 g kg-1 DM), indicating that both types of silages were well preserved. Analysis of the composition of the grass at ensiling showed a positive correlation between the concentration of soluble carbohydrates and the development into ethanol silage. Analysis of the farm silages indicated that 29% of the silages produced between 1980 and 1989 and 14% of those produced in 1995 were ethanol silages. Maceration prior to wilting and addition of silage inoculant improved lactic acid fermentation and prevented high ethanol levels. The micro-organisms responsible for ethanol fermentation as well as the implications of feeding ethanol silages to livestock remain to be resolved. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.