Study of genes polymorphisms in RANK/RANKL/OPG and WNT signaling pathways and their associations with bone parameters in broiler chicken.

Limb problems are one of the most common problems with fast-growing meat-type chickens. Various bone abnormalities, which can lead to limping, bone weakness, or even fractures, bring overall discomfort to birds and a loss of production. Genetic aspects are often associated with these side effects on bone stability and are also cited as the dominant cause. These points to a close negative relationship of genetic selection for rapid growth with traits involved in bone integrity. Due to the assumption of an additive genetic background, improvements through genetic tools can be used. Our study is focused on selected genes of important signaling pathways for bone metabolism. We tried to detect polymorphisms that would show associations with selected bone parameters in a total of 48 broilers. Those were fast-growing Ross 308 hybrids and slow-growing Hubbard M22BxJA87A hybrids. The TNFRSF11A and WISP1 genes were tested. A total of fourteen polymorphisms were found, three of them were synonymous and five in the intron. In the case of four polymorphisms found in exons of the TNFRSF11A gene (c.11G > T, c.31G > A, c.37C > G, c.514G > A), associations with the observed bone parameters (bone strength, bone dimensions and bone mass) were demonstrated. The genetic architecture of bone traits is not fully understood, therefore the present study and the knowledge gained can help to increase the potential in poultry breeding processes and thus reduce the death of individuals.

Study of selected genes of Wnt signaling pathway in relation to the parameters in the bone tissue of the laying hens.

The Wnt signaling pathway plays a critical role in almost all aspects of skeletal development and homeostasis. Many studies suggest the importance of this signaling pathway in connection with bone metabolism through many skeletal disorders caused by mutations in Wnt signaling genes. The knowledge gained through targeting this pathway is of great value for skeletal health and diseases, for example of increased bone mass in the case of osteoporosis. Our objective was to focus on the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms and investigate the associations between possible polymorphisms in selected genes that are part of those signaling pathways and parameters of bones in hens of ISA Brown hybrids (bone breaking strength, length, width, and bone mass). Different regions of the GPR177, ESR1 and RUNX2 genes were studied, using PCR and sequencing, in a total of forty-eight samples for each marker. Thirteen polymorphisms have been discovered in selected regions of studied genes, whereas these polymorphisms were only within the GPR177 gene. Eight of these polymorphisms were synonymous and five were in the intron. The tested regions of the ESR1 and RUNX2 genes were monomorphic. The only statistically significant difference was found within the GPR177 gene (exon 2) and the bone length parameter, in the c.443 + 86G > A polymorphism. However, this polymorphism was found in the intron, and no other one was found within the selected regions to show associations with the observed bone parameters.

Rheological and Flow Behaviour of Yolk, Albumen and Liquid Whole Egg from Eggs of Six Different Poultry Species.

Liquid egg products are one of the basic raw materials for the food industry. Knowledge of their rheological and flow behaviour in real technical elements is absolutely necessary for the selection of suitable technological equipment for their processing. In this article, the rheological properties of liquid egg products were determined. Eggs from six different species of poultry are used: domestic hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) hybrid Hisex Brown; Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica); German carrier goose (Anser anser f. domestica); domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica); domestic guinea fowl (Numida meleagris f. domestica); and domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo f. domestica). Liquid egg products showed pseudoplastic behaviour in range of shear strain rates from 0.2 up to 200 s-1 and at the temperature of 18 °C. Thus, the flow curves were constructed using the Ostwald-de Waele rheological model, with respect to the pseudoplastic behaviour of liquid egg products. According to the values of the coefficients of determination (R2), the sum of squared estimate of errors (SSE) and the root mean square error (RMSE), this model was appropriately chosen. Using the consistency coefficient K, the flow index n and the adjusted equations for the flow rate of technical and biological fluids in standard pipelines, the 3D velocity profiles of liquid egg products were successfully modelled. The values of the Reynolds number of the individual liquid egg products were calculated, and the type of flow was also determined. A turbulent flow has been detected for some liquid egg products.

Texture, color, and sensory changes occurring in chocolate bars with filling during storage.

The impact of storage temperature (6, 12, 20, 30℃) and period (2, 6, 10, 18, 26 weeks) on the texture, color, and sensory characteristics of dark and milk-filled chocolate bars was studied. Temperatures of 6 and 12℃ were the most suitable for bar storage; these samples were evaluated not to be significantly deteriorated by the storage period. The condition of samples stored at 20℃ started to deteriorate after 10 weeks in storage; the decline was observed mainly in meltdown rate and off-flavors, resulting in low overall acceptability. This effect was more evident in dark chocolate bars. Keeping the bars at 24℃ for 24h immediately after production (retemperation) improved the bar resistance to fat bloom, even if the decrease in the sensory quality was observed at the beginning of the storage period.

A Rheological Analysis of Biomaterial Behaviour as a Tool to Detect the Dilution of Heather Honey.

Heather honey is a valuable and rheologically special type of honey. Its above-average selling price may motivate its intentional violation with a mixture of honey from another botanical origin, the price of which is lower on the market. This work deals with the rheological properties of such devalued heather honey in order to determine the changes in the individual rheological parameters depending on the degree of dilution of the heather honey. For this purpose, a differently diluted heather honey sample series was created and the following rheological parameters were determined: hysteresis area, n-value, yield stress (τ0), parameter B (Weltman model), parameter ϕ, or parameter C (model describing the logarithmic dependence of the complex viscosity on the angular frequency). Part of the work was research into whether the set parameters can be used as comparative parameters. It was found that the hysteresis area does not appear to be a suitable relative comparison parameter due to the high variability. The parameters that appear to be suitable are the relative parameters n-value and the parameter ϕ, which showed the greatest stability. The change in the determined rheological parameters is, depending on the degree of dilution, non-linear with a step change between the samples containing 40% (w/w) and 60% (w/w) of a heather honey.

Fatty acid composition, oxidative stability, and sensory evaluation of the sausages produced from the meat of pigs fed a diet enriched with 8% of fish oil.

The objective of the present study was to increase by dietary means the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) n-3 content in selected meat products. Fatty acid (FA) composition, texture, sensory characteristics, and oxidative stability were determined in the Vienna sausages (V-sausages) and Bologna-type salami (B-salami) produced from the meat of six pigs fed a standard feed (control, C) and six pigs fed a standard feed enriched with 8% of fish oil (F), respectively. The saturated FA content in the unheated FV and FB products was decreased (p < 0.05) by 24% and 39%, PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio improved (p < 0.001) from 13.9 to 2.8 and from 13.5 to 2.6, respectively. LC-PUFA n-3 content in the VF and BF products was 360 and 214 mg/100 g, which corresponds to 80% and 48% of the recommended daily intake. Interestingly, dietary fish oil decreased (p < 0.01) instrumentally the measured core hardness of the V-sausages, but increased (p < 0.001) this texture characteristic in the B-salami. Malondialdehyde content in the VF and BF products increased (p < 0.05) on average by 23% and the flavor of the heated FV sausages scored lower (p < 0.05) in comparison with the C-counterparts.

Influence of Pre-Harvest Gibberellic Acid and Post-Harvest 1-methyl Cyclopropane Treatments on Phenolic Compounds, Vitamin C and Organic Acid Contents during the Shelf Life of Strawberry Fruits.

In recent years, significant portions of the fresh fruits and vegetables produced worldwide have been decaying before reaching the consumer because of insufficient preservation after harvest. In this direction, we carried the study out to investigate the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) and 1-methyl cyclopropane (1-MCP) applications on phenolic compounds and organic acid contents of the strawberry fruits (cv. Albion) during shelf-life. Gibberellic acid treatments, which prepared in two different concentrations (50 and 100 ppm), were performed by spraying the leaves before harvest. 1-methyl cyclopropane applied after harvest. The results of the study showed a greater decrease in organic acids (except oxalic and succinic acid) in Gibberellic acid-applied fruits during shelf-life. Citric acid was recorded as the most abundant organic acid in the control group. In phenolic compounds, gallic acid (15.22 mg 100 g-1) and ellagic acid (9.38 mg 100 g-1) were recorded as the highest phenolic compounds on the third day. 1-MCP and GA3 (50 ppm) + 1-MCP treatment reduced the breakdown of vitamin C during the shelf-life of strawberry fruits compared to the control group. As a result, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, and organic acids decreased during the shelf-life, and 1-MCP applications slowed down the breakdown of these compounds.

Health Effects of Grape Seed and Skin Extracts and Their Influence on Biochemical Markers.

This review is focused on the study of the effects of grape seed and skin extract (GSSE) on human health. GSSE contains high concentrations of important polyphenolic substances with high biological activity. This review is a summary of studies that investigate the effects of GSSE on diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancer, its neuroprotective effect, and its effects on the gastrointestinal tract and other health complications related to these diseases. The results of the studies confirm that the anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and pro-proliferative effects of "Vitis vinifera L." seed extract reduce the level of oxidative stress and improve the overall lipid metabolism.

Effect of High Dietary Level (8%) of Fish Oil on Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid n-3 Content in Pig Tissues and Plasma Biochemical Parameters.

There were two objectives of the present study using dietary fish oil (FO) in pigs: to use pigs as a model for studying the effects of high FO doses on selected physiological markers; and to evaluate the physical traits and nutritive value of pork enriched with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3. Two groups of six female pigs were fed for 30 days with either a standard feed mixture (control, C) or the same mixture supplemented with 8% FO (F). Physical characteristics of the muscle, fatty acid deposition in tissues and selected hematologic and plasma markers were tested. The daily weight gain of the F-pigs was lower in comparison with controls (p < 0.05). Dietary fish oil decreased Warner-Bratzler shear force of the longissimus muscle (p < 0.01). The eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid content was higher (p < 0.05) in all tested F-tissues. Dietary fish oil had no effect on plasma cholesterol (p < 0.05), but it increased plasma triacylglycerol levels by 260% (p < 0.05), and increased counts of leukocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils in the blood plasma (p < 0.05). In conclusion, high dietary FO improved the texture and nutritive value of meat, but negatively affected plasma biochemical parameters.

A combination of additives can synergically decrease acrylamide content in gingerbread without compromising sensory quality.

BACKGROUND: The present study tested whether replacement of the leavening agent ammonium carbonate by sodium hydrogen carbonate in combination with calcium cation and acidifying agent will synergically decrease acrylamide (AA) content in gingerbread. RESULTS: The type of leavening agent and the presence of Ca2+ and citric acid accounted for 33.6%, 13.2% and 53.2% of the explained variability of the AA content, respectively (P < 0.01). The AA content in gingerbread produced with (NH4 )2 CO3 alone was 186.5 µg kg-1 . Irrespective of other tested additives, NaHCO3 decreased (P < 0.05) AA content to 42% compared to (NH4 )2 CO3 . Combination of NaHCO3 + CaCl2 + citric acid in dough reduced (P < 0.05) AA content below the limit of detection (25 µg kg-1 ). The AA content in gingerbread (y; µg kg-1 ) decreased with an increasing number of additives used (x) according to the equation y = 158.8 - 47.94x (r2 = 0.42; P < 0.0001). A comprehensive sensory analysis did not indicate any significant deterioration (P > 0.05) in the organoleptic quality of gingerbread produced using calcium cation and citric acid. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that the combination of additives NaHCO3 /Ca2+ /citric acid synergically decreases AA content in gingerbread without compromising the sensory quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

A new approach to analyze the dynamic strength of eggs.

The mechanical behavior of eggshell was determined in terms of average rupture force and corresponding deformation. For the experiment, we selected goose eggs (Anser anser f. domestica). Samples of eggs were compressed along their x-axis and z-axis. The effect of the loading orientation can be described in terms of the eggshell contour curvature. Two different experimental methods were used: compression between two plates (loading rates up to 5 mm/s) and the Hopkinson split pressure bar technique. This second method enables achieving loading rates up to about 17 m/s. The response of goose eggs to this high loading rate was characterized also by simultaneous measurement of the eggshell surface displacements using a laser vibrometer and by the measurement of both circumferential and meridian strains.

Fluid dynamics of liquid egg products.

The rheological behavior of liquid egg products (egg yolk, egg white, and whole liquid egg) was studied using a concentric cylinder viscometer. Eggs of three poultry specimens were used: hen (Isa Brown), Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), and goose (Anser anser f. domestica). Rheological behavior was pseudoplastic and flow curves fitted by the power law model (Herschel-Bulkley and Ostwald-De Waele). The meaning of rheological parameters on friction factors and velocity profiles during flow of liquid egg products in tube has been shown.