Dehydration, Rehydration and Thermal Treatment: Effect on Bioactive Compounds of Red Seaweeds Porphyra umbilicalis and Porphyra linearis.

The nutritional and bioactive value of seaweeds is widely recognized, making them a valuable food source. To use seaweeds as food, drying and thermal treatments are required, but these treatments may have a negative impact on valuable bioactive compounds. In this study, the effects of dehydration, rehydration, and thermal treatment on the bioactive compounds (carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC)), antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities) and anti-Alzheimer's (Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory activities, and color properties of Porphyra umbilicalis and Porphyra linearis seaweeds were evaluated. The results revealed significant reductions in carotenoids, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activities after the seaweeds' processing, with differences observed between species. Thermal treatment led to the most pronounced reductions in bioactive compound contents and antioxidant activity. AchE inhibitory activity remained relatively high in all samples, with P. umbilicalis showing higher activity than P. linearis. Changes in color (ΔE) were significant after seaweeds' dehydration, rehydration and thermal treatment, especially in P. umbilicalis. Overall, optimizing processing methods is crucial for preserving the bioactive compounds and biological activities of seaweeds, thus maximizing their potential as sustainable and nutritious food sources or as nutraceutical ingredients.

Effect of Tryptophan Dietary Content on Meagre, Argyrosomus regius, Juveniles Stress and Behavioral Response.

There are a high number of stressors present in aquaculture that can affect fish welfare and quality. One way of mitigating stress response is by increasing dietary tryptophan. In this study, three diets containing 0.5% (Tript1), 0.6% (Tript2), and 0.8% (Tript3) of tryptophan were tested in 32 g juvenile meagre for 56 days. At the end of the trial, survival, growth, and proximate composition were similar between treatments. Significant differences were found in the plasma parameters before and after a stress test consisting of 30 s of air exposure. Blood glucose levels were higher in the post-stress for all treatments (e.g., 63.9 and 76.7 mg/dL for Tript1 before and after the stress test), and the hemoglobin values were lower in the post-stress of Tript1 (1.9 g/dL compared to 3.0 and 2.4 g/dL for Tript2 and Tript3, respectively). In terms of behavior, three tests were carried out (novel tank diving and shoaling assays, and lateralization test), but no significant differences were found, except for the number of freezing episodes during the anxiety test (1.4 for Tript3 compared to 3.5 and 4.2 for the other treatments). This study suggests that supplementation with dietary tryptophan, particularly in higher dosage (0.8%), can reduce anxiety-like behavior in meagre exposure to acute stress (novel tank). Although the remaining results showed mild effects, they provide some clues as to the potential of this amino acid as a stress mitigator in aquaculture.

Effect of Deployment and Harvest Date on Growth and High-Value Compounds of Farmed Alaria esculenta.

Alaria esculenta is a brown seaweed farmed in many European countries for its biomass rich in useful bio compounds. This study aimed to identify the optimal growing season to maximise biomass production and quality. The seeded longlines of the brown seaweed were deployed in the southwest of Ireland in October and November 2019 and samples of the biomass were harvested in different dates, between March and June 2020. Biomass gain and composition, phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC) and biological activities (antioxidant and anti-hypertensive activities) of seaweed extracts prepared with Alcalase were evaluated. The biomass production was significantly higher for the line deployed in October (>20 kg·m-1). In May and June, an increasing amount of epiphytes was observed on the surface of A. esculenta. The protein content of A. esculenta varied between 11.2 and 11.76% and fat content was relatively low (1.8-2.3%). Regarding the fatty acids profile, A. esculenta was rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The samples analysed were very rich in Na, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cr and Ni. The content of Cd, Pb Hg was relatively low and below the maximum levels allowed. The highest TPC and TFC were obtained in extracts prepared with A. esculenta collected in March and levels of these compounds decreased with time. In general, the highest radical scavenging activities (ABTS and DPPH), as well as chelating activities (Fe2+ and Cu2+) were observed in early spring. Extracts from A. esculenta collected in March and April presented higher ACE inhibitory activity. The extracts from seaweeds harvested in March exhibited higher biological activity. It was concluded that an earlier deployment allows for maximising growth and harvest of biomass earlier when its quality is at the highest levels. The study also confirms the high content of useful bio compounds that can be extracted from A. esculenta and used in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry.

Development of a Rapid and Non-Destructive Method for the Detection of Water Addition in Octopus Species (Octopus vulgaris and Eledone cirrhosa) Using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR).

Consumer expectations regarding the quality of octopus are often frustrated and dissatisfaction is frequent, namely due to the excessive reduction in weight after cooking. Therefore, a rapid and non-destructive method based in time domain reflectometry (TDR) was developed for the control of water added to octopus (Octopus vulgaris and Eledone cirrhosa). O. vulgaris had significant higher values of moisture content, moisture/protein ratio, and cooking loss than E. cirrhosa. Immersion in freshwater increased the weight of O. vulgaris in ca. 32% after 32 h, and of E. cirrhosa in ca. 21% after 36 h, and cooking losses increased about 13.9% and 26.1%, respectively. The results reveal how consumers can be misled by abusive water addition. Changes in electrical conductivity and TDR curves were linked with the increasing incorporation of water and dilution effect of salts from octopus muscle. TDR technology and linear discriminant analysis were combined to detect added water in octopus. The classification model developed was cross-validated and 98.6% of samples were correctly classified. The method can be used to proof the authenticity of octopus (O. vulgaris and E. cirrhosa) or to detect fraudulent practices regarding added water.

Nucleotides and free amino acids in sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus gonads: Contributions for freshness and overall taste.

This study aims to report the chemical changes, specifically the nucleotides and free amino acids (FAAs) during refrigerated storage of live sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (7 °C) and packed gonads (2 °C) and respective contributions to overall taste. Results showed that the adenylate energy charge (AEC) is an adequate indicator for live sea urchin through storage, while K-value does not distinguish freshness. Changes of both indexes were not clear in packed gonads. The FAAs profile were related with maturation stage where amino acids associated to sweet (Gly, Ala), umami (Glu) and bitter (Arg, Lys, His, Val) had significant contribution to overall taste. In general, the storage did not significantly affect the FAAs content nor its contribution to overall taste in contrast to nucleotides that seemed to induce potential changes after day 5. The findings provide insights that will complement a full study on quality index scheme development of the products.

Efetividade da simulação virtual no ensino de enfermagem para aprender o raciocínio clínico: uma revisão integrativa / Effectiveness of virtual simulation in nursing teaching to learn clinical reasoning: an integrative review / Eficacia de la simulación virtual en la enseñanza de enfermería para el aprendizaje del razonamiento clínico: una revisión integradora

Introdução: Nas duas últimas décadas, os meios de ensino vêm mudando na área da saúde, no qual o ensino tradicional já não é capaz de suprir as necessidades atuais. Assim, a simulação virtual passou a ter um papel fundamental na educação superior de enfermagem, sendo um meio ativo de aprendizado. Objetivo: Analisar na literatura científica a efetividade da simulação virtual no ensino de enfermagem. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica do tipo revisão integrativa da literatura. Resultados: 10 artigos foram incluídos nesta revisão, a maior parte com abordagem quantitativa dos dados, publicados no ano de 2021, todos estavam na língua inglesa, houve predomínio de estudos realizados na Coreia do Sul e Estados Unidos, sendo a maioria estudos transversais em que todos os estudos recomendavam (grau de recomendação "A") o uso da simulação virtual para o ensino de enfermagem. Conclusão: A simulação virtual no ensino de enfermagem tem potencial para melhorar a retenção do conhecimento e o raciocínio clínico numa fase inicial e ao longo do tempo, e aumenta a satisfação com a experiência de aprendizagem entre os estudantes de enfermagem.

Introduction: In the last two decades, the means of teaching have been changing in the health area, in which traditional teaching is no longer able to meet current needs. Thus, virtual simulation began to play a fundamental role in higher education in nursing, being an active means of learning. Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of virtual simulation in nursing education in the scientific literature. Methodology: This is a bibliographic research of the integrative literature review type. Results: 10 articles were included in this review, most with a quantitative approach to the data, published in the year 2021, all were in English, there was a predominance of studies carried out in South Korea and the United States, most of which were cross-sectional studies in which all studies recommended (degree of recommendation "A") the use of virtual simulation for teaching nursing. Conclusion: Virtual simulation in nursing education has the potential to improve knowledge retention and clinical reasoning at an early stage and over time, and increases satisfaction with the learning experience among nursing students.

Introducción: En las últimas dos décadas, las formas de enseñanza han ido cambiando en el área de la salud, en la que la enseñanza tradicional ya no es capaz de suplir las necesidades actuales. Así, la simulación virtual pasó a jugar un papel fundamental en la educación superior en enfermería, siendo un medio activo de aprendizaje. Objetivo: Analizar la efectividad de la simulación virtual en la educación de enfermería en la literatura científica. Metodología: Se trata de una investigación bibliográfica del tipo revisión integradora de literatura. Resultados: se incluyeron en esta revisión 10 artículos, la mayoría con enfoque cuantitativo de los datos, publicados en el año 2021, todos en inglés, hubo predominio de estudios realizados en Corea del Sur y Estados Unidos, la mayoría de los cuales fueron transversales -estudios seccionales en los que todos los estudios recomendaron (grado de recomendación "A") el uso de simulación virtual para la enseñanza de enfermería. Conclusión: La simulación virtual en la educación de enfermería tiene el potencial de mejorar la retención de conocimientos y el razonamiento clínico en una etapa temprana y con el tiempo, y aumenta la satisfacción con la experiencia de aprendizaje entre los estudiantes de enfermería.

Cobertura vacinal: uma análise comparativa entre os estados da região nordeste do Brasil com ênfase no estado do Maranhão / Vaccination coverage: a comparative analysis between the states of the northeast region of Brazil with emphasis on the state of Maranhão / Cobertura de vacunación: un análisis comparativo entre los estados de la región nordeste de Brasil con énfasis en el estado de Maranhão

Introdução: Devido à escassez de pesquisas voltadas para a situação da cobertura vacinal no Nordeste, sobretudo no Maranhão, apresenta-se a necessidade de realizar uma análise comparativa entre os estados da região nordeste do Brasil. Objetivo: Analisar a cobertura vacinal entre os estados na Região Nordeste do Brasil entre 2017 a 2021, por meio da análise de dados secundários provenientes de sistemas de informação em saúde. Metodologia: trata-se de estudo ecológico de série temporal, com uso de dados secundários provenientes de sistemas de informação em saúde. Foi realizado por meio da coleta de dados disponibilizados pelo TABNET do Departamento de Informação e Informática do SUS (DATASUS), referentes ao período entre 2017 e 2021, nos estados da Região Nordeste do Brasil. Resultados: No período de 2017 a 2021 a cobertura vacinal na Região Nordeste do Brasil foi de 64,48%, sendo uma das piores do país, perdendo apenas para Região Norte (63,30%). Cabe salientar que a média no país em todo o período analisado foi de 68,57%, estando bem abaixo do ideal (entorno de 90% a 95% a depender do imunizante). E entre os anos de 2019 a 2020 houve um declínio de 12,05% e em 2021 14,87% da cobertura vacinal na região nordeste do país. Conclusão: Este estudo permitiu realizar uma análise comparativa entre os estados da região nordeste do Brasil com ênfase no estado do maranhão quanto à cobertura vacinal, onde foi observado que, o estado do Maranhão apresenta umas das menores taxas de vacinação em comparação com outros estados da região nordeste.

Introduction: Due to the lack of research focused on the situation of vaccination coverage in the Northeast, especially in Maranhão, there is a need to carry out a comparative analysis between the states of the northeast region of Brazil. Objective: To analyze vaccination coverage among states in the Northeast Region of Brazil between 2017 and 2021, through the analysis of secondary data from health information systems. Methodology: this is an ecological time series study, using secondary data from health information systems. It was carried out by collecting data provided by the TABNET of the Department of Information and Informatics of the SUS (DATASUS), referring to the period between 2017 and 2021, in the states of the Northeast Region of Brazil. Results: In the period from 2017 to 2021, vaccination coverage in the Northeast Region of Brazil was 64.48%, being one of the worst in the country, second only to the North Region (63.30%). It should be noted that the average in the country throughout the analyzed period was 68.57%, well below the ideal (around 90% to 95% depending on the immunizer). And between the years 2019 to 2020 there was a decline of 12.05% and in 2021 14.87% of vaccination coverage in the northeast region of the country. Conclusion: This study made it possible to carry out a comparative analysis between the states of the northeast region of Brazil, with emphasis on the state of maranhão regarding vaccination coverage, where it was observed that the state of Maranhão has one of the lowest vaccination rates compared to other states in the region. northeast region.

Introducción: Debido a la falta de investigaciones centradas en la situación de las coberturas de vacunación en el Nordeste, especialmente en Maranhão, surge la necesidad de realizar un análisis comparativo entre los estados de la región Nordeste de Brasil. Objetivo: Analizar las coberturas de vacunación entre los estados de la Región Nordeste de Brasil entre 2017 y 2021, a través del análisis de datos secundarios de los sistemas de información en salud. Metodología: se trata de un estudio de series temporales ecológicas, utilizando datos secundarios de los sistemas de información en salud. Fue realizado a partir de la recopilación de datos facilitados por el TABNET del Departamento de Información e Informática del SUS (DATASUS), referentes al período comprendido entre 2017 y 2021, en los estados de la Región Nordeste de Brasil. Resultados: En el período de 2017 a 2021, la cobertura de vacunación en la Región Nordeste de Brasil fue del 64,48%, siendo una de las peores del país, superada solo por la Región Norte (63,30%). Cabe señalar que el promedio en el país durante todo el período analizado fue de 68,57%, muy por debajo del ideal (alrededor de 90% a 95% dependiendo del inmunizador). Y entre los años 2019 a 2020 hubo un descenso de 12,05% y en 2021 de 14,87% de las coberturas de vacunación en la región nororiental del país. región nordeste. PALABRAS CLAVE: Cobertura de Vacunación; Vacunas; Enfermedades Prevenibles por Vacunas.

Quantitation of Water Addition in Octopus Using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR): Development of a Rapid and Non-Destructive Food Analysis Method.

A rapid and non-destructive method based in time domain reflectometry analysis (TDR), which detects and quantifies the water content in the muscle, was developed for the control of abusive water addition to octopus. Common octopus samples were immersed in freshwater for different periods (0.5−32 h) to give a wide range of moisture contents, representing different commercial conditions. Control and water-added octopus were analyzed with a TDR sensor, and data correlated with moisture content were used for calibration and method validation. A maximum limit of moisture content of 85.2 g/100 g in octopus is proposed for conformity assessment, unless the label indicates that water (>5%) was added. Calibration results showed that TDR analysis can discriminate control and water-added octopus, especially for octopus immersed for longer periods (32 h). In addition, moisture content can be quantified in octopus using only TDR analysis (between 80 and 90 g/100 g; RMSE = 1.1%). TDR data and correlation with moisture content show that this non-destructive methodology can be used by the industry and quality control inspections for assessment of octopus quality and to verify compliance with legislation, promoting fair trade practices, and further contributing to a sustainable use of resources.

Analysis of added phosphates in hake fillets by ion-exchange chromatography: A case study of false positives induced by nucleotides coelution.

This study aimed to optimize an ion-exchange chromatography method for an accurate quantification of phosphates. Coelution of nucleotides was detected following the quantification of small amounts of di- and trimetaphosphates in hake fillets. In some samples, triphosphates were added to the glaze ice, therefore, defrosting waters (glaze ice + drip loss of fillets) should be analyzed for an effective assessment of the use of phosphates in seafood. Even low amounts of adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) and inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) triggered false positive results for P2O74- and P3O93-. Keeping the initial isocratic conditions for longer was crucial for the separation of ADP from P2O74- and of IMP from P3O93-. The improved method showed that in general, hake fillets did not have diphosphates, and trimetaphosphates were residual. Triphosphates were clearly added in only four defrosting waters, and in most of the remaining ones, diphosphates and trimetaphosphates contents corresponded to false positive results.

Evaluating the Potential of the Defatted By-Product of Aurantiochytrium sp. Industrial Cultivation as a Functional Food.

While Aurantiochytrium sp. is an increasingly popular source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), its extraction generates high amounts of waste, including the spent, defatted residue. The composition and bioactivities of this by-product could prove to be a major part of the sustainable valorisation of this organism within the framework of a circular economy. In this study, the defatted biomass of commercial Aurantiochytrium sp. was nutritionally characterised, and its amino acid profile was detailed. Additionally, the antioxidant and prebiotic potentials of an enzymatically digested sample of defatted Aurantiochytrium sp. were evaluated under a set of miniaturised in vitro assays. The nutritional profile of the spent Aurantiochytrium biomass revealed a protein and dietary-fibre rich product, with values reaching 26.7% and 31.0% for each, respectively. It also held high concentrations of glutamic and aspartic acid, as well as a favourable lysine/arginine ratio of 3.73. The digested samples demonstrated significant Weissela cibaria and Bifidobacterium bifidum growth-enhancing potential. Residual ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity was likely attributed to antioxidant amino acids or peptides. The study demonstrated that some of the nutritional and functional potential that reside in the defatted Aurantiochytrium sp. waste encourages additional studies and the development of food supplements employing this resource's by-products under a biorefinery framework.

Characterization of Protein Hydrolysates from Fish Discards and By-Products from the North-West Spain Fishing Fleet as Potential Sources of Bioactive Peptides.

Fish discards and by-products can be transformed into high value-added products such as fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) containing bioactive peptides. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from different parts (whole fish, skin and head) of several discarded species of the North-West Spain fishing fleet using Alcalase. All hydrolysates had moisture and ash contents lower than 10% and 15%, respectively. The fat content of FPH varied between 1.5% and 9.4% and had high protein content (69.8-76.6%). The amino acids profiles of FPH are quite similar and the most abundant amino acids were glutamic and aspartic acids. All FPH exhibited antioxidant activity and those obtained from Atlantic horse mackerel heads presented the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power and Cu2+ chelating activity. On the other hand, hydrolysates from gurnard heads showed the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity and Fe2+ chelating activity. In what concerns the α-amylase inhibitory activity, the IC50 values recorded for FPH ranged between 5.70 and 84.37 mg/mL for blue whiting heads and whole Atlantic horse mackerel, respectively. α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of FPH was relatively low but all FPH had high Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Considering the biological activities, these FPH are potential natural additives for functional foods or nutraceuticals.

Quality of Frozen Hake Fillets in the Portuguese Retail Market: A Case Study of Inadequate Practices in the European Frozen White Fish Market.

The overall quality of frozen hake fillets in the Portuguese market was evaluated. Physical, biochemical, microbiological, and sensory analysis in 20 brands revealed several non-conformities. Hake was identified in 19 brands, although two mislabeled the species. Lower net weight than labeled was evidenced in ca. one-third of brands. TVB-N in ca. one-third of the samples presented high values, although within legal limit. Almost all brands presented excessive amount of ice glaze, low levels of WHC (raw/cooked), low levels of soluble protein, and undue thaw-drip loss, thus reflecting the poor quality of fillets. Added phosphates were below the legal limit in all samples; however, they were used in glaze ice in three brands, and only labeled in one. Overall microbiological quality of frozen fillets was good, though yeasts and molds detected in six samples indicate poor hygienic conditions in some facilities. Labels comply with legal requisites, however, need improvement, namely the 'best before' periods. In general, packaging was efficient regarding presence of ice crystals and dehydration signs. Concerning sensory analysis of cooked fillets, 63% of the brands had bad to poor quality and 37% fair quality. Merluccius productus revealed the worst quality, namely regarding thaw drip loss, thaw drip loss protein, M/P ratio, pH and sensory evaluation. Overall results show that a significant part of the hake fillets business operators are still failing in relation with best practices.

Rapid Differentiation of Unfrozen and Frozen-Thawed Tuna with Non-Destructive Methods and Classification Models: Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR).

The performances of three non-destructive sensors, based on different principles, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and time domain reflectometry (TDR), were studied to discriminate between unfrozen and frozen-thawed fish. Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) was selected as a model to evaluate these technologies. The addition of water and additives is usual in the fish industry, thus, in order to have a wide range of possible commercial conditions, some samples were injected with different water solutions (based on different concentrations of salt, polyphosphates and a protein hydrolysate solution). Three different models, based on partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were developed for each technology. This is a linear classification method that combines the properties of partial least squares (PLS) regression with the classification power of a discriminant technique. The results obtained in the evaluation of the test set were satisfactory for all the sensors, giving NIR the best performance (accuracy = 0.91, error rate = 0.10). Nevertheless, the classification accomplished with BIA and TDR data resulted also satisfactory and almost equally as good, with accuracies of 0.88 and 0.86 and error rates of 0.14 and 0.15, respectively. This work opens new possibilities to discriminate between unfrozen and frozen-thawed fish samples with different non-destructive alternatives, regardless of whether or not they have added water.

Radical resection and local coverage of hidradenitis suppurativa - acne inversa: analysis of results.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the primary outcome of local complications and late recurrence in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa undergoing radical resection and specific reconstruction. METHODS: we conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients attended by the Plastic Surgery Service of the Clinics Hospital, Medical School, USP, between 2010 and 2016. We included patients who underwent radical resection of hidradenitis suppurativa in advanced stage and reconstruction through primary closure, grafts or flaps. RESULTS: we analyzed 34 lesions in 19 patients, of which 64.5% had local complications, though with 73.5% efficient healing after 12 weeks postoperatively. We observed late recurrence in 47%, but in isolation, 22.2% of the reconstructions with locoregional flaps had recurrence after one year. CONCLUSION: extensive and radical resection of the disease associated with locoregional flap coverage (pedicled or perforating) has been shown to be the best management in terms of late results.

Tuna labels matter in Europe: Mislabelling rates in different tuna products.

Tuna fisheries and processing represent economic activities of paramount importance around the world. Most of these products are traded for human consumption and in general are highly demanded commodities. However, not all tuna products achieve the same market price, some consumers are willing to pay a huge amount of money for certain species (i.e. Japanese market for Bluefin tuna) while other species are rather affordable (i.e. Skipjack tuna), therefore mislabelling has been observed frequently. We collected and analysed 545 tuna samples in six European countries, including fresh, frozen and canned products, and we have investigated whether or not these products were correctly labelled under European and national legislations. We found an overall mislabelling rate of 6.79%; in particular, 6.70% of the fresh and frozen tuna products and 7.84% of canned tuna were mislabelled, and only in the case of fresh and frozen tuna samples significant differences among countries were found. Mislabelling rates for Atlantic Bluefin tuna labelled products were very high, ranging from 50 up to 100%. In general, mislabelling was higher when specific names were included in the labels. The "tuna" umbrella term is a very popular one with consumers, but also one that remains vulnerable to ambiguity, hampering efforts towards market transparency and with potential negative consequences to the adequate management of tuna species stocks.

Polyphosphates changes in dried salted cod (Gadus morhua) during industrial and domestic processing.

Changes in added polyphosphates throughout the processing of dried salted cod in industrial environment were evaluated. As consumers purchase both dried salted cod and desalted cod, domestic and industrial desalting processes were performed. After brining, total phosphates increased to 11.6 and 16.6 g P2O5/kg in cod processed with 3 and 6% of polyphosphates, respectively. During dry-salting, total phosphates decreased in both cases to ca. 5 g P2O5/kg, suggesting that most polyphosphates were drained with the water released. Cod with polyphosphates needed 85 h extra drying time to achieve regulatory moisture levels. After desalting, total phosphates values in dry weight indicate that phosphates were not removed during this processing step. Free phosphates, and in particular triphosphate contents, were higher in cods desalted following domestic procedures, in comparison with industrial desalting. This study demonstrates that the use of polyphosphates is not recommended for the production of Portuguese dried salted cod. These additives prevent water from being removed during the drying process, increasing the costs. Moreover, in contrast to what was assumed, part of polyphosphates is retained in the final product, even after the desalting process.

Control of abusive water addition to Octopus vulgaris with non-destructive methods.

BACKGROUND: Abusive water addition to octopus has evidenced the need for quick non-destructive methods for product qualification in the industry and control of fresh commercial products in markets. Electric conductivity (EC)/pH and dielectric property measurements were selected to detect water uptake in octopus. RESULTS: A significant EC decrease was determined after soaking octopus in freshwater for 4 h. EC reflected the water uptake of octopus and the correspondent concentration decrease of available ions in the interstitial fluid. Significant correlations were determined between octopus water uptake, EC (R = -0.940) and moisture/protein (M/P) ratio (R = 0.923) changes. Seasonal and spatial variation in proximate composition did not introduce any uncertainty in EC discrimination of freshwater tampering. Immersion in 5 g L-1 sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) increased EC to a value similar to control octopus. EC false negatives resulting from the use of additives (STPP and citric acid) were eliminated with the additional determination of pH. Octopus soaked in freshwater, STPP and citric acid can also be clearly discriminated from untreated samples (control) and also from frozen (thawed) ones using the dielectric properties. No significant differences in the dielectric property scores were found between octopus sizes or geographical locations. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous EC/pH or dielectric property measurements can be used in a handheld device for non-destructive water addition detection in octopus. M/P ratio can be used as a reference destructive method. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.