Preservation of white wine pomace by high hydrostatic pressure.

The effect of different high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments (400, 600 MPa for 1, 6 min) on white wine pomace was studied throughout storage conditions (270 days) at different temperature conditions (4° and 20 °C). The final use of this product would be as an ingredient for food products preservation. Microbiological, enzyme and physico-chemical parameters were evaluated after processing and during storage. HHP greatly reduced the microbial counts of treated pomace and allowed obtaining a safe product with a long shelf-life at 4 and 20 °C. The HHP treatment also preserved phenolic compounds content, however an important reduction of these compounds was found during storage since the polyphenol oxidase enzyme remained active after the treatment and during storage. Phenolic compounds were better preserved during storage at 4 °C than at 20 °C. The application of HHP at 600 MPa/6 min and the refrigeration of the treated pomace would allow obtaining a microbiologically safe pomace with high levels of phenolic compounds with a shelf-life of 90 days. The activity of the enzyme should be limited in future to ensure a long shelf-life of the processed pomace.

Effect of Single and Two-Cycles of High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment on the Safety and Quality of Chicken Burgers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two cycles of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment on chicken burgers after storage at refrigeration (4 °C) for 15 days, in comparison with the application of a single cycle of high hydrostatic pressure treatment, as well as compared with non-treated burgers. Samples were treated at 400 and 600 MPa and a single or two cycles were applied. The results showed that mesophilic, psychrotrophic molds, yeast, and coliforms were significantly reduced by HHP treatment (p < 0.05), 600 MPa/1 s (2 cycles) leading to the maximum inactivation. Concerning color parameters, a significant increase in lightness/paleness (L*) and a reduction in redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) (p < 0.05) was observed in samples as 600 MPa were applied. Moreover, 600 MPa/1 s (2 cycles) caused the highest differences in the meat color (ΔE processing) of the chicken burgers. No HHP treatment significantly affected the degree of oxidation of samples (p > 0.05). However, 600 MPa/1 s (2 cycles) samples showed the highest values of TBA RS content after 15 days of storage (p < 0.05). Finally, the appearance, odor, taste, and global perception of cooked burgers were similar in all groups (p < 0.05). Therefore, treatments at 600 MPa produced a significant reduction in microbial counts but modified the color; however, the discoloration effect in the cooked burgers was not noticed by panelists.

New Insights into the Application of High-Pressure Processing and Storage Time and Temperature to Sliced Iberian Chorizo.

Producing dry-cured meats with relatively high aw and pH allows companies to cut costs to the detriment of microbial control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for the first time the effect of High Processing Pressure (HPP) and storage temperature on the microbial counts, instrumental color, oxidation and sensory characteristics of sliced Iberian chorizo with high aw and pH. First, 600 MPa was applied for 480 s to sliced chorizo with aw: 0.88 and pH: 6.01, and the treated and untreated samples were stored at 4 or 20 °C for 90 or 180 days. HPP, storage time and storage at 20 °C were successful at decreasing the microbial counts that were initially high. HPP and the storage temperature had a limited detrimental effect, whereas the storage time had a marked adverse effect on oxidation and some sensory traits. Despite the high aw and pH, no safety issues arose initially or during the storage at 4 or 20 °C. In conclusion, for chorizo with high aw and pH favoring high microbial counts, HPP may be an effective hurdle without a noticeable detrimental effect, and the economically convenient storage at 20 °C might be beneficial despite causing moderate quality loss.

Efficacy of modified active packaging with oxygen scavengers for the preservation of sliced Iberian dry-cured shoulder.

The effectiveness of commercial oxygen scavengers was investigated in order to increase the shelf-life of sliced dry-cured Iberian shoulder in MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) for up to 150 days. Five dry-cured shoulders from Iberian pigs were used. Slices of these dry-cured shoulders were randomly packaged in MAP conditions. An active packaging (AP) with oxygen scavengers was evaluated to reduce the level of oxygen within the headspace as close to 0% as possible. AP was compared to a Control Treatment (C) (without scavenger). Sliced dry-cured Iberian shoulder in AP showed lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values (TBARS) than control packages after 150 days of storage, and in general, volatile compounds derived from lipid oxidation, increased in C packages, whereas these remained steady in AP. Therefore, AP was effective to decrease the development of lipid oxidation during storage. In contrast, AP was not effective in preserving color changes, although no sensory differences between treatments were appreciated by the panelists.

Molecular Profiling of Tumor Tissue in Mexican Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease with multiple genomic changes that influence the clinical management of patients; thus, the search for new molecular targets remains necessary. The aim of this study was to identify genetic variants in tumor tissues from Mexican patients with colorectal cancer, using massive parallel sequencing. A total of 4813 genes were analyzed in tumoral DNA from colorectal cancer patients, using the TruSight One Sequencing panel. From these, 192 variants with clinical associations were found distributed in 168 different genes, of which 46 variants had not been previous reported in the literature or databases, although genes harboring those variants had already been described in colorectal cancer. Enrichment analysis of the affected genes was performed using Reactome software; pathway over-representation showed significance for disease, signal transduction, and immune system subsets in all patients, while exclusive subsets such as DNA repair, autophagy, and RNA metabolism were also found. Those characteristics, whether individual or shared, could give tumors specific capabilities for survival, aggressiveness, or response to treatment. Our results can be useful for future investigations targeting specific characteristics of tumors in colorectal cancer patients. The identification of exclusive or common pathways in colorectal cancer patients could be important for better diagnosis and personalized cancer treatment.

Effect of High-Hydrostatic-Pressure Processing and Storage Temperature on Sliced Iberian Dry-Cured Sausage ("Salchichón") from Pigs Reared in Montanera System.

The top-quality "salchichón" (a fermented dry-cured sausage) is manufactured from Iberian pigs reared outdoors. This work aims to evaluate the effect of hydrostatic high pressure (HHP) and storage temperature on sliced vacuum-packaged top-quality Iberian "salchichón". Two types of "salchichón" (S1 and S2, manufactured at different companies) were processed at 600 MPa for 8 min and stored at 4 and 20 °C for 180 days. Microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory changes were evaluated. Microbiological counts were reduced by HHP treatment and also generally decreased during storage at both temperatures. Lightness and redness of slices decreased during storage at 20 °C, while yellowness values increased. Changes in color were also observed in sensory analysis of the dry-cured sausages. HHP increased lipid and protein oxidation values in S1, whereas protein oxidation increased at 20 °C in S2. S1 was more affected by HHP while S2 was more affected by the temperature of storage. Therefore, despite both products belonging to the same commercial category, slight differences in the composition of both products and/or differences in packaging determined a different behavior after HHP treatment and during storage at different temperatures.

Effect of a rice bran extract-based active packaging, high pressure processing and storage temperature on the volatile compounds of sliced dry-cured high quality (Montanera) Iberian ham.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate for the first time the effect of a rice bran extract based-active packaging with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, high pressure processing (HPP) (600 MPa, 7 min), storage time (1, 90, and 180 days) and temperature (4 vs 20 °C) on the volatile compounds of sliced "Montanera" Iberian ham. The active packaging affected a quarter of the compounds, with a trend similar (although to a greater extent) to the one resulting from the HPP. The active packaging provided no clear advantages or serious drawbacks. The slight effect of the high pressure processing indicates that "Montanera" products might be more resistant to HPP-induced changes than other dry-cured hams. Regarding storage, despite the marked effect of time (30 out of 38 compounds), the temperature only influenced two compounds. This weak effect raises the possibility of storing and distributing this vacuum-packaged sliced product at room temperature.

Accelerating Aging of White and Red Wines by the Application of Hydrostatic High Pressure and Maceration with Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) Chips. Influence on Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The use of holm oak (Quercus ilex) chips as a potential alternative wood and the application of hydrostatic high pressure (HHP) as an alternative technique to accelerate the release to the wine of wood-related compounds within a short processing time were evaluated. METHODS: Five treatments were investigated: (i) bottling without any treatment (B); (ii) and (iii) bottling after maceration (5 g/L) of holm oak chips with HHP treatments (400 MPa, 5 and 30 min) (HHP5, HHP30); (iv) bottling after maceration during 45 days with chips (M), and; (v) maceration in tanks without chips (T). The effects of treatments on general parameters, polyphenols, color, and sensorial characteristics of red and white wines were investigated over 180 days. RESULTS: HHP5, HHP30, and M increased the polyphenols content, thus modified the chromatic characteristics regarding B and M treatments of white wines, also the tasters differentiated HHP5, HHP30, and M from B and T. However, these effects were not observed in red wines. Thus, the effect of the wood depends on the type of wine in which it is used. CONCLUSIONS: This research contributes to better knowledge about these chips as a new alternative wood species and the use of HHP as a useful technology to accelerate the aging of wines.

Effect of Breed Purity and Rearing Systems on the Stability of Sliced Iberian Dry-Cured Ham Stored in Modified Atmosphere and Vacuum Packaging.

The long-term storage stability of three quality categories of sliced Iberian dry-cured ham defined by the Spanish Iberian Quality Standard (Black, purebred Iberian reared outdoors in Montanera system; Red, Iberian × Duroc crossed (50%) pigs reared outdoors in Montanera system;, and White, Iberian × Duroc crossed (50%) pigs commercially fed) and packaged under vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was studied. Commercial category affected the shelf life, being Black and Red presented the highest lipid oxidation during storage, whereas the effect of packaging was not as clear as the effect of commercial category. MAP preserved more the colour and the antioxidants content than vacuum packaging, while this latter reduced lipid oxidation development and maintained better the brightness and flavour of slices than MAP.

Immunological components and antioxidant activity in human milk processed by different high pressure-thermal treatments at low initial temperature and flash holding times.

The effect of high pressure thermal (HPT) processing on the immunoglobulin (IgM, IgA and IgG), and cytokine content (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α), and antioxidant activity of human milk was analyzed after the application of different treatments between 200, and 800 MPa at low initial temperatures (between -15, and 50 °C) and for 1 s (flash treatments). Low pressures intensities did not induce changes in Igs while at 800 MPa, all combinations reduced the control levels. IL-6 and IL-10 were not affected by any of the treatments applied while IL-8 and TNF-α were reduced at treatments which combined temperatures at 50 °C. In general antioxidant activity was not affected at the processing conditions chosen. The flash HPT treatment applied at 600 MPa and at 0 °C could be the best choice to preserve immunological parameters and the antioxidant activity of human milk.

Volatile compounds of a pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) purée processed by high pressure thermal processing.

BACKGROUND: The changes in the volatile profile of a pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata, Duch.) purée processed by high pressure thermal (HPT) processing at different pressure and initial temperature intensities (300, 600, 900 MPa and 60, 80 °C, respectively) was evaluated. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) technique was used for the extraction and concentration of volatile compounds and the analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: Alcohols were the volatile compounds most abundantly isolated in the headspace of pumpkin purée (control and processed purées had ranges between 43 and 56%), followed by aldehydes (14-28%), hydrocarbons (8-13%) and terpenes (7-10%). Lipid oxidation, Maillard reaction and carotenoids degradation were the main chemical routes of formation of volatile compounds after HPT processing. Initial temperature or pressure intensity of HPT processing, within the ranges tested in this study, did not affect the initial levels of volatile compounds of pumpkin purée. CONCLUSION: HPT processing is an effective technology for the preservation of the original aroma of low acid vegetables such as pumpkin. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Monitoring of acrylamide and phenolic compounds in table olive after high hydrostatic pressure and cooking treatments.

Acrylamide and phenolic compounds on both fresh and cooked olives were monitored by HPLC/MS-MS and reversed-phase-HPLC methods along different procedures: elaboration process, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), cooking treatment and bioavailability evaluation. Acrylamide was not detected during the elaboration process and after HHP treatment. Hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleuropein and verbascoside were the most important phenols after HHP treatment. The frying and baking processes on olives enhanced the formation of acrylamide and a significant reduction in the phenolic compounds. The frying process produced lower acrylamide concentration and less reduction of phenolic compounds than the baking process, while in the gastrointestinal digestion these compounds were slightly reduced if compared to the initial stage. As a conclusion, the best way to ingest high quantities of phenols and reduce acrylamide consumption is by ingesting the olives when they are fresh. In case the olives need to be cooked, specific time and temperature conditions shall be applied.

Using Range-Wide Abundance Modeling to Identify Key Conservation Areas for the Micro-Endemic Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus).

A widespread biogeographic pattern in nature is that population abundance is not uniform across the geographic range of species: most occurrence sites have relatively low numbers, whereas a few places contain orders of magnitude more individuals. The Bolson tortoise Gopherus flavomarginatus is endemic to a small region of the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico, where habitat deterioration threatens this species with extinction. In this study we combined field burrows counts and the approach for modeling species abundance based on calculating the distance to the niche centroid to obtain range-wide abundance estimates. For the Bolson tortoise, we found a robust, negative relationship between observed burrows abundance and distance to the niche centroid, with a predictive capacity of 71%. Based on these results we identified four priority areas for the conservation of this microendemic and threatened tortoise. We conclude that this approach may be a useful approximation for identifying key areas for sampling and conservation efforts in elusive and rare species.

Antihyperglycaemic effect of laser acupuncture treatment at BL20 in diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antihyperglycaemic activity of laser acupuncture stimulation at 650 and 980 nm at BL20 in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Seventy healthy adult male albino Wistar rats weighing 250±50 g were divided into seven groups of 10 animals each. Groups I-III comprised healthy control rats which were untreated (I) or stimulated with laser acupuncture at 650 nm (II) and 980 nm (III), respectively. Groups IV-VII underwent induction of diabetes with a single intraperitoneal administration of STZ at 50 mg/kg. Animals with blood glucose levels of ≥200 mg/dL on the fifth day were used for the experiments and were left untreated (group IV), treated with glibenclamide (group V) or stimulated with laser acupuncture at 650 nm (group VI) and 980 nm (group VII), respectively. Laser acupuncture was applied at BL20 on alternate days for a total of 12 sessions over a 28-day period. RESULTS: After 28 days of treatment, STZ-induced diabetic rats stimulated with laser acupuncture at 650 and 980 nm had significantly lower glucose levels compared with untreated diabetic rats (242.0±65.0 and 129.8±33.2 vs 376.5±10.0 mg/dL, both p≤0.05). Treatment at 980 nm also attenuated the increase in glucose between day 1 and day 28 compared with the glibenclamide-treated diabetic group (41.5±19.6 mg/dL vs 164.1±13.7 g/dL, p<0.05). Laser acupuncture treatment did not affect the blood count or biochemical profile and was not associated with any morphological changes in the pancreas, liver, kidney or spleen. CONCLUSIONS: Stimulation with laser acupuncture at 650 and 980 nm at BL20 in STZ-induced diabetic rats has antihyperglycaemic activity. The results support further evaluation of laser acupuncture as an alternative or complementary treatment for the control of hyperglycaemia.

Effect of processing by hydrostatic high pressure of two ready to heat vegetable meals and stability after refrigerated storage.

The effect of high pressure processing (HPP) (400 and 600 MPa for 1 and 5 min) and the stability during storage were studied in two ready to heat vegetable meals: meal A, mainly composed by pumpkin and broccoli, and meal B, mainly composed by eggplant, zucchini, chard and spinach. The treatment at 600 MPa/5 min was the most effective to reduce the initial microbial loads of the meals and maintained better the microbial safety during storage. HPP had no effect on the physico-chemical and sensory properties. HPP at 600 MPa increased the antioxidant activity of the meal A. In contrast HPP reduced the antioxidant activity of the meal B, although in general high levels of antioxidants were maintained after processing and during storage. In conclusion, treatments at 600 MPa for 5 min were the most suitable to increase the shelf-life of the meals without affecting their physico-chemical, antioxidant and sensory properties.

High-pressure processing of a raw milk cheese improved its food safety maintaining the sensory quality.

The effect of high-pressure treatment (400 or 600 MPa for 7 min) on microbiology, proteolysis, texture and sensory parameters was investigated in a mature raw goat milk cheese. At day 60 of analysis, Mesophilic aerobic, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria and Listeria spp. were inactivated after high-pressure treatment at 400 or 600 MPa. At day 90, mesophilic aerobic, lactic acid bacteria and Micrococacceae counts were significantly lower in high-pressure-treated cheeses than in control ones. In general, nitrogen fractions were significantly modified after high-pressure treatment on day 60 at 600 MPa compared with control cheeses, but this effect was not found in cheeses after 30 days of storage (day 90). On the other hand, high-pressure treatment caused a significant increase of some texture parameters. However, sensory analysis showed that neither trained panellists nor consumers found significant differences between control and high-pressure-treated cheeses.

Effect of high-pressure processing and thermal treatment on quality attributes and nutritional compounds of "Songold" plum purée.

UNLABELLED: The application of hydrostatic high pressure on a "Songold" plum purée was assessed in comparison with heat pasteurization. To simulate industrial conditions, one-half of the total purée was manufactured with a pretreatment of thermal blanching (TB) and the other half without it (nonthermally blanched, NTB). Changes after thermal treatment and high-pressure processing (HPP: 400, 600 MPa) and after 20 d of refrigerated storage were evaluated. HPP maintained the microbial stability of the purées until the end of the storage period. Polyphenol oxidase activity was lower in TB purées than NTB purées. No treatment was completely effective to stop the enzyme activity, although a significant reduction was reached. Thermally treated purées showed more intense color changes after processing and storage than HP-treated purées. After processing, high-pressure (HP) purées treated at 600 MPa (TB and NTB) increased the extractability of carotenoids compared with initial untreated purée. Nevertheless, at the end of the storage, the highest carotenoid content was found in the TB purée treated at 400 MPa. After processing, total polyphenol levels were similar in all purées. TB and 600 MPa processing was more effective in the maintenance of the polyphenols than the other purées. TB increased the level of antioxidants after storage, compared to NTB purées. A previous TB step is necessary to inactivate browning enzymes before HPP to maintain the levels of bioactive compounds. HPP of plum purée could be a suitable alternative to traditional thermal processing, but more studies are necessary to ensure a major inactivation of polyphenol oxidase. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: High-pressure processing is one of the most successful technologies to obtain high-quality fruit purées without appreciable losses in taste, flavor, color, and nutritive value. However, for the introduction of a new technology, some advantages compared to the traditional thermal treatment need to be emphasized. The application of this technology could be reduced due to resistance of certain enzymes to pressurization. For this reason, in some cases the application of a previous thermal blanching can be necessary at industrial level. However, this can reduce the advantages of HPP application. This paper provides interesting information about the storage stability of plum purées after high-pressure treatments and assesses the need for applying heat pretreatments.

Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and total antioxidant capacity increase after the intake of a grape juice cv. Tempranillo stabilized with HHP.

Red grapes contain elevated amounts of antioxidant compounds (polyphenols) that may potentially prevent cell aging, cardiovascular disease and oxidation-related disorders. Since functional drinks are presently one of the most dynamic sectors of the market, the present work was aimed at evaluating the possible antioxidant effect of an experimental grape juice in terms of urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6-s) and total antioxidant capacity in young (20 ± 10 yr-old), middle-aged (45 ± 10 yr-old) and elderly (75 ± 10 yr-old) individuals. Grapes (Vitis vinifera cv. Tempranillo) were de-stemmed, racked and pressed. The juice was subsequently stabilized by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). Participants consumed 200 mL of grape juice twice a day (as the lunch and dinner desserts) for 5 days. First-void morning urines were collected before treatment (basal values), the day immediately after the last ingestion of juice (assay), and one day afterwards (post-assay). aMT6-s and total antioxidant capacity were quantified using commercial ELISA and colorimetric assay kits, respectively. The intake of grape juice cv. Tempranillo induced a significant increase of urinary aMT6-s and total antioxidant capacity in the three groups of age analyzed as compared to their corresponding basal and post-assay values. These functional/nutraceutical properties may be of interest for a prospective commercialization of the grape juice. The novel technology used for juice stabilization may be suitable for introducing into the market a product with high sensory and nutritional quality, as it has been shown in this study.

Mismatch repair modulation of MutY activity drives Bacillus subtilis stationary-phase mutagenesis.

Stress-promoted mutations that occur in nondividing cells (adaptive mutations) have been implicated strongly in causing genetic variability as well as in species survival and evolutionary processes. Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage has been associated with generation of adaptive His(+) and Met(+) but not Leu(+) revertants in strain Bacillus subtilis YB955 (hisC952 metB5 leuC427). Here we report that an interplay between MutY and MutSL (mismatch repair system [MMR]) plays a pivotal role in the production of adaptive Leu(+) revertants. Essentially, the genetic disruption of MutY dramatically reduced the reversion frequency to the leu allele in this model system. Moreover, the increased rate of adaptive Leu(+) revertants produced by a MutSL knockout strain was significantly diminished following mutY disruption. Interestingly, although the expression of mutY took place during growth and stationary phase and was not under the control of RecA, PerR, or σ(B), a null mutation in the mutSL operon increased the expression of mutY several times. Thus, in starved cells, saturation of the MMR system may induce the expression of mutY, disturbing the balance between MutY and MMR proteins and aiding in the production of types of mutations detected by reversion to leucine prototrophy. In conclusion, our results support the idea that MMR regulation of the mutagenic/antimutagenic properties of MutY promotes stationary-phase mutagenesis in B. subtilis cells.