Technological and Organoleptic Parameters of Craft Beer Fortified with Powder of the Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus eryngii.

Beer is one of the oldest and most popular alcoholic beverages and is currently consumed worldwide. The various components used in the brewing process have a physiological impact on the consumer and current research aims to improve its technological and functional properties through the addition of natural compounds (plants or mushrooms). In this work, the addition of two different amounts (5 and 10 g/L) of Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii in powder form added at different production stages (PRE and POST alcoholic fermentation) showed the improvement in yeast viability during the alcoholic fermentation, increased the alcoholic content, and improved the sensorial profile. Regarding the organoleptic profile in the experimental samples, cocoa/chocolate and mushroom aromas were found and the samples PRE10 and POST5 received the best ratings with respect to all evaluated parameters.

Artichoke Industrial Waste in Durum Wheat Bread: Effects of Two Different Preparation and Drying Methods of Flours and Evaluation of Quality Parameters during Short Storage.

'Violetto di Ramacca' is a local variety of artichoke grown in Sicily (Southern Italy), known for its purple color with green streaks. In this study, the effects of two different preparation and drying methods (method A, fresh sample oven-dried at 40 °C for 48 h then mixed and ground into flour; and B, minced and frozen sample oven-dried at 40 °C for 24 h then blended and ground into flour) for flours from different parts of the artichoke (bracts, stems, and mix), used at different percentages of integration (5, 7.5, and 10%), in combination with re-milled semolina, have been evaluated. The polyphenol contents of the flours produced with the two methods were measured. The results showed significant differences between the methods and samples, with a range from 9.09 mg GAE/g d.m. (bracts 100%, method A) to 2.62 mg/g (mix 100%, method B). The values were then lowered in the flour products with supplements ranging from 0.96 mg GAE/g (bract flour 10%, method A) to 0.11 mg GAE/g (mixed flour 7.5%, method B). As the amounts of polyphenols increased, the antioxidant activity increased, with a range that varied in the pure flour from 8.59 mg trolox eq/g d.m. (bract flour, method A) to 3.83 mg trolox eq/g d.m. (mixed flour, method B). These flours were also analyzed for color, highlighting a clear difference between methods A (greener) and B (browner). The flours thus obtained were used to produce breads, which were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics during 4 days of storage. The results showed a reduction in volumes and heights, an increase in the percentage of integration of the artichoke flours, a greater quantity of moisture in the integrated breads, and a lower reduction in the structural characteristics during storage compared to the control breads. The TPA was conducted on the breads from T0 to T4, highlighting that, although initially more compact, the integrated breads offered less alteration of the values during storage. The aw ranged from 0.63 (mix flour 5%, method B) to 0.90 (bract flour 5%, method B). The amounts of polyphenols (from 0.57 mg GAE/g in bread with bracts at 10% (method A) to 0.13 mg GAE/g in bread with mix 5% (method B)) and the antioxidant activity (from 0.55 mg trolox eq/g d.m. in bread with bract flour 10% (method A) to 0.14% mg trolox eq/g d.m. in bread with mix flour) were also evaluated, showing a trend similar to the values obtained in the flours. Colorimetric tests highlighted a color more similar to wholemeal bread in the loaves produced with method B. Statistical factor analysis and cluster analysis were conducted for all trials.

Chewing gum base: A comprehensive review of composition, production, and assessment methods: Advances and approaches in biodegradability.

The gum base mass is a colloidal system and the main component of chewing gum; which is an inert, non-nutritious, indigestible, and insoluble part of chewing gum, therefore this substance does not dissolve in the mouth when chewed. The gum base plays the most crucial role in determining the mechanical properties, flexibility, and overall quality of chewing gum. Moreover, it acts as a delivery system to transport sweeteners, flavorings, and other ingredients in chewing gum. Despite the massive market for chewing gum and the provision of a list of the main ingredients in gum base by the Code of Federal Regulations and some international organizations, there is a lack of information about chewing gum base and its compositions in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to present an overview of the characteristics, ingredients and applications, production process, assessment, and modification methods of the gum base along with the advances and approaches in biodegradability. Biodegradability concerns play a promoting role in the research and development of chewing gum and its applications in the food industry, medical and dental sectors. Reviewing previous studies can surely help for faster development of this path.

Influence of indigenous Hanseniaspora uvarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae from sugar-rich substrates on the aromatic composition of loquat beer.

The demand for unique and exclusive food products and beverages is constantly on the increase. One of the products that mostly evolved to encounter market dynamics in the last decade is craft beer. For a long time, craft breweries have included fruit in beer production to enrich flavour and aroma profile of different beer styles. In this study, for the first time, the use of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeast strains isolated from high-sugar matrices (manna and fermented honey by-products) were investigated to diversify fruit craft beer production, in order to improve the fermentation process and highlight the complexity of aroma profiles generated during alcoholic fermentation. Two yeast strains, Hanseniaspora uvarum YGA34 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae MN113, were tested as co-starters and starters for their beer production capacity. Commercial yeast strain US-05 was used as control. Loquat juice was added at the end of primary alcoholic fermentation in all trials. Interestingly, S. cerevisiae MN113 consumed sugars faster than control strain S. cerevisiae US-05, including maltose, even in the case of sequential inoculation. This strain showed an excellent ability to consume rapidly sugars present. All strains showed their concentrations ranged between 5 and 8 Log cycles during fermentation. The absence of off-odours and the improvement of aromatic perception were observed in experimental trials involving the use of S. cerevisiae MN113 as a monoculture and in sequential combination with H. uvarum YGA34. Esters and alcohols were the most abundant compounds emitted from the beers. The beers produced with sequential inoculation of H. uvarum YGA34 and S. cerevisiae MN113 or US-05 are characterised by a higher ester and lower alcohol concentration. These two unconventional yeast strains from high sugar matrices showed great technological properties, representing promising co-starters and starter during craft fruit beer production.

Non-conventional yeasts from fermented honey by-products: Focus on Hanseniaspora uvarum strains for craft beer production.

The increasing interest in novel beer productions focused on non-Saccharomyces yeasts in order to pursue their potential in generating groundbreaking sensory profiles. Traditional fermented beverages represent an important source of yeast strains which could express interesting features during brewing. A total of 404 yeasts were isolated from fermented honey by-products and identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Hanseniaspora uvarum. Five H. uvarum strains were screened for their brewing capability. Interestingly, Hanseniaspora uvarum strains showed growth in presence of ethanol and hop and a more rapid growth than the control strain S. cerevisiae US-05. Even though all strains showed a very low fermentation power, their concentrations ranged between 7 and 8 Log cycles during fermentation. The statistical analyses showed significant differences among the strains and underlined the ability of YGA2 and YGA34 to grow rapidly in presence of ethanol and hop. The strain YGA34 showed the best technological properties and was selected for beer production. Its presence in mixed- and sequential-culture fermentations with US-05 did not influence attenuation and ethanol concentration but had a significant impact on glycerol and acetic acid concentrations, with a higher sensory complexity and intensity, representing promising co-starters during craft beer production.

Effect of seasonality on physico-chemical and microbiological properties of nicastrese milk and artisanal cheese.

Nicastrese is an indigenous Italian goat breed reared in the Calabria region under semi-extensive practices. From January to June, the milk yield of 400 multiparous Nicastrese goats was evaluated. In addition, tank milk and ripened cheese samples were subjected to physico-chemical and microbiological analyses with the aim to assess the effect of the seasonality on quality parameters. The volatile organic compounds profile of the ripened Nicastrese cheese samples was evaluated. Results showed that the seasonality had a significant effect on milk fat, lactose, urea, citric acid contents and acidity. Microbiological analysis of tank milk samples revealed variability among the different microbial groups investigated except for Escherichia coli. In addition, faecal coliforms and Listeria spp. were never detected. Regarding 60 days ripened cheese samples, almost all microbial groups showed a significant decrease during the analysed period, with the exception of Enterobacteria. It is interesting to note that Escherichia coli and Listeria spp. were not detected in any cheese sample investigated, confirming the cheese safety. Overall, volatile organic compounds, detected on cheese samples, decreased trough the investigated period and this behavior could be related to the feeding quality and to the milk's goat nutritional components.

COVID-19: What happened to the healthcare workers of a research and teaching hospital in Milan, Italy?

The paper wants to present the data of infection of the Health Care Workers of a research and teaching hospital in Milan, Italy. The majority (2554, 55.9%) of 4572 HCWs were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and 8.8% were found positive. Most of the tested workers were women, but we found higher relative frequency of positivity for men, even after adjustment for age, working area, and occupation. The higher frequency of positive tests in the medicine area is probably explained by the higher concentration in that area of COVID-19 patients. Conversely, the low frequency of positive HCWs in intensive care units is  probably explained by the diffuse and continuous use of PPD. Our results show that HCWs in a research and teaching hospital in the most hit Region in Italy had a similar pattern of infection as all other HCWs all over the world. The problem of SARS-CoV-2 infections among the hospital personnel HCWs should remind us  the concerns about hospital acquired infections both for patients and HCWs.

Addition of selected starter/non-starter lactic acid bacterial inoculums to stabilise PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese production.

The present study was carried out to produce Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) Pecorino Siciliano cheese with a multi-species lactic acid bacteria (LAB) culture, composed of starter and non-starter strains in order to reduce the microbiological variability of the products derived without LAB inoculums. To this end, cheese samples produced in six factories located in five provinces (Agrigento, Catania, Enna, Palermo and Trapani) of Sicily, and previously characterised for physicochemical, microbiological and sensory aspects, have been investigated in this work for bacterial microbiome, fatty acid (FA) composition as well as volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles. Analysis of the cheese microbiomes indicated that streptococci (30.62-77.18% relative abundance) and lactobacilli (on average 25.90% relative abundance) dominated the bacterial communities of control cheeses, produced without exogenous inoculums, whereas the cheeses produced with the selected multi-strain culture saw the dominance of lactococci (in the range 6.49-14.92% relative abundance), streptococci and lactobacilli. After the addition of the selected mixed culture, Shannon index increased in all cheeses, but only the cheeses produced with the selected LAB mixed culture in the factory 2 showed Gini-Simpson diversity index (0.79) closer to the reference value (0.94) for a perfect even community. FA composition, mainly represented by saturated FA (on average 69.60% and 69.39% in control cheeses and experimental cheeses, respectively), was not affected by adding LAB culture. The presence of polyunsaturated FA ranged between 7.93 and 8.03% of FA. VOC profiles were different only for the content of butanoic acid, registered for the experimental cheeses at higher concentrations (on average 662.54 mg/kg) than control cheeses (barely 11.96 mg/kg). This study validated addition of the ad hoc starter/non-starter culture for PDO Pecorino cheese production.

Employ of Citrus By-product as Fat Replacer Ingredient for Bakery Confectionery Products.

Citrus fruits processing is one of the foremost industrial activities in Sicily and the main residual by-product consists in peels and seeds (known as "pastazzo"). Traditionally this by-product has been used for different purposes, and only most recently, it has been described as source of a wide range of healthy bioactive compounds and dietary fibers. In the present work, a debittered food grade orange fiber (DOF), extracted from orange juice by-product, was experimentally obtained and tested as fat-replacer at different percentages (30, 50, and 70%) in bakery confectionery products (brioches). The DOF showed high total fiber content, low water activity and a high water binding capacity. The obtained bakery products were characterized for nutritional, technological and microbiological parameters through storage at room temperature. Results highlighted that the addition of DOF results in final products with increased moisture content, mainly after 1 day of storage, and good textural proprieties. Furthermore, the fat-replacing strategy, at different levels of DOF, resulted in final products with, besides a constant content of carbohydrates, showed lowered fat content, increased content of dietary fiber and protein. In particular, the 50% fat replacement allowed to obtain brioches with improved technological properties and with desirable microbiological traits, mostly within the first 24 h from production and up to 5 days of storage.

Change in taste-altering non-volatile components of blood and common orange fruit during cold storage.

Cold storage may cause changes in the volatile and non-volatile components of orange fruit, in association with the decrement of the characteristic fruit flavour and sensory acceptability. The aim of this work was to evaluate the changes of some non-volatile taste-altering components (total and individual sugars, acids, anthocyanins, putrescine and limonin) that may affect the organoleptic perception of cold-stored orange fruit. Three blood orange varieties ('Tarocco TDV', 'Tarocco Gallo', and 'Moro') and a common variety ('Washington navel') were stored at 6 ± 1 °C and 90-95% Relative Humidity (RH) for 60 d. Chemical and sensory assessments were performed during fruit storage at 15 d intervals. During storage, no dramatic change of the physicochemical parameters was recorded and the ascorbic acid content remained almost unchanged in all varieties. As expected, total anthocyanins significantly increased during storage. Limonin significantly decreased in all varieties. A consistent and significant increase in putrescine occurred during storage in the fruit of the pigmented varieties, not recorded in the common orange variety. Putrescine behaviour showed direct correlation with the accumulation of off-flavour in cold-stored 'Moro' and 'T. TDV' fruit, showing a clear influence of its relative concentration on the sensory perception of fruit. Finally, principal component analysis showed that the complete quality profile of the four investigated varieties represented clear differentiation without overlapping clusters. Our results suggest that the arise of a negative sensory perception in cold stored blood orange fruit might be linked to their accumulation of putrescine.

Effects of adding solid and molten chocolate on the physicochemical, antioxidant, microbiological, and sensory properties of ewe's milk cheese.

A novel dairy product, namely "chocolate cheese", was produced with two typical Sicilian food products: Pecorino cheese, processed from ewe's milk, and Modica chocolate. The cheese, manufactured with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% (w/w) solid or molten chocolate, was evaluated after 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks of vacuum storage for its nutritional and health properties. The addition of chocolate reduced the pH, protein, fat, and ash; the addition of 5% or 10% molten chocolate reduced hardness (N/mm2 ). The addition of either solid or molten chocolate resulted in a slight increase (P < 0.1038) in the total polyphenol content, a higher oleic acid content, and less oxidative stability. The microbiological profile showed that the total mesophilic count and the number of mesophilic coccus lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were approximately equal (about 108 CFU/g) in all cheese. The survival of the microorganisms was affected by both the chocolate added and the storage time. Chocolate cheese stored for 6 weeks had less Enterobacteriaceae than control cheese, whereas yeasts were detected at higher cell densities in the former cheese. Filamentous fungi were undetectable in some cheese. Differences were also observed in the number of mesophilic rod LAB, which increased progressively over time in all cheese, and in Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts, and filamentous fungi, which decreased during storage. Descriptive and hedonic sensory tests and principal component analysis showed that fresh cheese and cheese stored for 2 weeks, including 5% molten chocolate, were the most preferred by evaluators. Based on these results, chocolate cheese has the potential to be appreciated in the market for its nutritional, health, and sensory properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Chocolate cheese, made by combining two typical Sicilian foods, Pecorino cheese and Modica chocolate, is proposed as a novel dairy product. The highest sensory acceptance was obtained with the addition of 5% molten chocolate and storage for 2 weeks. Given its improved antioxidant properties, healthier fat, and sensory properties, chocolate cheese has the potential to be appreciated in the market, especially by young consumers.

Insights Into the Cultivable Microbial Ecology of "Manna" Ash Products Extracted From Fraxinus angustifolia (Oleaceae) Trees in Sicily, Italy.

Microbial communities characterizing a specific food matrix, generally, strongly contribute to both its composition, and properties for food applications. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the cultivable microbial ecology of Sicilian "Manna" ash products in order to acquire new information on the hygienic quality, shelf-life and potential application of this traditional food. To this purpose, several manna samples belonging to different commercial categories were collected and subjected to the analysis of bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi. Furthermore, an investigation of the sugar content and physicochemical parameters was performed. The results of our study followed the trend generally reported for other sugary foods. Conversely, as regards microbiological analyses, in the present study, the presence of microorganisms at high levels confirmed their survival in stressing conditions characterizing this food matrix in a viable and cultivable form. Most species were osmophilic, endophytic bacteria, antagonistic of fungi pathogen of plants. Yeasts were the most abundant microbial populations and a total of six species were identified: Candida aaseri, Candida lactis-condensi, Citeromyces matritensis, Lachancea thermotolerans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Zygosaccharomyces bailii. Filamentous fungi included five genera, which were considered common contaminants of honey and of other foods due to their xerophilic characteristics. Interestingly, our results suggest that the strains of L. thermotolerans isolated in this study might be evaluated for their potential to act as starters either singly or in multi-combination for food applications.

Effect of Sequential Inoculum of Beta-Glucosidase Positive and Probiotic Strains on Brine Fermentation to Obtain Low Salt Sicilian Table Olives.

In the present study, the ß-glucosidase positive strain Lactobacillus plantarum F3. 3 was used as starter during the fermentation of Sicilian table olives (Nocellara Etnea cultivar) at two different salt concentrations (5 and 8%), in order to accelerate the debittering process. The latter was monitored through the increase of hydroxytyrosol compound. In addition, the potential probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei N24 strain was added after 60 days of fermentation. Un-inoculated brine samples at 5 and 8% of salt were used as control. The fermentation was monitored till 120 days through physico-chemical and microbiological analyses. In addition, volatile organic compounds and sensorial analyses were performed during the process and at the end of the fermentation, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were, in depth, studied by molecular methods and the occurrence of the potential probiotic N24 strain in the final products was determined. Results highlighted that inoculated brines exhibited a higher acidification and debittering rate than control ones. In addition, inoculated brines at 5% of salt exhibited higher polyphenols (hydoxytyrosol, tyrosol, and verbascoside) content compared to samples at 8% of NaCl, suggesting a stronger oleuropeinolytic activity of the starter at low salt concentration. Lactobacilli and yeasts dominated during the fermentation process, with the highest occurrence of L. plantarum and Wickerhamomyces anomalus, respectively. Moreover, the potential probiotic L. paracasei N24 strain was able to survive in the final product. Hence, the sequential inoculum of beta-glucosidase positive and potential probiotic strains could be proposed as a suitable technology to produce low salt Sicilian table olives.

Fermentation of Nocellara Etnea Table Olives by Functional Starter Cultures at Different Low Salt Concentrations.

Nocellara Etnea is one of the main Sicilian cultivars traditionally used to produce both olive oil and naturally fermented table olives. In the present study, the effect of different salt concentrations on physico-chemical, microbiological, sensorial, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) formation was evaluated in order to obtain functional Nocellara Etnea table olives. The experimental design consisted of 8 treatments as follow: fermentations at 4, 5, 6, and 8% of salt with (E1-E4 samples) and without (C1-C4 samples) the addition of starters. All the trials were carried out at room temperature (18 ± 2°C) and monitored for an overall period of 120 d. In addition, the persistence of the potential probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei N24 at the end of the process was investigated. Microbiological data revealed the dominance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), starting from the 7th d of fermentation, and the reduction of yeasts and enterobacteria in the final product inoculated with starters. VOCs profile highlighted a high amount of aldehydes at the beginning of fermentation, which significantly decreased through the process and a concomitant increase of alcohols, acids, esters, and phenols. In particular, esters showed an occurrence percentage higher in experimental samples rather than in control ones, contributing to more pleasant flavors. Moreover, acetic acid, ethanol, and phenols, which often generate off-flavors, were negatively correlated with mesophilic bacteria and LAB. It is interesting to note that salt content did not affect the performances of starter cultures and slightly influenced the metabolome of table olives. Sensory data demonstrated significant differences among samples registering the highest overall acceptability in the experimental sample at 5% of NaCl. The persistence of the L. paracasei N24 strain in experimental samples, at the end of the process, revealed its promising perspectives as starter culture for the production of functional table olives with reduced salt content.

Physico-chemical properties and sensory profile of durum wheat Dittaino PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) bread and quality of re-milled semolina used for its production.

To help future quality checks, we characterized the physico-chemical and sensory properties of Dittaino bread, a sourdough-based durum wheat bread recently awarded with Protected Designation of Origin mark, along with the quality features of re-milled semolina used for its production. Semolina was checked for Falling Number (533-644s), protein content (12.0-12.3g/100gd.m.), gluten content (9.7-10.5g/100gd.m.), yellow index (18.0-21.0), water absorption (59.3-62.3g/100g), farinograph dough stability (171-327s), softening index (46-66B.U.), alveograph W (193×10-4-223×10-4J) and P/L (2.2-2.7). Accordingly, bread crumb was yellow, moderately hard (16.4-27.1N) and chewy (88.2-109.2N×mm), with low specific volume (2.28-3.03mL/g). Bread aroma profile showed ethanol and acetic acid, followed by hexanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenylethanol, 3-methylbutanal, hexanal, benzaldehyde, and furfural. The sensory features were dominated by a thick brown crust, with marked toasted odor, coupled to yellow and consistent crumb, with coarse grain and well-perceivable sour taste and odor.

Polyphasic approach to study physico-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics of artisanal Nicastrese goat's cheese.

Nicastrese goat's cheese is produced in the South of Italy under traditional procedures, from raw goat milk without any starter cultures addition. Samples from milk to ripened cheese provided by 4 different farms were subjected to a polyphasic approach to study their physico-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics. In addition, volatile organic compounds formation in the final products was studied. Overall, gross composition and microbiological data revealed a significant variability among samples, which was confirmed by both the volatile organic compounds generated in the final products and by the sensorial data. Conventional technique allowed us to identify 720 isolates, mainly belonging to Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Enterococcus faecalis. Culture-independent methods revealed shifts in the microbial community structure, with an increase in biodiversity of metabolically active bacterial species, from milk to cheese samples. Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) allowed the identification of 36 compounds; free fatty acids and ketones represented the main detected, followed by alcohols and esters. Moreover, statistical analysis was performed in order to correlate VOCs to bacterial species. Data showed that ester compounds as well as alcohol and aldehydes were positively correlated to NSLAB, indicating that the occurrence of L. casei, L. plantarum and L. brevis species is relevant for the VOCs formation in the final product.

Plasmatic extracellular vesicle microRNAs in malignant pleural mesothelioma and asbestos-exposed subjects suggest a 2-miRNA signature as potential biomarker of disease.

BACKGROUND: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer mainly caused by asbestos exposure and refractory to current therapies. Specific diagnostic markers for early MPM diagnosis are needed. Changes in miRNA expression have been implicated in several diseases and cancers, including MPM. We examined if a specific miRNA signature in plasmatic extracellular vesicles (EV) may help to discriminate between malignant pleural mesothelioma patients (MPM) and subjects with Past Asbestos Exposure (PAE). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated 23 MPM patients and 19 cancer-free subjects with past asbestos exposure (PAE). We screened 754 miRNAs in plasmatic EVs by OpenArray and found 55 differential miRNAs using logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and smoking. Among the top-20 differential miRNAs chosen for validation by Real time PCR, 16 were confirmed. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the most discriminating miRNA combination was given by miR-103a-3p + miR-30e-3p, which generated an AUC of 0.942 (95% CI 0.87-1.00), with a sensitivity of 95.5% and a specificity of 80.0%. Using multivariate Cox regression analysis including gender, age, BMI and smoking we found a Hazard Ratio for miR-103a-3p above the median of 0.37 (95%CI 0.13-1.13) and of 0.51 (95%CI 0.17-1.52) for miR-30e-3p. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests EV-associated miR-103a-3p and miR-30e-3p are able to discriminate MPM from PAE subjects. Larger and prospective studies are needed to confirm these two-miRNA signature alone or in combination with other biomarkers as diagnostic tools for MPM.

Microbiota and metabolome during controlled and spontaneous fermentation of Nocellara Etnea table olives.

This study is aimed to investigate bacterial community and its dynamics during the fermentation of Nocellara Etnea table olives and to study its effect on metabolome formation. Six different combination of bacterial cultures (BC1-BC6) were used as starters for table olive fermentation and one additional process, conducted without addition of any starters, was used as control (C). The processes were conducted in triplicate and, overall, 21 vessels were performed at industrial scale. The fermentation was monitored for 120 days through culture-dependent and -independent approaches. Microbial counts of the main microbial groups revealed slight differences among brine samples, with the exception of LAB counts and Enterobacteriaceae, which were higher and lower, respectively, in most of the inoculated samples than the control ones. In addition, results demonstrated that the use of bacterial cultures (except the BC1), singly or in different combinations, clearly influenced the fermentation process reducing the final pH value below 4.50. When microbiota was investigated through sequencing analysis, data revealed the presence of halophilic bacteria and, among lactobacilli, the dominance of Lactobacillus plantarum group at the initial stage of fermentation, in all brine samples, except in the BC5 in which dominated Lactobacillus casei group. At 60 and 120 days of fermentation, an overturned bacterial ecology and an increase of biodiversity was observed in all samples, with the occurrence of Lactobacillus paracollinoides, Lactobacillus acidipiscis and Pediococcus parvulus. Correlation between bacterial OTU and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) revealed that, aldehydes and alcohol compounds exhibited a positive correlation with Proteobacteria, while several esters with LAB and Hafnia. In particular, esters, associated with fruity and floral notes, were positively correlated to L. paracollinoides, L. acidipiscis, and P. parvulus species. Although the VOCs amounts were sample-specific, overall aldehydes were mostly produced at the beginning of the fermentation, while acids, alcohols and esters at the end of the process.

Effects of innovative and conventional sanitizing treatments on the reduction of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera defects on industrial durum wheat bread.

Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Hyphopichia burtonii and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera are spoilage yeasts causing chalk mold defects on sliced bread packaged under modified atmosphere. The first objective of this study, carried out in a bread-making company for two consecutive years, was to genetically identify yeasts isolated from spoiled sliced bread in Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and to determine the dominant species among identified strains. The second objective was to evaluate the effects of hydrogen peroxide and silver solution 12% (HPS) treatment in the leavening cells and cooling chambers, in comparison with the conventional Ortho-Phenylphenol (OPP) fumigating treatment, on the incidence of chalk defects of the commercialized products. One-hundred percent of the isolated yeasts were identified as S. fibuligera, while H. burtonii and W. anomalus were not detected. Concerning mean water activity (aw) and moisture content values, packaged bread samples were, respectively, included in the range 0.922-0.940 and 33.40-35.39%. S. fibuligera was able to grow in a wide range of temperature (11.5 to 28.5°C) and relative humidity (70.00 to 80.17%) in the processing environments, and product aw<0.94. Compared to OPP, the combined treatment with hydrogen peroxide and silver solution, in association with MAP, reduced to a negligible level yeast contamination of industrial sliced bread. The identification of the spoilage organisms and a comprehensive understanding of the combined effects of aw, pO2/pCO2 inside the packages, environmental conditions and sanitizing treatment on the growth behaviour is essential for future development of adequate preventive process strategies against chalk mold defects.

Effect of freezing/thawing process in different sizes of blue fish in the Mediterranean through lysosomal enzymatic tests.

The assessment of freshness of different sizes of blue fish (Engraulis encrasicolus 12 cm, Sardina pilchardus 15 cm, Trachurus trachurus 40 cm, Scomber japonicus colias 60 cm) was carried out using non-conventional enzymatic methods. The activities of the three lysosomal enzymes (α-glucosidase (AG), ß-galactosidase (B-GAL) and ß-N-acetylglucosamidase (B-NA)) in extracts of blue fish muscle were measured over a period of 21 days of storage. A significant increase (p<0.05) of AG activity was observed in all species, with a large increase seen after only one day of storage. B-NA activity increased slightly in sardines, horse mackerels and chub mackerel during frozen/thawed storage. Finally, the increase of B-GAL activity was significant (p<0.05) only in the samples of larger blue fish as horse mackerel and chub mackerel. All of these enzyme activities may be helpful predictive markers to limit fraud in these species.