Dietary oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) aqueous extract improves oxidative stability and consumer acceptance of meat enriched with CLA and n-3 PUFA in broilers.

The effect of a dietary oregano aqueous extract on meat fatty acid profile, quality, and consumer acceptance in chickens fed a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was evaluated in 3 consecutive trials.For each trial, 171 day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly divided in replicates of 19 birds each and assigned to one of 3 experimental diets: 1) basal control diet, 2) basal diet supplemented with 0.2 g/kg of oregano aqueous extract, and 3) basal diet supplemented with 150 ppm of vitamin E (as positive control). To better analyze the antioxidant activity of both oregano and vitamin E, all the experimental diets were enriched with a fatty acid supplement consisting in a mixture of PUFA at the same dose (1.16 %) in both starter and finisher feeds. Oregano supplementation positively influenced (P < 0.05) broiler live performance. No differences were observed in physicochemical or proximal composition or in total fatty acid composition of breast meat. Dietary oregano influenced meat composition in terms of total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, improving meat resistance to oxidation, compared to both other groups. During consumer tests, meat from the 3 dietary groups obtained the same liking score in a blind session. Under informed condition, consumer perception was positively influenced by labeling for all the considered attributes. Furthermore, consumers showed a higher expectation for meat derived from chickens fed the oregano extract when compared to that deriving from the other 2 groups.Results obtained in the present study allow stating that using oregano aqueous extract in diets enriched with PUFA can represent a valid solution to increase live weight of chickens, improve resistance to oxidation of meat, and positively influence consumer perception of poultry meat.

Changes in the Fatty Acid Profile and Phospholipid Molecular Species Composition of Human Erythrocyte Membranes after Hybrid Palm and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Supplementation.

This work aims to evaluate and compare, for the first time, the effects of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and hybrid palm oil (HPO) supplementation on the fatty acid profile and phospholipid (PL) molecular species composition of human erythrocyte membranes. Results supported the effectiveness of both HPO and EVOO supplementation (3 months, 25 mL/day) in decreasing the lipophilic index of erythrocytes with no significant differences between HPO and EVOO groups at month 3. On the other hand, the novel and rapid ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method used for PL analysis reveals an increase in the levels of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine species esterified with polyunsaturated fatty acids. This work demonstrates the ability of both EVOO and HPO to increase the degree of unsaturation of erythrocyte membrane lipids with an improvement in membrane fluidity that could be associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Acoustic survey of quiet areas and long-range anthropogenic noise.

The enforcement of legislative decree 194/2005 presupposes the acoustic characterisation of 'quiet areas' both inside and outside urban centres, which are consistent with preservation and reclamation. This topic is currently studied, focusing on monitoring techniques, on the impact on fauna and on human use of such areas. The Province of Genoa, Italy, is implementing a project on the acoustic characterisation of 'sample' quiet areas, with the objective of developing evaluation methods of the acoustic quality and, from a more general viewpoint, of anthropogenic noise impact.

Regulation of GABA receptor binding to synaptic plasma membrane of rat cerebral cortex: the role of endogenous phospholipids.

Triton X-100 treatments produced an extensive depletion of proteins and phospholipids and a marked increase of [3H] GABA binding on synaptic plasma membranes (SPM). Maximal [3H]GABA binding was obtained with three Triton X-100 treatments (+ 174% with respect to control). Phospholipase C, which removes only the phospholipid polar head, induces a 40% increase of [3H]GABA binding only after treatments resulting in extensive protein depletion. In reconstitution experiments phosphatidylethanolamine, the largest phospholipid removed, induced a 30-35% inhibition of [3H]GABA binding in Triton X-100 treated membranes; in contrast phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine did not produce significant changes. The reconstitution of phospholipase C-treated SPM preparations with exogenous phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine or phosphoethanolamine and 1,2-dipalmitoylglycerol, products of phospholipase C activity, did not yield significant changes. This evidence, which argues against a direct role of phospholipids on the regulation of GABA binding, should, however, suggest that the GABA binding component of the receptor site is a lipoprotein or a lipid-depending protein.

Ontogeny of 3H-diazepam binding sites in different rat brain area. Effect of GABA.

The ontogenesis of the 3H-diazepam binding sites and their modulation by gamma-aminobutyric acid have been studied in different brain areas of rat at various ages, using frozen and two Triton X-100 treated crude synaptic membrane preparations. Benzodiazepine recognition sites are present at birth in all the brain regions investigated and reach adult levels about 3 weeks later. The changes of 3H-diazepam binding with age are due to an increase in the total number of binding sites. In vitro addition of GABA produces, in newborn and adult cerebral cortex, an increase in affinity, but not in number of binding sites for 3H-diazepam. The effect is age dependent.