Impact of ozone pre-treatment on the performance of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket treating pre-treated grain distillery wastewater.

Two 2 L laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors were operated for 277 days. The substrate of the control reactor (Rc) contained grain distillery wastewater (GDWW) that had undergone coagulant pre-treatment, and the substrate of the second UASB reactor consisted of GDWW that had undergone coagulant pre-treatment and ozone pre-treatment (Ro). Both reactors treated pre-treated GDWW successfully at ca. 9 kgCOD m(-3) d(-1). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) reductions of ca. 96% for Rc and 93% for Ro were achieved. Fats, oils and grease (FOG) reductions (%) showed variations throughout the study, and reductions of ca. 88 and 92% were achieved for Rc and Ro, respectively. Rc produced more biogas, and the methane percentage was similar in both reactors. UASB granule washout in Rc suggested possible toxicity of unsaturated fatty acids present in non-ozonated substrate. The feasibility of FOG removal was demonstrated as both reactors successfully treated pre-treated GDWW. Better results were obtained for Ro effluent during post-ozonation. The ozone pre-treatment possibly led to easier degradable wastewater, and better results could potentially be obtained when other post-treatment steps are applied. Ozone pre-treatment did not, however, show an added benefit in the reactor performance results.

Impact of season on the fatty acid profiles of male and female blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) muscles.

This study quantified the impact of season on fatty acid profiles of male and female blesbok muscles (longissimus thoracis et lumborum, biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, infraspinatus, and supraspinatus). Eight mature blesbok were harvested per season (winter and spring). Gender and muscle type influenced (p<0.05) the fatty acid profiles of blesbok muscles, while season only influenced the C18:3ω3 (α-linolenic acid, ALA) percentages and therefore the total omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (total ω3 PUFA). Female muscles had higher C16:0 (palmitic acid) (21.01%±0.256 vs. 19.05%±0.296) and total MUFA percentages, while male muscles had higher (p<0.05) C18:2ω6c, C20:5ω3, total ω3 PUFA (11.08%±0.382 vs. 8.50%±0.367), and total PUFA (43.03%±0.904 vs. 29.59%±1.164) percentages, contributing to higher poly-unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratios (PUFA:SFA ratios). Differences in fatty acid profiles were attributed more to gender and anatomical location of muscles, than seasonal differences in diets.

Bruising on ostrich carcasses and the implications on the microbiology and losses in utilizable meat when removing them post-evisceration or post-chilling.

Bruising on ostrich carcasses reduces meat yield. These bruises are usually removed as part of the primary meat inspection, performed directly after evisceration. Three separate studies were conducted to determine the advantages and disadvantages of removing the bruises at primary meat inspection or after overnight cooling of the ostrich carcasses (0-4 degrees C). The bruised areas were also investigated to determine their frequency and distribution and to establish the most obvious causes and possible preventative measures. The neck bruises represented 52.58% of all bruises; the high side railings of the transport vehicles being the most probable cause. Large and multiple bruising were probably from the trampling of birds lying down. It was established that trimming bruises on warm carcasses caused higher total aerobic viable counts on the trimmed surfaces than cold trimming. Cold trimming together with better management of trimming practices also led to a decrease in meat yield losses.

Prevalent organisms on ostrich carcasses found in a commercial abattoir.

The prevalent microbial growth on carcasses before and after overnight cooling in an ostrich abattoir and de-boning plant was investigated. The effect of warm or cold trimming of the carcasses was examined together with possible causes of contamination along the processing line. An attempt was made to link the prevalent microorganisms that were identified from carcasses to those from specific external contamination sources. Samples of carcasses and possible contaminants were collected in the plant, plated out and selected organisms were typed using a commercial rapid identification system. It was indicated that the cold trim (mainly of bruises) of carcasses was advantageous in terms of microbiological meat quality. Results indicated pooled water in the abattoir as the most hazardous vector for carcass contamination and that contaminants from this source are mostly Gram-negative pathogens. Pseudomonas and Shigella were frequently isolated from surface and air samples and indicated that the control of total plant hygiene is a requirement for producing ostrich meat that is safe to consume and has an acceptable shelf-life.

Improving the biodegradability of grain distillery wastewater for use as UASB substrate by combinations of ozonation/enzymatic pre-treatments.

The effect of ozonation and enzyme combination pre-treatments on the composition of grain distillery wastewater (GDWW) was investigated. Exposure of UASB granules to these pre-treated GDWW was evaluated by determining the effect on granule activity, visual appearance and lipid content of the granules. Pre-treatments involving a pre-ozonation step were found to be more effective in reducing the lipid and COD content of GDWW. The higher the lipid and COD reduction achieved by the pre-treatments the higher the granule activity after 24 d exposure, the lower the lipid content in the granule and the less severe the formation of an encapsulating layer.

Muscle pH and temperature changes in hot- and cold-deboned ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus) Muscularis gastrocnemius, pars interna and Muscularis iliofibularis during the first 23h post-mortem.

Cold-shortening is the response when muscles are exposed to temperatures below 10°C with a pH>6.20. The course of pH within hot-deboned and intact ostrich M. gastrocnemius, pars interna and M. iliofibularis were followed for the first 23-24h post-mortem to investigate the changes in pH as well as to determine the point of minimum pH for ostrich muscles post-mortem. The hot-deboned muscles took longer to reach the point of minimum pH than the intact muscles. There was no significant (P=0.4508) difference in the minimum pH (5.91±0.26) between the hot-deboned and the intact muscles. It was concluded that both the M. gastrocnemius, pars interna and the M. iliofibularis reached a pH<6.20 early post-mortem with muscle temperatures above 10°C; and therefore showed no risk of cold-shortening if these muscles were to be hot-deboned 2-4h post-mortem.

Physical meat quality characteristics of hot-deboned ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus) Muscularis gastrocnemius, pars interna during post-mortem aging.

There is a risk of shortening and toughening with hot-deboning of muscles. However, with refrigerated aging this phenomenon may be negated. Vacuum-packed hot and cold-deboned ostrich Muscularis gastrocnemius, pars interna were stored for 21 d at 4°C to investigate the effects of hot-deboning on quality characteristics of ostrich meat during refrigerated storage. Muscle pH did not differ (P>0.05) between hot and cold-deboned muscles during storage. Hot-deboning caused (P<0.0001) more purge in the vacuum packages of the hot-deboned muscles (1.83±1.31%) than in the cold-deboned muscles (0.67±075%) during the 21-d aging period. Hot-deboned muscles were tougher (P<0.05) than cold-deboned muscles from 24h up to 5 d. Although hot-deboning caused muscles to be tougher than cold-deboned muscles, with aging at 4°C beyond 5 d this toughness was found to be insignificant.

PCR-based DGGE fingerprinting and identification of methanogens detected in three different types of UASB granules.

Methane is produced by various methanogenic bacteria present in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactors. Methane can be used to predict and improve UASB bioreactor efficiency. The methanogen population in the granules can be influenced by the composition of the substrate. The aim of this study was to fingerprint and identify the methanogens present in three different types of UASB granules that had been used to treat winery, brewery and peach-lye canning effluents. This was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequence analysis. The DGGE fingerprints obtained from the methanogen reference cultures of Methanosaeta concilii, Methanosaeta thermophila, Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanosarcina mazeii and Methanobacterium formicicum were compared to the DGGE profiles of the Archaea in the different granules. The positions of the DGGE bands that did not correspond well to the bands of the known species were sequenced and compared to sequences available on GenBank using the Blastn search option. The aligned DNA sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree. Based on the data obtained, a DGGE marker was constructed which was used to provide a quick method to identify the Archaeal members of the microbial consortium in UASB granules.

Sensory properties of hot-deboned ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus) Muscularis gastrocnemius, pars interna.

Cold-deboning is currently practiced in South African ostrich abattoirs. However, the advantages of hot-deboning include the reduction of costs and time, but there is always the risk of cold-shortening. The effects of hot-deboning of ostrich M. gastrocnemius, pars interna on meat sensory attributes were investigated. The data showed that the hot-deboned muscles' pH(48) (6.57±0.18) was significantly negatively correlated (r=-0.7813; P<0.038) to the mean Warner-Bratzler shear force values (71.28±18.62N, 12.7mm(-1) diameter) and positively correlated (r=0.789; P<0.035) to the mean scores for taste panel tenderness (66.39±15.45). After storage for 48h post-mortem, the hot-deboned muscles were found to be less juicy (P<0.004) and, according to both sensory tenderness scores and Warner-Bratzler shear force values, tougher (P<0.0001) than the cold-deboned muscles.

The efficacy of ozone as a pre- and post-treatment option for UASB-treated food processing wastewaters.

The efficiency of ozone as a pre- and post-treatment to UASB treatment was investigated, followed by a study into UASB reactor performance with ozonated wastewater as substrate. Combinations of pre- and/or post-ozonation with UASB treatment gave better results than ozonation or UASB alone and COD reductions of 53.0-98.9% were achieved for treatment of canning and winery wastewaters. A UASB reactor was fed with pre-ozonated cannery wastewater for over 70 d. COD removal improved from between 58.8 and 64.4% to between 85.3 and 91.8% after pre-ozonated substrate feed commenced. Subsequent increases in organic loading rate (OLR) from 2.4 to 3.4 kgCOD m(-3) x d(-1) did not affect reactor performance. By including a final post-ozonation treatment to this UASB effluent a total COD reduction of 99.2% was achieved.

Microbial content of commercial South African high-moisture dried fruits.

AIM: The aim was to evaluate commercially available South African high-moisture dried fruits (HMDF) for the microbial, moisture and SO2 contents, as well as aw and pH. METHODS AND RESULTS: The microbial content of commercially available HMDF was evaluated using nine different growth media. The moisture content, aw) SO2 and pH of each product were determined using standard analytical methods. It was found that the highest total aerobic counts were generated from high-moisture dried (HMD) prunes and raisins. The most frequent spoilers were members of the genus Bacillus. Fungal counts were also very high in the apricot products, exceeding the limit of 1000 CFU g(-1) as set by HMDF producers. Members of the genus Staphylococcus were found in the HMD raisins and Salmonella and thermoduric organisms were isolated from the HMD prunes. CONCLUSIONS: The microbial levels of South African HMDF were within the limits set, with the exception of apricots. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: The study shows the presence of Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Clostridium in South African HMDF. The presence of thermoduric organisms indicated that the current pasteurization process is not adequate and that the addition of preservatives would be an additional method to ensure safety and quality.

Identification of probiotic microorganisms in South African products using PCR-based DGGE analysis.

Probiotic microorganisms in commercial yoghurts and other food products are currently identified by traditional methods such as growth on selective media, morphological and biochemical characteristics. In this study, PCR-based DGGE analysis was used for the rapid and accurate identification of probiotic microorganisms from South African yoghurts and lyophilized preparations in capsule and tablet form. To identify the microorganisms present in these products, the DGGE profiles obtained were compared to two reference markers (A and B) composed of five lactobacilli and seven Bifidobacterium species, respectively. The results obtained were confirmed by species-specific PCR, as well as sequence analyses of unknown bands not present in the reference markers. It was found that only 54.5% of the probiotic yoghurts contained the microorganisms stated on the label compared to only a third (33.3%) of the lyophilized probiotic products. Some Bifidobacterium species were incorrectly identified and various microorganisms were detected that were not listed on the label. Sequence analyses confirmed the presence of Streptococcus spp. other than the yoghurt starter, Streptococcus thermophilus, in some of these products and in some instances label information was vague and non-scientific. PCR-based DGGE analyses proved to be a valuable culture-independent approach for the rapid and specific identification of the microbial species present in South African probiotic products.

Characterization of thoeniicin 447, a bacteriocin isolated from Propionibacterium thoenii strain 447.

Fifteen strains of propionibacteria, isolated from dairy products, were screened for the production of bacteriocins. Propionibacterium thoenii 447 produced an antimicrobial peptide, thoeniicin 447, which acted bactericidal against Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and bacteriostatic against Propionibacterium acnes. Thoeniicin 447 remained active after 15 min at 100 degrees C and after 30 min of incubation at pH 1-10. The peptide was inactivated when treated with pepsin, pronase, alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin and proteinase K. Optimal bacteriocin production was detected during late exponential growth. The peptide was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by SP-Sepharose cation exchange chromatography. The estimated size of thoeniicin 447, according to tricine-SDS-PAGE, is 6 kDa. Based on DNA sequencing, the mature peptide is 7130.20 Da in size and homologous to propionicin T1, produced by P. thoenii strain 419 (=NCFB 568(T)). Strain 447 is phenotypically different from strain 419 and belongs to a separate ribotype cluster. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a bacteriocin from a Propionibacterium species active against P. acnes.

Treatment of winery effluent with upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)--granular sludges enriched with Enterobacter sakazakii.

Three upflow anaerobic sludge blankets (UASBs) were evaluated for the treatment of winery wastewater: the first was seeded with granular sludge enriched with Enterobacter sakazakii and reached a 90% COD removal within 17 d at hydraulic retention time of 24 h; the second was seeded with brewery granules and achieved 85% COD removal within 50 d, the third was seeded with just sludge and showed the typical problems encountered with conventional sludge seeding and had continuously to be re-seeded. A PCR-based technique was developed for the rapid detection of E. sakazakii in the granular sludge.

Use of ozone and hydrogen peroxide in the post-treatment of UASB treated alkaline fruit cannery effluent.

UASB treatment of cannery effluents was shown to be feasible. However, the treated effluent still does not allow direct discharge to a water system and a further form of post-treatment is necessary to reduce the COD to lower than the legal limit of 75 mg/l. The use of ozone, hydrogen peroxide and granular activated carbon were used singly or in combination to assess the effectiveness as post-treatment options for the UASB treated alkaline fruit cannery effluent. Colour reduction in the effluent ranged from 15% to 92% and COD reductions of 26-91% were achieved. Combinations of ozone and hydrogen peroxide gave better results than either oxidant singly. The best results were achieved by combining ozone, hydrogen peroxide and granular activated carbon, and COD levels were reduced to levels sufficiently below the 75 mg/l limit.

Influence of processing stages on antimutagenic and antioxidant potentials of rooibos tea.

The antimutagenic and antioxidant potentials of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea samples, collected from each of its major processing stages, were evaluated according to the Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity test and the hydrogen donating ability and superoxide anion radical scavenging assays, respectively. Ten random samples were collected before and after fermentation, as well as after sun-drying, sieving, and steam pasteurization. Results indicated that the fermented tea had a significantly (P < 0.05) lower antimutagenic and antioxidant potential than the unfermented tea. Of the different processing stages, the most significant reduction in the antimutagenic and antioxidant property of the tea was found during the "fermentation" step. Sun-drying, sieving, and steam pasteurization also reduced the antimutagenic potential of the tea, although not to the same extent as the first processing step. The hydrogen donating ability was significantly increased after steam pasteurization in comparison to those of fermented and sun-dried tea. Pasteurization did not affect superoxide anion radical scavenging in comparison to fermented tea. Differences seem to exist in the antimutagenicity and antioxidant potencies of the tea sampled at the various stages during processing. A possible role of tea polyphenols in the antimutagenic and antioxdant activities of the tea is suggested as processing caused a significant reduction in the total polyphenolic content.

Identification of classical Propionibacterium species using 16S rDNA-restriction fragment length polymorphisms.

The phenotypic identification of the classical propionibacteria is essentially still problematic and alternative techniques for the identification of the various species are required. A rapid and sensitive technique for the routine identification of the classical propionibacteria, based on the amplification of 16S rRNA genes using the polymerase chain reaction and the subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion of the PCR products, was previously described. Although this technique enabled differentiation between the various classical species examined it was only evaluated on a limited number of type and reference strains. During this study, the taxonomic relationship between 135 Propionibacterium strains from diverse ecological niches, representing four classical species was investigated using this PCR/RFLP technique. Visual differentiation between the classical Propionibacterium was possible after restriction endonuclease digestion of the PCR products obtained using primers 16sP1-16sP4 and 16sP3-16sP4 with the restriction endonucleases HaeIII, AluI and HpaIII, respectively. With the exception of strains independently identified as "P. rubrum" and "P. sanguineum", the results of this study confirm the consolidation of the "old" species into the various classical species as they currently exist. It was therefore concluded that the PCR/RFLP protocol is suitable for the rapid and routine identification of the classical propionibacteria.

Propionibacterium species diversity in Leerdammer cheese.

Thirteen 'classical' Propionibacterium strains, isolated from Leerdammer cheese samples, using three different media were characterized phenotypically. The phenotypic data of 74 tests, conducted on 27 propionibacteria, including four type, 10 reference strains and the 13 cheese isolates were analysed by numerical taxonomical techniques, using the simple matching coefficient and single linkage cluster analysis. All the strains were grouped in four major clusters, with a final linkage at the 81% S-level. The clusters were equated with the 'classical' P. acidipropionici, P. freudenreichii, P. jensenii and P. thoenii species. The species were identified by relating them to specific type strains and by comparison of phenotypic characteristics. Differential characteristics of each cluster were determined. Strains of P. acidipropionici, P. freudenreichii and P. jensenii, but no P. thoenii strains were isolated from the Leerdammer cheese samples. No 'cutaneous' propionibacteria were isolated. The largest cluster, representing 46% of the cheese isolates was equated with P. jensenii. Various red/brown pigmented strains, which could be identified as the old 'P. rubrum' species were isolated from the cheese. These strains were, however, phenotypically identified as P. jensenii and also grouped in the P. jensenii cluster.

Numerical taxonomy and identification of lactic acid bacteria from spoiled, vacuum-packaged vienna sausages.

Sixty-one lactic acid bacteria from spoiled vacuum-packaged vienna sausages and 15 reference strains were tested for 72 phenotypic characteristics. An identification key and a computer data base, both specific for lactic acid bacteria from meat sources, were used for identification and the results were compared. There was a high correlation (86.9%) between the two procedures in the identification of strains to genus level. However, only a 54.8% correlation was obtained in identifying strains to the species level. With numerical taxonomy (Ssm matching coefficient with average linkage clustering) 60 strains were recovered in six clusters at the 89% similarity level. While most Leuconostoc strains clustered separately from the Lactobacillus strains, the identity of many leuconostocs was not clarified. The presence of a heterogeneous cluster containing typical and 'atypical' strains of the Lactobacillus saké/curvatus group and a separate homogeneous Lact. curvatus cluster was noted. Closer examination of the data suggested that the 'atypical' lactobacilli were all strains of Lact. saké.