Platos olvidados o de consumo ocasional en la gastronomía española: Castilla y León / Forgotten dishes or occasional consumption in Spanish gastronomy: Castilla y León

La gastronomía de Castilla y León tiene su base en los cocidos y los asados, además de un gran surtido de dulces. Destacan los asados de cordero, y de cochinillo. También destacan el cerdo y los embutidos como la morcilla, el jamón o los chorizos. Las legumbres (alubia de Saldaña, judías de El Barco de Ávila, judiones de La Granja, lentejas de la Armuña, garbanzos de Fuentesaúco, etcétera) son protagonistas de los cocidos y las humildes y excelentes sopas de ajo. El pan es un elemento imprescindible en esta tierra cerealista. (AU)

The gastronomy of Castilla y León is based on stews and roasts, as well as a wide assortment of sweets. The roast lamb and suckling pig stand out. The pork and sausages such as black pudding, ham or chorizos also stand out. Legumes (beans from Saldaña, beans from El Barco de Ávila, kidney beans from La Granja, lentils from La Armuña, chickpeas from Fuentesaúco, etc.) are the protagonists of the stews and the humble and excellent garlic soups. Bread is an essential element in this cereal land. (AU)

Biological Activity of Extracts from Aromatic Plants as Control Agents against Spoilage Molds Isolated from Sheep Cheese.

The aim of this work was to assess the antifungal and antioxidant activity of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from distilled solid by-products from aromatic plants (Artemisia dracunculus, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula stoechas, Origanum vulgare and Satureja montana) against 14 fungi strains isolated from sheep cheese and identified at species level using DNA barcoding based on ß-tubulin sequence analysis. In addition, capacity of fungi to produce ochratoxin A, patulin, cyclopiazonic acid and sterigmatocystin was analyzed. Of the isolates, 85.7% belonged to Penicillium (P. commune/biforme, P. crustosum) and 14.3% to Aspergillus (A. puulaauensis and A. jensenii), the first time that these Aspergillus species have been found in sheep's cheese. All P. commune isolates were producers of cyclopiazonic acid, and the two Aspergillus strains produced sterigmatocystin, but the others did not produce any tested mycotoxin. Among the essential oils tested, oregano, savory and tarragon had a significant antifungal activity against all the isolated strains, but no ethanolic extract showed antifungal activity. By contrast, ethanolic extracts showed great potential as antioxidants. The identification of new molds in cheese will help the dairy industry to know more about those molds affecting the sector, and the use of aromatic plants in the control of fungal spoilage could be a suitable alternative to chemical preservatives used in the agri-food industry.

Antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from milk against Penicillium commune, P. nordicum, and P. verrucosum.

Penicillium spp. is considered a major spoilage fungus of cheeses. The use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with antifungal activity is an interesting possibility of biopreservation. In this study, the isolation and characterization of anti-Penicillium LAB from milk was carried out. Ninety-three milk samples were analysed and a total of 57 strains of LAB active against P. nordicum were isolated, mainly from goat and cow milk. Thirty-four isolates with strong activity were selected and identified, Lacticaseibacillus casei (11), L. paracasei (9) and L. rhamnosus (5) being the dominant species. The antifungal spectrum of these 34 LAB against strains of P. commune and P. verrucosum was investigated. L. casei, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus were the most active and P. nordicum was the most susceptible fungus. Two isolates (L. casei Lc-51/3 and L. paracasei Lp-25/1) with high antifungal activity showed a moderate to high reduction on the growth of Penicillium nordicum and, in a lesser extent, of P. commune, and also a reducing effect on the ochratoxin A and cyclopiazonic acid production. In addition, these isolates demonstrated activity against several food pahogens. These findings indicate their suitability for the development of protective adjunct starters against spoilage and toxigenic microorganisms in cheese processing.

Polyphasic identification of Penicillium spp. isolated from Spanish semi-hard ripened cheeses.

Fifteen samples of semi-hard ripened cheeses, both spoiled (10) and unspoiled (5), and obtained from cheese factories located in Northwest of Spain, were analysed by a dilution plating technique and direct sampling. A total of 32 isolates were identified at species level by a polyphasic approach (phenotypic characterization, partial extrolite analysis and molecular identification). Most isolates (65.6%) belonged to the species P. commune; other species found were P. solitum, P. chrysogenum, P. nordicum, P. expansum and P. cvjetkovicii. All of the P. commune isolates were able to produce cyclopiazonic acid, while the P. nordicum and the P. expansum isolates were producers of ochratoxin A and patulin respectively. Despite this, the role of P. commune as beneficial fungi in cheese ripening should be investigated. Molecular identification based on BenA sequence analysis was able to identify the majority of isolates. The three mycotoxins investigated can be considered key for identification. The polyphasic approach seems to be a very valuable tool for identification of isolates of this complex genus.

Mycotoxins of Aspergillus clavatus: Toxicity of Cytochalasin E, Patulin, and Extracts of Contaminated Barley Malt.

Brine shrimp and conductimetric Saccharomyces cerevisiae bioassays were used to investigate the toxicity of green barley malt prepared at 16 and 25°C from grain inoculated with a strain of Aspergillus clavatus known to produce the mycotoxins cytochalasin E and patulin during malting. Pure cytochalasin E was considerably more toxic to brine shrimp larvae than patulin (LC50 < 0.5 versus >30 µg ml-1). In contrast, patulin significantly inhibited growth-related change in conductance of S. cerevisiae cultures at a concentration of 10 µg ml-1, but cytochalasin E had no effect at 80 µg ml-1. Extracts of both 16 and 25°C malts contaminated with A. clavatus were toxic to brine shrimp larvae, but had only limited inhibitory effects on the growth of S. cerevisiae . Since concentrations of cytochalasin E in contaminated malts produced at 16°C are below or close to the limits of detection, the presence of other fungal metabolites toxic to brine shrimps in such malts is indicated.

Villalón, a Fresh Ewe's Milk Spanish Cheese, as a Source of Potentially Pathogenic Aeromonas Strains.

Presumptive aeromonads were detected in 8 batches of Villalón cheese produced in dairy plants from pasteurized ewe's milk, the mean count being 2.85 ± 0.24 log CFU/g. Only four isolates from 2 batches were confirmed as motile aeromonads and they fitted the description of Aeromonas hydrophila . During cheese making of 5 batches of farmhouse-made raw milk Villalón cheese, presumptive aeromonads decreased in numbers from 3.6 log CFU/ml in raw ewes' milk to 2.2 log CFU/g after salting, but after storage for 48 h at 4°C, multiplication occurred in all cheeses (mean count, 3.7 log CFU/g). Motile aeromonads were detected in raw ewe's milk, curd, and cheese. Identification to species' level of 38 isolates which shared the properties of A. hydrophila and A. caviae was based on the "suicide phenomenon" (22 strains were identified as A. hydrophila and 16 as A. caviae ). All strains of A. caviae were ß-hemolytic, showed suicidal activity, and failed to produce caseinase.