Spice and Herb Frauds: Types, Incidence, and Detection: The State of the Art.

There is a necessity to protect the quality and authenticity of herbs and spices because of the increase in the fraud and adulteration incidence during the last 30 years. There are several aspects that make herbs and spices quite vulnerable to fraud and adulteration, including their positive and desirable sensorial and health-related properties, the form in which they are sold, which is mostly powdered, and their economic relevance around the world, even in developing countries. For these reasons, sensitive, rapid, and reliable techniques are needed to verify the authenticity of these agri-food products and implement effective adulteration prevention measures. This review highlights why spices and herbs are highly valued ingredients, their economic importance, and the official quality schemes to protect their quality and authenticity. In addition to this, the type of frauds that can take place with spices and herbs have been disclosed, and the fraud incidence and an overview of scientific articles related to fraud and adulteration based on the Rapid Alert System Feed and Food (RASFF) and the Web of Science databases, respectively, during the last 30 years, is carried out here. Next, the methods used to detect adulterants in spices and herbs are reviewed, with DNA-based techniques and mainly spectroscopy and image analysis methods being the most recommended. Finally, the available adulteration prevention measurements for spices and herbs are presented, and future perspectives are also discussed.

Exploring Consumer Perceptions and Changing Consumption Patterns for Smoked Paprika: Implications for Traditional Food Products in Spain.

Changes in the level of income of the population and a reduction in time availability are shifting food consumption from traditional to more convenient food products. The production of traditional food has a significantly positive impact on the territory, as it contributes to preserving cultural traditions and identity and supports rural development and resilience, thus becoming essential for the survival of rural areas. Within traditional food products, spices are among the most usual ingredients in traditional cuisine, extensively used to add flavour and colour to dishes. However, spices in general and paprika in particular-one of the most typical spices in the Spanish cuisine and the subject of this paper-have been rarely the subject of scientific studies. The purpose of this study is to analyse consumers' perceptions towards paprika and determine the level of its consumption. For this purpose, a survey was conducted on a representative sample of Spanish consumers. The findings indicated that the average consumption of paprika was 154.5 gr/person per year. Although the general consumers' perceptions toward this spice were generally positive, they proved to be less positive amongst young people and inhabitants of large cities, whose consumption of the spice was also lower. Additionally, the Pimentón de La Vera PDO paprika was the most popular version of paprika, being mentioned by all the participants. The findings from this study confirm the change in food consumption patterns.

Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes: phenotype as a tool for early diagnostic suspicion at a major reference center in Mexico.

Introduction: The inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) are a group of rare disorders characterized by bone marrow failure (BMF), physical abnormalities, and an increased risk of neoplasia. The National Institute of Pediatrics (INP) is a major medical institution in Mexico, where patients with BMF receive a complete approach that includes paraclinical tests. Readily recognizable features, such as the hematological and distinctive physical phenotypes, identified by clinical dysmorphologists, remain crucial for the diagnosis and management of these patients, particularly in circumstances where next-generation sequencing (NGS) is not easily available. Here, we describe a group of Mexican patients with a high clinical suspicion of an IBMFS. Methods: We performed a systematic retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients who had a high IBMFS suspicion at our institution from January 2018 to July 2021. An initial assessment included first ruling out acquired causes of BMF by the Hematology Department and referral of the patient to the Department of Human Genetics for physical examination to search for specific phenotypes suggesting an IBMFS. Patients with high suspicion of having an IBMFS were classified into two main groups: 1) specific IBMFS, including dyskeratosis congenita (DC), Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), thrombocytopenia with absent radii (TAR), and severe congenital neutropenia (SCN); 2) undefined IBMFS (UI). Results: We established a high suspicion of having an IBMFS in 48 patients. At initial evaluation, the most common hematologic features were bicytopenia (20%) and aplastic anemia (16%); three patients received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Among patients with a suspicion of an IBMFS, the most common physical abnormality was minor craniofacial features in 83% of patients and neurodevelopmental disorders in 52%. The specific suspicions that we built were DBA (31%), SDS (18%), DC (14%), TAR (4%), and SCN (4%), whereas 27% of cases remained as undefined IBMFS. SDS, TAR, and SCN were more commonly suspected at an earlier age (<1 year), followed by DBA (2 years) and DC (5 years). Conclusions: Thorough examination of reported clinical data allowed us to highly suspect a specific IBMFS in approximately 70% of patients; however, an important number of patients remained with suspicion of an undefined IBMFS. Implementation of NGS and telomere length measurement are forthcoming measures to improve IBMFS diagnosis in Mexico.

Tannic Acid, as a Structural Moiety Coupled to a Protein Antigen, Exhibiting a Molecular-structure Adjuvant Activity for Antibody Specificity Enhancement.

BACKGROUND: An antigen is a small foreign substance, such as a microorganism structural protein, that may trigger an immune response once inside the body. Antigens are preferentially used rather than completely attenuated microorganisms to develop safe vaccines. Unfortunately, not all antigens are able to induce an immune response. Thus, new adjuvants to enhance the antigen's ability to stimulate immunity must be developed. OBJECTIVES: Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the molecular-structure adjuvant activity of tannic acid (TA) coupled to a protein antigen in Balb/c mice. METHODS: Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as an antigen. The coupling of BSA and TA was mediated by carbodiimide crosslinking, and verified by SDS-PAGE. Forty-two Balb/c mice were divided into seven groups, including two controls without antigen, an antigen control, an adjuvant control, and two treatment groups. An additional group was used for macrophages isolation. A 30-day scheme was used to immunize the mice. The analysis of humoral immunity included immunoglobulin quantification, isotyping and antigen-antibody precipitation. The analysis of cell-mediated immunity included the quantification of nitric oxide from peritoneal macrophages and splenocytes' proliferation assay after treatment stimulation. RESULTS: No differences were found in the antibodies' concentration or isotypes induced with the conjugate or the pure BSA. However, an immunogenicity improvement (p < 0.05) was observed through the specific anti-BSA antibody titers in mice immunized with the conjugate. Besides, macrophage activation (p < 0.05) was detected when stimulated with the treatments containing TA. CONCLUSION: Tannic acid exhibited macrophages' activation properties. Moreover, when TA was incorporated into the structure of a protein antigen, such as BSA, an antibody specificity enhancement was observed. This was a consequence of antigen processing by activated antigen-presenting cells. These results showed the use of tannic acid as a novel candidate for vaccine molecular-structure adjuvant.

Mast Cell Diseases in Practice and Research: Issues and Perspectives Raised by Patients and Their Recommendations to the Scientific Community and Beyond.

BACKGROUND: Since 2010, patients and physicians have collaborated to understand unmet needs of patients with mast cell diseases, incorporating mastocytosis and mast cell activation disorders, which include mast cell activation syndromes. OBJECTIVE: This Open Innovation in Science project aims to expand understanding of the needs of patients affected by mast cell diseases, and encourage global communication among patient advocacy groups, physicians, researchers, industry, and government. A major aim is to support the scientific community's efforts to improve diagnosis, management, therapy, and patients' quality of life by addressing unmet needs. METHODS: In collaboration with mast cell disease specialists, 13 patient advocacy groups from 12 countries and regions developed lists of top patient needs. A core team of leaders from patient advocacy groups collected and analyzed the data and proposed possible actions to address patient needs. RESULTS: Findings identified similarities and differences among participating countries in unmet needs between patients with mastocytosis and those with mast cell activation syndromes. Issues emphasized struggles relating to the nature and rarity of mast cell diseases, their impact on quality of life, the diagnostic process, access to appropriate care, more effective treatment, and the need for research. CONCLUSIONS: Solutions vary across countries because situations differ, in particular regarding the existence of and access to centers of excellence and reference centers. Multifaceted mast cell activation syndrome barriers necessitate innovative approaches to improve access to appropriate care. The outcomes of this project should greatly support scientists and clinicians in their efforts to improve diagnosis, management, and treatment of patients with mastocytosis and mast cell activation disorders.

Non-destructive prediction of total soluble solids in strawberry using near infrared spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is considered to be a fast and reliable non-destructive technique for fruit analysis. Considering that consumers are looking for strawberries with good sweetness, texture, and appearance, producers need to effectively measure the ripeness stage of strawberries to guarantee their final quality. Therefore, the use of this technique can contribute to decreasing the high level of waste and delivering good ripe strawberries to consumers. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive capacity of NIRS technology, as a possible alternative to conventional methodology, for the analysis of the main organoleptic parameters of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). RESULTS: Spectroscopic measurements and physicochemical analyses [total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, colour, texture] of 'Victory' strawberries were carried out. The predictive models developed for titratable acidity, colour and texture were not good enough to quantify those parameters. By contrast, in the NIRS quantitative prediction analysis of TSS, it was observed that the spectral pre-treatment with the highest predictive capacity was the first derivative 1-5-5. The coefficients of determination were: 0.9277 for the calibration model; 0.5755 for the validation model; and 0.8207 for the prediction model, using a seven-factor partial least squares multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Therefore, these results demonstrate that NIR analysis could be used to predict the TSS in strawberry, and further work on sampling is desirable to improve the prediction obtained in the present study. It is shown that NIRS technology is a suitable tool for determining quality attributes of strawberry in a fast, economic, and environmentally friendly way. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tannic Acid Exhibits Adjuvant Activity by Enhancing Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immunity Against BSA as a Protein Antigen.

BACKGROUND: Immunization or vaccination is the process of inducing artificial immunity against an antigen taking advantage of the mechanisms of immunological memory. Current vaccines include substances known as adjuvants, which tend to improve the immunogenicity of the antigen, reduce the antigen quantity employed, and boost the immune response in weak responders. Unfortunately, only a few vaccine adjuvants are approved for human use. OBJECTIVE: Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Tannic acid on humoral and cell-mediated immunity against bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a protein antigen in Wistar rats. METHODS: In order to establish the Tannic acid concentration to test it as an adjuvant, the lethal dose 50 and maximum non-toxic dose were calculated through cytotoxicity and hemolytic assays with J774 A.1 cell line and rat erythrocytes by resazurin reduction method and UV/vis spectrophotometry. Thirty Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups that included two controls without antigen and three treatment groups of adjuvants plus BSA as a protein antigen. The rats were immunized in a 30-day scheme. Blood samples were collected for humoral immunity analysis by means of immunoglobulin quantification, isotyping and antigen-antibody precipitation inhibition analysis. Rat peritoneal macrophages and splenocytes were isolated for cell-mediated immunity analysis by means of nitric oxide quantification from adjuvant stimulated peritoneal macrophages and lymphocytes proliferation assay. RESULTS: Tannic acid was capable of increasing the immunogenicity of the antigen; besides, it was able to stimulate cell-mediated immunity by means of increased lymphocyte proliferation. Moreover, Tannic acid improved the humoral response by means of increased specific antibodies titers. These activities may be attributed to pattern recognition receptors stimulation. CONCLUSION: Tannic acid was considered biocompatible when tested in vivo because the concentration tested did not show cytotoxicity or hemolytic effect, and there was no detrimental effect observed on the animals' health. These results show Tannic acid as a promising candidate for vaccine adjuvant.

Genome Features of a New Double-Stranded RNA Helper Virus (LBCbarr) from Wine Torulaspora delbrueckii Killer Strains.

The killer phenotype of Torulaspora delbrueckii (Td) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) is encoded in the genome of medium-size dsRNA viruses (V-M). Killer strains also contain a helper large size (4.6 kb) dsRNA virus (V-LA) which is required for maintenance and replication of V-M. Another large-size (4.6 kb) dsRNA virus (V-LBC), without known helper activity to date, may join V-LA and V-M in the same yeast. T. delbrueckii Kbarr1 killer strain contains the killer virus Mbarr1 in addition to two L viruses, TdV-LAbarr1 and TdV-LBCbarr1. In contrast, the T. delbrueckii Kbarr2 killer strain contains two M killer viruses (Mbarr1 and M1) and a LBC virus (TdV-LBCbarr2), which has helper capability to maintain both M viruses. The genomes of TdV-LBCbarr1 and TdV-LBCbarr2 were characterized by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Both RNA genomes share sequence identity and similar organization with their ScV-LBC counterparts. They contain all conserved motifs required for translation, packaging, and replication of viral RNA. Their Gag-Pol amino-acid sequences also contain the features required for cap-snatching and RNA polymerase activity. However, some of these motifs and features are similar to those of LA viruses, which may explain that at least TdV-LBCbarr2 has a helper ability to maintain M killer viruses. Newly sequenced ScV-LBC genomes contained the same motifs and features previously found in LBC viruses, with the same genome location and secondary structure. Sequence comparison showed that LBC viruses belong to two clusters related to each species of yeast. No evidence for associated co-evolution of specific LBC with specific M virus was found. The presence of the same M1 virus in S. cerevisiae and T. delbrueckii raises the possibility of cross-species transmission of M viruses.

Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Compounds in Honey for Treating Osteoarthritis.

Dysregulation of joint tissue homeostasis induces articular degenerative changes and musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis. This pathology represents the first cause of motor disability in individuals over 60 years of age, impacting their quality of life and the costs of health systems. Nowadays, pharmacological treatments for cartilage disease have failed to achieve full tissue regeneration, resulting in a functional loss of the joint; therefore, joint arthroplasty is the gold standard procedure to cure this pathology in severe cases of Osteoarthritis. A different treatment is the use of anti-inflammatory drugs which mitigate pain and inflammation in some degree, but without significant inhibition of disease progression. In this sense, new therapeutic alternatives based on natural compounds have been proposed to delay osteoarthritis progression, particularly those agents that regulate articular homeostasis. Preclinical studies have shown a therapeutic application of honey and its bioactive compounds, ranging from treating wounds, coughs, skin infections, and are also used as a biological stimulant by exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this article, we reviewed the current medicinal applications of honey with particular emphasis on its use regulating articular homeostasis by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress.

An Approach to the Consumption of Smoked Paprika in Spain and its Impact on the Intake of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

"Pimentón de La Vera" smoked paprika is a traditional kind of smoked paprika, the production of which is regulated by a protected designation of origin. The traditional drying/smoking process provides the "Pimentón de La Vera" smoked paprika with a peculiar flavour which has gained acceptance in multiple markets. However, this process also gives rise to non-desirable substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This paper attempts to ascertain the consumption levels of smoked paprika per person in Spain in order to establish the intake of PAHs derived from this food spice. With this purpose in mind, a research study was carried out using questionnaires in three different smoked paprika consumption scenarios: food companies, households and restaurants. The results from this research proved that the average consumption of smoked paprika per person per year in Spain is 139 g. Overall, the intake of PAHs derived from smoked paprika was proven to represent a negligible fraction of the total intake, with this ingredient being far behind the PAH contribution represented by other food products. These results could help consolidate the smoked paprika production sector by providing evidence of the scarce contribution of smoked paprika to PAH intake and justifying the traditional production with smoke drying, which is the differentiating quality trait of this spice.

Absence of Toxoplasma gondii in 100% Iberian products from experimentally infected pigs cured following a specific traditional process.

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii in humans has usually been related to the consumption of raw, undercooked or cured meat. Our study is based on the detection of T. gondii in cured legs and shoulders made from 100% Iberian sows fed mainly with acorn and raised as outdoor livestock in Aracena (Spain), which having been elaborated following a specific curing process (time period and location). An outdoor farm with a total of 636 animals was studied, showing a seroprevalence of 10% for the parasite T. gondii. Twenty individuals were chosen to be experimentally infected and slaughtered 60 days post-infection. Their legs and shoulders were processed to make 100% Iberian ham legs and shoulders. The meat ready to be eaten was analyzed by quantification and viability assays using magnetic capture real-time qPCR and bioassay techniques proving that this specific traditional "Cinco Jotas" curing process 100% Iberian ham is strong enough to eliminate the parasite T. gondii, resulting in a safe product for consumers.

Insights from Pharmaceutical Biotechnology into Phenolic Biopharmaceuticals against COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had infected more than 3.5M people around the world and more than 250K people died in 187 countries by May 2020. The causal agent of this disease is a coronavirus whose onset of symptoms to death range from 6 to 41 days with a median of 14 days. This period is dependent on several factors such as the presence of comorbidities, age and the efficiency of the innate or adaptive immune responses. METHODS: The effector mechanisms of both types of immune responses depend on the pathogen involved. In the case of a viral infection, the innate immune response may approach the harmful virus through pattern recognition receptors inducing an antiviral state. RESULTS: On the other hand, the adaptive immune response activates antibody production to neutralize or eliminate the virus. Phenolics are plant secondary metabolites with many biological activities for plants and humans against infection. Chemical modification of proteins may enhance their biological properties; thus, a protein of medical interest, for instance, a viral protein can be used as a scaffold to build a biopharmaceutical conjugated or complexated with phenolics exhibiting structural complexity or biological activities to achieve effective phenolic-protein-based therapeutics like vaccine adjuvant complexes, immunogen conjugates, and antiviral conjugates. CONCLUSION: Pharmaceutical biotechnology applies the principles of biotechnology to develop biopharmaceuticals for protein-based therapeutics; such as adjuvants, recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and antivirals. As neither a vaccine nor a treatment for COVID-19 is currently available, this manuscript focuses on insights from pharmaceutical biotechnology into phenolic biopharmaceuticals against COVID-19.

Genome Organization of a New Double-Stranded RNA LA Helper Virus From Wine Torulaspora delbrueckii Killer Yeast as Compared With Its Saccharomyces Counterparts.

Wine killer yeasts such as killer strains of Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae contain helper large-size (4.6 kb) dsRNA viruses (V-LA) required for the stable maintenance and replication of killer medium-size dsRNA viruses (V-M) which bear the genes that encode for the killer toxin. The genome of the new V-LA dsRNA from the T. delbrueckii Kbarr1 killer yeast (TdV-LAbarr1) was characterized by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). The canonical genome of TdV-LAbarr1 shares a high sequence identity and similar genome organization with its Saccharomyces counterparts. It contains all the known conserved motifs predicted to be necessary for virus translation, packaging, and replication. Similarly, the Gag-Pol amino-acid sequence of this virus contains all the features required for cap-snatching and RNA polymerase activity, as well as the expected regional variables previously found in other LA viruses. Sequence comparison showed that two main clusters (99.2-100% and 96.3-98.8% identity) include most LA viruses from Saccharomyces, with TdV-LAbarr1 being the most distant from all these viruses (61.5-62.5% identity). Viral co-evolution and cross transmission between different yeast species are discussed based on this sequence comparison. Additional 5' and 3' sequences were found in the TdV-LAbarr1 genome as well as in some newly sequenced V-LA genomes from S. cerevisiae. A stretch involving the 5' extra sequence of TdV-LAbarr1 is identical to a homologous stretch close to the 5' end of the canonical sequence of the same virus (self-identity). Our modeling suggests that these stretches can form single-strand stem loops, whose unpaired nucleotides could anneal to create an intramolecular kissing complex. Similar stem loops are also found in the 3' extra sequence of the same virus as well as in the extra sequences of some LA viruses from S. cerevisiae. A possible origin of these extra sequences as well as their function in obviating ssRNA degradation and allowing RNA transcription and replication are discussed.

NLRP3 Inflammasome: The Stormy Link Between Obesity and COVID-19.

Several countries around the world have faced an important obesity challenge for the past four decades as the result of an obesogenic environment. This disease has a multifactorial origin and it is associated with multiple comorbidities including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and dyslipidemia. With regard to dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia is a well-known activator of the NLRP3 inflammasome, triggering adipokines and cytokines secretion which in addition induce a systemic inflammatory state that provides an adequate scenario for infections, particularly those mediated by viruses such as HIV, H1N1 influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 infection causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and it is responsible for the pandemic that we are currently living. COVID-19 causes an aggressive immune response known as cytokine release syndrome or cytokine storm that causes multiorgan failure and in most cases leads to death. In the present work, we aimed to review the molecular mechanisms by which obesity-associated systemic inflammation could cause a more severe clinical presentation of COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 infection could potentiate or accelerate the pre-existing systemic inflammatory state of individuals with obesity, via the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from cells trough Gasdermin-pores commonly found in cell death by pyroptosis.

Genetic Improvement of Torulaspora delbrueckii for Wine Fermentation: Eliminating Recessive Growth-Retarding Alleles and Obtaining New Mutants Resistant to SO2, Ethanol, and High CO2 Pressure.

The use of Torulaspora delbrueckii has been repeatedly proposed to improve a wine's organoleptic quality. This yeast has lower efficiency in completing wine fermentation than Saccharomyces cerevisiae since it has less fermentation capability and greater sensitivity to SO2, ethanol, and CO2 pressure. Therefore, the completion of fermentation is not guaranteed when must or wine is single-inoculated with T. delbrueckii. To solve this problem, new strains of T. delbrueckii with enhanced resistance to winemaking conditions were obtained. A genetic study of four wine T. delbrueckii strains was carried out. Spore clones free of possible recessive growth-retarding alleles were obtained from these yeasts. These spore clones were used to successively isolate mutants resistant to SO2, then those resistant to ethanol, and finally those resistant to high CO2 pressure. Most of these mutants showed better capability for base wine fermentation than the parental strain, and some of them approached the fermentation capability of S. cerevisiae. The genetic stability of the new mutants was good enough to be used in industrial-level production in commercial wineries. Moreover, their ability to ferment sparkling wine could be further improved by the continuous addition of oxygen in the culture adaptation stage prior to base wine inoculation.

Analysing the vineyard soil as a natural reservoir for wine yeasts.

The cultivable microorganisms isolated from grapes and soils of two contiguous vineyards were analysed. Two types of management system were tested in each vineyard: conventional tillage (CT), and no-tillage with natural green cover vegetation (NV), both under semi-arid rainfed conditions. The main objective was to gather evidence as to whether the yeasts present in ripe grapes before harvest and those found in spontaneous wine fermentations came from the vineyard soil which could then be regarded as a natural reservoir for these yeasts. Bacteria isolated from the grapes all corresponded to three genera (Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Bacillus) that were very abundant in soil samples taken just before grape harvest, indicative of probable contamination of the grapes with soil microorganisms. The amounts of fermentative yeasts in vineyard soil increased significantly during the dates close to harvest. Some yeasts were isolated from soils and spontaneous fermentations (Saccharomyces and Lanchacea), while others were only isolated from fermentations (Hanseniaspora, Metschnikowia, and Pichia) or from soils (Torulaspora). Saccharomyces yeasts were isolated from vineyard soil only after grape harvest, to thereafter become undetectable. The analysis of sterile-must fermentations inoculated with soil samples showed that soil was not the origin of the most abundant fermentative yeasts in spontaneous grape fermentations (Saccharomyces and Hanseniaspora), regardless of the soil management system applied. In contrast, other fermentative wine yeasts such as Lanchacea and Torulaspora seemed to be permanently resident in the vineyard soil, especially in the NV vineyard. Hence, contamination of the grapes with vineyard soil may increase yeast biodiversity during spontaneous fermentation, which could affect the wine's organoleptic quality.

Using Torulaspora delbrueckii killer yeasts in the elaboration of base wine and traditional sparkling wine.

For still wines, killer strains of Torulaspora delbrueckii can be used instead of non-killer strains to improve this species' domination during must fermentation, with an ensured, reliable impact on the final wine quality. The present work analysed the usefulness of these killer yeasts for sparkling-wine making. After the first fermentation, the foaming capacity of T. delbrueckii base wines was very low compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae base wines. Significant positive correlations of foaming parameters were found with the amounts of C4-C16 ethyl esters and proteins, and negative with some anti-foaming alcohols produced by each yeast species. There were, however, no evident positive effects of polysaccharides on those parameters. The organoleptic quality of the T. delbrueckii base wines was judged inappropriate for sparkling-wine making, so that the following second-fermentation experiments only used a single assemblage of S. cerevisiae base-wines. While second fermentation was completed with inoculation of S. cerevisiae (both alone and mixed with T. delbrueckii) to yield dry sparkling wines with high CO2 pressure, single inoculation with T. delbrueckii did not complete this fermentation, leaving sweet wines with poor CO2 pressure. Yeast death due to CO2 pressure was much greater in T. delbrueckii than in S. cerevisiae, making any killer effect of S. cerevisiae over T. delbrueckii irrelevant because no autolysed cells were found during the first days of mixed-inoculated second fermentation. Nonetheless, the organoleptic quality of the mixed-inoculated sparkling wines was better than that of wines single-inoculated with S. cerevisiae, and showed no deterioration in foam quality. This seemed mainly to be because T. delbrueckii increased the amounts of ethyl propanoate and some acids (e.g., isobutyric and butanoic), alcohols (e.g., 3­ethoxy­1­propanol), and phenols (e.g., 4­vinylguaiacol). For these sparkling wines, no significant correlations between foaming parameters and aroma compounds were found, probably because the differences in foaming parameter values among these wines were fairly small. This is unlike the case for the base wines for which there were large differences in these parameters, which facilitated the analysis of the influence of aroma compounds on base-wine foamability.

Effect of plant density and harvesting type on yield and quality of fresh and dried peppers and paprika.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) of Jaranda variety used for the production of smoked paprika are harvested manually in the north of Extremadura (Spain). Mechanical harvesting is necessary to improve the profitability of this crop. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of plant density (D1 = 36 765 and D2 = 73 530 plants ha-1 ) and harvesting type (manual or mechanical) on the yield and quality of fresh, dried and powdered peppers. RESULTS: The increase in plant density increased marketable yield per hectare, although the yield per plant decreased. With mechanical harvesting, the optimal density was D2 (15 151 kg ha-1 ) over D1 (12 493 kg ha-1 ). After processing the fruits, the application of D2 and mechanical harvesting significantly improved quality parameters, such as a*, ASTA (American Spice Trade Association) units and carotenoide concentration, primarily capsanthin. CONCLUSION: The cultural practices tested provided an adequate productivity of fresh pepper and a better quality of the final product. According to the results of the present study, the increase in plant density and the substitution of manual harvesting by mechanical harvesting could be profitable practices with respect to the Jaranda variety of pepper used for the manufacture of smoked paprika. These practices maintain the main quality parameters of dried peppers and paprika. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of volatile composition on the sensorial attributes of dried paprikas.

Here we characterised the aroma of smoked, oven-dried, and sun-dried paprikas by sensorial evaluation and analysis of their volatile profiles. The sensorial panel defined smoked paprikas as having an intense, persistent, smoked odour and flavour and the highest acceptability. The oven-dried paprikas had a fruity odour and flavour related with aroma notes to fresh peppers. The sun-dried paprikas were associated with straw aromas and the worse valued. The chemical classes of volatile compounds also defined the paprika types. The smoked paprikas were richer in alcohols, phenols, pyrroles, and pyranones, whereas the oven-dried samples were characterised by their aldehydes and terpenes. The sun-dried paprikas had significantly lower amounts of odorant substances than the smoked and oven-dried paprikas. The intensity, persistence and smokiness descriptors (associated with smoked paprika) were positively associated with phenols and alcohols. Aldehydes were positively correlated with a fruity descriptor, which defined oven-dried paprikas, and negatively correlated with intensity, persistence, smokiness, toasted, and dried pepper descriptors. The descriptor straw, which defined sun-dried paprikas, was negatively correlated with alcohols, phenols, furans, and pyrroles.

New Insights into the Genome Organization of Yeast Killer Viruses Based on "Atypical" Killer Strains Characterized by High-Throughput Sequencing.

Viral M-dsRNAs encoding yeast killer toxins share similar genomic organization, but no overall sequence identity. The dsRNA full-length sequences of several known M-viruses either have yet to be completed, or they were shorter than estimated by agarose gel electrophoresis. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze some M-dsRNAs previously sequenced by traditional techniques, and new dsRNAs from atypical killer strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii. All dsRNAs expected to be present in a given yeast strain were reliably detected and sequenced, and the previously-known sequences were confirmed. The few discrepancies between viral variants were mostly located around the central poly(A) region. A continuous sequence of the ScV-M2 genome was obtained for the first time. M1 virus was found for the first time in wine yeasts, coexisting with Mbarr-1 virus in T. delbrueckii. Extra 5'- and 3'-sequences were found in all M-genomes. The presence of repeated short sequences in the non-coding 3'-region of most M-genomes indicates that they have a common phylogenetic origin. High identity between amino acid sequences of killer toxins and some unclassified proteins of yeast, bacteria, and wine grapes suggests that killer viruses recruited some sequences from the genome of these organisms, or vice versa, during evolution.