The antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of seeds of three types of pitaya namely Hylocereus polyrhizus, Hylocereus undatus and Selenicereus megalanthus and the fatty acid content of pitaya seeds oil were examined in this study. The ethanolic extracts of H. polyrhizus seeds showed significantly high (p
The objective of this study was to examine the effects of different storage conditions of star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) juice on the activity of acetylcholinesterase in various organs of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The effect of oral administration of star fruit on serum lipid profiles was also examined in this study. A total of 15 female rats were assigned into three groups with five animals per group (n=5). The first group served as control group and given only distilled water (vehicle) while the other two groups were given different star fruit preparations, i.e. freshly prepared star fruit juice and after 3 hours storage, respectively. From the results obtained, a significant decrease in the hepatic acetylcholinesterase activity was observed in rats treated with star fruit juice. In conclusion, the star fruit juice at different storage conditions is selectively targeted on the acetylcholinesterase activity in rat liver but not in kidney and heart.
MeSH terms: Fruit and Vegetable Juices; Acetylcholinesterase; Administration, Oral; Animals; Female; Fruit; Heart; Kidney; Lipids; Liver; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Control Groups; Rats; Averrhoa
This study was conducted to improve the formulation of chili shrimp paste (CSP) based on sensory evaluation in terms of acidity, source of acid and coarseness of chili paste and to improve the production process of CSP. The effectiveness of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) as a microbial reduction agent was also evaluated. To produce CSP with different coarseness, a milling machine was used. Two types of preference test were conducted, i.e. ranking and hedonic. The preferred pH level was 4.0, the best acid source was kalamansi juice, and the most preferred coarseness for chili paste was when milling plates with a gap of 120 µm was used. DMDC has no effect on microbial reduction due to the presence of fat globules in CSP which hindered the inactivation action. Milling can substitute pounding as it is much faster and can produce a uniform CSP with higher volume.
Proximate content, fatty acid and mineral compositions were determined for the ten species of deepsea fish from Southern Java Ocean and Western Sumatra Ocean, Indonesia. The proximate composition was found to be 23.0-24.8 % protein, 1.9-4.1% fat , 0-1.75 % carbohydrate, 1.7-2.4 % ash and 70.1-72.1% water, whereas the fatty acid compositions consisted of 0.86 - 49.63 % saturated fatty acids (SFA), 0.29 - 50.09 % monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and 2.85 % - 46.32 % polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Among them, those occurring in the highest proportions were myristic acid (C14:0, 0.12-7.59%), palmitic acid (C16:0, 0.02–20.5%), stearic acid (C18:0, 0.42–49.19), oleic acid (C18:1, 0.29–50.09 %), linoleic acid (C18:2, 0.23– 44.91%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3, 0.41– 4.61%) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n3, 0.28– 3.44%). The rest of the microelements, Cd, Hg, and Pb were all present in amounts below toxic levels.
This study evaluated lipid oxidation in refrigerated (±4ºC) duck meatballs treated with novel antioxidants over 21 days of storage. The duck meatballs were treated with a control substance, Cosmos caudatus (ulam raja) or Polygonum minus (kesum) extract, or BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and data was collected every three days. These results showed that Cosmos caudatus and Polygonum minus had better antioxidant effects on duck meatballs than BHT or the control. Folding and microbial potency test results were not significantly different among the three antioxidants tested but were better in antioxidant-treated samples than in control samples. However, Cosmos caudatus and Polygonum minus were slightly more effective in preventing microbial growth. This result suggests that Cosmos caudatus and Polygonum minus may be potentially useful natural resources for enhancing the shelf life of duck meatballs.
Sulfonamides (SAs), synthetic antibiotics, are commonly used by veterinarians in chicken for therapeutic, prophylactic or as growth promoter and halt the growth of bacteria in animal production. Four common SAs, Sulfadiazine (SDZ), Sulfamethazine (SMZ), Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and Sulfaquinoxaline (SQX), were determined in chicken breast and liver samples using reverse phase HPLC using UV detector at 266nm. The concentration of SAs detected in samples from 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia ranged from 0.006-0.062 µg/g in breast meat samples and 0.08-0.193 µg/g in liver samples. Except for sample from Johor, concentration of SAs in all the samples were lower than MRLs established by Malaysia (0.1 µg/g). Exposure of sulfonamides in Malaysian consumers ranged from 0.002-0.088 µg/kg body wt. /day. The highest value of sulfonamides exposure was found in Johor with an estimated daily intake (EDA) of Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in Johor.
This study evaluated the effects of different flours (tapioca, wheat, sago and potato) on the physicochemical properties of duck sausage. The examined physicochemical properties included proximate composition, cooking yield, color (lightness, redness and yellowness), folding, texture profile (hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness) and sensory properties. The study found that different flours have no effect on the cooking yield of duck sausage. The tapioca formulation showed a mid-range lightness value, folding score and textural properties. Duck sausages made with wheat flour had higher protein content and lightness value and a harder texture. Sausages made with potato flour had a darker color, the lowest folding scores and a softer texture. The addition of sago flour resulted in a higher folding score, greater elasticity and increased overall acceptability of sausage due to higher scores for texture and juiciness. These results show that the properties of duck sausage are influenced by the type of flour used.
Legislation concerning the safety assessment and labelling of foodstuffs has been implemented in many countries. Consequential to a number of cases of food adulteration reported globally, a fast and reliable detection method for the food traceability is required in ensuring effective implementation of food legislation in a country. In this study, PCR-RFLP technique based on cyt b gene has been tested for its suitability for these purposes. This method combines the use of a pair of universal primer that amplifies a 359 bp fragment on the cyt b gene from meat muscle DNA and restriction enzyme analysis. Analysis of experimental beef frankfurter, minced beef, pork frankfurter and pork cocktail samples demonstrated the suitability of the assay for the detection of the beef (Bos taurus) and pork (Sus scrofa), but not applicable for some processed food, particularly detection of mackerel (Rasterelliger brachysoma), sardine (Saedinella Fimbriata) and tuna (Thunnus tonggol) origin in canned food. Commercial frauds through species mislabelling or misdescribed were not detected. The assay is demonstrated applicable for routine analysis of meat traceability of foodstuffs and legislation purposes, if sufficient availability of detectable mtDNA in the foodstuffs is ensured.
MeSH terms: Red Meat; Animals; Cattle; DNA, Mitochondrial; Food Contamination; Fraud; Legislation, Food; Meat; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Swine; Tuna; Restriction Mapping; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA Primers; Sus scrofa; Food, Preserved
Forty three (n=43) genomic DNA of Escherichia coli (11 isolates from eggs and 32 isolates from imported beef meats) were characterized by shiga toxin 1 (stx1), enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR) analyses. In the shiga toxin 1 (stx1) gene detection with primer stx 1F (5’-TTCTTCGGTATCCTATTCCC-3’) and stx 1R (5’- CTGTCACAGTAACAACCGT-3’), 9 E. coli of beef meats isolates were positive toward sxt1 gene. The results of the ERIC-PCR and RAPD-PCR were analyzed using GelCompar II software. ERIC-PCR with primer ERIC1 (5’-CACTTAGGGGTCCTCGAATGTA -3’) and ERIC2 (5’-AAGTAAGTGACTGGGGTGAGCG-3’) discriminated the E. coli into 6 clusters and 10 single isolates at 80% similarity. RAPD-PCR with primer Gen8 and Gen9, produced 10 clusters and 15 single isolates and 12 clusters and 14 single isolates of 80%, respectively. These results demonstrated that both ERIC-PCR and RAPD-PCR are useful and suitable tools for molecular typing of those isolates examined.
MeSH terms: Red Meat; Animals; Cattle; DNA; Enterobacteriaceae; Escherichia coli; Meat; Software; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA Primers; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; Shiga Toxin 1; Genomics; Consensus; Molecular Typing
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have been widely used as an infection model for mammalian related pathogens with promising results. The bacterial factors required for virulence in non-mammalian host C. elegans play a role in mammalian systems. Previous reported that Salmonella found in vegetable and poultry meat could be potential health hazards to human. This study evaluated the pathogenicity of various serovars of Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) that recovered from local indigenous vegetables and poultry meat using C. elegans as a simple host model. Almost all S. enterica isolates were capable of colonizing the intestine of C. elegans, causing a significant reduction in the survival of nematodes. The colonization of Salmonella in C. elegans revealed that the ability of S. enterica in killing C. elegans correlates with its accumulation in the intestine to achieve full pathogenicity. Using this model, the virulence mechanisms of opportunistic pathogenic S. enterica were found to be not only relevant for the interactions of the bacteria with C. elegans but also with mammalian hosts including humans. Hence, C. elegans model could provide valuable insight into preliminary factors from the host that contributes to the environmental bacterial pathogenesis scenario.
The present study aimed to provide an insight of C. jejuni ATCC 33560 phenotype profiles (carbon sources and sensitivity to osmolytes and pH) using Phenotypic MicroArray (PM) system in response to optimal and suboptimal temperature. C. jejuni ATCC 33560 showed utilization carbon sources from amino acids and carboxylates but not from sugars. C. jejuni ATCC 33560 is sensitive to NaCl at 2% and above but showed survival in a wide range of food preservatives (sodium lactate, sodium phosphate, sodium benzoate, ammonium sulphate and sodium nitrate). When incubated at suboptimal temperature, no phenotype loss was observed in carbon source plates. Phenotype loss of C. jejuni ATCC 33560 was observed in sodium chloride (1%), sodium sulphate (2-3%), sodium formate (1%), sodium lactate (7-12%), sodium phosphate pH7 (100mM and 200mM), ammonium sulphate pH8 (50mM), sodium nitrate (60mM, 80mM and 100mM), sodium nitrite (10mM), and growth in pH5. The phenotypic profile from present study will provide a better insight related to survival of C. jejuni ATCC 33560.
A study was carried out to determine the effect of enzyme concentration, temperature and incubation time of bromelain on nitrogen content (NC) and degree of hydrolysis (DH) of hydrolysate from cockle (Anadara granosa) meat wash water. Protein precipitation of cockle meat wash water was conducted at pH 4. The precipitate was then hydrolyzed using bromelain at concentrations of 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5% (enzyme/substrate). The best enzyme concentration was subsequently used to study the effect of incubation temperature at 30, 45 and 60°C. The best temperature was then used to determine the effect of incubation time at 0, 24 and 48 hours. Increasing bromelain concentration from 0 to 2.5% produced an increase in NC and DH. Similarly, increasing the incubation time from 0 to 48 hours also increased the value of NC and DH. However, while the increasing of incubation temperature from 30 to 60°C produced an increase in NC, no significant difference was observed for DH.
Chicken breast muscle powder (CBMP) was treated as a function of heating temperature, heating time and amount of alkali added. The pre-treated CBMP was then blended with modified waxy corn starch (MWCS) and characterized by flow analysis and temperature sweep. Flow analysis revealed that the blend behaved as a shear thickening and time dependent fluid with a yield stress. Statistical analysis showed that only linear and quadratic effects of heating temperature and heating time caused significant effects on flow behaviour index, consistency index and yield stress (p
Changes in the physicochemical properties of wheat, sago, tapioca and potato starches were studied
after heating for 1 hour at 100oC, 110oC, and 120oC and for 2 hours at 120oC. These properties were characterised through the swelling behaviour of starch granules, amount of carbohydrate materials leached from the granules, starch paste retrogradation rate and gel strength. For all starches except wheat, the swelling ability, rate of retrogradation and gel strength decreased while solubility increased with increasing temperature and heating time. Wheat starch followed this pattern only when heated at 120oC for 1 and 2 hours. Gel strength correlated well with the ratio of amylose to amylopectin (R) in the leachate. To produce fried crackers with good expansion properties, the granule has to be sufficiently degraded so as to allow more amylopectin to be leached out to achieve R value of 0.25-0.5. This can be achieved by heating wheat starch at 120oC for 1 hour or longer.
Studies indicate that bacterial cross-contamination occurs during food preparation where bacteria can retent on the food contact surfaces and cause illness. The study evaluated the adherence of Campylobacter spp. to cutting boards, blades of knives and hands after cutting chilled, raw broiler parts (thighs + drumsticks, wings and livers). The adherence to cucumber cuts that were cut using the unwashed boards and knives was also analyzed. Generally, utensils have higher mean of Campylobacter spp. retained to them (1.4-223.3 MPN/ml rinse) than hands (0.7-43.4 MPN/ml rinse); however, Mann-Whitney U test showed no significant differences in the bacterial numbers found among the different surfaces. The transfer rates of Campylobacter spp. from utensils to cucumber cuts varied from 0% to more than 100%. The bacteria detected could be from the utensils and cucumber contamination before purchase or due to other factors where further investigation is required. The possibility is there for Campylobacter to spread to contact surfaces during chilled broiler handling; therefore, utensils and hands involved should be washed thoroughly especially before ready-to-eat food preparation.
The objective of this study was to determine the physicochemical properties of pink guava (Psidium guajava) puree and its anti-hypertensive effect on Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats (SHR). Antioxidant activities of pink guava puree in water and ethanol extracts, based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, were 1.43±0.04 mg/gfm and 0.28±0.01 mg/gfm, respectively. A total of 24 male SHRs were divided into a control group, CG, and 3 treatment dosage groups [low dose group, LDG (0.5 g/kg body weight/day), medium dose group, MDG (1.0 g/kg body weight/day), and high dose group, HDG (2.0 g/kg body weight/day)]. Final body weights for treatment dosage groups were lower [MDG (313.01±31.25 g), HDG (318.56±17.96 g), LDG (320.01±22.70 g)] compared to CG (331.08±41.29 g). Final systolic blood pressure values from the beginning and the end of the experiment in MDG and HDG were 231-179 mmHg and 246-169mm Hg, respectively. These results were significantly lower when compared with CG (241-223 mmHg) from the beginning until the end of the experiment. As a conclusion, these results showed that pink guava puree has anti-hypertensive properties.
‘Kampuchea’ guavas were treated with 300, 600 and 900 nL L‾¹ 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 0,
3 and 6 h, and stored at 27˚C with 70% relative humidity. The C* values, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity and pH of these fruits were not affected by both the 1-MCP concentrations and exposure duration while h˚ values and flesh firmness were affected by these treatments. The L* values, vitamin C content and weight loss were affected by the concentrations of 1-MCP, but not by the exposure duration. Less weight loss and disease incidence in fruit treated with 600 and 900 nL L-1 1-MCP. Fruit exposed to 6 h 1-MCP showed lowest disease incidence compared to other exposure duration in 5 days of storage. Treating Kampuchea guava fruit with 600 nL L‾¹ 1-MCP and exposure duration of 6 h was able to retain fruit colour, flesh firmness and delayed disease development for 5 days.
Local wood charcoal was used as the main component of the electrodes of an air-cathode microbial
fuel cell (air-cathode MFC) in current study. The air cathode was build with finely milled charcoal powder and cement plaster as binder; while anode was made up of a packed bed of charcoal granules. Mangrove estuary brackish water was inoculated in the anodic chamber as the fuel and a source of exoelectrogens. The constructed fuel cell was monitored by measuring the potential over time. The MFC generated a stable power density at 33mW/m2 (0.5V) under a load of 200Ω after 72 hours of operation. An open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.7mV was obtained after 15 hours operating under open circuit. The result of power generation by the constructed fuel cell indicating that wood charcoal could be used as electrode in an MFC and that brackish water contained potential exoelectrogens. However, further investigation and modification is required to increase the performance of the fuel cell.
Application of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor in detection of genetically modified organism (GMO) is demonstrated. A total of four biotinylated probes namely Tnosb, P35Sb, LECb and TSQb were successfully immobilized onto the SA chip. Results analysis indicated that the SPR system with the sensor chip immobilized with the Tnosb, P35Sb, LECb and TSQb biotinylated probes potentially detect complementary standard fragments as low as 1 nM. Biospecific interaction analysis (BIA), employing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and biosensor technologies provide easy, rapid and automatable approach in detection of GMOs. Short assay times, label free DNA hybridization reaction and no toxic compounds are required, i.e. ethidium bromide, and the reusability of the sensor surface are some of the factors that contribute to the general advantages of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor system in detection of GMOs.
The activities of lipase produced by five lipases-producing thermophilic bacteria strains (SY1, SY5, SY6, SY7 and SY9) isolated from Selayang Hot Spring in the western part of Peninsular Malaysia were analyzed and compared. SY7 and SY9 had considerably higher lipolytic activities than those of SY1, SY5 and SY6. Thermostabilities of lipase produced by all strains were determined after heating at 80°C for 30 minutes. Strain SY7 retained the highest lipolytic activity of 77%, while others had infinitesimally low thermostability (retaining less than 34% of their original activity) at the same temperature and time. SY7 was chosen for further characterization because it showed exceptionally high lipase activity and thermostability. It was identified as belonging to Bacillus species by the conventional Gram-staining technique, Biochemical tests and Biolog Microstation system. By using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, strain SY7 generated the same expected PCR product with molecular weight of 1500 base pair. It displayed 98% sequence similarity to Bacillus cereus strain J-1 16S rRNA gene partial sequence with accession number: AY305275 and has been deposited in the database of Genbank.
MeSH terms: Archaea; Bacillus; Bacillus cereus; Heating; Lipase; Lipolysis; Malaysia; Molecular Weight; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Staining and Labeling; Temperature; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Base Pairing; Databases, Nucleic Acid; Hot Springs