Identification of Proximate Composition of Fermented Chicken Eggs by Using Lactobacillus plantarum with Different Incubation Times

Eggs that have a balanced amino acid content can fullfill protein that needs in humans, However, eggs have a low shelf life so they were easily damaged. Fermentation technology on foodstuffs by using microbes has been widely carried out, among others using Lactobacillus bacteria. The type of Lactobacillus bacteria commonly used in egg fermentation is Lactobacillus plantarum. This study was conducted experimentally by using a completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 treatments and 3 replications each. The treatment was carried out by fermentation with an incubation temperature of 37 oC with different incubation times of 0, 48, and 96 hours with research parameters water content, crude fat, crude fiber, BETN and ash content. The results showed that different incubation time treatments on fermented chicken eggs had a significant effect (P<0.05) on water content, crude fat, crude fiber, BETN and ash content. The nutritional composition of fermented eggs by using L. plantarum could be seen from the decrease in water content, crude fiber and BETN and an increase in crude fat and ash content with increasing incubation time. The value of water content, crude fat, crude fiber, BETN and optimum ash content at an incubation temperature of 37 oC for 96 hours of incubation time.

A honey bee symbiont buffers larvae against nutritional stress through lysine supplementation

Honey bees, the worlds most significant agricultural pollinator, have suffered dramatic losses in the last few decades. These losses are largely due to the synergistic effects of multiple stressors, the most pervasive of which is limited nutrition. The effects of poor nutrition are most damaging in the developing larvae of honey bees, who mature into workers unable to meet the needs of their colony. It is therefore essential that we better understand the nutritional landscape experienced by honey bee larvae. In this study, we characterize the metabolic capabilities of a honey bee larvae-associated bacterium, Bombella apis (formerly Parasaccharibacter apium), and its effects on the nutritional resilience of larvae. We found that B. apis is the only bacterium associated with larvae that can withstand the antimicrobial larval diet. Further, we found that B. apis can synthesize all essential amino acids and significantly alters the amino acid content of synthetic larval diet, largely by increasing the essential amino acid lysine. Analyses of gene gain/loss across the phylogeny suggest that two distinct cationic amino acid transporters were gained by B. apis ancestors, and the transporter LysE is conserved across all sequenced strains of B. apis. This result suggests that amino acid export is a key feature conserved within the Bombella clade. Finally, we tested the impact of B. apis on developing honey bee larvae subjected to nutritional stress and found that larvae supplemented with B. apis are bolstered against mass reduction despite limited nutrition. Together, these data suggest an important role of B. apis as a nutritional mutualist of honey bee larvae.

Anti-atherosclerotic activity of aqueous extract of Ipomoea batatas (L.) leaves in high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis model rats

Objectives Cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis, are the leading cause of human mortality in Indonesia. Ipomoea batatas (L.) is a food plant used in Indonesian traditional medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases and related conditions. We assessed the anti-atherosclerotic activity of the aqueous extract of I. batatas leaves in a rat model of high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis and its mechanism. Methods The presence of amino acid content in the I. batatas L. purple variant was determined by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n=6/group), i.e., standard diet group (SD), high-fat diet group (HF), and HF plus I. batatas L. extracts orally (625; 1,250; or 2,500 mg/kg) groups. The numbers of macrophages and aortic wall thickness were analyzed histologically. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to assess foam cells-oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the aorta. Results LC-HRMS analysis showed nine amino acid content were identified from I. batatas L. In vivo study revealed that oral administration of I. batatas L. leaf extract alleviated foam cells-oxLDL formation and aortic wall thickness caused by high-fat diet atherosclerosis rats. Further, I. batatas L. leaf extract promoted the number of macrophages and modulated VEGF and eNOS expression in the aorta. Conclusions I. batatas L. leaf extract shows a positive anti-atherosclerosis effect. Furthermore, the mechanism may promote the macrophages, eNOS, VEGF expressions, and inhibition of foam cells-oxLDL formation and aortic wall thickness with the best dosage at 2,500 mg/kg. This could represent a novel approach to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Development of muffins with green pea flour and their physical and sensory evaluation and essential amino acid content

ABSTRACT: Wheat flour (WF), pea flour (PF) and whole wheat flour (WWF) were mixed in different ratios by applying a simplex-centroid mixture design, in order to evaluate the impact of these combinations on the physical and sensorial properties of muffins. The interaction between WF and WWF produced muffins with brighter crusts and muffins prepared with higher ration of PF were harder. The ranking test was performed with the objective of identifying the most preferred muffin experiments according to the flavor attribute. The experiments with the lowest ranking scores were selected and submitted to the acceptance test. In the acceptance test, the attributes of color, taste, texture and overall acceptance were evaluated, where muffins obtained scores higher than 7 (“moderately liked”), indicating good acceptance of all experiments. The experiment (a) (80% of WF, 10% of PF and 10% of WWF) was chosen for presenting the highest set of scores.

Antioxidant properties of camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) protein hydrolysates

Camelina seed meal was used to produce protein hydrolysates using Alcalase and Flavourzyme. The hydrolysates were then fractionated by employing ultrafiltration membranes (3, 10 kDa). The antioxidant activities of camelina protein hydrolysates and peptide fractions were investigated. The essential amino acid content of camelina protein isolates and hydrolysates was comparable and adequate. All camelina hydrolysates exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity in both DPPH and ABTS assay compared to camelina protein isolates. When comparing the overall DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity of peptide fractions, smaller-size peptides (<3 kDa) displayed considerably higher values and hence more potency than larger-sized peptides (>3 kDa). Peptide fractions with 3-10 kDa had better metal chelation and reducing power than those < 3 kDa and > 10 kDa. These findings suggest that camelina protein hydrolysates could be employed as bioactive ingredients in the formulation of functional foods and against oxidative stress.

Effects of Selenium on the Chlorophylls, Gas Exchange, Antioxidant Activity and Amino Acid Composition of Lettuce Grown under an Aquaponics System

Aquaponics is a sustainable technique that is respectful to the environment, as it reuses products and minimizes the consumption of new materials. The combination of this technique with the foliar application of selenium (as Na2SeO4) could lead to healthier and more sustainable products, which are increasingly requested by consumers. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants were grown in an aquaponics system (fish water) as compared with a control (conventional soilless fertigation), and sprayed with different concentrations of selenium (0, 4, 8, and 16 µmol L−1). The results showed a reduction in the dry weight and N content of lettuce plants irrigated with the fish water mixture treatment. However, the application of Se relieved this stress, increasing the photosynthetic rate and ABTS, and reducing the content of chlorophylls, β-carotene, and several of the measured amino acids. The best results were observed with the highest concentration of Se (16 µmol L−1), as an increase in nitrogen content was observed, as shown by a greater weight of the plant. Furthermore, this treatment produced the greatest increase in ABTS and the least reduction in amino acid content. This novel study highlights the possibility of improving the efficiency of N utilization in lettuce by applying foliar selenium in combination with an aquaponics system.

Physicochemical Properties of Moringa oleifera Leaves Grown in Valencian Community (Spain)

Moringa oleifera is a foliated tree widely cultivated in tropical latitudes, which is highly adaptable to climatic conditions and dry soils. Every part of the plant has nutritional, therapeutic or industrial benefits. This is due to its phytochemicals such as glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids and tannins, high values of crude protein, carbohydrates, starch and lipids. In addition, the use of the leaves has increased considerably by the agro-food and biochemical industries since they are a valuable source of dietary proteins and essential amino acids. This work aimed to characterize three types of leaf from Moringa oleifera seeds with different origins (Thai (C1), Ghana (C2) and India (C3)), grown in the same plot, but with different cultural practices (intended for leaf production (C1 and C2) or sheath production (C3). For this, water content and optical properties were determined in the fresh leaves. Later the leaves were dried (50 °C for 8 h) and pulverized, analyzing their water content, antioxidant capacity, color and amino acid content. No significant differences were observed in fresh leaves in terms of humidity and color. In dry powder, a higher antioxidant capacity was registered in moringa type C2, with a% DPPH inhibition of 83.7%, although in all cases, it exceeded 60%, showing the high persistence of the antioxidants after drying. Serine, glutamic acid and alanine were the major amino acids with values of 373 ± 78, 301 ± 51 and 248 ± 9 mg/100 g of powder, respectively, without influencing the applied field treatment or origin.

High-Throughput Analysis of Amino Acids for Protein Quantification in Plant and Animal-Derived Samples Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Current methods for measuring the abundance of proteogenic amino acids in plants require derivatisation, extended run times, very sensitive pH adjustments of the protein hydrolysates, and the use of buffers in the chromatographic phases. Here, we describe a fast liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method for the determination of amino acids that requires only three steps: hydrolysis, neutralisation, and sample dilution with a borate buffer solution for pH and retention time stability. The method shows excellent repeatability (repeated consecutive injections) and reproducibility (repeated hydrolysis) in the amino acid content, peak area, and retention time for all the standard amino acids. The chromatographic run time is 20 min with a reproducibility and repeatability of <1% for the retention time and <11% for the peak area of the BSA and quality control (QC) lentil samples. The reproducibility of the total protein levels in the hydrolysis batches 1–4 was <12% for the BSA and the lentil samples. The level of detection on column was below 0.1 µM for most amino acids (mean 0.017 µM).