Evaluation of Muscle Chemical Composition, Amino Acids Profile and Antioxidative Capacity of the Shaziling Pig and its Crossbreeds

Background: Meat quality in pigs is an extremely important economic trait. The Shaziling pig is representative of good meat quality but has been scarcely utilized because of the unpleasant growth rate and lean percentage. Methods: The differences of muscle chemical composition, amino acids profile and antioxidative capacity were evaluated among [(Berkshire × Shaziling) × (Berkshire × Shaziling) (BS × (B × S)], (Berkshire × Shaziling) × Shaziling [(B × S) × S], Shaziling × (Berkshire × Shaziling) [S × (B × S)] and Shaziling (S × S) pigs. Result: Four groups had plentiful contents of mineral elements (Ca, Zn, Na, K, Cu, Mg, Mn) and abundant amino acids content and no obvious differences in diameters of myofibers and adipocytes were found among four groups. In addition, (B × S) × S pigs had the highest crude protein content, possessed comprehensive nutrient in amino acids and showed preferable antioxidative capacity, suggesting that the meat of (B × S) × S pigs has optimal shelf life.

Nutritional Characteristics Assessment of Sunflower Seeds, Oil and Cake. Perspective of Using Sunflower Oilcakes as a Functional Ingredient

Ample amounts of by-products are generated from the oil industry. Among them, sunflower oilcakes have the potential to be used for human consumption, thus achieving the concept of sustainability and circular economy. The study assessed the nutritional composition of sunflower seeds, cold-pressed oil and the remaining press-cakes with the aim of its valorization as a food ingredient. Sunflower oil contains principally oleic (19.81%) and linoleic (64.35%) acids, which cannot be synthetized by humans and need to be assimilated through a diet. Sunflower seeds are very nutritive (33.85% proteins and 65.42% lipids and 18 mineral elements). Due to the rich content of lipids, they are principally used as a source of vegetable oil. Compared to seeds, sunflower oilcakes are richer in fibers (31.88% and 12.64% for samples in form of pellets and cake, respectively) and proteins (20.15% and 21.60%), with a balanced amino acids profile. The remaining oil (15.77% and 14.16%) is abundant in unsaturated fatty acids (95.59% and 92.12%). The comparison between the three products showed the presence of valuable components that makes them suitable for healthy diets with an adequate intake of nutrients and other bioactive compounds with benefic effects.

Metabolomic signature of amino acids in plasma of patients with non-segmental Vitiligo

Introduction Vitiligo pathogenesis is complicated, and several possibilities were suggested. However, it is well-known that the metabolism of pigments plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of the disease. Objectives We explored the role of amino acids in vitiligo using targeted metabolomics. Methods The amino acid profile was studied in plasma using liquid chromatography. First, 22 amino acids were derivatized and precisely determined. Next, the concentrations of the amino acids and the molar ratios were calculated in 31 patients and 34 healthy individuals. Results The differential concentrations of amino acids were analyzed and eight amino acids, i.e., cysteine, arginine, lysine, ornithine, proline, glutamic acid, histidine, and glycine were observed differentially. The ratios of cysteine, glutamic acid, and proline increased significantly in Vitiligo patients, whereas arginine, lysine, ornithine, glycine, and histidine decreased significantly compared to healthy individuals. Considering the percentage of skin area, we also showed that glutamic acid significantly has a higher amount in patients with less than 25% involvement compared to others. Finally, cysteine and lysine are considered promising candidates for diagnosing and developing the disorder with high accuracy (0.96). Conclusion The findings are consistent with the previously illustrated mechanism of Vitiligo, such as production deficiency in melanin and an increase in immune activity and oxidative stress. Furthermore, new evidence was provided by using amino acids profile toward the pathogenicity of the disorder.

Free Amino Acids Profile and Expression Analysis of Core Genes Involved in Branched-Chain Amino Acids Metabolism during Fruit Development of Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Cultivars with Different Aroma Types

Amino acids are important component of fruit nutrition and quality. In this study, three longan cultivars, including non-aroma types ‘Shixia’ (SX), ‘Lidongben’ (LDB), and strong aroma type ‘Xiangcui’ (XC), were selected to analyze free amino acids (FAAs) variations at six distinct growth stages (S1–S6). The genome-wide identification and expression analysis of genes related to the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) synthesis pathway were carried out. Results showed that 36 FAAs were identified, and the total FAAs content ranged from 2601.0 to 9073.5 mg/kg, which increased drastically with fruit development until ripening. L-glutamic acid (Glu), L-alanine (Ala), L-arginine (Arg), γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), L-aspartic acid (Asp), L-leucine (Leu), hydroxyl-proline (Hypro), and L-serine (Ser) were the predominant FAAs (1619.9–7213.9 mg/kg) in pulp, accounting for 62.28–92.05% of the total amino acids. During the period of rapid fruit expansion (S2–S4), the aroma of XC changed from light to strong, and the contents of L-alanine (Ala) and L-leucine (Leu) were significantly higher than those of SX and LDB. Furthermore, a total of two 2-isopropyl malate synthase (IPMS), two 3-isopropyl malate dehydrogenase (IPMD), and 16 BCAA transferase (BCAT) genes were identified. The expression levels of DilBCAT1, -6, and -9 genes in XC were significantly higher than those in SX and LDB, while DilBCAT16 in XC was lower. The content of Leu was negatively correlated with the expression of DilBCAT1, -6, and -9 in three varieties, but positively correlated with DilBCAT16, indicating that these four genes may be responsible for the different synthesis and degradation of Leu among cultivars.

Variability and relationship of six Indonesian shallots (Allium cepa var. ascalonicum) cultivars based on amino acid profiles and fried shallot’s sensory characteristics

Yofananda O, Sobir, Wijaya CH, Lioe HN. 2021. Variability and relationship of six Indonesian shallots (Allium cepa var. ascalonicum) cultivars based on amino acid profiles and fried shallot’s sensory characteristics. Biodiversitas 22: 3327-3332. Shallot is an essential spice in the daily menu and processed food due to its unique flavor. Therefore information regarding the correlated compounds responsible for flavor in several cultivars of shallot will be important to elucidate. Since the amino acids profile is a key component of flavor character, this study aimed to determine the variability of amino acid profiles among six shallot cultivars related to fried shallot’s sensory characteristics. The six shallot cultivars were Bima Brebes, Bauji, Batu Ijo, Tajuk, Super Philip, and Rubaru. The shallot bulb was cultivated in the same area. The bulb size was analyzed using an analytical balance, the amino acids profile was analyzed using HPLC instrument, and sensory characteristics of fried shallots were analyzed using the rate-all-that-apply descriptive method. The result showed that the shallots contained a high content of glutamic acid, arginine, and aspartic acid. Based on fresh weight, Batu Ijo was significantly different than the other cultivars which comprised Tajuk, Rubaru, Bauji, Super Philip and Bima Brebes. Clustering based on amino acid profiles of the fresh bulb, they were divided into three groups. The first group consisted only Bauji, and the second group consisted of Rubaru, Batu Ijo, Super Philip and Tajuk, the third group was only Bima Brebes. Based on the sensory characteristics of fried shallots, they were divided into three groups. The first group comprised of Bauji and Tajuk, the second group comprised of Rubaru alone, and the third group comprised of Batu Ijo, Super Philip, and Bima Brebes. The Pearson correlation analysis showed that L-phenylalanine, L-arginine, and glycine have a significant positive correlation with a sweet taste of fried shallot, indicated that amino acids profile is an important parameter for shallot flavor.