•This work is the first study about protein changes in smoked dry-cured ham.•Proteolysis and protein oxidation during the smoked dry-cured ham processing was monitored.•Proteolytic changes were more ...advanced in Biceps femoris than in Semimembranosus.•Protein carbonylation followed the same trend in both muscles.•In-depth research of smoking on protein changes during ham processing was conducted.
During the five stages of smoked dry-cured ham processing, proteolysis and protein oxidation were simultaneously detected in the Biceps femoris (BF) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles. Proteolysis was more advanced in BF than in SM throughout the process of production. The total FAA increased significantly (p < 0.05) throughout the processing, resulting in higher total FAA content in BF than in SM muscle. SDS-PAGE revealed progressive degradation of sarcoplasmic proteins of investigated muscles, with the pronounced changes for the 69.9–41.7 kDa region. SDS-PAGE of BF showed more intense degradation of myofibrillar proteins due to greater proteolysis in BF. Electrophoresis of myofibrillar proteins evidenced the marked degradation of 130 kDa, 96.7 kDa and 27–20.7 kDa bands in both muscles. A similar trend was observed for protein oxidation in BF and SM, with the final values of 26.36 and 23.7 nmol carbonyls/mg proteins, respectively. The Pearson correlation revealed a strong relationship between protein oxidation and proteolysis.
•We study As, Cd, Hg and Pb concentrations in variegated scallops, warty venus, mussels and oysters during two seasons.•Concentrations of As, Cd, Hg and Pb are statistically significantly higher ...during the autumn period.•Wild population of shellfish accumulates Cd, Hg and Pb, while cultured species accumulate more As.•There is no risk to human health for shellfish consumers.
Four species of shellfish (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Ostrea edulis, Chlamis varia and Venus verrucosa) were collected during the autumn 2011 and spring 2012 along the eastern Adriatic coast from six shellfish harvesting areas (all species) and 13 breeding sampling areas (mussels) to assess As, Cd, Hg and Pb levels and the human risks of shellfish consumption. The mean metal concentrations (wet weight) in the examined species ranged from 1.420 to 9.575mg/kg for As, 0.034 to 1.270 for Cd, 0.005 to 0.680 for Hg and 0.140 to 2.072 for Pb. Examination of the spatial distribution of As, Cd, Hg and Pb revealed statistically significant differences among the studied areas. Since the concentrations were below the maximum prescribed by the laws of the EU and Croatia (the concentrations slightly exceeded the upper limits for three samples; Pb, Cd and Hg) and the hazard index, (HI) for Cd, Hg and Pb were below 1 and the target cancer risk (TR) for As was lower than 1×10−6, there is no human health risk of consumption of shellfish from Croatian waters.
The aim of this study was to clarify the seasonal variation in the proximate composition of the free amino acid (AA) and fatty acid (FA) profiles of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) from the ...Adriatic Sea and to better understand the nutritive value needed to organize more effective industrial processing, aquaculture use and to ensure the health benefits for consumers through available bioactive compounds such as omega-3 FA and essential AA. The lipid content ranged from 1.18 to 10.58% during the year, being the highest from July to September. For the first time, this paper reports the monthly variation in AA content in sardines. The highest total AA content was measured during the winter period, from January (843 mg/100 g fillet) to March (953 mg/100 g) with histidine, arginine and threonine being the most dominant. The total content of essential free AA (histidine, threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and lysine) ranged from 137 to 571 mg/100 g fillet (wet weight), recorded in May and March, respectively. The fatty acid profile analyses revealed the major saturated FA as palmitic (C16:0), followed by myristic (C14:0), and stearic (C18:0) acids, and the predominant monosaturated FA as oleic (C18:1n–9) and palmitoleic (C16:1n–7). The high concentrations of polyunsaturated FA in sardines were omega-3 FA, particularly eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA; 20:6n-3) FA. From July to September, their content was the highest (>3.5 g/100 g of sardine fillets), confirming that these species are excellent sources of bioactive lipids.
•Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food products of Croatia were investigated.•HPLC-FLD method was validated for fish, shellfish and meat products.•Higher level of PAHs were observed in processed ...food products.•PAH exposure through invstigated products is not a health issue for consumers.
For the first time, the levels of benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CHR), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and their sum (PAH4) were investigated in a total of 180 samples of fish, shellfish and meat products produced in Croatia. In addition, dietary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) intake of adult Croatian consumers was estimated for both acute and chronic ingestion circumstances. None of the food samples exceeded the currently legal PAHs levels according to the European legislation. The mean PAH4 level was 1.47 μg/kg for meat and 1.48 μg/kg for shellfish products. The acute daily ingestion of BaP and PAH4 through meat and shellfish products was 2‒ to 7‒ fold higher in comparison to chronic intake, with meat products being the major contributors. Consequently, the evaluation of consumption patterns that used the margin-of-exposure approach indicated a negligible risk to human health.
The Mediterranean Sea is particularly endangered by microplastics (MPs), polymers, and additives. These contaminants can be ingested by fishes and, hence, translocate into tissues. We aimed to ...quantify MPs, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), bisphenol A (BPA), and p-phthalic acid (PTA) in the edible muscles of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught in the Mediterranean Sea. The MPs were extracted from muscles and characterized by stereomicroscopy and Raman microspectroscopy, while the polymers (PET and PC) and additives (BPA and PTA) were identified by LC-MS/MS. The number of MPs ranged from 140 to 270 no. kg−1 in swordfish and from 160 to 270 no. kg−1 in tuna. The most frequent MP polymer was polypropylene in swordfish (33%) and in tuna (34.7%), while the most abundant pigments were PB115, PB116, PBr101/102. A similar level of plastic contamination was revealed in these two fish species with differences in shapes, colors, pigments and polymers of MPs.
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•Microplastics were detected and characterized in the muscle of swordfish and tuna.•PET, PC, bisphenol A and p-phthalic acid were quantified by LC-MS/MS in fish muscle.•Plastic pigments were identified by RAMAN microspectroscopy.•Swordfish and tuna showed similar contamination by MPs, polymers and additives.•Different MP shapes, colors, pigments and polymers were observed in fishes.
The influence of muscle type (biceps femoris, BF and semimembranosus, SM) on physicochemical parameters, volatile compounds, and the extent of proteolysis and lipolysis during the manufacturing of ...smoked dry-cured ham was investigated. A total of fifty smoked hams were sampled: raw ham, after salting, smoking, drying, and ripening. Almost all physicochemical parameters were affected by muscle type, manufacturing stage and their interactions. SM had lower water, ash, NaCl content, and water activity (a
), while fat and protein content were higher after ripening compared to BF. BF showed higher L*a*b* values compared to SM. The results of texture profile analysis showed that almost all analyzed parameters were influenced by muscle type and production stage. A total of 88 volatile compounds were identified, showing an increase in its number during processing: 31 volatile compounds were identified in raw ham and 72 after the ripening phase. Aldehydes and phenols were the predominant groups of compounds, followed by alcohols, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, esters, and terpenes. Muscle type and production phase significantly affected lipid oxidation and the index of proteolysis: in SM, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) increased faster than in BF, while proteolysis had an opposite effect and was more pronounced in BF.
Characterization of five types of traditional Croatian dry-fermented sausages produced by family farms was performed via identification of superficial mycobiota, physicochemical, sensory, ...instrumental color, fatty acids & fat quality indices. Detailed characterization of these sausages aimed to achieve standardization of their production and composition and to establish and/or improve their specification protocols. Traditional sausages varied significantly (p < 0.05) in all analyzed parameters except for the number of mold isolates. Sausages coming from eastern Croatia had a greater mold species diversity, with the highest number of isolated mycotoxigenic species in Slavonian domestic sausage. Sensory evaluation showed good acceptability of all sausages. According to health recommendations, Kulenova Seka showed the most representable values for most of fat quality indices. The results suggest the need for certain modifications in fat & fatty acid composition and, to a lesser extent, in salt content, however not at the expense of product safety, quality and acceptability.
The aim of this study was to characterize dry-cured hams from four different processing methods (differences in primary leg treatment, salting and smoking phase). Volatile compounds were isolated by ...using headspace-solid phase microextraction and analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Samples were also evaluated by sensory and physico-chemical characteristics (moisture, protein, fat and NaCl content, aw, colour). 149 volatile compounds of dry-cured hams were identified and 15 of them were quantified. Identified volatile compounds belonged to several classes of chemical: 25 aldehydes, 18 phenols, 12 alcohols, 16 terpenes, 27 aromatic hydrocarbons, 18 aliphatic hydrocarbons, 17 ketones, 9 esters and 7 acids. Most abundant volatiles in ham samples were aldehydes (34.46–49.78%). Principal component analysis showed a good separation among groups. Smoked dry-cured hams showed a higher content of phenols, aromatic hydrocarbons, and acids and were characterized by smoky aroma, while non-smoked dry-cured hams showed higher content of terpenes, ketones, alcohols, esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons and were characterized with spicy aroma.
•The impact of fish farms on lipid stability of wild bogue population was assessed.•We compared fatty acid composition of the wild and farm affected bogues.•Nutritional quality and lipid changes over ...storage in ice were investigated.•We reported significant differences in fatty acid composition.•We reported a high impact of fish farms on lipid quality of the bogue.
In this study the fatty acid (FA) composition and lipid stability of wild and farm-affected wild bogues (Boops boops Linnaeus, 1758) during storage on ice were compared. The main saturated and unsaturated FAs were C16:0 and C18:1(n-9) in both bogue samples. Levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), and n-3/n-6 ratios, as well as atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, were significantly higher in wild samples. Over a period of 16 days on ice, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were reduced by 9.4% in wild and by 11.7% in farm-affected wild bogues; however, lipid damage during storage on ice was low. The total free fatty acid content of wild and farm-affected wild bogues at three different stages during storage on ice was small, <3% over 16 days. Peroxide values changed from 1.05 to 5.73 and from 2.98 to 5.25milliequivalents (meq)/kg of O2 in wild and farm-affected wild bogues, respectively, while thiobarbituric acid index stayed under 5mg of malondialdehyde/kg in all samples. This work provides important information about the effect of farming activities on changes in lipid and nutritive properties of fish oil from wild and farm-affected wild bogue.
Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered a potential microbiological toxicological hazard in aged cheese. Risk mitigation strategies include good hygiene practice measures, thermal treatment of milk and ...the use of competitive dairy cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of BAs—tryptamine, β-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine and spermine—in the core and rind of cheeses ripened by bacteria (n = 61) and by mold cultures (n = 8). The microbial communities were counted, and the dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were identified, corresponding to the BA concentrations. The total BA content was highest in the core of semi-hard cheeses (353.98 mg/kg), followed by mold cheeses (248.99 mg/kg) and lowest in hard cheeses (157.38 mg/kg). The highest amount of BAs was present in the rind of cheeses with mold (240.52 mg/kg), followed by semi-hard (174.99 mg/kg) and hard cheeses (107.21 mg/kg). Tyramine was the most abundant BA, represented by 75.4% in mold cheeses, 41.3% in hard cheese and 35% of total BAs in semi-hard cheeses. Histamine was present above the defined European maximum level (ML) of 100 mg/kg in only two semi-hard and three hard cheeses. High amount of BAs (above 600 mg/kg) in cheeses, mainly tyramine, were associated with the presence of Enterococcus durans, while negligible BA concentrations were found in cheeses ripened with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis or Lacticaseibacillus paracasei cultures. This study has shown that retailed cheese varieties produced with commercial bacterial or mold cultures have acceptable levels of biogenic amines with respect to consumers.
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