Chemical characteristics of raw and processed Istarski pršut (PDO) produced from two different pig genotypes were studied with special emphasis on amino and fatty acid composition and factors of ...lipid stability. Raw hams of Large White (LW)xLandrace (L), and (LWxL)xDuroc (D) pig genotypes were used in the study (20 hams of each genotype). All left raw hams from each carcass were processed in accordance with the PDO specification of Istarski pršut, and other half (the right ones) of LWxL)xD genotype were used for analyses of raw hams (fresh muscles). Istarski pršut was evaluated on the basis of the chemical parameters of the raw and matured lean ham. The process of dry curing significantly influenced the chemical properties of Istarski pršut. Despite the higher content of intramuscular fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the fat of (LWxL)xD ham was much more resistant to hydrolysis and oxidation, suggesting that fatty acid profile and other factors, also play a significant role. Significant differences between pig genotypes in the amino acid and fatty acid profiles were found. The analyzed Istarski pršut may be distinguished by prints of multivariate chemometric statistical analysis, based on their amino acid and fatty acid compositions.
For patients with gluten intolerance, the most common cause of treatment failure is an inadequate gluten-free diet (GFD), such as because of gluten contamination. Here we describe the design, ...implementation and validation of an HACCP protocol for preparing gluten-free meals in a children's hospital. Gluten content in prepared meals was analyzed using R5 sandwich ELISA, which indicated that gluten concentrations did not exceed 20 mg/kg. Total daily gluten intake of patients on the GFD was less than 10 mg.
•Gluten contamination of gluten-free food can easily occur.•We achieved gluten-free food using an HACCP protocol.•Daily intake of gluten on this protocol was verified to be < 10 mg.
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•Strawberry tree fruit was utilized for recovery of antioxidant polyphenols.•NADES extraction provided tremendous improvement in polyphenols yield.•3-Stage optimization of extraction ...process was successfully achieved.•The major polyphenols were determined by HPLC in optimized extract.
Strawberry tree fruits (Arbutus unedo L.) are being studied as an underutilized wild fruit, rich in various bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols. The main objective of this study was to optimize the extraction process using a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) to obtain the highest polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of strawberry tree fruits as determined by different in vitro assays (DPPH, FRAP and ABTS). For this purpose, extraction with NADES was performed in three steps. Among twenty different NADES systems screened for extraction in the first step of solvent screening, two solvents that gave the best results (N6: Betaine–glycerine–water with a molar ratio 1:2:1 and N9: Choline chloride–glycerine with a molar ratio 1:2) were screened in the next step. For these two solvents, two separate Face-centered central composite designs with S/L ratios (10–20-30 g NADES/g sample), temperature (40–55-70 °C), and extraction time (60–120-180 min) were used by response surface methodology (RSM), with total phenolic content and antioxidant activity as the target responses. Based on the software multi-response optimization prediction, the optimal conditions for N6 and N9 were: 1:30 S/L ratio, 65 °C temperature and an extraction time of 150 min, and 1:20 S/L ratio, 56 °C and 180 min, respectively. The optimal parameters were verified experimentally and the main polyphenols were quantified by HPLC-DAD.
Strawberry tree fruits (Arbutus unedo L.) are a natural source of valuable biologically active compounds. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a green extraction approach using pressurized ...liquid extraction (PLE) to provide the highest yield of bioactive compounds. Different extraction solvents (distilled water, 50% and 96% ethanol) and different PLE parameters were investigated: temperature (40, 80, and 120 °C), static extraction time (5 and 10 min), and number of cycles (1 and 2). Total phenolic contents (TPC), hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA), flavonols (FL), total flavonoids (TF), condensed tannins (CT), and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP) were determined in PLE extracts. Solvent type, temperature, static extraction time, and number of cycles had a statistically significant effect on all bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity (p ≤ 0.05). All bioactive compounds were positively correlated with temperature, except for TPC and DPPH. For all polyphenols studied, the optimal PLE parameters were a temperature of 120 °C, a static extraction time of 10 min and 2 cycles. The best solvent for most bioactive compounds was 96% ethanol, except for TPC, for which 50% ethanol was better. This study suggests that PLE is a promising tool to intensify the extraction of bioactive compounds from strawberry tree fruits.
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is a Mediterranean plant known for the traditional use of its fruits and leaves due to their health benefits. Thus, it has been used for years in folk medicine ...to relieve various health conditions such as urological and kidney problems, dermatological, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. The fruits are traditionally used for making jams, jellies, and strong alcoholic beverages, while the leaves are mostly used for preparing tea. Since the leaves were more researched, previous results indicated that they have important biological effects, so further research should focus on the fruits. Due to its chemical composition, rich polyphenolic profile and the biological potential derived from it, the plant has great prospects for the production of functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, the plant’s potential is underutilized in terms of processing. Therefore, this review summarizes the properties and the potential of the fruits and leaves of A. unedo and their possible benefits for processing with respect to agricultural, nutritive, biological and economic values.
NITRATE IN LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES AND ESTIMATED INTAKE Brkić, Danijel; Bošnir, Jasna; Bevardi, Martina ...
African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines,
03/2017, Volume:
14, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Vegetarian diets are rich in vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are foods that contain considerable amounts of nitrate, which can have both positive and negative effects on the human body. Their ...potential carcinogenicity and toxicity have been proven, particularly after the reduction of nitrate to nitrite itself or just serving as a reactant with amines and/or amides in the formation of N-nitroso compounds -N-nitrosamines and other nitrogen compounds which may have high levels of nitrate. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference, considering the location and seasonal sampling period, in the level of nitrate in certain types of green vegetables, all in order to be able to assess their intake, and possible impact on human health, especially knowing that exposure to nitrate can be potentially higher for vegetarian population group.
For this purpose, the sampling of 200 different leafy green vegetables was conducted, all of which could be found in free sale in the Republic of Croatia. The sampling was conducted during two seasonal periods - the spring and autumn period. In the springtime, lettuce (sem), spinach (pinacho), kale (kale), chard (mangel) and cabbage (brassica) were sampled, and in autumn lettuce, spinach, kale, chard and arugula. Samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection.
The results from the spring sampling phase were in the range of 603 mg/kg for cabbage - 972 mg/kg for chard, and for autumn phase of 1.024 mg/kg for chard to 4.354 mg/kg for the arugula. The results showed that there were significant differences (p <0.05) for most of the samples analyzed, considering the sampling locations and time period.
The results indicate that the analyzed vegetables contain significant amounts of nitrate in their composition, which represents relatively significant, but still acceptable intake into the human body.
The aim of this study was to determine the quantity of particular toxic metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) and micronutrients (Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se) in the recommended daily dose of 51 food supplements ...based on beehive products. Samples taken from the Croatian market were submitted for the identification/quantification of studied metals and micronutrients. It was carried out by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Eleven samples (21.57%) showed an increased concentration of total arsenic, three samples (5.88%) contained an increased concentration of total iron, and eight samples (15.68%) had an increased concentration of total nickel. Three samples (5.88%) contained an increased concentration of zinc, while one sample (1.96%) contained an increased concentration of selenium. Increased levels of certain toxic metals and micronutrients do not pose a danger to human health because the amount identified was less than what can cause toxic effects in humans. All other analysed metals and micronutrients fell within the defined literature values. Despite certain increases in particular parameters, all samples met the established toxicity criteria. This study evidenced their safety if consumed in the recommended daily dose.
Phthalates are esters of phthalic acid and aliphatic alcohol added to plastic to improve its softness, flexibility, and extensibility. They easily migrate from plastic products into the environment ...because of their physical and chemical properties. This review summarises their characteristics, distribution in the environment, monitoring, use, toxic effects on human health, regulatory limits in different matrices and products, and tolerable daily intake. The studies we have reviewed suggest that phthalates have a potential to affect reproduction and development in humans. Due to the inconsistent data, further studies are needed and, in the meantime, precautionary policies must be implemented. Here we draw attention to the methods of determining phthalate levels in alcoholic beverages and reported levels in plum spirits produced in Croatia. Legally produced and moderately consumed plum spirits do not seem to increase the risk of phthalate toxicity for human health. We conclude with recommendations for the effective monitoring of phthalate exposure in humans and for the implementation of alternative materials in alcohol production.
Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the nitrites and nitrates content in fresh cow’s milk samples from milking machines, and to determine whether their amount is affected by the ...season of sampling (summer/winter).
Methods: The methodology used was analytical transversal method at 2-time points. All milk samples were sampled at milk machines from the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, during the summer and winter months in 2020. A total of 40 milk samples were sampled, with 20 samples in each monitored period (summer/winter). A high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was used to identify and quantify concentrations of the nitrate and the nitrite content. The results were processed using descriptive statistics and the statistics of differences.
Results: The analysis determined the range of nitrate content from 1.28 mg/kg to 19.71 mg/kg and the range of nitrite content was from 0.49 mg/kg to 3.42 mg/kg in milk samples. The mean result of nitrates in fresh cow’s milk samples in the summer period was 9.12 mg/kg and in the winter period of 3.88 mg/kg. The mean value of nitrite in the summer was 1.23 mg/kg, while the mean value of nitrite in the winter period was 1.48 mg/kg.
Conclusion: The research has shown that the nitrate and the nitrite levels in local fresh cow’s milk sampled in milk machines do not exceed the maximum allowable intake. The obtained results confirmed that the amounts of nitrates and nitrites in the milk samples differ significantly during the winter and summer periods and differences are depending on the location of the milk machine.
The aim of the study was to investigate health safety and quality of the Croatian acacia honey, the selected elements in the soil, and whether multivariate methods can provide identification of the ...origin of honey. The study included 200 acacia honey samples and 100 soil samples from East, Northwest Croatia, and Istria. The proportion of acacia in honey was determined by conducting pollen analysis. Water, free acids, electric conductivity, reducing sugars, saccharose, diastase, and HMF were determined. No significant differences were found using Kruskal-Wallis test regarding the physicochemical parameters (p=0.9190), the mineral content of honey (p=0.8955), or the mineral composition of the soil (p=0.8789). No significant correlation was found between the analyzed elements in honey and soil. Multivariate methods indicated that East Croatia honey samples have higher concentrations of water, HMF, and higher concentrations of measured elements, except for Al. Honey samples from Northwest Croatia are characterized by low concentrations of elements and a higher concentration of saccharose. The Istria samples are richer in reducing sugars, free acids, diastase, higher conductivity, higher content of the acacia pollen grains, and lower concentrations of most metals. Honey from Northwest Croatia and Istria shares the high concentration of Al in honey.
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