The growing interest in producing healthier animal products with a higher ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, is associated with an increase in lipoperoxidation. For this reason, it is ...essential to attenuate oxidative deterioration in the derived products. Natural antioxidants such as polyphenols represent a good candidate in this respect. The first part of the review highlights the occurrence, bioavailability, and the role of polyphenols in food-producing animals that, especially in intensive systems, are exposed to stressful situations in which oxidation plays a crucial role. The second part offers an overview of the effects of polyphenols either supplemented to the diet of monogastric and ruminants or added directly to meat and dairy products on the physicochemical and sensorial properties of the product. From this review emerges that polyphenols play an important, though not always clear, role in the quality of meat and meat products, milk and dairy products. It cannot be ruled out that different compounds or amounts of polyphenols may lead to different results. However, the inclusion of agro-industrial by-products rich in polyphenols, in animal feed, represents an innovative and alternative source of antioxidants as well as being useful in reducing environmental and economic impact.
Increasing consumption of cereals has been associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases, as they contain phytochemicals that combat oxidative stress. Cereal contamination by the “emerging ...mycotoxins” beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENs) is a worldwide health problem that has not yet received adequate scientific attention. Their presence in feeds represents a risk for animals and a potential risk for humans because of their carry-over to animal-derived products. This preliminary study aimed to investigate if the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of corn, barley, and wheat flours could be influenced by contamination with increasing levels of BEA and ENN B. The highest TAC value was observed in barley compared with wheat and corn (p < 0.001) before and after contamination. No effect of mycotoxin or mycotoxin level was found, whereas cereal x mycotoxin exhibited a significant effect (p < 0.001), showing a lower TAC value in wheat contaminated by ENN B and in barley contaminated by BEA. In conclusion, barley is confirmed as a source of natural antioxidants with antiradical potentials. Additional studies with a larger sample size are necessary to confirm the obtained results, and investigations of the toxic effects of these emergent mycotoxins on animals and humans should be deepened.
In this study, the nutritional profile and some health benefit of three cocoa bean samples of different origins, including Perù, Ecuador (
Criollo
) and Ghana (
Hybrid
) and five samples of cocoa ...products from
Criollo
variety at different percentage of cocoa solids (from 70 to 100%), are investigated. The Ecuadorian beans were of the same batch used to obtain the chocolate samples (70% cocoa solids) by processing without conching. All samples were analyzed for their proximate composition, mineral content, fatty acids, total polyphenols, catechin, epicathechin theobromine and caffeine. Fatty acid profiles of the cocoa products were quite similar to those obtained in cocoa beans. The atherogenicity index in chocolate samples (0.71–0.82%) was slightly higher than the recommended values (0.50%). Among the minerals provided by chocolate that contribute most significantly to daily adequate intake, were magnesium (47–85% per 100 g for adult females) and phosphorus (39–75% per 100 g for all adults). Non-fat cocoa solids value was not correlated to flavonoid content on chocolate product labels. The two chocolate products processed at low temperatures are corresponding to the extreme values of solid cocoa concentrations (70 and 100%); nevertheless, they contained the highest amount of phenolic compounds, ranging from 13.0 to 16.7 mg/g, as compared to samples with 75, 78 and 85% of solid cocoa.
Modicana
chocolate (70% solid cocoa), obtained without conching, showed the highest content of epicatechin (6.5 mg/g), with a reduction of about 36% compared with raw beans. The highest content of theobromine was detected in the samples with 100% solid cocoa (14.9 mg/g) and similar result was obtained for caffeine (0.48 mg/g).
In this work, the essential mineral nutritional elements in cocoa beans, in chocolates at different cocoa percentage (60,70,80 and 90%) and in milk chocolate are evaluated. Dark chocolates are ...confirmed as an excellent source of magnesium (252.2 mg/100 g) and iron (10.9 mg/100 g): in chocolate containing 90% cocoa, their content corresponds to, respectively, 67.0% and 80.3 of Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) in the European Union. The chocolate containing 90% cocoa is also a good source of zinc (3.5 mg/100 g), which is important for the immune system, and selenium (0.1 mg/100 g). Three main components suitable to explain the mineral concentrations are analyzed by factor analysis. The component 1 can be interpreted as the contribution from the cocoa beans, owing to the mineral characteristics of the soil in which they have grown; the component 2 is mainly due to the manipulation and transformation of the cocoa in chocolate, while the component 3 represents the milk powder.
The original version of the article unfortunately contained error in author group. First and family name of all authors were swapped and below is the corrected information.
Conventional and organic food styles have been analysed to describe behavioural, nutritional and environmental profiles, and to propose research hypothesis for a multifaceted analysis of food ...consumption. A pilot group of 30 households (96 individuals) was investigated to understand their attitudes towards nutritional and environmental issues in food choices, and to assess their diets in terms of nutritional adequacy and of environmental impact. The descriptive analysis point out different profiles of food styles that need to be further tested. Organic consumers seem to follow nutritional recommendations; their diet is characterized by a reduced fat content and a higher intake of dietary fiber, fruit and vegetables, and vitamins minerals; they present a better environmental profile. Conventional diet has a high lipid content and a reduced intake of fiber, fruits and vegetables; moreover, it has a higher environmental burden. Our descriptive findings show the enrichment of a multidisciplinary approach. Keywords conventional diet, organic food style, food consumer behaviour, nutritional adequacy, environmental assessment
Thirty New Zealand white rabbits, mean weight 2 kg, were divided into three equal groups balanced for body weight and randomly assigned to a diet containing 60 (C), 150 (T1) or 375 (T2) mg/kg of all-
...rac-α-tocopheryl acetate. After 29 days, the animals were slaughtered. α-Tocopherol was assayed in muscle (
longissimus dorsi) and plasma; triglycerides and cholesterol (total, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein) were analysed in plasma; reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) were analysed in serum; and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were analysed in muscle. There were no body weight and food intake differences between the groups. The plasma vitamin E and vitamin E:lipid ratio were significantly higher in groups T1 and T2 than in C, but increases were not linearly related to dietary levels. Muscle α-tocopherol concentrations in the treated groups were significantly higher than in C, and linearly related (
R = .67) to the vitamin E:lipid ratio. ROM and vitamin E levels in blood were inversely related (
R = .74), with ROMs significantly lower in the treated groups than in C. The 60-mg/kg dose of C recommended by the National Research Council was unable to control ROM production. Lipid oxidation in muscle was significantly lower in T2 than in the other groups, and TBARS correlated significantly with muscle vitamin E (
R = .61) and serum ROM (
R = .73). These data suggest that vitamin E supplemented at 375 mg/kg diet can effectively control ROM production and improve muscle lipostability. ROM assay provides a useful indirect estimate of the oxidative status of muscle in vivo.
Crossbred "heavy" pigs (average weight 120 kg, slaughter weight above 160 kg) were supplemented with all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate during the last 60 d of late finishing at doses of 25 (control), ...50, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg of diet. At the end of this period, the pigs were slaughtered. Carcass characteristics and the meat quality of pork chops from longissimus muscle (LM) at the last lumbar vertebra were evaluated on eight barrows from each dosage group. Alpha-tocopherol levels were determined in plasma during supplementation and in LM muscle after slaughter. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and drip loss were also evaluated in meat. Plasma alpha-tocopherol levels increased (P < .005) during supplementation in treated animals compared to controls, with a peak at 40 d. Alpha-tocopherol levels were higher (P < .05) in LM from pigs treated with 300 mg/kg than in controls (8.4 vs 5.6 microg/g). Dressing percentages correlated (P < .05) with the ratio of plasma alpha-tocopherol levels to the sum of cholesterol and triglycerides. Inhibition of TBARS during storage was related (P < .005) to vitamin E supplementation level, but drip losses in chops were not related to supplementation levels. We concluded that dietary vitamin E supplementation to heavy pigs during the last 60 d of finishing improves dressing percentage, reduces lipid oxidation, and increases the alpha-tocopherol concentration of tissues.
We studied the influence of vitamin E on intramuscular collagen characteristics and on metacarpal growth plate evolution in suckling lambs. Twenty-four 5-d-old Ile de France suckling male lambs were ...divided into four equal weight groups, and weekly i.m. injections of DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (Control group, 0 IU; Group 1, 625 IU; Group 2, 1,000 IU; and Group 3, 1,500 IU) were given until the lambs were 33 d old. Blood samples were withdrawn for plasma alpha-tocopherol, cholesterol, and triglyceride analyses when the lambs were slaughtered at 40 d of age. Hot carcass weight, metacarpal and metatarsal bone characteristics, and metacarpal growth plate width were measured. After 24 h at 2 to 4 degrees C, semitendinosus muscles were removed for intramuscular collagen analyses. Weight was not influenced by treatment, but lambs in Group 1 had a higher (P < .01) intramuscular collagen content than the other groups. A positive quadratic correlation was found between total collagen and vitamin E doses (r = .511; P < .05). Amount and percentage of soluble collagen increased in muscles of all three vitamin E-treated groups compared with the control group. However, hydroxylysyl pyridinoline concentration decreased with vitamin E injection, but the difference compared to control lambs was only significant for the group injected with 1,000 IU. Amount of soluble collagen was strongly correlated to total collagen concentration (r = .879; P < .0001). It was also related to the alpha-tocopherol/(cholesterol + triglycerides) ratio in plasma (r = .431; P < .04). However, the correlation between soluble collagen percentage and alpha-tocopherol concentration in plasma was not significant (r = .369; P < .08). Bone length, weight, and diameter did not change, but the thickness of metacarpal growth plate increased as the DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate dose increased; in Groups 2 and 3, the growth plate was significantly wider than in Group 1 and the controls. Growth plate width correlated with alpha-tocopherol/ cholesterol + triglycerides) ratio in plasma (r = .481; P < .02).
A diet rich in saturated fatty acids promotes plasmatic cholesterol levels and coronary disease in humans, whereas a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces atheromatous plaque thickness. ...This study aimed at establishing a dietary energy level, which combined with intramuscular vitamin E treatment, would improve the nutritional lipid quality and shelf-life of lamb meat. Twenty male lambs were evaluated in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment: they were fed a low- and normal-energy diet (0.85 and 1.00 UFV NE/kg DM, respectively), and were injected intramuscularly with 0 and 150 IU dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/weekly for eight weeks. Thereafter, total fat, cholesterol, fatty acid profile, and lipostability were measured in meat samples. Meat total fat was significantly reduced by low energy intake diet and vitamin E administration. Cholesterol was significantly lower in meat from lambs fed the 0.85 UFV NE/kg DM diet. Vitamin E treatment increased linoleic acid percent values and decreased myristic acid levels. Moreover, linoleic acid percentage was inversely correlated with muscle total fat concentration. Meat sensitivity to lipoperoxidation was inversely correlated with muscle vitamin E concentration. This study demonstrates that nutritional characteristics and shelf-life of meat benefit from a low-energy diet and intramuscular vitamin E treatment.
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