The polymer materials industry is heavily dependent on the use of petroleum based plastics. This poses a problem, as the world is facing ongoing petroleum supply problems. A need exists for a bio-carbon based polymer material that has the performance and cost of currently used petroleum plastics. However, the overall performance of current bio-based plastics indicate that they must be somehow supplemented to achieve the properties of that of petroleum-based polymers. The low impact strength and thermal stability of poly(lactic acid), PLA are targets for improvement. One option is for development is through blending with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The viability and efficacy of using these two polymers as blending partners is investigated. The PLA used in these studies has unique and interesting crystallization properties. These have been examined and detailed in part 1. The second part of study includes neat polymer properties, miscibility analysis, and large scale process results. This results in an optimized blending ratio on which to go forward with development. The mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties are investigated in these studies. Significance of this research and development is widespread, as the material developed has the potential to reduce the use of petroleum-based carbon in plastics. / The financial support from the 2010 Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)/University of Guelph -Bioeconomy for Industrial Uses Research Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) AUTO21 NCE project and Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), to carry out this research is gratefully acknowledged.

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Cheese ripening is a costly and lengthy process. Increasing the enzyme pool in the cheese curd has been shown to accelerate the cheese ageing process, enhance flavour and texture. The characteristics of two lactic acid bacteria attenuated by pulsed electric fields were studied in a milk system and in cheese slurry. The potential of accelerating cheese ripening via the addition of starter cultures attenuated by pulsed electric fields (PEF) was studied. / Pulsed electric field treatment was performed in a static treatment chamber using bi-polar waveform with a field intensity of 20 kV and 2 mus pulse width. The number of pulses ranged from 10 to 500. Evaluation of the starter cultures was assessed through the analysis of acidifying abilities, survival fractions, enzymatic activities and proteolysis (RP-HPLC and Cd-ninhydrin) in water soluble nitrogen extracts following the different attenuation treatments. / Pulsed electric fields significantly affected the general viability of the cells through a delayed acidification and an inhibition of enzymatic activity. A study in cheese slurry systems showed that the cultures under investigation were not able to provide an increased proteolysis levels following PEF treatment. The results of this study also suggest that optimal PEF treatment varies for each LAB strain and that the Lactococcus strains do not possess high enough proteinase and peptidase activities to be beneficial for the acceleration of cheese ripening.

The metabolic activity of bacterial microorganisms may influence the growth and metabolic activities of other microbes that are present in any specific niche. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are antagonistic to some microbial pathogens by the metabolic production of compounds with antimicrobial activity. Consequently, investigators have measured the effects of those antimicrobials to inhibit specific pathogens. However, the mode(s) of action of LAB against foodborne pathogens on products and/or in broth is not completely understood. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to (i) determine the LAB dose required for inhibition of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in vitro and on spinach, and (ii) identify and quantify the major antimicrobial substances synthesized by LAB as a function of postinoculation storage conditions. Assays were performed at 7 degrees C under aerobic conditions. The foodborne pathogens dose responses were assessed in a liquid microbiological medium (in vitro) and on spinach leaf surfaces. Different levels of foodborne pathogens and LAB cultures were used. The addition of LAB cultures did not reduce E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella enterica populations when performed in vitro. However, when LAB cultures were sprayed on the surfaces of spinach leaves at 8.0 log10 CFU/g, there were significant reductions on E. coli O157:H7 of 1.62 and 0.73 log10 CFU/g (after 3 days) and on Salmonella enterica of 1.85 and 0.71 log10 CFU/g (after 6 days) for treatments inoculated with an initial level of 2.0 and 4.0 log10 CFU/g, respectively. After quantification of the antimicrobial compounds synthesized by LAB cultures, they were correlated against the population growth of targeted pathogens. The highest Llactic acid (3.71 plus/minus 0.14 micromoles/ml, day 12) and hydrogen peroxide (3.72 plus/minus 3.34 microM, day 6) production were obtained from the in vitro sample inoculated with 8.0 log10 CFU/ml of LAB and 0.0 log10 CFU/ml of pathogens. The highest bacteriocin production (0.1 plus/minus 0.01 mg/ml) was obtained from the in vitro sample with 8.0 log10 CFU/ml of LAB and 2.0 log10 CFU/ml of pathogens. In conclusion, the LAB cultures were able to produce detectable amounts of antimicrobials that may be used as intervention and/or sciencebased practice against foodborne pathogens by producers and the industry.

Eleven male triathletes were studied to determine the relationships between selected metabolic measurements and triathlon performance. Measurements were made for oxygen consumption (V02), pulmonary ventilation (Ve) and heart rate (HR) during submaximal and maximal 400-yd freestyle swimming (FS), cycle ergometry (CE) and treadmill running (TR). Submaximal workloads were 1 m/sec for swimming, 200 watts for cycling and 7.5 mph for running. The mean (1/min) was significantly (P<0.05) lower during 1/min) than CE (4.68 1/sin) or TR (4.81 1/min). cycling and running performance times during the (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile cycle, 13.1 mile run) were to have a low relationship to V0z max (ml/kg/min) -0.32 and -0.55, respectively. The V0z max when expressed as 1/min was found to significantly (P<0.05) related to cycling time (r=-0.70). However, at a selected workload the %VO2 max was found to be highly related to swimming (0.91), cycling (0.78) and running (0.86) performance times. Maximal HR (bts/min) was also observed to be significantly (P<0.05) lower during FS (163) than CE (176) or TR (183). Running and cycling times in the triathlon were highly correlated (P<0.05) to overall triathlon performance times, 0.97 and 0.81, respectively, whereas swimming was found to be less a contributor to the athlete's final time, r=0.30. This study suggests that economy of effort is of greater importance to a triathlete's performance than their maximal oxygen uptake.

Two experiments were done to study the effects of L-carnitine supplementation (CNsup) during exercise. EXP 1, examined the effect of CNsup on lipid oxidation and muscle glycogen utilization during submaximal EX. Triglycerides were elevated by a fat feeding (90g fat), 3 h later subjects cycled for 60 min at 70% VO2max (CON). Muscle biopsies were obtained preEX, after 30 and 60 min of EX. Blood samples were taken preEX and every 15 min of EX. Subjects randomly completed two additional trials following 7 and 14 days of CNsup (6 g/day). During one of the trials, subjects received 2000 units of heparin 15 min prior to EX to elevate FFA (CNhep). There were no differences in V02, RER, HR, g of CHO and fat oxidized among the three trials. Serum total acid soluble (TASC) and free carnitine (FC) increased with CNsup (CON, 71.3 ± 2.9; CN, 92.8 ± 5.4; CNhep, 109.8 ± 3.5 mol·g'). Muscle carnitine concentration at rest was unaffected by CNsup. During EX, TASC did not change, FC decreased (p<0.05) and SCAC increased (p<0.05). With CNsup the decrease in FC was less (~50%) (p<0.05) and the increase in SCAC was greater (~200-300%) (p<0.05) compared to CON (free 65%; SCAC 150%). Pre and postEX muscle glycogens were not different. EXP 2, examined the effects of CNsup on blood lactate accumulation during maximal EX. Subjects cycled for 4 min at ~100% VO2max (CON). Exercise was repeated following 6 and 13 days of CNsup (6 g/day). Serum TASC and FC were elevated due to CNsup. Blood Lactate was measured prior to and 0, 3, 5, and 7 min postEX. CNsup resulted in less (p<0.05) lactate accumulation compared to CON. There were no differences between DAY-6 and DAY-13. / Human Performance Laboratory

Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti L pieno rūgšties panaudojimo poveikį vištienos kokybei: fizikiniams cheminiams rodikliams ir aerobinių kolonijų skaičiui. Atlikus tyrimą nustatyta, kad 3 proc. pieno rūgšties tirpalas patikimai mažina tirtų vištienos šlaunelių aktyvųjį rūgštingumą (p ≤ 0,05). D pieno rūgšties izomero susidarymą slopino 3 proc. pieno rūgšties tirpalas. Mažiausiu aerobinių kolonijų skaičiumi pasižymėjo vištienos šlaunelės, kurios buvo paveiktos 3 proc. pieno rūgšties tirpalu (p ≤ 0,05). Bendras biogeninių aminų skaičius reikšmingai nesumažėjo nei vienoje apdorotų mėginių grupėje, tačiau mažiausias kiekis biogeninių aminų gautas vištienos šlauneles paveikus 3 proc. pieno rūgšties tirpalu. / The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of L lactic acid for poultry quality: physico-chemical characteristics and aerobic colony count. Our findings showed that 3 % of lactic acid. solution significantly reduces the chicken thighs active acidity (p ≤ 0,05). D lactic acid isomer formation were inhibited by 3 % of lactic acid solution. Strongest antibacterial effect was noted in chicken thighs, which were affected by 3 % of lactic acid solution (p ≤ 0.05). The total number of biogenic amines has not significantly decreased in any of the treated samples, but the lowest amount of biogenic amines were set in chicken t thighs treated with 3 % lactic acid.

Whey media, containing 2% (w/v) whey powder, 1% (w/v) glucose, and 0.5% (w/v) yeast extract, were fermented with nine Lactobacillus strains to produce angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides. Lb. brevis, Lb. helveticus, and Lb. paracasei were most effective in producing whey hydrolysates that contained potent ACE inhibitors, with the inhibition rate ranging from 93.3 +/- 0.3 to 100%. The hydrolysates of three Lactobacillus strains were partially purified by dialysis (6,000--8,000 Da cut-off) to remove larger molecules, and subsequently subjected to RP-HPLC, equipped with a Delta Pak C18 column. Each chromatogram displayed at least three distinct peaks at the hydrophobic region of the elution profile. Altogether fourteen peaks were purified and assayed for ACE inhibitory activity. All peaks except one exhibited ACE inhibitory activities, with IC50 ranging from 5.3 +/- 0.1 to 2637.8 +/- 366.9mug/ml. Three of these peaks contained pentapeptides, which consisted of mostly hydrophobic or aromatic amino acids at the C-terminal.

Enterococcus faecalis 710C is a lactic acid bacterium that produces two bacterocins, ent7A and ent7B. Both ent7A and ent7B have strong activity against gram-positive food pathogens including Listeria spp., Clostridium spp., vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Mass spectrometry analyses revealed that both ent7A (5201 Da) and ent7B (5207 Da) have formylated N-terminal methionine. The amino acid sequences, structural gene sequences of ent7 from nucleotide position 1-275 and immunity gene were determined. Circular dichroism data suggest that in aqueous solution ent7A and ent7B have 20 to 25% alpha-helical region. Addition of membrane-mimicking reagent (trifluoroethanol) did not significantly enhance the alpha-helical content in ent7A and ent7B. Chiral analysis by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry showed that the amino acid residues elucidated in ent7A and ent7B were all in L-configuration. / Food Science and Technology