CD Obese prone (OP) and obese resistant (OR) rats (derived from Sprague Dawley rats) were used to study mitigation strategies for obesity and diet-induced dysbiosis (an imbalance in microbiota composition). Dysbiosis was induced using a high fat (HF) diet. Study 1 determined the effect of switching to a low fat (LF) diet or a LF diet supplemented with resistant starch (RS) on dysbiosis and metabolic parameters. Study 2 determined the effect of a microbiota transplant between OR and OP rats on dysbiosis and metabolic parameters. Prior to the transplant, the effectiveness of knocking down total bacteria in recipient rats by antibiotics and the bowel cleansing preparation MiraLAX® was tested. Dysbiosis was evaluated by determining the number of gene copies of targeted microbial groups. Correlations between microbiota composition and body weight and fat accretion were determined. The abundance of Clostridium butyricum was significantly higher in OR rats, was not affected by diet including RS and correlated negatively with body weight, fat accretion and inflammation in fat tissue. Abundance of the archaea Methanobrevibacter smithii was not affected by the obesity phenotype and was also not affected by a HF or LF diet but, was significantly increased by dietary RS in OP but not OR rats. In absence of obesity, M.smithi abundance did not change and fermentation levels changed only modestly. Increase of M. smithii and the resultant increased fermentation of RS in the presence of obesity was beneficial. It improved metabolic parameters in OP rats. Species from the genera Roseburia and Prevotella were not significantly affected by diet or obese phenotype. While knockdown of gut microbiota by antibiotics was effective, the microbiota transplant did not transmit the parameters of the donor phenotype between OP and OR rats. The results demonstrate that C. butyricum is part of the core microbiota that affects metabolic parameters and is not altered by diet. Methanobrevibacter smithii abundance depends on dietary components and significantly affects metabolic parameters in the obese phenotype.

Catfish skin (CS) contains considerable amount of protein that may be hydrolyzed enzymatically to generate hydrolysates (CSH) which may have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The generation of natural compounds with these properties is of special interest to the food industry. The objective of this study was to develop and characterize CSH including antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. CSH were produced from different enzymatic reaction periods using alkaline protease, and their characterization, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and some functional properties were evaluated. A selected CSH was analyzed for peptide composition and partial amino acid sequences. The color analysis showed that darker, more yellow, and redder CSH were generated throughout the time of hydrolysis. CSH at 4, 5, and 6 h of hydrolysis showed considerable antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties in-vitro, high emulsion stability, and low oil holding capacity influenced by the time of hydrolysis. Low-molecular weight peptides with positive charges were suggested as responsible for the antimicrobial activity. CSH were developed and characterized. Further research is suggested, especially on identification, isolation, and synthesis of specific peptides from CSH with both antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.

Contaminated surface water is a potential source of microbial contamination in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables producers using surface water as irrigating crops need irrigation water treatments that do not leave any chemical residue in the water. This work evaluated the efficacy of ultraviolet (UV)-C light on pathogen risk reduction from surface water used for irrigation of cantaloupes in an agricultural setting. Replicated cantaloupe plots (12 plots, 3/treatment, plot size 5x15, 10 plants/plot) were irrigated (spray or drip irrigation) with UV-C light-treated or non-treated water. A mixture of pond and well water (1000 L) (UV transmittance rate 53.74±2.12) collected in a tank was inoculated with a cocktail of generic &i;E. coli&/i; (ATCC 23716, 25922, and 11775). The inoculated water (7.4 log most probable number, MPN/100 ml) was then treated with UV-C light doses (16 to 120 mJ/cm&178;) by passing through a UV-C treatment unit PMD 150C1/4. Significant reduction (P< 0.05) of generic &i;E. coli&/i; (>3 log MPN/100 ml) was achieved with lower doses of UV-C light (10-20 mJ/cm&178;) and below the detectable limit of the test for UV-C doses above 50-60 mJ/cm&178;. The generic &i;E. coli&/i; counts on cantaloupe irrigated with UV-C light-treated or non-treated water were similar (3.30±0.12 and 3.39±0.14 log MPN/cantaloupe). Cantaloupe harvested from drip-irrigated plots were significantly lower in counts (2.72±0.12 log MPN/cantaloupe) as compared with sprinkle-irrigated plots (3.97±0.15 log MPN/cantaloupe). Within the drip-irrigated treatment plots, cantaloupes harvested next to the drip emitter were higher in counts by at least 1.2 log as compared with cantaloupes further from the drip emitter. In the first trial, a significant die-off of generic &i;E. coli&/i; was observed on cantaloupe surfaces within three days from the last day of irrigation; however, levels were similar for five days in the second trial. Our results indicated UV-C light is an effective antimicrobial treatment for microbial risk reduction of surface irrigation water, but influence on generic &i;E. coli&/i; levels on cantaloupe surface was unclear.

Early life heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) reflect autonomic maturation. Intervention with n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) during pregnancy favorably affects fetal HR and HRV; similar observations have been reported with infant n-3 LCPUFA intake. Infant HR and HRV have not been assessed in relation to maternal fatty acid status during pregnancy. Further, exposure to intrauterine inflammation may underlie these observations, although this hypothesis has not been tested. The aim of this observational study was to explore associations between maternal fatty acid and inflammatory status during pregnancy and infant HR and HRV. Simple linear and multiple regression were used to describe relationships for infant HR and HRV at 2 weeks, 4 months, and 6 months of age and: 1) maternal erythrocyte n-6 and n-3 fatty acids, 2) maternal plasma n-6 and n-3 endocannabinoids, and 3) maternal serum cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α), adipokine (adiponectin), and acute phase reactant (C-reactive protein) at 20, 24, 32, and 36 gestational weeks. Higher maternal n-3 fatty acid status, especially DHA, during pregnancy was inversely related to infant HR and positively related to HRV; the inverse was observed for n-6 fatty acids. Maternal n-3 endocannabinoids during pregnancy were inversely related with infant HR and positively related to infant HRV. Conversely, when the n-6:n-3 endocannabinoid ratio more heavily favored the n-6 endocannabinoid series, there was a positive and inverse association with infant HR and HRV, respectively. Limited associations between the other inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, adiponectin, C-reactive protein) and infant HR/HRV were observed. As such, we cannot definitively conclude there is a link between intrauterine exposure to these biomarkers and infant autonomic development. These data build on existing literature evidencing a role for n-3 fatty acids in accelerating fetal and infant autonomic development and may indicate an anti-inflammatory role for n-3 endocannabinoids. This study is the first to examine potential relationships between maternal fatty acid status, maternal inflammation, and infant autonomic development. Further, this study is the first to examine endocannabinoids in relation to HR and HRV in any population.

The order and combination of juicing steps can change a blueberrys bioactive phytochemicals and effect juice recovery. In addition to physical treatments such as pressing, recovery is also affected by heat and enzymes steps. Not optimizing juicing methods affect juice quality and leave many bioactive components in the press cake. To evaluate pre-press treatments, southern highbush and rabbiteye blueberries were individually pressed in a bench top press at varying temperatures. The temperature treatments included fresh, thawed, frozen and heating to 95 °C. Two pectinase enzymes, Rohapect 10L and Pectinex BEXXL, were individually used to assess impact on juice extraction. Juice recovery was averaged from three press replications for each treatment. Frozen berries which were heated to 95 °C and treated with enzyme had the highest recovery at 68.6 ± 1.1%. This process was then transferred to a pilot scale press. Pilot scale juice recovery was calculated at 74.0 ± 0.9%. Using data from the initial pilot presses, a full pilot scale experiment was triplicated. Tifblue rabbiteye blueberries were heated in a steam jacketed kettle to 95 °C for three minutes followed by a Rohapect 10L enzyme treatment before pressing. The resulting juice from the pilot press was then filtered and pasteurized. Unfiltered juice was also pasteurized. Press cake was collected and frozen. Samples of raw berries, filtered and unfiltered juice, pasteurized juice, and press cake were taken to identify anthocyanin compounds and changes caused by juice processes using LC-MS/MS. Samples were also hydrolyzed for anthocyanidin quantification using UPLC-UV. Ten major anthocyanins were identified, including 5 arabinoside and 5 pyranoside anthocyanins and three minor anthocyanins. The five anthocyanidins, cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin, and petunidin, were quantified. Raw berries and press cake contained the highest anthocyanidin contents with 85.1 mg/100 g and 265.6 mg/100 g respectively. Decreases of 67% loss after pressing and 10% loss after pasteurization were determined for anthocyanins and anthocyanidins in juices. However, three new conjugated anthocyanins were found in processed juices which have not previously been reported in rabbiteye. This contributes to the value and interest of press cake for use in other food and non-food products.

Antioxidants have attracted great interests from food industries and scientists in recent years, because they have the capacity to reduce the harmful oxidation reaction in human body. Phenolic compounds are the common antioxidants that are widely found in fruits and vegetables. In this study, three varieties of potatoes and four varieties of sweet potatoes were used to examine the profiles and contents of phenolics in the raw and boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes. The Red Garnet Sweet Potato (RGSP) was the richest in phenolic content and selected to study the changes of free phenolics, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity at different boiling times. In general, gallic acid and six different chlorogenic acid derivatives were found in the potatoes and sweet potatoes. The varieties of phenolic acids in the sweet potatoes were much more than the potatoes. The content of each phenolic acid varied in different raw potatoes and sweet potatoes. The total phenolics content of raw RGSP was the highest among these samples. A short time of boiling processing for potatoes and sweet potatoes could cause a significant increase in free phenolic acids, except 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid which were found to decrease during the processing. After boiled for 10 min, RGSP had higher level of phenolics and antioxidant activity than its raw or the one boiled for longer time. Therefore, the level of free phenolics and antioxidant activity in potatoes and sweet potatoes changed during boiling. They generally reached the peak level in a short boiling time (10 min) and then decreased with extended boiling time.

Oregano essential oil (OEO) is recognized for antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Incorporation of OEO into an edible film prepared with whey protein isolate (WPI) may improve the shelf-life of queso blanco (cheese). The overall goal of the proposed study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial and antioxidant WPI edible films (WPIFs) with OEO to improve the shelf life of queso blanco wrapped in the WPIFs during one month of refrigerated storage. Production of potential antimicrobial and antioxidant WPIFs with OEO (WPIOF) was possible. Flaxseed oil (FO) was incorporated into cheese by homogenization (HFQ), which caused significant susceptibility to oxidation when compared to the control cheese (QU). However, it did not have major effects on any other physic-chemical characteristics such as color and texture. Unwrapped HFQ oxidation rate significantly increased during 1-mo of storage, but wrapping with WPIOF was effective in extending the shelf life of omega 3 queso blanco (WOHFQ) by preventing the growth of yeast and molds and retarding oxidative reactions. This study demonstrated that WPIOF can be used to improve refrigerated shelf-life of queso-blanco and queso blanco containing FO.

Louisiana is famous for its diverse food, culture, and festivals. Crawfish are synonymous with Louisiana cuisine. Approximately 90% of the crawfish harvested in the United States are harvested in Louisiana, but their availability is seasonal (NOAA 2014). Both in-state and out-of-state demand for whole cooked crawfish and for their availability outside the normal harvest season has increased. There is interest from crawfish processors on whether or not steaming of crawfish results in a higher yield than boiling, as traditionally done. This study measures yield, quality parameters, and shelf life of whole boiled and steamed crawfish held in either refrigerated or frozen storage. Microbiological, lipid oxidation, proximate analyses, pH, texture properties, color, mineral, and fatty acid analyses and yield determinations were performed. Live crawfish (Procambarus clarkii), were either boiled or steamed, then stored for up to 11 days in refrigerated (3°C) conditions or six months in frozen storage (-18°C). The crawfish were then peeled and aerobic plate counts and E.coli/coliform counts determined using 3M Petrifilms. Lipid oxidation was measured by TBARS analyses. Texture as measured by peak force and work of shearing was determined using a 5-blade Kramer shear attachment on a TA-XT Plus Texture Analyzer. Proximate and pH analyses were conducted using AOAC procedures. Color was evaluated based on Hunter color scale values (L*, a*, and b*) with 10 replications. Mineral analysis was conducted via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Fatty acid analysis was conducted using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in duplicate. Statistics were conducted using SAS 9.3 with GLM and LS-Mean separation. Results from these analyses suggest there is no benefit to cooking crawfish via steam versus the boiling method. No appreciable yield difference was observed between the two cooking methods and the shelf life through refrigerated and frozen storage was statistically the same for both cooking methods.

Polyphenol compounds are widely used as antioxidants in food processing. The conventional phenolic content, scavenging DPPH free radical assays have been widely used for antioxidant evaluation. This research aimed to study the correlation between scavenging DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical activity, total phenolic content and anti-lipid-oxidation capability of natural and synthetic antioxidants and four beverages drinks. Synthetic phenol antioxidants, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), PG (propyl gallate), TBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone) and naturally occurring phenolics Ñ-T(£\-tocopherol), CA(Chlorogenic acid), GA(Gallic acid), QCT(Quercetin), RSV(Resveratrol), and SA(Syringic acid) were examined for their total phenolic content (TPC) and scavenging DPPH free radical activity. The anti-lipid-oxidation capability of these antioxidants was determined by using a fish oil emulsion which imitated the blood serum environment. CA and GA had great phenolic content, while they were in the group of lowest anti-lipid-oxidation capability. Oppositely, BHA was in the lowest group of phenolic content but provided the greatest anti-lipid-oxidation capability. The DPPH annihilation activity of GA was equivalent to PG and QCT and among the top three performances in the assay. However, its anti-lipid-oxidation capability was four times lower than PG or QCT. In general, most of the synthetic antioxidants had poor phenolic content but demonstrated better anti-lipid-oxidation capability, while, the phenolic acids such as GA and CA, were totally reverse. Only QCT and PG exhibited great performance in all the three assays. Thus, the fish oil emulsion developed in this study could be an efficient and reliable model for the evaluation of various antioxidants which overcomes the unilateral reaction of conventional spectrophotometric assays. Tea, coffee, red wine and white wine were also investigated to assess the correlations of TPC, DPPH free radical scavenging activity and anti-lipid-oxidation capability in a fish oil emulsion model. Diversities and concentrations of the major phenolics in the four beverages were also determined. With the most abundant phenolics, red wine dominated in TPC, DPPH scavenging activity, and anti-lipid-oxidation capability. However, white wine which had better performance in the TPC and DPPH assays showed the lowest capability in preventing fish lipid oxidation. The anti-lipid-oxidation capability of tea or coffee was much higher than white wine, although the three beverages had similar TPC. Therefore, the results from TPC and DPPH assays may not always correspond to the actual anti-lipid-oxidation capabilities. As the fish oil emulsion model was designed to imitate the human serum, the obtained anti-lipid-oxidation capability could closely reflect the antioxidant activity in stabilizing lipids and reducing harmful lipid oxidation products in the serum.

Chemical characterization of pulses allows for varying rates of water absorption, least gelation capacity, and retrogradation depending on species. Nutritionally, pulses are good sources of protein while being low in fat. Pulses deliver a readily bioavailable food form of several key minerals. Additionally, they deliver fiber. The insoluble fiber components are both natural and formed resistant starch in addition to the oligosaccharide content. Therefore, pulses can serve both a nutritional and functional role when used as a value-added ingredient. Meat patties were produced from beef and 23 different pulses at 35%, 42.5%, and 50% ratios. Each patty was tested for weight loss, diameter loss, color, and texture. The 50:50 ratio samples had the least amount of cook loss but the greatest visible bean fraction. All fractions improved nutritional profile. Navy, Light Red Kidney (LRB), and Small Red Beans were found to be most beneficial/acceptable as partial meat substitutes. The 42.5% patties were tested using two consumer focus groups. The recommendations from the focus group was used in a consumer study for both liking and difference. Panelists found significant differences for overall liking; however, panelists failed to determine difference Therefore, LRB modified meat patty (MMP) could be implemented at the USDA National School Lunch Program. The health impact of the MMP verses a control diet (CD) was tested using Syrian hamsters. The hamsters were fed for four weeks with weekly measurements of weight gain. After necropsy, organ weights and blood lipid levels were measured. All non-CD diet hamsters resulted in higher finished body weights. Hamsters on LRB or MMP diets had reduced LDL and VLDL averages of 22.7 and 8.1 mg/dL respectively compared to the CD. Additionally, average HDL:LDL ratios for the MMP and LRB diets increased from 1.47:1 for the CD to 1.9:1 and 2.2:1 respectively. Hamsters on CD and LRB diets had lower liver weights and reduced epididymal adipose weight compared to diets containing MMP or GB. The results suggest partial substitution of LRB in GB can have significant impact on cholesterol levels and visceral fat deposition due to synergism between sat fat and cholesterol in the diet.