Improvements in the methodology for fatty acids analysis in meat products: One-stage transmethylation and fast-GC method

Effect of marinating with green tea extract on the safety and sensory profiles of oven-baked oyster

Baked oyster is a popular seafood dish around the world. The present study investigated the effect of various concentrations of a green-tea extract (GTE) marinade on the safety and sensory profiles of oysters baked for different durations. The results showed 10 g/L of GTE and 10-min baking time was the optimal combination, as supported by significantly attenuated lipid oxidation (35.29 %) and Nε-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) content (48.51 %) without appreciable negative impact on the sensory or nutritional quality of the oysters. However, high concentrations of the marinade or prolonged baking promoted protein oxidation and Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) formation likely through the pro-oxidative action of the GTE phytochemicals. Correlation analysis further revealed the main factors that affected CML, CEL, and fluorescent AGEs generation, respectively. These findings provide theoretical support for the protective effect and mechanism of GTE against quality deterioration of baked oysters and would help broaden the application of GTE in the food industry.

Characterisation of Dry-Salted Violino and Bresaola from Grass-Fed Bergamasca Sheep

This study focuses on characterising two seasoned products, violino and bresaola, derived from grass-fed Bergamasca sheep monitored with a GPS system. The evaluation includes both nutritional and sensory aspects. Results reveal that both products boast a high protein content (approximately 40%) and a beneficial fatty acid profile, endorsing a healthy n-6/n-3 ratio (2.2), along with rumenic acid (92-184 mg/100 g) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) (237-621 mg/100 g). The sensory evaluation highlights distinctive ovine characteristics in aroma and flavour. Violino and bresaola from grass-fed Bergamasca sheep showcase positive attributes for human consumption. The study emphasises the potential for added value to seasoned products from Bergamasca sheep through a traceable, sustainable, and health-conscious supply chain.

Characteristics of Unripened Cow Milk Curd Cheese Enriched with Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Industry By-Products

The aim of this study was to apply raspberry (Ras), blueberry (Blu) and elderberry (Eld) industry by-products (BIB) for unripened cow milk curd cheese (U-CC) enrichment. Firstly, antimicrobial properties of the BIBs were tested, and the effects of the immobilization in agar technology on BIB properties were evaluated. Further, non-immobilized (NI) and agar-immobilized (AI) BIBs were applied for U-CC enrichment, and their influence on U-CC parameters were analyzed. It was established that the tested BIBs possess desirable antimicrobial (raspberry BIB inhibited 7 out of 10 tested pathogens) and antioxidant activities (the highest total phenolic compounds (TPC) content was displayed by NI elderberry BIB 143.6 mg GAE/100 g). The addition of BIBs to U-CC increased TPC content and DPPH- (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl)-radical scavenging activity of the U-CC (the highest TPC content was found in C-RaNI 184.5 mg/100 g, and strong positive correlation between TPC and DPPH- of the U-CC was found, r = 0.658). The predominant fatty acid group in U-CC was saturated fatty acids (SFA); however, the lowest content of SFA was unfolded in C-EldAI samples (in comparison with C, on average, by 1.6 times lower). The highest biogenic amine content was attained in C-EldAI (104.1 mg/kg). In total, 43 volatile compounds (VC) were identified in U-CC, and, in all cases, a broader spectrum of VCs was observed in U-CC enriched with BIBs. After 10 days of storage, the highest enterobacteria number was in C-BluNI (1.88 log10 CFU/g). All U-CC showed similar overall acceptability (on average, 8.34 points); however, the highest intensity of the emotion "happy" was expressed by testing C-EldNI. Finally, the BIBs are prospective ingredients for U-CC enrichment in a sustainable manner and improved nutritional traits.

Establishment and Validation of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT–MIR) Methodology for the Detection of Linoleic Acid in Buffalo Milk

Buffalo milk is a dairy product that is considered to have a higher nutritional value compared to cow’s milk. Linoleic acid (LA) is an essential fatty acid that is important for human health. This study aimed to investigate and validate the use of Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (FT-MIR) for the quantification of the linoleic acid in buffalo milk. Three machine learning models were used to predict linoleic acid content, and random forest was employed to select the most important subset of spectra for improved model performance. The validity of the FT-MIR methods was evaluated in accordance with ICH Q2 (R1) guidelines using the accuracy profile method, and the precision, the accuracy, and the limit of quantification were determined. The results showed that Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is a suitable technique for the analysis of linoleic acid, with a lower limit of quantification of 0.15 mg/mL milk. Our results showed that FT-MIR spectroscopy is a viable method for LA concentration analysis.

Detection of Pork in Beef Meatballs Using LC-HRMS Based Untargeted Metabolomics and Chemometrics for Halal Authentication

Adulteration of high-quality meat products using lower-priced meats, such as pork, is a crucial issue that could harm consumers. The consumption of pork is strictly forbidden in certain religions, such as Islam and Judaism. Therefore, the objective of this research was to develop untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) combined with chemometrics for analysis of pork in beef meatballs for halal authentication. We investigated the use of non-targeted LC-HRMS as a method to detect such food adulteration. As a proof of concept using six technical replicates of pooled samples from beef and pork meat, we could show that metabolomics using LC-HRMS could be used for high-throughput screening of metabolites in meatballs made from beef and pork. Chemometrics of principal component analysis (PCA) was successfully used to differentiate beef meatballs and pork meatball samples. Partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) clearly discriminated between halal and non-halal beef meatball samples with 100% accuracy. Orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) perfectly discriminated and classified meatballs made from beef, pork, and a mixture of beef-pork with a good level of fitness (R²X = 0.88, R²Y = 0.71) and good predictivity (Q² = 0.55). Partial least square (PLS) and orthogonal PLS (OPLS) were successfully applied to predict the concentration of pork present in beef meatballs with high accuracy (R² = 0.99) and high precision. Thirty-five potential metabolite markers were identified through VIP (variable important for projections) analysis. Metabolites of 1-(1Z-hexadecenyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, acetyl-l-carnitine, dl-carnitine, anserine, hypoxanthine, linoleic acid, and prolylleucine had important roles for predicting pork in beef meatballs through S-line plot analysis. It can be concluded that a combination of untargeted metabolomics using LC-HRMS and chemometrics is promising to be developed as a standard analytical method for halal authentication of highly processed meat products.

Integrated Lipidomic and Metabolomics Analysis Revealing the Effects of Frozen Storage Duration on Pork Lipids

Frozen storage is an important strategy to maintain meat quality for long-term storage and transportation. Lipid oxidation is one of the predominant causes of the deterioration of meat quality during frozen storage. Untargeted lipidomic and targeted metabolomics were employed to comprehensively evaluate the effect of frozen duration on pork lipid profiles and lipid oxidative products including free fatty acids and fatty aldehydes. A total of 688 lipids, 40 fatty acids and 14 aldehydes were successfully screened in a pork sample. We found that ether-linked glycerophospholipids, the predominant type of lipids, gradually decreased during frozen storage. Of these ether-linked glycerophospholipids, ether-linked phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine containing more than one unsaturated bond were greatly influenced by frozen storage, resulting in an increase in free polyunsaturated fatty acids and fatty aldehydes. Among these lipid oxidative products, decanal, cis-11,14-eicosenoic acid and cis-5,8,11,14,17-dicosapentaenoic acid can be considered as potential indicators to calculate the freezing time of unknown frozen pork samples. Moreover, over the three-month frozen storage, the first month was a rapid oxidation stage while the other two months were a slow oxidation stage.

A strategy for accurately and sensitively quantifying free and esterified fatty acids using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Fatty acid (FA) composition of foods dictates a diversity of aspects regarding food quality, ranging from product shelf life, sensory properties to nutrition. There is a challenge to quantitate FAs using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry due to poor ionization efficiency and matrix effects. Here, an isotopic-tagged derivatization strategy was established to accurately and sensitively quantify free and esterified FAs. After derivatization reaction, the detection sensitivity of FAs was remarkably improved and the limit of quantitation was lower than 100 ng/L. The quantitative errors caused by matrix effects were diminished benefiting from isotope-derivatized internal standards. The established quantitation strategy was successfully applied to verify both free and esterified FA contents in meat after different post-harvest procedures, finding that free polyunsaturated FAs increased significantly during freezing process.

Chromatographic-Based Platforms as New Avenues for Scientific Progress and Sustainability

Chromatography was born approximately one century ago and has undergone outstanding technological improvements in innovation, research, and development since then that has made it fundamental to advances in knowledge at different levels, with a relevant impact on the well-being and health of individuals. Chromatography boosted a comprehensive and deeper understanding of the complexity and diversity of human-environment interactions and systems, how these interactions affect our life, and the several societal challenges we are currently facing, namely those related to the sustainability of our planet and the future generations. From the life sciences, which allowed us to identify endogenous metabolites relevant to disease mechanisms, to the OMICS field, nanotechnology, clinical and forensic analysis, drug discovery, environment, and "foodprint", among others, the wide range of applications of today's chromatographic techniques is impressive. This is fueled by a great variability of powerful chromatographic instruments currently available, with very high sensitivity, resolution, and identification capacity, that provide a strong basis for an analytical platform able to support the challenging demands of the postgenomic and post COVID-19 eras. Within this context, this review aims to address the great utility of chromatography in helping to cope with several societal-based challenges, such as the characterization of disease and/or physiological status, and the response to current agri-food industry challenges of food safety and sustainability, or the monitoring of environmental contamination. These are increasingly important challenges considering the climate changes, the tons of food waste produced every day, and the exponential growth of the human population. In this context, the principles governing the separation mechanisms in chromatography as well the different types and chromatographic techniques will be described. In addition, the major achievements and the most important technological advances will be also highlighted. Finally, a set of studies was selected in order to evince the importance of different chromatographic analyses to understand processes or create fundamental information in the response to current societal challenges.