Fatty acid specific δ13C values reveal earliest Mediterranean cheese production 7,200 years ago

Characterization of a Ligilactobacillus salivarius Strain Isolated from a Cheese Seal Which Was Last Used in 1936

Cheesemaking played a pivotal role in the life of the Pyrenean villages where cheese was a most prized commodity and the subject of much local competition. In one of them (Sasa de Sobrepuerto), Mrs. Sebastiana Palacio decided in 1877 to label all the cheeses made in her household with a seal to differentiate them from those made by other local producers. The cheese seal was last used in 1936 and, since then, it has been kept under excellent storage conditions. Since well-preserved cheese seals are rare, and bacterial cells may survive desiccation for long periods, the objective of this work was to isolate and characterize any lactic acid bacteria that survived in the seal. Analysis of the milky crust material revealed the presence of sheep caseins. Culture-based analysis led to the isolation of a strain of Bacillus licheniformis and a strain of Ligilactobacillus salivarius (L. salivarius SP36). The latter was characterized in vitro for safety and dairy-related functional properties. Its genome encodes several genes involved in protein, peptide, and amino acid catabolism, and flavor. Overall, the phenotypic and genetic features of this strain support a high potential for being used as adjunct culture in cheesemaking.

Early Dalmatian farmers specialized in sheep husbandry

The spread of farming in the central and western Mediterranean took place rapidly, linked to the Impressa Ware. The Impressa Ware originated somewhere in the southern Adriatic and spread westwards across the Mediterranean. These early farmers had an economy based on cereal agriculture and caprine husbandry, but there is still little information on how this agropastoral system functioned. This study aims to unravel the farming practices of the early Dalmatian farmers linked to the Impressa culture by using an integrated analysis, combining archaeozoology, palaeoproteomics and stable isotopes, applied to the faunal assemblages of Tinj-Podlivade and Crno Vrilo. The results show: (1) the composition of the flocks was overwhelmingly sheep; (2) sheep exploitation at both sites was similar, focusing on milk and meat; (3) sheep reproduction was concentrated at the beginning of winter, with no reproduction in autumn as in later sites in the western Mediterranean. We conclude that a common animal economy existed at both sites, which could be related to the mobility practiced by these early farming societies throughout the Mediterranean.

"Masato de Yuca" and "Chicha de Siete Semillas" Two Traditional Vegetable Fermented Beverages from Peru as Source for the Isolation of Potential Probiotic Bacteria

In this work, two Peruvian beverages "Masato de Yuca," typical of the Amazonian communities made from cassava (Manihot esculenta), and "Chicha de Siete Semillas," made from different cereal, pseudo-cereal, and legume flours, were explored for the isolation of lactic acid bacteria after obtaining the permission of local authorities following Nagoya protocol. From an initial number of 33 isolates, 16 strains with different RAPD- and REP-PCR genetic profiles were obtained. In Chicha, all strains were Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum), whereas in Masato, in addition to this species, Limosilactobacillus fermentum (formerly Lactobacillus fermentum), Pediococcus acidilactici, and Weissella confusa were also identified. Correlation analysis carried out with their carbohydrate fermentation patterns and enzymatic profiles allowed a clustering of the lactobacilli separated from the other genera. Finally, the 16 strains were submitted to a static in vitro digestion (INFOGEST model) that simulated the gastrointestinal transit. Besides, their ability to adhere to the human epithelial intestinal cell line HT29 was also determined. Following both procedures, the best probiotic candidate was Lac. plantarum Ch13, a robust strain able to better face the challenging conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and showing higher adhesion ability to the intestinal epithelium in comparison with the commercial probiotic strain 299v. In order to characterize its benefit for human health, this Ch13 strain will be deeply studied in further works.

Investigating livestock management in the early Neolithic archaeological site of Cabecicos Negros (Almería, Spain) from the organic residue analysis in pottery

This paper seeks to reconstruct the management of food resources in the early Neolithic site of Cabecicos Negros in southeastern Spain. For this purpose, we have studied 29 potsherds from Cabecicos Negros (Andalusia, Spain). Applying the methods of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry we were able to recompose the daily use of the sherds related to the consumption and storage of food products. Among the results obtained in this work, we were able to show new evidence of the exploitation of dairy products in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as provide information on the exploitation and management of the early domestic animals herds. To improve the archaeological results obtained, isotopic results were compared with a modern reference of 53 fat samples from the adipose tissue of domestic pigs and wild boars.

Detection of dairy products from multiple taxa in Late Neolithic pottery from Poland: an integrated biomolecular approach

The detection of dairy processing is pivotal to our understanding of ancient subsistence strategies. This culinary process is linked to key arguments surrounding the evolution of lactase persistence in prehistory. Despite extensive evidence indicating the presence of dairy products in ceramics in the European Neolithic, questions remain about the nature and extent of milk (and lactose) processing and consumption. In order to investigate past patterns of dairy processing, here we analyse ancient proteins identified from Late Neolithic Funnel Beaker ceramics, scrutinizing the principle that curd and whey proteins partition during the production of dairy foods from milk. Our results indicate the presence of casein-rich dairy products in these vessels suggesting the creation of curd-enriched products from raw milk. Moreover, this analysis reveals the use of multiple species for their dairy products in the Late Neolithic, adding to a growing body of evidence for the period. Alongside palaeoproteomic analysis, we applied well-established lipid residue analysis. Differential interpretations between these two approaches show that palaeoproteomics is especially useful where the effects from isotope mixing may underestimate the frequency of dairy products in archaeological ceramics, highlighting the potential utility of a multi-stranded approach to understand life histories of vessel use.

Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe

In European and many African, Middle Eastern and southern Asian populations, lactase persistence (LP) is the most strongly selected monogenic trait to have evolved over the past 10,000 years1. Although the selection of LP and the consumption of prehistoric milk must be linked, considerable uncertainty remains concerning their spatiotemporal configuration and specific interactions2,3. Here we provide detailed distributions of milk exploitation across Europe over the past 9,000 years using around 7,000 pottery fat residues from more than 550 archaeological sites. European milk use was widespread from the Neolithic period onwards but varied spatially and temporally in intensity. Notably, LP selection varying with levels of prehistoric milk exploitation is no better at explaining LP allele frequency trajectories than uniform selection since the Neolithic period. In the UK Biobank4,5 cohort of 500,000 contemporary Europeans, LP genotype was only weakly associated with milk consumption and did not show consistent associations with improved fitness or health indicators. This suggests that other reasons for the beneficial effects of LP should be considered for its rapid frequency increase. We propose that lactase non-persistent individuals consumed milk when it became available but, under conditions of famine and/or increased pathogen exposure, this was disadvantageous, driving LP selection in prehistoric Europe. Comparison of model likelihoods indicates that population fluctuations, settlement density and wild animal exploitation-proxies for these drivers-provide better explanations of LP selection than the extent of milk exploitation. These findings offer new perspectives on prehistoric milk exploitation and LP evolution.

Emergence and intensification of dairying in the Caucasus and Eurasian steppes

Archaeological and archaeogenetic evidence points to the Pontic–Caspian steppe zone between the Caucasus and the Black Sea as the crucible from which the earliest steppe pastoralist societies arose and spread, ultimately influencing populations from Europe to Inner Asia. However, little is known about their economic foundations and the factors that may have contributed to their extensive mobility. Here, we investigate dietary proteins within the dental calculus proteomes of 45 individuals spanning the Neolithic to Greco-Roman periods in the Pontic–Caspian Steppe and neighbouring South Caucasus, Oka–Volga–Don and East Urals regions. We find that sheep dairying accompanies the earliest forms of Eneolithic pastoralism in the North Caucasus. During the fourth millennium bc, Maykop and early Yamnaya populations also focused dairying exclusively on sheep while reserving cattle for traction and other purposes. We observe a breakdown in livestock specialization and an economic diversification of dairy herds coinciding with aridification during the subsequent late Yamnaya and North Caucasus Culture phases, followed by severe climate deterioration during the Catacomb and Lola periods. The need for additional pastures to support these herds may have driven the heightened mobility of the Middle and Late Bronze Age periods. Following a hiatus of more than 500 years, the North Caucasian steppe was repopulated by Early Iron Age societies with a broad mobile dairy economy, including a new focus on horse milking.

Milk proteins from the North Caucasus and Eurasian steppe support the initial development of sheep dairying during the Eneolithic, followed by subsequent intensification and husbandry of different dairy animals during the Middle Bronze Age and later periods.

Lipids in Archaeological Pottery: A Review on Their Sampling and Extraction Techniques

Several studies have been performed so far for the effective recovery, detection and quantification of specific compounds and their degradation products in archaeological materials. According to the literature, lipid molecules are the most durable and widespread biomarkers in ancient pottery. Artificial ageing studies to simulate lipid alterations over time have been reported. In this review, specific lipid archaeological biomarkers and well-established sampling and extraction methodologies are discussed. Although suitable analytical techniques have unraveled archaeological questions, some issues remain open such as the need to introduce innovative and miniaturized protocols to avoid extractions with organic solvents, which are often laborious and non-environmentally friendly.

Dairy products and bone health

Bone mineral mass, geometry and microstructure, hence determinants of fracture risk, result bone accrual during growth and bone loss later in life. Peak bone mass, which is reached by the end of the second decade of life, is mainly determined by genetic factors. Among other factors influencing bone capital, dietary intakes, particularly calcium and protein, play a significant role in peak bone mass attainment. Both nutrients are provided in dairy products, which accounts for 50-60% and 20-30% of the daily calcium and protein intakes, respectively. Children avoiding dairy products are at higher risk of fracture, as are adults or older individuals following a diet devoid of dairy products, like vegans. Various intervention trials have shown some beneficial effects of dairy products on bone capital accumulation during growth and on bone turnover in adults. In observational studies, dairy products intake, particularly the fermented ones, which also provide probiotics in addition to calcium, phosphorus and protein, appear to be associated with a lower risk of hip fracture.

Hallstatt miners consumed blue cheese and beer during the Iron Age and retained a non-Westernized gut microbiome until the Baroque period

We subjected human paleofeces dating from the Bronze Age to the Baroque period (18th century AD) to in-depth microscopic, metagenomic, and proteomic analyses. The paleofeces were preserved in the underground salt mines of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hallstatt in Austria. This allowed us to reconstruct the diet of the former population and gain insights into their ancient gut microbiome composition. Our dietary survey identified bran and glumes of different cereals as some of the most prevalent plant fragments. This highly fibrous, carbohydrate-rich diet was supplemented with proteins from broad beans and occasionally with fruits, nuts, or animal food products. Due to these traditional dietary habits, all ancient miners up to the Baroque period have gut microbiome structures akin to modern non-Westernized individuals whose diets are also mainly composed of unprocessed foods and fresh fruits and vegetables. This may indicate a shift in the gut community composition of modern Westernized populations due to quite recent dietary and lifestyle changes. When we extended our microbial survey to fungi present in the paleofeces, in one of the Iron Age samples, we observed a high abundance of Penicillium roqueforti and Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA. Genome-wide analysis indicates that both fungi were involved in food fermentation and provides the first molecular evidence for blue cheese and beer consumption in Iron Age Europe.

MILK LIPIDS AND SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS

This article deals with the process of obtaining quality raw milk by analyzing its lipid composition. The lipid composition of raw milk depends on many factors, among which, first of all, is the species, the composition of the diet and the physiological state of the breast. In recent years, a large amount of data has accumulated on the fluctuations of certain lipid parameters of milk depending on the type, age, lactation, diet, time of year, exercise, animal husbandry technology, physiological state of the lactating organism in general and breast status in particular. Factors of regulation of fatty acid composition of raw milk: genetically determined parameters of quality and safety; fatty acid composition of the diet; synthesis of fatty acids by microorganisms of the digestive tract; synthesis of fatty acids in the breast; physiological state of the breast. The milk of each species of productive animals has its own specific lipid profile and is used in the formulation of certain dairy products to obtain the planned technological and nutritional parameters. Diagnosis of productive animals for subclinical mastitis involves the use of auxiliary (thermometry, thermography, electrical conductivity) and laboratory research methods: counting the number of somatic cells; use of specialized tests; microbiological studies of milk; biochemical studies of milk. The biochemical component in the diagnosis of subclinical forms of mastitis is underestimated. An increase in body temperature implies an increase in the intensity of heat release during the oxidation of substrates, sometimes due to a decrease in the intensity of synthesis of energy-intensive compounds. There are simply no other sources of energy in the body. The situation is the same with certain parts of the metabolism, which are aimed at the development of protective reactions to the etiological factor aimed at the defeat of the breast. That is why the biochemical composition of breast secretions in the absence of clinical signs of mastitis undergoes biochemical changes and the task of scientists is to develop mechanisms for clear tracking of such changes, identification of animals with subclinical forms of mastitis and effective treatment.

Evolution of Lactase Persistence: Turbo-Charging Adaptation in Growth Under the Selective Pressure of Maternal Mortality?

The emergence of the capacity to digest milk in some populations represents a landmark in human evolution, linking genetic change with a component of niche construction, namely dairying. Alleles promoting continued activity of the enzyme lactase through the life-course (lactase persistence) evolved in several global regions within the last 7,000 years. In some European regions, these alleles underwent rapid selection and must have profoundly affected fertility or mortality. Elsewhere, alleles spread more locally. However, the functional benefits underlying the rapid spread of lactase persistence remain unclear. Here, we set out the hypothesis that lactase persistence promoted skeletal growth, thereby offering a generic rapid solution to childbirth complications arising from exposure to ecological change, or to new environments through migration. Since reduced maternal growth and greater neonatal size both increase the risk of obstructed labour, any ecological exposure impacting these traits may increase maternal mortality risk. Over many generations, maternal skeletal dimensions could adapt to new ecological conditions through genetic change. However, this adaptive strategy would fail if ecological change was rapid, including through migration into new niches. We propose that the combination of consuming milk and lactase persistence could have reduced maternal mortality by promoting growth of the pelvis after weaning, while high calcium intake would reduce risk of pelvic deformities. Our conceptual framework provides locally relevant hypotheses to explain selection for lactase persistence in different global regions. For any given diet and individual genotype, the combination of lactase persistence and milk consumption would divert more energy to skeletal growth, either increasing pelvic dimensions or buffering them from worsening ecological conditions. The emergence of lactase persistence among dairying populations could have helped early European farmers adapt rapidly to northern latitudes, East African pastoralists adapt to sudden climate shifts to drier environments, and Near Eastern populations counteract secular declines in height associated with early agriculture. In each case, we assume that lactase persistence accelerated the timescale over which maternal skeletal dimensions could change, thus promoting both maternal and offspring survival. Where lactase persistence did not emerge, birth weight was constrained at lower levels, and this contributes to contemporary variability in diabetes risk.

Development of “New” Bread and Cheese

Bread and cheese have been a popular combination since early times. Indeed, the history of bread dates back to 8000 BC and that of cheese to 7200 BC. However, new types of breads and cheeses are increasingly popular for several reasons, such as allergies, lifestyles, economy and religion. The major challenge is that food manufacturers are offering new products most of which are not welcomed by consumers. Therefore, recently, researchers have placed importance on their relationships with consumers to boost the success of new products. This short review summarizes the backgrounds of recent trends, processes, and principles to manufacture new bread and cheese products, and discusses future perspectives. The development of additive-free, gluten-free rice bread we have recently done from basic research to commercialization of the products is highly focused in this review. Additionally, ongoing studies on plant-based cheeses are introduced from material selection to suggest future outlooks.

The potential of fatty acid isotopes to trace trophic transfer in aquatic food-webs

Compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) of fatty acids (FA) constitute a promising tool for tracing energy flows in food-webs. However, past applications of FA-specific carbon isotope analyses have been restricted to a relatively coarse food-source separation and mainly quantified dietary contributions from different habitats. Our aim was to evaluate the potential of FA-CSIA to provide high-resolution data on within-system energy flows using algae and zooplankton as model organisms. First, we investigated the power of FA-CSIA to distinguish among four different algae groups, namely cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, haptophytes and diatoms. We found substantial within-group variation but also demonstrated that δ¹³C of several FA (e.g. 18:3ω3 or 18:4ω3) differed among taxa, resulting in group-specific isotopic fingerprints. Second, we assessed changes in FA isotope ratios with trophic transfer. Isotope fractionation was highly variable in daphnids and rotifers exposed to different food sources. Only δ¹³C of nutritionally valuable poly-unsaturated FA remained relatively constant, highlighting their potential as dietary tracers. The variability in fractionation was partly driven by the identity of food sources. Such systematic effects likely reflect the impact of dietary quality on consumers' metabolism and suggest that FA isotopes could be useful nutritional indicators in the field. Overall, our results reveal that the variability of FA isotope ratios provides a substantial challenge, but that FA-CSIA nevertheless have several promising applications in food-web ecology. This article is part of the theme issue 'The next horizons for lipids as 'trophic biomarkers': evidence and significance of consumer modification of dietary fatty acids'.

Brevibacterium from Austrian hard cheese harbor a putative histamine catabolism pathway and a plasmid for adaptation to the cheese environment

The genus Brevibacterium harbors many members important for cheese ripening. We performed real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine the abundance of Brevibacterium on rinds of Vorarlberger Bergkäse, an Austrian artisanal washed-rind hard cheese, over 160 days of ripening. Our results show that Brevibacterium are abundant on Vorarlberger Bergkäse rinds throughout the ripening time. To elucidate the impact of Brevibacterium on cheese production, we analysed the genomes of three cheese rind isolates, L261, S111, and S22. L261 belongs to Brevibacterium aurantiacum, whereas S111 and S22 represent novel species within the genus Brevibacterium based on 16S rRNA gene similarity and average nucleotide identity. Our comparative genomic analysis showed that important cheese ripening enzymes are conserved among the genus Brevibacterium. Strain S22 harbors a 22 kb circular plasmid which encodes putative iron and hydroxymethylpyrimidine/thiamine transporters. Histamine formation in fermented foods can cause histamine intoxication. We revealed the presence of a putative metabolic pathway for histamine degradation. Growth experiments showed that the three Brevibacterium strains can utilize histamine as the sole carbon source. The capability to utilize histamine, possibly encoded by the putative histamine degradation pathway, highlights the importance of Brevibacterium as key cheese ripening cultures beyond their contribution to cheese flavor production.