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Erzurum cheese halva is a traditional food registered with a geographical indication with its own taste and flavor, which is produced with saltless fresh civil cheese, fresh cream and flour mixture. This study was conducted to investigate the changes in the physical, chemical and microbiological properties of Erzurum cheese halva in different packaging and storage tempareture. The produced cheese halva samples were stored for two months in two different packaging methods (aerobic and vacuum packaged) and at three different storage temperatures (room temperature, +4℃ and -18℃). Some microbiological, chemical, physicochemical and sensory analysis of cheese halva samples were investigated during storage period. Furthermore, the dry matter, ash, protein, fat, salt and aw contents of cheese halva samples were determined on the 0th day of storage. The most obvious sign of deterioration were moldiness on aerobic packaged samples both the room temperature and +4℃ stored, and they were spoiled on the10th and 15th day of storage, respectively. It was observed that the acidity has increased and consumability has decreased in vacuum packaged samples stored at +4°C. Although neither chemical nor microbiological deterioration occurred in the vacuum packaged cheese halva samples stored on -18°C, negatively affects in the fibrous structure of the product and reduces the overall acceptability of the product. For this reason, future studies must be carried out that is necessary to search for more suitable packaging methods (e.g. modified atmosphere packaging) to protect the product's typical textural structure during the shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monosodium glutamate (MSG, E621) is a flavor‐enhancing food additive used widely in the food preparation industry and consumed regularly. It is considered that long‐term consumption of MSG causes metabolic syndrome and obesity. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar, polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia, in which insulin secreted from pancreatic β cells is inadequate for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis. Rats were application 65 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) solution intraperitoneally and a diabetes model was created. For this purpose, freshly prepared STZ was injected into the peritoneum. Tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin (IL)‐10, IL‐6, and IL‐1β levels in STZ, MSG, and STZ + MSG groups were found to be significantly increased in inflammation parameters measured on the 28th day of administration when compared to the Control Group (p < 0.001). Also, although malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased significantly in the STZ + MSG group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were significantly decreased in the STZ, MSG, and STZ + MSG groups when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Also, although glucose levels increased significantly in STZ and STZ + MSG at the end of the 28th day (p < 0.01), insulin levels decreased in STZ, MSG, and STZ + MSG groups when compared to the control groups (p < 0.01). As a result, it was found that STZ and MSG application significantly increased cytokine production, increased MDA, which is an oxidant parameter in pancreatic tissue, and decreased antioxidants (GSH and SOD) when compared to the control groups. It was also found that MSG disrupted the normal histological structure in pancreatic cells, and the damage was much more in both exocrine and endocrine pancreatic areas in the STZ + MSG group when compared to the STZ and MSG groups. It was considered that with the increased use of MSG, the susceptibility to DM might increase along with tissue damage significantly in diabetic groups, therefore, MSG must be used in a limited and controlled manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meatballs are among the most preferred foods because they can be easily prepared and consumed with pleasure. Meatball-type meat products can deteriorate in a short time, even under refrigerator conditions. The coating materials applied in this study were created to increase the meatballs' storage resistance and extend their shelf life. The mucilage obtained from okra was combined with pomegranate seed oil (Punica granatum) and thyme oil (Origanum heracleoticum L.) to make different edible coating materials. These different edible coating materials [Control (K0); okra mucilage--1% glycerol (K1); okra mucilage--1% glycerol--1% pomegranate seed oil (K2); okra mucilage--1% glycerol--1% thyme oil (K3)] were applied to the meatballs. Some microbiological, chemical, physical, and sensory analyses of the meatballs were performed on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th days of storage. The tbars values of the K1 coating group were generally lower than the K0 group. This indicates that the coating material can provide a gas barrier. It was determined that the tbars value was lower in the K3 group, and the change in the number of Lactobacillus spp. did not cause a significant difference between days (P > .05). There was no negative sensory effect of the coating materials. As a result, it was determined that okra mucilage has edible film and coating potential. However, the coating materials applied in this study did not have much effect on extending the shelf life of meatballs. It is thought that there is a need to examine the effect of coating materials on different foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis E virus is an important zoonotic food pathogen with natural animal reservoirs and remarkable increases recently. Hepatitis E virus infection is usually asymptomatic in animals, but it can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis in humans and represents an emerging public health problem worldwide. However, there is a lack of scientific reports about the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis E virus in domestic ruminants in Turkey. This study aimed to investigate hepatitis E virus in cattle and sheep. Data were derived from cattle and sheep using blood sera and liver tissues from slaughterhouses in some provinces in Turkey. The samples were examined for anti-hepatitis E virus IgG by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and hepatitis E virus RNA by the molecular method. In this study, hepatitis E virus was investigated in 200 liver tissues and 414 blood sera from cattle and sheep. Among all samples, anti-hepatitis E virus IgG seropositivity was present in 16.5% and 5.0% of cattle and sheep, respectively. While the highest hepatitis E virus seroprevalence was determined as 33.3% in cattle in Diyarbakir, it was determined as 6.25% in sheep in Malatya. In the molecular study, hepatitis E virus RNA found in one Elazig cattle blood serum sample shared 97.58% similarity with rat hepatitis E virus. The results showed that sheep and cattle can be a source of hepatitis E virus infection for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]