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Research background. Fresh cheese varieties represent an important share of the whole cheese market. Although with great variability in terms of composition and method of preparation, fresh cheese varieties are bland in flavour and their production originates whey drainage. On the other hand, the cheese market is also responsible for a significant amount of food waste. These motivated the development of a novel fresh cheese incorporating ripened cheese, which can then represent a valorisation of ripened cheese surpluses. Experimental approach. A variable amount of ripened cheese was dispersed in a paste of gelatinized starch (normal corn or waxy rice) in milk, producing melted cheese bases. These cheese bases were diluted with milk, sometimes enriched with skimmed milk powder, and then renneted. Macronutrient content and physical properties of the resultant fresh cheese were characterized. Sensory analyses of samples incorporating mature Cheddar, goat’s or ewe’s cheese were carried out. Results and conclusions. Gel formation of the initial mixture was hindered above 8% (m/m) incorporation of ripened cheese, which could be overcome by the addition of skimmed milk powder. These observations are corroborated by the hardness values from texture analysis tests. Evaluation of syneresis of different samples enabled to conclude that the addition of 2% (m/m) starch and 2.8% (m/m) skimmed milk powder contributes to reduction of its magnitude by half. Sensory analysis with a consumer panel indicated a preference for a more consistent texture of the fresh cheese, and for the Cheddar flavour. Novelty and scientific contribution. A novel fresh cheese variety incorporating dispersed ripened cheese was prepared. The proposed method is versatile and quite straightforward and does not use polyphosphate salts or originate whey wastage. The fresh cheese physical and sensorial properties can be manipulated by the amounts and types of added starch, ripened cheese and skimmed milk powder; such tailoring of fresh cheese properties widens product portfolio capacity for a larger number of consumer groups. The added ripened cheese can come from non-sellable pieces and unsold stocks from the retail sector, contributing to a reduction of food waste., Pozadina istraživanja. Svježi sirevi imaju važan udjel u tržištu sireva. Iako se razlikuju prema sastavu i tehnologiji proizvodnje, zajedničko im je da nemaju izraženi okus, a njihovom proizvodnjom nastaje velika količina sirutke. S druge strane, tržište sireva je odgovorno za stvaranje velike količine prehrambenog otpada. To nas je motiviralo da razvijemo novi proizvod, svježi sir s dodatkom zrelog sira, kojim bi se valorizirao suvišak zrelog sira. Eksperimentalni pristup. Osnove za izradu sireva pripremljene su dispergiranjem različitih količina zrelog sira u pasti dobivenoj otapanjem škroba (kukuruznog ili od amilopektinske riže) u mlijeku. Tako dobivene emulzije su zatim razrijeđene dodavanjem mlijeka, a neke i obogaćene obranim mlijekom u prahu, nakon čega im je dodano sirilo. Ispitani su udjeli makrohranjiva u dobivenim sirevima te njihova fizikalna svojstva. Provedene su senzorske analize uzoraka svježih sireva proizvedenih s dodatkom zrelog sira Cheddar, kozjeg ili ovčjeg sira. Rezultati i zaključci. Dodatak više od 8 % (m/m) zrelog sira u smjesu ometao je formiranje gela, no to se može spriječiti dodavanjem obranog mlijeka u prahu, što je potvrđeno analizom tvrdoće dobivenih uzoraka sireva. Praćenjem intenziteta sinereze različitih uzoraka utvrdili smo da se s dodatkom 2 % (m/m) škroba i 2,8 % (m/m) obranog mlijeka u prahu ona upola smanjila. Panel potrošača je tijekom senzorske analize dobivenih sireva bolje ocijenio svježe sireve konzistentnije teksture, te s okusom sira Cheddar. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Pripremljen je novi proizvod, svježi sir s dodatkom emulzije zrelog sira. Predloženom se metodom može izravno upotrijebiti suvišak zrelog sira za proizvodnju svježeg sira različitih svojstava, pri čemu se ne koriste polifosfati i ne nastaje suvišak sirutke. Fizikalna i senzorska svojstva svježeg sira mogu se izmijeniti dodavanjem različitih količina i vrsta škroba, zrelog sira i obranog mlijeka u prahu, čime se pruža mogućnost kreiranja široke palete proizvoda za veći broj različitih skupina potrošača. Za proizvodnju se može upotrijebiti suvišak zrelog sira iz maloprodaje ili dijelovi zrelog sira koji se ne mogu prodati, čime se smanjuje količina prehrambenog otpada.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management in dense urban areas is a challenge for municipalities, especially in developing countries, which commonly have deficient waste management. For example, the metropolitan region of Goias State, Brazil, has 19 municipalities that dispose of about 72.5% of total MSW in unlicensed MSW final disposal facilities. Therefore, this study analysed the investment and operating costs, and revenues of a municipal solid waste management facility, projected for 20 years, shared among these 19 municipalities. The economic viability analysis, has shown that, regardless of the management facility type, MSW collection and transport are the most expensive cost components, accounting for about 60% of MSW management operating costs. For an Internal Rate of Return of 0%, anaerobic digestion is 11% more expensive (in total) than using community composting. For 2040 (last year), the monthly MSW management tariffs will vary between 3.5 and 10.8 R$·inhabitant−1·month−1, depending on the municipality. So, as the unit price of biowaste treatments lowers with waste quantities, for the municipalities with large biowaste quantities, anaerobic digestion becomes recommended for its economic attractiveness. This study can serve as a model for other municipalities in Brazil and elsewhere, helping public decision makers to establish a strategy for MSW management.

The strict connection between nutritional intake and health leads to a necessity of understanding the beneficial and protective role of healthy nutrients and foods. The marine environment is a source of a plethora of many organisms with unique properties, extremely rich in bioactive compounds and with remarkable potential for medical, industrial and biotechnological applications. Marine organisms are an extreme valuable source of functional ingredients such as polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, pigments, enzymes, proteins and peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), phenolic compounds and other secondary metabolites that prevent or have the potential to treat several diseases given their cardiovascular protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-proliferative and anti-diabetic activities. This review provides an overview on the current advances regarding health benefits of marine bioactive compounds on several diseases and on human gut microbiota. In addition, it is discussed a crucial factor that is related to the effectiveness of these compounds on human organism namely its real bioavailability.

There is an increasing interest towards the development of innovative value-added food products with a potential to prevent or counteract disease conditions, many times impelled by unbalanced diets, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Several promising food-derived lipids with potential bioactive properties have been identified over the last decade, and these include conjugated linoleic (CLA) and conjugated linolenic (CLNA) acids [1], [2]. Due to concentration and availability limitations in their natural sources (e.g. ruminants’ milk and meat or vegetable oils) [3], [4], the in situ microbial production may reveal itself to be a good strategy to increment CLA/CLNA daily intake. Several probiotic strains have demonstrated the ability to produce CLA/CLNA isomers using linoleic (LA) and alpha-linolenic (α -LNA) acids as precursor substrates, respectively [5], [6]. This research team has previously assayed a combination of screening tools from a wide collection of probiotic strains and selecting the best producer of CLA and CLNA isomers – Bifidobacterium breve DSM 20091 – to proceed afterwards with studies on CLA/CLNA-enriched milk. Seeking to explore industrial viability, commercial edible vegetables oils were applied as precursor substrate sources instead, being previously hydrolysed with lipases to enhance the amounts of free LA/α- LNA. After a series of optimization assays, the flaxseed oil (FSO), which is rich in α-LNA, provided the highest yield of microbial conjugated FA (~1 mg/g) at 2 mg/mL α-LNA. After elaborating the new functional milk, the next required step is evaluating its compositional stability throughout storage. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to investigate i f a microbial CLA/CLNA-enriched fermented milk is stable, in terms of probiotic viable counts, pH and fatty acid (FA) profile, at conditions mimicking shelf-life. Pasteurized cow milk was inoculated with B. breve DSM 20091 and 2 mg/mL of α-LNA (from hydrolysed FSO) or not (control) and distributed by 100 mL containers for each sampling point and in triplicate. The containers were fermented for 22 h at 37 ºC under anaerobic conditions. After fermentation, three containers from each substrate condition were separated for further analysis (T0d) and the rest was stored at 4 ºC, being well sealed with parafilm and protected from light with aluminium foil. Samples were taken from storage each 7 days until the end of the assay (T28d). At each sampling point, it was performed viable cell counting in cys-MRS agar plates and total microbial count in PCA plates, measure of pH and FA analysis content through GC-FID. According to the obtained results, after 7 days of storage, viable cell counts of B. breve DSM 20091 decreased significantly, especially in the enriched milk (from 8.09 to 4.51 log10), and kept decreasing, reaching insignificant counts by the end of the assay. Concerning to total microbial count in PCA, insignificant numbers were detected throughout all storage period at both conditions. In terms of pH, it maintained constant overall (Control: 5.05-5.14; Enriched milk: 4.86-4.99). As for FA profile, in the non-esterified fraction, it was detected higher levels of CLA and CLNA isomers in the enriched milk, and consequently of total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) as well, at T28d, comparing to all other sampling points, with values of 0.17 mg/g CLA, 1.11 mg/g CLNA and 2.04 mg/g PUFA. In the esterified fraction, was observed variations throughout storage in total saturated FA of control (7.85-9.18 mg/g), and in total monounsaturated FA of both conditions (Control: 2.23- 2.81 mg/g; Enriched milk: 2.19-2.66 mg/g). In conclusion, a microbial CLA/CLNA-enriched fermented milk is not entirely stable during storage, including its CLA/CLNA content, which was in fact increased., There is an increasing interest towards the development of innovative value-added food products with a potential to prevent or counteract disease conditions, many times impelled by unbalanced diets, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Several promising food-derived lipids with potential bioactive properties have been identified over the last decade, and these include conjugated linoleic (CLA) and conjugated linolenic (CLNA) acids [1], [2]. Due to concentration and availability limitations in their natural sources (e.g. ruminants’ milk and meat or vegetable oils) [3], [4], the in situ microbial production may reveal itself to be a good strategy to increment CLA/CLNA daily intake. Several probiotic strains have demonstrated the ability to produce CLA/CLNA isomers using linoleic (LA) and alpha-linolenic (α -LNA) acids as precursor substrates, respectively [5], [6]. This research team has previously assayed a combination of screening tools from a wide collection of probiotic strains and selecting the best producer of CLA and CLNA isomers - Bifidobacterium breve DSM 20091 - to proceed afterwards with studies on CLA/CLNA-enriched milk. Seeking to explore industrial viability, commercial edible vegetables oils were applied as precursor substrate sources instead, being previously hydrolysed with lipases to enhance the amounts of free LA/α-LNA. After a series of optimization assays, the flaxseed oil (FSO), which is rich in α-LNA, provided the highest yield of microbial conjugated FA (~1 mg/g) at 2 mg/mL α-LNA. After elaborating the new functional milk, the next required step is evaluating its compositional stability throughout storage. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to investigate if a microbial CLA/CLNA-enriched fermented milk is stable, in terms of probiotic viable counts, pH and fatty acid (FA) profile, at conditions mimicking shelf-life. Pasteurized cow milk was inoculated with B. breve DSM 20091 and 2 mg/mL of α-LNA (from hydrolysed FSO) or not (control) and distributed by 100 mL containers for each sampling point and in triplicate. The containers were fermented for 22 h at 37 °C under anaerobic conditions. After fermentation, three containers from each substrate condition were separated for further analysis (T0d) and the rest was stored at 4 °C, being well sealed with parafilm and protected from light with aluminium foil. Samples were taken from storage each 7 days until the end of the assay (T28d). At each sampling point, it was performed viable cell counting in cys-MRS agar plates and total microbial count in PCA plates, measure of pH and FA analysis content through GC-FID. According to the obtained results, after 7 days of storage, viable cell counts of B. breve DSM 20091 decreased significantly, especially in the enriched milk (from 8.09 to 4.51 log10), and kept decreasing, reaching insignificant counts by the end of the assay. Concerning to total microbial count in PCA, insignificant numbers were detected throughout all storage period at both conditions. In terms of pH, it maintained constant overall (Control: 5.05-5.14; Enriched milk: 4.86-4.99). As for FA profile, in the non-esterified fraction, it was detected higher levels of CLA and CLNA isomers in the enriched milk, and consequently of total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) as well, at T28d, comparing to all other sampling points, with values of 0.17 mg/g CLA, 1.11 mg/g CLNA and 2.04 mg/g PUFA. In the esterified fraction, was observed variations throughout storage in total saturated FA of control (7.85-9.18 mg/g), and in total monounsaturated FA of both conditions (Control: 2.23-2.81 mg/g; Enriched milk: 2.19-2.66 mg/g). In conclusion, a microbial CLA/CLNA-enriched fermented milk is not entirely stable during storage, including its CLA/CLNA content, which was in fact increased.

Presently, there are many different types of wound dressings available on the market. Nonetheless, there is still a great interest to improve the performance and efficiency of these materials. Concerning that, new dressing materials containing natural products, such as medicinal plants that protect the wound from infections but also enhance skin regeneration have been or are being developed. Herein, we used for the first time a needleless emulsion electrospinning technique for incorporating Chelidoniummajus L. (C. majus), a medicinal plant widely known for its traditional therapeutic properties, in Polycaprolactone (PCL)/Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)_Pectin (PEC) nanofibrous meshes. Moreover, the potential use of these electrospun nanofibers as a carrier for C. majus was also explored. The results obtained revealed that the produced PCL/PVA_PEC nanofibrous meshes containing C. majus extract displayed morphological characteristics similar to the natural extracellular matrix of the skin (ECM). Furthermore, the produced meshes showed beneficial properties to support the healing process. Additionally, the C. majus-loaded PCL/PVA_PEC nanofibrous meshes inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) growth, reaching a 3.82 Log reduction, and showed to be useful for controlled release, without causing any cytotoxic effect on the normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) cells. Hence, these findings suggest the promising suitability of this novel wound dressing material for prevention and treatment of bacterial wound infections., The authors are also grateful for the funding support given by FibEnTech Research Unit (Project UIDB/00195/2020). Cláudia Mouro acknowledges a PhD fellowship from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (PD/BD/113550/2015).

Currently, cereal bars are gaining interest globally because of their nutritionally balanced and convenient nature. One healthy strategy is to add probiotics to cereal bars, to make them a functional food product. So, in this study a cereal bar functionalized with edible coatings of whey protein isolate (WPI) and alginate (ALG) incorporated with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and inulin was developed and evaluated for its consumer acceptability and physicochemical and microbiological properties, throughout 90 days of storage. WPI-coated cereal bars were shown to be the solution that better maintained the level of the incorporated probiotic strain when compared to the ones coated with ALG, throughout storage and throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The physicochemical properties of the bars, namely aw, moisture content, color and texture, were not altered during the storage period. The sensory evaluation showed that coated bars were accepted as well as control bars. Moreover, the consumers appreciated better the odor and flavor of WPI-coated bars than those of ALG-coated bars.

Most Brazilian municipalities are small, i.e., with less than 50,000 inhabitants. In the State of Goiás, for example, 91% of the municipalities are small. Of these, only 4% have their municipal solid waste (MSW) disposed in authorized landfills. Thus, the present study aimed to propose a municipal solid waste management facility (MSWMF) shared between two small municipalities of the microregion of Chapada dos Veadeiros, in Northeast Goiás. The reason for selecting this microregion is that it is composed only of small municipalities that use waste dumps for the disposal of their MSW. For this purpose, the areas subject to approval or restricted for the installation of a MSWMF were identified with the aid of a geographic information system (GIS). Also, the host municipality (HM) of the MSWMF proposed for Campos Belos and Monte Alegre de Goiás was defined with the use of mass geometry methodology. According to the results obtained, 59% of the territories of these two municipalities that will integrate the proposed MSWMF are restricted for the installation of landfills, and Monte Alegre de Goiás was selected to host the landfill.

Only 16 of the 246 municipalities of Goiás State, Brazil, dispose their municipal solid waste (MSW) in licensed landfills. Therefore, this study proposes the host municipality (HM) of the future shared MSW management facility (MSWMF), serving the Metropolitana de Goiânia (MGyn) microregion. First, the potential areas to construct MSW final disposal facilities (landfills) were identified. Subsequently, using mass point geometry, the HM of the proposed MSWMF for MGyn was defined. The results show that only 19.4% of the area of the studied municipalities is available or subject to approval for landfill construction. The HM will be Aparecida de Goiânia, which will process most of the MSW and send the rejects of treated MSW to the landfill that will be established in the neighboring municipality of Hidrolândia. Additionally, this MSWMF will serve 19 municipalities and will have nine waste transfer stations that will receive waste from 17 municipalities, to minimize MSW transport costs.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T15:39:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-04-21 The lipid composition and bioaccessibility in canned sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) were studied. Triacylglycerols were absent from the bioaccessible fraction in both products and each FA had a different bioaccessibility level. While total fat bioaccessibility was in the 60–64% range, the bioaccessibility of ω6 PUFA and DHA was

Microalgae have strong potential as novel sources of nutraceuticals, as they contain significant amounts of highly valuable bioactive compounds. This study focuses on the bioprospection of biomass of the microalga Isochrysis galbana and its extracts (aqueous and ethanolic), determining total polyphenols, laminarin, fucoxanthin, coenzyme Q10, and β-carotene contents, and also assessing several biological activities (antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and hypocholesterolemic). I. galbana exhibited high phenolic content, both in aqueous and ethanolic extracts. The microalgal freeze-dried biomass presented a low laminarin content and higher content of fucoxanthin (6.10 mg per g dw), and relevant β-carotene and Coenzyme Q10 contents were detected. I. galbana aqueous extracts presented a high antioxidant capacity (approximately 90% inhibition by the ABTS method). Furthermore, I. galbana biomass and ethanolic extract showed significant cytotoxicity against HeLa human cervical cancer cells, with IC50 values of 0.32 and 0.28 mg ml-1 respectively, demonstrating potential for further anticancer studies. The aqueous extract of I. galbana induced a significant decrease of cholesterol absorption through Caco-2 monolayers, modelling the human intestinal barrier, which suggests that it may contribute to decreasing the dietary cholesterol absorption.

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of four autochthonous bacteria isolated from juvenile sole (Solea senegalensis) intestine as dietary probiotic supplement against bacterial pathogen infection and handling/transport stressors. Growth performance and immune responses were evaluated after 85 days of feeding trial. Sole (IBW = 16.07 ± 0.11 g) were fed six experimental diets, a control diet (CTRL, without the dietary probiotic supplementation), and five diets supplemented with probiotic bacteria: PB1 (Shewanella hafniensis), PB2 (Enterococcus raffinosus), PB3 (Shewanella hafniensis + Arthrobacter soli), PB4 (Pseudomonas protegens + Arthrobacter soli) and PB5 (Shewanella hafniensis + Arthrobacter soli + Enterococcus raffinosus). All bacteria were selected based on their in vitro antimicrobial activity. After the growth trial, fish were submitted to a stress factor (transport) and then each dietary group was divided in two additional groups: non-infected (placebo) and infected with Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida. Immune and antioxidant responses were evaluated at day 10 post-infection. In infection trial A, fish were infected on the same day of transport, whereas in trial B fish were infected after a 7-day recovery from the transport stress. At the end of the feeding trial, fish fed with PB2 and PB4 showed lower final body weight when compared with the other dietary groups. Respiratory burst activity and nitric oxide production were not affected by probiotic supplementation. Fish fed with PB5 presented lower peroxidase activity compared to CTRL. Lysozyme and alternative complement pathway activity (ACH50) showed no significant differences between treatments. The innate immune responses were significantly affected after handling stress and bacterial infection. In trial A, the ACH50 levels of infected fish were significantly lower than the placebo groups. On the other hand, in trial B fish infected with Pdp demonstrated higher ACH50 levels when compared to placebos. Peroxidase levels were strongly modulated by bacterial infection and handling stress. In trials A and B, infection had a clear downgrade effect in peroxidase levels. Lipid peroxidation, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase were altered by both bacterial infection and transport. Overall, dietary probiotic supplementation did not influence growth performance of sole. The immune and oxidative defenses of sole responded differently to infection depending on the probiotic and the synergy between pathogen infection and transport. © 2018 The current study was partially supported by the project PROBIOSOLEA (reference 13551), co-funded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2—O Novo Norte), under the Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN) , through the European Regional Development Fund . The current study was also supported by the Research Line INSEAFOOD of the project INNOVMAR-Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources (reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035 ), funded by the Northern Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) through the ERDF. B. Costas was supported by FCT, Portugal ( IF/00197/2015 ).

Seaweeds are a renewable natural source of valuable macro and micronutrients that have attracted the attention of the scientists in the last years. Their medicinal properties were already recognized in the ancient traditional Chinese medicine, but only recently there has been a considerable increase in the study of these organisms in attempts to demonstrate their health benefits. The extraction process and conditions to be used for the obtention of value-added compounds from seaweeds depends mainly on the desired final product. Thermochemical conversion of seaweeds, using high temperatures and solvents (including water), to obtain high-value products with more potential applications continues to be an industrial practice, frequently with adverse impact on the environment and productsâ functionality. However more recently, alternative methods and approaches have been suggested, searching not only to improve the process performance, but also to be less harmful for the environment. A biorefinery approach display a valuable idea of solving economic and environmental drawbacks, enabling less residues production close to the much recommended zero waste system. The aim of this work is to report about the new developed methods of seaweeds extractions and the potential application of the components extracted., This work was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) un der the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. The work was also supported by the Euro pean Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (MSCA-RISE; FODIAC; 778388). Gabriela Matos is recipient of a PhD fellowship supported by a doctoral advanced training (call NORTE-69-2015-15), funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000036). Sara Pereira and Zlatina Genisheva are supported by the project OH2O (POCI-01-0145-FEDER 029145) funded by FCT and Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) under the scope of Programa Operacional de Competividade e Internacionalização (POCI)-COMPETE 2020 and Portugal 2020., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Improvement of fermentative processes is an increasingly important issue for the scientific community. Several strategies have already been tested, such as the use of nonconventional conditions to improve the performance of fermentative processes, the strategy described in this chapter. In this case, emerging processing technologies (e.g. electric fields, ultrasound, and high pressure) are used at sublethal levels in order to trigger a specific stress response on microorganisms. In consequence, fermentation products and processes with novel characteristics can be obtained, ranging from changes in yields, productivities, and fermentation rates to differences in by-products accumulation and/or production of different compounds. All these possible effects are covered and discussed in the present chapter while disclosing the broad interest of this subject for microbial biotechnology in the future.

Background Raw ewe's milk, as used to manufacture Serra da Estrela Protected Designation of Origin cheese, was pre-treated by high pressure processing (HPP), using previously optimized conditions (121 MPa for 30 min), aiming to evaluate its effect on milk technological properties for subsequent cheese production, namely the impact on resulting curd, whey and cheese throughout ripening. Results The cheese yield increased 10.4% as a result of milk pre-treated by HPP, which also yielded inactivation of beneficial microbial groups. After 60 days of ripening, both treated and control cheeses showed no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) with respect to quantified microbial load or basic physicochemical quality parameters. Conclusion HPP appears to be a promising non-thermal treatment for ewes' milk to inactivate contaminant bacteria but with no negative effect on lactic acid bacteria, which is very important for the unique characteristics of Serra da Estrela cheese. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

This manuscript presents a scientometric analysis on the studies performed on the application of biochar for soil amendment in order to investigate the research and developments in this field and to identify the existing gaps to provide recommendations for future studies. A total of 2982 bibliographic records were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database using appropriate sets of keywords, and these were analyzed based on the criteria of authors, publishing journals, citations received, contributing countries, institution, and categories in research and development. Based on these data, progress of research was mapped to identify the scientific status, such as current scientific and technological trends as well as the knowledge gaps. The majority of scientific developments started in the early 2000′s and accelerated considerably after 2014. China and USA are the leading countries in the application of biochar for the treatment of soils. Among the active journals, “Plant and Soil” has received the highest number of citations. This study attempts for a comprehensive discussion and understanding on scientific advances as well as the progress made, especially in recent years.

Objective:To develop a semi-quantitative FFQ and to evaluate its validity and reproducibility for the assessment of total dietary intake of Kenyan urban adult population, given its non-existence in Kenya.Design:The current study adopted a cross-sectional design. A culture-sensitive semi-quantitative FFQ was developed and its validity was tested relative to three non-consecutive 24-h recalls (24hR). Reproducibility was tested by the test–retest method, with a 3-week interval. Spearman’s correlation coefficients and intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated for several macro- and micronutrients. Cross-classification into quartiles and Bland and Altman plots were analysed.Setting:Nairobi county (Dagoreti South and Starehe constituencies).Participants:A convenient sample was recruited in three different clusters in Nairobi.Results:A culture-sensitive 123-food-item semi-quantitative FFQ showed higher nutrient intakes compared with the 24hR (total energy median 12543·632 v. 8501·888 kJ, P < 0·001). Energy-adjusted and deattenuated Spearman’s correlations for macronutrients ranged between 0·21 (total fat) and 0·47 (protein). The agreement in the same quartile varied from 28 % (protein) to 41 % (carbohydrates). Including adjacent quartiles, the range increased: 76 % (protein and fat) to 81 % (carbohydrates). The extreme disagreement was low. The first FFQ application resulted in higher mean values for all nutrients compared with the second FFQ (total energy median 12459·952 v. 10485·104 kJ, P < 0·001). Energy-adjusted correlations for macronutrients ranged from 0·28 (carbohydrates) to 0·61 (protein). Intra-class correlation coefficients for macronutrients were moderate, between 0·6 and 0·7.Conclusions:The developed semi-quantitative FFQ was shown to be a valid and reproducible tool for ranking urban adult Kenyans according to their dietary intake.

Submitted by Rita Monteiro (armonteiro@porto.ucp.pt) on 2021-01-18T17:21:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Editorial_The_Sustainability_Challenge_New_Perspec.pdf: 100580 bytes, checksum: 5279c315e36310039176dae871a7fb7d (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-01-18T17:46:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Editorial_The_Sustainability_Challenge_New_Perspec.pdf: 100580 bytes, checksum: 5279c315e36310039176dae871a7fb7d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Food fermentation under pressure has been studied in recent years as a way to produce foods with novel properties. The purpose of this work was to study kefir production under pressure (7&ndash, 50 MPa) at different temperatures (17&ndash, 32 &deg, C), as a case study of unconventional food fermentation. The fermentation time to produce kefir was similar at all temperatures (17, 25, and 32 &deg, C) up to 15 MPa, compared to atmospheric pressure. At 50 MPa, the fermentation rate was slower, but the difference was reduced as temperature increased. During fermentation, lactic and acetic acid concentration increased while citric acid decreased. The positive activation volumes (Va) obtained indicate that pressure decreased the fermentation rate, while the temperature rise led to the attenuation of the pressure effect (lower Va). On the other hand, higher activation energies (Ea) were observed with pressure increase, indicating that fermentation became more sensitive to temperature. The condition that resulted in a faster fermentation, higher titratable acidity, and higher concentration of lactic acid was 15 MPa/32 &deg, C. As the authors are aware, this is the second work in the literature to study the combined effect of pressure and temperature on a fermentative process.

© 2020 by the authors., The industrial production of marine bacteria with probiotic properties is limited by the excessive cost of the culture media adequate for their growth. The present work aimed to study the suitability of 30 marine media formulated with nitrogen sources (fish peptones) from different fish discards and seawater, for the growth of two marine probiotic bacteria (MPB), namely Phaeobacter sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens. These fish peptones were produced from several discarded fish and by-products (heads, skins, and whole individuals of megrim, mackerel, gurnard, hake, etc.). In all cultivations, no significant differences were found on cell viability when the microorganism grew on commercial or alternative media. In relation to the biomass production, the growth of Phaeobacter sp. on waste media was commonly similar or a 20% lower than observed in the control cultures. For P. fluorescens, various peptones (skin peptones of pouting and blue whiting) showed even higher productive ability than commercial peptones. An initial economical evaluation revealed that low-cost media reduced until 120 times the cost of production of MPB., This research was funded by the projects CVMar+i (0302_CVMAR_I_1_P, POCTEP 2015) and Xunta de Galicia (Grupos de Potencial Crecimiento, IN607B 2018/19). This work was also supported by national funds through FCT/MEC (PIDDAC), project reference IF/00588/2015.

Interactions holding protein structure in cheese has been a subject of considerable investigation, with conclusions varying among studies. We present a review on this topic, covering fresh curds, ripened cheeses, and processed cheeses. We discuss the usual chemicals and conditions used to probe different types of interactions. Furthermore, we did our own study with solutions of urea, SDS, EDTA, NaCl, and NaOH, at different concentrations and combinations, for Emmental cheese. To quantify solubilized protein, we developed a modification of a spectrometric-based method that can be conveniently employed to quantify total protein in cheese, with statistically similar results to those obtained by the Kjeldahl method. Our results point out that caseins in the Emmental cheese are held together by a set of hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and other electrostatic ones, including ionic bonds. Hydrogen bonds seem to have an important role, comparable to hydrophobic interactions, a conclusion not commonly reported for cheese structures., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Different molecular interactions hold the casein structure in Emmental cheese. • Hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds are the main interactions in that cheese. • 0.1 M NaOH dissolves the totality of cheese proteins. • A quite simple and fast spectrometric method can quantify total protein in cheese.

Potential changes in soil quality as result of intensive agriculture are increasingly raising concerns about associated impacts and the need to implement more sustainable agricultural practices. Among several intensive crops, maize, an important human food source, is one of the most intensely produced around the world, representing harmful consequences for soil quality. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand how different agricultural management practices can influence soil quality. Hence, the main objective of this study was to compare the implications of the conventional tillage versus non-tillage in soil quality. Additionally, it was also an objective to evaluate how the implementation of herbage strips, non-irrigated and fallow areas, contribute to soil sustainability and biodiversity preservation, compensating the impacts of intensive maize cultivation. For this purpose, an integrative approach was adopted including physical-chemical parameters (e.g. bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, field capacity, organic matter, nutrients) and biological parameters (e.g. phosphatase activity, urease activity, ecotoxicological tests with soil organisms).The obtained results revealed the existence of differences between the analyzed practices, mainly associated with chemical parameters and nutrients. When comparing no-till and conventional sowing, higher mean values for no-till were observed for the following parameters: organic matter, cation exchange capacity, nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrates, calcium, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, urease activity and invertase activity. Hence, this study highlights the importance of the implementation of nonconventional agricultural practices, as is the case of no-till, as promoters of productivity and soil sustainability. Additionally, different management practices as herbage strip, non-irrigated and fallow areas around conventional areas play an additional role in soil quality and biodiversity preservation.

In the last years several human commensals have emerged from the gut microbiota studies as potential probiotics or therapeutic agents. Strains of human gut inhabitants such as Akkermansia, Bacteroides, or Faecalibacterium have shown several interesting bioactivities and are thus currently being considered as food supplements or as live biotherapeutics, as is already the case with other human commensals such as bifidobacteria. The large-scale use of these bacteria will pose many challenges and drawbacks mainly because they are quite sensitive to oxygen and/or very difficult to cultivate. This review highlights the properties of some of the most promising human commensals bacteria and summarizes the most up-to-date knowledge on their potential health effects. A comprehensive outlook on the potential strategies currently employed and/or available to produce, stabilize, and deliver these microorganisms is also presented.

Intensive agriculture and meat-based westernized diets have brought a heavy environmental burden to the planet. Legumes, or pulses, are members of the large Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family, which comprise about 5% of all plant species. They are ancient crops whose popularity both for farmers and consumers has gone through several stages of acceptance, and in recent years, legumes have regained their luster. This is due to a global understanding that: (1) farming systems need to promote biodiversity, (2) biological nitrogen fixation is an important tool to reduce the application of external chemical inputs, namely in the form of nitrogen fertilizers, and that (3) plant-based foods have fewer adverse environmental effects per unit weight, per serving, per unit of energy, or per protein weight than do animal source foods, across various environmental indicators. Legumes play a key role in answering these three global challenges and are pivotal actors in the diversification and sustainable intensification of agriculture, particularly in light of new and urgent challenges such as climate change. In this chapter, we showcase the importance of legumes as contemporary agents of change, whose impacts start in the field, but then branch out into competitive global economies, modernized societies, and ultimately, improved food security and human health.

Nanotechnology is a fast-rising industry not defined by a single field of research, but as the convergence of disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and engineering, which exploits the benefits of nanoscale dimensions and characteristics for application in the macroworld. Current applications vary widely from nanorobotic industry to simple household items. However, the combination of such phenomena with probiotic science, another emerging and potentially promising area for the prevention and treatment of several human gastrointestinal and extraintestinal disorders using beneficial microorganisms, gives birth to “nanoprobiotics,” a field that focuses on the application of nanoscience into the probiotic-related world. In this chapter, we will navigate through the basic nanotech and probiotic knowledge and the current technologies employed with success for probiotic delivery and, ultimately, discuss what possibilities lie ahead in the nanoprobiotic future.

Legume grains are traditional crops that have been modernized as processed foods and animal protein alternatives in recent years. This modernization has largely been fueled by new technological developments driven by increased consumer demands for plant protein and gluten-free options. However, consumers must be mindful that legumes have other nutritional attributes besides protein that help achieve healthier diets, and recent evidence suggests that consuming 100 g of legume grains per day would promote nutrient-dense diets and could be a target level to harmonize international strategies for recommended daily allowances. The nutritional richness of legumes has been associated with a decrease in numerous disease risk factors and, given their long shelf life, legumes are excellent choices to combat food waste and may have a role to play in countries where cold storage is often a limitation in food preservation. Besides their inclusion in global diets, legumes should be included in sustainable cropping systems. The high number of edible species and cultivars available render them excellent contributors to biodiverse food and feed systems. Legume cultivation allows reducing environmental impacts by means of the ability of legumes to fix atmospheric nitrogen via a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, making them natural fertilizers. Still, despite the well-known health, nutritional, and environmental benefits, legumes are underrepresented in global agri-food systems. Efforts must be made to make legumes more attractive to the farmer, the industry, and ultimately the consumer, and for this proper local, regional, national, and global policy frameworks must be in place. Here, the local scenario of legumes is showcased, and the most relevant push, pull, and enabling capacities required to achieve sustainable diversified agri-food systems with legumes are discussed.

Serra da Estrela cheese with Protected designation of origin certification is manufactured using only raw ewes’ milk, salt, and a crude plant rennet, from the dried flowers of Cynara cardunculus L., resulting in a cheese with peculiar sensorial features (without the addition of starters or additives) that has existed over many centuries. More than 40 scientific reports concerning this cheese have been published since 1992. The composition and microbial profile have revealed certain variations among the literature. During the ripening of Serra da Estrela cheese, biochemical changes occur, which are reflected in its particular flavor and texture characteristics. An intense proteolytic activity takes place along ripening and storage, and volatiles are associated with typical flavor like “butter‐cream texture.” Innovation concerning Serra da Estrela cheese has been performed within milk quality, manufacture process, and in ripened cheese.

Nutrition plays a crucial role in health promotion and disease prevention, and dietary-related factors are, in many cases, the leading risks for worldwide mortality and morbidity. Nowadays, consumer awareness of this fact has led to an increasing interest in food products that couple both these dimensions to an imperative third overall factor of interest—sustainability. Microalgae and seaweeds have in their composition a wide range of important multifunctional bioactive compounds which may possess cardiovascular protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-proliferative, and/or anti-diabetic activities. In addition, they can constitute excellent ingredients for the food industry to be used in the development of value-added food products. This review provides an overview on the current scientific and industrial developments regarding food products incorporating microalgae and seaweeds. Furthermore, technological, nutritional, sustainability, and health benefits resulting from their incorporation in different food matrixes are also explored.

The single-dose coffee capsule is the most successful technology used to prepare espresso coffee (EC). However, the characterization of ECs extracted using this technology, regarding chlorogenic acids (CGAs) composition, antioxidant activity and stability during gastrointestinal digestion (GID), are still limited. The aim of this research work was: (i) to characterize the phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of 11 commercial ECs from single-dose capsule system and (ii) to evaluate the impact of the in vitro GID on the stability of CGAs. Within all the ECs analysed it was detected the presence of 4 caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), 1 feruloylquinic acids, 2 caffeoylshikimic acids and 3 diCaffeoylquinic acids (di-CQAs). The major compound in all ECs was 5-CQA, followed by 4-CQA and 3-CQA. The di-CQAs were found in lower concentration than CQAs (4,5-diCQA > 3,4-diCQA > 3,5-diCQA). The total CQAs and diCQAs content of the ECs analyzed ranged from 1.86 ± 0.19 to 2.42 ± 0.28 and 0.26 ± 0.02 to 0.42 ± 0.06 mg/mL of EC, respectively. The high antioxidant activity of the ECs is related with the high CGAs concentration, which ranged from 4.92 ± 0.29 to 7.28 ± 0.25 mg AAE/mL of EC and from 6.13 ± 0.37 to 10.07 ± 0.17 mg TE/mL of EC for ABTS° and DPPH° methods, respectively. The principal component analysis showed that the coffee variety used in ECs preparation explained 74.8% of the results’ variation and that 6 of the total number of ECs were related with high CGAs contents and antioxidant activity. The GID induced a decrease in most CGAs, which had a direct impact on the antioxidant activity, therefore concerning EC ingestion the CGAs bioaccessible concentration decreased in comparison with a non-digested EC. Nevertheless, the CGAs concentration available after GID is still sufficiently high to exert antioxidant activity (measured in vitro) that may exert a potential beneficial effect on humans health.

Industrial food production generally leads to the generation of several “lateral” products, apart from the main target product, which are commonly classified as wastes and discarded, or redirected to low-value applications such as feed. However, these “lateral” products can be regarded as alternative rich sources of high-valuable compounds. This chapter provides an overview of the main bio-resources that can be used to recover edible added-value lipids, with emphasis on food by-products from fish, meat, and plant processing. Each source is analyzed in terms of the typical by-products generated, their geographical relevance, composition of representative by-products, recovery technologies, potential problems, and applications. Although the sustainable and environmentally friendly processing of such by-products is still demanding in terms of financial costs, their distinctive properties might enable new developments in their value-added application, leading to a significant reduction in pollution, as well as generating an extra income for industries, contributing toward their economic stability and competitiveness.

Edible coatings/films with functional ingredients may be a solution to consumers' demands for high-quality food products and an extended shelf-life. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of edible coatings incorporated with probiotics on sliced ham preservation. Coatings was developed based on whey protein isolates with incorporation of Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12® or Lactobacillus casei-01. The physicochemical analyses showed that coating decreased water and weight loss on the ham. Furthermore, color analysis showed that coated sliced ham, exhibited no color change, comparatively to uncoated slices. The edible coatings incorporating the probiotic strains inhibited detectable growth of Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts/molds, at least, for 45 days of storage at 4 °C. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that there was a preference for the sliced coated ham. Probiotic bacteria viable cell numbers were maintained at ca. 108 CFU/g throughout storage time, enabling the slice of ham to act as a suitable carrier for the beneficial bacteria.

Formation of highly resistant spores is a concern for the safety of low-acid foods as they are a perfect vehicle for food spoilage and/or human infection. For spore inactivation, the strategy usually applied in the food industry is the intensification of traditional preservation methods to sterilization levels, which is often accompanied by decreases of nutritional and sensory properties. In order to overcome these unwanted side effects in food products, novel and emerging sterilization technologies are being developed, such as pressure-assisted thermal sterilization, high-pressure carbon dioxide, high-pressure homogenization, and cold plasma. In this review, the application of these emergent technologies is discussed, in order to understand the effects on bacterial spores and their inactivation and thus ensure food safety of low-acid foods. In general, the application of these novel technologies for inactivating spores is showing promising results. However, it is important to note that each technique has specific features that can be more suitable for a particular type of product. Thus, the most appropriate sterilization method for each product (and target microorganisms) should be assessed and carefully selected.

Purpose This work aimed to study the effect of the application of biomass fly ash in the soil profile and percolate water, which is a novel feature. The results produced by this work pose a useful contribute for by-products’ valorization for the pulp and paper industry, namely fly ash and sludge, diverting them from landfills and achieving significant savings. Materials and methods Soil profiles (0.60 m) were collected in the field and into laboratory-scale vessels. Four soil profiles were used in this work. One of the profiles was used as control. To each of the other three, 7.5 Mg ha−1 of biomass fly ash, fly ash combined with sludge (50:50%wt.), or a conventional liming agent (CaO) were added. A simulation of the daily natural watering of the soils has been made throughout 1 month, with collection of the daily percolating from the bottom of the vessels. After this period, soil profiles were divided into three equal-sized depth layers (0.20 m each). Soil pH, electrical conductivity, and available Ca, Mg, K, P, Na, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu contents were determined in the three layers for each of the four soil profiles used. A parallel experiment was conducted in which additional pots of soil were prepared with the same amendment. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was sown in order to evaluate the effect on biomass growth and possible phytotoxicity. Results and discussion Amendment with biomass fly ash elevated soil pH slightly, to values within the most adequate range for plant growth. Results showed small raises in the availability of the essential plant macronutrients Ca, K, and Mg, especially in the top layer of the soils, where the amendment materials were applied. The mobilization of cations to the groundwater was always minimal, which is promising since it means little contamination to the groundwater. Ash and ash + sludge amendments produced similar plant growth results when compared to the control. However, biomass grown in Cao-amended pots showed the higher root size. Conclusions Incorporation in the soil proved to be a viable way to manage fly ash and sludge from pulp and paper industry, which could mean considerable savings. The effect on soil fertilization was similar to the conventional liming agent. No obvious hazardous effect on the soil or groundwater was found. published

The production of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased annually worldwide. This situation can be verified in the municipalities of Brazil, that produce more MSW and have difficulty in managing their waste resulting in harmful consequences for the environment and ecosystems. For instance, in the State of Goias, most of the produced MSW are sent to dumps. In this context, the goal of this study was to create a projection for the amount of MSW that will be generated in each of the 246 municipalities of Goias by 2040. To do so, a population projection from 2015 to 2040 was done, alongside its correspondent MSW production and identification of the current MSW managing systems in the State. Results show that, by 2040, Goias will have more than 8.7 million inhabitants, 32% more than 2015. However, 88% of the municipalities will continue to have less than 50 thousand inhabitants. The municipalities of bigger dimension, on the other hand, will be concentrated mainly in the Goiânia Metropolitan area and surroundings of the Federal District regions. In terms of MSW production, an increase of about 35% in waste generation is estimated for 2040 when compared to 2015. In 2040, the Goiânia Metropolitan, surroundings of the Federal District and the Southwest regions of Goias will produce 70% of the State MSW. Regarding the produced MSW technological routes, in 2015 about 70% of the State waste went to either unlicensed landfills or dumps, while 8% did not even get collected, having ended up in wastelands or waterways. Considering this panorama in Goias, what will be the management of MSW in 2040 if nothing is done?

Small ruminants' fermented probiotic milk is an alternative to fermented cows' milk, especially because of the monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles. The technological and biochemical potential of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus co-cultures, with or without inulin, on goats' and ewes' milk was assessed. Microbial stability, lactose consumption, organic acid production, proteolytic parameters and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) production in situ, were followed in ewes' and goats' fermented milk (EFM and GFM, respectively) over 21 days at 4 C; technological feasibility for probiotic fermented milk production was shown. In EFM, all co-cultures presented high viable cell numbers (>7.0 log cfu mL1 ) throughout storage, presenting faster acidification capacities and higher CLA isomer levels than in GFM. Inulin had no impact on probiotic growth, yet contributed to storage stability. CLA isomers and proteolysis indices were co-culture dependent traits: for example, co-culture of Bifidobacterium animalis B94 with Lactobacillus acidophilus L10 registered the best CLA-production in GFM. (c) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: Dietary patterns are often considered as one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases worldwide. It is of utmost importance to study dietary habits in developing countries since this work is scarce. Objective: To summarize the most recent research conducted in this field in African countries, namely the most used methodologies and tools. Methods: A systematic review was conducted on MEDLINE/PubMed, aiming to identify scientific publications focused on studies of dietary intake of different African populations, in a ten-year period. Papers not written in English/Portuguese/Spanish, studies developed among African people but not developed in African countries, studies aiming to assess a particular nutrient/specific food/food toxin and studies that assessed dietary intake among children were excluded. Findings: Out of 99 included studies, the 24-hour recall and the food-frequency questionnaire were the most used dietary intake assessment tools, used to assess diet at an individual level. It was also observed that often country-unspecific food composition databases are used, and the methodologies employed are poorly validated and standardized. Conclusions: There is an emergent need to improve the existing food databases by updating food data and to develop suitable country-specific databases for those that do not have their own food composition table.

Strain NL19 is a Gram-stain-negative, aerobic bacterium that was isolated from sludge of a deactivated uranium mine in Portugal. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain NL19 is a member of the genus Pedobacter and closely related to the strains Pedobacter himalayensis MTCC 6384, Pedobacter cryoconitis DSM 14825, Pedobacter westerhofensis DSM 19036 and Pedobacter hartonius DSM 19033. It had a DNA G+C content of 40.8 mol%, which agreed with the genus description. The main fatty acids included Cω7c, Cω5c, C, iso-C, iso-C 3-OH, C, anteiso-C and iso- C 3-OH. The main lipids present were phospholipids (60%) and sphingolipids (35%). The most abundant phospholipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine. Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was the only isoprenoid quinone detected. DNA–DNA hybridization similarities between strain NL19 and Pedobacter himalayensis MTCC 6384, Pedobacter cryoconitis DSM 14825, Pedobacter westerhofensis DSM 19036 and Pedobacter hartonius DSM 19033 were 15.3, 16.2, 11.5 and 16.0%, respectively. Strain NL19 can also be distinguished from these four species based on gyrB and intergenic transcribed spacers (ITS) sequences and by some phenotypic traits such as NaCl tolerance, pH, growth temperature and carbon source utilization. Strain NL19 represents a novel species of the genus Pedobacter, for which the name Pedobacter lusitanus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NL19 (=LMG 29220=CECT 9028). An amended description of Pedobacter himalayensis is also included., This work was supported by European Funds through COMPETE and by National Funds through the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) within the project UID/AMB/50017/2013. T. C. and C. C. were supported by FCT, POPH, and European Union grants SFRH/BPD/77900/2011 and SFRH/BD/98446/2013, respectively. A. C. was supported by a postdoctoral grant (BPD/UI88/2886/2013) from the project ‘Sustainable Use of Marine Resources’—MARES (CENTRO-07-ST24-FEDER002033), funded by QREN, Mais Centro-Programa Operacional Regional do Centro e Uniao Europeia/Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional.

This study analyzed the glycolytic effects of adding isolated and combined probiotic bacterial strains to goat ‘coalho’ cheese. The cheeses were: C-with added Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. c remoris ; L-with added Lactobacillus acidophilus ; P-with added Lactobacillus paracasei ; B-with added Bifidobacterium lactis ; and M, added a “mixed” culture with the three probiotic. Based on the results, the different probiotic lactic acid and the length of storage were verified as factors affecting the organic and fatty acids profiles. Probioticlactic acid bacteria exhibited higher glycolytic potential throughout the 28-day storage, leading to high sugar consumption and organic acid production, with the consequent formation of a more intense cheese aroma. When evaluating the fatty acid profile, the addition of the B. lactis culture and of the mixed culture was observed to have a positive effect, providing a fatty acid profile with better nutritional value, i.e., with a higher of conjugated linoleic acids and unsaturated fatty acids.

This work describes the protocol developed for preparing an artificial digested sludge to be used for the ecotoxicological evaluation and risk assessment of chemical substances that are previewed to attain the soil through sewage sludge applications for fertilization (e.g. pharmaceutical compounds). Such evaluations have been made with standard protocols for ecotoxicological tests with terrestrial species in which the chemical substances are directly spiked to the test soil. This procedure lacks ecological relevance in terms of the role the sludge organic matter plays on the bioavailability and fate of chemical substances. Here we describe the protocol and the composition for obtaining the artificial sludge, prepared with commercial pet food and eggs white to mimic the composition of domestic sewage sludge in terms of proteins, carbon hydrates, fat and fibers content. Further, the conditions ascertained for the anaerobic digestion of the organic mixture are described, and the final properties of the sludge are presented, after repeating the procedure twice. Keywords: Artificial sludge protocol, Ecotoxicological tests, Soil, Risk assessment

In recent years, scientific community has been gathering increasingly more insight on the dynamics that are at play in metabolic and inflammatory disorders. These rapidly growing conditions are reaching epidemic proportions, bringing clinicians and researcher’s new challenges. The specific roles and modulating properties that beneficial/probiotic bacteria hold in the context of the gut ecosystem seem to be key to avert these inflammatory and diet-related disorders. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila and Eubacterium hallii have been identified as candidates for next generation probiotics (NGPs) with exciting potential for the prevention and treatment of such of dysbiosis-associated diseases. The challenges of these non-conventional native gut bacteria lie mainly on their extreme sensitivity to O2 traces. If these strains are to be used successfully in food, supplements or drugs they need to be stable and active in humans. In the present review, we present an overall perspective of the most updated scientific literature on the newly called NGPs through the 5W1H (What, Why, Who, Where, When, and How) method, an innovative and attractive problem-solving approach that provides the reader an effective understanding of the issue at hand.

Seaweeds, which have been widely used for human consumption, are considered a potential source of biological compounds, where enzyme-assisted extraction can be an efficient method to obtain multifunctional extracts. Chemical characterization of Sargassum muticum and Osmundea pinnatifida extracts obtained by Alcalase and Viscozyme assisted extraction, respectively, showed an increment of macro/micro elements in comparison to the corresponding dry seaweeds, while the ratio of Na/K decreased in both extracts. Galactose, mannose, xylose, fucose, and glucuronic acid were the main monosaccharides (3.2&ndash, 27.3 mg/glyophilized extract) present in variable molar ratios, whereas low free amino acids content and diversity (1.4&ndash, 2.7 g/100gprotein) characterized both extracts. FTIR-ATR and 1H NMR spectra confirmed the presence of important polysaccharide structures in the extracts, namely fucoidans from S. muticum or agarans as sulfated polysaccharides from O. pinnatifida. No cytotoxicity against normal mammalian cells was observed from 0 to 4 mglyophilized extract/mL for both extracts. The comprehensive characterization of the composition and safety of these two extracts fulfils an important step towards their authorized application for nutritional and/or nutraceutical purposes.

In Brazil, per capita municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has increased in recent years. This situation, combined with inadequate management of MSW, provides a disturbing scenario in the Brazilian States. For example, in the State of Goias, just 16 of 246 municipalities send their MSW to licensed landfills. To change this, one of the measures that Goias should adopt is the prevention of waste generation, as the waste hierarchy advocates. To do this, it is necessary to identify elements that may be associated with increased production of MSW. Thus, the objective of this study is to perform a statistical analysis to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors that may be associated with per capita MSW generation in the municipalities of Goias State. For such analysis, statistical techniques were used as descriptive analysis and linear regression. Results showed that daily per capita MSW generation in Goias can be better justified by socioeconomic and demographic variables than just by socioeconomic variables. The Municipal Human Development Index for Education has been shown to be a statistically significant variable to exert influence on the production of waste, in order to contribute to the 39% growth of daily per capita generation of MSW, in the State.

Fermentation under non-conventional conditions has gained prominence in the last years, due to the possible process improvements. Fermentation under sub-lethal pressures is one of such cases, and may bring novel characteristics and features to fermentative processes and products. In this work, the effect of both pressure (10–100 MPa) and temperature (25–50 °C) on yogurt production fermentation kinetics was studied, as a case-study. Product formation and substrate consumption were evaluated over fermentation time and the profiles were highly dependent on the fermentation conditions used. For instance, the increase of pressure slowed down yogurt fermentation, but fermentative profiles similar to atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa) were obtained at 10 MPa at almost all temperatures tested. Regarding temperature, higher fermentative rates were achieved at 43 °C for all pressures tested. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of pressure increased when temperature decreased, with complete inhibition of fermentation occurring at 50 MPa for 25–35 °C, contrasting to 43 °C where inhibition occurred only at 100 MPa. Therefore, an antagonistic effect seems to occur, since yogurt fermentation was slowed down by pressure increasing, on one hand, and by temperature decreasing, on the other hand. Additionally, some kinetic parameters were calculated and fermentation at 43 °C presented the best results for yogurt production, with lower fermentation times and higher lactic acid productivities. Interestingly, fermentation at 10 MPa/43 °C presented the optimal conditions, with improved yield and lactic acid production efficiency, when compared to fermentation at 0.1 MPa (efficiency of 75% at 10 MPa, against 40% at 0.1 MPa). As the authors are aware, this work gives the first insights about the simultaneous effect of pressure and temperature variation on a microbial fermentation process, which can be combined to modulate the metabolic activity of microorganisms during fermentation in order to improve the fermentative yields and productivities of the desired product.

High-Pressure Processing (HPP) application is increasing at food industries as a possible alternative to heat treatments for food preservation and processing. It is being mainly applied to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes, with lower degradation of flavors and nutrients, minimizing the losses of beneficial ingredients, resulting in distinctive organoleptic properties of foods. Since HPP acts on volume compression, due to the low change in volume on low-molecular compounds, such as vitamins and other functional compounds, the effects of this technology are expected to be minimum on these compounds unlike thermal treatment. Alike, HPP has also a lower effect on flavor and color compounds of food products, compared to the color changes and formation of off-flavors caused by thermal pasteurization. Thus, in this chapter, HPP application on different food products will be addressed, i.e., fruits, vegetables, fish and meat products, milk and cheese, and its effects on the nutritional, textural and sensorial properties will be discussed.