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Zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) is known to accumulate in most meat products during storage. However, the pathway of its formation is not yet completely clarified. To gain more insights into the specificity of ZnPP occurrence, a SEC-HPLC-UV-fluorescence setup was established to screen the proteins in aqueous meat extracts for their ZnPP fluorescence during incubation. In accordance with previous studies it was identified by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS that ZnPP formation takes place in myoglobin. In this study, valuable new insights into the ZnPP forming pathway were gained, as our results indicated that a significant part of ZnPP – after being formed within the protein – is transitioned into free ZnPP during incubation. Additionally, the obtained results implied that ZnPP may also occur in proteins of higher molecular weight (>100 kDa).

Investigations on the post mortal formation of fluorescent zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) IX in pork meat are currently in focus of meat science research. The role of myoglobin degradation in this context appears to be one of the most diversely discussed issues. To address this question meat-extracts of longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle (0.8 mg/mL) were incubated at 30 degrees C for up to 72 h and investigated by HPSEC-UV-fluorescence, SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS. Between 0 and 72 h of incubation the fluorescence intensity (lambda(ex)./(em). = 420/590 nm) of the meat-extracts rose significantly (p < 0.001) from 10.9 +/- 0.8 to 34.8 +/- 0.3 (rel. units) while the staining intensity of the SDS-PAGE of myoglobin non-significantly (p > 0.4) changed from 6.2 +/- 0.5 x 105 to 5.0 +/- 0.3 x 105 (rel. units). The results indicate that ZnPP is formed by a Fe(II)-Zn(II)-substitution in myoglobin heme where an accompanying myoglobin degradation is not necessarily obligatory. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-mortem determination of biochemical parameters, especially for obscure cases, has been recognized useful in diagnosis of the underlying causes of death. Procalcitonin (PCT) is known to rise in a response to any proinflammatory stimulus. The present study aims to estimate postmortem PCT levels in serum and kidney, liver, brain; and whether it is similar in different causes of death models (trauma, drowning and freezing) models or not. The study was performed on 60 male rabbits. Rabbits were divided into four different death induced models (15 rabbit each): trauma, infection, drowning and freezing models. At the end of the study, all rabbits were sacrificed; blood samples, kidneys, livers and brains were collected. PCT was measured using ELISA assay. Results showed highly significant increase in PCT levels in all tested samples in different models of death. The infection induced model showed the highest levels in all tested samples compared to other groups mainly in liver; followed by trauma model and drowning model which were increased mainly in brain's samples. The least model which showed increased PCT levels was the freezing model mainly in liver samples. Post Hoc multiple comparisons test showed significant differences between groups in most of liver, brain and kidney samples, while PCT serum blood samples were significant only between trauma and infection groups. It was concluded that PCT can differentiate between sepsis and non-sepsis related deaths and that organs like liver, kidney and brain PCT levels could be an alternative to serum PCT for the diagnosis of postmortem sepsis.

The post-mortem accumulation of the heme biosynthesis metabolite zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) in porcine muscle is associated with both a meat-inherent and a bacterial enzymatic reaction during meat storage. To estimate the bacterial impact on ZnPP formation, meat and meat-like media were investigated by HPLC-FLD (and MALDI-TOF-MS) after inoculation with a representative microorganism (P. fluorescens). Results indicate the principal ability of meat-inherent bacteria to form ZnPP in meat extracts and meat-like media, but not on the meat muscle. Thus it was concluded that the ZnPP formation in meat is due to a meat-inherent enzymatic reaction induced by porcine ferrochelatase (FECH), while the bacterial (FECH) induced reaction seems to be not significant.

Introducción: Este artículo evalúa el valor del acetato como marcador del consumo de etanol en muestras postmortem. Material y métodos: Se analizó la concentración y distribución de etanol y acetato en diversos fluidos (sangre periférica, humor vítreo, líquido pericárdico y orina) y tejidos (cerebro, pulmones, hígado y riñones) en 98 cadáveres procedentes de autopsias judiciales. Resultados: La presencia de etanol fue la variable más significativa en relación al aumento de los niveles de acetato en la mayoría de las muestras (p, Introduction: This paper assesses the value of acetate as a marker of ethanol consumption in post-mortem samples. Materials and methods: Ethanol and acetate concentration and distribution in several fluids (peripheral blood, vitreous humour, pericardial fluid and urine) and tissues (brain, lungs, liver and kidneys) were studied in 98 cadavers from routine medico-legal autopsies. Results: Presence of ethanol was the most significant variable related to the increase in acetate levels in most specimens (p

Several years of intense research activity in thanatochemistry have gone by and been resourcefully compiled by Prof. Coe in several revisions. (1). We believe the time has now come to incorporate it into daily practice. To do this, we must choose those parameters that are truly useful and that definitely represent an advancement over traditional methods.