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The objective of this study was to analyze the minerals transferred to Sauvignon blanc must and wine as an effect of foliar fertilizer application. The mineral composition was determined via atomic absorption spectroscopy. Experimental leaf and berry samples were examined during the phenological grapevine growth phases. A foliar fertilizer mixture (0.5 L/hL) with humic acids (8.51%) and B (0.031 kg) was applied. It was observed that the application of humic acids and boron significantly influenced the quality of Sauvignon blanc wine samples. During the blooming period, there was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in P, K, and B in the experimental group. The results showed that using HAs and B in foliar fertilizer significantly (p < 0.05) increased the concentration of minerals in the experimental group. However, P and Fe content in the leaves decreased after veraison. After processing the berries in the vinification process, the levels of B in the must (0.71 ± 0.06 mg/kg) and, subsequently, in the wine (0.61 ± 0.06 mg/kg) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the experimental group. Data showed that the foliar fertilizer significantly increased the concentration of N (176.24 ± 0.02 mg/L) in the experimental must. These changes were also observed in wine samples. In wine, a statistically significant decrease in Ca (82.86 ± 0.29 mg/kg) was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of maceration and different winemaking techniques on the species diversity of yeasts in white wines from the Slovak Tokay wine region, known for its traditional white wine production. Lipovina grape variety samples were divided into three groups: control (C), macerated (M) and macerated with the addition of a yeast culture (MY). During the entire fermentation process, quantitative and qualitative microbiological analyses of the raw material and must samples were carried out, which resulted in the identification of 60 yeast isolates via the API 20 C AUX biochemical test and MALDI-TOF MS. Identification was further verified via Sanger sequencing of PCR amplicons, which confirmed the presence of less common wild yeasts in Tokay wine must samples, including Aureobasidium pullulans, Cryptococcus magnus, Torulaspora delbrueckii and Rhodotorula sp. The highest species diversity was observed in the macerated group. These findings indicate that the quality and distinctiveness of Slovak Tokay wines can be increased by careful management of the maceration process during winemaking procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broiler chicken meat is the preferred meat among the human population. Broiler meat contains high-quality protein and a low-fat content, alongside a desirable fatty acid profile. A frequent problem in human nutrition is an insufficient PUFA intake in the diet. One possible strategy to increase the dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in humans is to produce, and thereby enrich, broiler chicken meat with sufficient amounts of essential PUFA. A method to increase the proportion of essential fatty acids in chicken meat is by changing the fatty acid composition of the feed. Feed production via solid-state fermentation using lower filamentous fungi can be used to prepare valuable feed from cereal by-products enriched with important PUFA and pigments and can thus be included as a suitable feed ingredient in the diet of chickens. From previously published studies, it can be concluded that the application of 3–10% of the prepared fermented products to the diet of broiler chickens increased the proportion of essential fatty acids in the fat of the chicken meat and had a beneficial effect on the growth parameters of chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic substances with a high proportion of humic acids (more than 40%) have been classified by the European Commission as feed materials that can be used in animal nutrition since 2013. A protective effect on the intestinal mucosa, as well as anti-inflammatory, adsorptive and antimicrobial properties, were recorded. Nutrient absorption, nutritional status and the immune response in chickens supplemented with HSs were significantly improved. HSs have the ability to enhance protein digestion as well as the utilization of calcium and trace elements. They are known to improve feed digestibility as a result of maintaining an optimal pH in the gut, leading to lower levels of nitrogen excretion and less odor in the husbandry environment. HSs not only increase digestibility and result in greater utilization of the feed ration but also improve the overall quality of the meat produced. They increase the protein content and reduce the fat content in breast muscles. They also contribute to improving the sensory characteristics of the meat produced. Their antioxidant properties improve the oxidative stability of meat during storage. The influence of HSs on fatty acid composition may be one of the reasons that meat has a more beneficial effect on the health of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of the supplementation of laying hens diet with solid-state fermented feed on egg qualitative variables. The diet of laying hens was supplemented with 10% and 15% of solid-state feed fermented by the low filamentous fungal strain Mortierella alpina CCF 2861. For the trial, 30 Lohmann Brown classic layers, aged 17 weeks, were selected and individually weighed and divided into three groups (control and two experimental groups). The control group of laying hens was fed with basic feed mixture and the experimental groups received the same diet as a control group, but enriched with supplementation of solid-state fermented feed. The first experimental group was fed a diet supplemented with 10% of fermented feed and the second experimental group with 15% supplementation. The following egg qualitative variables were observed: the egg weight, Haugh units, quality grade, air cell depth, percentage of the shell, yolk and albumen, eggshell breaking force, pH of egg yolk and albumen, egg yolk colour, and antioxidant activity with the extent of lipid oxidation in egg yolk samples. The pH of yolk and albumen did not show differences between all examined eggs originating from the experimental groups of laying hens (p >0.05). The eggs from both experimental groups had a significantly higher eggshell hardness than eggs produced by the hens of the control group (p <0.05). Antioxidant activity of egg yolk of experimental samples increased with the supplementation of fermented feed in the diet of laying hens (p <0.05). The specific lightness of egg yolk colour increased significantly in the experimental group with 15% of supplementation (p <0.01). The obtained results showed that feeding laying hens with fermented feed positively affected the quality of produced eggs. This was the first study and further investigation before using the fermented feed in commercial laying hen farms is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the presented study was to assess the heavy metal burden in biotopes of wild living animals of two distinct industrially exploited areas in Slovakia. 411 samples of various tissues (lung, liver, kidney, spleen, heart and muscle) of red deer, roe deer, mouflon, chamois, wild boar, European brown hare, fox, European brown marten, European badger, gray wolf, brown bear, wildcat, red squirrel, European polecat, alpine marmot, and European otter were collected from the localities between 2014 and 2018. Concentrations of mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel, copper and zinc were determined using Atomic absorption spectroscopy. Significant correlations (p = 0.05, t = 0.03162) of metal levels in each locality and differences between the animals species were recorded. We have found important heavy metal burden in a relatively clean area - Tatra National Park that is legislatively protected and restricted in any industrial activity. In the Zemplín region, the examined heavy metal levels confirm permanent pollution by intensive heavy industrialization. Mostly mercury (29%) was the metal that exceeded the legal limits permitted for human consumption, then cadmium (28%) and lead (23%). Concentration of chromium did not exceed the limit in any sample. The most burdened animal species was wild boar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenica is a steamed, lightly smoked or unsmoked cheese wounded into a roll made from pasteurized cow's milk, with characteristic pronounced fibrous structure of curd. The aim of this work was to set up the sensory profile of smoked and unsmoked parenica cheese varieties made from pasteurized cow's milk and changes in sensory descriptors during 14 days of storage period at the temperature of 4 ±2 °C. Descriptive analysis was carried out by 18 trained assessors, who used a vocabulary of 26 terms to quantitatively describe appearance, aroma, consistency and taste of the experimental samples and also these overall sensory parameters with acceptability. Assessors evaluated the intensity of each descriptor by assigning the score on a 10 points linear scale. Analysis of variance found significant differences between cheese varieties (p <0.05) and the effect of storage period (p <0.05) on sensory quality of experimental parenica cheese varieties. The analysis showed that each sample group in observed representative sensory attributes was significantly different (p <0.05). Multiple factorial analysis showed in parenica cheese samples three selected components that explain more than 69% of the total variation in the dataset at the level of statistical significance p <0.05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective connection between the food industry and consumer demands are specific needs of consumers which were monitored in this study by using a preferential mapping method. Preference mapping is based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which is performed on preferences ratings given for each product and preferences of each consumer through an online questionnaire. Key features for the consumer choice were colour, odour, consistency, total flavour and overall appearance. We verified the composition and mapped the preferences of 10 hams purchased in Slovakia. In view of the persistence of identified cases of food counterfeiting and meat fraud, intensive monitoring and scrutiny is required through effective and accurate analytical methods, which are crucial for maintaining consumer confidence and ensuring compliance with local legislation and labeling. The reference approach for identifying animal species in food is the PCR method, which is however limited to several animal species, meat types. The use of microarray technology enables the identification of a wider range of animal species and greater user comfort, especially the speed of obtaining the results. It allows 24 animal species to be identified in one analysis in 8 samples at a time. Detection was performed using Chipron LCD Aarray Kit Meat 5.0. In all analyzed samples, components of animal origin were identified in accordance on the packaging of the products. The Meat 5.0 LCD chip, which was used for analysis, has detected the presence of other animal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tokaj is an important Central European wine-growing area with controlled planting and authorized varieties of white vines. This area has a specific microflora composition which changes based on its climate dependence, as well as during the fermentation process of wine production. Therefore, the aim of this study was, by culture examination of the samples, to detect the microbiota of soil, leaves, berries and fermentation must from two vineyards from the Slovak part of Tokaj. The highest total viable count (5.60 ±0.01 log cfu.g-1) and the highest total yeast and mould count (4.32 ±0.01 log cfu.g-1) in soil samples were recorded in vineyard Berecký. The highest total viable count in soil samples (6.71 ±0.01 log cfu.g-1) was confirmed by examination of samples originating from the vineyard of Čierna Hora. When determining the total yeast and mould count, the highest numbers were recorded in the must samples (4.15 ±0.01 log cfu.mL-1). Lactic acid bacteria were collected in samples from both vineyards, only in very low numbers. Overall, statistically significant differences (p <0.001) were detected by comparing the microbiota of the samples taken from the Berecký and Čierna Hora vineyards. The specific characterisation and identification of yeast was carried out using ITS-PCR-RFLP methods. The analysis confirmed the presence of yeasts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tenuis and their subsequent transfer to the must at varying percentages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: As far as it is known, studies dealing with antimicrobial resistance in certain species of staphylococci, in particular, S. chromogenes and S. simulans, isolated from products made from unpasteurized milk are limited. In addition to that, little attention was paid to the resistance of staphylococcal isolates from regional sheep and goat cheeses. At this level, works are published that focus on the evaluation of resistance from only one sheep product, Bryndza. Other studies are only focused on the evaluation of resistance from raw sheep's or goat's milk. The study contributes to the knowledge of the possible spread of antimicrobial resistance from the farm to the final consumer in this area. S. aureus and some species of coagulase-negative staphylococci, including S. chromogenes and S. simulans, commonly cause intramammary infections. However, little attention was paid to the antimicrobial resistance of these species with respect to their occurrence in dairy products, for example, popular sheep and goat cheeses made from unpasteurized milk. The aim of this study was to investigate such sheep and goat cheeses for the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of the relevant staphylococci species. The staphylococcal isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction (130 isolates) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The most common species of S. aureus (56 isolates) were identified, as well as S. chromogenes (16 isolates) and S. simulans (10 isolates). Antimicrobial resistance to penicillin, oxacilin, ceftaroline, teicoplanin, gentamicin, erythromycin, tetracycline and ofloxacin was subsequently determined in these species using the agar dilution method. The highest resistance was confirmed in all species, especially to penicillin (91%) and erythromycin (67%). The highest sensitivity was confirmed to ofloxacin (83%). Due to the high incidence of penicillin and oxacilin-resistant staphylococci, the mecA gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction, which was confirmed only in S. aureus isolates (19%). Our study shows that the tested strains (77%) were resistant to more than one antibiotic at a time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]