Mate extract on lipid and color changes of dourado fillets during frozen storage / Extrato de mate sobre alterações lipídicas e de cor de filés de dourado durante o armazenamento congelado

This study aimed to evaluate whether mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil) extract would change lipid and color stability of dourado (Salminus brasiliensis) fillets during frozen storage. Fish fillets were dipped (1 min) in distilled water (control) or in aqueous extract of mate (0.1g mL-1, w/v) and were stored at -7°C for up to 12 months. Conjugated dienes (CD) increased in control fillets after 6 months of storage and then decreased, whereas thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value increased along the whole experimental period. Mate treatment reduced CD and TBARS values of fillets. Dourado fillets tended to yellow along the whole experimental period (average H*= 72.55) Although the mate treatment had increased the yellowness of fillets at the start of storage, this treatment reduced the increase in luminosity (L*) and in yellowness (H*) triggered by frozen storage. Results indicate that mate extract inhibits lipid oxidation and some color changes caused by the frozen storage of fish fillets.

Foi avaliado o efeito do extrato de mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil) sobre as alterações lipídicas e de cor de filés de dourado (Salminus brasiliensis) durante o armazenamento congelado. Os filés foram mergulhados (1 min) em água destilada (controle) ou em extrato aquoso de mate (0,1g mL-1, p/v) e armazenados a -7°C por 12 meses. Os dienos conjugados (DC) aumentaram nos filés controle após 6 meses de armazenamento e então diminuíram, enquanto os valores de substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) aumentaram ao longo de todo período experimental. O extrato de mate reduziu os valores de DC e TBARS dos filés. Os filés de dourado tenderam ao amarelo ao longo de todo o período experimental (média do H*=72.55). Ainda que o tratamento com mate tenha aumentado a intensidade de amarelo dos filés no início da armazenagem, esse tratamento reduziu o aumento da luminosidade (L*) e da intensidade de amarelo (H*), promovidos pelo armazenamento congelado. Os resultados indicam que o extrato de mate inibe a oxidação lipídica e algumas alterações de cor decorrentes do congelamento de filés de pescado.

Isolation, identification & characterization of Proteus penneri - a missed rare pathogen.

Background & objectives: Indole negative Proteus species are invariably incorrectly identified as P. mirabilis, missing isolates of Proteus penneri. P. penneri is an invasive pathogen capable of causing major infectious diseases still seldom reported in individual cases. We report here the isolation, differentiation, characterization and typing of P. penneri from patients with different clinical infections. Methods: Urine, pus and body fluids collected from patients in intensive care units, wards and out patients departments of a tertiary health care institute from north India were cultured. A total of 61 indole negative Proteus isolates were subjected to extended biochemical tests to differentiate and identify P. penneri from P. mirabilis including failure to produce ornithine decarboxylase (by 0% strains of P. penneri and 100% strains of P. mirabilis) besides P. penneri being uniformly salicin negative, non-utilizer of citrate but ferments sucrose and maltose. Antibiograms and Dienes phenomenon were performed to characterize and type P. penneri isolates besides screening for β-lactamase production. Results: Eight isolates of P. penneri were identified; four from urine, three from abdominal drain-fluid and one from diabetic foot ulcer. P. penneri was isolated as the sole pathogen in all patients having underlying disease; post-operatively. Swarming was not seen in the first strain on primary isolation and was poor in strain-4. All eight isolates were biochemically homologous but multi-drug resistant (MDR) with resistance to 6-8 drugs (up to 12). β-lactamase production was seen in three of five isolates while Dienes phenomenon found four distinct types and discriminated strains differing in resistance even with a single drug. Interpretation & Conclusions: A few additional biochemical tests identified P. penneri isolates; it infected patients with underlying disease and strains were MDR and heterogenous.

Effect of carnitine administration on levels of lipid peroxides and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats.

The effect of carnitine administration on levels of lipid peroxide and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase was studied in rats administered isoproterenol to induce myocardial infarction. Levels of fatty acid were lower in rats pretreated with carnitine at the peak period and given isoproterenol than the levels in isoproterenol-treated control rats. Lipid peroxides were decreased in the heart at peak infarction in carnitine-treated rats compared to the levels in isoproterenol-treated controls. Activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase showed no change in carnitine-treated animals given isoproterenol compared to those in normal control rats, while they decreased in animals treated with isoproterenol alone.