Spirulina as a protein source in the nutritional recovery of Wistar rats

This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of Spirulina (Arthrospira) as a protein source in the nutritional recovery of rats subjected to protein malnutrition. In order to understand such effects, responses of the developing body, serum biochemical profile, and blood count of animals were analyzed. A total of, 23 Wistar Rattus norvegicus were given a proteic diet (AIN-93G adapted) in malnutrition phase (phase I) for 10 days. After this period, the rats were separated into four groups according to the protein source (recovery phase): Control (C), casein 12%; Spirulina level I (S1), Spirulina 8.8% + casein 5.0%; Spirulina level II (S2), Spirulina 17.6% + casein 0.15%, and Spirulina level III (S3), Spirulina 26.4%. Recovery phase (phase II) lasted 30 days. In both the phases, the consumption and body weight of the rats were monitored daily and weekly, respectively. The S1 treatment showed the highest values of Feed Efficiency Ratio (FER) and Quotient of Protein Efficiency Ratio (QPE) (p<0.05). Significant differences among the treatments were found mainly in the levels of serum lipids, and S2 diet caused an increase in such responses (p<0.05). These results demonstrated that the nutritional recovery of animals was enabled by different concentrations of Spirulina.

Qualidade física e química de ovos de codornas alimentadas com dietas modificadas dietas modificadas / Physical and chemical quality of eggs from quails fed with modified diets

O objetivo do trabalho foi de verificar as mudanças físicas e químicas em ovos de codornas, alimentadas com dietas controle e contendo a fração sólida de silagem química de resíduos de pescado, nas porcentagens de 3,3%, 6,6% e 9,9%, durante 30 dias. O experimento foi realizado utilizando-se 80 codornas com 35 semanas de idade, as quais foram divididas em blocos aleatórios em 5 gaiolas/dieta e 4 animais/gaiola. Os ovos foram coletados e selecionados por pesos variando de 10,5g a 12,0g. Para a avaliação da composição foi utilizada a metodologia oficial para ovos, determinando-se a umidade, as proteínas e cinzas em gemas e claras e os lipídios somente em gemas. Quanto às análises físicas foram determinados a perda de peso, as relações clara/ovo, gema/ovo e casca/ovo, a massa específica de claras e gemas, a Unidade Haugh e o índice gema. Ao final do experimento foi observado que as alterações ocorridas nosovos são físicas e estão mais relacionadas com o tempo de armazenamento do que com a mudança na dieta das aves. A maior perda de peso dos ovos foi de 2,64% no 30° dia; a queda na qualidade da clara passou de 76 para 72 Unidades Haugh e não houveram diferenças estatísticas nas análises químicas dos ovos

Avaliaçäo da qualidade tecnológica de massa alimentícia seca à base de plasma bovino / Technological quality evaluation of dried plasma pasta

Foi proposto o desenvolvimento de uma formulaçäo alternativa de massas alimentícias substituindo-se os ovos por plasma bovino. O produto foi avaliado quanto à sua qualidade tecnológica, frente a uma massa à base de ovos, tradicionalmente disponível no comércio, através da determinaçäo do seu tempo de cocçäo, capacidade de absorçäo e retençäo de água, perda de sólidos e proteínas e pelo deslocamento de volume. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a massa à base de plasma atingiu o ponto al dente em 3/4 do produto padräo, posuiu maior capacidade de absorçäo de água 61,8(por cento), menor perda de sólidos 0,8(por cento). O comportamento tecnológico deferenciado dos produtos foi evidenciado por análise de componentes principais. (AU)

The development of an alternative formulation of pasta was considered by replacing eggs for bovine plasma. The product was evaluated for its technological Quality in contrast to a traditio- nally egg pasta available on the Market place, through determination of its cooking time, water absorp-tion and retention capacity, loss of solids and proteins in the cooking water and for volume displace-ment.The results obtained demonstrated that the bovine plasma pasta reaches the ai dente point in ¾ of the time of the standard product, it posses greater capacity of water absorption (61.8%) and decrea- sed loss of solids (0.8%) and proteins (0.7%). The differentiated technological behavior of the products was indicated by main componentes analysis. (AU)

Aflatoxinas, ocratoxina A e zearalenona em alimentos da regiäo Sul do Rio Grande do Sul / Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in foods of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Foi realizado um levantamento de ocorrência de aflatoxinas B1, B2, G1, G2, ocratoxina A e zearalenona em produtos alimentícios comercializados nas cidades de Rio Grande e Pelotas, RS. As amostras, produtos de arroz (47), milho (39), e trigo (79), foram coletadas em supermercados nos anos de 1996 e 1997. Foi empregado o multimetodo de camada delgada descrito por Soares (1987). A performance deste para cada tipo de método. Os resultados mostraram que 6,7(por cento) das amostras estavam contaminadas por micotoxinas. Os produtos de milho foram os que apresentaram níveis de aflatoxina B1 (32 ug.Kg-1) acima dos limites permitidos pela legislaçäo brasileira. Ocratoxina A foi encontrada em amostras de arroz (48 e 19ug.Kg-1) e trigo (18 e 26 ug.Kg-1. Zearalenona esteve presente em amostras de milho (163 ug.Kg-1) e farinhas de trigo (105 e 97 ug.Kg-1). (AU)

A survey about occurrence of aflatoxins B 1, B2, G 1, G2 ochratoxin A and zearale- none in food products comercialized in the cities Rio Grande (RS) and Pelotas (RS) was conducted. The samples - products of rice (47), com (39) and wheat (79) - were purchased on the supermerkets During 1996 and 1997. Simultaneous method of thin layer chromatograph Described by Soares (1987) was used. The performance for each Studied matrix was evaluated and it was in conform to literature The results Showed that 6,7% 01 samples was contamined with analysed mycotoxins. Com products had aflatoxin B llevels that exceeded Brazilian legislation «32 ug.Kg-I ). Ochratoxin A was foundedin rice products (48 e 19 ug.Kg-I ) and wheat (8 e 26 flg.Kg-l). Zearalenone was presente in com samples (163 flg.Kg-l ) and wheat meals (105 e 97 flg.Kg-l). (AU)

Enzymatic determination of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber in rice and wheat bran

The information about dietary fiber presents controversies in many research areas such as in nomenclature, related illnesses, recommended quantities and terminology, mainly because of lack of analytical data. Different needs and interests for the dietary fiber composition of foods and forages have led to a proliferation of methods for its analysis. This research, a further adaptation of the enzymatic method of Asp et al. (1983) for its appplication is proposed for rice and wheat bran, byproducts of agroindustries in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). The inclusion of Amyloglucosidase in the proposed methodology contributed to the decrease in the content of residual starch at the end of the experiment, like Prosky et al (1992). To increase the efficiency of the enzyme system inthis type of samples, other changes were made with respect to incubation time and proteolytic enzyme concentration. In the final adaptation, a decrease of 51.33 per cent of the starch content was observed in rice bran (RB) and of 52.93 per cent in wheat bran (WB). This decrease was also verified in the model system (MS) (52.08 per cent), which demonstrates the adequacy of the proposed adaptation. With respect to the residual protein, it was verified that the measures adopted provoked a reduction of 42.15 per cent (RB), 52.19 per cent (WB) and 42.11 per cent (MS) as compared to the original method. Then the proposed conditions has been shown to be efficient in decreasing the level of interference (indigestible starch and protein) in the quantification of dietary fiber in rice and wheat bran.