Molecular detection, isolation and characterization of avian rotavirus from broiler chicken

Chicken rotaviruses [CRVs] were detected, identified and characterized in broiler chicken with diarrhea for the first time in Egypt Fecal samples were collected from 85 naturally occurring diarrheal outbreaks in commercial chicken broilers fmis that are located in a wide range of geographical areas including many Egyptian govemorates mainly 6th Octobar, Elfayom, Giza, Qaluobea, Menofla and Elmansoura during year 2008. CRV was detected in the fecal samples by ELISA using monoclonal antibodies [Mabs] against VP6, Electron Microscopy [EM], Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction [RTPCR] and the virus was isolated using SPF chickens. The obtained results confirmed the isolation and identification of group A chicken rotavirus while the molecular characterization analysis using different primers sets suggested that the isolated chicken rotavirus does not belong to the same cluster of Chi rotavirus strain but most likely more related to Po-13 strain [mammalian like chicken rotavirus strains]. This study reports the importance of rotaviruses in broiler chickens with delayed growth and diarrhea

Fat replacers and their applications in food products: a review

Link of fats to chronic disease in Europe and North America is well established. Overconsumption of high energy-dense foods may contribute to energy imbalance and lead to increasing incidence and prevelance of obesity as well as the risk of chronic diseases. Fat replacers are used to provide some or all of the functional properties of fat while providing fewer calories than the fat being replaced. They are either fat substitutes or mimetics. Fat substitutes are lipid-like substances intended to replace fats on a one-to-one basis. Fat mimetics are protein or carbohydrate ingredients which function by imitating the physical, textural mouth feel and organoleptic properties of real fats. Carbohydrate-based fat replacers are derived from cereals, grains and plants, these ingredients include both digestible and indigestible complex carbohydrates. They include starch and fiber-based fat mimetics. The former include maltodextrins, and modified starches, while the latter include microcrystalline cellulose methylcellulose, gums, pectins, hydrocolloid gums and polydextrose. Protein-based fat replacers such as microparticuIated whey protein provide structure, viscosity, creaminess and opacity, a clean flavour base with only one-thrid of the calories in fat. The majority of fat-based fat replacers are emulsifiers or lipid analogs. They are neither hydrolyzed nor absorbed by the body in the same manner as normal fat and thus contribute substantially fewer calories. Numerous applications of fat replacers have been discussed. The main food commodities being targets in this respect include bakery products [cookies, pound cakes], meat products [beef burger and frankfurter type sausage] dairy products [cheeses, yoghurt and ice-cream] and other products [human milk fat substitute, low-calorie structured lipids and mayonnaise]

Applications of digital image analysis [DIA] to food-quality assessment: an overview

Recently, the role of digital image analysis has been grown widely in different technological fields such as, space research, communications, remote sensation, medicine and in analysis, processing and quality assessment of foods. The term image refers to a two-dimensional light-intensity function, denoted by f [x, y], when the value or amplitude of f at spatial coordinates [x, y] gives the intensity [brightness] of the image at that point. We may consider a digital image as a matrix whose row and column indices identify a point in the image and the corresponding matrix element value identifies the gray level at the point. The elements of such a digital image array are called image elements, picture elements, pixels, or pels with the last two names being commonly used as abbreviations of "pictures elements". An expansion in image analysis applications is occurring within the agriculture and food industries with the result that image analysis can be used for the characterization of food products. It is noteworthy that images are often studied for detecting or enhancing geometrical structures. Image analysis can be used in many aspects of food industry, analysis and quality assurance. For instance, image analysis can be used to discriminate cereal grains and classify cereal kernels according to their physical dimensions. Meanwhile, colour analysis of individual wheat grains might facilitate the identification of grains in the wheat-grading context. Moreover, by selecting the near IR wavelengths of excitation and emission, images obtained can be applied to discriminate starch, gluten and bran which present the three major components of wheat grain. The study of colour or intensity of the points [pixels] in an image can be a way to obtain chemical information, such as fat and Jean contents in meat and meat products. In case of minced meat, the fat can be differentiated from lean using UV light. Furthermore, digital image analysis was developed to measure the size and spatial distribution of the satellite microbial colonies as a function of distance from the primary colony. Bar coding represents an important application of image analysis. Bar coding is a form of artificial identifier. It is a machine readable code consisting of a pattern of black and white bars and space defined ratios which represent alphanumeric character. A sensor scans the bar code symbol and converts the visual image into an electrical signal

Acrylamide in food: an overview

A hypothesis that acrylamide is formed by/upon cooking was confirmed in experimental animals by a verification of the identity of the acrylamide adduct in hemoglobin [Hb]. This was comprehensively approved by GC/MS analysis and the demonstration that the increased adduct levels were compatible with expectation from the contents of acrylamide determined in fried feeds. A significant dependence of acrylamide formation on temperature was demonstrated. Extensive efforts were made to assess the human exposure to acrylamide by monitoring several metabolites excreted in the urine as well as products resulting from biological alkylation by acrylamide. The results from in vivo studies conducted on rats explored that dermal absorption ranged from approximately 14 to 61% of the applied dose. Meanwhile, it was obvious that acrylamide was widely distributed in all tissues of the body. The major metabolite formed from acrylamide via the cytochrome P450 pathway was glycidamide. Conjugation to reduced glutathione [GSH] catalyzed by glutathione S-transferase [GST] and excretion as mercapturic acid is a major pathway for the metabolism of acrylamide. Experiments revealed neuro and reproductive toxicity of acrylamide. The International Agency of Research on Cancer [IARC] has classified acrylamide as probably carcinogenic to humans. Acrylamide in foods can be determined by GC/MS, HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry [LC-MS] using the MS/MS mode. For the GC/MS and HPLC methods, the achieved detection level of acrylamide was 5 mug/kg; while, for LC-MS/MS method, it was 10 mug/kg. The latter method is simple and preferable for routine analysis

Functional foods: brief information

Functional foods are those which may provide a health benefit beyond the nutritional nutrients they contain. Confusion exists about how to describe the newly evolving area of food and food technology due to presence of numerous interchangeable or related terms. Epidemiological. in vivo, in vitro and clinical trial data indicated that a plant based diet can reduce the risk of chronic disease, particularly cancer. Phytochemicals were found to play a key role in this respect. Meanwhile, there are functional foods from animal sources, fish contain, omega-3 or n-3 fatty acids, fermented dairy products contain probiotics and beef contains conjugated linoleic acid, are all good examples for such foods. Obviously. there are no "good" or "bad" foods, but there are "good" or "bad" diets. Institutional and market innovation may be as important as technical innovation itself for leveraging, the potential of functional foods

Histopathological and immunological changes in experimental visceral leishmaniasis

Leishmania donovani, variety infantum [Egyptian strain], was isolated from an Egyptian child admitted to the Paediatric Hospital in Alexandria. The case was diagnosed as visceral leishmaniasis as proved by bone marrow examination and the serological tests. The strain was cultured in Tanabe's medium and modified El-On's medium and the promastigotes obtained were used for animal inoculation. Swiss albino mice were infected by the intracardiac route, the lever of infected animals was studied at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after infection. The study included histopathological examination of the liver by H and E and Masson trichrome stain and indirect fluorescent antibody test for liver sections. Changes in the liver were described and discussed

nutritive value of raw, decorticated, soaked and germinated and differently processed faba beans [Vicia faba L]

The effects of some pretreatments [i.e. decortications, soaking and germination] on the nutritive value of faba beans were investigated. Moreover, the nutritive values of four faba bean products widely consumed in the Middle East [Medammis, Falafel, Nabet Soup and Bissara] were also evaluated. Protein efficiency ratio [PER], digestibility co-efficient [D] and trypsin inhibitor unit [TIU] were estimated. Data revealed pronounced improvements of the nutritive value as a result of all pretreatments under study, especially germination being the most effective. The PER values for pretreated faba beans can be arranged in ascending order as follows: whole beans [0.41], decorticated beans [0.60], soaked beans [0.75] and germinated beans [1.37]. The PER values were 2.50, 1.83, 1.60, 1.01 and 0.94 for Casein, Nabet Soup, Bissara, Medammis and Falafel, respectively. Nabet Soup exhibited the highest D value [93.08%] while Falafel had the lowest [68.71%]. in contrast, Falafel contained the highest TIU [19.47], followed by Medammis [15.31], Bissara [11.98] and Nabet Soup [3.28]