Optimization of enzymatic analytical method for poultry meat.

Chilling and freezing are essential for poultry meat preservation. Fresh poultry, visually indistinguishable from frozen-thawed poultry, presents an attractive target for adulteration. Activity levels of the mitochondrial enzyme ß-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HADH) can indicate previous freezing. This study aims to optimize the analysis method and determine a more sensitive cut-off limit distinguishing fresh from frozen poultry. 125 chicken breasts were sampled from the Lebanese market. Two sets of chilled breasts were analyzed before and after freezing at -22 °C for 5 days, with/without defrosting at 4 °C for 24 h. Frozen breasts samples were studied before and after refreezing at -22 °C. HADH activity was measured by spectrophotometry and found to be significantly higher for frozen samples. Using a cut off limit of 0.3, resulted in the correct identification of all frozen poultry samples instead of 93%. Greater control over incorrectly labelled poultry meat and increased consumer protection can be achieved using the modified thermal identification method.

Impact of Different Irrigant Agitation Methods on Bacterial Elimination from Infected Root Canals.

Activation techniques are essential for root canal disinfection but may result in incomplete removal of bacteria. The aim of our study was to assess the antibacterial action of sonically, ultrasonically and laser-activated irrigation and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on Enterococcus faecalis in an infected tooth. Forty-four extracted mandibular premolars were mechanically prepared, sterilized, and inoculated with E. faecalis for 1 week. Bacterial counts after inoculation were evaluated in 4 randomly chosen teeth, remaining root canals were divided into 4 groups. Group A: laser-activated irrigation by photon-induced photoacoustic streaming, Group B: the sonic irrigation by EDDY, Group C: ultrasonic irrigation by EndoUltra, and Group D: 5.25% NaOCl. Colony forming unit (CFU) counts were measured and Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to determine differences. The mean of CFU was found to significantly decrease in group D, 2110 ± 1015.93 (p < 0.001). Changes in measurement levels followed the same trend over time in groups A 27.40 ± 30.15, B 81.3 ± 85.68 and C 44.40 ± 67.12 (p = 0.141). The average CFU after irrigation in all groups was significantly greater than 0. Within the limitations of this study, all activation techniques were superior to NaOCl 5.25% in reducing E. faecalis from the infected tooth model.