Revalorisation of Sage (Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl) By-Product Extracts as a Source of Polyphenol Antioxidants for Novel Jelly Candies.

Sage (Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl) aqueous extracts (SE) obtained from distillation by-products were assessed as antioxidants for nutritionally enhanced jelly candies. Two experimental SEs with a different content of phenolic acids and flavonoids were tested: (i) SE38 (37.6 mg/g) and (ii) SE70 (69.8 mg/g), with salvianic and rosmarinic acids as main polyphenols, respectively. Flavour alteration, stability of sage polyphenols, physical quality traits and antioxidant capacity (AC) were studied in strawberry candies formulated without sugars and enriched with SEs at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/kg. Despite their different quantitative composition, SE38 and SE70 provided similar antioxidant properties, which were dose dependent. Salvianic and rosmarinic acids were stable without degrading to candy processing (up to 80 °C), keeping their antioxidant potential. There were no relevant differences in flavour or physical traits (pH, °Brix and CIELab colour) between untreated and SE-enriched strawberry candies. The addition of 0.75 g SE/kg resulted in relevant increases of candy AC: (i) from 30 to 38 mg GAE/100 g (total phenolics); (ii) from 10 to 17 mg TE/100 g (DPPH• radical scavenging assay); (iii) from 5 to 13 mg TE/100 g (ABTS·+ radical scavenging assay); (iv) from 84 to 163 µmol Fe2+/100 g (FRAP capacity) and (v) from to 75 to 83% (inhibition of deoxyribose damage). Sage distillation by-products can be revalorised as a source of natural antioxidants to produce healthier candies.

Oregano Essential Oil and Purple Garlic Powder Effects on Intestinal Health, Microbiota Indicators and Antimicrobial Resistance as Feed Additives in Weaning Piglets.

Finding alternatives to zinc oxide is a pressing issue for the pig production sector. We studied the impact of the bioactive components degradation of oregano essential oil (OEO) and purple garlic powder (PGP) during storage in silos, their effect on the morphometry of the jejunum and ileum and the cecal microbiota as intestinal health indicators in piglets during the post-weaning period. We also monitored antimicrobial resistance in the commensal indicator E. coli. Histological parameters and intestinal microbiota were measured in 140 piglets weaned at 21 days of age. Seven dietary treatments were used: a negative control group (basal diet), a positive control group with ZnO (3000 mg/kg of food), two groups with OEO at 0.4% and 1.2%, respectively, two groups with PGP 0.4% and 2%, respectively, and a group with OEO with 1.2% combined with PGP with 2%. Each group of piglets received the treatment for seven weeks, from weaning, before samples were taken. Antibiotic resistance profiles were measured in 81 E. coli strains. On this occasion, only the control groups, ZnO, OEO 1.2%, PGP 2% and OEO 1.2% + PGP 2% were used, and the samples were obtained from the cecal content. A progressive loss of the bioactive components of OEO and PGP was observed during the 34 days of storage (p < 0.05). PGP 2%, OEO 1.2% and their combination showed results similar to ZnO (p > 0.05), or superior in the study of intestinal morphometry and the values of E. coli and Lactobacillus. All categories showed high levels of resistance. Only the strains isolated from the OEO 1.2% group did not show resistance to colistin and presented the lowest resistance values. In general, high doses of the additives studied showed the best results, obtaining levels like or higher than those offered by ZnO.

Polyphenolic Profile of Tunisian Thyme (Thymbra capitata L.) Post-Distilled Residues: Evaluation of Total Phenolic Content and Phenolic Compounds and Their Contribution to Antioxidant Activity.

During the last decade there has been growing interest in the formulation of new cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical products containing natural compounds with antioxidant activity and other beneficial properties. Aromatic and medicinal plants have always been the major source of bioactive compounds, especially, wild thyme (Thymbra capitata L.), which has been used since ancient times for its valuable health benefits that could be attributed to the richness of polyphenolic compounds. This study was undertaken with the following aims: to estimate the total polyphenolic content (TPC); to evaluate the antioxidant activity; to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds of post-distilled residues of Tunisian thyme, and their contribution to the antioxidant activity. The TPC, as determined by the Folin−Ciocalteu method, was found to reach the values of 126.7 and 107.84 mg gallic acid equivalent/g plant dry weight (mg GAE/g PDW). The antioxidant activity, which is assessed by DPPH and FRAP assays, reached the values of 42.97−45.64 µg/mL and 42.22−50.21 mMFe2+/mg PDW, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of fourteen polyphenolic compounds, of which diosmin and rosmarinic acid were found to be the most abundant (24.26 to 33.80 and 22.0.1 to 26.29 mg/g PDW, respectively). An important correlation was found between the antioxidant activity and several identified phenolic compounds (p < 0.05). The findings revealed that thyme post-distilled residues have an effective natural antioxidant potential due to their high concentration of bioactive molecules, and they appear to be useful in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, with beneficial effects on human health. Therefore, supplementing a balanced diet with herbs may have beneficial health effects.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis Commensal Isolates from Laying Hen Farms in Spain.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat for human and animal health. Few studies have been carried out in laying hens. We evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecalis isolates in Spanish laying hens in 2018. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was used to identify any AMR of the studied isolates by means of a broth microdilution method. C. jejuni was highly resistant to the B category antimicrobials, and 52% of the isolates were susceptible to all the antimicrobials tested. E. coli showed medium and high percentages of resistance to the B and A antibiotic categories, respectively, and 33.33% of the isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials. The E. faecalis resistance to A category antimicrobials was variable, and 4.62% of the isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials. In our work, novel data on AMR in laying hen commensal isolates in Spain is provided, and the AMR levels differ from those reported for poultry in the EU. A high resistance to key drugs for human medicine was found, representing a public health risk.

Assessment of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Extract as Antioxidant in Jelly Candies Made with Fructan Fibres and Stevia.

Enrichment with rosemary antioxidants is proposed as a possible strategy to obtain healthier jelly candies. Two aqueous rosemary extracts (RE) containing 73.9 (RE74) and 145.6 (RE146) mg polyphenols per g fresh weight were assessed as antioxidants in jelly candies based on fructooligosaccharides, inulin and stevia. Up to 15 phenolic acids, flavonoids and diterpenes were determined in the extracts, with rosmarinic acid as the main active compound. Sensory tolerance, physical properties, rosmarinic acid recovery, polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity were determined in jelly candies. The threshold of sensory detection was established at 0.26 g RE146/kg of raw candy, below which rosemary off-flavours were avoided without altering pH, brix, texture, CIELab colour, and consumer acceptance. Adding 0.26 g RE146 per kg increased (p < 0.001) polyphenol content from 197 to 411 µg GAE/g and the antioxidant capacity from 1.77 to 4.14 µmol Trolox/g. Rosemary polyphenols resulted in being resistant to cooking, acted as secondary antioxidants and showed good interaction with the other jelly ingredients. Aqueous extracts from rosemary distillation by-products can be incorporated at acceptable levels to jelly candy formulations leading to higher oxidative stability and an increased content of dietary polyphenols.

Relationship between antioxidant status and oxidative stability in lamb meat reinforced with dietary rosemary diterpenes.

The relationship between the antioxidant status of fresh meat and oxidative stability of chilled-packed meat obtained from lambs fed on a diet supplemented with two different doses of a rosemary extract containing carnosic acid and carnosol was studied. The incorporation of rosemary extract in the lamb diet led to the deposition of functional levels of the diterpenic metabolite C19H22O3 in meat, which improved its stability against oxidation. The antioxidant status could be assessed through both the radical scavenging capacity (DPPH and TEAC) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). In general, antioxidant status values correlated better (P < 0.05) with the changes in CIELAB colour, malondialdehyde and sensory scoring than with the changes in hexanal and protein carboxylation measured in the lamb cuts kept under protective atmosphere for up to 14 days. The FRAP and DPPH assays were more suitable than the TEAC assay for predicting meat oxidation and any resulting discolouration and rancidity.

Shelf life of meat from lambs given essential oil-free rosemary extract containing carnosic acid plus carnosol at 200 or 400 mg kg⁻¹.

The use of dietary rosemary extract (DRE) at low doses is proposed as a nutritional strategy to improve meat preservation. Lamb diet was supplemented with 0, 200 or 400mg DRE (containing carnosic acid and carnosol at 1:1 w:w) per kg feed during the fattening stage. Meat quality was evaluated in lamb fillets packed under protective atmosphere and kept in retail conditions for up to 14 days. The effects of diet and storage time were determined on different physical-chemical (L*a*b* color, pH, TBARS, protein oxidation and volatiles from lipid oxidation), microbial (total viable and psychrophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, molds and yeasts) and sensory (appearance and odor) characteristics of the meat. The antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of DRE on meat were demonstrated. DRE delayed lean and fat discoloration, lipid oxidation, odor deterioration and microbial spoilage, extending the shelf life time of fillets from around 9 to 13 days. Both DRE doses provided similar shelf life extension.

Ewe's diet (pasture vs grain-based feed) affects volatile profile of cooked meat from light lamb.

The effects of ewe's diet during gestation and lactation on the volatile compounds profile in cooked meat from light lamb were compared. Two lamb groups from ewes that had been fed pasture (PA) or grain-based concentrate (FE) were tested. Cooked loin mixed with saliva was analyzed by solid phase microextraction, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry. The fiber coating used was divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane. The volatiles detected and quantified were aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, phenols, indole, and sulfur compounds. The ewe's diet strongly affected the volatile compounds profile of the cooked meat. The total volatiles concentration was higher in PA (409 mg kg(-1)) than in FE (201 mg kg(-1)). The major volatiles in PA were phenol, 4-methylphenol, and hexanoic acid, while the major volatile in FE was 3-hydroxy-2-butanone. No branched C8-C9 fatty acids responsible for mutton flavor were detected in either group. The findings suggest that nutritional strategies can be use during gestation and lactation to modify the aroma of light lamb meat in the light of consumer preferences.

Introduction of distillate rosemary leaves into the diet of the Murciano-Granadina goat: transfer of polyphenolic compounds to goats' milk and the plasma of suckling goat kids.

The effect of the introduction of distilled rosemary leaves into the diet of the Murciano-Granadina goat on the polyphenolic profile of the goats' milk during the physiological stages of gestation and lactation was studied. The inclusion of rosemary leaves into the animal diet modified neither animal productivity (milk yield) nor milk quality. The following components were found in increased concentration (P < 0.05) in the goats' milk after the introduction of rosemary leaves into their diet: flavonoids hesperidin, naringin, and genkwanin; gallic acid; and phenolic diterpenes carnosol and carnosic acid. With regard to the transfer of polyphenols to the plasma of the suckling goat kid, a statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, and carnosol concentrations was detected. From this point of view, distillate rosemary leaves can be proposed as an ingredient in ruminant feed because they both alter neither the yield nor the quality of Murciano-Granadina goats' milk and allow for an increased concentration of polyphenolic components in the goats' milk and in the plasma of the suckling goat kid.