Chemical and microbiological characterization of two traditional Mongolian high-fat dairy products produced in Xilin Gol, China.

Mongolian butter and Tude are traditional high-fat dairy products produced in Xilin Gol, China, which have unique chemical and microbiological characteristics. Mongolian Tude is made from Mongolian butter, dreg, and flour. In this study, the traditional manufacturing process of Mongolian butter and Tude was investigated for the first time. Mongolian butter was characterized by high-fat content (99.38 ± 0.63%) and high acidity (77.09 ± 52.91°T), whereas Mongolian Tude was considered a high-fat (21.45 ± 1.23%) and high-protein (8.28 ± 0.65%) dairy product obtained by butter, dreg, and flour. Mongolian butter and Tude were proven to be safe for human consumption in terms of benzopyrene content. In addition, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, coliforms, and aflatoxin M1 were not detected in the samples. Bacteria and molds were not isolated from Mongolian butter; in contrast, the total count of bacteria and molds in Mongolian Tude was within the range of 4.5 × 102 to 9.5 × 104 and 0 to 2.2 × 105, respectively. Moreover, Lactococcus (41.55%), Lactobacillus (11.05%), Zygosaccharomyces (40.20%), and Pichia (12.90%) were the predominant bacterial and fungal genera, and Lactobacillus helveticus (15.6%), Lactococcus raffinolactis (9.6%), Streptococcus salivarius (8.5%), Pantoea vagans (6.1%), Bacillus subtilis (4.2%), Kocuria rhizophila (3.5%), Acinetobacter johnsonii (3.5%), Zygosaccharomyces rouxii (46.2%), Pichia fermentans (14.7%), and Dipodascus geotrichum (11.7%) were the predominant species in the microbiota of Mongolian Tude. Thus, it can be stated that the microbiota of food products produced by different small families varied significantly. Collectively, the findings presented herein are the first report of chemical and microbiological characterization of products of geographical origin and highlight the need for standardization of manufacturing procedures of Mongolian butter and Tude in the future.

Determination of the microbial community of traditional Mongolian cheese by using culture-dependent and independent methods.

Mongolian cheese is not only a requisite source of food for the nomadic Mongolian but also follows a unique Mongolian dairy artisanal method of production, possessing high nutritional value and long shelf-life. In this study, the ancient technique for the production of Mongolian cheese was investigated. The nutritional value of Mongolian cheese was characterized by its high-protein content (30.13 ± 2.99%) and low-fat content (9.66 ± 3.36%). Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Dipodascus were the predominant bacterial and fungal genera, and Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactococcus piscium, and Dipodascus geotrichum were the predominant species in the Mongolian cheese. The microbiota of products from different cheese factories varies significantly. The high-temperature (85°C-90°C) kneading of coagulated curds could eliminate most of the thermosensitive microorganisms for extending the shelf-life of cheese. The indigenous spore-forming microbes, which included yeasts, belonging to Pichia and Candida genera, and molds, belonging to Mucor and Penicillium genera, which originated from the surroundings during the process of cooling, drying, demolding, and vacuum packaging could survive and cause the package to swell and the cheese to grow mold. The investigation of production technology, nutrition, microbiota, and viable microbes related to shelf-life contributes to the protection of traditional technologies, extraction of highlights (nutritional profiles and curd scalding) for merchandise marketing, and standardization of Mongolian cheese production, including culture starters and aseptic technique.

Identifying FecB genotypes in the muscle from sheep breeds indigenous to Xilingol, and establishment of a TaqMan real-time PCR technique to distinguish FecB alleles.

The muscle from Xilingol indigenous sheep breeds are famous in China, and the FecB genotype in this population remains uncharacterized. In this study, SNPs in the FecB locus were investigated by pyrosequencing, and an optimized PCR-RFLP technique was generated to identify SNPs. In addition, an efficient technique for high-throughput identification of SNPs in FecB was optimized using TaqMan real-time PCR and breed-conservative primers and SNP-specific probes. By genotyping the FecB locus in the muscle of Xilingol indigenous sheep breeds using a novel TaqMan real-time PCR assay, our study has generated the groundwork for the authentication of Xilingol mutton based on the specific gene and the prolificacy-oriented breeding of Xilingol sheep using marker-assisted selection strategies in the future.

Improved triplex real-time PCR with endogenous control for synchronous identification of DNA from chicken, duck, and goose meat.

The authentication and labeling of meat products, concerning origins and species, are key to fair trade and to protect consumer interests in the market. We developed an improved triplex real-time PCR approach to simultaneously identify chicken, duck, and goose DNA in meat, including an endogenous control to avoid false negatives. Our method specifically detected DNA from chicken, duck, and goose, and showed no cross-reaction with DNA extracted from other meat types. The detection limits of chicken, duck, and goose DNA were 0.001-0.00025 ng, 0.0025-0.0001 ng, and 0.001-0.00001 ng, respectively, and we were able to simultaneously identify DNA from two distinct origins using as little as 0.1% of total meat weight. Our newly generated triplex real-time PCR method with endogenous control exhibited high specificity, sensitivity, and efficiency for simultaneous identification of DNA from chicken, duck, and goose in meat.

A snapshot study of the microbial community dynamics in naturally fermented cow's milk.

Natural fermentation of milk is a prerequisite in the production of traditional dairy products and is considered a bioresource of fermentative microorganisms and probiotics. To understand the microbial dynamics during distinct fermentative phases, the roles of different microbes, and the relationship between bacteria and fungi, microbial community dynamics was investigated by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Natural, static fermentation of milk induces the formation of the underlying curds and the superficial sour cream (Zuohe in the Mongolian language). From an overall perspective, viable LAB increased remarkably. Yeast showed an initial increase in their abundance (from 0 hr to 24 hr), which was followed by a decrease, and mold was detected at the later stages of fermentation (after 68 hr). The observed trends in microbiota variation suggest an antagonistic interaction between bacteria (LAB) and fungi (yeast and mold). The beneficial bacterial and fungal genus and species (e.g., Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, Dipodascus, Lactococcus lacti, Dipodascus australiensis) are gradually increased in concentration, and the potentially detrimental microbial genus and species (e.g., Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Mortierella, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Fusarium solani) decrease during the decline of bacterial and fungi diversity from natural fermentation. The study of microbial community dynamics could make a great contribution to understand the mechanism of natural fermentation of milk and the formation of curds and Zuohe, and to discover the potentially fermentative microbes for industrial starter cultures.

Simultaneous detection of ovine and caprine DNA in meat and dairy products using triplex TaqMan real-time PCR.

In this study, we report a new approach for the detection of ovine and caprine DNA in meat and dairy products using real-time PCR protocol. Our new approach is based on the use of endogenous control and species-specific TaqMan fluorescence probes. With this methodology, we specifically detected ovine and caprine DNA in meat and dairy products, with limits of detection of 0.001 ng and 0.01 ng for fresh and processed ovine meats, respectively, and 0.00025 ng, 0.005 ng, and 0.01 ng for caprine meat, milk, and cheese, respectively. Artificial meat and milk mixtures from sheep and goat were used to validate the protocol. Our results support that TaqMan real-time PCR with endogenous control is an efficient and accurate method to detect DNA from sheep and goat in meat and dairy products.

Production technology, nutritional, and microbiological investigation of traditionally fermented mare milk (Chigee) from Xilin Gol in China.

Mare milk originated from female horses, known as mares, to feed their foals during lactation. The health-promoting characteristics of traditionally fermented mare milk (Chigee) are well known for the function of clinic treatment in the traditional Mongolian medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the production technology of Chigee and to evaluate the nutritional and microbiological characteristics of mare milk and Chigee based on 188 samples. The nutritional analysis of mare milk and Chigee indicated that lactose significantly decreased from 6.95 ± 0.45% to 2.82 ± 1.65% and acidity and alcoholic content significantly increased to 136.72 ± 57.88°T and 1.22 ± 0.7%, respectively, after spontaneous fermentation of mare milk. The microbiological analysis of Chigee showed that the total lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count varied from 5.32 to 8.56 log cfu/ml and total yeast count varied from 2.41 to 6.98 log cfu/ml. Moreover, the acidity of Chigee rose with the increase in LAB count within limits, and high acidity (≥178°T) inhibited the growth of coliforms. These findings provide an understanding of traditional production technology, nutrition, and microbiology that is fundamental for establishing the food standard of Chigee in China and will contribute to standardize the fermentation process for the industrial production of Chigee in the future.

Investigation of physicochemical composition and microbial communities in traditionally fermented vrum from Inner Mongolia.

Mongolian traditionally fermented vrum is known for its functional characteristics, and indigenous microbial flora plays a critical role in its natural fermentation. However, studies of traditionally fermented vrum are still rare. In this study, we investigated the artisanal production of traditionally fermented vrum from Inner Mongolia. In general, its physicochemical composition was characterized by 34.5 ± 8% moisture, 44.9 ± 12.1% fat, 10.6 ± 3.2% protein, and 210 ± 102°T. The total lactic acid bacteria and yeast counts ranged from 50 to 2.8 × 108 cfu/g and from 0 to 1.1 × 106 cfu/g, respectively. We studied bacterial and fungal community structures in 9 fermented vrum; we identified 5 bacterial phyla represented by 11 genera (an average relative abundance >1%) and 8 species (>1%), and 3 fungal phyla represented by 8 genera (>1%) and 8 species (>1%). Relative abundance values showed that Lactococcus and Lactobacillus were the most common bacterial genera, and Dipodascus was the predominant fungal genus. This scientific investigation of the nutritional components, microbial counts, and community profiles in Mongolian traditionally fermented vrum could help to develop future functional biomaterials and probiotics.

Study of bacterial and fungal community structures in traditional koumiss from Inner Mongolia.

Koumiss is notable for its nutritional functions, and microorganisms in koumiss determine its versatility. In this study, the bacterial and fungal community structures in traditional koumiss from Inner Mongolia, China, were investigated. Our results demonstrated that 6 bacterial phyla represented by 126 genera and 49 species and 3 fungal phyla represented by 59 genera and 57 species were detected in 11 samples of artisanal koumiss. Among them, Lactobacillus was the predominant genus of bacterium, and Kluyveromyces and Saccharomyces dominated at the fungal genus level. In addition, there were no differences in the bacterial and fungal richness and diversity of koumiss from 3 neighboring administrative divisions in Inner Mongolia, and the bacterial and fungal community structures (the varieties and relative abundance of bacterial and fungal genera and species) were clearly distinct in individual samples. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the bacterial and fungal population profiles and the predominant genus and species, which would be beneficial for screening, isolation, and culture of potential probiotics to simulate traditional fermentation of koumiss for industrial and standardized production in the future.

Diagnostic radiograph based 3D bone reconstruction framework: application to osteotomy surgical planning.

Pre-operative planning in orthopedic surgery is essential to identify the optimal surgical considerations for each patient-specific case. The planning for osteotomy is presently conducted through two-dimensional (2D) radiographs, where the surgeon has to mentally visualize the bone deformity. This is due to direct three-dimensional (3D) imaging modalities such as Computed Tomography (CT) still being restricted to a minority of complex orthopedic procedures. This paper presents a novel 3D bone reconstruct technique, through bi-planar 2D radiographic images. The reconstruction will be pertinent to osteotomy surgical diagnostics and planning. The framework utilizes a generic 3D model of the bone of interest to obtain the anatomical topology information. A 2D non-rigid registration is performed between the projected contours of this generic 3D model and extracted edges of the X-ray image to identify the planar customization required. Subsequently a free-form deformation based manipulation is conducted to customize the overall 3D bone shape.

Segmentation of radiographic images under topological constraints: application to the femur.

PURPOSE: A framework for radiographic image segmentation under topological control based on two-dimensional (2D) image analysis was developed. The system is intended for use in common radiological tasks including fracture treatment analysis, osteoarthritis diagnostics and osteotomy management planning. METHODS: The segmentation framework utilizes a generic three-dimensional (3D) model of the bone of interest to define the anatomical topology. Non-rigid registration is performed between the projected contours of the generic 3D model and extracted edges of the X-ray image to achieve the segmentation. For fractured bones, the segmentation requires an additional step where a region-based active contours curve evolution is performed with a level set Mumford-Shah method to obtain the fracture surface edge. The application of the segmentation framework to analysis of human femur radiographs was evaluated. The proposed system has two major innovations. First, definition of the topological constraints does not require a statistical learning process, so the method is generally applicable to a variety of bony anatomy segmentation problems. Second, the methodology is able to handle both intact and fractured bone segmentation. RESULTS: Testing on clinical X-ray images yielded an average root mean squared distance (between the automatically segmented femur contour and the manual segmented ground truth) of 1.10 mm with a standard deviation of 0.13 mm. The proposed point correspondence estimation algorithm was benchmarked against three state-of-the-art point matching algorithms, demonstrating successful non-rigid registration for the cases of interest. CONCLUSIONS: A topologically constrained automatic bone contour segmentation framework was developed and tested, providing robustness to noise, outliers, deformations and occlusions.