Milk-Clotting Properties and Primary Proteolysis of a Lyophilised Extract from Artichoke Flowers ( L.).

Research Background: A few studies have investigated enzymes as a substitute for calf rennet in cheese making. They used aqueous extracts prepared by maceration of plant material and stored by freezing. However, it was indicated that lyophilisation is a better alternative to preserve the coagulant properties of plant extracts over a longer period of time, as it is a more controllable, stable and hygienic alternative with a better shelf life that is easier to transport, store and standardise.

Prediction of tenderness in bovine longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles using Raman spectroscopy.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate Raman spectroscopy technique as a noninvasive tool to predict meat quality traits on Braford longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle.

Methods: Thirty samples of muscle from Braford steers were analyzed by classical meat quality techniques and by Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm laser excitation. Water holding capacity (WHC), intramuscular fat content (IMF), cooking loss (CL), and texture profile analysis recording hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness were determined, along with fiber diameter and sarcomere length by scanning electron microscopy.

Is beef quality affected by the inclusion of distiller grains in cattle diets?

This study aimed to analyze the effect of including increasing levels of distiller grains (DG) in beef cattle feeding diets on meat quality from an integral approach. To this end, we analyzed the meat from 36 yearling steers fed with four dietary treatments: 0DG (control corn-based diet), 15DG, 30DG, and 45DG (containing 15%, 30%, or 45% of DG on DM basis). Crude protein, ash, and fat contents of diets increased with DG level.

Effect of Aging and Retail Display Conditions on the Color and Oxidant/Antioxidant Status of Beef from Steers Finished with DG-Supplemented Diets.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of finishing diets including distiller grains (DG) on color and oxidative stability of beef after being exposed to aerobic retail display conditions, with or without previous aging. For this purpose, beef samples from animals fed with finishing diets including 0%, 15%, 30%, and 45% DG (on a dry matter basis), which had been exposed to aerobic retail display conditions, with or without previous aging under vacuum packaging, were evaluated. The content of γ-tocopherol, β-carotene, and lutein in diet samples increased with the level of DG.

Dietary inclusion of ruminally protected linseed oil as a means to mitigate heat and slaughter-induced stress in feedlot cattle.

There is evidence of a relationship between increased energy intake and the development of metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance (IR), and between the aforementioned metabolic state and impaired tolerance to heat stress. Based on the anti-inflammatory properties and mitigating effects on IR and stress of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), an experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation to feedlot-finished steers during summer on animal performance, physiological and biochemical variables associated with glucose metabolism, heat and preslaughter-induced stress, and meat quality. A total of 48 Angus steers (388 ± 2 kg) were fed one of three corn-based finishing diets containing (dry matter basis) 0% added oil (CON; negative control), or 1.

Feeding strategies and ageing time alter calpain system proteins activities and meat quality of Braford steers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ageing and feeding strategies on the calpain protease system and meat quality traits in Braford steers.

Methods: Thirty Braford steers were employed; 15 animals were supplemented with corn silage during finishing and 15 were kept only on pasture. Meat quality traits and calpain system protein activity were evaluated in longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) steaks aged for 2, 7, 14, and 21 days.

Color and Marbling as Predictors of Meat Quality Perception of Argentinian Consumers.

In Argentina, color and intramuscular fat are the main attributes of raw beef quality; however, it is necessary to clarify how consumers use them, in order to establish different marketing strategies. Consumer preferences are affected by multiple factors. Thus, the objective of the present study was to identify the Argentinian consumer's choice behavior regarding beef color and fat content.

Combination of organic acids and low-dose gamma irradiation as antimicrobial treatment to inactivate Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli inoculated in beef trimmings: Lack of benefits in relation to single treatments.

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of lactic acid (LA), caprylic acid (CA), high- (HDI) and low- (LDI) dose gamma irradiation and LDI combined with LA or CA on the inactivation of a pool of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains inoculated on beef trimmings. The three most efficacious treatments were selected to study their effect on meat quality parameters and sensory attributes. The inoculum included five native STEC serogroups (O26, O103, O111, O145 and O157).

Feeding strategies alter gene expression of the calpain system and meat quality in the longissimus muscle of Braford steers.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of supplementing pasture-finished steers with corn silage on the expression level of the calpain system proteins and beef tenderization.

Methods: Thirty Braford steers grazing on summer pasture were used for the study. For 120 days fifteen animals were supplemented with corn silage at 1% of body weight per head per day (Suppl) whereas the remaining 15 steers only received pasture (Contr).

A Contribution of Beef to Human Health: A Review of the Role of the Animal Production Systems.

Meat and meat products constitute important source of protein, fat, and several functional compounds. Although beef consumption may implicate possible negative impacts on human health, its consumption can also contribute to human health. Quality traits of beef, as well as its nutritional properties, depend on animal genetics, feeding, livestock practices, and post mortem procedures.

Galacturonosyltransferase 4 silencing alters pectin composition and carbon partitioning in tomato.

Pectin is a main component of the plant cell wall and is the most complex family of polysaccharides in nature. Its composition is essential for the normal growth and morphology pattern, as demonstrated by pectin-defective mutant phenotypes. Besides this basic role in plant physiology, in tomato, pectin structure contributes to very important quality traits such as fruit firmness.

Effect of aging on the characteristics of meat from water buffalo grown in the Delta del Paraná region of Argentina.

Fifteen crossbreed water buffalos were selected from a farm in Delta del Paraná, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina. Animals were castrated males 20-24 months old reaching final live weights of 400-420kg. They were predominantly of Mediterranean and Murrah breeds and were feed in naturally grown pastures.