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Whole grain cereals such as oats are important sources of phenolic compounds. Oats contain phenolic amides, also named avenanthramides (AVAs), which have beneficial health properties because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects. The most common avenanthramides are esters of 5-hydroxyanthranilic acid with p-coumaric (AVA-A), ferulic (AVA-B), or caffeic (AVA-C) acids. The studies related to the stability of AVAs showed that AVA-B is sensitive to alkaline and neutral conditions and this sensitivity increases with higher temperatures. However, has been reported that AVA-A and AVA -C are more stable under the same conditions (alkaline and neutral conditions), and in addition that AVAs content of oats is increasing significantly with the germination process. AVAs help in preventing free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol while AVAs-enriched extract of oats combined with vitamin C synergistically inhibited LDL oxidation in vitro. Both animal studies and human clinical trials confirmed that oats antioxidants have the potential of reducing cardiovascular risks by lowering serum cholesterol and inhibiting LDL oxidation and peroxidation. Therefore, the consumption of oats and products thereof is extremely important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

The antioxidant activity of 17 Czech medicinal plants was studied and compared with the antioxidant activity of green tea. The antioxidant activities of water and ethanol extracts of the plants tested were determined by a spectrophotometric method using the stable free radical DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), and further the contents of the compounds with reducing properties in water extracts were determined by flow injection analysis with amperometric detection (using a detection potential +0.7 V). Considerable antioxidant activities were found in the extracts of plants from the Rosaceae family (rosehips and leaves of raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry), the Lamiaceae family (oregano, sweet balm, thyme, dead-nettle, and mint), and flowers of linden and elder.

We evaluated changes in the content of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity of frozen spinach, peas, and sweet corn in relation to the storage period. Total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity in analysed samples were determined by colorimetric methods. Both parameters were analysed in frozen samples monthly and the changes were monitored during storage in a freezing box at a temperature of -18°C for 10 months. Freezing had a different influence on the levels of total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity in individual analysed samples. The greatest decrease in antioxidant activity during the entire period of freezing was recorded in spinach (79.4%), while the lowest decrease was observed in peas (26.8%). A relatively significant decrease in antioxidant activity was also found in sweet corn (62.7%). On the contrary, the greatest decrease of total polyphenol content throughout the period of freezing was found in peas (62.0%), and lowest decrease was recorded in sweet corn (only 5.0%). The total polyphenol content in spinach decreased by 43.1% after 10 months of storage.

Antioxidant activities and free radical-mediated DNA strand breakages of five hydroxycinnamic acids were examined. Kinetic analysis of a stable galvinoxy (GO*)-scavenging reaction of hydroxycinnamic acids demonstrated that the molecular structure and the reaction medium were two important factors affecting the antioxidant mechanism and activity. In methanol, the kinetic process of the compounds, which have electron-donating groups (-OH, -OCH₃) in the ortho- or para-position of 4-OH, was primarily governed by the sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET mechanism). While, in ethyl acetate, the reaction mechanism is predominantly direct hydrogen atom transfer (HAT mechanism). But for the compounds having only one hydroxyl, both in ethyl acetate and methanol, the reaction mechanism is only HAT. At the same time, the compound bearing o-diphenoxyl is not the most active one in our tested environment.

The molecular techniques (C-PCR, RT-PCR) in the detection and quantification of allergic substances of hazelnut in various categories of food commodities, e.g. breakfast cereals, chocolates and biscuits, frequently involved in allergic outbreaks was implemented. For the detection of hazelnut a gene coding the major allergenic protein Cor a1 was selected. In some instances, the presence of hazelnuts is not declared on the label and the products may carry no warning for potentially allergenic substances, usually referred to as "traces". A total of 150 samples were collected from local supermarkets and analysed for the purpose of the study. From these, a total of 38 (25.3%) specimens contained hazelnut, 30 (20.0%) contained "traces" of hazelnut, 26 (17.3%) contained a label warning for the possible presence of "traces" of allergenic substances, and 56 (37.3%) specimens contained no food allergy labels. Among them, using the C-PCR, 36 (94.7%), 10 (33.3%), 5 (19.2%), and 5 (8.9%) specimens were detected as positive, respectively. Using the RT-PCR, 38 (100%), 15 (50%), 7 (26.9%) and 8 (14.3%) specimens were detected as positive, respectively. Finally, by combining both methods, 38 (100%), 17 (56.7%), 9 (34.6%), and 10 (17.9%) specimens were identified as positive, respectively.

in recent years, great attention has been paid to the quality of eaten meat and its products. There have been launched a lot of promotional campaigns aimed at providing opportunities for the consumption of traditional products. Based on the experiment, a significantly higher protein content was found in sausages produced by large producers (24.73 ± 1.98%). The fat content was significantly higher in traditional ham (16.25 ± 14.47%), compared with local ham (4.38 ± 2.26%) and the mass (9.29 ± 5.25%). The samples of traditional and local ham had a significantly higher salt content (3.31 ± 0.72 and 2.90 ± 0.54%, respectively). No dye compounds were detected in any of the tested samples. There were no statistically significant differences in hydroxyproline and l‑glutamic acid content between traditional and conventional samples of meat products. Analysis of nitrate (V and III) showed a statistically significant difference in the average contents of these compounds. Significantly higher levels of nitrates were revealed only in traditional ham samples (12.60 ± 8.08 mg NaNO(V)/kg and 17.53 ± 27.91 mg NaNO(III)/kg of the product, respectively), wherein there was a large variation in the content of these compounds in the samples.

Polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and vitamin C from Clinacanthus nutans were extracted by an ultrasonic microwave-assisted method. The optimal extraction conditions were established in distilled water, solid-liquid ratio 1 : 55 g/ml, irradiation power 90 W, and extraction cycle with 75 seconds. Results revealed that the solid-liquid ratio exerted a significant effect on polyphenols, whereas the irradiation power played a key role in the extraction of flavonoids, triterpenoids, and vitamin C. Under these conditions the extraction yield of each component was: polyphenols 8.893, flavonoids 25 936, triterpenoids 16 789, and vitamin C 0.166 mg/g. These results showed that the ultrasonic microwave-assisted extraction was an efficient technology to extract bioactive substances from Clinacanthus nutans and Clinacanthus nutans could potentially be a source of natural antioxidants.

The growth behaviour of foodborne pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp.) was investigated in pasteurised camel milk and compared with pasteurised bovine milk at different incubation temperatures. This study also aimed to compare the growth patterns of these four foodborne pathogens in pasteurised and raw camel milk. Pasteurised or raw camel milk and pasteurised bovine milk were separately inoculated with a cocktail of three strains of each foodborne pathogen. The inoculated milk samples were incubated at 10, 25, and 37°C. The total bacterial count (TBC) in raw milk and the total thermoduric bacteria count (TDB) in pasteurised milk samples were monitored. Greater growth inhibition rates of four pathogens were obtained for the pasteurised camel milk compared to the pasteurised bovine milk. Raw and pasteurised camel milk exerted bacteriostatic effect against all tested pathogens, particularly for the first 8 h of incubation in milk at the different temperatures. Pasteurised camel milk exerted an inhibitory activity that was equivalent to that of raw camel milk.

The important nutritional characteristics of the Rubiota spelt variety, grown in the Czech Republic, were reported. We evaluated the contents of total dietary fibre, protein, wet gluten, total starch, and starch fractions, i.e. rapidly digested starch, slowly digested starch, and resistant starch in pearled grain of spelt and in pearling fines. We measured these properties depending on the degree of kernel abrasion. Small differences were found between the sequential pearling cycles in the pearled spelt but significant differences were observed in the fines. In this study we also compared two methods for determining total and resistant starch.

The efficiency of microbial transglutaminase (MTG) obtained from Streptoverticillum ladakanaum fermentation of sorghum grain and DDGS hydrolysates (HMTG) in increasing the mechanical properties of restructured meat and fish products was evaluated in this study. Gels were obtained by adding HMTG or commercial MTG at 0.3 U/g, and controls lacked enzyme. All treatments were supplemented with 2.0% NaCl. The gels with enzyme showed a lower amount of expressible water, similar to those obtained with CMTG (6% for fish gels and 8% for beef gels). Texture values were also similar. The results showed the feasibility of employing MTG obtained from sorghum hydrolysates.

Citronellol and hydroxy citronellal are fragrance ingredients used in decorative cosmetics and fine fragrances. They have many applications in flavourings, extracts, foods, and drugs manufacturing. Their use worldwide is in the range exceeding 1000 metric tons per annum. Previous studies investigated the biotransformation of citral by the free cell method and immobilised cell method with Saccharomyces cerevisae. In this research, the microbial transformation of citral by the sporulated surface cultures method with Aspergillus niger-PTCC 5011 was studied. In experiments, A. niger was inoculated on solid media in conical flasks. The transformation took place for the periods of time of 6 days and 15 days. The results were analysed by the theoretical study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The major compounds produced in 6 days were acetone (26.2%) and hydroxy citronellal (37.0%), while the major compounds after the 15-day period were acetone (15.0%) and citronellol (36.0%). As citronellol has numerous commercial applications, the 15-day biotransformation period was found to be preferable.

Several multivariate methods including partial least squares (PLS) regression, principal component regression (PCR) or multiple linear regression (MLR) have been applied to predict wine quality, based on the definition of chemical and phenolic parameters of grapes and wines harvested at different ripening levels. Three different models including grape phenolic maturity parameters (grape), wine phenolic parameters (wine) and a combination of grape and wine phenolic parameters (grape + wine) were analysed for each of the wine sensory attributes. The grape parameter model has been presented as the best test to predict wine quality based on sensory scores. On the other hand, wine models showed lower accuracy. The combination of grape and wine parameters presented intermediate results showing sometimes good predictability. Moreover, PLS and PCR appeared as more accurate multivariate methods compared to MLR. Although MLR showed higher correlation coefficients, lower RPD values were observed, displaying thus its lower prediction accuracy. Multivariate calibration statistics appeared as a promising tool to predict wine sensory quality in an easy and inexpensive way.

The technology of a functional fermented buttermilk-based beverage was developed and the impact of beverage consumption on the health parameters of young volunteers was studied. Three functional beverages were made on the basis of buttermilk, which differed in the composition. The beverage containing the buttermilk-skimmed milk-milk protein concentrate (0.3%) as a product with the preferred quality characteristics (synaeresis, viscosity, sensory properties, and acceptability) was used for further studies regarding the impact on human health. The medical nutrition experiments did not show any statistically significant effect on the biochemical blood parameters of 25 young volunteers after a 21-day period of the consumption of fermented buttermilk beverage with milk protein concentrate, although some of them (e.g. total, low- and high-density cholesterol, triacylglycerol concentrations, etc.) slightly decreased. The anthropometric and body composition, arterial blood pressure, and pulse evaluation indicators of recipients did not change significantly.

A reliable, qualitative PCR-based detection method for the traceability and authentication of common and Tartary buckwheat was developed. Five InDel markers developed from chloroplast genome variation between the two species were applied for 96 buckwheat accessions and all accessions were easily differentiated as Tartary and common buckwheat using these markers. We also determined the sample detection limit by PCR and qPCR as 0.001 and 0.02 ng/µl, respectively. InDel markers could detect the mixture of two species flour up to 10% contamination. InDel markers were also applied to processed foods such as noodles and tea, and we found that species-specific PCR bands could be used to identify buckwheat even after processing. Hence, these InDel markers are simple with higher specificity and sensitivity and are reliable for the authentication of buckwheat processed foods.

Carcass fat cover is used in many countries as a predictor of meat quality, although studies relating this parameter to sensor y quality of meat are scarce and are mainly based on acceptability or palatability evaluation. The samples of calf chops with three different degrees of carcass fat cover were analysed according to a specific method for sensor y quality assessment. A trained panel evaluated the samples and scored the sensor y quality related to odour, texture, flavour, and persistence. Samples with higher carcass fat cover presented significantly better scores for texture, flavour, and persistence, although not for odour. When calculating global sensor y quality by integrating the cited parameters, significant differences were found between the three fat cover groups. Texture, f lavour, and persistence were also correlated with fat cover and marbling degree. Specific sensor y characteristics (medium tenderness, slightly tough, rancid odour, cooked meat aroma, equal or higher than fat aroma, ver y low aroma intensity, dominance of fat aroma, obvious liver aroma and milky aroma) contributed to explaining the quality differences obser ved among the groups.

Durum semolina was replaced with 10, 15, and 20% of chestnut flour. Pasta was produced on a single screw extruder with the temperature profile of 80/90/90°C and on a laboratory minipress. Pasta samples were dried at room temperature and physical and sensory properties were determined. Generally, the chestnut flour addition to durum wheat pasta decreased optimum cooking time, hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness, but increased cooking losses and pasta adhesiveness. Samples made on an extruder showed shorter optimum cooking times in relation to samples made on a minipress. Absorbed water was decreased with chestnut flour addition. Pasta made on an extruder showed a higher sensory score in comparison with pasta made on a minipress. The addition of chestnut flour influenced the colour of the samples. Samples made on an extruder showed darker colour in dried and cooked pasta samples in relation to minipress samples. In dried pasta samples, the extruder gave yellower samples in relation to the minipress, while in cooked pasta samples it was reversed. Overall, the extruder gave higher-quality pasta compared to the minipress.

We present a successful use of the plasmid inhibition detection and DNA isolation protocol optimisation for four food/feed samples in qPCR analysis of the sequence coding for chloroplast tRNA-Leu: two meat meal samples and two samples made of cranberries (jam and dried fruit). The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can be inhibited by various substances and the DNA content in the sample can be underestimated. It is necessary to identify the PCR inhibition and choose an optimal DNA isolation protocol to correctly evaluate the sample. In a previous study, we have developed an assay using plasmid DNA carrying a non-homologous random sequence identifying possible inhibitors in qPCR in food/feed samples. The plasmid assay allowed to effectively reveal the PCR inhibition in all of the different sample matrices and to choose an optimal DNA isolation protocol.

Many studies show that the consumption of juices rich in polyphenols may increase serum antioxidant capacity, improve blood lipid profile, and endothelial function. The relation between the consumption of chokeberry juice and changes in the antioxidant capacity, blood lipid profile, and endothelial function as important indicators in the assessment of cardiovascular risk were determined. The study was conducted on a group of 11 healthy volunteers, who consumed chokeberry juice for three weeks. The research included determination of serum antioxidant capacity, blood lipid profile analysis, and measurements of endothelial function. The 3-week consumption of chokeberry juice significantly increased serum antioxidant capacity, and the best results were observed just after one week of the experiment. However, there was no significant change in the blood lipid profile, except for the persons with a higher level of triglycerides, in whom the consumption of chokeberry juice reduced these compounds to normal values. The endothelial function was normal in all patients and did not significantly change during the study.

A unique project exists in the Czech Republic, namely the Czech National Programme of Protection of Genetic Resources of Economically Significant Microorganisms and Tiny Animals (NPPGR), which includes nineteen Czech collections of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi), viruses, and tiny animals. It is fully financed by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. Under this Programme, the Culture Collection of Fungi (CCF) in Prague maintains 293 fungal strains, 225 of which are food and feed relevant fungi (e.g. toxigenic Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium verrucosum, and Fusarium sporotrichioides). The main aims of the Programme are to provide adequate protection of the microbial genetic resources that are of importance to the agriculture and food industries, to provide strains (free of charge) for the research and educational purposes, and to support the cooperation between Czech and foreign institutions. A database of all microorganisms is accessible online.

We determine the effects of the technology of obtaining potato protein preparation and of different variants of enzymatic hydrolysis on the chemical and amino acid compositions of the hydrolysates obtained. Potato protein concentrates obtained through their thermal coagulation in potato juice with calcium chloride, calcium lactate or without salt addition were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using two commercial hydrolytic enzymes: endopeptidase (Alcalase) and exopeptidase (Flavourzyme). Chemical (contents of ash, total and coagulable protein) and amino acid compositions of the hydrolysates obtained were determined. On the ground of the findings it was stated that the type of potato protein preparation used and conditions of enzymatic modification influenced on the properties of the hydrolysates obtained. Preparations obtained during the study were characterised by similar chemical and amino acid compositions, whereas the preparation obtained through thermal coagulation with the use of calcium lactate contained insignificantly more protein and essential amino acids. The least liable to enzymatic hydrolysis was the preparation obtained by using calcium chloride, particularly when only endopeptidase was used. The application of endopeptidase enzyme enabled to obtain 60% of proteolysis efficiency and the addition of the second enzyme (exopeptidase) to the protein solution insignificantly increased the proteolysis efficiency (to ca 70%), mainly when the preparation coagulated with the use of calcium chloride was hydrolysed. Proteolysis of the protein preparations obtained with the use of two enzymes was more favourable, particularly due to the quantity of free amino acids in and amino acids composition of the hydrolysates.

In total 228 enterococci strains isolated from food were studied. Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, and E. casseliflavus were found to be the dominant strains while E. durans and E. mundtii were present in a smaller extent. Antimicrobial activity determined by double layer technique revealed that 150 (65.7%) strains showed antimicrobial activity against the individual tested pathogenic strains of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicilin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Cell-free neutralised supernatants (CFNS) were prepared from 150 potential bacteriocin producers. Of these 150, CFNS 107 (71.3%) strains were active in the bacteriocin production against one or more pathogenic strains tested. S. aureus and MRSA were found to be more sensitive to the antimicrobial substances than L. monocytogenes. Multiplex PCR for the detection of seven virulence genes in bacteriocin producing strains showed that 47.6% of strains were able to amplify one or more virulence genes. E. faecalis was the most virulent species. The presence of tyrdc gene was seen in all bacteriocin producing strains. None of the strains carried genes encoding the resistance to vancomycin.

The effect of whey powder, whey protein concentrate, caseinomacropeptide, and malt addition into milk on the growth and acid production of lactobacilli (Lactobacillus casei Lafti L-26, Lactobacillus acidophilus CCDM 151, and Lactobacillus casei CCDM 198) was evaluated. The ability of these strains to use different types of saccharides from milk and plant sources was also tested. Glucose, galactose, fructose and maltose were utilised by all tested strains. The results showed that the addition of malt positively affected the growth of lactobacilli strains compared to the growth in milk enriched by whey ingredients. The addition of malt increased significantly the production of d(-)isomer of lactic acid by Lactobacillus acidophilus CCDM 151 and Lactobacillus casei CCDM 198 and the production of acetic acid by Lactobacillus casei CCDM 198.

The results of chemical and microbial analyses of raw milk samples coming from organic and conventional farming systems were statistically compared. The samples were analysed during a twelve-month period (June-May). A total of 2206 samples were collected of which 528 were organic. After raw milk was processed, sensory hedonic quality of 171 pairs of organic and conventional non-standardised pasteurised whole milk samples were evaluated using the pair comparison preference test. Four parameters in raw milk, free fatty acids, urea content, somatic cell count and coliform bacteria count, showed no significant differences between the two types of production. Significantly higher contents of protein, casein, lactose, and non-fat solids were detected in conventional milk, which also had a significantly lower freezing point. On the contrary, significantly higher contents of total mesophilic bacteria count and a higher percentage of samples with positive coliform bacteria count were found in organic milk samples. Sensory analysis of pasteurised milk showed no significant hedonic difference between organic and conventional samples.

The changes in total phenolics, hydroxycinammic acid derivatives, and antioxidant properties of spearmint after five drying treatments (convection oven drying, freeze-drying, microwave drying, and air drying with the sun exposure and without the sun exposure) were investigated. Phenolic composition of dried spearmint was analysed by spectrophotometric assays, while DPPH radical scavenging activity and Ferric reducing/Antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was used to measure the antioxidant properties. The results showed that freeze drying produced dried spearmint that had the highest total phenolics (34.6 ± 1.9 mg/g) content and the most potent antioxidant capacity (126.2 ± 0.4 mg/g for FRAP and 88.1 ± 5.9 mg/g for DPPH, respectively). On the other hand, spearmint that was dried by convection oven and microwave drying presented the lowest amount of phenolic compounds (12.0 ± 0.5 mg/g) and antioxidant potency (49.3 ± 0.7 mg/g for FRAP and 26.9 ± 1.6 mg/g for DPPH, respectively). This might be attributed to the fact that heat-sensitive phenolics were degraded or biotransformed at high temperatures. The loss of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity reached up to 60% compared to freeze drying.

An improved screening procedure was developed for the detection of amino acid decarboxylase-positive microorganisms (especially lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteria). Monolayer culture and double layer colour development methods for the detection of amino acid decarboxylase-positive lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteria were established. Biogenic amine-positive bacteria strain was isolated directly from the samples. The applicability and detection level of the designed medium were quantitatively evaluated by the confirmation of the amine-forming capacity using an HPLC procedure, while tyrosine decarboxylase and lysine decarboxylase genes were detected by PCR with specific primers. The screening method showed a good correlation with the chemical analysis and molecular detection. Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus faecalis were obtained from traditional Chinese sausage. The isolation and screening of amino acid decarboxylase-positive lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteria can be carried out simultaneously by the improved method.

The urea complexation was used to concentrate n-3 fatty acids (FA) from crude and refined commercial salmon oils. The experimental procedure included salmon oil saponification, free fatty acid (FFA) collection, formation of urea-FFA inclusion complexes, extraction of free n-3 FA and further analysis by gas-liquid chromatography of the corresponding FA methyl esters. Differences between crude and refined salmon oil could be observed. Crude oil provided higher typical odour, viscosity and suspension particle values, whereas crude salmon oil showed higher FFA and impurities content while p-anisidine and iodine values, moisture content and formation of conjugated dienes and trienes did not provide any significant differences between both oils; refined oil showed lower a* and b* scores when compared to its counterpart crude oil. Related to the n-3 PUFA concentration, a decrease in saturated fatty acids C 14:0, C 16:0, and C 18:0 and monounsaturated fatty acids C 18:1 9c, and C 18:1 11c, as well as a high yield of n-3 PUFA, EPA+DHA and total PUFA recovering could be observed starting from both crude and refined oils, which confirmed salmon oil to be a profitable source of such highly valuable constituents. Factors such as reaction temperature and ureaFFA ratio showed to be markedly significant to achieve higher value concentrations.

Extra-virgin oil is obtained from olive fruits only by mechanical means. The quality of extra-virgin olive oils is affected mainly by hydrolytic and oxidative reactions. For this reason, the commercial shelf-life is usually no longer than 18 months. In order to investigate the effects of a prolonged storage, olives from cv. Coratina were crushed using a three phase system to produce extra virgin olive oil analysed for sensory and chemical-physical indices, phenolic profile, tocopherol content, and antioxidant activity during a 8-years storage. The oil lost its characteristics of extra-virgin after 6 years of storage, time at which the median of the defects was higher than 0 and free acidity exceeded the limit fixed for this category by the European Regulation whereas the stability against oxidation persisted for a longer period due to the high concentration of oleuropein derivatives. A strong positive linear correlation was observed between the phenolic content and antioxidant activity measured according to the ABTS^+. to indicate a noticeable radical scavenging ability of phenolic compounds.

The bioactive compounds, as well as the in vitro antioxidant activity of two Savoy cabbage cultivars, Dama and Leticia, grown in west of Spain under similar conditions were identified, quantified and compared. We found that cv. Dama presented in general betters results when compared with cv. Leticia. Cv. Dama presented higher concentrations of chlorophyll a (2.26 mg/100 g fresh weight), total phenolic content (102.71 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalent/100 g fresh weight) and total intact glucosinolates (195.22 µmol of sinigrin equivalent/100 g fresh weight). Thus, cv. Dama exhibited higher values of in vitro antioxidant activity.

We evaluated the effects of Gymnorhynchus gigas on the freshness and hygienic quality of Lepidopus caudatus. Total Volatile Basic Nitrogen (TVB-N), Trimethylamine Nitrogen (TMA-N), as well as Specific Spoilage Organisms (SSOs) are the most important freshness indicators in fish. Our study was carried-out on 65 specimens of L. caudatus kept in ice and stored at 2°C for different period of time. The microbiological charge of SSOs recovered on a portion of parasitised muscles (MP) was compared with those recovered on portions of parasite-free muscles (M). The contents of TVB-N and TMA-N on MP, M, and G. gigas larva/ae were measured using the Conway microdiffusion method. High prevalence (72.31%) of G. gigas in the specimens of L. caudatus from the Mediterranean sea was observed. No statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between M and MP were found during storage. However, massive infestation of G. gigas on the muscle of the silver scabbardfish could negatively influence TVB-N values, without compromising the sensorial characteristic of fish.

Cooking and drying conditions of the shea butter extraction process were determined using a response surface methodology. The influence of cooking time, temperature, and nuts/water mass ratio, drying time, and temperature on the content of free fatty acids, the peroxide value, as well as on the extraction yield was investigated. Results showed that both the free fatty acid content and the peroxide value were significantly affected by cooking and drying temperature; the cooking time and nuts/water ratio also affected significantly the peroxide value. Increasing cooking and drying temperature reduced the FFA content but contributed to increase the peroxide value. The cooking and drying temperature range of 75-80°C and < 54°C, respectively; cooking time of 70-100 min; drying time < 40 h, and cooking nuts/water mass ratio < 400 g/l of water were found to be optimum conditions for the extraction of shea butter.