In the present study, 16 samples representing Fasciola (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Digenea) from sheep and cattle from seven geographical locations in Niger were characterized genetically by sequences of the first (ITS-1) and second (ITS-2) internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The ITS rDNA was amplified from individual liver flukes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the amplicons were sequenced directly. The lengths of the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences were 422 and 361/362 bp, respectively, for all liver fluke samples sequenced. Comparison of the ITS sequences of the Niger Fasciola samples examined in the present study with that of Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica, and the "intermediate Fasciola" from elsewhere revealed that the Niger Fasciola samples examined represent two species, namely F. hepatica and F. gigantica. This is the first demonstration of the existence of both F. hepatica and F. gigantica in Niger by a genetic approach, which provides foundation for further studies on F. hepatica and F. gigantica in Niger and has implications for studying the population genetic structure of the Niger Fasciola and for the diagnosis and control of the disease they cause.

Pomegranate, similar to other fruits, has juice-extraction by-products. Pomegranate seed oil (PGO) is a non-traditional oil with health benefits, rich in bioactive components. This study was aimed to assess PGO phytochemicals and their influence as bioactive components to reduce mycotoxin secretion. The encapsulation was applied in micro and nanoforms to protect the quality and enhance the efficacy of the oil. The PGO was extracted using ultrasound-assisted methods. Carotenoids, tocochromanols, sterols, phenolic, flavonoid, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity were determined. The fatty acid profile was analyzed by the GC-MS, while mycotoxin was determined utilizing the HPLC apparatus. The toxicity and protective action of oil were examined using the hepatocytes’ cell line. The resultant oil acts as oleoresin that is rich in bioactive molecules. Phenolics and antioxidant potency recorded higher values compared to traditional vegetable oils, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids were 87.51%. The major fatty acid was conjugated punicic acid (81.29%), which has high biological effects. Application of the PGO on fungal media reduced aflatoxins secretion up to 63%, and zearalenone up to 78.5%. These results confirm the bio-functionality of oil to regulate the fungal secondary metabolites process. The PGO is a unique prospective non-traditional oil and has several functionalities in food, which achieve nutritional, antioxidant, and anti-mycotoxigenic activities.

Simple SummaryThe present study aimed to investigate the influences of muscle type and postmortem storage period on meat chemical composition and quality attributes of three breeds of camels, including Baladi Saudi, Pakistani, and Somali. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani had better carcass characteristics than Somali. In addition, the longissimus lumborum muscle had better meat quality and the storage process can enhance quality features of meats that have relatively small amounts of connective tissue and that have not cold-shortened.AbstractThe influence of muscle type and postmortem storage period on meat chemical composition and quality attributes of three breeds of camels (Baladi Saudi, Pakistani, and Somali) were investigated in this study. Crude fat and ash content were significantly higher in the Pakistani than in the Baladi Saudi and Somali breeds, except for higher moisture content observed in the Somali breed. The longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles had a greater crude protein than the biceps femoris (BF) muscle. Storage period exhibited a significant reduction in pH values and improvement in color components of meat. The Somali breed produced higher cooking loss % and shear force, with a lower water holding capacity than the Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds. The LL muscle had better cooking loss %, water holding capacity, and shear force, whereas storage period (7 days) exhibited a significant reduction in the myofibrillar fragmentation index. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds and LL muscle samples presented better meat sensory attributes, while storage period had no significant influence on the overall sensory characters of meat. In conclusion, there were significant differences between the chemical and structural characteristics of the LL, BF, and SM muscle samples among the three breeds of camel. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani had better meat quality traits than the Somali breed. In addition, LL muscles had better nutritional values and meat quality parameters than BF and SM muscles. Improvement in meat quality attributes were achieved with the storage process of 7 days. It is observed that, the Saudi Baladi camels have a merit of low fat content over both Somali and Pakistani camel breeds. It is also concluded that no significant effects were observed between the treatments as a result of storage when sensory attributes were considered. Moreover, breed, muscle and storage period were interacted significantly only with regard to lightness color space and shear force. This is useful knowledge for the meat industry for optimizing processing and storage procedures for various camel muscles.

Nanoencapsulation is an attractive novel technique used for incorporating essential oils in food preparations and pharmaceutical formulae. This study investigated the effect of nanoencapsulation on the composition of volatile compounds, as well as the antioxidant and anticancer activities of hydrodistilled (HD) Origanum glandulosum Desf. Oil, which was encapsulated into nanocapsules via High Speed Homogenization (HSH) and into nanoemulsions through High Pressure Homogenization (HPH). Thirty-two volatile components were identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) in HD essential oil representing 99.04% of the total oil content. GC-MS analysis showed that the use of HPH to prepare nanoemulsions negatively affected the active compounds present in HD oil, particularly carvacrol and thymol, whereas the use of HSH led to significant quantitative differences in the composition of volatiles between HD oil and nanocapsules but generated the same profile. Consistent with the differences in total phenolics, total flavonoids, and volatiles identified in HD and nanoparticles, HD essential oil exhibited a higher antioxidant activity (IC 50 4.22 mg/ mL) than nanocapsules (IC 50 57.51 mg/mL) and nanoemulsion (IC 50 78.50 mg/mL), while nanocapsules showed the strongest cytotoxic effect on liver cancer cell line Hep-G2 (54.93 μg/mL) in comparison to HD oil (73.13 μg/mL) and nanoemulsions (131.6 μg/mL).The Origanum genus (Lamiaceae family) includes approximately 38 species that have been studied extensively for potential importance, and uses in flavoring foods and traditional medicine due to their pharmacological characteristics 1 . Origanum species are widely distributed in North Africa, eastern Mediterranean, and Siberian regions. According to Kokkini 2 , Origanum taxa are rich in essential oils that exhibit well-known antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Based on the chemical composition of essential oils, Origanum species have been classified into three main chemotypes: thymol/carvacrol, linalool/terpinen-4-ol, and sesquiterpenes.Origanum glandulosum Desf., which belong to thymol and /or carvacrol chemotype, is an endemic herb of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia used in traditional medicine to treat cough, rheumatism, diabetes, and fever 3 . Previous studies have reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities of the essential oil extracted from O. glandulosum Desf 4-7 . However, to the best of our knowledge, the anticancer properties of this oil have not yet been investigated, despite the focus of several recent studies on the use of natural products with potent antioxidant activity in cancer treatment 8 .Like most essential oils, the use of O. glandulosum Desf. oil in food or pharmaceutical industries may have some limitations owing to its aroma, flavor, volatility, poor dispersibility in hydrophilic media, and sensitivity

Thirty-nine volatile compounds identified in hydrodistilled essential oil (HD) of Egyptian parsley, representing 97.87% of the total oil, while solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) revealed 16 components constituting 96.54% of the volatile material. Monoterpenes were the predominant in both extracts with considerable quantitative differences, while a dramatic decrease in myristicin from 26.21% in HD extract to 4.87% in HS-SPME extract occurred. Myristicin, β-phellandrene and myrecene were the major components among 38 identified components accounting for 92.87% of the total identified volatiles in Madinah hydrodistillate. Parsley essential oil of Madinah exhibited a higher scavenging ability for 2,2ʹ-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl in comparison to Egyptian parsley oil.

Free L- and D-amino acids were determined by chiral GC-MS in 26 wines, comprising white wines, red wines, ice wines and sparkling wines. The aim of the work was to investigate whether quantities and pattern of D-amino acids, in particular D-proline, correlate with the storage time of bottled wines. The relative quantities with respect to the corresponding L-enantiomer ranged in white wines from 0.4 to 3.9% D-Ala, 0.9-8.3% D-Asx, and 0.5-8.9% D-Glx, in red wines from 2.9 to 10.6% D-Ala, 2.2-10.9% D-Asx, and 3.9-7.4% D-Glx, and in sparkling wines from 2.2 to 9.8% D-Ala, 2.1-4.4% D-Asx and 1.3-6.1% D-Glx. Low relative quantities of 0.3-0.7% D-Pro were detected in three white wines stored for more than 20 years and did not exceed 0.2% D-Pro in two red wines stored for 10 and 20 years, respectively. An ice wine stored for 24 years contained 0.9% D-Pro, 6.4% D-Glx, 3.0% D-Asp and 1.5% D-Ala. The data confirm the presence of D-amino acids in wines. They do not provide evidence for a correlation between the storage time of bottled wines and quantities of D-amino acids.

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