No abstract

Chicken meat is a popular food commodity that is widely consumed worldwide. However, the shelf-life or quality maintenance of chicken meat is a major concern for industries because of spoilage by microbial growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chitosan and duck fat-based emulsion coatings on the quality characteristics and microbial stability of chicken meat during refrigerated storage. The coated chicken meat samples were as follows: control (non-coated), DFC0 (coated with duck fat), DFC0.5 (coated with duck fat and 0.5% chitosan), DFC1 (coated with duck fat and 1% chitosan), DFC2 (coated with duck fat and 2% chitosan), and SOC2 (coated with soybean oil and 2% chitosan). The results showed that the apparent viscosity and coating rate were higher in DFC2 than in other groups. Physicochemical parameters (pH, color, and Warner–Bratzler shear force) were better in DFC2 than those in other groups during 15 days of storage. Moreover, DFC2 delayed lipid oxidation, protein deterioration, and growth of microorganisms during storage. These data suggest that chitosan-supplemented duck fat-based emulsion coating could be used to maintain the quality of raw chicken meat during refrigerated storage.

Propiconazole (PCZ) is a hepatotoxic triazole fungicide. There are insufficient data on how PCZ induces liver fibrosis in humans. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PCZ on liver fibrosis and its underlying mechanisms. HepG2 cells and Sprague−Dawley rats were exposed to PCZ at doses of 0−160 μM (3−72 h) and 0.5−50 mg/kg body weight/day (28 days), respectively. PCZ-treated cells activated intracellular oxidative stress via cytochrome P450 and had higher mRNA levels of interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) than the control. PCZ treatment in cells induced a morphological transition with E-cadherin decrease and vimentin and Snail increase via the oxidative stress and TGF-β/Smad pathways. PCZ administration in rats induced liver fibrosis through pathological changes, epithelial−mesenchymal transition, and collagen deposition. Thus, our data suggest that exposure of PCZ to humans may be a risk factor for the functional integrity of the liver.

Purpose: Climate and lifestyle changes increase an individual's susceptibility to various allergens and also the incidence of allergic diseases. We aimed to examine the changes in sensitization rate for aeroallergens over a 10-year period in Korean children. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 4493 children who visited the allergy clinic at a tertiary hospital in Korea for allergic rhinitis or asthma from January 2009 to December 2018. The serum specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were measured to confirm the sensitization against Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae), Alternaria, weed and tree pollen mixtures, as well as cat and dog dander through ImmunoCAP test. Results: D. farinae was the most common sensitizing aeroallergen (45.9%) during the 10-year span. The sensitization rate for tree pollen mixture (p for trend <0.001), weed pollen mixtures (p for trend <0.001), dog dander (p for trend=0.025), and cat dander (p for trend=0.003) showed ascending trends during the 10-year study period. Furthermore, the sensitization rate for multiple allergens (≥2) in 2018 increased significantly compared to that in 2009 (p for trend=0.013). Compared with children without sensitization to D. farinae, those with sensitization to D. farinae showed higher sensitization rates to other aeroallergens (p for interaction <0.001). Conclusion: Children's sensitization rate to cat and dog dander and weed and tree pollen mixtures significantly increased during the 10-year period in Korea. Children with sensitization to D. farinae are likely to be sensitized to other aeroallergens as well.

Emulsion gel has been used to replace animal fats in meat products. Konjac is a widely used gelling agent; however, its low emulsion stability limits its use in meat products. This study aimed to examine the quality characteristics of β-cyclodextrin (CD)-supplemented konjac-based emulsion gel (KEG) (CD-KEG) and its application as a fat substitute in emulsion-type sausages. The supplementation of CD increased hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with konjac and oil in the gels, respectively. Additionally, CD increased the structural complexity and strength of KEG. Since adding more than 6% of CD to KEG did not increase the gel strength, 6% CD-added KEG was adopted to substitute for pork backfat in manufacturing low-fat emulsion-type sausages. The following formulations of the sausages were prepared: pork backfat 20% (PF20); pork backfat 10% + KEG 10% (KEG10); KEG 20% (KEG20); pork backfat 10% + CD-KEG 10% (CD-KEG10); CD-KEG 20% (CD-KEG20); and pork backfat 5% (PF5). The CD-KEG20 formulation exhibited higher viscosity and viscoelasticity than KEG20, which suggested that CD improves the rheological properties and the thermal stability of meat batter. Additionally, CD-KEG20 showed similar emulsion stability, cooking yield and texture parameters compared with PF20. Therefore, 6% CD-added KEG is a suitable fat substitute for preparing low-fat emulsion-type sausages.

Ethics approval (IRB/IACUC) (This field may be published.) This manuscript does not require IRB/IACUC approval because there are no human and animal participants.

Due to concerns about the negative effects of phosphate on human health, the development of phosphate substitutes is an active area of research. Among the various methods, the structural modification of proteins has previously been established. In this study, we used grafting technology. Extracted insect protein was grafted with palatinose (GI), and 0.1 and 0.15% of GI were added to a phosphate-free meat emulsion mixed with 0.1% of eggshell powder (ES). The pH, myofibrillar protein solubility, and apparent viscosity increased with the addition of GI and ES (p < 0.05). Color values were also affected by GI and ES addition (decreased CIE L* and CIE a* and increased CIE b*; p < 0.05), while cooking loss was only improved by the addition of ES and not GI. Although the total fluid separated more than negative control (p < 0.05), the addition of ES improved emulsion stability and total expressible fluid separation and the fat separation reduced with addition of GI and ES (p < 0.05). Lipid oxidation was inhibited by the addition of GI and ES (p < 0.05). Moreover, the protein molecular weight distribution under 20 kDa was modified by the addition of GI, and the hardness and springiness of treatments decreased. In conclusion, the addition of GI and ES might be used to improve cooking loss, emulsion stability, and antioxidants, while the textural properties should be further researched.

Objective: Frankfurters are emulsion-type sausages that are widely consumed worldwide.However, some concerns regarding negative health effects have been raised because of the high fat content and the type of fat. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of duck fat and κcarrageenan as replacements for beef fat and pork backfat in frankfurters. Methods:The different formulations for the frankfurters were as follows: 20% beef fat (BF), 20% pork backfat (PBF), 20% duck fat (DF), 20% soybean oil (SO), 20% duck fat/1% κcarrageenan (DFC), and 20% soybean oil/1% κ-carrageenan (SOC). Physicochemical (fatty acid profile, color, rheological properties, cooking loss, water holding capacity, emulsion stability, and texture profile analysis), oxidative stability and sensory properties of frankfurters were evaluated. Results:The results showed that physicochemical parameters were improved in DFC compared to the other groups. Moreover, both DF and DFC had higher oxidative stability than SO and SOC during storage (4 °C, 28 d). The organoleptic properties of DFC were also found to be acceptable to sensory panelists.As dDuck fat and κ-carrageenan increased improved rheological properties of meat batter, and physicochemical properties (emulsion stability, cooking loss, and hardness) of frankfurters. were significantly improved. Moreover, duck fat added-frankfurters (DF and DFC) had higher oxidative stability than that of soybean-added frankfurters (SO and SOC) during refrigerated storage for 28 days. In sensory evaluation, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability of DFC were acceptable to untrained panelists. Conclusion:Our data suggested that duck fat and κ-carrageenan can replace beef fat and pork backfat in frankfurters. Duck fat and κ-carrageenan contributed to improve the physicochemical properties and oxidative stability without a significant loss ofwhile maintaining sensory properties. Therefore, the use of duck fat and κ-carrageenan may be a