Effect of Antibacterial Peptide Microsphere Coating on the Microbial and Physicochemical Characteristics of Tricholoma matsutake during Cold Storage

The effect of novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antimicrobial peptide microspheres (AMS) on the physicochemical and microbial quality of Tricholoma matsutake wild edible mushrooms was investigated. In the experiments, 1.0 g/L, 0.5 g/L of AMS, and 1.0 g/L AMPs were used as preservatives. Mushrooms coated with 1.0 g/L and 0.5 g/L of AMS as a preservative had better physicochemical and sensory qualities than did mushrooms coated with 1.0 g/L of AMPs. In the experiment, 1.0 g/L of blank microspheres without cathelicidin-BF-30 (PLGA-1.0) and distilled water was used as the control. Samples with these two treatments had minimal changes in texture, weight loss, total bacteria count, and sensory attributes. Research results suggests that the use of AMS can maintain the quality of Tricholoma matsutake wild edible mushrooms and could extend the postharvest life to 20 d.

Baseline composition and microbial quality assessment of raw milk from endemic small ruminants and Maghrebi camels in the oasis area of Tunisia

Characteristics and quality aspects of milk from native ovine queue fine de l’Ouest (QFO) and the local goat population were investigated and compared with those of the local Maghrebi camel. A total of 378 individual milk samples were collected from lactating animals reared in the continental oasis region of Tunisia. Samples were analyzed for physical parameters (pH, density, and acidity), chemical composition (dry matter, fat, protein, lactose, casein, ash, and casein-protein ratio), mineral concentrations (Ca, P, Na, and K) and microbiological features (total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB), total coliform count (TCC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), sulphite-reducing Clostridium (CSR), yeast and molds (Y/M), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Salmonella) according to standard methods. The results obtained for milk characteristics revealed noticeable disparities between the three species. The mean values of pH, density, and acidity in milk collected from sheep appeared higher than those in milk collected from goat species. Compared to the camel populations, sheep species produced milk with similar pH but higher density and acidity. Between camel and goat species, pH and acidity were higher in Negga, while the density was similar. For milk composition, the results showed a remarkable variation among all studied species and an obvious superiority of the ovine species over the caprine and camel populations in all the chemical contents being studied, except for the casein-protein ratio, which is in favor of goat species. The milk of QFO sheep, the richest in casein and protein, was expressed with significantly higher levels of calcium and phosphorus than goat and camel milk. Compared to small ruminants, milk from camels is the richest in Na and K. Additionally, more Ca is present in milk from camels than goats. Goat milk, the poorest type of milk in Ca and Na, contains on average more P than camel milk and more K than sheep's milk. The poor bacteriological quality was that of camel milk for all microbial counts. The microbial quality of goat milk was higher than that of ewe milk based on TMAB, TCC, and E. coli counts, while ovine milk was of better quality, referring to LAB, Y/M, and S. aureus values. No significant differences were found for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli between the examined species. The obtained results highlighted the complete absence of the two dangerous pathogens Salmonella and CSR in all investigated milk samples. The microbiological examination evidenced that the milk of small ruminant species complies with standard criteria required by Tunisian legislation on the hygiene of milk and dairy products. Regarding camel milk, the microbial analysis revealed poor quality that exceeds standard criteria.

Conventional and Non-conventional Smoking on Microbial Quality and Histamine of Ikan Fufu (Smoked Fish)

Fish is a commodity with high nutritional value. The content of this nutritional value causes fish to be easy to decompose. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and process skipjack fufu (smoked skipjack) fish that improve the quality of smoked skipjack tuna (smoked skipjack) chemically, microbiologically, and with low histamine content. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical, microbiological, and histamine quality of smoked fish with conventional and non-conventional smoking. This type of research was a quantitative study with a randomized block design. This research is a laboratory experiment with two treatments, namely conventional and non-conventional methods equipped with three replications and three blocks. The results of the test on the third day (H3) and the ninth day (H9) of storage showed that there was no growth of Salmonella sp. and Vibrio cholera in smoked fish samples with conventional (P2) and non-conventional (P1) smoking techniques. There were differences in non-conventional and conventional smoking on the histamine content in smoked fish. Conclusion. There was no growth of Salmonella sp and Vibrio cholera in smoked fish. There is a difference in the histamine content of conventional (P2) and non-conventional (P1) smoking techniques in smoked fish.

Seasonal Variation of the Microbial Quality of Local Vegetables in Giresun, the Northern Province of Turkey

Consumption of vegetables, having a significant place in nutrition of humankind, is increasing day by day as their health-improving effects have been better understood nowadays. For such vegetables, certain criteria such as organic production, season production, regional production etc. are taken into consideration. The objective of this study is to research about existence of Bacillus cereus and Salmonella spp. in the locally-grown vegetables offered in local bazaars. Parsley, lettuce, spinach, turnip, carrot, chard, Brussels sprouts and radish produced in the province of Giresun were used in the study. Bacillus cereus and Salmonella spp. analyses were carried out in line with International Organization for Standardization quality standards. Among 89 vegetable samples analyses, Salmonella spp. and B. cereus were not detected in all and 5 of the samples respectively (

Microbial Quality and Aflatoxin Levels of Bread and Flour Products Vended in Akure Metropolis, Ondo State, Nigeria

Aim: This study evaluated the microbial quality characteristics of bread and flour-made products vended for human consummation in Akure metropolis. Methods: The sample products including bread, buns, puff puff, meat pie and cake collected from different locations were analysed using standard microbiological methods to enumerate the bacterial and fungal consortia. Macro and micro-morphological identification of the implicated fungi in the food samples were done via standard techniques. The presence and quantity of some aflatoxin types were also investigated using standard techniques. Results: The fungal organisms enumerated include species of Fusarium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Mucor, Sacharomyces cerevisiae, Rhizopus and Penicillium. Bacteria consortium implicated in sample products include; Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Clostridium sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the likes. The levels of aflatoxin B1 and B2 produced were predominantly associated with Aspergillus flavus enumerated from bread products which serve as a rider to the aflatoxin contamination in vended flour products. Conclusion: The toxicity and potency of aflatoxins make them a primary health hazard and as well accountable for losses associated with contamination of processed foods and ready-to-eat foods. It is recommended that bakers should implement the use of heat-treated flour in the production process of ready-to-eat products for human safety.