Tannins in Ruminant Nutrition: Impact on Animal Performance and Quality of Edible Products

Tannins are widespread throughout the plant kingdom, occurring as hydrolysable and condensed tannins and at different levels in several animal feeding sources. Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the use of tannin-rich plants and plant extracts in ruminant diets for improving the quality of their edible products. Some results show that this strategy is effective in improving the fatty acid profile of meat and milk, increasing the level of health-beneficial fatty acids as well as enhancing the oxidative stability of the products. However, the use of tannin-rich feed in animal diets requires great care, due to its possible detrimental effects on animal performance and induction of metabolic disorders. Although promising, the results of studies on the effects of tannins on animal performance and quality of their products are still controversial, probably depending on type and chemical structure of tannins, amount ingested, composition of diet, and species of animal. In this chapter, the current knowledge regarding the effect of dietary tannins on animal performance and the quality of their products (meat and milk), particularly on the fatty acid profile, oxidative stability, and organoleptic properties, is reviewed. The tannin chemistry diversity and its occurrence in ruminant diets, as well as its beneficial and adverse effects on ruminants, will be briefly reviewed, and aspects related to oral cavity physiology, saliva production/composition, and postingestive effects will also be discussed.

Between the centre and the margins: Services location, economic (re)structuring and quality of life in metropolitan periurban areas.

This paper aims to discuss the specificities of the role of services in the economic structuring and in the social liveliness and attractiveness of periurban areas. Drawing upon on the result of an empirical work developed in 5 different parishes of Lisbon Metropolitan area, which represent five categories of periurban spaces previously identified, it is analysed the role of services in these “in-between” territories and the way they are important in the spatial economic structuring of these areas and in the quality of life and well-being of their inhabitants and users. A tentative typology for framing the analysis of the role of services on periurban metropolitan spaces is suggested and some policy implications are pointed out.

Consumers sensory evaluation of melon sweetness and quality

CONSUMERS SENSORY EVALUATION OF MELON SWEETNESS AND QUALITY Agulheiro Santos, A.C, Rato, A.E., Laranjo, M. and Gonçalves, C. Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada (IIFA), Universidade de Évora, Polo da Mitra, Ap.94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal. ABSTRACT The sensory quality of fruits is made of a range of attributes like sweetness, acidity, aroma, firmness, color. Taste perception and perception threshold of these attributes are variable according to the psychological and cultural development of individuals. To better understand the quality evaluation of melon by consumers, consumers were invited to taste melon samples, in supermarkets in Évora (South region), Lisbon (Central region) and Vila Nova de Gaia (North region). The present work explored the importance given by consumers to sweetness in order to classify the overall quality of melon. Furthermore, the relationship of the chemical evaluation of Total Soluble Solids (TSS) with sweetness of melon was studied. Fruits from the variety Melão branco picked randomly from those that were exposed for sale in supermarkets were used for analysis. Fruits were chinned along the equatorial zone and only the central part of the fruit, opposite to the part that leaned on the soil, was used to obtain homogeneous samples. Consumers were invited to taste four small pieces of each fruit, previously referenced with a code number, and answer a questionnaire with two questions related to sweetness and overall quality. Each question had five possible levels, identified from “Nothing sweet”, to “Extremely sweet”, in one case, and from “Poor” to “Excellent” in the other. Simultaneously, the values of TSS (measured in ºBrix) for each melon used in the study were evaluated by refractometry. This sensory analysis allowed us to point out the following findings: first of all, there is good agreement between the results obtained to classify “Sweetness” and “Overall Quality” (Cohen’s Kappa=53.1%, p<0.001), which means, for example, that fruits with excellent quality are in general extremely sweet. Moreover, fruits with less than 9.6 °Brix are considered of poor quality and nothing sweet, whereas fruits with values between 10 °Brix and 12 °Brix are considered good in terms of overall quality. It seems that the thresholds for the stimulus/intensity of sweetness lied between 10 °Brix to 14 °Brix for this melon variety. Acknowledgments This work was support by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the Strategic Project Pest-OE/AGR/UI0115/2014 and co-funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE Program.

Effect of edible coatings with essential oils on the quality of red raspberries over shelf-life

The objective of the present work was to develop stategies for raising the shelf-life of red raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.). The quality of red raspberries over shelf-life after coated with alginate plus Brazilian Citrus essential oils was evaluated. Edible coatings did not significantly influence the firmness loss, soluble solids content (SCC), and brightness of fruits over time, when compared to control, nevertheless all edible coatings with essential oils induced higher weight loss than those samples in which the essential oils were not incorporated. Fruits coated with alginate plus lime essential oil (0.2%) or orange essential oil (0.1%) after 15 days of storage had less red skin, but were darker than the remaining samples. The less red colour verified in these samples was also coincident with the lower concentration of anthocyanins at the end of the experiment as well as the lower capacity for scavenging ABTS free radicals or quenching singlet oxygen. The edible coatings supplemented with the essential oil of orange either at 0.1 % or 0.2 % were very efficient to control the yeasts and moulds growth after 15 days of storage. To control the development of aerobic mesophilic bacteria the use of essential oil of lemon 0.2% and essential oil of orange 0.1% were the most efficient. The essential oils used in the edible coatings did not significantly change the sensorial properties of the fruit. Cyanidin-3-O-sophoroside, cyanidin-3-O-glucosylrutinoside, cyanidin-3-O-xylosylrutinoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-O-sophoroside, pelargonidin-3-O-glucosylrutinoside, pelargonidin 3-O-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-O-rutinoside were found in raspberries fruits. An unknown cyanidin derivative was also found in all samples, constituting 27.4% of total anthocyanin content.

Nursing Interventions in Prevention and Healing of Leg Ulcers: Systematic Review of the Literature

Aim: The purpose of this study was to define nursing interventions for patients with venous, arterial or mixed leg ulcers. Methodology: A survey was conducted in EBSCO (CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE with Full Text), MedicLatina, Academic Search Complete, with full text articles, published between 2008/01/01 and 2015/01/31, with the following keywords: [(MM "leg ulcer") OR (wound care) OR (wound healing)] AND [(nursing) OR (nursing assessment) OR (nursing intervention)]. Results: The different leg ulcer etiologies require different therapeutic approach to prevention and treatment. Predictive factors were identified associated with healing: patient-centred care, interpersonal relationship, pain control, control of the exudate, education for health self-management, self-care, therapeutic compliance, implementation of guidelines, auditing and feedback on the practices. Conclusion: Evidence-based practice helps to improve efficiency, safety and quality of nursing care directed to people with leg ulcers or at risk of developing this type of wounds.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT STORAGE CONDITIONS ON NUTRITIONAL AND QUALITY PARAMETERS OF 'SWEETHEART' CHERRY.

Abstract The sweet cherry ‘Sweetheart’, although having a short shelf life, is highly appreciated by consumers due to its organoleptic characteristics. Different storage methods were tested to study the maintenance of quality during a period of 27 days: 1) cold (air at 1°C and 95% relative humidity) (CC), 2) cold and polypropylene film bags (1°C and 95% relative humidity) (MA) and 3) cold and controlled atmosphere (1°C, 95% RH, 10% CO2 and 8% O2) (CA). Quality parameters tested included external colour (L*, a*, b*), total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA). To evaluate nutritional quality anthocyanins, total antioxidant activity, and total phenolics were measured. Results allow us to say that phenolic compounds were relatively stable and similar during storage in CC and MA. Cherries stored under CA conditions presented lowest concentrations of phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds, total anthocyanins and antioxidant activity were inversely correlated with values of colour coordinates. Considering all the evaluations done during this work it is unquestionable that fruits stored in controlled atmosphere conditions had significantly different quality.

Quality of cherry ‘Sweetheart’ from different regions of Portugal and Spain (Cova da Beira, Portalegre and Valle del Jerte).

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) ‘Sweetheart’ were harvested at different production regions from Portugal (Cova da Beira and Portalegre) and Spain (Valle de Jerte). Cherries were harvested at their commercial maturation according to the empirical knowledge of external color corresponding to good quality. Fruits were stored and evaluated in order to study their quality on the harvest day and during a period of 21 days, at cold storage (1 ºC, 95% RH). The sweet cherry ‘Sweetheart’ is a well known variety and a highly appreciated one but fruits present a short shelf life. On the other hand the effect of different “terroir” on cherry characteristics should be known and clarified. Fruits from day 0, considered without storage, were kept at 20ºC and analyzed. Every weak, 3 replicas were randomly picked up and 10 fruits from each one were submitted to several analyses after fruit temperature stabilized at 20ºC. Several quality parameters were evaluated: external color (L*, a*, b*), texture, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and the ratio between soluble solid contents (SSC) and tritratable acidity (TA). Fruits from different orchards and locations were significantly different according to these parameters. Fruits from Cova da Beira were less firm comparing with other two regions, Valle de Jerte and Portalegre, which may indicate a higher maturation rate at harvest in those fruits. This is in accordance with SSC/titratable acidity rate suggesting a late harvest in Cova da Beira comparing with other two orchards, however fruits from Cova da Beira exhibit a poor color at harvest. These results clearly showed a lower correlation between SSC and firmness considering fruits origin.