Evaluation of live-attenuated Salmonella vaccines expressing Campylobacter antigens for control of C. jejuni in poultry

Campylobacter jejuni is a zoonotic bacterial pathogen of worldwide importance. It is estimated that 460,000 human infections occur in the United Kingdom per annum and these involve acute enteritis and may be complicated by severe systemic sequelae. Such infections are frequently associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry meat and strategies to control C. jejuni in poultry are expected to limit pathogen entry into the food chain and the incidence of human disease. Toward this aim, a total of 840 Light Sussex chickens were used to evaluate a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ΔaroA vaccine expressing the C. jejuni amino acid binding protein CjaA as a plasmid-borne fusion to the C-terminus of fragment C of tetanus toxin. Chickens were given the vaccine at 1-day-old and two weeks later by oral gavage, then challenged after a further two weeks with C. jejuni. Across six biological replicates, statistically significant reductions in caecal C. jejuni of c. 1.4 log10 colony-forming units/g were observed at three and four weeks post-challenge relative to age-matched unvaccinated birds. Protection was associated with the induction of CjaA-specific serum IgY and biliary IgA. Protection was not observed using a vaccine strain containing the empty plasmid. Vaccination with recombinant CjaA subcutaneously at the same intervals significantly reduced the caecal load of C. jejuni at three and four weeks post-challenge. Taken together these data imply that responses directed against CjaA, rather than competitive or cross-protective effects mediated by the carrier, confer protection. The impact of varying parameters on the efficacy of the S. Typhimurium ΔaroA vaccine expressing TetC-CjaA was also tested. Delaying the age at primary vaccination had little impact on protection or humoral responses to CjaA. The use of the parent strain as carrier or changing the attenuating mutation of the carrier to ΔspaS or ΔssaU enhanced the protective effect, consistent with increased invasion and persistence of the vaccine strains relative to the ΔaroA mutant. Expression in the ΔaroA strain of a TetC fusion to Peb1A, but not TetC fusions to GlnH or ChuA, elicited protection against intestinal colonisation by C. jejuni that was comparable to that observed with the TetC-CjaA fusion. Our data are rendered highly relevant by use of the target host in large numbers and support the potential of CjaA- and Peb1A-based vaccines for control of C. jejuni in poultry. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Producción de equinos para carne

Se realiza un análisis sobre la actualidad de la industria de la carne de caballo, y de las ventajas y desventajas de la producción de equinos para carne en nuestro país, proponiendo diferentes alternativas y modelos de producción, a fin de cumplimentar los requisitos de los países importadores.

Mercado de carne vacuna en Argentina : estado de situación y perspectivas

Resumen: Finalmente, el pronóstico sobre la profundización de la tensión entre oferta y demanda total (interna + externa) de carne que hiciéramos a mediados de 2005, ya es una realidad más que palpable. En este trabajo planteamos el conflicto ganadero y lo ponemos en perspectiva, sintetizando los factores que lo desencadenaron y las respuestas que fue ensayando el gobierno a las señales enviadas por el mercado. Concluimos indicando que el principal desafío pasa por armonizar los intereses del gobierno nacional con la realidad que enfrenta la cadena de valor. Existen razones económicas, políticas y sociales, que explican la intención de las autoridades nacionales de mantener estable el precio de la carne. Pero, por valiosas que resulten estas razones, no pueden ignorar la cuestión ganadera. Deben contemplarse la realidad sectorial y las consecuencias de afectarla seriamente con políticas que limiten o, peor aún, anulen su rentabilidad.

Extended ageing time and temperature effects on quality of sub-primal cuts of boxed beef

[EN]Most of the information indicating ageing improves tenderness has been collected on the loin and rib-eye muscles over relatively short ageing times, assuming that all muscles will react similarly. In the present study, the effect of extended ageing times on instrumental texture (56 d) and sensory characteristics (42 d) of six different beef sub-primals [striploin (SL), inside round (IR), outside round (OR), eye of round (ER), blade eye (BE) and chuck tender (CT)] was studied. The effects of two ageing temperatures (1and 58C) were also compared. In general, ageing increased tenderness (P<0.05) of SL, BE, ER and CT sub-primals, although BE shear force increased after 42 d of ageing. On the other hand, ageing had no effect on IR tenderness (P<0.05) and resulted in a decrease in tenderness of OR (P<0.05) until day 35, with a later increase after 42 d of ageing. Increasing ageing temperature (58C) had limited effect on tenderness, but ageing time and temperature increases led to lower flavour and higher off-flavour intensity (P<0.05) of the studied sub-primals. These results suggest that cutspecific maximum ageing times and rigid adherence to temperature maximums would be of benefit to optimize postslaughter processes and meat quality

Association analyses of DNA polymorphisms in bovine SREBP-1, LXRα,FADS1 genes with fatty acid composition in Canadian commercial crossbred beef steers

Two previously reported DNA polymorphisms of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBP1) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) and two DNA polymorphisms of fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) were evaluated for associations with fatty acids in brisket adipose tissue of Canadian cross-bred beef steers. The polymorphism of 84 bp insert/deletion in intron 5 of SREBP1 was significantly associated with the concentration of 9c C17:1 (P=0.013). The G>A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the exon 4 of LXRα gene was associated with the concentration of 9c, 11t C18:2 (P=0.04), sum of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) (P=0.025) and 11c C20:1(P=0.042). Two DNA polymorphisms in the promoter region of FADS1, deletion/insertion of ->GTG in rs133053720 and SNP A>G in rs42187276, were significantly associated with concentrations of C17:0 iso, C17:0 ai, total branched chain fatty acids (BFA), 12t C18:1, 13t/14t C18:1, 15t C18:1, and 13c C18:1 (P<0.05). Further studies are needed to validate the associations and to delineate the roles of the gene polymorphisms in determining the fatty acid composition in beef tissues.

La alimentación en la época arcaica según la elegía y el yambo

[ES] La lírica arcaica ocupa un lugar especial en la historia de la literatura griega, pero es también al mismo tiempo un documento importantísimo para conocer aspectos de la vida diaria de esta época, entre ellos el relacionado con la alimentación. La elegía y el yambo dejan entrever una dieta vegetariana, complementada con carnes de animales domésticos y caza y con el vino como bebida fundamental, una dieta no muy diferente de la que nos mostrarán otros autores griegos a lo largo de toda la antigüedad.

Biology and fisheries of swordfish, Xiphias gladius: Papers from the International Symposium on Pacific Swordfish, Ensenada, Mexico, 11-14 December 1994

The swordfish, Xiphias gladius, is a large migratory oceanic species. It is widely distributed in tropical, temperate, and sometimes cold waters of all oceans, and is usually found in areas with sea-surface temperatures above 13°C. It can reach a maximum size of 540 kg, and is a favorite food fish in many countries. It is excellent for steaks, canning, or teriyaki, the Japanese dish of meat grilled with sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine. Swordfish is harvested commercially throughout its distribution, in both coastal and high-seas fisheries. Sport fisheries for swordfish are very small compared to those for other billfishes, accounting for no more than a few hundred fish per year. (PDF file contains 284 pages.)

Fisheries marketing systems and consumer preferences in Puttalam District Sri-Lanka

The aim of this study was to understand the current and historic market situation for inland fish and it’s substitutes in order to identify which of the various production opportunities presented by the seasonal tank resource might have greatest relevance for marginal communities in the Dry-zone. Regional and sub-regional market networks for fish and meat products were investigated, ranking and scoring exercises used to characterise consumer demand in rain-fed areas of North West Province and secondary data sources were used to assess historic patterns of demand and supply [PDF contains 57 pages]

Potential for poverty focused integration of aquaculture into irrigation systems in Batticaloa District

The visit highlighted the vital contribution of the inland fisheries sector to provision of basic food security within the uncleared area (farmers report very low consumption frequencies for all other fish or meat protein substitutes). A 30-mile system of Brackish water lagoons which demarcates the cleared and uncleared areas is the main source of retailed fish in the uncleared area. Second in importance is the inland tank fishery, where the bulk of production emanates from 17 major irrigation reservoirs. [PDF contains 29 pages]

Lagerversuch von frischem bzw. tief gefrorenen gelagerten kalt geräuchertem Atlantischem Lachs (Salmo salar) in 200-g-Fertigpackungen mit sensorischer Beurteilung in Abhängigkeit von der Lagerzeit

After 4 months frozen storage at –18 °C cold smoked Atlantic salmon in consumer packages can hardly be differentiated from the freshly smoked product by sensory assessment by an expert panel and cannot be differentiated by consumers.

Untersuchungen zur chemischen Zusammensetzung und Nematodenbelastung von Stinten (Osmerus eperlanus L.)

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus L.) from the river Elbe has a long tradition as local food speciality. It is offered baked or fried every year during spring in many restaurants along the river. Information about the composition of the edible part and its changes during fishing season are scarce. In earlier days the fish was mostly sold by local fisherman directly after catch. Today the fish is also offered as ungutted fresh fish in ice on the whole sale market. The freshness of this fish has not been studied. Smelt from the river Elbe is known to contain nematode larvae (Pseudoterranova decipiens) in the muscle meat. Actual quantitative data on the abundance and prevalence in the commercially offered ice stored fish are missing.

Veränderungen der Farbe und thermischen Stabilität der Muskelproteine von Räucherforellen während der Kühllagerung

The aim of the investigation was to prove if different farming conditions like conventional and organical farming of rainbow trout may cause differences in quality which are detectable by physical methods such as colour measurement and differential scanning calorimetry. Colour measurement revealed remarkable differences in lightness. Smoked trouts originating from conventionally farmed fish were much lighter than those of organically farmed trouts. This difference in L* could already be found when colour measurements were taken on the raw material. However, during chilled storage differences were equalized. Redness and yellowness were not significantly influenced by farming and did not change remarkably during chill storage. Based on earlier investigations on changes in thermal stability caused by heating, DSC curves of smoked trout could be used to verify that the core temperature of smoked fish had reached at least 60 °C during hot smoking process. This temperature is demanded by the guidelines of the German Food Code. In the DSC curves only the actin peak was still visible. All other proteins were obviously denatured during the hot smoking. When DSC curves were taken from smoked trout after different durations of chilled storage it could be seen that the denaturation temperature of actin decreased almost linearly with progression of storage time.

Über Fischereiressourcen und ihre Nutzung

The reduction of discards will only be achieved, if more effective methods of catch selection will be developed and used. In principle, the unavoidable by catch of commercial fish should be used for human consumption, independent of the requirements for minimum length and existing catch quotas. The amount of such bycatch should be charged to the total catch quota and preferably be used for processing of fish portions with skin (carcasses with skin), because this kind of processing results in higher yields and nutrional advantages compared to fillet processing. Unfortunately, nowadays, in the German fishery and fish trade this traditional form of supply is only of minor importance because of the predominance of fillets and fillet products. However, cooperation between fishing industry and fish trade and a good advertising of processed fish portions with skin could overcome this problem. In the pelagic fishery of herring, mackerel and other similar pelagic species the bycatch of small sized specimen of these species can be a problem. These small sized fish can principally be processed to traditional fish products, but the processing costs for them are much higher. The prospects for processing of the bycatch into minced fish meat, fish protein concentrate or fish protein hydrolysate are very poor under the existing regime in the German fishing industry. A further way for processing of the bycatch, which can not be used for human consumption, is the production of fishmeal. However, only three German factory ships dispose of fish meal plants. Under the current economic conditions, i.e. because of limited storage capacity, the Ger-man trawler and cutter fleet is not able to transport the bycatch for fish meal production ashore.

Differenzierung roher und geräucherter Aale durch Protein- und DNA-Analyse

Raw or smoked eel was analysed by isoelectric focusing of sarcoplasmic proteins. For raw fish specific protein patterns were obtained for A. anguilla/A. rostrata, A. japonica and A. australis, but in case of smoked fish differentiation was only possible between Atlantic and Pacific species. Differentiation of raw or smoked eel was possible by PCR-SSCP, but patterns of ssDNA showed some intra-specific variability depending on the type of amplicon.

A review of the crayfish fishery of Nigeria with special reference to the Cross River State

The fishery for crayfish is of considerable importance in the maritime region of the Cross River State, Nigeria, where it forms an important occupation of a host of fishermen. Crayfish landings from this State contributed 11% to the national marine fish landings within the period 1980 to 1984 and also in the same period the volume of crayfish alone formed 26% of the marine fish landings within the State. The species exploited as crayfish include Palaemon hastatus; Hippolysmata hastatoides, and Macrobrachium sp; mixed with the larval, and juveniles of pink shrimp Panaeus dourarum. They are generally small in size ranging from 7 cm (maximum) to 2.5 cm. Crayfish are caught all year round along the Niger Delta, but particularly along the river estuaries and littoral waters of the Cross River State with the highest production occurring in March to May. Crayfish are usually smoked, and occasionally sun-dried, and they form an indispensable food item in the diet of the people of the entire southern States in particular and Nigeria in general. It appears that crayfish landings could be substantially increased without depleting the stock, if a proper exploratory survey is undertaken of the Niger delta, and the Cross River estuaries to chart potentially rich grounds of this resource