Study on the mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of a natural food colour (annatto) in mouse bone marrow cells

Most manufactured foods contain chemicals added as a deliberate part of the manufacturing process. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of annatto, a natural pigment extracted from the Bixa orellana L. and widely used as a colorant in foods. The micronucleus test was performed in bone marrow cells from Swiss male mice treated with one of the three concentrations of annatto (1330, 5330 and 10,670 ppm), incorporated into the diet. The animals were fed with the diets for 7 days and sacrificed 24 h after the last treatment. For the evaluation of the antimutagenic potential of annatto, at day 7, the animals received an intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg body weight). Under the concentrations tested annatto did not present mutagenic or antimutagenic activities on the mice bone marrow cells. However, an increased frequency of micronucleated cells was observed when the highest concentration (10,670 ppm) was administered simultaneously with cyclophosphamide. In conclusion, the data indicate that annatto colour, for the conditions used, is neither mutagenic nor an inhibitor of induced mutations, although it should be used carefully since high doses may increase the effect of a mutagen. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural food and beverage flavour enhancers

Flavour enhancers are of great importance to the food industry and the consumer, in terms of achieving strong, balanced and preferred product flavour. The understanding and use of flavour enhancers can help to avoid excessive use of individual ingredients such as salt or specific character impact flavours. This chapter first discusses savoury flavour enhancement through the use of ingredients rich in amino acids and 5’nucleotides. It later includes the potential role of peptides and Maillard derived compounds. The role of volatile flavour compounds in the enhancement of salt and sweet taste is also discussed.

Assessment of production efficiency, physicochemical properties and storage stability of spray-dried chlorophyllide, a natural food colourant, using gum Arabic, maltodextrin and soy protein isolate-based carrier systems

P>The aim of this research was to study spray drying as potential action to protect chlorophyllide from environmental conditions for shelf-life extension and characterisation of the powders. Six formulations were prepared with 7.5 and 10 g of carrier agents [gum Arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MA) and soybean protein isolate (SPI)]/100 mL of chlorophyllide solutions. The powders were evaluated for morphological characteristics (SEM), particle size, water activity, moisture, density, hygroscopicity, cold water solubility, sorption isotherms, colour and stability, during 90 days. All the powders were highly soluble, with solubility values around 97%. A significant lower hygroscopicity was observed for GA powders, whilst the lower X(m) values obtained by GAB equation fitting of the sorption isotherms was observed for the 7.5 g MA/100 mL samples. All formulations, but the 1 (7.5 g SPI/100 mL of chlorophyllide), provided excellent stability to the chlorophyllide during 90 days of storage even at room temperature.

Determination of brilliant blue FCF in the presence and absence of erythrosine and quinoline yellow food colours by cathodic stripping voltammetry

A study of the voltammetric behaviour of the food colours brilliant blue FCF (C.I. 42090), erythrosine (C. I. 45430) and quinolin e yellow (C. I. 47005) in the pH range 2-10 have been carried out by cathodic stripping voltammetry. At pH 4.5 (acetate buffer) with an accumulation potential of 0 V and accumulation time of 30 s, the voltammograms presented well-defined reduction peaks at potential - 0.76 V for brilliant blue FCF, - 0.85 V for quinoline yellow and - 0.54 V for erythrosine. Linear calibration graphs were obtained from 8 to 80 mug l(-1) brilliant blue, from 4 to 43 mug l(-1) quinoline yellow and from 10 to 70 mug l(-1) erythrosine. The method has been successfully applied to identify and quantify binary mixtures of these dyes and applied for determining brilliant blue FCF in commercial food products.

Effect of organic synthetic food colours on mitochondrial respiration

Eleven organic synthetic dyes, currently or formerly used as food colours in Brazil, were tested to determine their effect on mitochondrial respiration in mitochondria isolated from rat liver and kidney. The compounds tested were: Erythrosine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, Sunset yellow, Tartrazine, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Indigotine Blue, Fast Red E, Orange GGN and Scarlet GN. All food colours tested inhibited mitochondrial respiration (State III respiration, uncoupled) supported either by α-ketoglutarate or succinate. this inhibition varied largely, e.g. from 100% to 16% for Erythrosine and Tartrazine respectively, at a concentration of 0.1 mg food colour per mitochondrial protein. Both rat liver and kidney mitochondria showed similar patterns of inhibition among the food colours tested. This effect was dose related and the concentration to give 50% inhibition was determined for some of the dyes. The xanthene dye Erythrosine, which showed the strongest effect, was selected for further investigation on mitochondria in vivo.

Effects of food quality on growth and biochemical composition of a calanoid copepod, Argyrodiaptomus furcatus, and its importance as a natural food source for larvae of two tropical fishes

Growth, reproduction and biochemical composition were analyzed for the copepod Argyrodiaptomus furcatus fed on the alga Ankistrodesmus gracilis grown in different media. The ingestion of this copepod by larvae of two species of tropical fishes was also evaluated. The mean peak density of the copepod population was 1369 individuals 1-1 for all four diets used, and the highest was 1387 individuals 1-1 on diet ARV (algae + ration + vitamins). A small copepod, A. furcatus tends to have a short life span. The smallest females did not attain maturity in the shortest time on all diets used. Food quality may play a major role in the dynamics of the biochemical composition of this copepod. Argyrodiaptomus furcatus was a more important food item for larvae of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) than of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus). However, it made up a large part of the gut contents of larvae of both species.

Food colours:a study of the effects of regulation

In the 1960s the benefits of government regulation of technology were believed to outweigh any costs. But recent studies have claimed that regulation has negative effects on innovation, health and consumer choice. This case study on food colours examines such claims. EFFECTS ON HEALTH were measured by allocating a hazard rating to each colour. The negative list of 1925 removed three harmful colours which were rapidly replaced, so the benefits were short-lived. Had a proposed ban been adopted in the 1860s it would have prevented many years exposure to hazardous mineral colours. The positive list of 1957 reduced the proportion of harmful coal tar dyes from 54% of the total to 20%. Regulations brought a greater reduction in hazard levels than voluntary trade action. Delays in the introduction of a positive list created a significant hazard burden. EFFECTS ON INNOVATION were assessed from patents and discovery dates. Until the 1950s food colours were adopted from textile colours. The major period of innovation for coal tar colours was between 1856 and 1910, finishing well before regulations were made in 1957, so regulations cannot be blamed for the decline. Regulations appear to have spurred the development of at least one new coal tar dye, and many new plant colours, creating a new sector of the dye industry. EFFECTS ON CONSUMER CHOICE were assessed by case studies. Coloured milk, for example, was banned despite its popularity. Regulations have restricted choice, but have removed from the market foods that were nutritionally impoverished and poor value for money. Compositional regulations provided health protection because they reduced total exposure to colours from certain staple foods. Restricting colours to a smaller range of foods would be an effective way of coping with problems of quality and imperfect toxicological knowledge today.

The inhibitory effect of natural microflora of food on growth of Listeria monocytogenes in enrichment broths

The aims of this study were to (i) compare the inhibitory effects of the natural microflora of different foods on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during enrichment in selective and non-selective broths; (ii) to isolate and identify components of the microflora of the most inhibitory food; and (iii) to determine which of these components was most inhibitory to growth of L. monocytogenes in co-culture studies. Growth of an antibioticresistant marker strain of L. monocytogenes was examined during enrichment of a range of different foods in Tryptone Soya Broth (TSB), Half Fraser Broth (HFB) and Oxoid Novel Enrichment (ONE) Broth. Inhibition of L. monocytogenes was greatest in the presence of minced beef, salami and soft cheese and least with prepared fresh salad and chicken pâté. For any particular food the numbers of L. monocytogenes present after 24 h enrichment in different broths increased in the order: TSB, HFB and ONE Broth. Numbers of L. monocytogenes recovered after enrichment in TSB were inversely related to the initial aerobic plate count (APC) in the food but with only a moderate coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.51 implying that microbial numbers and the composition of the microflora both influenced the degree of inhibition of L. monocytogenes. In HFB and ONE Broth the relationship between APC and final L. monocytogenes counts was weaker. The microflora of TSB after 24 h enrichment of minced beef consisted of lactic acid bacteria, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, and enterococci. In co-culture studies of L. monocytogenes with different components of the microflora in TSB, the lactic acid bacteria were the most inhibitory followed by the Enterobacteriaceae. The least inhibitory organisms were Pseudomonas sp., enterococci and B. thermosphacta. In HFB and ONE Broth the growth of Gram-negative organisms was inhibited but lactic acid bacteria still reached high numbers after 24 h. A more detailed study of the growth of low numbers of L. monocytogenes during enrichment of minced beef in TSB revealed that growth of L. monocytogenes ceased at a cell concentration of about 102 cfu/ml when lactic acid bacteria entered stationary phase. However in ONE Broth growth of lactic acid bacteria was slower than in TSB with a longer lag time allowing L. monocytogenes to achieve much higher numbers before lactic acid bacteria reached stationary phase. This work has identified the relative inhibitory effects of different components of a natural food microflora and shown that the ability of low numbers of L. monocytogenes to achieve high cell concentrations is highly dependent on the extent to which enrichment media are able to inhibit or delay growth of the more effective competitors.

Artificial diets for the production of natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) of greenhouse pest insects

The aim of this contract was to finalise in vitro rearing on artificial diets of entomophagous insects useful to control insect pests mainly in greenhouses through an analytical and rational approach. The work focuses on the development and optimisation of artificial diets for one coccinellid (Harmonia axyridis), two heteropteran predators (Orius laevigatus, Dicyphus tamaninii), and a braconid parasitoid of aphids (Aphidius ervi). The definition of the artificial diets was based on biochemical analyses of their natural food (aphids) or substitution food for the predators (Ephestia kuehniella eggs). Reliable quality control parameters of the entomophages produced were used in order to adjust dietary composition and formulation of the different diets tested.

Stability of Natural Colorants of Plant Origin

In recent years, there have been studies that show a correlation between the hyperactivity of children and use of artificial food additives, including colorants. This has, in part, led to preference of natural products over products with artificial additives. Consumers have also become more aware of health issues. Natural food colorants have many bioactive functions, mainly vitamin A activity of carotenoids and antioxidativity, and therefore they could be more easily accepted by the consumers. However, natural colorant compounds are usually unstable, which restricts their usage. Microencapsulation could be one way to enhance the stability of natural colorant compounds and thus enable better usage for them as food colorants. Microencapsulation is a term used for processes in which the active material is totally enveloped in a coating or capsule, and thus it is separated and protected from the surrounding environment. In addition to protection by the capsule, microencapsulation can also be used to modify solubility and other properties of the encapsulated material, for example, to incorporate fat-soluble compounds into aqueous matrices. The aim of this thesis work was to study the stability of two natural pigments, lutein (carotenoid) and betanin (betalain), and to determine possible ways to enhance their stability with different microencapsulation techniques. Another aim was the extraction of pigments without the use of organic solvents and the development of previously used extraction methods. Stability of pigments in microencapsulated pigment preparations and model foods containing these were studied by measuring the pigment content after storage in different conditions. Preliminary studies on the bioavailability of microencapsulated pigments and sensory evaluation for consumer acceptance of model foods containing microencapsulated pigments were also carried out. Enzyme-assisted oil extraction was used to extract lutein from marigold (Tagetes erecta) flower without organic solvents, and the yield was comparable to solvent extraction of lutein from the same flowers. The effects of temperature, extraction time, and beet:water ratio on extraction efficiency of betanin from red beet (Beta vulgaris) were studied and the optimal conditions for maximum yield and maximum betanin concentration were determined. In both cases, extraction at 40 °C was better than extraction at 80 °C and the extraction for five minutes was as efficient as 15 or 30 minutes. For maximum betanin yield, the beet:water ratio of 1:2 was better, with possibly repeated extraction, but for maximum betanin concentration, a ratio of 1:1 was better. Lutein was incorporated into oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions with a polar oil fraction from oat (Avena sativa) as an emulsifier and mixtures of guar gum and xanthan gum or locust bean gum and xanthan gum as stabilizers to retard creaming. The stability of lutein in these emulsions was quite good, with 77 to 91 percent of lutein being left after storage in the dark at 20 to 22°C for 10 weeks whereas in spray dried emulsions the retention of lutein was 67 to 75 percent. The retention of lutein in oil was also good at 85 percent. Betanin was incorporated into the inner w1 water phase of a water1-in-oil-inwater2 (w1/o/w2) double emulsion with primary w1/o emulsion droplet size of 0.34 μm and secondary w1/o/w2 emulsion droplet size of 5.5 μm and encapsulation efficiency of betanin of 89 percent. In vitro intestinal lipid digestion was performed on the double emulsion, and during the first two hours, coalescence of the inner water phase droplets was observed, and the sizes of the double emulsion droplets increased quickly because of aggregation. This period also corresponded to gradual release of betanin, with a final release of 35 percent. The double emulsion structure was retained throughout the three-hour experiment. Betanin was also spray dried and incorporated into model juices with different pH and dry matter content. Model juices were stored in the dark at -20, 4, 20–24 or 60 °C (accelerated test) for several months. Betanin degraded quite rapidly in all of the samples and higher temperature and a lower pH accelerated degradation. Stability of betanin was much better in the spray dried powder, with practically no degradation during six months of storage in the dark at 20 to 24 °C and good stability also for six months in the dark at 60 °C with 60 percent retention. Consumer acceptance of model juices colored with spray dried betanin was compared with similar model juices colored with anthocyanins or beet extract. Consumers preferred beet extract and anthocyanin colored model juices over juices colored with spray dried betanin. However, spray dried betanin did not impart any off-odors or off-flavors into the model juices contrary to the beet extract. In conclusion, this thesis describes novel solvent-free extraction and encapsulation processes for lutein and betanin from plant sources. Lutein showed good stability in oil and in o/w emulsions, but slightly inferior in spray dried emulsions. In vitro intestinal lipid digestion showed a good stability of w1/o/w2 double emulsion and quite high retention of betanin during digestion. Consumer acceptance of model juices colored with spray dried betanin was not as good as model juices colored with anthocyanins, but addition of betanin to real berry juice could produce better results with mixture of added betanin and natural berry anthocyanins could produce a more acceptable color. Overall, further studies are needed to obtain natural colorants with good stability for the use in food products.

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, productive performance and carcass characteristics as related to food management

Male juveniles of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, were stocked in 12, 300-m 2 ponds at a density of 1.7 fish/m 2 to evaluate the effects of different food management methods (natural foods and diets in pellet, floating or minced form) on fish production and carcass characteristics. Water quality variables monitored during the period were within acceptable levels for the species. Total fish production was significantly different (P < 0.05) and the highest values were obtained with diets in pellet (5,997 kg/ha) and floating (5,441 kg/ha) form. The fish fed diets had higher contents of body fat (1.57 to 1.98%) and visceral fat (12.64 to 25.04%) than fish fed natural food, which had levels between 0.17 and 0%, respectively. Natural food treatment yielded lower fish production and fish with lower body fat, while treatments that yielded higher fish production (rations) higher percentage of visceral fat. © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Food Availability on Yolk Androgen Deposition in the Black-Legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), a Seabird with Facultative Brood Reduction

In birds with facultative brood reduction, survival of the junior chick is thought to be regulated primarily by food availability. In black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) where parents and chicks are provided with unlimited access to supplemental food during the breeding season, brood reduction still occurs and varies interannually. Survival of the junior chick is therefore affected by factors in addition to the amount of food directly available to them. Maternally deposited yolk androgens affect competitive dynamics within a brood, and may be one of the mechanisms by which mothers mediate brood reduction in response to a suite of environmental and physiological cues. The goal of this study was to determine whether food supplementation during the pre-lay period affected patterns of yolk androgen deposition in free-living kittiwakes in two years (2003 and 2004) that varied in natural food availability. Chick survival was measured concurrently in other nests where eggs were not collected. In both years, supplemental feeding increased female investment in eggs by increasing egg mass. First-laid ("A") eggs were heavier but contained less testosterone and androstenedione than second-laid ("B") eggs across years and treatments. Yolk testosterone was higher in 2003 (the year with higher B chick survival) across treatments. The difference in yolk testosterone levels between eggs within a clutch varied among years and treatments such that it was relatively small when B chick experienced the lowest and the highest survival probabilities, and increased with intermediate B chick survival probabilities. The magnitude of testosterone asymmetry in a clutch may allow females to optimize fitness by either predisposing a brood for reduction or facilitating survival of younger chicks.

Choosing organics: A path analysis of factors underlying the selection of organic food among Australian consumers

Path analysis of attitudinal, motivational, demographic and behavioural factors influencing food choice among Australian consumers who had consumed at least some organic food in the preceding 12 months showed that concern with the naturalness of food and the sensory and emotional experience of eating were the major determinants of increasing levels of organic consumption. Increasing consumption was also related to other 'green consumption' behaviours such as recycling and to lower levels of concern with convenience in the purchase and preparation of food. Most of these factors were, in turn, strongly affected by gender and the level of responsibility taken by respondents for food provisioning within their households, a responsibility dominated by women. Education had a slightly negative effect on the levels of concern for sensory and emotional appeal due to lower levels of education among women. Income, age, political and ecological values and willingness to pay a premium for safe and environmentally friendly foods all had extremely minor effects. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative contribution of natural productivity and compound feed to tissue growth in blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) reared in biofloc: Assessment by C and N stable isotope ratios and effect on key digestive enzymes

The aim of this study was to assess the relative contribution of natural productivity and compound food to the growth of the juvenile blue shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris reared in a biofloc system. Two experiments were carried out based on the same protocol with three treatments: clear water with experimental diet (CW), biofloc with experimental diet (BF) and biofloc unfed (BU). Shrimp survival was significantly higher in biofloc rearing than in CW rearing. The contribution of the biofloc to shrimp diet was estimated through measurement of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in shrimp and food sources. Different isotopic compositions between feeds were obtained by feeding natural productivity with a mixture rich in fish meal and the shrimps with a pellet containing a high level of soy protein concentrate. Using a two source one-isotope mixing model, we found that the natural productivity of the biofloc system contributed to shrimp growth at a level of 39.8% and 36.9%, for C and N, respectively. The natural food consumed by the shrimps reared in the biofloc system resulted in higher gene expression (mRNA transcript abundance) and activities of two digestive enzymes in their digestive gland: α-amylase and trypsin. The growth of shrimp biomass reared in biofloc was, on average, 4.4 times that of those grown in clear water. Our results confirmed the best survival and promoted growth of shrimps using biofloc technology and highlighted the key role of the biofloc in the nutrition of rearing shrimps. Statement of relevance In this study, we have applied an original protocol to determine the respective contribution of natural productivity and artificial feeds on the alimentation of the juvenile blue shrimp L. stylirostris reared in biofloc system by using C and N natural stable isotope analysis. Moreover, we have compared, in shrimp digestive gland, the α-amylase and trypsin enzyme activities at biochemical and molecular levels for two different shrimp rearing systems, biofloc and clear water. In our knowledge, the use of molecular tool to study the influence of biofloc consumption on digest process of shrimp was never carried out. We think that our research is new and important to increase knowledge on biofloc topic.