Background: Dehydration constitutes a fundamental preservation technique employed to reduce microbial proliferation and enzymatic spoilage in fruits and vegetables, thereby extending their shelf-life beyond the harvest season. While Capsicum annuum L. is a globally significant spice, its elevated moisture content renders it highly perishable in its fresh state. Consequently, microwave drying has emerged as an advanced thermal processing method to address these stability issues efficiently. Aims: This study aimed to characterize the drying kinetics of Algerian red-hot peppers subjected to varying microwave power levels. Furthermore, the research sought to identify the most suitable mathematical models to describe the drying behavior and optimize the process parameters. Materials and Methods: Red-hot pepper samples were subjected to microwave drying at various power outputs. Moisture loss was recorded at regular intervals until equilibrium moisture content was achieved. Kinetic parameters were determined using established thermodynamic and mathematical equations and the experimental data were fitted to sixteen thin-layer drying models to evaluate their predictive accuracy. Results: The results indicated that microwave drying time decreased notably from 80 to 24 minutes as power levels from 200 to 1200 . The process was characterized by two primary stages: an initial warming-up phase followed by a dominant falling-rate period. Drying rates () exhibited an initial progressive increase (0.1152 to 0.4012 for 200 and 1200 , respectively) followed by a significant decline during the final stages of dehydration. A third-order polynomial relationship was established to correlate effective moisture diffusivity ( with moisture content. ( increased significantly with microwave power as moisture content decreased (2.83 × 10-8 ± 0.1834 to 12.9 ×10-8 ± 0.2637 for 200 and 1200 , respectively). The calculated activation energy was 23.48 ± 0.987 . While specific energy consumption () increased at higher power levels (1.55 ×10+8 ± 0.01 to 2.76 ×10+8 ± 0.0153 H2O), the energy efficiency () displayed an inverse trend, decreasing from 14.55 ×10-4 ± 0.0881 to 7.84 ×10-4 ± 0.0078 %. Among the models tested, the Hii model demonstrated the highest statistical fit for describing the microwave drying kinetics. Conclusions: Microwave drying offers significant technical advantages, including reduced processing time and optimized energy consumption when operated at moderate power levels. These findings suggest that this innovative dehydration process is highly suitable for industrial-scale food processing applications to enhance the quality and stability of Capsicum annuum L. Keywords: Capsicum annuum L., drying kinetics, mathematical modeling, diffusion, energy activation, energy consumption.

Anthropogenic climate change may affect the nutritional quality of perennial crops. Wild blueberry is a perennial crop of cultural and economic importance and known for its health-promoting properties. Fields in Maine, USA are experiencing unprecedented warming, which may affect the quality and marketability of the fruit. We examined the biochemistry of wild blueberries grown under active open-top heating that elevated temperatures by 3.3 °C, passive open-top heating by 1.2 °C, and ambient conditions (control). We found that total soluble solids, fructose, total soluble sugars and total soluble protein decreased as temperatures increased. In contrast, anthocyanin, total flavonoid and phenolics were not affected. Warming weakened correlation between sugars, total soluble solids, and other components. Our results suggest that future global warming may reduce the nutritional value and marketability of wild blueberries. Potential mitigation techniques will need to be developed for future production.

The accumulation of cull potato piles is a concern because they take up space and harbor potato-associated pathogens. Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, larvae are an increasingly popular agent for converting organic wastes into ingredients for animal feeds. In this investigation, their ability to process cull potato waste was assessed. Potato tubers were suitable for larval development, but only following their disintegration through thermal or mechanical means. Optimal bioconversion was observed when potato substrate was provided at a rate of 1 g per larva. The presence of ground turkey meat and sawdust was generally beneficial to larval development and biomass accumulation. The presence of potato foliage in diet showed no negative effects on larval development and there was no glycoalkaloid bioaccumulation in larval tissues. Evidence from this investigation suggests that culled potato waste may be recycled using black soldier fly larvae.

Mixed microorganism cultures are prevalent in the food industry. A variety of microbiological mixtures have been used in these unique fermenting processes to create distinctive flavor profiles and potential health benefits. Mixed cultures are typically not well characterized, which may be due to the lack of simple measurement tools. Image-based cytometry systems have been employed to automatically count bacteria or yeast cells. In this work, we aim to develop a novel image cytometry method to distinguish and enumerate mixed cultures of yeast and bacteria in beer products. Cellometer X2 from Nexcelom was used to count of Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in mixed cultures using fluorescent dyes and size exclusion image analysis algorithm. Three experiments were performed for validation. (1) Yeast and bacteria monoculture titration, (2) mixed culture with various ratios, and (3) monitoring a Berliner Weisse mixed culture fermentation. All experiments were validated by comparing to manual counting of yeast and bacteria colony formation. They were highly comparable with ANOVA analysis showing p-value > 0.05. Overall, the novel image cytometry method was able to distinguish and count mixed cultures consistently and accurately, which may provide better characterization of mixed culture brewing applications and produce higher quality products.

As microbreweries have flourished and craft beer brewing has expanded into a multibillion-dollar industry, the ingredients and techniques used to brew beer have changed and diversified. New brewing ingredients and techniques have led to increased concern over biogenic amines in the final product. Biogenic amine composition and concentration in beer, as well as the changes to the protein and amino acid content when adjuncts are used, have received little attention. A complex biochemical mixture, the proteins, amino acids, and biogenic amines undergo a variety of enzymatic and non-enzymatic catabolic, proteolytic, and oxidative reactions during brewing. As biogenic amines in fermented food receive increased scrutiny, evaluating knowledge gaps in the evolution of these compounds in the beer brewing process is critical.

An accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) method was investigated to maximize the total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant activity (DPPH) of chaga extracts as measured by response surface methodology (RSM). The effectiveness of ASE as a green extraction technique was compared to conventional methods based on TPC and DPPH analyses. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to assess the effects of ASE extraction temperatures on individual phenolic compound quality and yield. Results indicate that an extraction temperature of 170 °C and ethanol concentration of 66% are optimal for recovery of phenolic compounds. The TPC and DPPH in the ASE extracts were greater than in those extracted with conventional methods suggesting ASE is a viable green alternative for extracting phenolics from chaga. With the exception of caffeic acid, a significant increase in the yield of all the assayed phenolic acids was observed with an increased extraction temperature up to 180 °C.

Chaga, a sclerotia formed by the Inonotus obliquus fungus, has been widely recognized for a number of medicinal properties. Although numerous scientific investigations have been published describing various biological activities of chaga from different geographical locations, little work has focused on chaga harvested in the USA or extraction techniques to maximize anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of chaga collected in Maine (USA) extracted using traditional aqueous (hot water steeping) methods against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Chaga extracts obtained from both conventional (ethanol/water) extraction methods and an accelerated solvent extraction method (ASE) at optimized conditions were compared to aqueous extracts (tea) obtained from chaga in the powder form (P) and powder form in tea bags (B) based on their effect on both nitric oxide (NO) production and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, in particular, the expression of TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-β (IL-1β). Phenolic acid extracts from chaga and individual phenolic acid standards were also investigated for their effect on the same parameters. Results indicated that various chaga extracts have significant anti-inflammatory activity on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The inhibitory effect was through a decrease in the production of NO and the downregulation of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in RAW 264.7 macrophages. ASE1 (novel, optimized ethanol/water extraction) and P6 (six-minute steeping of powder in 100 °C water) extracts showed the highest inhibitory activity on NO production and on the expression of the inflammatory cytokines, compared to extracts obtained by conventional extraction methods.

ABSTRACT Meckel syndrome, nephronophthisis, Joubert syndrome and Bardet–Biedl syndrome are caused by mutations in proteins that localize to the ciliary transition zone (TZ). The phenotypically distinct syndromes suggest that these TZ proteins have differing functions. However, mutations in a single TZ gene can result in multiple syndromes, suggesting that the phenotype is influenced by modifier genes. We performed a comprehensive analysis of ten zebrafish TZ mutants, including mks1, tmem216, tmem67, rpgrip1l, cc2d2a, b9d2, cep290, tctn1, nphp1 and nphp4, as well as mutants in ift88 and ift172. Our data indicate that variations in phenotypes exist between different TZ mutants, supporting different tissue-specific functions of these TZ genes. Further, we observed phenotypic variations within progeny of a single TZ mutant, reminiscent of multiple disease syndromes being associated with mutations in one gene. In some mutants, the dynamics of the phenotype became complex with transitory phenotypes that are corrected over time. We also demonstrated that multiple-guide-derived CRISPR/Cas9 F0 ‘crispant’ embryos recapitulate zygotic null phenotypes, and rapidly identified ciliary phenotypes in 11 cilia-associated gene candidates (ankfn1, ccdc65, cfap57, fhad1, nme7, pacrg, saxo2, c1orf194, ttc26, zmynd12 and cfap52).

This study evaluated the effects of chemical and biological preservatives and ensiling stage on spoilage, ruminal in vitro fermentation, and methane production of wet brewer’s grain (WBG) silage. Treatments (TRT) were sodium lignosulfonate at 10 g/kg fresh WBG (NaL1) and 20 g/kg (NaL2), propionic acid at 5 g/kg fresh WBG (PRP, 99%), a combination inoculant (INO; Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus buchneri each at 4.9 log cfu per fresh WBG g), and untreated WBG (CON). Fresh WBG was treated and then ensiled for 60 d, after which mini silos were opened and aerobically exposed (AES) for 10 d. Data were analyzed as an RCBD (five blocks) with a 5 TRT × 3 stages (STG; fresh, ensiled, and AES) factorial arrangement. Results showed that ensiled PRP-treated WBG markedly preserved more water-soluble carbohydrates and starch than all other ensiled TRT (P < 0.001). Dry matter losses of ensiled PRP-treated WBG were 48% lower than all other ensiled TRT (P = 0.009) but were not different than CON in AES (P = 0.350). Due to its greater concentration of digestible nutrients, PRP-treated AES was less aerobically stable than CON (P = 0.03). Preservation was not improved by INO, NaL1, or NaL2 but the latter prevented the increase of neutral detergent fiber across STG (P = 0.392). Apparent in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) decreased only in ensiled CON, INO, and NaL1 relative to fresh WBG and AES NaL2 had greater IVDMD than all other AES TRT (P ≤ 0.032). In vitro ruminal fermentation of fresh WBG resulted in a greater methane concentration and yield than the other STG (P < 0.033). In conclusion, PRP was the most effective at preserving WBG during ensiling but failed to improve aerobic stability under the conditions tested.

Our objectives were to compare the antifungal activity of 5 lignosulfonates, and 2 chitosans against fungi isolated from spoiled hay, and assess the effects of an optimized lignosulfonate, chitosan, and propionic acid (PRP) on high-moisture alfalfa hay. In experiment 1, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of 4 sodium lignosulfonates, 1 magnesium lignosulfonate, 2 chitosans, and PRP (positive control) against Aspergillus amoenus, Mucor circinelloides, Penicillium solitum, and Debaromyces hansenii at pH 4 and 6. Among sodium lignosulfonates, the one from Sappi Ltd. (NaSP) was the most antifungal at pH 4. However, chitosans had the strongest fungicidal activity with the exception of M. circinelloides at both pH 4 and 6. PRP had more antifungal effects than NaSP and was only better than chitosans for M. circinelloides. In experiment 2, we evaluated the effects of 3 additives (ADV): optimized NaSP (NaSP-O, UMaine), naive chitosan (ChNv, Sigma-Aldrich), and PRP on high-moisture alfalfa hay. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design replicated 5 times. Treatment design was the factorial combination of 3 ADVx 5 doses (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% w/w fresh basis). Additives were added to 35 g of sterile alfalfa hay (71.5 +/- 0.23% DM), inoculated with a mixture of previously isolated spoilage fungi (5.8 log cfu/fresh g), and aerobically incubated in vitro for 23 d (25 degrees C). After incubation, DM losses were reduced by doses as low as 0.25% for both NaSP-O and PRP ((x) over bar = 1.61) vs. untreated hay (24.0%), partially due to the decrease of mold and yeast counts as their doses increased. Also, hay NH3-N was lower in NaSP-O and PRP with doses as low as 0.25%, relative to untreated hay ((x) over bar =1.13 vs. 780% of N, respectively). Both NaSP-O and PRP increased digestible DM recovery ((x) over bar =69.7) and total volatile fatty acids ((x) over bar =94.3), with doses as low as 0.25%, compared with untreated hay (52.7% and 83.8 mM, respectively). However, ChNv did not decrease mold nor yeast counts ((x) over bar =6.59 and (x) over bar =6.16 log cfu/fresh g, respectively) and did not prevent DM losses relative to untreated hay. Overall, when using an alfalfa hay substrate in vitro, NaSP-O was able to prevent fungal spoilage to a similar extent to PRP. Thus, further studies are warranted to develop NaSP-O as a hay preservative under field conditions. Lay Summary In our first experiment, we assessed the antifungal activity of two major types of byproducts, one known as lignosulfonates (5 types), which are generated by paper mills, and another known as chitosans (2 types), which are generated from shellfish. These were tested against four fungi isolated from spoiled hay. We observed that acidic conditions are not necessary for chitosans but are crucial to activate the antifungal properties of lignosulfonates. Also, we found that sodium lignosulfonate from Sappi Ltd. was the most antifungal relative to other sodium lignosulfonates from other manufacturers. Chitosans had stronger fungicidal activity than propionic acid or lignosulfonates against all but one mold tested. In our second experiment, we compared the best treatments from experiment 1 against propionic acid using alfalfa hay as a substrate to grow the same fungi tested in experiment 1. None of the doses of chitosan prevented spoilage on high moisture hay, showing results similar to untreated hay. In contrast, an optimized sodium lignosulfonate and propionic acid prevented fungal spoilage of alfalfa hay with doses as low as 0.25%.

Consumption of nutrient-rich seaweeds and fermented nondairy foods represent fast growing trends among health-minded consumers. Assessment of lacto-fermented seaweed was performed to address these trends, and to offer shelf-life extension and product diversification for fresh kelps. The objectives were to evaluate the effects of kelp species and inclusion level on fermentation kinetics, physicochemical quality, safety, shelf-life, and consumer acceptability of a seaweed sauerkraut-style product. Six formulations with different inclusion levels (25, 50, and 75%) of shredded kelp (sugar kelp, SK or winged kelp, WK) were mixed with cabbage, 2% salt, and inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum (approximately 106 CFU/g) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (approximately 101 CFU/g). Products were processed in triplicate, fermented until a target pH of ≤4.6 was achieved, and sampled periodically for 60 days. Kelp species and inclusion level significantly affected most variables tested. The most rapid fermentation (3 days), as evidenced by pH decrease, lactic acid bacteria counts, and lactic acid levels, was noted in WK formulations. Some SK formulations took up to 14 days to achieve the target pH, and coliforms persisted to a greater extent in the SK formulations. Higher levels of kelp decreased the fermentation rate and concentration of fermentable sugars in the brine, but increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the sauerkrauts. Despite differences in instrumental color (L* a* b* ) and texture (shear force) among formulations, overall liking as rated by a consumer panel was not significantly affected by species or inclusion level. Results support the use of lacto-fermentation in the production of refrigeration-stable seaweed sauerkraut-style product. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Health-conscious consumers are becoming increasingly interested in plant-based diets and fermented foods, and the development of novel seaweed sauerkraut-style products can help to meet these needs. This study demonstrated the successful production of a sauerkraut-style product formulated with up to 50% farm-raised kelp. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and consumer acceptability testing established lactic acid fermentation as a viable method for shelf life extension and value addition of fresh kelps. These results provide science-based information on an alternative processing method for cultivated seaweeds and can assist the industry in product diversification efforts.

To control the population of an invasive species of green crab, we investigated the feasibility of producing a fermented crab condiment. Commercial fermented fish condiments were tested to assess variability in the marketplace and to identify targets for lab-fermented sauces. Finely chopped crab was combined with 100 mg g−1, 200 mg g−1, or 300 mg g−1 NaCl, and spontaneously fermented for up to 120 days. Chromatographic analysis revealed that histamine content was not a safety concern as all treatments were below the current U.S. legal threshold (50 mg 100 mL−1). The majority of microbial and physicochemical properties measured within salt level (proteolytic bacterial population, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), amine nitrogen, water activity, moisture, and biogenic amines) were statistically unchanged between days 60 and 120 of fermentation, suggesting that most of the biochemical changes happened early in the fermentation. While the production of a fermented condiment was successful and could represent an opportunity for the valorization of this invasive species, additional work is needed to accelerate the process and further understand the dynamics of the early fermentation stages.

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of application rate (AR) of sodium lignosulfonate and propionic acid on the in vitro fermentation measures of high moisture alfalfa hay. Treatments (TRT) were sodium lignosulfonate (NaL) and Propionic Acid (PRP), which were applied at four AR: 0 (CON), 0.25, 0.5 and 1% (w/w fresh basis) to 20% bloom alfalfa hay (second cut) at 68.5% DM and packed into mini bales (10.3×10.8×13cm; 346 kg fresh/m3). The treated bales were stored for 33 days in open-top insulation boxes in a room kept at 22°C, after which they were dried, ground to 1 mm and incubated in vitro for 48hr with ruminal fluid from two ruminally cannulated Holstein cows in lactation. Gas kinetics were recorded using the Ankom RF Gas Production System. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design (5 blocks) with a 2 (TRT) x 4 (AR) factorial arrangement, and differences were declared at P ≤ 0.05. Both TRT increased apparent in vitro DM digestibility (DMD) at all AR relative to CON (54.3 vs 50.1 ± 1.20%, respectively). PRP increased asymptotic maximal (188.4) and rate of gas production (9.46) compared to NaL (179.7 ± 4.82 ml/g of incubated DM and 8.72 ± 0.45%/h, respectively). Total VFA were higher for PRP (117.5) vs NaL (114.8), and for both TRT at 1% relative to CON (118.9 vs. 113.8 ± 1.68mM). Acetate (A) was increased by both TRT at 1% (~73.5) and propionate (P) was increased by PRP at 1% (26.1) relative to CON (69.9 ± 1.10 and 24.2 ± 0.29mM, respectively), but the A:P ratio was higher for NaL at 1% (3.02) vs. CON (2.89 ± 0.04). In conclusion, NaL and PRP at 1% improved the rumen in vitro fermentation measures of high moisture alfalfa hay but PRP did so to a greater extent.

It has been proposed that pollen nutritional content is the most important factor in the selection of flowers by bees. We hypothesized that pollen and nectar quality affect bee visitation among co-flowering plant species. We also hypothesized that increased soil fertility increases pollen nutritional content and subsequently floral visitation. We conducted two field studies to test these hypotheses. In the first experiment, we recorded the following taxa groups of bees: 1) Apis mellifera (L.), 2) Bombus ternarius Say, 3) Bombus spp., and 4) Other Bees (solitary bees); visiting the following plants: Helianthus annuus L., Gaillardia aristata Pursh, Borago officinalis L., and Phacelia tanacetifolia Bentham. We measured the number of open flowers, corolla depth, flower diameter and nutritional content of pollen and nectar to determine which characteristics were correlated with bee visitation to flowers. We found that bees in different taxa foraged preferentially on one or several of the four plant species, and that pollen amino acid profile was associated with the amount of visitation for honey bees, B. ternarius, and Other Bees; and plants with higher percent nectar sugar content was positively related to visitation for honey bees and Bombus spp. In the second experiment, we varied soil fertility for Impatiens capensis Meerb. (Jewelweed, Family: Balsaminaceae) by adding fertilizer to potted plants and measured subsequent floral production, flower morphological characteristics, pollen amino acids, and bumble bee, Bombus impatiens, visitation from an adjacent commercial bumble bee hive. We found that fertilizer application had a positive effect on plant growth, flower production, and amino acid content, which positively influenced bumble bee visitation rate.

Black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens (L.), are used to convert organic waste streams into insect-based animal feeds. We tested their ability to retain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from feeding substrates, which has important implications for their use in aquaculture. When supplementing a chicken feed diet with increasing concentrations of salmon oil (0-42%) over an increasing number of days (0-8), the concentrations of the three omega-3 acids in larvae increased significantly. Larval survival and biomass accumulation were not affected. Supplementing a chicken feed diet with increasing concentrations (0-14%) of Tetraselmis chui Butcher (Chlorodendrales: Chlorodendraceae) microalgae paste also significantly increased ALA and EPA contents of the harvested larvae. However, microalgae also decreased survival, harvested biomass, and individual growth of larvae feeding on the diet with the highest supplement concentration (14%). DHA was not detected in any microalgae diet or subsequent larval tissue samples. All three omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids tested in this study were accumulated in dose-dependent manner, with quadratic, and occasionally linear, equations providing the best description of the observed relationships. There were significant negative correlations between several fatty acids, indicating that they may replace one another in living larvae. Our findings confirm that black soldier fly larvae can retain ingested fatty acids and change fatty acid profiles in their tissues accordingly. However, optimizing nutrient content of harvestable larvae is likely to be more complicated than simply enriching their diets with omega-3 fatty acids.

Our objectives were to evaluate technical lignins for their antifungal properties against 3 molds and 1 yeast causing hay spoilage, and their ability to preserve ground high-moisture alfalfa hay nutritive value in vitro. In experiment 1, 8 technical lignins and propionic acid (PRP; positive control) were tested at a dose of 40 mg/mL. The experiment had a randomized complete block design (RCBD, 4 runs) and a factorial arrangement of 3 molds × 10 additives (ADV). The effects of the ADV on yeast were evaluated separately with a RCBD. Sodium lignosulfonate (NaL) and PRP were the only treatments with 100 ± 2.8% inhibition of fungi. In experiment 2, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for selected lignins and PRP were determined. At pH 4, NaL had the lowest MIC across the molds (20–33.3 mg/mL) and magnesium lignosulfonate (MgL) for the yeast (26.7) among the lignins. However, PRP had MIC values that were several-fold lower across all fungi (1.25–3.33). In experiment 3, a RCBD (5 blocks) with a 3 (ADV; NaL, MgL, and PRP) × 4 (doses: 0, 0.5, 1, and 3% wt/wt fresh basis) factorial arrangement of treatments was used to evaluate the preservative effects of ADV in ground high-moisture alfalfa hay inoculated with a mixture of the fungi previously tested and incubated under aerobic conditions in vitro. After 15 d, relative to untreated hay (14.9), dry matter (DM) losses were lessened by doses as low as 1% for NaL (3.39) and 0.5% for PRP (0.81 ± 0.77%). The mold count was reduced in both NaL at 3% (3.92) and PRP as low as 0.5% (3.94) relative to untreated hay (7.76 ± 0.55 log cfu/fresh g). Consequently, sugars were best preserved by NaL at 3% (10.1) and PRP as low as 0.5% (10.5) versus untreated (7.99 ± 0.283% DM), while keeping neutral detergent fiber values lower in NaL (45.9) and PRP-treated (45.1) hays at the same doses, respectively, relative to untreated (49.7 ± 0.66% DM). Hay DM digestibility was increased by doses as low as 3% for NaL (67.5), 1% MgL (67.0), and 0.5% PRP (68.5) versus untreated hay (61.8 ± 0.77%). The lowest doses increasing neutral detergent fiber digestibility relative to untreated hay (23.3) were 0.5% for MgL and PRP (30.5 and 30.1, respectively) and 1% for NaL (30.7 ± 1.09% DM). Across technical lignins, NaL showed the most promise as a potential hay preservative. However, its effects were limited compared with PRP at equivalent doses. Despite not having an effect on preservation, MgL improved DM digestibility by stimulating neutral detergent fiber digestibility. This study warrants further development of NaL under field conditions.

ABSTRACT High pressure processing (HPP) and sous vide may increase the shelf-life of high value seafood products without the use of additives. This study investigated the effects of 150MPa or 350MPa for 10min on microbial, sensory, and physicochemical qualities of raw and subsequently sous vide cooked (65°C) lobster tails during 28 days of refrigerated storage. Raw lobster pressurized at 350MPa or sous vide cooked maintained significantly lower microbial counts, total volatile base nitrogen, and biogenic amine levels. Due to off-odors, 90% and 60% of sensory respondents rejected the control and 150MPa raw samples, respectively, by day 7, while 70% rated the 350MPa samples as still acceptable on day 28. For cooked lobster, only 20% of the respondents rejected any samples by day 28. Moderate HPP conditions were effective in extending refrigerated shelf-life of vacuum-packaged raw lobster tails. However, HPP pretreatment did not contribute to additional shelf-life extension for sous vide cooked products.

Endothelial cilia are found in a variety of tissues including the cranial vasculature of zebrafish embryos. Recently, endothelial cells in the developing mouse retina were reported to also possess primary cilia that are potentially involved in vascular remodeling. Fish carrying mutations in intraflagellar transport (ift) genes have disrupted cilia and have been reported to have an increased rate of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), potentially due to disruption of the sonic hedgehog (shh) signaling pathway. However, it remains unknown whether the endothelial cells forming the retinal microvasculature in zebrafish also possess cilia, and whether endothelial cilia are necessary for development and maintenance of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). In the present study, we found that the endothelial cells lining the zebrafish hyaloid vasculature possess primary cilia during development. To determine whether endothelial cilia are necessary for BRB integrity, ift57, ift88, and ift172 mutants, which lack cilia, were crossed with the double-transgenic zebrafish strain Tg(l-fabp:DBP-EGFP;flk1:mCherry). This strain expresses a vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) as a tracer in the blood plasma, while the endothelial cells forming the vasculature are tagged by mCherry. The Ift mutant fish develop a functional BRB, indicating that endothelial cilia are not necessary for early BRB integrity. Additionally, although treatment of zebrafish larvae with Shh inhibitor cyclopamine results in BRB breakdown, the Ift mutant fish were not sensitized to cyclopamine-induced BRB breakdown.

Pink rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica) of potato is a major concern in many potato production regions. The pathogen produces zoospores that serve as a primary inoculum for infection. To understand how the pink rot incidence is related to pathogen population, qualitative, and quantitative chemical analyses were conducted. It was demonstrated that P. erythroseptica zoospores required a minimal population of 103 zoospores/ml (threshold) for initiating germination and the subsequent infection; the percentage of zoosporic germination was positively correlated with the density of zoospores above the threshold. To elucidate the density-dependent behavior, zoospore exudate (ZE) was extracted from high-density (105/ml) zoospore suspension. Zoosporic inocula of P. erythroseptica at different concentrations were inoculated on potato tubers. Necrotic lesions were caused by inoculum with 100 zoospores per inoculation site; 5 zoospores per site did not cause lesions on the tuber. However, five zoospores did cause lesions when they were placed in ZE, suggesting ZE contained chemical compounds that regulate germination of zoospores. ZE was collected and analyzed using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Results showed that the amino acid leucine was associated with zoosporic germination. Therefore, zoosporic germination and infection of P. erythroseptica were mediated by signaling molecules secreted from zoospores.