Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) Seaweed Added to a Growing-Finishing Lamb Diet Has a Positive Effect on Quality Traits and on Mineral Content of Meat

Supplementing ruminants' diet with seaweed has shown positive effect on meat quality and micronutrients important for human health. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of Saccharina latissima in a lamb diet to improve the eating quality and nutritional value of meat. Six-month-old female Norwegian White lambs (n = 24) were fed, 35 days pre-slaughter, three different diets: a control (CON) and two seaweed diets (SW); supplemented with either 2.5% (SW1) or 5% (SW2). The quality properties of longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and semimembranosus with adductor (SM+ADD) muscles were examined. The dietary inclusion of seaweed reduced cooking loss and shear force of lamb meat, although the effect was not significant at both supplementation levels. SW1 fed lambs showed a significantly (p < 0.05) improved meat color stability and antioxidant potential. Seaweed also reduced lipid oxidation (TBARS) and the warm-over flavor in SM+ADD compared to the CON lamb. Seaweed fed lambs showed an increased content of selenium and iodine in LTL, thereby fulfilling the requirements for the label "source of nutrient" and "significant source of nutrient", respectively. An increased arsenic content in LTL was, however, also observed with seaweed inclusion (to 1.54 and 3.09 μg/100 g in SW1 and SW2 group, respectively). While relevant positive effects were found in meat using seaweed in lamb feed, some optimization of this feed approach will be desirable.

Chemical characterization of combustion engine exhaust and assessment of helicopter deck operator occupational exposures on an offshore frigate class ship

Diesel engine exhaust (DE) consists of a complex mixture of gases and aerosols, originating from sources such as engines, turbines, and power generators. It is composed of a wide range of toxic compounds ranging from constituents that are irritating to those that are carcinogenic. The purposes of this work were to characterize DE originating from different engine types on a ship operating offshore and to quantify the potential exposure of workers on the ship's helicopter deck to select DE compounds. Sampling was conducted on a Norwegian Nansen-class frigate that included helicopter operations. Frigate engines and generators were fueled by marine diesel oil, while the helicopter engine was fueled by high flash point kerosene-type aviation fuel. Exhaust samples were collected directly from the stack of the diesel engine and one of the diesel generator exhaust stacks, inside a gas turbine exhaust stack, and at the exhaust outlet of the helicopter. To characterize the different exhaust sources, non-targeted screening of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds was performed for multiple chemical classes. Some of the compounds detected at the sources are known irritants, such as phthalic anhydride, 2,5-dyphenyl-p-benzoquinone, styrene, cinnoline, and phenyl maleic anhydride. The exhaust from the diesel engine and diesel generator was found to contain the highest amounts of particulate matter and gaseous compounds, while the gas turbine had the lowest emissions. Personal exposure samples were collected outdoors in the breathing zone of a helicopter deck operator over nine working shifts, simultaneously with stationary measurements on the helicopter deck. Elemental carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and several volatile organic compounds are known to be present in DE, such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and phenol were specifically targeted. Measured DE exposures of the crew on the helicopter deck were variable, but less than the current European occupational exposure limits for all compounds, except elemental carbon, in which concentration varied between 0.5 and 37 µg/m³ over nine work shifts. These findings are among the first published for this type of working environment.

Understanding metabolic phenomena accompanying high levels of yeast in broiler chicken diets and resulting carcass weight and meat quality changes

The use of yeast as a protein source was investigated in broiler chicken diets on carcass quality, storage stability, and metabolite changes in leg meat. Male Ross 308 chickens (n = 100) were fed with one of 5 diets: control, control added 0.6% formic acid, or 3 diets where soybean meal was substituted with 10, 20, and 30% crude protein from inactivated yeast Cyberlindnera jadinii (CJ10, CJ20, CJ30, respectively). The yeast-containing diets reduced carcass weight, linoleic acid, and warm-over flavor in chicken leg meat. Protein degradation-related metabolite biomarkers were upregulated in the leg of chickens that were fed yeast-containing diets, indicating an adaptive response to the loss of appetite. Chill-stored leg meat of birds fed yeast diets showed increased browning and metallic taste compared with those fed the control diet. The use of formic acid in the diet reduced cooking loss and had a positive effect on vitamin B content.

Quantification of Polyphenols in Seaweeds: A Case Study of Ulva intestinalis

In this case study, we explored quantitative ¹H NMR (qNMR), HPLC-DAD, and the Folin-Ciocalteu assay (TPC) as methods of quantifying the total phenolic content of a green macroalga, Ulva intestinalis, after optimized accelerated solvent extraction. Tentative qualitative data was also acquired after multiple steps of purification. The observed polyphenolic profile was complex with low individual concentrations. The qNMR method yielded 5.5% (DW) polyphenols in the crude extract, whereas HPLC-DAD and TPC assay yielded 1.1% (DW) and 0.4% (DW) respectively, using gallic acid as the reference in all methods. Based on the LC-MS observations of extracts and fractions, an average molar mass of 330 g/mol and an average of 4 aromatic hydrogens in each spin system was chosen for optimized qNMR calculations. Compared to the parallel numbers using gallic acid as the standard (170 g/mol, 2 aromatic H), the optimized parameters resulted in a similar qNMR result (5.3%, DW). The different results for the different methods highlight the difficulties with total polyphenolic quantification. All of the methods contain assumptions and uncertainties, and for complex samples with lower concentrations, this will be of special importance. Thus, further optimization of the extraction, identification, and quantification of polyphenols in marine algae must be researched.