Do mycotoxin contaminated diets and yeast cell wall adsorbent affect meat quality of Nellore bulls finished in feedlot? - A short communication

Ninety-six Nellore bulls (430 ± 13 kg and 24 months) were assigned to a completely randomized block design (2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments) to evaluate meat quality. Dietary treatments consisted of natural or exogenous contamination with mycotoxins (Factor 1), with or without yeast cell wall adsorbent (10 g/animal/d; Factor 2). The diets were provided during 97 d. The meat chemical composition was unaffected (P ≥ .37) by the factors and the averages of variables were 74.2% moisture, 22.7% protein, 1.04% ether extract, and 2.10% ash. The L*, a*, b*, E*, C* (P ≥ .11), cooking loss (P ≥ .24) and Warner-Bratzler shear force (P ≥ .17) were also similar among factors. In conclusion, low mycotoxin contamination and yeast cell wall based adsorbent do not affect meat quality of Nellore bulls finished in feedlot.

Profiling of antioxidant potential and phytoconstituents of Plantago coronopus

The halophyte species Plantago coronopus has several described ethnomedicinal uses, but few reported biological activities. This work carried out for the first time a comparative analysis of P. coronopus organs in terms of phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of organic and water extracts from roots, leaves and flowers. The leaves contents in selected nutrients, namely amino acids and minerals, are also described. Roots (ethyl acetate and methanol extracts) had the highest radical scavenging activity (RSA) towards 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals, while leaves (hexane extract) had higher RSA on nitric oxide radical and iron chelating ability. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis identified eighteen phenolics from which salicylic acid and epicatechin are here firstly described in Plantago species. Leaves had mineral levels similar to those of most vegetables, proving to be a good source for elements like calcium, sodium, iron and magnesium, and also for several of the essential amino acids justifying it use as food. Our results, especially those regarding the phenolics composition, can explain the main traditional uses given to this plantain and, altogether, emphasize the potential of P. coronopus as a source of bioactive molecules particularly useful for the prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases.