Project description:Previous studies have evaluated pork quality by omics methods. However, proteomics coupled with metabolomics to investigate pork freshness by using pork exudates has not been reported. This study determined the changes in profiles of peptides and metabolites in exudates from pork stored at different temperatures (25, 10, 4, and -2 ℃). Multivariate statistical analysis revealed similar changes in profiles in exudates collected from pork stored at -2 and 4 ℃, and additional changes following storage at higher temperatures. We identified peptides from 7 proteins and 30 metabolites differing in abundance between fresh and spoiled pork. Significant correlations be-tween pork quality and most of the peptides from these 7 proteins and 30 metabolites were found. The present study provides insight into changes in peptide and metabolite profiles of exudates from pork during storage at different temperatures and our analysis suggest that such changes can be used as markers for pork spoilage.
Project description:Lactococcus piscium strain MKFS47 is a psychrotrophic spoilage lactic acid bacterium, isolated from the cold-stored modified atmosphere packaged broiler filet strips with the first signs of spoilage. For the experiment L. piscium MKFS47 was grown in MRS broth without acetate with 2% glucose, samples were taken at 3h, 5h and 11h in three replicates. The extracted RNA was sequenced using SOLiD 5500XL. RNA-seq reads were mapped against L. piscium MKFS47 genome and were counted per gene using Lifescope software. The experiment was conducted to identify the time-course differential expression of the L. piscium MKFS47 genes.
Project description:This study applied peptidomics to investigate potential biomarkers for evaluating pork-meat freshness. Meat samples stored at -2, 4, 10, and 25 °C were collected at specific time points to evaluate meat freshness indicators (color, total viable count, pH, and total volatile basic nitrogen). The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profile was analyzed, and substantial protein degradation (myosin heavy chain, paramyosin, troponin) was detected at the end of storage, regardless of the temperature. Peptidomics analysis was performed using a UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer, and the potential peptide marker MVHMASKE was filtered via multivariate analysis and quantified by parallel reaction monitoring combined with external standard quantitation. In addition, the relationship between peptide content and change in meat freshness was verified using real-life samples and the content of MVHMASKE showed an obvious decline during storage, presenting a period of pork meat from fresh to spoilage. This study provides favorable evidences to evaluate pork meat freshness by mass spectrometry-based pep-tidomics.
Project description:Aiming to reduce food spoilage, the present study developed novel highly active food-grade preservatives affecting a wide range of bacteria. For this purpose, storage proteins were extracted from food plants. After enzymatic hydrolysis by the digestive protease chymotrypsin, the peptide profiles were analyzed by ultrahigh-performance micro-liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Virtual screening identified 21 potential antimicrobial peptides in chickpea legumin. Among those, the peptides Leg1 (RIKTVTSFDLPALRFLKL) and Leg2 (RIKTVTSFDLPALRWLKL) exhibited antimicrobial activity against 16 different bacteria, including pathogens, spoilage-causing bacteria and two antibiotic-resistant strains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) down to 15.6 µM indicated 10–1,000-fold higher activity of the novel antimicrobial peptides compared to conventional food preservatives. Moreover, Leg1 and Leg2 showed bactericidal activity in bacterial suspension and during the storage of raw pork meat.
Project description:The members of the genus Clostridium, such as the other spore-forming anaerobic bacteria, have a complex and strictly regulated life-cycle but very little is known about genetic pathways involved at different stages. Clostridium sporogenes, Gram positive bacterium usually involved in food spoilage and frequently isolated from late blowed cheese is genetically indistinguishable from proteolytic Clostridium botulinum and is the non-neurotoxigenic counterpart often used as exemplar for the toxic subtypes. In this work we have performed a microscopy study combined with a custom array-based analysis of C. sporogenes cycle, from dormant spores to early stationary phase. We identified in spores a total of 211 transcripts validating the ipothesis that mRNAs are abundant and strikingly different from those present in growing cells. The spores transcripts included genes responsible of different life-sustaining functions, suggesting the theory of transcripts entrapment or of a basic poly-functional genes activation for future steps. In addition, after three hours from the beginning of the germination process, a 20% of the total up-regulated genes were temporally expressed in germinating spores. The vegetative condition appears to be the more active in terms of gene transcription and protein synthesis and also genes for germination and sporulation factors seem to be expressed at this point. These results suggest that spores are not silent entities and a wider knowledge about genetic pathways involved in Clostridium life cycle could be of help for a better understanding also of pathogenic clostridia types. RNA was isolated from spores, germinating spores (3h), outgrowth/transitional mid-log vegetative cells and early stationary cells of Clostridium sporogenes UC9000 previously isolated from milk. There were 3 biological replicates (independent cultures) for each condition. Probes corresponding to 3400 genomic CDSs of C. botulinum A ATCC 3502 were synthesized in three replicates randomly distributed on the chip.
Project description:In this work, we investigated changes in protein structures in vacuum-packed pork during chill storage and its impact on in vitro protein digestion. Longissimus dorsi muscles were vacuum packed and stored at 4°C for 3 days. Samples were subjected to Raman spectroscopy, in vitro digestion and Nano LC-LTQ-Orbitrap XL MS/MS. The 3 d samples had lower α-helix content, but higher β-sheet, β-turn and random coil contents than the 0 d samples (P < 0.05). SDS-PAGE revealed significant protein degradation in the 3 d samples and the differences in digested products across storage time. Proteome analysis indicated that the 3 d samples had the higher susceptibility to digestion. Increasing protein digestibility was mainly attributed to the degradation of myofibrillar proteins. Thus, exposure of more enzymatic sites in loose protein structure during chill storage could increase protein degradation in meat.