Cat manure (CM) possesses high level of nutrients for growing food crop. However, animal manure may contain toxic elements that may contaminate food crop. Spent coffee ground (SCG) may be used to reduce mobility of heavy metals and reduce crop uptake. In this study, SCG was composted with CM for 31 days to produce a co-compost (SCG-CM) for growing spinach (Spinacia oleracea). The growth rate of spinach was assessed until its maturity, and the metal uptake of spinach shoot was determined thereafter using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The effect of soil treatment with SCG-CM on the height and elemental composition of spinach were compared with that of chicken manure compost (CMC). The prepared composts were primarily organic matter (72.9-81.4 % w/w) with the rest are ash (13.3-23.4 % w/w) and moisture (1.2-2.6 % w/w). Zinc content in SCG-CM (1261 ± 0.1 mg/kg) is significantly higher than that of soil and CMC (p < 0.05) and has exceeded the maximum permissible limit set by European Union Standard (2002) and the Malaysian Compost Quality Standard and Guidelines (2000). Matured spinach reached maximum plant height after 33 days. The amendment of SCG-CM significantly increased the height of spinach (32 ± 6 cm) compared to that of CMC (13 ± 1 cm) (p < 0.05). However, contents of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd were not increased for spinach grown in the SCG-CM-amended soil, and the level of those elements are below permissible limit set by the Malaysian Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985. This study shows that SCG-CM is effective in improving yield without causing accumulation of toxic trace elements in spinach.
1. Hubbard x Hubbard (HH) and Shaver x Shaver (SS) chicks given a dietary supplement of either 50 mg/kg oxytetracycline (OTC) or 1 g/kg Lactobacillus culture (LC) were exposed to 36 +/- 1 degrees C for 3 h daily from day (d) 21 to 42. 2. Prior to heat treatment, body weight (d 21) and weight gain (d 1 to d 21) of OTC and LC birds were greater than those fed the control diet. Chicks given LC had the best food efficiency followed by OTC and control birds during d 1 to d 21. Body weight (d 1 and d 21) and weight gain (d 1 to d 21) were greater for HH tlhan SS chicks. 3. After 3 weeks of heat exposure, birds receiving the LC diet had greater body weight and weight gain, higher food intake and lower food efficiency than OTC and control chicks. 4. Antibody production against Newcastle discase vaccine on d 21 was not affected by strain or diet. On d 42, while diet had negligible effect on this variable among the SS broilers, HH birds fed LC had higher antibody production than those on the control diet. 5. Neither strain nor diet had a significant effect on mortality.
Lysozyme from crude chicken egg white (CEW) feedstock was successfully purified using a stirred fluidized bed adsorption system ion exchange chromatography where STREAMLINE SP and SP-XL high density adsorbents were selected as the adsorption carrier. The thermodynamic and kinetic studies were carried out to understand the characteristics of lysozyme adsorption by adsorbents under various conditions, including adsorption pH, temperature, lysozyme concentration and salt concentrations. Results showed that SP and SP-XL adsorbents achieved optimum lysozyme adsorption at pH 9 with capacity of ~139.77 and ~251.26 mg/mL, respectively. The optimal conditions obtained from batch studies were directly employed to operate in SFBA process. For SP-XL adsorbent, the recovery yield and purification factor of lysozyme were 93.78% and ~40 folds, respectively. For SP adsorbent, lysozyme can be eluted ~100% with purification factor of ~26 folds. These two adsorbents are highly suitable for use in direct recovery of lysozyme from crude CEW.
A total of 360 samples including fresh fecal droppings, neck skins, and swab samples was collected from 24 broiler flocks and processed by 12 modern processing plants in 6 states in Malaysia. Ninety samples from 10 traditional wet markets located in the same states as modern processing plants were also collected. Microbiological isolation for Campylobacter was performed following ISO 10272-1:2006 (E). The overall rate of contamination for Campylobacter in modern processing plants and in traditional wet markets was 61.1% (220/360) and 85.6% (77/90), respectively. Campylobacter jejuni was detected as the majority with approximately 70% for both facilities. In the modern processing plants, the contamination rate for Campylobacter gradually declined from 80.6% before the inside-outside washing to 62.5% after inside-outside washing and to 38.9% after the post chilling step. The contamination rate for Campylobacter from processed chicken neck skin in traditional wet markets (93.3%) was significantly (P<0.01) higher than in modern processing plants (38.9%).
Slaughtering is the first step in meat processing. It involves killing an animal for the production of meat. Effectiveness of slaughter is determined by the amount of blood removed from the animal. This study aimed to compare the chemical changes and microbiological quality of broiler chicken meat slaughtered by Halal and Non-Halal slaughter methods during refrigerated storage. A total of sixty (60) broiler chickens were slaughtered by: i) Neck cutting (NC) - by severing the jugular veins, carotid arteries, trachea and the oesophagus according to the Islamic ritual method of slaughter and (ii) Neck poking (NP) - by poking the neck of the bird with a sharp object. Residual blood was quantified by measuring the haem iron content in the breast meat samples. Storage stability of chicken meat was evaluated by measuring the extent of lipid oxidation determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and by assessing the microbiological quality of the meat. Haem iron content decreased significantly (P0.05) on chicken meat lipid oxidation at 1, 3, and 9 day of storage at 4oC. However, at 5 and 7 day of storage, significant differences (P
Piper cubeba L. is traditionally recognised as flavouring ingredient in various types of foods and has been used to marinate meat. Scientifically, it has been reported to possess various valuable nutritional and pharmacological properties including antimicrobial potential. The aim of the present work was to determine the antibacterial activity of ethanolic P. cubeba L. extract against Escherichia coli and its effect on the microbiological quality of raw chicken meat during storage. Disc diffusion assay was done and resulted in 8.40 ± 0.10 mm of inhibition zone. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of the extract were determined at 0.63 ± 0.00 mg/mL and 1.25 ± 0.00 mg/mL of concentration by MIC and MBC methods, respectively. The killing time was recorded at 2 × MIC (1.25 mg/mL) for 4 h. The application of the extract on chicken meat samples showed reduction in TPC and E. coli count with the observed optimum condition at 5.00% concentration stored at -18°C for 14 days based on the consistent reduction. Sensory attributes acceptability evaluation by 9-point hedonic scale showed acceptable score for colour, odour, texture and overall acceptability of the treated raw chicken meat samples. The findings implies that P. cubeba L. can be listed as one of the alternatives to reduce the bacterial load of raw chicken meat prior to cooking which is very important in ensuring food safety as well as reducing the occurrence of foodborne poisoning associated with chicken meat.
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] is one of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers which can be degraded by lipases. In this study, the depolymerizing activity of different known commercial lipases was investigated via microassay using P(3HB-co-92 mol % 4HB) thin film as substrate. Non-enzymatic hydrolysis occurred under conditions in which buffers with pH 12 and 13 were added or temperature of 50 °C and above. Different concentrations of metal ions or detergents alone did not cause the film hydrolysis. The depolymerizing activity of lipases on P(3HB-co-4HB) was optimum in the pH range of 6-8 and at temperatures between 30 and 50 °C. Addition of metal ions and detergents in different concentrations was also shown to cause variable effects on the depolymerizing activity of commercial lipases. Pancreatic extracts from both mouse and chicken showed similar depolymerizing activity as the commercial lipases on the P(3HB-co-4HB) film. The presence of lipolytic enzymes in the organ extracts was confirmed with another lipase activity assay, p-nitrophenyl laurate assay. For the first time this has produced a direct evidence for the involvement of lipase-like enzymes from animal in the degradation of this PHA. Lipase is most likely the enzyme from pancreas that was involved in the degradation.
The intestinal microbiota is increasingly recognized as an important component of host health, metabolism and immunity. Early gut colonizers are pivotal in the establishment of microbial community structures affecting the health and growth performance of chickens. White Lohmann layer is a common commercial breed. Therefore, this breed was selected to study the pattern of changes of microbiota with age. In this study, the duodenum, caecum and colorectum contents of white Lohmann layer chickens from same environment control farm were collected and analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing to explore the spatial and temporal variations in intestinal microbiota. The results showed that the diversity of the microbial community structure in the duodenum, caecum and colorectum increased with age and tended to be stable when the layer chickens reached 50 days of age and the distinct succession patterns of the intestinal microbiota between the duodenum and large intestine (caecum and colorectum). On day 0, the diversity of microbes in the duodenum was higher than that in the caecum and colorectum, but the compositions of intestinal microbes were relatively similar, with facultative anaerobic Proteobacteria as the main microbes. However, the relative abundance of facultative anaerobic bacteria (Escherichia) gradually decreased and was replaced by anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides and Ruminococcaceae). By day 50, the structure of intestinal microbes had gradually become stable, and Lactobacillus was the dominant bacteria in the duodenum (41.1%). The compositions of dominant microbes in the caecum and colorectum were more complex, but there were certain similarities. Bacteroides, Odoribacter and Clostridiales vadin BB60 group were dominant. The results of this study provide evidence that time and spatial factors are important factors affecting the intestinal microbiota composition. This study provides new knowledge of the intestinal microbiota colonization pattern of layer chickens in early life to improve the intestinal health of layer chickens.
Salmonella is a gram-negative rod-shape bacterium from the family of Enterobacteriaceae that can cause a wide range of human disease such as enteric fever, gastroenteritis and bacteremia. Here we sequenced two genomes of Salmonella bacteria isolated from the Gallus gallus domesticus host. Genomic DNA of the two Salmonella isolates were extracted and subjected to whole genome sequencing using Illumina platform. The draft genome size of the two Salmonella isolates was determined to be 4,902,295 bp (S18) and 4,847,310 bp (S20) respectively. The percentage of GC content for both draft genomes is the same which is 52.1%. Both the whole genome shotgun project (S18 and S20) has been deposited in National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive under the accession number of SRR7503041 (S18) and SRR7503040 (S20). The sequenced genome (S18 and S20) were aligned with the reference genome and three other Salmonella genomes from serogroup B, D and E. The data obtained show the presence of unique DNA sequences in S18 and S20 genomes. This unique DNA sequences are from the fimbrial gene group.
This study set out to examine the combined effects of the supplementation of a dietary palm oil (PO) and sunflower oil (SO) blend, 0. 25% L-Arginine (L-Arg), and different levels of vitamin E (Vit E) on growth performance, fat deposition, cytokine expression, and immune response in broilers. A total of 216 1-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb500) were randomly distributed into six dietary groups as follows: Diet 1: 6% palm oil (negative control); Diet 2: PO and SO blend (4% palm oil and 2% sunflower oil) + 0.25% L-Arg (positive control); Diet 3: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 20 mg/kg Vit E; Diet 4: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 50 mg/kg Vit E; Diet 5: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 100 mg/kg Vit E; and Diet 6: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 150 mg/kg Vit E. Weight gain and serum IgG and IgM increased while feed conversion ratio, fat deposition, and plasma cholesterol decreased in broilers fed Vit E with the oil blend and L-Arg, compared to those fed the negative control (Diet 1). Expression of IFN and TNF-α were reduced, whereas TGF-ß1 was up-regulated as the level of Vit E increased in the broiler diets. In summary, the combination of oil blend, L-Arg, and Vit E at a level of 50 mg/kg increased the performance and altered the expression of cytokines that may positively influence immune function in broiler chickens.
This study was conducted to detect the presence of chicken and porcine DNA in meatballs using mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) of cytochrome b (cyt b) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) species-specific primers, respectively. While, the mtDNA primers targeted transfer RNA-ATP8 (tRNA-ATP8) gene was used for 1 and 5% (w/w) chicken meatball spiked with commercial porcine blood plasm. Chicken meatballs spiked with 1% and 5% (v/w) fresh and commercial porcine blood plasma, respectively were prepared and heat-treated using five (n = 5) cooking methods: boiling, pan-frying, roasting, microwaving and autoclaving. Two pairs of mtDNA and nDNA primers used, produced 129 and 161 bp amplicons, respectively. Whereas, tRNA-ATP8 primers produced 212 bp of amplicon. Electrophoresis analysis showed positive results for porcine DNA at 1% and 5% (w/w or v/v) for all of the different cooking techniques, either for fresh or commercial blood plasma using SINE primers but not for tRNA-ATP8 primers. The present study has highlighted the useful of species-specific primers of SINE primers in PCR analysis for detecting porcine DNA blood plasma in heat-treated chicken meatballs.
This research was conducted to estimate the effects of Persicaria odorata leaf meal (POLM) on haematological indices, serum biochemical attributes, and internal organs parameters, including histomorphological features of the liver, in broiler chickens. A total of 120 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb-500) were randomly allocated into four experimental groups. The dietary treatments were basal diet (BD), which served as the control (C), along with BD + 2 g/kg POLM (Po2), BD + 4 g/kg POLM (Po4), BD + 8 g/kg POLM (Po8), which were the supplemented groups. The body weight gain (BWG) showed a linear increase and feed conversion ratio (FCR) showed a linear decrease with increasing POLM dosage at day 42 (p ˂ 0.05) and for the overall growth performance period (p ˂ 0.01). On day 21 and day 42, the values of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), haemoglobin (Hb), and packed cell volume (PCV) showed linear increases (p ˂0.05) as the dosage of POLM increased in the diet. On day 21, dietary supplementation of POLM linearly decreased (p ˂ 0.05) the serum activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), and serum levels of urea and creatinine. On the other hand, serum levels of total protein (TP), albumin, and globulin showed a linear increase (p ˂ 0.05) as the POLM dosage increased. On day 42, the serum activity of AST and ALT and serum levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, and creatinine showed linear decreases (p ˂ 0.05) with increased levels of POLM in the diet. However, POLM supplementation linearly increased (p ˂ 0.05) the serum levels of TP and globulin. Dietary inclusion of POLM did not influence the organ parameters and showed no adverse effects on the liver histomorphology. In conclusion, supplementation of POLM increased the growth performance, improving haematological indices and serum biochemistry profiles of broiler chickens without any deleterious effects on the liver histomorphology. The results of the present study provide evidence that POLM can be safely used at a dose rate of 8 g/kg of feed as an alternative to conventional antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs).
Factors contributing to foodborne illnesses in Malaysia were identified as insanitary food handling procedures and lack of hygiene in food preparation area. Food safety at home is a critical point as consumers represent the final step in food preparation and prevention of foodborne diseases. This study aims to investigate the food safety knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food safety knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The proposed model fulfilled the goodness of fit indices and is deemed acceptable. Respondents demonstrate good level of food safety knowledge and positive attitudes and self-reported practices. Food safety knowledge has a negative and insignificant relationship with food safety practices (β1 = -0.284, p>0.05) while attitude significantly affects food safety practices (β1 = 0.534, p<0.05). The findings clearly indicate that food safety knowledge does not directly affect food safety practices This is also the first study to provide new empirical findings on thermometer usage among consumers in Malaysia. This study establishes an important point of reference where consumers use visual appearances to determine if food is thoroughly cooked and practice washing raw chicken prior to cooking. Food safety practices at home play a critical role in protecting consumers in reducing risks of foodborne illnesses.
Salmonella Enteritidis is a major cause of food poisoning worldwide, and poultry products are the main source of S. Enteritidis contamination for humans. Among the numerous strategies for disease control, improving genetic resistance to S. Enteritidis has been the most effective approach. We investigated the association between S. Enteritidis burden in the caecum, spleen, and liver of young indigenous chickens and seven candidate genes, selected on the basis of their critical roles in immunological functions. The genes included those encoding interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2), immunoglobulin light chain (IgL), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Two Malaysian indigenous chicken breeds were used as sustainable genetic sources of alleles that are resistant to salmonellosis. The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment-length polymorphism technique was used to genotype the candidate genes. Three different genotypes were observed in all of the candidate genes, except for MD-2. All of the candidate genes showed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the two populations. The IL-2-MnlI polymorphism was associated with S. Enteritidis burden in the caecum and spleen. The TGF-β2-RsaI, TLR-4-Sau 96I, and iNOS-AluI polymorphisms were associated with the caecum S. Enteritidis load. The other candidate genes were not associated with S. Enteritidis load in any organ. The results indicate that the IL-2, TGF-β2, TLR-4, and iNOS genes are potential candidates for use in selection programmes for increasing genetic resistance against S. Enteritidis in Malaysian indigenous chickens.
Mycoplasma imitans (Mim) has been isolated from ducks, geese and partridges, and is closely related to Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg). The pathogenicity of Mim for chicks was investigated in single and mixed infections with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) by giving IBV strain M41 at 1-day-old and Mim 2 days later. Single infections with IBV or Mim were also performed. No clinical signs or gross lesions were seen in chicks infected with Mim or uninfected control chicks, but they were seen in the other two groups. Clinical scores were consistently higher in birds with mixed infections than those infected with IBV alone, and were significantly higher (P < 0.05) between days 7 and 14. More birds developed sinusitis, tracheitis and airsacculitis (with greater severity) in the mixed than the single IBV infections. Mim was recovered more frequently and in greater numbers from the respiratory tract of birds with mixed than single infections. It was recovered from the lower trachea, air sacs and lungs only in mixed infections. Seroconversion to Mim occurred by day 14 in mixed infections, but not until day 21 in single infections. It appears that Mim can act synergistically with IBV in young chickens in a similar manner to Mg, although Mg may act as a primary pathogen under some circumstances.
Twelve Lactobacillus strains isolated from chicken intestine, which demonstrated a strong and moderate capacity to adhere to the ileal epithelial cells in vitro, were used to investigate their inhibitory ability against five strains of salmonella, i.e. Salmonella enteritidis 935/79, Salm. pullorum, Salm. typhimurium, Salm. blockley and Salm. enteritidis 94/448, and three serotypes of Escherichia coli, viz. E. coli O1:K1, O2:K1 and O78:K80. The results showed that all the 12 Lactobacillus isolates were able to inhibit the growth of the five strains of salmonella, and the three strains of E. coli in varying degrees. Generally, they were more effective in inhibiting the growth of salmonella than E. coli. Inhibition of the pathogenic bacteria was probably due to the production of organic acids by the Lactobacillus isolates.
Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2 ) is a non-thermal technique implemented by food, pharmaceutical, and similar industries with the aim of inhibiting the microorganisms and apply effective sterilisation. Presently, limited number of studies has reported the application of SC-CO2 on fresh chicken meat. The present work therefore aimed to reveal the microbial and physicochemical quality of the SC-CO2 -treated fresh chicken meat. The fresh chicken meat was subjected to the SC-CO2 at 14 MPa and 45°C for 40 min and was stored at 4°C for 0, 3, and 7 days. The obtained results indicated that the treatment with SC-CO2 significantly decreased the total plate count and, yeast and mould count from log10 5.90 to 2.00 CFU/g and from log10 5.02 to 2.00 CFU/g at day 7 of storage, respectively. The values of pH, cooking loss, and water holding capacity were not affected by the treatment. The results revealed that the SC-CO2 -treated samples displayed harder texture, higher lightness and yellowness, and lower redness. In addition, lipid peroxidation of SC-CO2 and control samples resulted in values of 1.9 and 0.5 MDA/mg of meat at day 7 of storage time and did not significantly change in the rest of the evaluation days. In summary, the application of SC-CO2 was capable of enhancing the microbial quality and certain physicochemical attributes. However, alteration of certain parameters of SC-CO2 might enhance the overall meat quality.
Protein-based films are thin and flexible films derived from protein sources. They are
completely biodegradable and used in food engineering, packaging, drug recovery, and other
applications. In food packaging, gelatin is widely used due to properties such as low cost,
availability, functional attributes, mechanical (flexibility and tension) and optical (brightness
and opacity) strength, barrier against gas flow, and structural resistance to water and
microorganisms. Therefore, this paper reviews the characterisation of biodegradable
protein-based films from gelatin alternatives, mainly from fish and chicken skin, as food
packaging materials. The properties of film packaging derived from gelatin alternatives were
compared with films derived from mammalian gelatin. The findings showed that the blended
gelatin alternatives with polysaccharide improved physical properties such as water vapour
permeability, gas permeability, light transmission and transparency, thermal properties,
microstructure, colour, and heat sealability. Moreover, improvements in mechanical
properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break were also investigated. This review
also comes out with suggestions for future research on the compatibility between gelatin films
and food ingredients. This paper provides a comprehensive overview that promotes the
development of biodegradable blended films from gelatin alternatives for packaging
applications in the food industry and related fields.
The aim of the present work was to develop chicken skin gelatin films incorporated with
different concentrations of rice starch prepared by casting techniques. Six film-forming
solutions were prepared separately with different blend ratios of chicken skin gelatin to rice
starch: A (0/100), B (5/100), C (10/100), D (15/100), E (20/100), and F (25/100). The
rheological properties of the film-forming solutions (FFS) were determined using frequency
sweep. The mechanical and physical properties of the respective films were also evaluated.
With the increase in rice starch concentration, the storage (G’) modulus of FFS increased
dramatically with loss (G”) modulus as the oscillatory frequency rising to contribute to gel
behaviour (G’ > G”). As rice starch concentration increased, the chicken skin gelatin films
also demonstrated higher tensile strength, elongation at break, and water vapour permeability,
but reduced the solubility of gelatin films in water. Additionally, elevation in melting point
values indicated that the thermal stability of the composite films was enhanced with the
increment of rice starch concentration. Film F (with 25% rice starch) yielded the optimal film
formulation, as it had the highest tensile strength and a high elongation at break value. Thus,
film F shows the best potential as a film for food packaging.
Cold truck transportation is considered one of the most integral parts in a food processing chain. However, countless cases of product spoilage and food poisoning incidents have proven that temperature control during transport has been neglected. Literature on the impact of temperature during distribution is scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of various transportation temperatures and travel duration on the meat quality and microbial population of broiler chicken breast muscle. Sixty broiler chickens (42 days old) were slaughtered and eviscerated; they then had their breast muscles removed (each bird provided two breast muscle samples: left breast and right breast), which were wrapped in plastic film. All 120 packed boneless breasts (PBBs) were then placed at -18 °C for 24 h. After 24 h, the 60 PBB samples were subjected to transportation for 1 h at 4 °C (20 PBBs), 10 °C (20 PBBs), and 15 °C (20 PBBs) while the remaining 60 samples were transported for 5 h at 4 °C (20 PBBs), 10 °C (20 PBBs), and 15 °C (20 PBBs) before analyses. The samples transported at higher temperatures exhibited higher populations of coliform and Salmonella than those transported at lower temperatures. A significant impact of the transportation duration on the Salmonella population was only observed in samples transported at 4 °C for 5 h. However, a significant impact of transportation temperature on color was only recorded for the redness (a*) values, where the samples transported at higher temperatures exhibited higher redness (a*) values. Significant increases in lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values as well as decreases in redness (a*) and pH values were recorded in samples subjected to longer durations of transportation across all the temperatures observed in this study.