We compared the content of lead (Pb) and other trace metals in various bone and tooth tissues of two alpine rodent species with different behaviours. Hibernating marmots accumulated less Pb than the non-hibernating and shorter-lived snow voles. It was confirmed that calcium (Ca) is substituted by Pb in Tatra marmot teeth and skull bones. Ca concentration in marmot bones is likely maintained even during this inactive period and this mechanism may reduce Pb accumulation in bones of hibernating marmots. Pb accumulation in bone and tooth tissues may be slightly mitigated by zinc content and also by increased strontium (Sr) in bones. Trace metals deposited differently in tooth and skull bone tissues of marmots. Frontal and parietal skull bones contained significantly more Pb than marmot incisors, but the difference was not significant when comparing skull bones with molars. Molars are static and could reflect past exposure of heavy metals, whereas incisors renew themselves, and would not.
Background. Differences in the types and percentages of essential amino acids (EAAs) in food could influence the value of protein consumed and proteins with a high content of EAAs are the most important components of poultry meat. The use of probiotics for meat and carcass quality improvement has been questioned, while feed supplementation with thyme essential oil (TEO) could be considered as useful natural supplement to be applied in the poultry industry to improve meat quality. Material and methods. Day-old broilers Ross 308 (n = 400) were randomly divided into four groups based on the feed supplement as follows: control, probiotics 0.05%, TEO 0.05% and combination of probiotics and TEO, while the fattening period was 42 days. Six birds of both sexes from each group were selected as a sample, slaughtered and then stored (-18°C) for 6 months till the analysis. The muscular homogeneous sample (50 g) ffom the breast and thigh of each sample bird was analysed by the Fourier Transform Inffared Spectroscopy method using the device Nicolet 6700. The essential amino acids content was determined and the ąuality indicators include Chemical score, amino acid score, EAA index and biological value were calculated. Results. The obtained results show that for all the tested EAAs of the breast and thigh muscles, the content numerically increased gradually and progressively within the groups as the control scored the minimum followed by the probiotics group, then the combination group and finally the TEO group which scored the highest results. Conclusion. It can be concluded that the TEO promoted the increase of all the EAAs and consequently the quality indicators with significant different compared with the control group and significantly different for some EAAs and quality indicators compared with the probiotics group and the combination group.
Background. Texture is probably the single most critical quality factor associated with the consumers’ ultimate satisfaction with a poultry meat product and can be affectcd by several factors including the type of feed used for chickens fattening. The use of probiotics for meat and carcass quality improvement has been questioned, while the possibility of deposition of essential oils in various muscle tissues can alter the sensory attributes of the chicken’s meat. Material and methods. Probiotics and thyme essential oil in the percentage of 0.05% were used as feed supplements for Ross 308 broiler chickens, as the broilers were reared in four separated groups based on the feed supplement as follows: control, probiotics, thyme essential oil and combination of probiotics and thyme essential oil group, while the fattening period was 42 days. TA.XT Plus-Texture analyser apparatus was used for determination of the texture profile and Warner Bratzler shear force for the cooked breast meat. Results. Warner Bratzler shear test results showed that the tested feed additives were not affecting the texture of the chicken breast meat, while probiotic appears to have moderately effect on the hardness, cohesiveness, springiness and chewiness attributes of the cooked breast meat compared with the other groups, this effect of probiotics considered as negligible, as the results showed that all the tested groups meat were very tender according to the tendemess scale. Conclusions. According to the obtained results it can be concluded the combination of probiotics and thyme group resulted in the lowest score for the hardness, cohesiveness, springiness and chewiness attributes, while probiotics group scored the highest compared with the control.
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