kh. abdolmaleki

Saturated and trans fatty acids are used to provide desirable texture, high oxidative stability and extended shelf life in lipid-based food products such as margarine. In recent years, concerns on the use of trans and saturated fatty acids have increased due to the reasons such as cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Therefore, novel methods such as oleogel have been used to produce desired food structures without using harmful compounds.

In the current study, melting point and rheological and textural characteristics of four oleogel samples prepared with beeswax (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 wt%) were studied and compared with those of palm oil. To formulate low-saturated fat margarine, an optimized ologel sample was selected as the substitute for palm oil and hydrogenated palm olein oil. Margarines (70% fat) were assessed for their solid fat content, melting point and rheological and textural characteristics and results were compared with those of commercial samples.

The sample containing 10% beeswax included the most similar characteristics to those of palm oil. Replacement of 10% beeswax oleogel with 100% hydrogenated palm olein oil and 25% palm oil resulted in the production of margarines with rheological and textural characteristics, similar to those of commercial margarines. Furthermore, these samples included lower solid fat contents and higher melting points than those the commercial samples did.

The results of this study showed that the replacement of palm oil and partially hydrogenated palm olein oil with beeswax oleogel in margarine led to a reduction of  28% and 80% saturated and trans fatty acids, respectively.

Cold plasma is a novel non-thermal technology for the food and packaging industry. In this study, the effects of argon glow discharge plasma on the mechanical properties, surface topography, chemical composition, film hydrophilicity, film solubility, and barrier properties of the starch films were examined. Plasma treatment improved Tensile Strength (TS) of the starch film. In contrast to TS, elongation at the break of the plasma-treated films remained unchanged. The surface roughness of starch film increased after plasma treatment. An apparent increase in the surface hydrophilicity was observed due to formation of oxygen-containing polar groups. FTIR analysis confirmed the increase in the oxygen containing groups in plasma-treated starch film. However, film surface hydrophilicity caused no significant change in the solubility of films. No significant difference was found in the barrier properties of the starch films. The evaluation of films modifications by glow discharge plasma will contribute to in-package decontamination studies of food products by plasma.

Metallobeta-lactamase production is one of the most important mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Stachys lavandulifolia and Quercus brantii on the IMP-type metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This study was performed on burn patients between January 2015 and November 2015. Susceptibility to the antibiotics and methanol extracts were evaluated by broth microdilution and disc diffusion methods. MBL-producing P. aeruginosa was detected by Combination Disk Diffusion Test (CDDT). The bla (VIM) and bla (IMP) genes detection were performed by PCR and sequencing methods.

Forty eight (57.9%) of 83 P. aeruginosa strains were resistant to imipenem and were blaIMP-1 genes positive, whereas none were bla (VIM) genes positive. In the hospitalized patients with MBL-producing Pseudomonas infection, the mortality rate was 4.48 (8.3%). It was found that S. lavandulifolia extract showed a high antibacterial effect on regular and IMP-producing P. aeruginosa strains at the concentration of 0.625 mg/mL, but Q. Brandy extract showed no antibacterial effect in the tested concentration.

In burn patientsMBL-producing P. aeruginosa has been found in high incidence. Detection of this pseudomonas and determination of drug resistance pattern is very important. The methanol extract of S. lavandulifolia showed suitable effects on MBL-producing P. aeruginosa in vitro; therefore, it could be suggested for further studies against carbapenem resistant P. aeruginosa isolates.