Browsing by Author "Ramos, Tatiane Rogelio"

Background: Forty crossbred steers were supplemented with different doses (from 0 control to 6000 mg/animal/day) of natural additive blend containing clove essential oil, cashew oil, castor oil, and a microencapsulated blend of eugenol, thymol, and vanillin for 80 days. Carcass characteristics, drip loss, and antioxidant activity were evaluated 24 h post mortem on longissimus thoracis, and the effects of aging (until 14 days) were evaluated for water losses (thawing/aging and cooking), texture, color, and lipid oxidation. Results: The use of the natural additive blend did not modify (P > 0.05) carcass characteristics but did, however, modify body composition (P < 0.05). Drip losses were unaffected by the treatments tested (P > 0.05). There was an observed quadratic effect (P < 0.05) on losses from thawing/aging on the first day of storage. Regarding the effects of natural additives on cooking losses, there was a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) among the treatments on day 7 of aging. Differences between days of aging were only observed with control treatment. Shear force was similar among treatments on days 1 and 7 of aging. On day 14 a linear effect (P < 0.05) was observed. Also, a linear effect (P < 0.05) appeared on meat lightness, meat from the control group being clearer on day 1. No changes were observed in redness among treatments or days of storage (P > 0.05). Yellowness was not modified by the treatments (P > 0.05)but only by the days of storage in control and the lowest dosage used. Conclusion: The blend of natural additives has potential use in pasture feeding and could improve meat quality. However, doses should be adjusted.

Essential oils (EOs) are natural compounds extracted from plants that exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. and therefore attract interest as additives in the food industry. especially food for special populations. In the case of children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. another factor has to be considered. such as the consistency of food. This study evaluated consumer acceptability of infant food with oregano essential oil by children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and a questionnaire was applied to assess consumption habits and profile of the studied population. Samples were evaluated according to odor. flavor. color. and texture acceptability. Consumers were divided by days. with 35 children each day per sample (CONT without essential oil and EO with different concentration of oregano essential oil). Total number of children was 103. In relation to acceptability of color. odor and flavor of the CONT and EO-0.01% received higher grades. the infant food with 0.05% oregano essential oil showed lower scores compared with the other treatments. However. in relation to acceptability. all samples received satisfactory scores. In relation to texture. differences were not observed. The use of oregano essential oil could be an alternative for the development of an infant food.