Detection of Cryptosporidium in miniaturised fluidic devices

Contamination of drinking water with the protozoan pathogen, Cryptosporidium, represents a serious risk to human health due to the low infectious dose and the resistance of this parasite to chlorine disinfection. Therefore, several countries have legislated for the frequent monitoring of drinking water for Cryptosporidium presence. Existing approved monitoring protocols are however time-consuming and do not provide essential information on the species, virulence or viability of detected oocysts. Rapid, more information-rich and automatable systems for Cryptosporidium detection are highly sought-after, and numerous miniaturised devices have been developed to address this need. This review article aims to summarise the state-of-the-art and compare the performance of these systems in terms of detection limit, ability to determine species, viability and performance in the presence of interferents. Finally, conclusions are drawn with regard to the most promising methods and directions of future research.     

Effectiveness of a natural Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract on the stability of filleted and minced fish during frozen storage

 The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding a natural Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract to filleted and minced frozen fish and to compare the fat stability of the samples with that of the controls. Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), a relatively fatty fish, and Mediterranean hake (Merluccius mediterraneus), a low-fat fish, were used. Fat stability evaluation was done by comparing the changes of the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) degradation that occurred during frozen storage at –18°C for 120 days. Total volatile bases-N (TVB-N) were also measured to assess for quality. The results showed that the natural antioxidant extract retarded the oxidation process throughout storage. The control samples of both filleted and minced frozen fish of both species showed a significant reduction (^* P <0.05) of PUFAs until day 50 of storage, while the oxidation was gradual but slower in the treated samples. Fillets and minced samples of both species treated with antioxidant contained significantly (^* P <0.05) less MDA compared with the controls during storage. Received: 2 December 1996     

Effectiveness of a natural Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract on the stability of filleted and minced fish during frozen storage

 The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding a natural Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract to filleted and minced frozen fish and to compare the fat stability of the samples with that of the controls. Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), a relatively fatty fish, and Mediterranean hake (Merluccius mediterraneus), a low-fat fish, were used. Fat stability evaluation was done by comparing the changes of the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) degradation that occurred during frozen storage at –18°C for 120 days. Total volatile bases-N (TVB-N) were also measured to assess for quality. The results showed that the natural antioxidant extract retarded the oxidation process throughout storage. The control samples of both filleted and minced frozen fish of both species showed a significant reduction (^* P <0.05) of PUFAs until day 50 of storage, while the oxidation was gradual but slower in the treated samples. Fillets and minced samples of both species treated with antioxidant contained significantly (^* P <0.05) less MDA compared with the controls during storage. Received: 2 December 1996     

Effect of smoking on quality parameters of farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) and sensory attributes of the smoked product

The effect of smoking on the proximate composition, chemical parameters and microbial loads of farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.), as well as the sensory attributes of the smoked product were investigated. The process reduced the moisture content and the total aerobic count and increased the protein, lipids and total volatile basic nitrogen content and the thiobarbituric acid number . The values of the last two parameters were much lower than acceptable limits reported in the literature references for smoked fish products. No effect was noted on the fatty acid composition of total lipids. The new product was highly acceptable to laboratory and consumer panels.Kyriakos Vareltzis deceased