60 research outputs found
Hagar as Israel: A Prismatic Reading of Hagar and Ishmael
No full textThe Hagar and Ishmael story (Gen 16, 21) is one of Genesis’ most undervalued stories. Historically, Jewish and Christian interpreters have approached the text with a bias against Hagar in favor of Sarah. This approach hampers the ability of interpreters to see how the author(s) of Genesis may be utilizing the narrative in a pro-Hagar way. This thesis rehabilitates Hagar and Ishmael’s image by engaging in a charitable and canonical hermeneutic which seeks to see the story in light of a network of inner-biblical allusions. There are three important literary connections which are necessary to understand Hagar and Ishmael include the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22), the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen 3), and Israel’s Exodus. These three associations open the possibility for a positive reading of Hagar and Ishmael that shows God’s universal tendencies which transcend ethnicity
Correction to
No full textThe article “Intermittent levosimendan infusion in ambulatory patients with end‑stage heart failure: a systematic review and meta‑analysis of 984 patients”, written by Hagar Elsherbini, Osama Soliman, Casper Zijderhand, Mattie Lenzen, Sanne E. Hoeks, Rasha Kaddoura, Mohamed Izham5, Abdulaziz Alkhulaifi, Amr S. Omar, and Kadir Caliskan, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 11 April 2021 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 10 June 2021 to</p
Enhancing the microbial and sensory qualities of soft cheese using black seed oil
No full textThis study explored enhancing soft cheese quality by incorporating varying concentrations of Black Seed Oil (Habat Al-barakah) at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% (v/w). Fresh cow milk from Menoufia University, Egypt, was used to produce soft cheese supplemented with Black Seed Oil (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% w/w) alongside a control. The cheese was manufactured following pasteurization (80°C/30 min) and stored at 4°C for 28 days. Physicochemical properties were analyzed using AOAC methods, while sensory evaluation and microbiological analysis, including total bacterial count, coliforms, S. aureus, and yeasts/molds. There were significant (P≤0.05) variations in chemical composition between the control and treated cheese samples, particularly notable in the sample with 1.5% oil. Adding black seed oil increased cheese acidity from 0.25% in control to 0.33% in the 1.5% oil-treated cheese at a fresh time, and a consistent increase was observed in all samples during refrigerated storage. Microbiological investigations revealed that soft cheese treatments enriched with black seed oil exhibited the lowest total bacterial count, yeast, and mold. Coliform groups and staphylococci were undetected in all soft cheese treatments and controls. Panelists positively acknowledged the taste of soft cheese with a higher concentration of black cumin oil (1.5%), with no complaints about appearance and flavor. Interestingly, the panelists favored the texture of soft cheese with a higher percentage of oil, ultimately leading to the highest overall acceptability for the 1.5% oil-treated cheese
Prevalence of aflatoxins in dairy products and the biocontrol potential of lactobacillus acidophilus for detoxification and fungal inhibition
No full textThis study aimed to evaluate the preponderance of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and aflatoxin M2 (AFM2) in different cheese varieties (Ras, processed, and soft cheese) and raw milk and assess their compliance with Egyptian safety standards. This study investigated the potential detoxification effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus against AFM1 and its inhibitory activity on Aspergillus flavus. One hundred dairy samples were collected from various Menoufia Governorate, Egypt markets. AFM1 and AFM2 levels were confined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The probiotic detoxification study was conducted by inoculating milk samples with Aspergillus flavus spores and treating them with L. acidophilus at 1%, 2%, and 3%, monitoring fungal growth and toxin levels over 15 days. The results showed that AFM1 exceeded the permissible limit of 0.05 ppb in 28% of Ras cheese, 16% of processed cheese, 20% of soft cheese, and 8% of raw milk samples, while AFM2 contamination was lower across all categories. Lactobacillus acidophilus exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on Aspergillus flavus, achieving complete fungal inhibition at 3% concentration by day 6. Moreover, AFM1 levels were significantly reduced, with complete detoxification observed at 2% and 3% L. acidophilus concentrations. These findings highlight the widespread occurrence of AFM1 in the dairy products sector and underscore the potential of probiotic interventions as a natural mitigation strategy for aflatoxin contamination.
Plant Extracts in Probiotic Encapsulation: Evaluation of their Effects on Strains Survivability in Juice and Drinkable Yogurt During Storage and an in-vitro Gastrointestinal Model
No full textThe present study concerned with the evaluation of the adding value from the addition of plant extracts, including those from moringa, fennel, sage and green tea, during alginate encapsulation on the viability of probiotic bacteria (L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238) in fruit juice (i.e., kiwi, prickly pear and carrot juice) and drinkable yoghurt throughout storage at 4°C. The results revealed that the survival rates of L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 cells encapsulated with 0.05% (w/v) moringa extract were significantly higher than those of cells encapsulated with fennel and saga after storage for 30 days. The In vitro digestibility behaviour and survival of the novel capsules were studied in terms of the survival of L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 based on sequential exposure to simulated salivary, gastric and intestinal fluids. This novel encapsulation additive significantly increased the survival of L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 compared with the control capsules cells in simulated digestive fluids. Therefore, the appropriate amount of moringa extract for use in culture encapsulation was determined after the addition to fruit juices and drinkable yoghurt, and the effect of this extract was compared with the effect of adding green tea extract (a standard plant extract). Green tea and moringa extracts enhanced the stability of probiotic beads in all products compared to the controls after storage. Encapsulated L. plantarum DSM 20205 and P. acidilactici DSM 20238 showed better survivabilities than the control capsules. The studied strains showed better survival in prickly pear juice and drinkable yoghurt throughout storage at 4°C for 30 days
Extend Shelf-life of Vacuum-Packaged Herring Fish Fillets using Garlic and Ginger Extracts
No full textThe present study explored the preservation effect of the garlic and ginger extract (GGE) on herring fish fillets under refrigerated storage (4°C) for 8 weeks. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of GGE was evaluated: GGE exhibited a reasonable antioxidant activity and antimicrobial potency against some foodborne pathogens such as Bacillus subtilis DB 100 host, Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3584, Escherichia coli BA 12296, Salmonella senftenberg ATCC 8400, and Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 10788. The effect of GGE on the quality and shelf life of herring fish fillet was screened. The study findings highlight the effects of GGE treatment: significant microbial growth inhibition, postponed lipid oxidation, decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration and decreased protein oxidation. Additionally, GGE treatment preserved the pleasant appearance of the fish compared to that of the control after 8weeks of storage. This study verified that GGE effectively maintained herring fish fillet quality and safety compared to the control treatment and the treatments with nisin or butylated hydroxyl-toluene (BHT)
Dietary supplementation with Dunaliella salina microalga promotes quail growth by altering lipid profile and immunity
No full textThe goals of the current research are to
ascertain the impacts of Dunaliella salina (DS) on quail
growth, carcass criteria, liver and kidney functions, lipid
profile, and immune response. Two hundred and forty 7-
day-old quail chicks were divided equally into 4 separate
groups with 6 replicates with 10 birds each. The groups
were as follows: 1) control diet (the basal feed without
DS), 2) control diet enriched with 0.25 g DS/kg, 3) control diet enriched with 0.50 g DS/kg, and 4) control
diet enriched with 1.00 g DS/kg. Results elucidated
that the birds which consumed 0.5 and 1 g DS/kg diet
performed better than other birds in terms of live body
weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed
conversion ratio (FCR). There were no significant
changes in feed intake (FI) and carcass characteristics
due to different dietary DS levels. Compared to the
control group, DS-treated groups had better lipid profile (low total cholesterol and LDL values and high
HDL values) and immune response (complement 3 values). The quails consumed feeds with different levels of
DS had greater (P < 0.038) C3 compared to control.
Adding 0.5 and 1 g DS/kg lowered blood concentrations
of triglycerides and total protein (TP) values. The high
level of DS (1 g/kg) had higher albumin values and
lower AST values than other groups (P < 0.05). The
creatinine values were at the lowest levels in the group
consumed 0.50 g DS/kg feed. No changes (P > 0.05)
were demonstrated among experimental groups in the
ALT, urea, and lysozyme values. In conclusion, adding
D. salina to growing quail diets enhanced growth,
immune system, blood lipid profile, and kidney and liver
function
Biopreservative and Anti-Mycotoxigenic Potentials of <i>Lactobacillus paracasei</i> MG847589 and Its Bacteriocin in Soft White Cheese
No full textProbiotics and their bacteriocins have increasingly attracted interest for their use as safe food preservatives. This study aimed to produce soft white cheese fortified with Lacticaseibacillus MG847589 (Lb. paracasei MG847589) and/or its bacteriocin; cheese with Lacticaseibacillus (CP), cheese with bacteriocin (CB), and cheese with both Lacticaseibacillus and bacteriocin (CPB) were compared to control cheese (CS) to evaluate their biopreservative and anti-mycotoxigenic potentials for prolonged shelf life and safe food applications. The effects of these fortifications on physiochemical, microbial, texture, microstructure, and sensory properties were studied. Fortification with Lacticaseibacillus (CP) increased acidity (0.61%) and microbial counts, which may make the microstructure porous, while CPB showed intact microstructure. The CPB showed the highest hardness value (3988.03 g), while the lowest was observed with CB (2525.73 g). Consequently, the sensory assessment reflected the panelists’ preference for CPB, which gained higher scores than the control (CS). Fortification with Lb. paracasei MG847589 and bacteriocin (CPB) showed inhibition effects against S. aureus from 6.52 log10 CFU/g at time zero to 2.10 log10 CFU/g at the end of storage, A. parasiticus (from 5.06 to 3.03 log10 CFU/g), and P. chrysogenum counts (from 5.11 to 2.86 log10 CFU/g). Additionally, CPB showed an anti-mycotoxigenic effect against aflatoxins AFB1 and AFM1, causing them to be decreased (69.63 ± 0.44% and 71.38 ± 0.75%, respectively). These potentials can extend shelf life and pave the way for more suggested food applications of safe food production by fortification with both Lb. paracasei MG847589 and its bacteriocin as biopreservatives and anti-mycotoxigenic
Nanoparticles Additives for Diesel/Biodiesel Fuel Blends as a Performance and Emissions Enhancer in the Applications of Direct Injection Diesel Engines: A comparative Review
No full textNanomaterials (NMs) like copper oxides, titanium oxides, and aluminum oxides have been developing into some of the most promising fuel additives for diesel engines in recent years. in order to create a practical nano fuel. A significant amount of laboratory testing has been conducted up to this point to investigate the impact of using nano fuels on several aspects of diesel engine characteristics, particularly on hazardous emissions and engine performance (brake specific fuel consumption, effective power, brake thermal efficiency). This study provides an overview of the findings so far and the current situation regarding the use of nano fuels in diesel engines. Additionally, among the group of the most tested fuel additive nanoparticles, the best NMs/base fuel combinations are found based on two criteria that either involve all diesel engine parameters or simply diesel emissions. There are numerous techniques for improving engine performance. Nanoparticles can be used as catalysts in chemical reactions and feedstock pretreatment processes to produce biofuels. According to the overall findings, adding nanoparticles significantly reduced the amount of fuel used for brakes by 20% to 23% when compared to biodiesel-diesel blends with and without the addition of alcohol. In addition to improving the combustion process and boosting the brake power by 2.5% to 4%, nanoparticles have a high thermal conductivity. Emission data revealed that while HC, CO, and PM emissions all dramatically decreased in most reviews, NO emissions increased by up to 55%
Antioxidant and Anti-Diabetic Properties of Olive (<i>Olea europaea</i>) Leaf Extracts: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation
No full text(1) Objective: The main objective of the current study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo an antioxidant property of three genotypes of olive leaf extract (OLE) (picual, tofahi and shemlali), and furthermore to assess potential activity in the treatment and/or prevention of diabetes mellitus type II and related implications. (2) Methodology: Antioxidant activity was determined by using three different methods (DDPH assay, reducing power and nitric acid scavenging activity). In vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and hemolytic protective activity were assessed for the OLE. Five groups of male rats were used in in vivo experiment for evaluating the antidiabetic potential of OLE. (3) Results: The genotypes of the extracts of the three olive leaves exhibited meaningful phenolic and flavonoids content with superiority for picual extract (114.79 ± 4.19 µg GAE/g and 58.69 ± 1.03 µg CE/g, respectively). All three genotypes of olive leaves demonstrated significant antioxidant activity when using DPPH, reducing power and nitric oxide scavenging activity with IC50 ranging from 55.82 ± 0.13 to 19.03 ± 0.13 μg/mL. OLE showed a significant α-glucosidase inhibition activity and dose-dependent protection from hemolysis. In vivo experimentation revealed that the administration of OLE alone and the combination of OLE+ metformin clearly restored the blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin, lipid parameters and liver enzymes to the normal level. The histological examination revealed that the OLE and its combination with metformin successfully repaired the liver, kidneys and pancreatic tissues to bring them close to the normal status and maintain their functionality. (4) Conclusion: Finally, it can be concluded that the OLE and its combination with metformin is a promising treatment for diabetes mellitus type 2 due to their antioxidant activity, which emphasizes the potential use of OLE alone or as an adjuvant agent in the treatment protocol of diabetes mellitus type II
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