Life Sciences Commons^™

Identification Of A Putative Operon Involved In Fructooligosaccharide Utilization By Lactobacillus Paracasei, Yong Jun Goh, Andrew K. Benson, Vicki Schlegel, Jong-Hwa Lee, Robert W. Hutkins

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The growth and activity of some Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains are stimulated by the presence of nondigestible fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are selectively fermented by specific intestinal bacteria. Consumption of FOS, therefore, enriches for those bacteria that possess metabolic pathways necessary for FOS metabolism. In this study, a DNA microarray consisting of 7,680 random genomic library fragments of Lactobacillus paracasei 1195 was used to examine genes involved in the utilization of FOS in this organism. Differential expression profiles between cells grown on FOS and those grown on glucose provided a basis for identifying genes specifically induced by FOS. Several of the …

Prebiotic Galactooligosaccharides Reduce Adherence Of Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli To Tissue Culture Cells, Kari Schoaf, George L. Mulvey, Glen D. Armstrong, Robert W. Hutkins

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Prebiotic oligosaccharides are thought to provide beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals by stimulating growth of selected members of the intestinal microflora. Another means by which prebiotic oligosaccharides may confer health benefits is via their antiadhesive activity. Specifically, these oligosaccharides may directly inhibit infections by enteric pathogens due to their ability to act as structural mimics of the pathogen binding sites that coat the surface of gastrointestinal epithelial cells. In this study, the ability of commercial prebiotics to inhibit attachment of microcolony-forming enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) was investigated. The adherence of EPEC strain E2348/69 on HEp-2 …

Effect Of Prebiotic Oligosaccharides On Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli Adherence, Kari Shoaf

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Antiadhesion therapy has been found to be a very promising means to prevent and treat infections in the respiratory, urinary, and gastrointestinal tract. Despite the considerable research interest in antiadhesives, relatively little is known about the ability of commercial dietary oligosaccharides, such as prebiotics, to inhibit pathogen adherence. The goal of this research was to determine if commercially available prebiotic oligosaccharides could function as antiadhesive agents against enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC).

To investigate the ability of prebiotics to inhibit EPEC adherence, inhibition assays were performed by comparing adherence rates of EPEC on HEp-2 and Caco-2 cells in the presence of …

Food Science & Technology Alumni News, Fall 2006

Department of Food Science and Technology: Public Access Records

CONTENTS:
A Message from the Department Head and Center Director...
Dr. Susan L. Hefle
Graduate Information
Graduates of the Ph.D. Program
Graduates of the M.S. Program
Graduates of the B.S. Program
Student Awards
Khem Shahani Professorship in Food Science and Technology
Robert W. Hutkins, Ph.D.
Department of Food Science and Technology honors alumnus at UNL's 2005 Master's Week
Research News
Food Processing Center
New FPC Laboratory &Testing Services

Chitosan Protects Cooked Ground Beef And Turkey Against Clostridium Perfringens Spores During Chilling, Vijay Juneja, Harshavardhan Thippareddi, Latiful Bari, Yasuhiro Inatsu, Shinichi Kawamoto, Mendel Friedman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

We investigated the inhibition of Clostridium perfringens spore germination and outgrowth by the biopolymer chitosan during abusive chilling of cooked ground beef (25% fat) and turkey (7% fat) obtained from a retail store. Chitosan was mixed into the thawed beef or turkey at concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, or 3.0% (w/w) along with a heat-activated 3-strain spore cocktail to obtain a final spore concentration of 2 to 3 log₁₀ CFU/g. Samples (5 g) of the ground beef or turkey mixtures were then vacuum-packaged and cooked to 60 ◦C in 1 h in a temperature-controlled water bath. Thereafter, the products …

Planning Guide For Prospective Wineries In Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, And Nebraska, Food Processing Center

Food Processing Center: Reports

Information contained in this presentation is based upon the following:

• Survey of 13 Midwest wine retailers:
• Survey of 20 Midwest wineries:
• Secondary research data

Farmer's Market Food Safety, Dianne Peters

Food Processing Center: Reports

Discussion Topics:

• Food Microbiology Overview
• Acidified Foods
• Hazards of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Making Yogurt At Home, Robert W. Hutkins

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Tangy, nutritious yogurt can be made at home with regular kitchen utensils, and often is less expensive than buying it. This NebGuide describes how.

Treponema Denticola In Disseminating Endodontic Infections, F. Foschi, Jacques Izard, H. Sasaki, V. Sambri, C. Prati, R. Müller, P. Stashenko

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Treponema denticola is a consensus periodontal pathogen that has recently been associated with endodontic pathology. In this study, the effect of mono-infection of the dental pulp with T. denticola and with polymicrobial “red-complex” organisms (RC) (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and T. denticola) in inducing disseminating infections in wild-type (WT) and severe-combined-immunodeficiency (SCID) mice was analyzed. After 21 days, a high incidence (5/10) of orofacial abscesses was observed in SCID mice mono-infected with T. denticola, whereas abscesses were rare in SCID mice infected with the red-complex organisms or in wildtype mice. Splenomegaly was present in all groups, but only mono-infected SCID …

Secretion Of Food Allergen Proteins In Saliva, S. J. Maleki, H. Cheng, B. Perelman, S. Hefle, P. Vadas

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

RATIONALE: Peanut proteins were found to be secreted in 50% of lactating women’s breast milk. We wanted to develop a testing method to predict the secretion of peanut protein in breast milk. The secretion of food protein in saliva was hypothesized to be a possible predictor of secretion of foods in breast milk following ingestion.

METHODS: Non-allergic volunteers, some lactating, ingested 50 grams of either whole peanuts, peanut milk or cow’s milk and various immunoassays were utilized to analyze for the presence of peanut or cow’s milk proteins in saliva and breast milk. Saliva and breast milk samples were subjected …

Modulation Of The Coma-Dependent Quorum Response In Bacillus Subtilis By Multiple Rap Proteins And Phr Peptides, Jennifer M. Auchtung, Catherine A. Lee, Alan D. Grossman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

In Bacillus subtilis, extracellular peptide signaling regulates several biological processes. Secreted Phr signaling peptides are imported into the cell and act intracellularly to antagonize the activity of regulators known as Rap proteins. B. subtilis encodes several Rap proteins and Phr peptides, and the processes regulated by many of these Rap proteins and Phr peptides are unknown. We used DNA microarrays to characterize the roles that several rap-phr signaling modules play in regulating gene expression. We found that rapK-phrK regulates the expression of a number of genes activated by the response regulator ComA. ComA activates expression of genes involved in …

Gelatinization And Solubility Of Corn Starch During Heating In Excess Water: New Insights, Wajira S. Ratnayake, David S. Jackson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Starch gelatinization is associated with the disruption of granular structure causing starch molecules to disperse in water. This study was designed to examine starch granules as they were heated in water, and their resulting morphological, structural, and solubility traits. The results indicate that starch gelatinization is a more complex process than the previously suggested order-to-disorder transition. The energy absorbed by the granules facilitates the rearrangement or formation of new bonds among molecules prior to the temperatures normally associated with the melting of amylopectin crystallites during gelatinization. It is also evident that amylose plays an important role during the initial stages …

Practical And Predictive Bioinformatics Methods For The Identification Of Potentially Cross-Reactive Protein Matches, Richard E. Goodman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A bioinformatics comparison of proteins introduced into food crops through genetic engineering provides a mechanism to identify those proteins that may present an increased risk of allergic reactions for individuals with existing allergies. The goal is to identify proteins that are known to be allergens or are so similar to an allergen that they may induce allergic cross-reactions. Three comparative approaches have traditionally been used, or considered for safety evaluations. One identifies any short (6–8) amino acid segment of the protein that exactly matches a known allergen sequence. The second is an overall primary sequence comparison using Basic Local Alignment …

Paired-End Sequence Mapping Detects Extensive Genomic Rearrangement And Translocation During Divergence Of Francisella Tularensis Subsp. Tularensis And Francisella Tularensis Subsp. Holarctica Populations, Michael P. Dempsey, Joseph Nietfeldt, Jaques Ravel, Steven H. Hinrichs, Robert Crawford, Andrew K. Benson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Comparative genome hybridization of the Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis and F. tularensis subsp. holarctica populations have shown that genome content is highly conserved, with relatively few genes in the F. tularensis subsp. tularensis genome being absent in other F. tularensis subspecies. To determine if organization of the genome differs between global populations of F. tularensis subsp. tularensis and F. tularensis subsp. holarctica, we have used paired-end sequence mapping (PESM) to identify regions of the genome where synteny is broken. The PESM approach compares the physical distances between paired-end sequencing reads of a library of a wild-type reference F. tularensis …

G1600 Freeze Concentration Of Fruit Juices, Durward Smith, Carol Ringenberg, Eric Olson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication describes research conducted to examine the feasibility of freeze concentration with small-scale, simple equipment; and research results on juice extraction and concentration from fruit held in frozen storage.

When Grandmother made jelly the wonderful aroma of cooking fruit filled the house. That wonderful aroma was the delicate fruit flavors being evaporated and lost from the jelly. When volatile flavors are retained food has a much better flavor. Freeze concentration of fruit juices is a method of removing water from juices without heating and changing juice flavor. Freeze concentration is effective because a solute in solution has a lower …

Tannerella Forsythia, A Periodontal Pathogen Entering The Genomic Era, Anne C.R. Tanner, Jacques Izard

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Several questions need to be addressed to evaluate whether Tannerella forsythia is to be considered a periodontal pathogen. T. forsythia has been detected in periodontal health and disease, so could it be a pathogen? The species was not detected in many studies despite finding other putative pathogens, so could it be important in pathogenicity? The challenges of working with T. forsythia include its fastidious and anaerobic growth requirements for cultural detection. Thus, studies associating T. forsythia with periodontal and other oral infections have used noncultural approaches (immunoassays and DNA-based assays) in addition to cultural approaches. We feel the timing of …

Prebiotic Galactooligosaccharides Reduce Adherence Of Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli To Tissue Culture Cells, Kari Shoaf, George L. Mulvey, Glen D. Armstrong, Robert W. Hutkins

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Prebiotic oligosaccharides are thought to provide beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals by stimulating growth of selected members of the intestinal microflora. Another means by which prebiotic oligosaccharides may confer health benefits is via their antiadhesive activity. Specifically, these oligosaccharides may directly inhibit infections by enteric pathogens due to their ability to act as structural mimics of the pathogen binding sites that coat the surface of gastrointestinal epithelial cells. In this study, the ability of commercial prebiotics to inhibit attachment of microcolony-forming enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) was investigated. The adherence of EPEC strain E2348/69 on HEp-2 …