Acrylamide is a carcinogenic and mutagenic compound which is formed by the oxidation of the acrolein compound or the as a result of reactions between reducing sugars and asparagine amino acids. Although acrylamide is mostly seen in carbohydrate-based foods, frying, steaming and baking processes lead to formation of acrylamide also in protein containing meat products with composite structure. Type and the cycle of frying oil, the precursors present in the system, the cooking method, temperature, time and storage can be listed as factors affecting acrylamide formation in meat products. The adverse effects of acrylamide on health create a need for application of acrylamide reduction strategies. These strategies encompass the reduction of the precursor substances, heat treatment time and temperature as much as possible, addition of various cations, enzymes, amino acids and antioxidants to the system and removal of the resulting acrylamide compound from the system. In this review, it was aimed to clarify the factors affecting the formation of acrylamide and strategies for reducing the amount of acrylamide in meat products.

En suelos destinados a la actividad agrícola de la granja experimental de la Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta - Colombia (74° 07' Y 74° 12' longitud oeste y 11° 11' y 11° 15' latitud), se estudió la variabilidad espacial de las propiedades físicas: humedad gravimétrica, textura, densidad aparente (Da), resistencia a la penetración (RP) y conductividad hidráulica (KH) y químicas: Materia orgánica (MO), pH, CIC, N, P, K, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, B), utilizando una grid o malla de 29m*29m con 184 puntos de muestreo. El análisis de los datos se realizó empleando enfoques univariado, geoestadístico y multivariado. El análisis estadístico de los resultados mostró gran variabilidad de las propiedades; la densidad aparente y el pH presentaron baja variación; los componentes texturales, la RP, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cu y B mostraron variación media, mientras que la humedad gravimétrica, KH, MO, K+, Na+, CIC, Zn, P, Mn y Fe, expresaron alta variación. Con el análisis Geoestadístico se visualizó y graficó la variabilidad de cada propiedad evaluada y se evidenció la existencia de moderada dependencia espacial en las propiedades excepto en los contenidos de arena, Ca+2, CIC, P y Cu que revelan fuerte dependencia espacial. El índice de homogeneidad multivariado para los suelos en estudio fue bajo, siendo textura, Na+, B, Fe, K, pH, Ca y MO las propiedades con mayor contribución a la heterogeneidad. El análisis de clasificación permitió agrupar cuatro zonas con condiciones edáficas similares, las que se podrán utilizar para determinar el sistema de muestreo, número de muestras, tamaño y distribución de unidades experimentales y con ello facilitar la implementación de prácticas de manejo agronómico acordes con las características de cada zona.

En suelos destinados a la actividad agrícola de la granja experimental de la Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta - Colombia (74° 07' Y 74° 12' longitud oeste y 11° 11' y 11° 15' latitud), se estudió la variabilidad espacial de las propiedades físicas: humedad gravimétrica, textura, densidad aparente (Da), resistencia a la penetración (RP) y conductividad hidráulica (KH) y químicas: Materia orgánica (MO), pH, CIC, N, P, K, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, B), utilizando una grid o malla de 29m*29m con 184 puntos de muestreo. El análisis de los datos se realizó empleando enfoques univariado, geoestadístico y multivariado. El análisis estadístico de los resultados mostró gran variabilidad de las propiedades; la densidad aparente y el pH presentaron baja variación; los componentes texturales, la RP, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cu y B mostraron variación media, mientras que la humedad gravimétrica, KH, MO, K+, Na+, CIC, Zn, P, Mn y Fe, expresaron alta variación. Con el análisis Geoestadístico se visualizó y graficó la variabilidad de cada propiedad evaluada y se evidenció la existencia de moderada dependencia espacial en las propiedades excepto en los contenidos de arena, Ca+2, CIC, P y Cu que revelan fuerte dependencia espacial. El índice de homogeneidad multivariado para los suelos en estudio fue bajo, siendo textura, Na+, B, Fe, K, pH, Ca y MO las propiedades con mayor contribución a la heterogeneidad. El análisis de clasificación permitió agrupar cuatro zonas con condiciones edáficas similares, las que se podrán utilizar para determinar el sistema de muestreo, número de muestras, tamaño y distribución de unidades experimentales y con ello facilitar la implementación de prácticas de manejo agronómico acordes con las características de cada zona. | We have studied the spatial variability of agricultural soils in the experimental farm at Magdalena University (Santa Marta, Colombia; 74° 07' - 74° 12' W, 11° 11' - 11° 15' N). Analyzed soil properties included: gravimetric soil moisture content, grain size analysis, bulk density, resistance to root penetration, hydraulic conductivity, organic matter content, pH, cation exchange capacity, total N and P, exchangeable cations (Ca+2, Mg+2, K+, Na+), metals (Cu, Zn, Fe , Mn) and B content. Sampling was based on a 29 x 29 m grid, resulting in 184 sampling points. Data analysis was done using univariate, multivariate and geostatistical approaches. The analyzed soil properties showed different degrees of variability: bulk density and pH low variability; grain size, resistance to root penetration, divalent exchangeable cations (Ca+2 and Mg+2), Cu and B intermediate variability; while moisture content, hydraulic conductivity, organic matter content, monovalent exchangeable cations (K+, Na+), cation exchange capacity, Zn, P Mn and Fe a large variability. The geostatistical analysis revealed the presence of moderate spatial dependency, except for sand content, exchangeable Ca+2, cation exchange capacity, P and Cu, which showed strong spatial dependency. The multivariate homogeneity index was low, being exchangeable Na+, B, Fe, K, pH and organic matter content the soil properties with lager contributions to heterogeneity. Classification analysis enabled to indentify four areas with similar edaphic conditions, which will allow to stablish the sampling strategy, number of samples, size and distribution of experimental units and thus to improve the implementation of agronomic management practices in agreement with the characteristics of the soils.

Investigate the changes that occur in the placenta tissues of pregnant rats that were administered acrylamide (AA) and vitamin E as a protective agent during pregnancy. Thirty rats that were proven positive for pregnancy with vaginal smear test were randomly distributed into control, corn oil, vitamin E, acrylamide and vitamin E + acrylamide groups. Pregnant rats were decapitated on the 20th day of the experiment. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAS), total oxidant capacity (TOS) and Xanthine oxidase (XO) levels were measured in placenta tissues. It was determined that acrylamide application during pregnancy statistically significantly increased MDA, TOS and XO levels and reduced GSH and TAS levels in the placenta tissue of pregnant rats when compared to all other groups, and GAS and TAS levels statistically significantly increased in vitamin E administered group when compared to all other groups and TOS and XO levels were decreased to control group levels. It was observed that orally administered AA changed the antioxidant / oxidant equilibrium favoring the oxidants by increasing MDA, XO and TOS levels in pregnant rats and caused oxidative stress, while vitamin E administration returned the antioxidant / oxidant equilibrium back to normal levels, preventing oxidative stress induced toxicity.

Dornelor Basin is characterised by numerous high quality water sources, which is proven by the fact that the main mineral waters on the Romanian market come from this area. The study aimed to provide data on the occurrence and human infective potential of Giardia and Cryptosporidium, as the most important water-borne parasites, from Bistrița river tributaries of Dornelor basin, North-Eastern Romania. Water samples were collected from 10 tributaries of the Bistrita river, from the level of sampling stations set upstream and downstream from the anthropic communities. The harvested water samples were further processed using nonmolecular methods in order to isolate (oo)cysts. Subsequently, the isolated Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)ccyst were molecularly characterized through PCR and genomic sequencing, which led to the identification of Giardia in order to identify them at species level. The outcomes revealed the fact that the waters of the emissaries under study have a low parasite load and that, upstream from the human settlements, the water is highly pure when related to the protozoa under study. The increased load of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.