University of Lleida

About: University of Lleida is a education organization based out in Lleida, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Pregnancy. The organization has 2939 authors who have published 5853 publications receiving 148417 citations. The organization is also known as: Escola Superior Politècnica & Universitat de Lleida.

Can wild ungulate carcasses provide enough biomass to maintain avian scavenger populations? An empirical assessment using a bio-inspired computational model

Abstract: Background The reduction in the amount of food available for European avian scavengers as a consequence of restrictive public health policies is a concern for managers and conservationists. Since 2002, the application of several sanitary regulations has limited the availability of feeding resources provided by domestic carcasses, but theoretical studies assessing whether the availability of food resources provided by wild ungulates are enough to cover energetic requirements are lacking. Methodology/Findings We assessed food provided by a wild ungulate population in two areas of NE Spain inhabited by three vulture species and developed a P System computational model to assess the effects of the carrion resources provided on their population dynamics. We compared the real population trend with to a hypothetical scenario in which only food provided by wild ungulates was available. Simulation testing of the model suggests that wild ungulates constitute an important food resource in the Pyrenees and the vulture population inhabiting this area could grow if only the food provided by wild ungulates would be available. On the contrary, in the Pre-Pyrenees there is insufficient food to cover the energy requirements of avian scavenger guilds, declining sharply if biomass from domestic animals would not be available. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that public health legislation can modify scavenger population trends if a large number of domestic ungulate carcasses disappear from the mountains. In this case, food provided by wild ungulates could be not enough and supplementary feeding could be necessary if other alternative food resources are not available (i.e. the reintroduction of wild ungulates), preferably in European Mediterranean scenarios sharing similar and socio-economic conditions where there are low densities of wild ungulates. Managers should anticipate the conservation actions required by assessing food availability and the possible scenarios in order to make the most suitable decisions.

Development of high-fruit-dietary-fibre muffins

Abstract: Following medical recommendations, consumers now demand fibre-fortified food products. The aim of this study was to develop muffins in which peach dietary fibre (DF) was added at 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10% levels, substituting up to 32% flour. The products were compared to a control muffin (100% flour). It was observed that the moisture of the muffins increased with the DF content because of the high water-holding capacity of peach DF. Weight (30±2 g), height (4.5±0.4 cm), springiness (0.88±0.07 cm) and cohesiveness (0.46±0.04) were not affected by DF content, but the rest of the textural parameters (hardness, chewiness and gumminess) increased with DF content. The incorporation of this ingredient produced slightly darker products. Muffins with 2, 3, 4 and 5% peach DF levels were considered to be as acceptable as the control, based on hedonic-scale ratings given by consumer panellists.

Bio-preservation of fresh-cut tomatoes using natural antimicrobials

Abstract: Effects of several natural volatile compounds such as methyl jasmonate (MJ), ethanol (ETOH), their combination (MJ–ETOH), tea tree oil (TTO) and garlic oil (GO) were evaluated on fresh-cut tomato storage at 5 °C for 15 days. Microbial growth, in-packaged atmosphere, quality attributes (firmness and color) and bioactive compounds (lycopene content, ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds) of fresh-cut tomatoes were determined. The shelf-life based on microbial growth was longer on fresh-cut tomatoes treated with natural volatile compounds than in control fresh-cut tomatoes. Treatment with ETOH combined with MJ was more effective in suppressing microbial proliferation than the individual treatments with each natural volatile compound. The lowest in-packaged atmosphere modification was detected in fresh-cut tomatoes treated by ETOH. In addition, this treatment better maintained firmness and color attributes than those treated with the other antimicrobial compounds. Related to the bioactive compounds, the use of MJ let keep higher content of lycopene, ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds than the other treatments. Thus, the shelf-life of fresh-cut tomatoes could be prolonged by the use of natural antimicrobials, which do not have significant negative effects on health-related compounds.