Evaluation of the botanical origin of estonian uni- and polyfloral honeys by amino acid content.
The free amino acid content of 61 honey samples from Estonia has been determined by HPLC-UV with precolumn derivatization with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate. Analyzed samples were seven types of unifloral honeys and polyfloral honeys. The main amino acids found in Estonian honeys were proline and phenylalanine. The resulting data have been analyzed by t test and principal component analysis (PCA). t Test revealed that some amino acids (alpha-alanine, beta-alanine, asparagine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, ornithine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, and tryptophan) are more potent for assigning honey botanical origin than others. PCA enabled differentiation of some honey types by their botanical origin. In the space of the two first principal components, heather honeys form a cluster that is clearly separable from, for example, polyfloral honeys. It is concluded that analysis of the free amino acid profile may serve as a useful tool to assess the botanical origin of Estonian honeys.
Data evaluation in chromatography by principal component analysis.
The newest achievements in the employment of principal component analysis, a multivariate mathematical statistical method, in the evaluation of chromatographic retention data are compiled. The results obtained by various chromatographic technologies such as gas-liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and electrically driven systems are compiled and briefly discussed.
Pig Vocalizations Under Selected Husbandry Practices
Acoustical characteristics of vocalizations of sows, piglets, and nursery pigs under selected husbandry practices were analyzed with a digital signal processing system. The duration (D) and major energy-resonance frequency (P) for each call were determined as follows: a) processing of piglets (D = 0.81 s and f* = 3 700 Hz); b) food anticipation of breeding-gest ation sows (2.50 s and 3 000 Hz); c) isolation of piglet (0.34 s and 500, 3 500 Hz); d) startling of nursery pigs (0.29 s and 900 Hz); e) sows in heat (3.07 s and 1 375 Hz); f) farrowing (0.10 s and 3 000 Hz); g) sow nursing (0.15 s and 1 000 Hz); and h) mate greeting of sow (0.13 s and 1 000 Hz). Calls a) to d) are responses to human generated stressors, and calls e) through h) responses to social and physiological states of the pigs. Thus, vocalizations can be segmented for different pig production situations.