The aim of this study was to determine the effect of incorporation of apple puree and maltodextrin to agar sol on the sorption properties and structure of the dried gel. The effect of different drying methods on the sorption behaviour of aerated apple puree gels was also observed. The gels with the addition of 25% and 40% concentration of apple puree and with or without maltodextrin were prepared and dried. The foamed agar gel was subjected to freeze-drying, air-drying and vacuum-drying. The sorption properties of dried gels (adsorption isotherms, water uptake in time) were investigated. The relations between the glass transition temperature, water activity and water content were also obtained for some apple snacks. The increase in apple puree in freeze-dried gels increased the hygroscopicity and decreased the glass transition temperature (T_g). The water content at given activity and hygroscopicity were reduced by the addition of maltodextrin, which also caused the increase in T_g. The application of different drying methods enabled obtaining different structures of material. The open-pore, fragile materials were obtained by freeze-drying, the expanded matrix with big holes was characteristic for vacuum-dried gels, but the closed pores with thick walls were created during the air-drying.

The interesterification process allows structured lipids (SLs) to be obtained with a modified triacylglycerol (TAG) structure, in which the unfavorable saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are replaced with nutritionally significant fatty acids (FAs) such as monounsaturated (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs). Oxidative stability is crucial for the quality of SLs. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate the FA profile and oxidative stability of SLs synthesized by the enzymatic interesterification of hemp seed oil (HO) and coconut oil (CO) blends. Blends were prepared in three ratios (75% HO:25% CO, 50% HO:50% CO, and 25% HO:75% CO) and interesterified using sn-1,3 regiospecific lipase for 2 or 6 h. FA composition, the FA distribution of TAGs, acid value (AV), peroxide value (PV), and oxidation time were analyzed and compared to non-interesterified blends. Results showed no significant difference in the SFA:MUFA ratios between interesterified and non-interesterified blends with the same proportions. Lauric acid predominantly occupied the sn-2 position in all blends. Interesterified blends had higher AVs, exceeding codex standards, while PVs remained within the acceptable limits. Blends with 75% HO had lower oxidation times compared to those with 75% CO, with no significant difference between interesterified and non-interesterified blends. In the interesterification process of the studied blends, new TAGs with a modified structure were created, which may affect their physical and nutritional properties. This process also had a significant effect on the AV and PV levels, but not on the oxidation time of the modified blends. Therefore, it is necessary to remove free FAs after the enzymatic process to produce SLs characterized by improved hydrolytic stability. This will lead to better technological properties compared to the original oils. Further research is also necessary to enhance the oxidation stability of SLs obtained from blends of CO and HO to improve their storage stability.

The current hypothesis, along with the opinion of the breeders, is that a cat with two copies of the white spotting allele (SS) has white on more than half of its body, while a cat with only one copy (Ss) has white on less than half of its body. The present study was based on the analysis of two large pedigree databases of Siberian cats (23,905 individuals in PawPeds and 21,650 individuals in Felis Polonia database). The distribution of the amount of white spotting in the offspring of cats with different amounts of white was investigated. Significant differences compared to expected distributions were observed. In many cases the amount of white in cats that were supposed to be homozygous was less than 50% of the body, while in many supposedly heterozygous cats a very large amount of white (over 50%) was observed. This phenomenon was also presented on the verified examples of the specific families excluding possible errors in determining the amount of white by the breeder. The collected evidence suggests that there are other factors involved in the inheritance of the amount of white in cats and the current hypothesis should be revised.

The purpose of the present study was to characterize lipid fraction extracted from five self-prepared and seven commercial cat foods using gas chromatography (GC) and pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) techniques. Self-prepared food recipes were composed using BARFny kalkulator, software dedicated for balancing cat diets, and prepared on the basis of fresh raw meat and offal. Extracted fat fractions were compared qualitatively and quantitatively with literature data for the fat of whole prey items to check the main assumptions of the software used. The fatty acid (FA) composition and distribution were determined using GC. The PDSC method was used for the determination of the oxidative stability of extracted fats. The obtained results indicate that self-prepared cat foods contained a high level of essential fatty acids (EFA) but low oxidative stability, especially for those with significant amounts of polyunsaturated FA. The FA profile and oxidative stability were examined for four dry and three wet commercial cat foods. It was found that their omega-6 to omega-3 ratio was beneficial reaching 5.3:1 to 10.1:1, despite the low amount of EFA. The longer induction time was determined for fats extracted from commercial cat foods than for self-prepared ones, which indicate their higher oxidative stability.

Siberian cats are characterized by a high level of genetic variability, which is also reflected in a wide range of colour variations. Knowledge about the genetic background of these coat colour varieties is fragmented and predominantly derived from research on other breeds, with inconsistencies in nomenclature across major feline organizations. This review aims to offer a comprehensive synthesis of the genetic mechanisms underlying coat colour and pattern variation in Siberian cats, while also critically examining how these phenotypes are defined, named, and recognized across key international feline breed registries. In Siberian cats, as in other breeds, the fundamental factor in the development of a phenotype is the interaction of multiple genes involved in the production of various types of melanin, its quantity, and distribution in the skin and coat. An analysis of breed standards revealed inaccuracies in the naming of several traits and differences in the acceptance of certain phenotypes within the breed, most notably concerning basic colours, ticked patterns, colourpoint recognition, silver and golden variants, as well as definitions of white spotting categories. The Siberian cat exhibits complex and partially breed-specific genetic determinants of coat colouration. Unification of nomenclature among feline federations would improve clarity in breeding practice and genetic documentation. Some of the traits still require molecular research into their genetic background, making the breed interesting not only to cat lovers but also to researchers.