Benders'dictionary of nutrition and food technology

304a means of identification, and as an index of purity, since impuritieslower the melting point.melts See spleen.membrane concentration Process of removing water, and somesolutes, by use of a semipermeable membrane. It requires lessheat than evaporation, so has less effect on flavour and texture.membrane, semipermeable (selectively permeable) One thatallows the passage of small molecules but not large ones; e.g.pig’s bladder is permeable to water but not salt; collodion ispermeable to salt but not protein molecules.See also dialysis; osmosis; ultrafiltration.menadione, menadiol Synthetic vitamin k analogue (vitaminK 3 , sometimes known as menaquinone-0). Formerly used inprophylaxis of haemorrhagic disease of the newborn, but itsuse has declined since it was shown to support redox cyclingreactions and may be associated with later development ofcancers.menaquinones Bacterial metabolites with vitamin k activity;vitamin K 2 .menarche The initiation of menstruation in adolescent girls, normallyoccurring between the ages of 11 and 15.The age at menarchehas become younger in western countries, possibly associatedwith a better general standard of nutrition, and is later in lessdeveloped countries.menhaden Oily fish, Brevoortia patronus, B. tyrannus, from Gulfof Mexico and Atlantic seaboard of the USA, a rich sourceof fish oils. Menhaden oil is 33% saturated, 29% monounsaturated,37% polyunsaturated, contains 521 mg cholesterol/100g.Menke’s syndrome A genetic disease involving failure of theintestinal copper transport mechanism, resulting in functionalcopper deficiency. Because of the effects on hair colour andstructure, sometimes known as Menke’s kinky or steely hairsyndrome.merguez North African; spiced sausage made from goat ormutton, flavoured with hrisa, a mixture of pepper and cumin.mescal See tequila.mesocarp See albedo.meso-inositol See inositol.mesomorph Description given to a well-covered individual withwell-developed muscles.See also ectomorph; endomorph.mesophiles Pathogenic micro-organisms that grow best at temperaturesbetween 25 and 40 °C; usually will not grow below5°C.