In this study, the effect of the application of ultrasound for the extraction of sunflower pectin on the elaboration of gels with sucrose, stevia and saccharin was investigated at pH values of 3.0, 4.6 and 6.8. The results pointed out that, in all the conditions tested, gels formed with ultrasound-extracted pectin were stronger than those obtained from pectin extracted with conventional methods. Thus, the optimal conditions to form a gel were Ca concentration 25 mg/g, pH 3.0 and 10% sucrose. Under the same conditions it was possible to make gels with similar characteristics to that of sucrose by replacing it with stevia or saccharin, obtaining gels with excellent properties and low glycemic index and caloric content, especially suitable for healthy fruit-derived products such as jams, to be used instead of those made with sucrose. These important differences in gelation could be probably due to differences in galacturonic acid (GalA) content, degree of methyl esterification and molecular weight (Mw) in pectin obtained by ultrasound.

Plant-based polysaccharides (PSs) were used to immobilize phytase in a coacervate system. Molecular docking predicted the intermolecular interactions and conformations between the phytase and the polysaccharide and correlated them to the activity recovery of phytase in the coacervate complex. PSs with two different functional groups, sulfate (iota (IC), lambda (LC), and kappa (KC) carrageenan) and carboxylate (low methoxyl pectin (LMP) and sodium alginate (SA)) were investigated. The optimized conditions for coacervation and activity recovery were pH 4 with a phytase-to-polysaccharide volume ratio of 12:1. Zeta potential measurements, FTIR spectroscopy, and molecular docking confirmed that electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding were the main driving forces for coacervate formation. Coacervate complexes of phytase formed with LMP, SA, or KC showed a high activity retention after immobilization, with approximately 30% yield of complex and 75% immobilization efficiency of the phytase. The lower enzyme activity retention observed for IC and LC complexes is attributed to these PSs binding to the enzyme's active site. Overall, this work contributes to the body of knowledge about intermolecular interactions between phytase and polysaccharides and can serve as a guide to formulating stable, functional ingredients for a plant-based diet.

(L.) Fr. Has long been recognized as a valuable functional food consumed in numerous countries. However, biosynthetic gene clusters of this species and safety regarding mycotoxin production remain largely unexplored. In this study, a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) cluster responsible for the production of cyclopeptide mycotoxins in was unveiled via genome mining. Ustiloxin B and a novel, predominant and specific ustiloxin I were confirmed by extraction and structural analysis. The difference between Ustiloxins I and B lied in the side chain at C19, where an additional methyl substituent in Ustiloxin I resulted in an alanine moiety substitution for glycine of Ustiloxin B. The simultaneous deletion of the two adjacent core genes, and , using a single guide RNA designed in the intergenic region, and subsequent complementation via AMA-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system confirmed the RiPP cluster's responsibility for ustiloxin production. The cultivation of the edited strain yielded ustiloxin-free fruiting bodies without affecting agronomic characters. PCR and genome resequencing confirmed the absence of any off-target events or foreign sequence remnants. This study marks a significant advancement in utilizing CRISPR technology to control ustiloxins in food, underscoring its broader implications for food safety and quality improvement.

The potential of L. beverage as a dietary iron source for sub-Saharan Africans was investigated. The target was to provide 6 mg of iron through 250 mL of the beverage daily. However, the iron content of the dried hibiscus calyces was determined to be 9.73 ± 0.31 mg/100 g and from that only ∼30% was extractable, resulting in 0.93 ± 0.19 mg Fe/250 mL of the selected beverage formulation. Therefore, ferrous sulfate was explored as a fortificant. The beverage contains polyphenols which could form non-absorbable chelation complexes with iron during digestion. Subsequently, the effect of polyphenols on the bioaccessibility of native and added iron was assessed using spectrophotometric methods. The presence of iron-polyphenol complexes in samples of the unfortified and fortified beverages, adjusted to pH 6.5 (pH at site of iron absorption in the gut) was established. However, only ∼25% of the added iron was found to be bound in the complex. It was shown that the viability of L. beverage as an iron source is impacted by extraction losses and the inhibitory effect of polyphenols. Nonetheless, if iron-polyphenol complexation was reduced/prevented then, a fortified hibiscus beverage could be a useful iron source.

Disgust and neophobia elicited by whole insect products, has necessitated the need to mask insect-based food products. The physico-chemical parameters, sensory acceptance, and willingness to pay (WTP) for wheat biscuits supplemented with cricket powder was evaluated. The biscuits' color intensity correlated with the cricket inclusion levels. Spread ration of cricket-enriched-biscuits increased (1.0-1.2-folds), while the hardness and fracturability decreased (1.0-1.3-folds and 1.0-1.2 folds, respectively) compared to the control biscuit. Cricket-biscuits exhibited 1.2-1.7, 1.1-3.7, 1.2-3.0 and 1.1-1.2-folds higher (p < 0.05) protein, ash, fiber, and fat, respectively. Ca, Fe, and Zn were 1.1-3.7, 1.1-1.2 and 1.4-4.0-folds higher, respectively, for cricket-based biscuits. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids proportionally increased with increasing cricket flour. On a likert scale, 71.4%, 71.9%, 38.4% and 57.5% of the caregivers and 38.6%, 58.3%, 40.0% and 34.0% for children (3-5 years) strongly preferred the color, texture, taste and aroma, respectively, of the cricket-based biscuits. Forty-seven (47%) of the caretakers were WTP a premium of 37 Kenyan shillings (0.34 USD) for cricket-based biscuits. Our findings demonstrated that integration of cricket flour into existing market-driven consumer familiar food products significantly increased acceptability and WTP, thus promising potential to contribute to improved food and nutritional security.

The wine industry generates large quantities of by-products each year. Therefore, this work aimed to isolate and evaluate the oil and protein fractions of Japanese quince (, JQ) press residue, offering a partial utilization of valuable bioactive compounds of wine industry by-products. To study the JQ oil extract yield, composition and oxidation stability, we modified the co-solvent composition during the supercritical CO (SC-CO) extraction of oil by adding different ethanol content. The remaining defatted material was used for the isolation of proteins. The SC-CO extraction yielded oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and phytosterols. The use of ethanol as a co-solvent increased the oil yield but did not enhance its oxidative stability or content of antioxidants. We recovered protein isolate after removing tannins with 70% ethanol extraction in the next step. The JQ protein isolate contained all essential amino acids. In addition to its balanced amino acid composition, the protein isolate exhibited excellent emulsifying properties highlighting its potential as a food additive. In conclusion, JQ wine by-products can be utilized for the extraction of oil and protein fractions which can be used in food or cosmetic product formulation.

Cold plasma (CP) technology has emerged as a novel non-thermal technology with the potential to improve food quality or impart functionality to ingredients. Our previous studies on wheat flour demonstrated how the structure and functionality of wheat flour might be modified using CP to provide an alternative to chemical additives (Chaple et al., 2020). However, understanding of the further effects of plasma functionalized ingredients in existing or new product formulation is limited. This study investigated the effects of CP treatment of wheat flour on traditional white pan bread development. The bread was formulated using plasma functionalized flour (PFF), and critical product characteristic responses were analyzed. Plasma treatment of flour positively affected the bread's expansion ratio, crust color, and water activity. Farinograph analysis suggests improvement in water absorption capacity, dough development time, and dough stability. X-Ray Microtomography (XRMT) analysis was conducted to understand how plasma functionalising the flour impacted the microstructure of bread. The 3D scans suggested no macro-change in the bread matrix compared to control; however, the porosity decreased in line with the increasing plasma treatment duration of the flour. The texture profile analysis showed an improvement in the gluten network developed in the dough developed from PFF. Sensory analysis results showed overall acceptance for bread formulated with PFF compared with a commercial sample. Overall, CP treatment of the flour improved the functionality in relation to dough and bread preparation and can thus provide an alternative to chemical additives in bread making. The CP processes may be modulated to deliver tailored effects for bread product development.

SARS-CoV-2 isolation from cold-chain food products confirms the possibility of outbreaks through cold-chain food products. RNA extraction combined with RT-PCR is the primary method currently utilized for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. However, the requirement of hours of analytical time and the high price of RT-PCR hinder its worldwide implementation in food supervision. Here, we report a fluorescence biosensor for detection of SARS-CoV-2 N protein. The fluorescence biosensor was fabricated by aptamer-based conformational entropy-driven circuit where molecular beacon strands were labeled with graphitic carbon nitrides quantum dots@Zn-metal-organic framework (g-CNQDs@Zn-MOF) and Dabcyl. The detection of the N protein was achieved via swabbing followed by competitive assay using a fixed amount of N-48 aptamers in the analytical system. A fluorescence emission spectrum was employed for the detection. The detection limit of our fluorescence biosensor was 1.0 pg/mL for SARS-CoV-2 N protein, indicating very excellent sensitivity. The fluorescence biosensor did not exhibit significant cross-reactivity with other N proteins. Finally, the biosensor was successfully applied for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 N protein in actual cold-chain food products showing same excellent accuracy as RT-PCR method. Thus, our fluorescence biosensor is a promising analytical tool for rapid and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 N protein.

Pandemic COVID-19 warned the importance of preparing the immune system to prevent diseases. Therefore, consuming fresh fruits and vegetables is essential for a healthy and balanced diet due to their diverse compositions of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and bioactive compounds. However, these fresh products grew close to manure and irrigation water and are harvested with equipment or by hand, representing a high risk of microbial, physical, and chemical contamination. The handling of fruits and vegetables exposed them to various wet surfaces of equipment and utensils, an ideal environment for biofilm formation and a potential risk for microbial contamination and foodborne illnesses. In this sense, this review presents an overview of the main problems associated with microbial contamination and the several chemicals, physical, and biological disinfection methods concerning their ability to avoid food contamination. This work has discussed using chemical products such as chlorine compounds, peroxyacetic acid, and quaternary ammonium compounds. Moreover, newer techniques including ozone, electrolyzed water, ultraviolet light, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, cold plasma technology, and microbial surfactants have also been illustrated here. Finally, future trends in disinfection with a sustainable approach such as combined methods were also described. Therefore, the fruit and vegetable industries can be informed about their main microbial risks to establish optimal and efficient procedures to ensure food safety.

The aim of the present study was to improve the properties of soy press cake to be utilized as an ingredient of meat analogues. Soy press cakes were fermented with strains, and separately hydrolyzed by cellulase/xylanase mixture and α-amylase. Meat analogues were produced with 10% fermented or hydrolyzed soy press cakes. The effect of applied processes on protein oxidation, physical and functional properties of soy press cakes were analyzed, as well as sensory and textural properties of meat analogues. The results indicated that soy press cake was a suitable source of fibre and energy with low content of saturated fatty acids, and provided plant-based proteins and essential amino acids. The study demonstrated the potential of lactic acid fermentation, and enzymatic hydrolysis to improve water- and oil-holding capacity and reduce protein oxidation in soy press cakes. 336 and cellulase/xylanase mixture were recommended for fermentation and hydrolysis of soy press cakes, respectively, regarding reduction of protein oxidation. Fermentation of soy press cakes with P1 improved the texture of meat analogues. Press cakes fermentation reduced bitterness, increased juiciness, and balanced the taste of meat analogues. Fermented soy press cake was recommended for the production of meat analogues.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - a novel coronavirus has rapid spread, and caused community infection around the globe. During the absence of a vaccine, people focused more on an immunity-boosting diet and needed clear knowledge about immunity-boosting foods. However, after the vaccination drive, the importance of food as a natural source of immunomodulation cannot be neglected. So, the purpose of this review was to describe the role of vital nutrient in boosting immune system of body apart from other factors like adequate sleep, exercise, and low stress levels. Macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, B-cells, and T-cells are the important components having important role in maintaining immunity of the human body. The first four-act as the initial mediators of innate host defense, and the latter two produce antibodies for pathogen destruction. The review investigated vital nutrients like vitamin-C, A, E and D, iron, zinc, folic acid, probiotics, and prebiotics affecting these immune components in some extent. Fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, seeds, nuts, cereals, millets, and superfoods like chlorella and spirulina are good sources of these nutrients. However, fortified foods, functional foods, encapsulated foods with bioactive compounds and plant-based foods have shown immense potential in boosting immunity against viral infections like COVID-19. Some clinical trials and retrospective cohort studies have shown reduction in the severity of COVID-19 patients with relation to plant-based diet, vitamin D and C doses, probiotic, and zinc salts application.

COVID-19 is a global health emergency that causes serious concerns. A global effort is underway to identify drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. One possible solution to the present problem is to develop drugs that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M), a coronavirus protein that been considered as one among many drug targets. In this work, lactoferrin from L. was hydrolyzed. The bioactivity, water solubility, and ADMET properties of the generated peptides were predicted using various online tools. The molecular interactions between M and the peptides were studied using molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation. The results demonstrated that peptide GSRY was predicted to have better physicochemical properties, and the value of '-C DOCKER interaction energy' between peptide GSRY and M was 80.8505 kcal/mol. The interaction between the peptide GSRY and the native ligand N3 co-crystallized with M had overlapped amino acids, HIS163, GlY143, GLU166, GLN189 and MET165. Molecular dynamic simulation revealed that M/GSRY complexes were stable. Collectively, the peptide GSRY may be a potential candidate drug against M of SARS-CoV-2.

Incorporating lipophilic phytochemicals with anti-cancer activities in functional beverages requires an appropriate nanoencapsulation technology. The present objective was to encapsulate apigenin with whey protein isolate (WPI) utilizing a pH-cycle method and subsequently characterize physicochemical properties, the anticancer activities against human colorectal HCT-116 and HT-29 cancer cells, and the bioavailability. Up to 2.0 mg/mL of apigenin was nanoencapsulated with 1.0 mg/mL WPI, with an encapsulation efficiency of up to 98.15% and loading capacity of up to 196.21 mg/g-WPI. Nanodispersions were stable during storage, and apigenin became amorphous after encapsulation. Nanoencapsulation and digestion did not reduce the anti-proliferative activity of apigenin. Nanoencapsulation of apigenin enhanced the cellular uptake, the pro-apoptotic effects, and the bioavailability in the mice's blood and colon mucosa when comparing to the unencapsulated apigenin. Therefore, the present work may be significant to incorporate lipophilic phytochemicals in functional beverages for disease prevention.

Even though SARS-CoV-2's primary transmission pathway is person-to-person, the role played by surfaces and food contact materials in carrying viral RNA should be further explored. For this purpose, the study aimed to investigate the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 using the strain ATCC® VR-1986HK™ on flow pack polyethylene (FPP) and polystyrene food trays (PFT). Samples of FPP and PFT were contaminated with heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and were incubated at a temperature of 24 ± 1 °C and at controlled relative humidity (RH 65%). The experimental design included analyses at the time 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and after every 24 h until the viral RNA was no longer detectable. The results showed a significant decrease ( < 0.001) in viral copy numbers on PFT within 3 h (24% reduction) and, at 72 h, the viral RNA had fallen below the limit of detection. Regarding the FPP, it was necessary to wait 24 h for a significant decrease ( = 0.015) in the viral load (14% reduction), while the detection threshold was reached at 96 h. These findings showed that the viral RNA persists longer on flow pack polyethylene samples than on polystyrene food trays, thus highlighting the importance of material characteristics in the persistence of SARS-CoV-2.

Capsaicin is the main component in chilli pepper, which contributes to the spiciness of the food. However, the role of capsaicin on aroma perception has been controversial in the literature. This is the first study exploring the impact of capsaicin on aroma release and perception simultaneously. Flavoured solutions with 3-methylbutanal (nutty note) were made with or without 5 mg/L capsaicin. Real-time APCI-MS analysis was applied to investigate in-nose aroma release during and after consumption of the solutions, and sensory tests were simultaneously conducted to reveal any temporal perception changes over 60 s. The results from 15 participants with triplicates indicated that capsaicin had no significant impact on aroma concentration from aqueous solutions, but the aroma perception rating was significantly higher (p < 0.0001), increasing by 45%. Capsaicin also enhanced average saliva flow by 92% (p < 0.0001), and lower saliva flow participants were found to have lower spiciness and aroma ratings.

This study was conducted to determine the most efficient method to produce vitamin D in mushrooms using UV radiation. For this purpose, mushrooms were irradiated with UV-B and UV-C lamps from their caps, stems, both caps and stems (oblique), and sliced surface at doses of 12.5 kJ m and 3.6 kJ m, respectively. Then, they were treated by UV-B at 27 °C, 35 °C, and 43 °C. In the next steps, samples were placed in 30 cm and 50 cm distances from the UV source. Afterward, they were irradiated from 15 to 120 min at an intensity of 3.5 W m. In the stability tests, samples were stored at 25 °C, frozen, refrigerated and were cooked and their vitamin D2 content was re-analyzed using HPLC. All experiments were repeated three times. In the sliced group treated with UV-B, vitamin D2 content 14.43 μg gr was significantly higher than other groups. The internal temperature of 27 °C was found as optimum temperature with the production of 3.81 μg gr vitamin D. It was revealed that increasing the distance from the UV source had a significant effect on vitamin D production. After 90 min of exposure, the highest amount of vitamin D2 was produced. Data showed that the vitamin D2 content remained almost stable after one day at 25 °C and during the cooking but it decreased about 50% after 7 days of cold storage. The optimal method observed in this study incorporates the use of UV-B lamps, incensement of radiation area in mushrooms and distance reduction from the UV source within 30 cm the internal temperature of 27 °C should be considered as well in the experiment.

The objective of this study was to identify the carotenoids imparting the orange colour to the rind, and pale yellow color to the core, of selected smear-ripened cheeses. The cheeses investigated were Charloe, Ashbrook, Taleggio, and Limburger, and were sourced from artisanal markets. Samples of the rind and core were extracted using non-polar solvents, followed by saponification to hydrolyze triglycerides to remove fatty acids, and to release carotenoid esters. Extracts were tested using ultra-high pressure liquid chromatograph-diode array detector-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-MS and -MS/MS), and identities of α- and β-carotene, lycopene, and β-cryptoxanthin confirmed with authentic standards. β-Carotene was the predominant species in both the rind and core, absorbing ~70% of the signal at 450 nm in all cheese extracts tested, as well as minor quantities of β-cryptoxanthin and α-carotene. Carotenoids unique to the rind included lycopene as well as the rare bacterial carotenoids previously identified in bacterial isolates of cheeses (i.e. decaprenoxanthin, sarcinaxanthin, and echinenone). This is the first detailed characterisation of carotenoids extracted directly from smear-ripened cheeses, and reveals that smear-ripened cheese can contribute both provitamin A carotenoids as well as C50 carotenoids to the human diet.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of both using curcumin and microencapsulation method on release behaivour of chia seed oil and its antioxidant potential during simulated gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Maltodextrin (MD) and gum Arabic (GA) was used as wall materials for freeze dried capsules. Sample 6, having 1:3 MD to GA ratio, 1:5 chia seed oil to wall material ratio and 40% total dry matter content, was found to have the optimum results in terms of emulsion stability (CI% = 0), zeta potential (-32.2 ± 0.8 mV) and size distribution (600 ± 8 nm). Moreover, release profiles of encapsulated chia seed oil samples were evaluated to determine if curcumin addition has any significant effect. The results revealed that curcumin addition decreased the release of chia seed oil from 44.6% to 37.2%. On contrary, it increased total phenolic content of in fraction of intestine to 22 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/L.

The COVID-19 pandemic has worldwide impact in terms of number of illnesses, deaths and long-term sequelae. While the main route for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is person to person from respiratory droplets, survival of the virus in the air and its ability to infect subsequently have raised concerns. COVID-19 outbreaks in meat and other food processing plants raise concern for potential foodborne spread. We focus on the survival of the virus in the food subjected to various unit operations during processing, storage and distribution and the risk to consumers. While the risk of contamination of food products is possibly due to survival of the virus in the air in food processing operations if preventive measures are not followed, survival of the virus on fresh foods is dependent on the intrinsic and extrinsic properties of the specific foods and antimicrobial interventions used during production. Even if the virus remains infective on contaminated foods, maintenance of infectivity after ingestion of food and subsequent invasion of tissue has not been reported. An alternate route of infection from contaminated foods can be during handling of foods and subsequent spread of the virus to other surfaces such as face, nose, leading to infection. However, due to the extensive treatments foods receive during processing, often inhospitable environs of the food products and further food preparation prior to consumption significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Our earlier studies showed that the Acorn Polysaccharides (AP), as a forest byproduct, have a good prebiotic properties and antioxidant activity, hence can be used as an ingredient to produce functional foods. Three drying methods (freeze, hot air and vacuum drying) in different temperatures were comparatively studied on the physicochemical properties (solubility, water and oil-holding capacity [OHC/WHC]), bioactivity (resistance to acidic and enzymatic digestions, effect on a probiotic strain growth) and antioxidant activity of AP along with the structural changes. Results suggest that the drying methods in combinations of temperatures and time of drying process affect physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and bioactivities of AP. Freeze dried AP exhibited the highest solubility, WHC, OHC and antioxidant activity, digestibility with simulated gastrointestinal juices and fermentable by a . Whereas, hot air dried (80 °C) exhibited second highest antioxidant and functional activities like solubility, WHC, OHC and fermentation. FTIR analysis showed that the changes caused by varying drying methods of AP starch are related to its amorphous or crystallinity structure and differences in functional group. Overall, these results suggest that freeze drying and hot air drying at 80 °C can be appropriately use to obtain a functional polysaccharide from acorn, as a prebiotic (resistant starch).

Demand for ethanol substituted fuels from the utilisation of cereal based biofuel has resulted in an over production of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) that are now readily available on the animal feed market. With this rapid emerging availability comes potential variability in the nutritional value of DDGS and possible risks of feed contaminants. Subsequently, the authentication and traceability of alternative animal feed sources is of high priority. In this study and as part of the EU research project "Quality and Safety of Feeds and Food for Europe (QSAFFE FP7-KBBE-2010-4) an attempt was made to classify the geographical origin of cereal grains used in the production of DDGS material. DDGS material of wheat and corn origin were obtained from Europe, China, and the USA. Fatty acid profiles and volatile fingerprints were assessed by gas chromatography flame ionisation (GC-FID) and rapid proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) respectively. Chemometric analysis of fatty acid profiles and volatile fingerprints allowed for promising classifications of cereals used in DDGS material by geographical and botanical origin and enabled visual representation of the data. This objective analytical approach could be adapted for routine verification of cereal grains used in the production of DDGS material.