Future Postharvest and Food最新文献

Honey is an organic natural substance that is produced from the nectar of flowers by Apis mellifera and is a sweet flavorful liquid. It is one of the most popular natural sweet substances. It works as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antimicrobial agent and is used as medicine for burns, ulcers, diabetes, and wound healing. Because of its high density and viscosity, usage of liquid honey in the food and pharmaceutical industries is limited, making honey powder an enticing substitute. However, there are still challenges facing the industry and researchers in the production of powdered honey. The bacteria that cause honey to deteriorate are eliminated by thermal processing. The physicochemical characteristics of dried honey powder, its storage stability, its applications in the food industry, and the marketed goods have all been covered in this review, along with the several processing techniques that have been proposed for its production. Research has been carried out on spray drying, freeze drying, vacuum drying, and microwave drying as substitutes for conventional heat processing.

This study evaluates the efficacy of chitosan nanoprecipitation loaded with guava leaf essential oil as a sustainable alternative to synthetic preservatives for reducing postharvest deterioration in Capsicum frutescens (chili pepper). Essential oils extracted from Psidium guajava leaves via hydrodistillation were analyzed by GC-MS, identifying β-caryophyllene (22.44%) as the major constituent. Nanoparticles were synthesized via solvent displacement (NP with guava oil and NNP without oil) and nanoelaboration (NC with guava oil and NNC without oil), and characterized by DLS and TEM, confirming stable sizes and zeta potentials. Antifungal activity of NP and NC was tested against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Rhizopus stolonifer, both pathogenic to chili. Complete fungal inhibition occurred in vitro by Day 5, whereas in vivo application significantly reduced disease incidence and prolonged shelf life up to 28 days. Treated fruits showed reduced weight loss, better firmness, lower electrolyte leakage, enhanced antioxidant activity, higher phenolic content, and reduced enzymatic browning. Encapsulation and release studies demonstrated controlled diffusion of guava oil, enhancing antimicrobial efficacy. Elevated activities of β-1,3-glucanase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and polyphenol oxidase indicated improved resistance to oxidative stress and microbial attack. Toxicity assays using Artemia salina confirmed formulation safety. These findings highlight chitosan nanoencapsulated guava oil as a safe eco-friendly biopreservative for chili peppers.

Bee pollen has been used as a medicine and food supplement. The biological activity and nutrient composition of bee pollen depend on its floral origin. Therefore, it was aimed to determine the phenolic and flavonoid content and antibacterial activities of methanolic (99.9%) extract of bee pollens among flora. Floral origin was identified using melissopalynological analysis. In vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion assay. The findings showed that the bee pollen from Eucalyptus plants had the highest phenol (62.4 ± 0.5 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g) and flavonoid (49.6 ± 0.2 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g) contents. In comparison, bee pollen from Bidens had the lowest phenol (27.5 ± 0.8 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g) and flavonoid (18.8 ± 0.7 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g) contents. The diameter of the inhibition zone ranged from 6.6 ± 0.6 mm against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978 (Bidens spp.) to 23.3 ± 0.6 mm against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (Eucalyptus spp.). Besides, it was shown that phenolic and flavonoid content and antibacterial activity were positively correlated. The results showed that the bee pollen with more phenolic and flavonoid content strongly inhibited the growth of bacterial strain.

Neodiosmin (NEO) is a major glycosylated flavone that is derived from the bitter flavanone neo-hesperidin in citrus fruits including orange, lime, and lemon. One of the most important features of NEO is that it exerts a notable debittering effect on plant flavonoids justifying its wide use as a food additive. NEO upregulates plants' defense and immunity, aside from its several health benefits in humans including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, lipid-lowering, antibacterial, and anti-cancer. NEO presented development potential and application prospects in various fields warranting more studies on this flavonoid. This review delves into the occurrence, and biosynthetic pathways of NEO, highlighting the needed future research to maximize its application in medicine, food, and agriculture.

Millets are a set of small-seeded grasses that have been gaining popularity in recent times owing to their dietary values, sustainability, and culinary flexibility. The common millet variants include pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet. Millets are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals; therefore they are nutritious. This review explores the functional characteristics of peptides obtained from millets and investigates their bioactivities, uncovering new properties such as antibacterial, antihypertensive, and antioxidant effects. The identification of these bioactivities would draw attention to millets' potential for use in functional food applications and their positive impacts on health. The analysis highlights the bioavailability of these peptides as well as the methods used for their production. Studying millet bioactive peptides is a promising avenue of investigation because it may lead to a novel understanding of a millet's beneficial qualities and its application as a functional food ingredient.

Significant flavor variations are frequently observed among fruits from different geographical regions, with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being major contributors to these differences. However, research studies on flavor profiles of kiwifruit from diverse origins remain limited. In this study, the widely cultivated “Hongyang” kiwifruit was used to investigate regional flavor differences and their contributing factors. Samples were collected from five major cultivation regions in China, including representative areas in Sichuan, Hubei, and Guizhou. Electronic tongue assays revealed that all Guizhou samples exhibited high sugar and acid levels. Employing a widely targeted volatilomics approach, a total of 341 VOCs were identified, predominantly comprising terpenoids, esters, and heterocyclic compounds, thereby establishing the most comprehensive aroma profile of “Hongyang” kiwifruit to date. The partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) identified 15 differential VOCs, among which 8 VOCs were aromatic. Notably, the Hubei samples showed a significant accumulation of gamma-terpineol, a volatile compound known to impart terpineol- and lilac-like aromas, thereby contributing to the characteristic flavor profile of these samples. Additionally, the samples from Guizhou significantly accumulated, ketones with grassy smelling and sweet-tasting furans, primarily including (E)-3-octen-2-one and 2-pentanoylfuran. This study provides a reference for the geographical distinction and selecting optimal cultivation locations for “Hongyang” kiwifruit.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of avocado seed extract and powder on the oxidative stability of palm oil and soya bean oil, and their 50:50 and 60:40 blends, respectively, during accelerated storage. The ethanolic and hexanic extracts were prepared from avocado powder. For the stabilization of oils, only the ethanolic extract and the powder were used at concentrations 1000 and 2000 ppm against the positive [BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)] and negative (oil without additive) controls. Oils were heated at 65°C for 20 days with samples collected after every 10 days for characterization. Results showed that avocado ethanolic extract was best in phenolic compounds (255 mg EAE/g) and antioxidant activity compared to the hexanic extract (106 mg EAE/g). At the end of the storage, oils without additives, oils enriched with BHT, oils supplemented with avocado ethanolic extract and oils enriched with avocado powder, respectively, presented values ranged between 77.70 and 111.86, 51.70 and 77.57, 60.01 and 86.50 and 70.85 and 93.22. Avocado ethanolic extract and powder are potential sources of antioxidants that can be exploited in the stabilization of oils and fats.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a widely cultivated vegetable crop globally. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different cooking methods on the flavor (taste and aroma) and nutritional composition (amino acids, vitamins, etc.) of “HJ008” pepper fruits. We utilized ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to analyze and compare the nonvolatile and volatile flavor compounds (VOCs), as well as nutrient components, in fresh peppers (Fresh), pan-frying peppers without oil (PWOO), and pan-frying peppers with oil (PWO). A total of 797 nonvolatile primary metabolites and 610 VOCs were identified across three different groups of samples. The comparative analysis revealed that PWOO treatment increased the content of most nonvolatile primary metabolites (including lipids, organic acids, and amino acids), whereas the PWO treatment led to a significant decrease in certain VOCs (such as terpenoids, esters, and aldehydes). In general, from the perspective of actual cooking practice and healthy diet, PWOO has more advantages than PWO, which can better retain the nutritional value of pepper fruit to a certain extent, and also help to maintain its unique aroma characteristics.

Valorizing agro by-products and using underutilized food crops are two important ways to guarantee sustained food and health security in the tropics. Hence, this study was to create a functional breakfast meal using a combination of soy cake (SC), cocoa bean shell (CBS), and germinated fonio millet. Using a 10-run optimal mixture experiment, five blends that demonstrated greater total phenolic contents (TPC) were chosen. Nutritional composition, antihyperglycemic potentials, and technofunctional and sensory qualities of the meals were examined. All the blends had an average of over 18.0 g/100 g protein content and an average fiber content of over 8.00 g/100 g, with SC and CBS contributing to these nutrients, respectively. The meals were low in carbohydrates < 65%, and the predominant minerals were Na, K, Ca, and P. Na/K and Ca/P ratios were < 1.0 and 2.0, respectively, further establishing the nutritional values of the meal. Bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays) of the meal increased with the proportion of CBS. All the formulations were low-glycemic (GI < 50% and GL < 40%) foods, and their capacities to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase were significant. However, hydration, pasting viscosities, and sensory attributes of the meal were affected by the compositional differences.

There is gaining interest in innovative instant probiotic food powders with the benefits of dairy and plant food matrices to meet the growing demand for sustainable and healthy probiotic food options. A dairy–cereal grain-based probiotic Raabadi beverage powder (DCBPRP) was produced through spray-drying and contains maize flour, skimmed milk powder, and probiotic culture. The physicochemical (water activity, density, hygroscopicity, porosity, wettability, flowability, rehydration, degree of caking, and solubility) and morphological (XRD, TGA, and FTIR) characterization were done using the standard methodology. The measured values for DCBPRP were as follows: water activity (0.268 ± 0.01), bulk density (0.32 ± 0.01 g/cm³), tapped density (0.39 ± 0.0 g/cm³), true density (1.007 ± 0.003 g/cm³), porosity (68.23 ± 0.9%), Carr's compressibility index (18.521 ± 5.09), Hausner ratio (1.231 ± 0.08), solubility index (76.33 ± 1.53%), wettability time (311.67 ± 9.07 s), rehydration time (54.33 ± 2.52 s), hygroscopicity (16.64 ± 0.82 [g H₂O/100 g dry weight]), and degree of caking (23.05 ± 0.85%). The ultrastructure images showed the particles with a spherical shape, whereas FTIR spectra revealed the presence of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The XRD curve showed the amorphous state of the product, while thermogravimetric analysis showed good thermal stability. The probiotic survivability count and microbial contaminants were also analyzed. The probiotic count in DCBPRP was 7.81 ± 0.03 log₁₀ CFU/g, more than the recommended dose of 6 log₁₀ CFU/g.