Journal of Food Science最新文献

Ginseng and its processed products are valued as health foods for their nutritional benefits. The traditional forms of processed ginseng include white ginseng, dali ginseng (DLG), red ginseng (RG), and black ginseng (BG). However, the impact of processing on the chemical composition and anti-tumor efficacy of these products is not well understood. This study quantified total saponins, polysaccharides, and protein levels in both raw and processed ginseng. It also involved measuring 12 monomeric ginsenosides (GS) utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), identifying ginsenoside compounds, and searching for differential compounds using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS (where MS is mass spectrometry), as well as assessing their anti-tumor effects through CCK-8 assays. The findings revealed notable differences in the contents of total saponins, proteins, and polysaccharides between raw ginseng and its processed counterparts. HPLC results showed changes in the types and concentrations of GS after processing; MS analysis identified a total of 39 monomeric ginsenoside compounds, with Rk3 uniquely present in BG. Anti-tumor tests demonstrated that both raw and processed ginseng effectively inhibited the growth of various tumor cell lines. Specifically, BG exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on A549 cells, while RG was most effective against HeLa, HepG2, and HT-29 cells. These findings highlight significant differences in chemical profiles and anti-cancer activities due to processing methods applied to ginseng. They also provide a foundational reference for establishing quality standards for ginseng products and support advancements in the food industry related to ginseng.

Practical Application

The chemical composition of ginseng and its processed products varies significantly. Both black ginseng (BG) and red ginseng (RG) exhibit unique profiles of ginsenosides (GS). These research findings can assist enterprises in selecting appropriate raw materials for white ginseng, dali ginseng, RG, and BG, and enable targeted extraction of desired GS through the choice of specific processed products.

Sweet potato–oat composite dough is a nutritious, functional dough with promising market potential. This study investigates its quality changes during freeze-thaw cycles from the perspectives of ice crystals and protein alterations to provide theoretical support for its processing and production. After freeze-thaw cycles, both the storage modulus and loss modulus of the dough decrease, resulting in increased hardness, reduced resilience and chewiness, lower sensory scores, decreased specific volume, and darker color. From the perspective of ice crystals, the formation and melting of ice crystals caused significant changes in water status: strongly bound water increased then decreased, weakly bound and free water decreased then increased, and freezable water content rose significantly (p < 0.05). These changes disrupted the dough's structure, leading to pore enlargement and collapse. From the protein perspective, freeze-thaw treatment significantly reduced β-folds and α-helices, causing the protein structure to become loose and disordered, further affecting elasticity and viscosity. Results showed that after more than three freeze-thaw cycles, the dough's processing properties and product quality deteriorated, making it unsuitable for further use.

Practical Application

Sweet potato oatmeal composite dough is a new type of functional composite dough, which is rich in nutrients and has a promising market prospect. This study reveals the mechanism of the influence of ice crystal formation and protein structure changes on the quality of sweet potato oat dough during freezing, which can provide a reference for the study of frozen dough of other miscellaneous grains. By exploring the changes in dough quality during freezing storage and transport, reasonable freezing storage and transport times and conditions were developed to reduce the effects of freezing and thawing on dough quality, and to ensure the taste and value of the product, thus providing consumers with better frozen pasta choices.

Quercetin, a key flavonoid found in many fruits and vegetables, offers notable health benefits, including antioxidant, antiviral, and antitumor properties. Yet, isolating it from complex plant materials is challenging. This research aimed to develop a selective and efficient sorbent to clean up real sample matrices and pre-concentrate quercetin, enhancing its detection using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Several metal organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized and initially, their abilities to sorption of quercetin from aqueous and alcohol media were examined. Among them, HKUST-1 showed the best performance. To improve the efficiency of this MOF, its composite with graphene oxide (GO) was prepared (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/GO/HKUST-1) and was employed for quercetin extraction through magnetic dispersive micro solid-phase extraction. The effect of different parameters was examined and the kinetic, thermodynamic, and isotherm of the sorption process was studied. The related results showed the system followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with the Temkin and Langmuir isotherm models applicable in aqueous and methanol solutions, respectively. The method enabled rapid preconcentration and clean up within 20 min, with a 99.6% adsorption efficiency using just 5 mg of sorbent. The nanocomposite demonstrated an adsorption capacity of 29.3 mg/g and effectively extracted quercetin from red onion samples, achieving recovery rates between 75% and 98% for HPLC-diode array detector analysis.

Practical Application

Quercetin is a common polyphenolic compound, which is widely found in plant materials such as onions. Owing to its medicinal effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, cardioprotective, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-allergic features, it has widespread usage in pharmacology and preparation of food preservers. In this study, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/GO/HKUST-1 nanocomposite was synthesized for extraction and preconcentration of quercetin from an onion sample. Very low amounts of this sorbent indicated high adsorption percentage and adsorption capacity for quercetin. This method was simple, fast, cost-effective, precise, and accurate, which exhibited a potential for extraction of quercetin in a large scale.

This study's objective was to develop desirable, safe, and nutritious dairy-rich breakfasts and desserts for older adults while identifying the influence of comfort, nostalgia, and texture preferences. Participants (n = 81, mean age = 71 ± 7.3 years) evaluated two breakfast meals (meat-containing, vegetarian) and two desserts (chocolate, vanilla puddings) for acceptance; they also answered inquiries concerning texture preferences and reported their feelings of comfort and nostalgia experienced during evaluation. Mean participant liking was 6.2 for the meat breakfast, 5.7 for the vegetarian breakfast, 5.8 for the chocolate pudding, and 4.3 for the vanilla dessert (along a 9-point scale). Meal liking was mediated by flavor intensity, sweetness intensity, and texture preference. Texture preference results indicated that older adults both like and are comfortable with orally handling textures typically deemed concerning for this population. Liking of the meals also increased if a higher experience of comfort was elicited during meal consumption (p < 0.05); perceived comfort decreased if there was insufficient flavor. Increased nostalgia experienced during meal consumption also increased overall liking. This study provided guidance on acceptable textures for potential product development while highlighting the importance of understanding the perception of nostalgia and comfort for older adults’ meal acceptance.

Practical Applications

Focusing on older adults, this study showed that nostalgia, comfort, and texture variety are all important elements of an older adult's diet. This research is useful for product developers who can use these elements in designing and testing the acceptance and healthfulness of prepared meals by older adults.

As consumer awareness grows regarding the environmental and health impacts of animal-based products, plant-based alternatives are gaining popularity in developed countries. Plant-based proteins, like soy protein isolate (SPI), are valued for their sustainability and ability to complement animal proteins. SPI is commonly used in plant-based yogurts due to its high-quality protein, strong gelling capacity, and support for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) growth. Typically, plant-based yogurts use citric acid (CA) as a preservative, but its effect on LAB quality and effects is not fully understood. This study examines how different CA concentrations (0%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 3%) influence the physicochemical, rheological, and microbial properties of fermented SPI yogurts under various temperature conditions over time (0, 15, and 24 h at 45°C and 48 h readings at 4°C). Higher CA concentrations led to lower pH, higher total titratable acidity, a loss modulus (G″) exceeding the storage modulus (G′), and increased viscosity. LAB growth was significant at refrigeration temperatures across all samples, indicating LAB adaptation to produce more lactic acid during storage. The study highlights that fermentation duration, temperature, storage conditions, and CA concentration significantly affect the properties of plant-based yogurts. Yogurts with 1% CA exhibited the best quality attributes while maintaining a pH below 4.6 as a food safety process control. This research provides insights into the preservation, safety, and quality of plant-based yogurts.

Practical Application

This research aims to help food manufacturers improve the quality and safety of plant-based yogurts by optimizing citric acid levels. By balancing acidity and probiotic content, producers can create healthier, more sustainable yogurt alternatives that appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Protein bar hardening negatively impacts shelf life, quality, and consumer acceptance. Although oxidation is known to negatively affect the flavor and texture of foods, the specific roles of lipid and protein oxidation in bar hardening have not been thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, most research has concentrated on dairy proteins, with a notable lack of studies addressing the hardening of plant-based protein bars. We investigated the role of protein and lipid oxidation, Maillard reactions, moisture loss, protein aggregation, and microstructural changes in the hardening of pea, whey, and rice protein bars over a storage period of 6 weeks (hardness increased 7.2×, 5.4×, and 4.4×, respectively). Changes in tryptophan fluorescence, free sulfhydryl content (e.g., loss of 57% for pea and 44% for whey), and carbonyl content demonstrated that pea and whey bars underwent protein oxidation. Lipid oxidation also occurred, demonstrated by increased peroxide and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values. Rice bars, however, did not undergo oxidation. Mass spectrometry indicated greater Maillard-reaction-related protein glycations formed in pea and whey bars (6.9% and 7.7%, respectively) than in rice bars (2.1%). SDS-PAGE revealed that pea and whey, but not rice, proteins aggregated during storage. Overall, this study found that moisture loss, protein and lipid oxidation, Maillard reactions, and protein aggregation correlated with bar hardening. Chemical changes may cause protein aggregation, resulting in hardening. Likely because of rice proteins’ innate insolubility and disulfide linkages, rice protein bars were less susceptible to chemical changes and aggregation and hardened more slowly than whey and pea protein bars.

Practical Application

This study shows that lipid and protein oxidation are correlated with protein bar hardening in both pea and whey protein bars. Additionally, this work suggests that rice protein bars may harden more slowly than pea and whey bars. These findings suggest that potential strategies to prevent bar hardening and extend shelf life include (1) adding antioxidants to prevent oxidation and (2) using rice proteins to partially or fully substitute other protein isolates.

We evaluated the antimicrobial performance of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and peracetic acid (PAA) during washing of baby spinach in water of varying levels of organic load, as measured by its chemical oxygen demand (COD). Escherichia coli TVS353 was spot inoculated onto one unwashed leaf. Sanitizers were added into water with preadjusted COD (300 or 2500 ppm) to achieve concentrations from 20 to 80 ppm. One inoculated leaf was washed with nine uninoculated leaves in 500 mL water (n = 6). Bacterial load on inoculated leaves was lowered by sanitizers in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05) and the lowest bacterial survivor levels were observed at 80 ppm with 2.7 ± 1.2 and 5.1 ± 0.5 Log MPN/leaf for PAA and NaOCl, respectively, at low CODs. PAA was more effective in reducing bacterial load from the inoculated leaf than NaOCl at high CODs (p < 0.05), with 2.9 ± 2.8 and 5.3 ± 0.8 Log MPN/leaf survivors for PAA and NaOCl, respectively. At 80 ppm sanitizer levels, the bacteria was not detected in wash water at any condition but was detected at 20 and 40 ppm at high CODs. The lowest levels of bacteria transferred to uninoculated leaves were observed at 80 ppm sanitizer, at 0.3 ± 0.2 and 0.2 ± 0.1 Log MPN/leaf for PAA and 1.1 ± 1.0 and 0.3 ± 0.3 Log MPN/leaf for NaOCl at low and high CODs, respectively. The log percentage of bacteria transferred ranged from −1.1 at 0 ppm to over −4.5 at 80 ppm, highlighting a reduction in cross-contamination by the sanitizers.

Practical Application

This study provides effective data on sanitizer usage to fresh produce industry for ensuring food safety during washing of produce. It evaluated the sanitizer effect in a broad range of scenarios including various sanitizer concentrations, and wash water with low and high organic load that is common when recirculating wash water. The results also revealed the differences in two common sanitizers (PAA and NaOCl) in terms of their effectiveness.

This study evaluates the microencapsulation of peanut skin phenolic compounds by spray drying, assessing their physicochemical properties and storage stability and the protective effect against oxidative deterioration in walnut kernels. Extraction yield, total phenolic content, and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis were performed on peanut skin crude extract (PCE). Microencapsulation of PCE with 10%, 20%, and 30% maltodextrin via spray drying was conducted. The drying yield, phenolic encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, morphology, particle size, and stability during dry storage (23°C) and in water (23 and 100°C) were assessed for the microcapsules. PCE contained 950.29 mg GAE/g of total polyphenolic compounds, primarily hydroxycinnamic acid-derived phenolic acids and procyanidins. Microcapsules with 20% maltodextrin exhibited the best properties (drying yield, encapsulation efficiency, and stability). These microcapsules were incorporated into an edible chickpea-based coating, which was applied to walnuts and stored at 40°C for 15 days. Peroxide value, conjugated dienes, volatile compounds, and fatty acid profile were analyzed on samples from storage. The chickpea-based coating combined with PCE microcapsules effectively preserves walnut quality during storage, offering a viable and natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants such as BHT, addressing current concerns in food preservation.

Practical Application

Peanut skins are a byproduct of the peanut industry with low commercial value. These skins are rich in polyphenols, which exhibit potent antioxidant activity. This study investigates the microencapsulation of polyphenolic peanut extract and its incorporation into a chickpea-based edible coating. The prepared coating demonstrated a remarkable protective effect against lipid oxidation in walnuts, extending their shelf life. These findings present a sustainable strategy that adds value to agro-industrial residues and aligns with circular economy principles. This innovation offers a natural and effective solution to enhance the stability and quality of lipid-rich foods.

To enhance the drying quality of peony flowers, this study developed an integrated intelligent control and monitoring system. The system incorporates computer vision technology to enable real-time continuous monitoring and analysis of the total color change (ΔE) and shrinkage rate (SR) of the material. Additionally, by integrating drying time and temperature data, a hybrid neural network model combining convolutional neural networks, long short-term memory, and attention mechanisms (CNN-LSTM-Attention) was employed to accurately predict the moisture ratio (MR) of peony flowers. The predictive model achieved a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.9962, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.6870, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.7634, demonstrating high accuracy in predicting moisture content during the drying process. Furthermore, the system utilized a fuzzy controller to dynamically regulate the drying parameters. The fuzzy control strategy was used to shorten the drying time by approximately 1 h, improve the drying efficiency by roughly 12%, and significantly maintain the quality of peony flowers. These findings underscore the potential of the system to enhance drying efficiency and product quality.