Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture最新文献

Background: Edible mushrooms are an abundant source of carbohydrates, proteins, and multiple antioxidants and phytonutrients. This paper presents a general overview on the edible fungus describing the inventions made in the field of its cultivation, equipment and value-added products.

Objective: To understand and review the innovations and nutraceutical benefits of mushrooms as well as to develop interest regarding the edible mushrooms.

Methods: Information provided in this review is based on the available research investigations and patents.

Result: Mushrooms are an edible source of a wide variety of antioxidants and phytonutrients with a number of nutraceutical properties including anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic. Thus, several investigations are made for cultivation and improvement of the yield of mushrooms through improvisation of growth substrates and equipment used for mushroom processing. The mushroom has been processed into various products to increase its consumption, providing the health and nutritional benefit to mankind.

Conclusion: This paper summarizes the cultivation practices of mushroom, its processing equipment, methods of preservation, value-added based products, and its nutraceutical properties. The review also highlights the various scientific feats achieved in terms of patents and research publications promoting mushroom as a wholesome food.

Background: Coconut jelly is a popular dessert among Asian people. However, it contains high levels of sugar. The recent patents on steviol glycoside (WO2015014969A1), steviol glycoside compositions for oral ingestion or use (WO2017095932A1) and sweetener composition for preventing and improving obesity, containing glycolysis inhibitor ingredient (EP2756764B1) help to select the sweetener for development of coconut jelly.

Objective: Therefore, the purposes of this study were to develop a healthier coconut jelly formula by using stevia as a natural sweetener as well as to investigate the short-term effects of Modified Coconut Jelly (MCJ) compared to Control Formula (CCJ) consumption on glycemic and insulin responses in twelve healthy participants.

Methods: The sensory evaluation found that MCJ with 50% sugar replacement using stevia obtained the highest acceptability score compared to other formulas. In a cross-over design, participants were required to consume MCJ and CCJ containing 50 g of available carbohydrates. Blood samples were collected at 0 (baseline), 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes for postprandial blood glucose, insulin, and C-peptide.

Results: The incremental Areas Under the Curve (iAUC) of blood glucose and insulin of MCJ had a lower trend than CCJ by 15.7 and 5.4 percent, respectively. MCJ consumption had blood glucose slowly decline after 60 to 120 minute. MCJ tended to decrease in postprandial blood glucose level without inducing insulin secretion.

Conclusion: This might be an effect of stevia. Nutrient composition is lower in total sugar and higher in fiber, which has been reported as antihyperglycemia in humans. Therefore, MCJ might be an optional food product for healthy people or patients with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes mellitus.

Background: Although sustainable food consumption is gaining growing importance on the international agenda, research on this subject is still quite fragmented and most studies analyse single aspects of sustainable food consumption with particular reference to environmental sustainability. In addition, the literature highlights the need to take account of the strong heterogeneity of consumers in studying sustainable behaviour. Identifying consumer segments with common profiles, needs and values is essential for developing effective communication strategies to promote sustainability in food consumption.

Methods: Consumer segmentation based on the perception of the sustainability attributes of organic and local products was realized using descriptive data collected through a consumer online survey in southern Italy (Campania). K-means cluster analysis was performed to identify different consumer segments based on consumer perception of sustainable attributes in organic and local food.

Results: Results confirm the support of consumers for organic and local food as sustainable alternative in food choices even if occasional buying behaviour of these products still predominates. In addition, our results show that an egoistic approach prevails among consumers, who seem to attach more value to attributes related to quality and health than to environmental, social and economic sustainability. Segmentation proves the existence of three consumer segments that differ significantly in terms of perception of sustainability attributes: a large segment of individuals who seem more egocentric oriented, an environmental sustainability oriented segment and a small segment that includes sustainability oriented consumers.

Conclusion: The existence of different levels of sensitivity to sustainability attributes in organic and local food among the identified segments could be duly considered by policy makers and other institutions in promoting sustainable consumption patterns. Consumers in the first cluster could be educated about the social and environmental benefits of organic and local consumption, beyond health and quality aspects, by promoting communication strategies aimed at creating a sense of belonging and self-identity in the change process towards sustainability. Consumers in the second cluster could be more informed about the additional social and economic benefits of organic and local consumption that goes beyond the still perceived environmental benefits. The strategic focus should be on attracting interest on the sense of belonging to the local community, in order to further promoting the short supply chain as models based on community building relationships and processes that hold people to place and share responsibility. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the increasing demand for more sustainable food products needs to be coupled with the development and adoptio