LWT - Food Science and Technology最新文献

This study aimed to investigate the potential benefits of using precise boiling techniques on the solubility of two forms of Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis) powder, Scutellaria precision-boiled powder (SPBP) and Scutellaria traditional decoction pieces (STDP), using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS/MS technology. The UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS/MS technique, along with data-analysis methodologies, were employed to compare the active components between SPBP and STDP. A total of ninety-three chemical components were detected in S. baicalensis. By comparing the weights of extracts, conducting a weighted analysis, and using network pharmacology, SPBP demonstrated a higher concentration of active components and improved beneficial benefits compared to STDP. The quality and potential effectiveness of SPBP were evaluated by comparing its chemical components with those of STDP. These findings lay a foundational framework for in-depth exploration of the mechanisms underlying the decoction of S. baicalensis powder, offering significant potential for future research in functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Unfavorable environmental factors limit the utilization of egg yolk lecithin in functional foods. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance its stability and effectiveness to cater to the diverse food needs of individuals. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of protecting and delivering egg yolk lecithin through O/W emulsions, which were stabilized using ovalbumin-fucoidan (OVA-FUC) binary complexes as emulsifiers. This study investigated the protective effect of OVA-FUC emulsion on egg yolk lecithin and its impact on delivery by examining the storage stability, in vitro release yield, and stability during in vitro digestion of egg yolk lecithin in the emulsion. The results indicate that egg yolk lecithin, when encapsulated in the OVA-FUC emulsion, exhibits a relatively stable behavior during simulated in vitro digestion. Additionally, encapsulation enhanced both the delivery efficiency and drug release of egg yolk lecithin. Furthermore, the thermal and light stability of egg yolk lecithin embedded in OVA-FUC emulsion was improved, significantly improving its storage performance. The emulsion, prepared using the OVA-FUC binary complex, effectively safeguarded and enhanced the delivery efficiency of bioactive substances as an encapsulating material, thus exhibiting immense potential for application in the active protection and delivery of such substances.

This study assessed the occurrence of gluten cross-contamination in French fries produced in burger restaurants where fried breaded-products are also handled. This cross-sectional exploratory quantitative study was conducted in five steps: (i) identification of burger restaurants selling French fries and gluten-containing foods; (ii) acquisition of French fries' samples; (iii) questionnaire application regarding: the number of fried foods sold in addition to French fries, sharing the same oil for frying French fries and other breaded products, sharing the same fryer basket for frying French fries and other breaded products, and the frequency of oil change; (iv) sample processing and analysis of gluten in the samples; (v) data statistical analysis. 81 French fries’ samples were analyzed and 4.9% (n = 4) presented gluten contamination above 20 ppm. Regarding the variables of interest, such as the quantity of fried foods sold in addition to French fries, sharing the same oil for frying French fries and other breaded products, sharing the same fryer basket for frying French fries and other breaded products, and the frequency of oil change, there were no statistically significant associations. Further studies are necessary to assess other scenarios concerning contamination risks due to other commonly used cooking procedures.

Synergistic effect of Viscozyme L with wet ball milling treatment on structural, physicochemical and functional aspects of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) from ginseng residue were examined. SEM examination showed that IDF extracted by Viscozyme L in conjunction with wet ball milling (WBE-IDF) exhibited loose microstructural arrangement, and particle size of WBE-IDF was much smaller than that of IDF extracted by Viscozyme L (E-IDF) and along IDF (untreated). The FTIR spectra demonstrated the variations in the peak intensities in three modified ginseng IDFs. Besides, the highest thermal stability and viscosity was displayed by WBE-IDF among examined samples. In addition, WBE-IDF has higher water and oil holding, water swelling, nitrite ion absorption, bile acid absorption, and glucose absorption capacities as compared to that of E-IDF and IDF. Overall results revealed that the Viscozyme L combined with wet ball milling extraction may change ginseng IDF structure, and improve its physicochemical and functional qualities, thereby providing a theoretical basis for food industry to produce good ginseng IDF.

Acrylamide is the main contaminant for starchy foods cooked at temperatures above 120 °C. It represents a potential carcinogen, and consequently, its reduction is important for safeguarding global health. The L-asparaginase enzyme catalyses the hydrolytic cleavage of L-asparagine, a precursor of acrylamide, into L-aspartic acid and ammonia, thus reducing the formation of acrylamide. The objective of this work was to test the enzyme L-asparaginase at two concentrations (150 and 300 U/kg flour) under normal baking conditions to reduce acrylamide. The results showed that the use of 300 U/g of the enzyme led to a reduction of 78% in acrylamide, meeting the reference level reported by Reg. (EU) 2017/2158 (50 μg/kg) without influencing parameters such as colour that impact the final characteristics of the product.

In this study, firstly, Microbial Assay (MA) was performed to evaluate the levels of intra and extracellular folate (Quatro folate) produced by 43 lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from traditional Iranian dairy products. The results obtained from strain screening showed that two strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, two strains of Streptococcus thermophilus, two strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis and one strain of Lactobacillus helveticus are highly folate producing. However, two strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus produced higher amounts of folate (133.23 μg/mL and 102 μg/mL, respectively). In the second phase, eight yogurt samples were produced by using the two highest folate producing strains and compared with the control sample. The folate production in yogurt samples showed that Y8 sample has the highest amount of folate (117.93, 38.81 μg/mL determined by microbial and HPLC assay methods, respectively). It was found that the microbial assay method has the ability to measure different forms of folate derivatives compared to the HPLC method. The results exhibited that the isolates examined in this study showed the ability to produce extracellular folate at higher levels and can be used as bio-enrichment cultures to produce functional foods.

This study investigated the structural characteristics and chemical compositions of melanoidins in Monascus vinegar at different brewing stages through spectroscopic and HPLC-MS analysis. The results showed that melanoidins were exogenously added through the miwu rinsing process and not formed during fermentation. During aging, proteins and phenols continuously participated in melanoidin formation, increasing particle size, molecular weight, and antioxidant ability. FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectra revealed that melanoidins mainly comprised carbohydrates, proteins, and phenols. The identified components included 10 carbohydrates (glucose being the main one), 18 amino acids, 8 free phenolics, and 15 bound phenolics (with ferulic acid as the major phenolic compound). Phenolic compounds, mainly bound through ester bonds, played a key role in improving the antioxidant activity of melanoidins. These findings provide a theoretical basis for regulating melanoidin formation during Monascus vinegar production.

This study investigated the antimicrobial properties of postbiotics produced by lactobacillus rhamnosus and limosilactobacillus reuteri in surface decontamination of red meat against pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). The study evaluated postbiotic activity using agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC mg/mL), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC mg/mL), antioxidant properties, total phenolic content (TPC), and organic acid content. Among 18 meat samples, the mixed postbiotic (L. rhamnosus and L. reuteri, 100 mL/mg) displayed the strongest effect against E. coli, achieving a 5.54 log CFU/g reduction after 48 h with a well diffusion diameter of 23 mm, MIC of 20, and MBC of 25. A similar trend was observed for S. aureus, with the mixed postbiotic showing a reduction of 6.9 log CFU/g after 48 h, MIC of 25, and MBC of 50. Interestingly, the mixed postbiotic also exhibited the highest TPC (250.8 mL/mg). L. reuteri postbiotic displayed the strongest antioxidant activity (52.3 mL/mg) and highest organic acid content (18.9 mL/mg). These results suggest the potential of Lactobacilli-derived postbiotics as natural antimicrobials for controlling surface pathogens on meat products. Additionally, the observed link between TPC and antimicrobial activity warrants further investigation into the potential role of antioxidants in enhancing biopreservation efficacy.

With the improvement in living standards, breeders need to improve meat quality to meet consumers' demands. Hybrid (HB), indigenous (IB), and commercial broiler (CB) are the most essential components in consumer market. However, the difference in meat quality and underlying mechanism remains unclear. Our study found that HB showed significant differences in meat-quality performance compared with IB and CB, especially in breast muscle's shear force and meat color. Furthermore, metabolomic, lipidomic, and RNA-seq were performed to screen the critical molecular networks contributing to the performance difference. Most differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were significantly associated with shear force and a∗value and enriched in lipid metabolism-related pathways. The lipidomic analysis detected many differentially expressed lipids (DELs), especially between HB and CB. Most showed a positive association with a∗ and b∗ value and a negative association with shear force. RNA-seq analysis screened 275 and 497 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HB compared with IB and CB, and they were also highly associated with metabolism pathways and meat-quality performance. Finally, integrative analysis was conducted to screen the core DEMs, DELs and DEGs contributing to meat-quality performance. Our findings provided knowledge for molecular markers to facilitate the selection of chicken meat quality.