Food and Bioprocess Technology最新文献

This study aimed to enhance galactooligosaccharide (GOS) yield by maintaining high lactose concentration levels using osmotic membrane distillation (OMD) throughout the synthesis. The main problem influencing GOS yield during transgalactosylation is the decrease of lactose concentration over extended reaction periods. By integrating OMD with a continuous stirred batch reactor, water was progressively removed from the reaction medium. Compared to a standard batch reactor, the OMD-integrated system not only increased GOS yield by a maximum of 20.1% but also reduced the time needed for equivalent lactose conversion about 15–90 min. This integration particularly boosted the formation of longer-chain GOS. A consistent GOS yield of 67% was achieved, with up to 28% lactose conversion, surpassing the non-integrated reactor’s performance. The proposed reactor design shows promise for enhancing GOS production efficiency while concurrently concentrating the reaction medium in a single step.

A treatment combining citric acid disinfection, oregano essential oil application, and UV-C radiation was developed to enhance quality and extend the microbiological shelf-life of a novel ready-to-eat salad (50% Creole purple lettuce, 25% arugula, and 25% beet leaves). For that, response surface methodology was applied to find the level of each treatment that simultaneously optimize the responses (counts of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae, antioxidant potential, total polyphenol content, and PPO/POD enzymatic activity). The treatments, evaluated according to a Box-Behnken design, showed varying effectiveness in reducing the microbiological load and enzymatic activity, as well as in increasing the antioxidant potential within the evaluated treatment ranges. All responses presented a good fit to quadratic models, revealing significant linear and quadratic dependencies, as well as significant interactions among factors in some of the studied responses. Optimal conditions (0.3325% citric acid, 240 ppm oregano essential oil, and 6.4 kJ/m² UV-C) yielded significant improvements compared to control samples: 1.56 and 1.94 log cycles significant reductions in mesophilic aerobic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae, 40.92% increase in polyphenol content, 15.75% and 16.16% increase in FRAP and DPPH antioxidant potential, and 58.07% and 32.69% decrease in PPO and POD enzyme activity, respectively. Finally, the optimized treatment extended the microbiological shelf-life by at least 7 days, also showing superior quality retention, with significant differences with control counts on that day. In conclusion, the study provides insights into the multifaceted responses of a novel ready-to-eat salad combining these non-thermal treatments, highlighting the potential synergies for microbiological and antioxidant improvements.

In this study, the feasibility of predicting the lipid profiles of Iberian ham and shoulder samples by using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was evaluated. Gas chromatography analysis was the reference method used. The muscles analyzed and recorded by NIR spectroscopy were 76 Biceps femoris for Iberian hams and 72 Brachiocephalicus for Iberian shoulders. NIR calibrations were carried out by using two methods: modified partial least squares regression (MPLS) and artificial neural networks (ANN). With the MPLS method, it was possible to obtain equations with regression’s coefficients (RSQ) of > 0.5 for 5 individual fatty acids and 3 summations: polyunsaturated fatty acids, n3 and n6. The use of neural networks made it possible to find equations with RSQ of > 0.5 for 10 individual fatty acids, all of which are present in over 90% of the samples, and 5 summations of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (SFA, MUFA, PUFA), n3 and n6, finding that the calibration curves of the fatty acids C18:1, C18:2n6, and C18:3n3 presented RSQ’s of > 0.7. The results obtained indicate that NIR spectroscopy could be a very useful technology for the quality control of cured products as it allows estimating the main fatty constituents quickly and without using reagents.

As a future dietary trend, a significant portion of the population is gravitating towards a vegan diet. This trend is being driven by increasing awareness of the health advantages of a plant-based diet. While vitamin B₁₂, an essential element for maintaining the vital functions of the body, is rarely present in plant-based diets, non-genetically modified high-oleic (non-GMO-HO) soybeans are a recently developed sustainable variety of soybean containing a high proportion of oleic acid (75–80%). The current study employed HO soymilk to encapsulate the vitamin B₁₂ (1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 mg) by measuring the encapsulation efficiency using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS-MS). A comparative study of vitamin B₁₂ retention in liquid medium (HO soymilk) and solid medium (HO soymilk powder) was conducted. Additionally, powder characterization was performed by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential light scattering (DLS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DCS) to measure the particle size, shape, distribution, and thermal properties. Followed by studying, the in vitro release profile of encapsulated powder by creating simulating digestion mediums such as salivary, gastric, and intestinal fluid. Nutrition profiles of HO soybean and soymilk powder were analyzed to measure the change in nutritional profile after the spray-drying process. Results showed the encapsulation efficiency of vitamin B₁₂ ranged from 48.09 ± 57.93%, with high powder yield (76.16 to 85.07%), and microscopic particle size (0.369 to 8.5 µm) with improved nutritional profile. Encapsulated vitamin B₁₂ could be used for various purposes, including developing fortified beverages, infant formulations, and dietary supplements. Therefore, this study lays the foundation for opening opportunities and further commercializing vitamin B₁₂ fortified powder.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical demonstration of vitamin B₁₂ encapsulated in soymilk and its physiochemical characteristics and in vitro release study

This investigation aimed to develop a novel biodegradable packaging film based on gelatin (G) and sodium alginate (SA) biopolymers containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the solvent casting method, assess the physicochemical, mechanical, and antimicrobial features, and evaluate the efficacy of the films in food packaging consumption. Film properties were slightly affected by AgNP concentration levels. As the concentration of AgNPs was increased, water vapor permeability (WVP), water solubility, transparency, and tensile strength (TS) of GSA-AgNPs films were significantly reduced by an average of 42%, 59%, 56%, and 76%, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, the impacts of Hurdle technology on GSA (control) and GSA-AgNPs (optimal) films were investigated using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma technology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that cold plasma-treated GSA-AgNPs films had compact surface structures, excellent structural integrity, good barrier qualities, and potential antibacterial activity (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium) as a result of DBD cold plasma treatment. The packaged samples with cold plasma-treated optimal films were lower in thiobarbituric acid (0.54 mg MDA/kg sample), total volatile nitrogen (19.04 mg/100 g), and total mesophilic bacteria count (5.8 log CFU/g) compared to other samples. Tests on fish fillets have indicated that cold plasma-treated films containing 20 ppm (0.002%) AgNPs are considered the most effective antimicrobial food packaging.

Temperature fluctuation is recognized as a significant factor contributing to the degradation of frozen fish quality. In this study, we investigated the impact of freeze—radio frequency (RF) temper cycles on various quality attributes, including color, microstructure, and water retention and distribution in tuna meat. We compared traditional static marination with ultrasonic-assisted marination following 1, 3, and 5 freeze-temper cycles, employing both refrigeration and RF tempering methods. Our findings revealed that RF tempering substantially reduced the tempering duration while maintaining temperature uniformity. After the initial 3 freeze-temper cycles, significant decreases were observed in tempering loss, water holding capacity, pH, L* and a* values of the samples (p < 0.05), concomitant with significant increases in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), and b* value (p < 0.05). Low-field NMR analysis indicated enhanced water mobility in tuna after the first 3 freeze-temper cycles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images further suggested that the intracellular space in unmarinated samples expanded following 3 freeze-temper cycles, whereas marinated samples maintained better muscle fiber structure. Additionally, the thickness of muscle fibers in ultrasonically marinated samples exceeded that of the statically marinated cones. Hence, repetitive freeze-temper cycles resulted in a gradual decline in the quality of tuna. Nevertheless, marinated tuna retained favorable quality characteristics throughout the freeze-temper cycles, with the exception of the TBARS and b* value increase.

The escalating demand for palm oil necessitates enhanced production strategies. As the trend shifts towards automated harvesting to meet the demand, precise ripeness classification has become pivotal. Manual methods are inefficient and error-prone because of workforce constraints. The present review scrutinizes the following non-destructive ripeness classification methods: spectroscopy, inductive sensing, thermal imaging, light detection and ranging, laser-light backscattering imaging, and computer vision. The review focuses on identifying reliable techniques capable of real-time and accurate classification in dynamic and unstructured environments. All aforementioned techniques are discussed in intricate detail, accompanied by thorough critiques. This review then presents a performance comparison and benchmarking process, providing comprehensive insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each technique. A compelling solution emerges in the fusion of light detection and ranging and computer vision techniques. This synergy capitalizes on their strengths to offset individual limitations, offering a potent approach. Furthermore, this fusion yields added value in terms of localization and mapping, rendering it exceptionally suitable for real-time classification in complex environments. This review provides insights into bridging the gap between automated harvesting needs and ripeness assessment precision, thereby fostering advancements in the palm oil industry.

This study investigates the impact of four polysaccharides on enzyme-modified soybean protein concentrate (ESPC) within a high-water extrusion environment. Optimal texture and fibrous structure were achieved with 1% konjac glucomannan (KGM), 2% carrageenan (CA), 3% sodium alginate (SA), and 6% wheat starch (WS), respectively. These findings align with both macroscopic and microscopic observations. Structural analyses revealed that the presence of polysaccharides facilitated the formation of β-sheet structures, increased S–S bond content, and enhanced the ordered structure of ESPC. Water distribution and thermal property tests indicated that these polysaccharides improved water-holding capacity and mitigated the degradation rate of ESPC. In vitro digestion experiments demonstrated a 9.3% decrease in the digestibility of ESPC-CA compared to ESPC. This reduction could be attributed to electrostatic attraction between the protein and polysaccharide, creating a physical barrier that hindered the digestive process. This study provides insights into the influence of four polysaccharides on ESPC within a high-moisture extrusion environment. The information derived from this research holds potential significance for the development of high-quality plant-based meat analogs.

The interaction of polysaccharide and protein can improve the emulsification and gelation properties of emulsion gel, which is a good substrate for 3D printing food. Whey protein isolate (WPI) emulsion gels with guar gum (GG), locust bean gum (LBG), xanthan gum (XG), and gum arabic (GA) concentrations of 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 9% were investigated for 3D printing β-carotene-rich food. The effect of different polysaccharide concentrations on the rheological properties, 3D printing performances (printability, printing accuracy, and printing stability), and moisture distribution characteristics of emulsion gels were analyzed. The results showed that WPI emulsion gels with the addition of polysaccharides had shear-thinning behavior and exhibited elastic property. WPI emulsion gels added with polysaccharides of more than 5% had the higher transient elasticity and viscosity, which exhibited the higher deformation resistance. Water holding capacity and gel strength of WPI emulsion gels increased with the increase of polysaccharide concentration, and WPI emulsion gels added with GG and LBG showed the larger gel strength values. Water trapped in the gel network dominated in WPI emulsion gels, T₂₁, T₂₂, and T₂₃ values decreased with the increases of polysaccharide concentration. The results showed that 7% of GG, LBG, and GA could improve the 3D printing performance and significantly increased the printing accuracy and stability of WPI emulsion gels.

The current study was achieved to increase phenolic compounds and antioxidant content in Ras cheese by microencapsulation of the nanoemulsion of extract from the berries of allspice. The microencapsulation of the extract nanoemulsion from the berries of allspice using maltodextrin, whey protein concentrate, and guar gum was prepared by a freeze-drying process. The extract was cured, and nanoemulsion forms were prepared and evaluated for the antimicrobial effect and phenolic compound content. The morphology of microcapsules was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. The prepared microcapsules were added to Ras cheese using ratios (1, 2, and 3% (w/w)) and then stored for 120 days for ripening and examined chemically, microbiologically, and organoleptically. The results indicated that the allspice extract in both forms has shown an inhibitory effect on all microorganisms. Moreover, the major phenol compound in allspice berry extract was gallic acid with quantities of 15,991 µg/g. Furthermore, the microcapsule efficiency was recorded at 80.97% and spherical with a diameter of 380 µm, while the nanoemulsion of extract as the core has a size of around 320 nm. The total lactic acid bacteria counts in all samples gradually declined during the ripening period. The mold and yeast count was not detected in fresh cheeses and appeared for cheese control more than in cheese with the extract. Cheese control and treatments contained lower titratable acidity, total nitrogen, soluble nitrogen, and ash ratio than the other cheese with extract treatments. The total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs) were increased through the storage period in all cheese treatments. Correspondingly, Ras cheese acceptability for sensory evaluation increased during the ripening periods in all treatments, whereas cheese supplemented with 1% microcapsules ranked the highest score for flavor and body and texture during storage gaining a high accepted point of 93.62.