Food and Bioprocess Technology最新文献

Cultured meat has been gaining ground in recent years as an innovative approach to address the potential scarcity of meat supply. Fat is one of the key components of meat in terms of flavor and juiciness. However, the production and scale-up of fat from agriculturally relevant animals have not been extensively investigated, particularly in scalable bioreactor systems. The culture of primary duck embryonic fibroblast (DEF) proliferation and adipogenesis in various lab-scale bioreactors for cultured meat purposes was explored. Cytodex 1 microcarriers were used to culture DEF in two proprietary serum-free media: ProDuck4.0 for proliferation and LipoDuck2.0 for adipogenesis. Proliferation and differentiation conditions of DEF were optimized in shake flasks through Design of Experiments (DoE) and then the culture was transferred to lab-scale bioreactors operating in perfusion with different agitation regimes. A rocking motion bioreactor (RMB), an orbitally shaken bioreactor (OSB), and a stirred tank bioreactor (STB) were assessed to scale up the production process. Results showed that DEFs exhibited high sensitivity to shear stress, particularly in RMB and OSB systems, which led to impaired cell growth. In contrast, STB supported DEF proliferation and adipogenic differentiation, reaching full confluency and a cell concentration of 489,000 cells·mL⁻¹ and an intracellular triglyceride accumulation of 380 pg·cell⁻¹, comparable to those achieved in shake flasks. These findings highlight the potential of using STBs for scaling up duck fat production for cultured meat applications.

The growing population has increased the demand for food, promoting the discovery of new protein-rich food solutions and the introduction of alternative protein sources into the human diet. This development pushes the industry to better understand food systems so that the substitution of ingredients can be done successfully. Fair prediction of protein functionality from protein chemical and structural data represents a relevant strategy to support food formulation. This work explores the links between protein parameters and their functionality in food systems. Firstly, the different techno-functional roles that proteins exert in food systems are discussed and linked to protein features. Then, analysis methods for the detection of these properties are suggested and discussed in more detail. The focus is on optical and spectroscopic methods because of their potential use by the food industry with minimal sample preparation and the possibility of non-contact probing. Finally, an application note including the discussion of protein functionality prediction in the process of formulating meat analogues using alternative sources of proteins is given. The elucidation of the relations between protein features and functionality with the support of innovative optical sensing enables the introduction of alternative protein ingredients into food formulation. This approach supports the protein transition and the development of new, more sustainable, protein-rich foods.

Pea protein isolate (PPI) was treated by ultrasound (US) and then subjected to transglutaminase (TGase)-catalyzed cross-linking to prepare PPI gels. Ultrasonic pretreatment effectively improved gel hardness, springiness, and chewiness by reducing particle size and enhancing protein dispersion. Subsequent TGase treatment further reinforced the gel matrix through covalent crosslinking, resulting in a more robust three-dimensional network structure. The effect of US-TGase treatment demonstrated substantial improvements in water holding capacity (WHC) and thermal stability of the PPI gels. Microstructural analysis revealed that ultrasonic treatment generated a more compact gel network with reduced pore size, which was subsequently stabilized by TGase-induced covalent bonding. These findings suggest that the combined application of ultrasonic pretreatment and enzymatic cross-linking represents an effective strategy for optimizing the functional properties and structural integrity of PPI-based gels.

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This study investigates the efficacy of innovative nonthermal processing technologies, specifically pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultraviolet (UV) light, and the addition of orange peel extract (OPE) in producing safe, high-quality orange juice, contrasting these methods with traditional thermal pasteurization. The experiments employed a range of treatments, individually and in combination, to assess their impact on the orange juice’s physicochemical properties, microbiological safety, and sensory quality. Nonthermal treatments were applied as follows: PEF at 18.5 kV/cm for 500 µs, UV treatment at 254 nm with an average surface dose of 3.525 J/m² for 20 min at 25 ± 1 °C, and the addition of 300 µL OPE per 100 mL of juice, alongside standard thermal pasteurization at 90 °C for 60 s and a control group of untreated juice. Results indicated that nonthermally processed juices exhibited significantly lower ascorbic acid degradation (11.11 to 20.5%) than thermal processing, resulting in a substantial 62.8% loss. Furthermore, nonthermal methods enhanced carotenoid extractability and phenolic retention, leading to superior antioxidant capacities compared to control and thermally processed samples. Microbial load assessments showed effective inactivation across all nonthermal treatments, aligning with sensory evaluations that ranked nonthermally processed juices higher than their thermally treated counterparts but lower than the control. Therefore, our findings advocate for adopting nonthermal processing technologies as a preferable alternative to thermal methods in orange juice production, effectively preserving nutritional and sensory attributes while ensuring microbial safety. This research underscores the potential of UV, PEF, and OPE as viable strategies to meet consumer demands for high-quality, healthful beverages without compromising their integrity.

This comprehensive study evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy, antioxidant capacity, and cytotoxicity of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), black oregano (Origanum vulgare), and ball oregano (Origanum onites) hydrosols, with particular focus on acidified cinnamon variants (3% ascorbic acid, CHC; 3% malic acid, CHM). GC–MS analysis revealed distinct chemotypes: cinnamon hydrosol was cinnamaldehyde-dominant (76.66%), while oregano hydrosols exhibited carvacrol-rich profiles. Black oregano demonstrated superior antioxidant capacity, with a total phenolic content (TPC) of 1286 mg GAE/L and DPPH/ABTS values of 3.07 and 4.24 mmol TE/L, respectively. Antimicrobial testing revealed that cinnamon-based hydrosols produced the largest inhibition zones against Candida albicans (34.06 ± 2.00 mm) and Aspergillus flavus (26.23 ± 0.50 mm), while acidification significantly enhanced their antibacterial potency. CHM achieved the lowest MIC values for multiple pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (1.45 ± 0.01 µL/mL) and Bacillus cereus (1.99 ± 0.01 µL/mL). In Kashar cheese washing trials, CHM demonstrated superior performance with mean log reductions of 2.52 across five pathogens at 45 min, with most antimicrobial effect occurring within the first 15 min. Zeta potential analysis revealed CH maintained electrostatic stability (-22 to -23.5 mV), while CHM's near-neutral charge (-2.55 to -3.52 mV) facilitated enhanced bacterial contact. Cytotoxicity assays identified workable dilution ranges preserving ≥ 70% fibroblast viability (in L929), supporting short contact and rinse-type use. These findings position acidified cinnamon hydrosols, particularly CHM, as promising natural surface decontaminants for food systems.

Decolorization is critical in sugar refining, where reducing sugar alkaline degradation products (RSADPs) constitute major colorants. Conventional decolorants face limitations including non-renewability, high cost, and narrow applicability. This study developed quaternary ammonium-functionalized chitosan adsorbents (QA) as high-performance and cost-effective alternatives. QA was synthesized via (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride modification, followed by chemical cross-linking with glutaraldehyde and freeze-drying. QA displayed a more intricate surface morphology with rougher pore walls, while increasing quaternary ammonium-functionalized chitosan (QACS) content contributed to the preservation of the porous framework. Additionally, QA exhibited a stable positive charge (pH 3–11) and industrial-grade thermal stability. Compared to the unmodified chitosan adsorbent, QA exhibited superior adsorption performance and maintained pH-independent functionality, with adsorption capacity increasing with rising QACS content. QA₅ (with 5 wt.% quaternary ammonium-functionalized chitosan) performed optimally, achieving 95.9% RSADPs removal with 172.6 mg/g equilibrium capacity (theoretical max of 287.7 mg/g) and > 15% higher efficiency than unmodified adsorbent. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model (chemisorption-dominated), and the isotherms fitted the Freundlich model, indicating multilayer heterogeneous adsorption. The QA thus provides an efficient, eco-friendly solution with broad pH tolerance for industrial sugar decolorization.

This study aimed to compare the physical and oxidative stability of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions and their corresponding gels with the same total interfacial area but different droplet dispersity. Soy protein isolate-stabilized emulsions were prepared by two emulsification methods: microchannel emulsification (MCE, yielding monodisperse droplets) and rotor–stator homogenization (RSH, yielding polydisperse droplets). Both systems were adjusted to have the same surface-weighted mean diameter (d₃,₂) to specifically evaluate the influence of droplet size distribution. Emulsions and gels were subjected to environmental stresses (heat, freeze–thaw, acidic pH, high salt, and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation) immediately after preparation and were stored for up to 13 days. In terms of physical stability, overall d₃,₂ change over two weeks (Δd₃,₂) indicated higher stability for the RSH emulsion under salt addition and for the MCE emulsion under UV irradiation (p < 0.05), likely due to differences in interfacial protein arrangement. For oxidative stability, UV treatment significantly increased oxidation product levels in both groups (p < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed between the MCE and RSH emulsions under any condition (p > 0.05). For emulsion gels, no significant group differences were observed in rheological or oxidative stability, suggesting that similar gel matrices masked the effects of droplet size distribution and interfacial protein arrangement. Overall, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of how droplet dispersity and interfacial characteristics influence emulsion stability under different environmental stresses. Future work should identify specific formulation conditions under which monodisperse systems provide clear advantages.

The increasing demand for natural antioxidants such as thymol in food and pharmaceutical industries highlights the need for sensitive and eco-friendly analytical methods capable of detecting this compound at trace levels. In this study, an environmentally benign magnetic biopolymer nanocomposite, Fe₃O₄@Pectin/Chitosan, was synthesized through a simple co-precipitation route and fully characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, transmittance electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, electron diffraction X-ray, thermal gravimetric analysis, and vibrating sample analysis. The nanocomposite was employed as an efficient adsorbent in a magnetic dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (MDµ-SPE) system for the preconcentration of thymol. A central composite design combined with response surface methodology was used to optimize key operational parameters, resulting in optimal conditions of pH 7, 30 mg sorbent, 30 min adsorption time, and 40 °C. Under these conditions, the method achieved an extraction recovery above 95%, a linear dynamic range of 25–700 ng·mL⁻¹, and low detection and quantification limits of 7.5 and 24.75 ng·mL⁻¹, respectively. The sorbent exhibited excellent reusability for at least seven cycles without significant loss in performance. The method was successfully applied to thyme and honey samples, confirming its accuracy and selectivity in complex matrices. These findings demonstrate that the Fe₃O₄@Pectin/Chitosan–based MDµ-SPE platform provides a rapid, sensitive, and sustainable strategy for trace analysis of thymol in real food products.