Food Biophysics最新文献

This study investigated the effectiveness of ozonised mist and protective film (low-density polyethylene - LDPE) in preserving red peppers during storage. Ozonised mist was applied at 20.10 mg L-¹ and 2.0 L min-¹ for 5, 10 and 15 min, with and without protective film, and compared with untreated controls and chlorine treatment. Stored for 21 days at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity, peppers treated with ozonised mist showed significant reductions in total molds and yeasts counts, with the 15-minute treatment achieving reductions of 4.00 logs for molds and 4.34 logs for yeast, surpassing the chlorine treatment. The protective film effectively minimised weight loss and maintained the commercial appearance of the bell peppers. Importantly, the combination of ozonised mist and protective film did not significantly affect the physico-chemical quality of the bell peppers. These results suggest that ozonised mist and protective film are effective in reducing post-harvest losses of bell peppers, with practical benefits for the storage sector.

A recent global study revealed that approximately 80–90% of the population are deficient in vitamin D, a crucial nutrient for maintaining normal physiological functions. This widespread deficiency is quite alarming, as it can lead to significant health risks and increase susceptibility to various diseases, thereby compromising overall well-being. Vitamin D in its native form has a limited shelf life (approximately a year at ambient temperature), low stability, and poor bioavailability; however, encapsulation can improve these characteristics without compromising its biological effectiveness and controlled release. The encapsulation technique and wall material type used have a significant role in the process. The present article provides a comprehensive overview of the prevailing advanced encapsulation techniques, such as emulsification, coacervation, nanoliposomes, solid lipid particles, solvent evaporation, electrospinning, spray drying and lyophilization, along with various wall materials used, to improve the shelf life, stability, and bioavailability of vitamin D. These techniques represent promising strategies for enhancing vitamin D delivery and efficacy in different applications.

Gelatin is a multifunctional protein with numerous applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The increased global demand for gelatin and issues regarding mammalian collagen have prompted an imperative urge for alternative sources. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of ultrasound-assisted extraction on the physicochemical, functional, and bioactive attributes of gelatin obtained from Tenualosa ilisha scales. Ultrasound-assisted gelatin (UAG) extraction substantially increased the yield (34.49%), reducing fat and moisture content compared to water bath gelatin (WBG) extraction (20.06%). Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed α1, α2, and β chains, corroborating a triple helical conformation with UAG displaying shorter peptide composition. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showcased distinct peaks for amide- I, II, III, and A with decreased molecular order owing to ultrasound treatment. The WBG exhibited a lower UV-transmittance and a higher gel melting temperature, whereby, UAG displayed an excellent foaming capacity and stability with improved performance at higher concentrations. The WBG demonstrated superior emulsion activity and stability index, however, the emulsion activity of both gelatins declined with increasing concentrations. The gelatins showed a similar water-holding capacity, although WBG possessed a greater fat-binding capacity compared to UAG. However, UAG demonstrated enhanced antioxidant effects, revealing an IC₅₀ of 121.17 ± 2.38 for scavenging free radicals and an EC₅₀ of 184.48 ± 3.16 for reducing Fe³⁺, thus, minimizing oxidative stress. The findings will offer novel insights into the influence of ultrasound treatment on the properties of fish scale gelatin and developing methods for tailoring scale gelatin for food and pharmaceutical interventions.

This study aimed to develop an active pectin film, using honey and/or propolis ethanolic extract (PEE) as sources of active compounds (polyphenols and antimicrobials) and to analyze their influence on the physicochemical, optical, and mechanical properties of these films. During experimental tests, it was found that the formulation that presented the best characteristics was the film with 60 g of honey/100 g of pectin and 5 g of PEE/100 g of pectin. This specific film formulation provides an effective alternative to obtain an active material with good barrier and mechanical properties. It showed less permeability to water vapor, minor transparency and difference in color, although more rigid. The film had a higher total phenols content, and antiradical and antimicrobial properties against Listeria innocua and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the findings suggest that these films would be effective carriers of bioactive compounds. These compounds could be consumed by coating fresh or dried fruits with active coatings.

In this study, the potential gastrointestinal fate of a plant-based chicken analog prepared using a soft matter physics approach was compared to that of real chicken breast. The chicken analog was created from potato protein and gellan gum using a complex coacervation-shearing-gelling approach. The INFOGEST static in vitro gastrointestinal model was then used to compare the digestion of the chicken analog to real chicken breast. Changes in the appearance, physiochemical properties, microstructure, protein digestion, and lipid digestion of the chicken samples were recorded after being subjected to simulated oral, gastric, and small intestine conditions. The protein digestibility of the plant-based chicken was higher than the real chicken after exposure to simulated stomach conditions, but it was lower after exposure to simulated small intestine conditions. The digestibility of the fat in the plant-based chicken was lower in the intestinal phase than that for the real chicken. This reduced digestibility of the fat and protein in the small intestine for the chicken analogs may have been because of the gellan gum they contained. This hydrocolloid increased the viscosity of the intestinal fluids and may have inhibited interactions between digestive enzymes and macronutrients. Our results have important implications for assessing the potential impacts of adopting a more plant-based diet on human health and wellbeing.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds have promising applications in controlling fungal spoilage of postharvest agro-products and perishable foods. In a previous study, we discovered that the plant volatile 1-octanol showed considerable potential for controlling Aspergillus flavus growth. In this study, the inhibitory effects of 1-octanol on the germination of A. flavus spores were investigated. A. flavus spores did not germinate when exposed to 1.5 µL/mL 1-octanol, and 3.5 µL/mL 1-octanol caused spore death. Biochemical analysis showed that 1-octanol caused a decrease in ergosterol and ATP content, and an increase in hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion content in a dose-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that there were 4117 differentially-expressed genes in A. flavus spores exposed to 1.5 µL/mL 1-octanol, mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, steroid biosynthesis, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, ribosomes, glutathione metabolism, the mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway, and pyruvate metabolism. Flow cytometry results showed that 1-octanol treatment resulted in hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling/4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole double staining and monodansylcadaverine staining results indicated that 1-octanol treatment resulted in DNA fragmentation and induced autophagy, respectively. These results provide new insights into the inhibitory mechanism of 1-octanol on A. flavus spore gemination and would facilitate the application of 1-octanol for the protection of postharvest agricultural products.

In this study, the effect of trehalose on the structural and gelation properties of fresh and stored potato starch/Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (POS/LBP) composite gels was investigated. The pasting properties of the LBP/POS composite were modified by trehalose, where the pasting temperature, peak viscosity, trough viscosity, and final viscosity of the composite are all increased significantly with the addition of the trehalose in a concentration-dependent manner. The rheology properties of the POS/LBP gel were also significantly affected by trehalose but in a different way before and after storage. The addition of trehalose increased both the storage and loss modulus of the fresh gel but decreased those dynamic moduli after storage for 21 days at 4 °C. Moreover, trehalose had minimal effect on the hardness of the fresh gel but significantly weakened it after storage. SEM analysis further confirmed that the stored composite with 10% trehalose had a porous and thin network compared to the control. On the other hand, the composite gel had a lower syneresis value when trehalose was added. This effect was greatly enhanced during repeated freezing and thawing cycles, suggesting the ability of trehalose to improve the gel stability during storage. As revealed by FTIR and XRD analysis, the relative crystallinity and short-range order of the POS during storage were decreased by trehalose, suggesting that trehalose could potentially inhibit the amylose retrogradation. Overall, this study showed that trehalose is a promising functional ingredient for modifying the structural and gel properties of POS-based gel.

Graphical Abstract

Heat moisture treatment (HMT) was used to improve the functionalities of elephant foot yam starch (EFYS) by using selected heating techniques such as hot air oven (HAO), autoclave (AL), and microwave (MW). The swelling power and solubility were reduced significantly after HMT modification, whereas an increase in amylose content was detectable after HMT modification, and the maximum changes were identified in HAO-modified EFYS (28.48%) as compared to its native counterpart (18.01%). The study demonstrates that the maximum drop in peak viscosity (1045 cP) was perceived in HAO-modified EFYS, which confirms its thermostability as compared to native (1114 cP) and other treated starches (1059 to 1098 cP). All the starch pastes exhibited shear-thinning behavior, however, isothermal heating of starch paste at 95 °C revealed a rise in apparent viscosity with increasing shear rate in all HMT-modified EFYS. Large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) measurements of modified starch samples showed the predominating solid-like behavior in modified EFYS. The HAO-treated EFYS had the highest elasticity of the others, which represents the enhanced structural rigidity due to the formation of transient network structures. Furthermore, Lissajous-Bowditch plots confirmed the early deviation of the structural integrity from elastic to viscous behavior in HAO-treated EFYS. Overall, the HAO-modified EFYS showed significant improvement in functionalities and structural integrities under high shear and high oscillation strain, which infers its potential industrial applications. Based on our results, we propose specific physical models suggesting the effect of molecular structural arrangements of amylose and amylopectin expressing the essential rheological differences between native and HMT EFYS.

To better obtain protein–flavonoid complexes owned more powerful functions, non-covalent complexes between β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and baicalein/p-coumaric acid/polydatin (Bai/p-CA/PD) were investigated. The properties of these complexes were investigated using ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), etc.; the non-covalent complexes' parameters were evaluated using fluorescence spectra and molecular docking. The peaks shifted in UV, and α-helix decreased in CD, confirming the formation of the complexes. The blue shift of amide bands and -OH peaks in FTIR indicated that the hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds were strengthened. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicates that β-LG-Bai had heat resistance (improved melting peak: 188.8 °C to 195.8 °C). ABTS assay showed synergistic effects of β-LG-Bai (76.7% [β-LG-Bai] > 70.6% [β-LG + Bai], 50 μmol/L). Bai had a higher quenching ability (70.81%) than p-CA (38.69%) and PD (40.95%). The affinity order was Bai > PD > p-CA, and molecular docking binding energy (-6.02 [Bai], -5.39 [p-CA], and -5.4 kcal/mol [PD]) verified the affinity relationship. The binding constants increased with increasing temperature (2.166, 4.581, and 5.741, × 10⁵ L/mol, for 298, 308, and 318 K, respectively), indicating that a higher temperature promoted stabilization of β-LG-Bai, which is consistent with hydrophobic interactions in molecular docking being the driving force of the β-LG-Bai complexes. The β-LG-Bai non-covalent complexes own synergistic antioxidant effects and improved high-temperature stability characteristics, which may have promising applications in functional foods.

The effect of particle size on physicochemical stability, bioaccessibility, and bioactivity of bioactive compounds is important in the design of delivery systems. It is challenging to control the size of delivery systems without altering chemical composition. In the present study, the re-assembly of dissociated egg yolk granules was modulated by Ca²⁺ to produce recombined granules with controlled hydrodynamic diameter (D_h). Quercetin was selected as a representative bioactive compound encapsulated within recombined granules (Gra-Que). Encapsulation efficiency and loading efficiency increased with an increase in D_h until phase separation occurred at 250 µg/mL Ca²⁺. The thermal and photochemical stability of Gra-Que increased as D_h increased, whereas samples with the smallest D_h demonstrated the highest storage stability. Gra-Que with an intermediate D_h had the highest bioaccessibility due to a balance between the protection of quercetin and susceptibility to digestion. Smaller samples had higher bioactivity due to higher cellular uptake and greater susceptibility to digestion.