Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization最新文献

We aimed at preparing noodles by substituting wheat flour by varying concentrations Monascus purpureus nano-biomass powder (MPNBP). Noodles’ nutritional quality was improved compared to control. Nonlinear regression analysis established a correlation between the optimal cooking time, MPNBP concentrations, and drying temperatures. Cooking yield, swelling index and cooking loss values were analyzed. MPNBP concentration of 6.25% and drying temperature of 68.7 °C were the best conditions for preparing noodles with good cooking quality. No significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed in overall acceptability of noodle samples prepared with MPNBP at a concentration of 10% and drying temperature of 60 °C compared to control. M. purpureus is a promising food ingredient that enhances the noodles quality. The results show that nano-biomass of Monascus purpureus powder has an important effect in enhancing overall quality of noodles and can be considered as a promising food ingredient that ought to be valorized in the bakery-based products.

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This study evaluates the suitability of unconventional natural sweeteners as an alternative to sucrose for pineapple’s osmotic dehydration (OD). This study focused on the mass transfer kinetics and the quality attributes of pineapple cubes treated with five different osmotic solutions, i.e., sucrose, jaggery, coconut sugar, sucrose-jaggery, and sucrose-coconut sugar mix. The concentration of solutes (60°Brix), sample-to-solution ratio (1:2), immersion time (5 h), and process temperature (room temperature) were kept constant for all the treatments. The evaluation of mass transfer kinetics was performed at an interval of 1 h by fitting the experimental data of water loss (WL), solid gain (SG), and weight reduction (WR) in the Peleg model (R² = 0.91 to 0.98). WL, SG and WR increased with the increasing immersion time. The combined mixture of two solutes (sucrose and jaggery) was found to be the best osmotic agent in terms of water loss (32.3%) and weight reduction (24.9%). Using coconut sugar instead of sucrose had little influence on osmo-dried pineapple cubes except for rehydration ratio (1.83), shrinkage (71.75%), and color responses. Sucrose and coconut sugar-treated cubes retained ascorbic acid at an acceptable level of 29.61% and 28.007%, respectively. A substantial impact on the sensory attributes of pineapple cubes was observed by introducing new and healthy sweeteners as osmotic agents. Replacement or combination of sucrose (conventional sweetener) with natural sweeteners like jaggery and coconut sugar could be an excellent strategy for decreasing unhealthy sucrose consumption.

Vegetable oils are essential components of the diet, yet no single oil possesses an ideal fatty acid composition. Blending oils with distinct fatty acid profiles offers a practical strategy to achieve optimal nutritional quality and energy balance, thereby promoting cardiovascular health. This study evaluated the fatty acid composition, energy contribution, nutritional quality indices, and other biochemical properties of crude and refined palm oil, sunflower oil, groundnut oil, and their blends. Crude palm oil exhibited a balanced saturated-to-unsaturated fat ratio of 1:1.22, comprising 44% saturated fats (mainly palmitic acid ~ 40%) and 56% unsaturated fats (primarily oleic ~ 44% and linoleic acids ~ 12%). Groundnut oil and sunflower oil displayed higher levels of monounsaturated fats (~ 45% and ~ 34%, respectively) and polyunsaturated fats (~ 33% and ~ 58%, respectively). Blends of crude palm oil with groundnut oil (30:70 ratio) and sunflower oil (60:40 ratio) achieved ideal saturated:monounsaturated:polyunsaturated fat ratios of 1:1.43:0.9 and 1:1.39:1.03, respectively, aligning closely with World Health Organization recommendations (1:1.5:1). The blends optimized energy contributions of fatty acids, meeting 96–106% of the recommended daily energy intake (ERDI) for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Nutritional quality indices, including the Index of Atherogenicity and Index of Thrombogenicity, were significantly improved in the groundnut oil blend (1.81 and 0.64) and sunflower oil blend (1.71 and 0.54) compared to crude palm oil (4.13 and 1.38), indicating a reduced risk of atherogenesis and thrombogenesis. Furthermore, the blends exhibited acceptable free fatty acid levels (< 5%) and retained high carotene and tocopherol content, especially in crude palm oil blends (~ 9 to 1056 ppm and ~ 420 to ~ 758, respectively), providing antioxidant, anticancer, cardiovascular and vision-protective benefits. This study underscores the benefits of blending oils to achieve balanced fatty acid profiles and enhanced nutritional quality. Blends of palm, groundnut, and sunflower oils meet dietary recommendations, improve health benefits, and offer cost-effective options for balanced nutrition and cooking.

Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC seed (PT) is rich in protein and holds potential as a valuable nutritional supplement. To explore its antioxidant properties, protein from the winged bean seed (PTP) was extracted and hydrolyzed with alcalase to produce a protein hydrolysate (PTPH). The antioxidant activity of PTPH was evaluated by measuring its 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities. It exhibited potent DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities, with IC₅₀ values of 2.10 ± 1.03 and 0.73 ± 2.01 µg/mL, respectively. PTPH demonstrated no toxicity toward L929 mouse fibroblast cells and was cytoprotective against H₂O₂-induced damage in L929 cells. At low concentrations, it even promoted cell proliferation. Using anion exchange chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), ten peptides with molecular weights ranging from 707.35 to 1,478.80 Da were isolated and identified from PTPH. Three synthetic peptides (YGDPVKF, LSHTLFGDELCK, and YLYELAR) exhibited strong ABTS radical scavenging activity and protected L929 cells from H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress by reducing intracellular ROS levels. These findings suggest that the protein hydrolysate and peptides derived from PT seeds have potential applications as natural antioxidants in food supplements and health-related nutraceuticals.

Strawberries are extremely perishable and have a limited shelf life, making it crucial to utilize advanced technologies such as edible coatings to minimize post-harvest damage. The rising consumer interest in probiotic foods, driven by health concerns, has led to greater emphasis on these products. This study aimed to investigate the effects of basil seed gum (Ocimum basilicum) and the probiotic bacteria in edible coatings on the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties of strawberries. The strawberries were subjected to several treatments: a gum coating (Gum), a gum coating containing 1.5 × 10⁸ CFU/mL of probiotic cells (1.5 × 10⁸B-Gum), and a gum coating with 3 × 10⁹ CFU/mL of probiotic cells (3 × 10⁹B-Gum), while an uncoated sample served as the control. The results indicated that the coating containing the higher concentration of probiotics (3 × 10⁹ CFU/mL) significantly enhanced various physicochemical attributes of the strawberries relative to the control, leading to reduced weight loss, decay, and a slower deterioration of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins throughout storage. Additionally, the probiotic coatings (3 × 10⁹B-Gum) effectively preserved the fruit’s hardness and sensory qualities over time. This approach presents an innovative method for developing new functional foods and extends the shelf life of strawberries. In this study, Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MLP-NN) model was used to predict all the laboratory factors. The results indicated that MLP can predict all the parameters with Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of lower than 4%. So, this model can be used for further evaluation and decrease the final cost of similar studies. These findings suggest that probiotic-infused gum coatings can serve as a viable alternative to chemical preservatives, enhancing the nutritional value of the fruit compared to the control.

We elucidated the effects of nitroso-hemoglobin-Arabic gum (N–H + GA) conjugates on the quality and safety of inoculated minced beef during cold-storage by investigating their microbiological and chemical changes, volatile compounds and amino acid profile. Results showed that N–H + GA significantly reduced the total bacterial counts, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus on day 7 of stored minced beef (p ≤ 0.05). Meanwhile, with the increasing storage time, water relation time and water populace ratios also fluctuated. N–H + GA significantly declined the decreasing ratio of T_21-values in refrigerated and freeze–thaw-refreeze minced beef compared to the inoculated beefs. Furthermore, N–H + GA (5 g/kg) maintained the levels of different amino acids, namely Glu, Cys, Asp, Thr, Ser, Ala, Ile, Leu, Tyr, Lys, His, and Arg. It also kept the volatile components than the control treatment after 3 weeks of frozen/refrozen storage. This is mostly due to the binding between hemoglobin-glycoprotein conjugates with myosin via H-bonds and electrostatic forces as supported by Lib-dock outcomes. Our results implied that using N–H + GA, as a natural colorant-based conjugate, could maintain the safety and quality of minced beef during freeze–thaw-refreeze.

In Mexico, beans rank as the third most important crop in terms of the area planted. Each person is estimated to consume approximately 10 kg/per year of beans. The national bean production for 2024 is projected to reach 918 million metric tons. As part of this study, the levels of potentially toxic elements were determined in 30 bean samples from four varieties: pinto, black, Peruvian, and mayflower. The analysis utilized high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS) to determine levels of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), hydride generation graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-GF AAS) to measure arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), and a direct mercury analyzer for mercury (Hg) detection. The limits of detection for As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sb were 2.74, 1.52, 0.131, 15.9 y 2.98 µg/kg, respectively. Concentrations (µg/kg) ranged from 11.1 to 164 for As, 5.12 to 44.7 for Cd, 0.560 to 3.74 for Hg, 105 to 202 for Pb, and 13.1–51.3 for Sb. While non-cancer risks were considered negligible for both adults and children, significant cancer risks were identified in certain samples for adults. These findings emphasize the critical need for ongoing monitoring and regulatory measures to ensure food safety, especially regarding potentially toxic elements. They also highlight the necessity for continued research to protect public health.

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The objective of this study is to investigate the optimal ultrasonic power for producing microemulsions with Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil and to evaluate their physicochemical properties. The effects of three powers (125 W, 250 W, 375 W) on chitosan-based Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil emulsion were examined by multi-frequency ultrasound-assisted homogenization. The results indicated that the physicochemical properties of chitosan-based Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil emulsion were optimized under ultrasonic-assisted homogenization of three frequencies (20, 28, and 40 kHz combined) at 125 W for 15 min. Compared to the control group, significant reductions in particle size were observed in the emulsion treated with 125 W multi-frequency ultrasound (average particle size was 1.87 ± 0.01 μm; zeta potential was 13 ± 0.53 mV). Furthermore, the stability and antioxidant activity of the emulsion showed marked improvements (the scavenging rates of DPPH and ABTS increased to 87.57% and 81.71%, respectively). In addition, scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy images revealed that 125 W multi-frequency ultrasonic-assisted homogenization emulsion droplets were evenly distributed and exhibited the highest encapsulation effect. These findings provide valuable insights into developing food-grade chitosan-based emulsions containing Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil for functional food production.

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Proteins and polysaccharides are two essential nutrients in the human food system that can significantly influence their structural and functional properties. Pea protein-polysaccharide natural mixtures (PPMs, namely PPM1, PPM2, PPM3 and PPM4) were extracted from defatted pea powder through different extraction processes. PPM1 is derived from the supernatant of a neutral aqueous solution of defatted pea flour. The precipitate is subjected to alkaline dissolution at pH 9.0, yielding a supernatant and a precipitate (PPM3). A portion of the supernatant is lyophilized to produce PPM2, while another portion undergoes acid precipitation at pH 4.0 to yield PPM4. The protein and soluble polysaccharide content, SDS-PAGE of protein, solubility, thermal property, water and oil holding capacity, emulsion properties and foaming properties of these mixtures were examined in this work. The results indicate that PPM1 and PPM2 contain significantly higher (p < 0.05) soluble polysaccharide contents compared to PPM3 and PPM4. The SDS-PAGE analysis of PPMs reveals distinct variations in protein composition during the various extraction processes. Notably, PPM1, PPM2 and PPM4 demonstrated a gradual decrease in solubility from pH 2.0 to 4.0, followed by an increase from pH 4.0 to 10.0. However, the solubility of PPM3 rose as the pH increase from 2.0–10.0. FTIR analysis suggests that PPM2 is dominated in β-sheet, PPM1 and PPM4 were primarily composed of random coil; additionally, a high content of β-sheet and β-turn is observed in PPM3. Furthermore, PPM2 demonstrates the highest (p < 0.05) denaturation temperature of 98.19 °C compared to W1(70.7 °C), W3(77.74 °C), and W4(72.28 °C). PPM1 exhibits the best WHC and OHC relative to other PPMs. PPM1, PPM2 and PPM4 exhibited the better emulsifying property (p < 0.05) than PPM3. At pH levels ranging from 2.0 to 10.0, PPM1 and PPM2 displayed significantly higher (p < 0.05) foaming capacity and foam stability than both PPM3 and PPM4. Especially for PPM1, which presented the highest (p < 0.05) foaming capacity across the pH range of 2.0–10.0. This work provides valuable insights into the properties of PPMs and will be beneficial for expanding their application respect in food industry.

Quality parameters, such as moisture content (MC) and textural properties, are critical indicators reflecting the quality of fruits and vegetables and significantly influence their shelf life. Monitoring these parameters of agricultural products during post-harvest processing, drying, and storage is crucial for ensuring product quality, safety, and cost-efficiency. This study proposes the integration of machine learning (ML) algorithms with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to effectively estimate the moisture content and texture characteristics like firmness and consistency of sweetpotatoes. In light of this, orange-fleshed and purple-fleshed sweetpotato samples were imaged using a hyperspectral camera with a spectral range of 400–1000 nm. The extracted spectral data underwent preprocessing to select key wavelengths, construct various models, and compare their accuracy and efficacy. The multiplicative scatter correction-competitive adaptive reweighted sampling-radial basis function (MSC-CARS-RBF) model (RMSE = 0.066%, R² = 0.97) demonstrated superior performance for the moisture content prediction, while the standard normal variate-competitive adaptive reweighted sampling-extreme learning machine (SNV-CARS-ELM) model showed the best predicting results for the texture characteristics. The results indicated that selecting key wavelengths can enhance the predictive ability for sweetpotato quality assessment. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that combining HSI with ML algorithms have the potential to improve the quality assessment of sweetpotatoes by enhancing the accuracy, consistency, and speed of evaluating moisture content and firmness, ensuring uniformity in grading, and enabling near-real-time, non-destructive assessment during handling and processing, thereby ensuring a higher quality product for consumers.