ACS food science & technology最新文献

Vitamin K₁ is an essential cofactor for the posttranslational modification of Vitamin K₁-dependent proteins, regulating blood coagulation, bone mineralization, and anti-inflammatory processes. Its bile-dependent bioavailability points toward the importance of understanding its largely unknown interplay with bile. We detailed the interaction of Vitamin K₁ with bile using simulating intestinal fluids and studied the effects of bile on Vitamin K₁ solubilization and permeation across artificial membranes. Our results indicate that transitioning from fasted to the fed-state bile concentrations critically impacted Vitamin K₁ performances. In the fasted state, flux inversely correlated with the bile concentrations. Starting at the fasted-to-fed transition, this flipped, and Vitamin K₁ solubility increased 8-fold, while the flux increased up to 5-fold. When fed, Vitamin K₁ was mainly present in small colloidal species, maintaining Vitamin K₁ solubility and rapid exchange dynamics with the surrounding fluids. In conclusion, a fed state is a critical prerequisite for effective Vitamin K₁ solubilization and molecular presentation within the gastrointestinal tract. Analogous studies with Vitamin D₃, another lipophilic vitamin, provided evidence that the mechanism of bile interaction now detailed for Vitamin K₁ is not conserved across different vitamins. These outcomes detail Nature’s strategy for the nutritional exploitation of Vitamin K₁ by bile, with immediate relevance for diet plans and future nutraceutical designs.

Proso millet (PM) was polished to different degrees (4, 7, and 10%), and its nutraceutical components and antioxidant activities are characterized. PM has phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin-E, and phytosterols. Of the phenolics and flavonoids, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin were found to be highest. Among carotenoids, lutein was found to be the major component. Characterization of phytosterols showed the presence of stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and campesterol. Stigmasterol was found to be highest in unpolished millet, and β-sitosterol was found to be highest in polished millet. Among vitamin E forms, namely, tocopherols and tocotrienols, γ-tocopherol was found to be highest. Unpolished PM showed promising antioxidant activities through DPPH, ABTS, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and radical scavenging activities. With increased degree of polishing, there was a decrease of 20–60%, 10–30%, 40–80%, and 40–60% in the contents of phenolics, carotenoids, phytosterols, and vitamin E forms, respectively, and 40–70% reduction in antioxidant activities. The higher degree of polishing significantly affected the nutraceuticals and antioxidant activities. However, after 4% polishing, the nutraceuticals offered better health benefits.

Rice bran is considered as one of the most prominent byproducts of the rice milling industry. It constitutes various bioactive compounds like myo-inositol. This study focuses on extracting myo-inositol from Japanese rice bran (Oryza sativa Japonica Group) using an eco-friendly, optimized method. The extraction was first optimized through the response surface methodology, yielding maximum inositol after 2 h at 80 °C with a solute concentration of 1:10. Microwave-assisted extraction further improved efficiency, achieving a significantly higher yield in just 5 min. The inositol-rich extract inhibited calcium oxalate crystallization, proving effective against urolithiasis by converting calcium oxalate monohydrate to the more easily excretable dihydrate form. These findings suggest the potential for developing cost-effective, eco-friendly formulations and nutraceuticals to combat urolithiasis.

Utilizing biological resources facilitates alleviating energy shortage and environmental pollution problems. This work aims to develop edible packaging material that performs well and can be used for fresh fruit preservation. Tea polyphenol (TP) was successfully added to a composite-forming solution of tobacco stem cellulose (TSC) and xanthan gum (XG) to synthesize greenly the TSC/XG/TP composite film. Subsequently, the effects of TP dosage on the physicochemical and functional properties of TSC/XG/TP composite films were systematically evaluated. Results showed that the tensile strength (7.89 MPa) and elongation at break (5.27%) were maximums when the optimum TP dosage of 0.4% composite film was achieved. In addition, water vapor and oxygen barrier properties were increased by 159.57 and 7.50%, respectively, and the antioxidant activity was also enhanced by 251.59%. The composite film could maintain the strawberries’ appearance excellently and effectively inhibit color deterioration, thereby delaying postharvest decay, weight loss, and softening. It naturally follows that strawberries’ freshness is prolonged up to 14 days. Practical applications of composite films in preserving fresh strawberries have also shown positive results, making it possible as a potential food packaging material.

Encapsulation techniques have been studied and applied as an effective strategy to protect essential oils (EOs) while minimizing their negative impact on the sensory properties of food, without compromising their antimicrobial and antifungal activities. This study evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy and physicochemical properties of an inclusion complex formed between β-cyclodextrin and Aloysia citriodora essential oil (β-CD/LEO), produced via freeze-drying. The selection of this EO was based on its antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, neuroprotective, and anesthetic properties. The inclusion complex was tested against various foodborne bacteria and applied to beef samples. Physicochemical characterization using TGA, SEM, and FT-IR techniques support the formation of the β-CD/LEO complex, showing changes in thermal behavior, morphology, and chemical functionality. The antimicrobial tests revealed that Listeria monocytogenes was more susceptible than Escherichia coli. Additionally, in an in vitro experiment on beef, the β-CD/LEO complex slowed bacterial growth, extending the lifespan of the meat by 3 days when stored at 4 ± 1 °C. Furthermore, sensory evaluations indicated high acceptance across all attributes by the judges. These findings suggest that the β-CD/LEO complex holds promise as a natural antimicrobial agent for potential use in the food industry as a preservative.

This study investigated the efficacy of a combined thermal and pullulanase treatment to improve resistant starch (RS) III from six traditional rice cultivars. These treatments significantly influenced the physical, morphological, and thermal characteristics, improving RS III in thermal and pullulanase-treated rice starch samples. The RS content ranged from 15.46 to 19.22 g/100 g, with varying amylose from 28.12% to 32.28%. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a transition in crystallinity from A-type to a combination of B-type and V-type, attributed to retrogradation processes. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated an augmented gelatinization enthalpy change with increasing RS concentrations. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed structural alterations induced by the treatments. Microscopic observations illustrated surface disturbances, folds, and ruptures on the starch granules. These collective findings highlight the effectiveness of thermal and pullulanase treatments in enhancing RS III, thus expanding its potential for sustainable food production and innovative future food developments.

The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of materials used for tank manufacturing and to test their effect on a Sangiovese wine dissolved oxygen (DO), and redox potential (ORp) during aging in an industrial scale experiment. Uncoated (UC) and epoxy-coated concrete (EC) and raw earthenware (RE) were characterized for their morphology (scanning electronic microscopy), thickness, density, dry weight, water absorption, porosity, microtomography analysis, and oxygen transmission rate (OTR). The results of this characterization show that different materials have different microstructures and OTR values. EC material was impermeable to oxygen, and RE showed a lower OTR compared to UC, and a higher water absorption rate. The tank material’s oxygen permeability was reflected in the ORp and DO values of wines during the aging test. Wines that are aged in RE and UC showed an ORp and DO higher than those aged in EC and SS tanks.

The efficacy of an edible coating based on κ-carrageenan/cassava starch/zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the postharvest quality of strawberries was studied over 9 days under environmental storage conditions. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra confirm the formation of semipermeable coatings loaded with ZnONPs (0, 1, 1.5, and 2%). The visual appearance of coated strawberries indicated nonmicrobial proliferation, while uncoated strawberries showed degradation after the third day. The weight loss outcomes suggest the lowest values for the κ75-1.5 (36.18%) compared to the control one (53.50%). The °Brix, pH, hardness, and color measurements support this. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) findings reveal that the κ75-1 and κ75-2 coatings maintained similar physicochemical quality, while κ75-1.5 maintained the greatest firmness (65% greater retention than the control). Furthermore, the absence of microbial colonies in the coated fruits corroborated the antimicrobial action of ZnONPs, confirmed by the inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Escherichia coli. Thus, coatings containing ZnONPs proved effective in prolonging the quality of strawberries, preserving physicochemical properties, reducing postharvest losses, and contributing to more sustainable production and food security.

In this study, we applied sumac sauce (SS) for the marination of beef (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum, LTL) using syringe and immersion methods and investigated sumac marination on cooking properties and effects on the bioaccessibility of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), protein, and phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant capacity after in vitro digestion. The highest absorption level of the marinade sauce was observed for the control sauce (CS) and SS samples prepared by using the syringe method. The water-holding capacity (WHC) of unmarinated cooked beef (B) was 26.8 ± 0.18%, whereas the WHC values of the beef samples (CSI and CSS) marinated with CS using the immersion and syringe methods were 30.8 ± 0.08 and 33 ± 0.24%, respectively. The highest WHC 37.3% was observed for the beef samples marinated with SS via immersion (SSI; P < 0.05). The lowest and highest hardnesses and chewinesses were observed for SSI and B, respectively. The highest total phenolic compound content after in vitro digestion was measured in SSI (454.55 mg GAE/g), whereas the lowest content was determined in B, with a similar value before digestion (19.84 mg GAE/g). Comparing the samples prepared via different marination techniques, the highest and lowest antioxidant activities were determined for SSI and B, respectively. Notably, the protein digestibility in B was higher than that in all of the marinated samples. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were observed in the HMF concentrations before digestion, except for CSS. In contrast, after in vitro digestion, the HMF concentration significantly increased in all samples. In our study, it was found that marinating meat with sumac-containing sauce increased water retention capacity and improved textural properties of meat and increased bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds but decreased protein digestibility under simulated digestion conditions.

Amylopectins from model starches of different polymorphisms (A-type maize, C_A-type lotus seed, and B-type potato) were characterized with regard to the molecular structure of their branched subunits (clusters and building blocks). Lotus seed and maize clusters had larger sizes, shorter average chain lengths, higher branching densities, and shorter interblock chain lengths than potato clusters. Lotus seed and maize clusters were different in their composition of short internal chains. Lotus seed clusters consisted of fewer singly branched blocks and more doubly branched blocks than maize clusters. The clusters isolated from the two lotus seed amylopectins had similar chain length distribution but different building block compositions. The interbranch chain length was considered important in shaping starch polymorphism. Starch polymorphism might be related not only to the densely branched subunits of amylopectin but also to the loosely branched ones. In addition, this study exemplified a light-scattering-based method as an alternative for the size characterization of amylopectin branched subunits.