ACS food science & technology最新文献

Among various nanotechnology-linked concepts, given its unique capabilities, electrospinning has gained diverse applications in the food industry. As an electrohydrodynamic process, electrospinning has the unmatched ability to conveniently spin fibers using a range of materials, with diameters in the nano range. This explains a significant improvement in surface area to volume ratio and, accordingly, the prominent changes in functionality. This review focuses on electrospun nanomembranes for applications involving water, beverages, and other liquid foods. The fundamental concepts and background of the fabrication processes of electrospun nanofiber membranes, material selection, and various factors influencing the electrospinning process are summarized. Then, emerging applications are detailed, presenting key findings from recent studies demonstrating electrospun membranes’ performance and merits. Particularly, these are performed in comparison with conventional membranes. While a lot of advancements have happened, limitations exist, and the concluding sections present such concerns, highlighting the way forward for future research. Over the past few decades, many bottlenecks have been addressed, and technology is finding broader prospects for commercial-scale application.

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and native agave fructans (NAFs) were used in the microencapsulation process of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 or Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis. Two treatments were carried out: 1. double emulsion-WPC-NAF and 2. WPC-NAF, both treatments were spray dried. Physicochemical, flow, and reconstitution properties, as well as thermal and microstructural stability were evaluated in microcapsules. Encapsulation efficiency after storage (one year, 4 °C) was determined under simulated gastrointestinal tests. The double emulsion-WPC-NAF showed an encapsulation efficiency >76%, whereas this efficiency reached up to 95% in dried microcapsules. Both treatments showed viability of 8 and 9 log CFU/g after storage and in vitro digestion, respectively. Also, the formation of structural WPC-NAF complexes, related to thermal and structural stability, was observed in microcapsules of double emulsion-WPC-NAF. Hence, microcapsules made from double emulsion of WPC-NAF showed greater physicochemical, structural, and microbial stability, suggesting their use as potentially functional food additive.

We developed an affordable, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable film as an alternative to traditional nonbiodegradable plastics using the tuber starch of the Colocasia esculenta (CE) plant. Starch was yielded to a 21.56% extent, and it contained 31% amylose, with minimal levels of protein and lipids and an ash residue of 2.6 ± 0.01%, attributed to essential minerals. To optimize the fabrication process, we employed response surface methodology (RSM) in conjunction with a hybrid statistical model of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and an artificial neural network (ANN). The process variables included CE starch, carboxymethylcellulose, and glycerol, while the responses measured were the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), tensile strength (TS), and moisture content (MC). FTIR data unveiled the secondary structure of starch in both the original starch and film, specifically related to the skeletal models of glycosidic linkage pyranose rings. SEM imaging displayed a uniform microstructure without indicating phase separation among its components. The water contact angle of the film was greater than that of CE starch, with values of 69° and 51°, respectively. The developed film demonstrated biodegradability, with 32% degradation occurring during seven days. It exhibited thermal stability up to 332 °C and had a low WVTR of 34 g mm m^–1 day^–1, a high TS of 11 Mpa, and a low MC of 0.65%. The estimated cost of production of the film at a laboratory scale was 1.56 USD per kg. Therefore, the CE starch-based biodegradable film is a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to current commercial films used in food packaging.

Honey, due to its high demand, is a target for food fraud by adulteration (i.e., the addition of foreign sugars or syrups) or mislabeling of its botanical or geographical origins. Current analytical techniques used in its characterization are cumbersome and expensive and require skilled operators. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) as an easy and inexpensive technique to characterize honey. A total of 25 original manuscripts published between 2017 and 2023 manuscripts were selected. FTIR is a reliable technique that can be used in honey characterization without the need for a cumbersome sample preparation. Slight differences in infrared spectra peaks attributed to sugars (i.e., fructose, glucose, sucrose) and water allow differentiation of honey types and adulteration, requiring advanced data analysis (e.g., principal component analysis). Thus, wider use of FTIR in the routine characterization of honey’s composition requires the development of databases and automated spectral data analysis and further research on its applications.

Essential oils (EO) are extensively used in food and pharmaceutical formulations for their exotic flavor and antimicrobial properties. The objectives of this work were to develop a cinnamon essential oil (CEO) and thyme essential oil (TEO) inclusion complex using γ-cyclodextrin (GCD) as a wall material at a mass ratio of GCD to EO 80 to 20. The main focus of the work was to understand the flow and frictional behaviors of the individual EOs and their emulsions/solutions using the tribological and rheological behavior prior to transformation into dry encapsulates. EOs exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thickening behavior with yield stress. The Stribeck curves exhibited the lubricating effects of EOs during friction tests. The addition of GCD to the solution caused larger friction coefficients in mixed and hydrodynamic lubrication regions. The surface morphology of emulsions displayed larger wear in the balls and disks of the tribometer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis confirmed the formation of stable encapsulates between GCD and EOs, with the appearance of new peaks confirming an improvement in thermal stability. Surface morphology data indicated an increase in height parameters and a difference in roughness between two encapsulates. The obtained results can be helpful in food and drug formulation and their delivery systems.