Food Technology and Biotechnology

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: There is considerable diversity in newly developed pummelo × sweet orange citrus hybrids. Most hybrids showed lower peel thickness and high juice yield but there is a lack of information on fruit quality parameters and molecular characterization. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to determine the content of antioxidants and properties of the fresh juice of 24 new pummelo × sweet orange citrus hybrids ( Citrus maxima [Burm. f.] Osbeck × Citrus sinensis [L...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Nitrite salts are among the most used preservatives in meat products as they ensure their safe consumption. Despite their positive effects on food safety and stability, many side effects on human health have been reported, leading to the need to reduce their use. Therefore, the aim of this study is to produce veal products with low nitrite content through low diffusion of potassium nitrite and to study their microbiological characteristics. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Edible tubular cellulose from leaf celery was produced and KNO2 was encapsulated in this material...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: An innovative integrated bioprocess system for bioethanol production from raw sugar beet cossettes (SBC) and arabitol from remaining exhausted sugar beet cossettes (ESBC) was studied. This integrated three-stage bioprocess system is an example of the biorefinery concept to maximise the use of raw SBC for the production of high value-added products such as sugar alcohols and bioethanol. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The first stage of the integrated bioprocess system was simultaneous sugar extraction from SBC and its alcoholic fermentation to produce bioethanol in an integrated bioreactor system (vertical column bioreactor and stirred tank bioreactor) containing a high-density suspension of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (30 g/L)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Enzymatically resistant maltodextrins (ERM) are a resistant starch type 4, synthesized from native starch. They are obtained by the sequential application of two processes: pyrodextrinization, which produces pyrodextrins, and enzymatic hydrolysis, which produces ERM. In these processes atypical bonds are formed that confer pyrodextrins and ERM similar properties to dietary fiber, such as resistance to digestion. The aim of this work is to determine and evaluate some physicochemical properties of pyrodextrins and ERM obtained from native starch isolated from makal ( Xanthosoma yucatanense ) tubers...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Meat and meat products are essential sources of dietary saturated fatty acids. However, excessive consumption of meat and meat products may be harmful to human health. The study evaluates the effect of fat replacement with hydrogels (olive oil in water emulsions gelled by gelatine) in meatballs. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The effect of replacing fat with different ratios of hydrogel (control, 25 (F25), 50 (F50), 75 (F75) and 100 % (F100)) on the chemical (fatty acids and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and physical (cooking loss, diameter reduction, fat retention, water retention, colour and texture analysis) characteristics of the meatballs were analyzed...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Ageing is a biochemical, metabolic and genetic physiological phenomenon. The suppression of melanin biosynthesis, evident in the greying of the hair, is a hallmark of ageing resulting from translation failure, reduced enzyme activity and cellular senescence. Putrescine, the smallest member of the polyamine family and an organic chemical, is present in living mammalian cells and plays a crucial role in regulating skin melanogenesis. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the effect of putrescine on the signalling pathways of melanogenesis in melanoma cells...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy poses a significant threat to human health due to the increased risk of long-term morbidity at low doses. Modifying protein structure to affect sensitization is a popular topic. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this study, the purified peanut allergen Ara h 1 was enzymatically hydrolysed using Flavourzyme, alkaline protease or a combination of both. The binding ability of Ara h 1 to antibodies, gene expression and secretion levels of the proinflammatory factors interleukin-5 and interleukin-6 in Caco-2 cells was measured...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Watermelon rind, a by-product of watermelon juice processing, contains large amounts of dietary fibre and phenols with antioxidant capacity. The use of agro-industrial by-products would both improve economic benefits and reduce environmental emissions. The aim of this research is to examine the effect of the particle size of watermelon rind powder on the quality of high-fibre pasta. EXPERIMENT APPROACH: The nutritional, physical and physicochemical quality of three samples of watermelon rind powder, sieved through three sieves with aperture size of 400, 210 and 149 μm, were analysed...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Açaí berry is rich in antioxidant compounds and is therefore closely associated with beneficial health effects. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential of using Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 as a probiotic culture on açaí flan. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The chemical composition, physicochemical and microbiological characteristics, and sensory acceptance during refrigerated storage (5 °C for 42 days) of flan were investigated...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The current changes in the global economy, characterised by the climate crisis and the economic and health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to a significant demand for medicinal herbs. This trend is expected to increase significantly by 2050. In this study, we investigated the biopotential of aqueous infusions of four medicinal plants: Calendula officinalis , Chelidonium majus , Teucrium chamaedrys and Alchemilla vulgaris . EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The flavonoid analysis of the aqueous infusions of the selected plants was carried out using the RP-HPLC technique...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to emphasize the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and causality modelling of food quality and analysis with 'big data'. AI with structural causal modelling (SCM), based on Bayesian networks and deep learning, enables the integration of theoretical field knowledge in food technology with process production, physicochemical analytics and consumer organoleptic assessments. Food products have complex nature and data are highly dimensional, with intricate interrelations (correlations) that are difficult to relate to consumer sensory perception of food quality...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Peanut oil ( Arachis hypogaea L.) is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids. Its consumption has been reported to have biological effects on human health. Unsaturated, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) found in peanut oil are highly susceptible to oxidation, leading to the formation of harmful compounds during processing and storage. The aim of this study is to prevent the oxidation of peanut oil PUFA by encapsulation in a protein-polysaccharide complex using microwave drying...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr) is a nutrient-rich crop with a high protein content and various bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. Nevertheless, it is poorly accepted as a food by consumers due to its off-flavour. Due to the ubiquitous presence of isoflavones in soybeans, their inherent antioxidant potential and inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase activity, their sensory properties are currently being considered to mitigate the off-flavour. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In the present study, the content and composition of isoflavones in 17 soybean cultivars are determined...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Brain cancer is known to be one of the most difficult types of cancer to cure. It has a serious impact on the lives of diagnosed people due to the insufficient treatment options and their side effects. The search for new alternative treatments is therefore ongoing. Melocan ( Smilax excelsa L.) and galdirik ( Trachystemon orientalis ) are of great importance in both traditional culinary culture and traditional medicine around the Black Sea; however, the knowledge about their antioxidant and cytotoxic effects remains fairly limited...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Soursop nectar contains antioxidants and is preserved by pasteurization. However, this technology impairs its physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds. An alternative is therefore thermoultrasound, which could counteract these effects. The thermosonicated nectar was compared with a pasteurized one and the in vitro bioaccessibility of antioxidants was estimated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The soursop nectar (25 %) was processed and the response surface methodology was used to determine the optimal conditions for thermoultrasound treatment (TUS)...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine and compare the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of juices and extracts of the peel, aril and membrane of the cultivated and wild pomegranate fruits. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The content of total phenols, total flavonoids, total flavonols, total flavan-3-ols and total anthocyanins was determined spectrophotometrically. The individual phenolics were quantified by HPLC. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and ABTS tests and neutralisation of hydroxyl radical, while the antiproliferative activity was measured in vitro by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Increasing awareness of the importance of nutrition in health promotion and disease prevention has driven to the development of foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs). In this study, the probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei ( Lacticaseibacillus casei 431® ) was incorporated into FSMPs to develop an innovative product. The aim was to investigate the influence of the FSMP matrix on the specific probiotic properties of L. casei 431® in vitro ...

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: As food production faces major challenges, modern agricultural practices are increasingly focused on conserving resources, reducing negative environmental impacts and sustainably producing food with a high content of health-promoting phytochemicals. During production, many factors can affect the quality and chemical composition of a final food product. Proper selection of cultivating conditions, especially a balanced nutrition, can significantly increase nutritional value and result in foods with strong biological and functional properties...