This study evaluated the phenolic profile and the antioxidant capacity of strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch., cv. Primoris) cultivated under reduction of nitrogen and adverse irrigation conditions (high salinity), such as those prevailing in Almeria (south-eastern Spain). The phenolic compound and anthocyanin profiles were analysed by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, and the antioxidant activity. Nineteen phenolic compounds were quantified, mainly ellagitannins, anthocyanins, and flavan-3-ols. The total phenolic content ranged from 731 to 1521 mg/100 g of dried weight. The flavan-3-ols group compounds from the strawberries were positively affected by saline stress, especially the afz-(e)Catechin content in the first sampling. The reduction of nitrogen and the adverse irrigation conditions for the cultivation of strawberries (cv. Primoris) partially affected the phenolic composition, with the harvesting dates having a greater influence.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is considered to be a good and cheap source of phenolic compounds with favorable biological activities, especially antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Hypothesis/Purpose: The current work explored the optimization of the process conditions of solid−liquid extraction from Origanum vulgare to obtain extracts with high antimicrobial activity. We investigated which parameters promoted different efficiencies, leading to the maximum extraction of phenols and the consequent highest level of biological activity. Design-Expert Pro 11 was selected to design and analyze the experiments. The extracts were obtained by maceration as a simple method to recover value-added compounds from plant material, and supercritical fluid extraction was carried out as a green method with a high selectivity to obtain the compounds of interest. Pressure, temperature, and time were varied to obtain extracts with high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. According to the... [more]

Autohemotherapy is the most used method to administer O2-O3 systemically. It consists in exposing a limited amount of blood to a gaseous O2-O3 and reinfusing it, thus activating a cascade of biochemical pathways involving plasma and blood cells that gives rise to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. The therapeutic effects strictly depend on the O3 dose; it is therefore necessary to understand the relationship between the O3 concentration and the effects on blood cells involved in antioxidant and immune response. Here we performed a basic study on the effects of the low O3 concentrations used for autohemotherapy on the structural and functional features of the human T-lymphocyte-derived Jurkat cells. Ultrastructural, biomolecular, and bioanalytic techniques were used. Our findings showed that 10, 20, and 30 µg O3 concentrations were able to trigger Nrf2-induced antioxidant response and increase IL-2 secretion. However, viability and proliferation tests as well as ultrastructura... [more]

Particle breakage has a great influence on the mechanical properties of coarse-grained soil materials. In the structure, a particle usually contacts with several surrounding particles when breakage occurs. The crushing mechanism of spherical particles under three-point contact conditions was investigated theoretically and experimentally. In the theoretical analysis, the contact force required for particle breakage is solved by using a stress superposition method based on the ball−ball contact model. To verify the theory, particle contact tests of gypsum spheres under three-point contact conditions were carried out. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical prediction. Different from the ball−ball contact test, the rupture surface after breakage is a fixed plane passing through all three contact points under three-point contact conditions. Under multi-point contact conditions, the size of the conical core depends on the normal force on the contact point at the moment... [more]

Andean blackberry is cultivated in Colombia due to its national and international commercial importance, in addition to its flavour and high nutritional value. Due to its physicochemical, morphological, and physiological characteristics, it constitutes one of the most unstable fruits in the Colombian fruit and vegetable supply chain, thereby generating economic losses. In this study, a polymer-based coating of Aloe vera and essential oil was designed, and its influence on the shelf life of Andean blackberry stored at 4 °C was studied. Once the appropriate composition was established according to the experimental design, Andean blackberries’ physicochemical parameters, the content of total phenols, and antioxidant activity were monitored over 19 days. The total soluble solids present a change between 5.2 and 5.6° Brix and 5.2 and 7.2° Brix for coated and uncoated fruits between 1 and 19 days, respectively. The coated fruits presented a lower loss compared to the uncoated fruits and the... [more]

As medical cannabis is legalized, food safety management systems, including CBD (cannabidiol), have received attention from scientific and engineering perspectives. Observations attribute CBD changes in acidic environments and high temperatures to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The current research focuses on employing and optimizing 3D printers, specifically material extrusion additive manufacturing processes for telemedicine applications to safely and accurately deliver CBD-infused food. Soft meat is prepared by supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) process and simultaneously infused with hemp oil for food printing. This study personalized the amount of CBD-infused food and analyzed its operating parameters based on a theoretical Hagen-Poiseuille equation and pressure drop. Head speed, direction change within a given time, pressure drops at tip or piston, the constant mass-flux in PTE (piston type extrusion), Vizo design (VD) with aesthetic elements, and head travel distance have been optimized. B... [more]

The correlation between solid propellant grain configuration and burning surface area profile is a complicated nonlinear problem. Nonlinear optimization has been adopted to design grain configurations that satisfied the objective area profiles. However, as conventional design methods are impractical, with limited performance, it is necessary to investigate alternatives. Useful information for grain design can be obtained by analyzing the aforementioned correlation. However, this aspect has not been studied owing to the requirement of large amounts of data and analysis techniques. In this study, machine learning was used to develop a new design method. The objective of machine learning was to train a model to classify classes of data. The database stores various sets of configuration variables and their classes. The proposed Gaussian kernel-based support vector machine model predicts the class of newly designed grains. The results verified that the model accurately predicted the class o... [more]

L. (fam. Asteraceae) is an annual herb used globally in phytotherapy and each plant material or the whole plant have been declared to be effective. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to conduct metabolomic profiling of different plant materials, including the quali-quantitative composition of phenolic compounds. The intrinsic scavenging/reducing properties and antimicrobial effects of the extracts were assayed against numerous bacterial, Candida and dermatophytes species, whereas docking runs were conducted for tentatively unravelling the mechanism of action underlying antimicrobial effects. Oligosaccharide, disaccharide and fatty acids were present at higher concentrations in root rather than in the other plant parts. Monoglycerides were more abundant in stem than in the other plant parts, whereas peptide and diterpenoid were prominent in leaf and root, respectively. By contrast, amino acids showed very different distribution patterns in the four plant parts. Regarding the ph... [more]

The high quality of Port wine is the result of a sequence of winemaking operations, such as harvesting, maceration, fermentation, extraction and aging. These stages require proper monitoring and control, in order to consistently achieve the desired wine properties. The present work focuses on the harvesting stage, where the sugar content of grapes plays a key role as one of the critical maturity parameters. Our approach makes use of hyperspectral imaging technology to rapidly extract information from wine grape berries; the collected spectra are fed to machine learning algorithms that produce estimates of the sugar level. A consistent predictive capability is important for establishing the harvest date, as well as to select the best grapes to produce specific high-quality wines. We compared four different machine learning methods (including deep learning), assessing their generalization capacity for different vintages and varieties not included in the training process. Ridge regression... [more]

Effects of fermentation on the chemical composition, mineral, total phenolic, total flavonoid, tannin, vitamin C, total carotenoid content, and antioxidant activity of “Nabag” Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) seeds were investigated. The fermentation process was carried out for 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. The fermentation significantly (p < 0.05) improved the chemical composition and mineral content of “Nabag” seeds, particularly the Ca, Fe, and Zn content. The phenolic, vitamin C, total carotenoid content, and antioxidant activity were significantly (p < 0.05) increased as a result of fermentation compared with unfermented Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) seeds. Fermentation of the seeds for 48 h resulted in the highest increase in crude fiber, Ca, Fe, Zn, and bioactive compounds. These results indicate the potential utilization of fermented “Nabag” seeds in the production and formulation of functional foods rich in crude fiber, essential minerals, and bioactive compounds.

Frying is an old method of processing food, especially fish. Mackerel is one of the most consumed fish worldwide because of its high nutritional value. Previously, only a study on the effects of deep frying of fried mackerel has been performed. However, no study has been conducted on the effects of different frying methods on the physiochemical and nutritional properties of chub mackerel. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the physiochemical and nutritional characteristics of deep fried, vacuum fried, and air fried chub mackerel. Thawing methods were compared and the best method was selected. High frequency defrosting (HFD) was used to thaw frozen fillet mackerel before frying. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the temperature and frying time of the three frying methods. The physiochemical and nutritional characteristics, including volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), pH, overall acceptance, proximate, fatty acid, and... [more]

This paper is a review of 20 years of full-scale experience with the granular sludge-based ANAMMOX process. The ANAMMOX process is a biological deammonification process for energy-efficient removal of ammoniacal nitrogen, which has been successfully applied on dewatering reject liquors from biosolids sludge digesters (e.g., mesophilic anaerobic digestions, codigestion, thermal sludge hydrolysis process (THP)) and nutrient-rich anaerobically treated industrial effluents (e.g., fermentation industry, food industry). The ANAMMOX process is a continuously operated biological process using granular biomass. The highly active concentrated granular biomass allows for compact reactor systems and a fast start-up. Long term operations of various case studies show stable process performance of full-scale reactors treating municipal and industrial effluents, achieving ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N) removal in excess of 90% at low and high loading rates up to 2.5 kgNH4-N/(m3·d). Some special aspects (... [more]

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation can cause human skin damage or skin aging and wrinkle formation through photochemical reactions. Antioxidative substances may ameliorate UV damage. In this study, the anti-photoaging activity of three antioxidants—ergothioneine, ferulic acid, and glutathione—was investigated after UVB irradiation of Hs68 human skin fibroblast cells. The cells treated with these three antioxidants appeared similar to unirradiated control cells. UVB irradiation decreased cell viability by 26% compared to that of unirradiated control cells. However, the addition of either single or combined antioxidants enhanced cell viability after UVB irradiation. These three antioxidants can inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by the UVB irradiation of the Hs68 cells. Ergothioneine showed a greater inhibitory effect on matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) performance than the other two antioxidants. IL-1 alpha was not detected in the Hs68 cells after exposure to... [more]

Flavored oils, as one of the most important condiments in cuisine, are widely used in vegetable oils all over the world. The oxidative stability and sensory qualities of sunflower oil, flavored by essential oil obtained from Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat. (HCEO) extraction, were studied. After the accelerated storage at 65 °C for 30 days, HCEO (1600 mg/kg) was able to markedly inhibit the increase in some important indicators of lipid alteration, among which acidity, peroxide, ρ-anisidine and total oxidation values, together with other parameters (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, conjugated dienes and trienes). Finally, it was observed that the sunflower oil flavored by HCEO (1600 mg/kg) restrain the modifications of fatty acid compositions and showed improved sensory properties in respect to non-added oil. Consequently, HCEO can be considered a valid additive for flavored vegetable oils with antioxidant effects.

Vinegar is a fermented food with a diversity of uses seasoning, salad dressing and flavouring for foods. Since ancient times it is considered a remedy for health and today there are different types of vinegar on the market, and many others are under development. Determination of the physicochemical characteristics of the new types of vinegar is necessary in order to improve them. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to compare the physicochemical characteristics of vinegar obtained from banana peels (with or without boiling peels) at different ages, with those of commercial vinegars. The vinegar from banana peels was obtained and aged in our laboratory, while the commercial vinegars were purchased from a local market. The physicochemical characteristics of all the samples were investigated before and after gastric and intestinal digestion. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the mineral content of the vinegars. Additionally, statistical analysis of the res... [more]

The isolation of acid-soluble collagen (ASC) from by-products of snakehead fish (Channa striata), including skin and the mixture of skin and scale, has been investigated. The recovery yield of fish skin ASC (13.6%) was higher than ASC from fish skin and scale (12.09%). Both ASCs were identified as type I collagen and showed maximal solubility at pH 2. Collagen samples from the mixture of skin and scale had higher imino acid content (226 residues/1000 residues) and lower wavenumber in the amide I and amide III region (1642 and 1203 cm−1, respectively) than the fish skin ASC (the imino acid content was 220 residues/1000 residues and the wavenumber in the amide I and amide III were 1663 and 1206 cm−1, respectively. The difference scanning calorimeter (DSC) showed higher thermal stability in ASC from the mixture of skin and scale (Td of 35.78 °C) than fish skin ASC (34.21 °C). From the result, the denaturation temperature of ASC had a close relationship with the content of imino acid as we... [more]

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) pod is a characteristic fruit from the Mediterranean regions. It is composed by seeds, the valuable part due to the extraction of locust bean gum, and the pulp, considered a by-product of the fruit processing industry. Carob pulp is a mixture of macro- and micronutrients, such as carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and secondary metabolites with functional properties. In the last few years, numerous studies on the chemical and biological characteristics of the pulp have been performed to encourage its commercial use. Its potential applications as a nutraceutical ingredient in many recipes for food and beverage elaborations have been extensively evaluated. Another aspect highlighted in this work is the use of alternative processes or conditions to mitigate furanic production, recognized for its toxicity. Furthermore, carob pulp’s similar sensorial, chemical and biological properties to cocoa, the absence of the stimulating alkaloids theobromine and caffein... [more]

In this study, the physical and chemical properties and bioavailability of lutein have been summarized, with the novelty of this work being the review of lutein from production to extraction, through to preservation and drying, in order to deliver a functional food ingredient. The potential health functions of lutein have been introduced in detail. By comparing algae and marigold flowers, the advantages of algae extraction technology have been discussed. In this article, we have introduced the use of closed-loop spray drying technology to microencapsulate lutein to improve its stability and solubility. Microencapsulation of unstable substances by spray drying is a potentially useful direction that is worth exploring further.

In order to improve the nutritional value and quality of steamed bread, and promote the industrial development of the whole-grain food industry, a texture analyzer was used to study the effects of cultivars of whole foxtail millet flour (WFMF) on the texture of Chinese steamed bread (CSB). Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was also conducted. The addition of different cultivars of WFMF significantly altered the height−diameter ratio, specific volume, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness of CSB (p < 0.05). Large amounts of foxtail millet flour significantly increased the hardness, gumminess and chewiness of the bread (p < 0.05), and the bread height−diameter ratio, specific volume, cohesiveness and springiness significantly decreased (p < 0.05). We screened sensory evaluation, chewiness, specific volume, and hardness as the signature differences in the quality components according to the variable influence on the projection (VIP) value... [more]

In this study, the machine vision and artificial intelligence algorithms were used to rapidly check the degree of cooking of foods and avoid the over-cooking of foods. Using a smart induction cooker for heating, the image processing program automatically recognizes the color of the food before and after cooking. The new cooking parameters were used to identify the cooking conditions of the food when it is undercooked, cooked, and overcooked. In the research, the camera was used in combination with the software for development, and the real-time image processing technology was used to obtain the information of the color of the food, and through calculation parameters, the cooking status of the food was monitored. In the second year, using the color space conversion, a novel algorithm, and artificial intelligence, the foreground segmentation was used to separate the vegetables from the background, and the cooking ripeness, cooking unevenness, oil glossiness, and sauce absorption were cal... [more]

A new simpler coarse-grain model (SCG) for analyzing particle behaviors under fluid flow in a dilute system, by using a discrete element method (DEM), was developed to reduce calculation load. In the SCG model, coarse-grained (CG) particles were enlarged from original particles in the same way as the existing coarse-grain model; however, the modeling concept differed from the other models. The SCG model focused on the acceleration by the fluid drag force, and the CG particles’ acceleration coincided with that of the original particles. Consequently, the model imposed only the following simple rule: the product of particle density and squared particle diameter is constant. Thus, the model had features that can be easily implemented in the DEM simulation to comprehend the modeled physical phenomenon. The model was validated by comparing the behaviors of the CG particles with the original particles in the uniform and the vortex flow fields. Moreover, the usability of the SCG model on simu... [more]

The silkworm, Bombyx mori, uses a complex olfactory system to determine whether the food is edible. As an odor degrading enzyme, UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) participates in the degradation of odor molecules in the olfactory system of the silkworm. By sequencing the whole genome of the silkworm NB and using comparative genomics methods, we found that UGT46A1 is unique in species that eat mulberry leaves. Bioinformatics shows that its function may be related to the feeding habits of the silkworm. In this study, it was found through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) that UGT46A1 was highly expressed in the heads of silkworms, which was consistent with the conjecture that UGT46A1 was involved in silkworm olfactory recognition. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to knock down the expression of UGT46A1. By observing the silkworm’s tendency toward mulberry leaves and food selectivity, it was found that the silkworms that successfully knocked down the UGT46A1 gene alte... [more]

In recent years, bisphenol analogues such as bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) have come to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging and food containers, since BPA has been shown to leach into food and water, causing numerous negative health effects. Although much information on the endocrine activity of BPA is available, a proper human hazard assessment of analogues that are believed to have a less harmful toxicity profile is lacking. The aim of our in vitro study was to assess the potential effect of bisphenol B, F, and S on the biosynthesis of steroid hormones in human H295R adrenocortical carcinoma cells, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, we evaluated mitochondrial activity using the MTT test and viability using triple assay. Adrenocortical carcinoma cells were cultivated for 24 h in the presence of bisphenol B, F, or S (0.1, 0.5, 1, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 μM). We demonstrated that BPB, BPF, and BPS could affect progesterone and tes... [more]

Various types of chemical and physical protocols are used, thermal treatment in particular, to increase the quality of bulk food products (for example, dates or some sort of nuts) and extend shelf life, and combinations of methods are frequently used to achieve the best results. However, the use of these processing methods is not always the best option to preserve the initial taste and appearance of food products. For instance, a product may lose its initial natural appearance and acquire different flavors due to chemical transformations that occur at certain temperatures or when the products are treated with chemicals. Non-thermal treatment methods are called “cold” pasteurization. This is a set of advanced techniques that are based on physical and chemical effects that do not result in the structural food-product transformations caused by heating. We have developed and tested a new technique for efficient food-product processing and cold pasteurization in an ultrasonic field under pr... [more]

The study aimed to verify whether the addition of selected herbs and spices will affect the content of polyphenols in biscuits and their antioxidant capacity, as well as what impact it will have on their sensory properties and attractiveness to consumers. Ground cloves, cinnamon, mint, and grape flour were added to the biscuits in concentrations of 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 10.0%. The total content of polyphenols in spices and biscuit samples was determined using the Folin−Ciocalteau solution and, subsequently, the antioxidant capacity was measured by FRAP (ferric ion reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl inhibition). Polyphenols were transferred through spices and herbs into the biscuits in all samples and thus their antioxidant capacity was increased. The antioxidant capacity of the control sample measured by the DPPH method was 15.41%, and by the FRAP method 1.02 μmol Trolox/g. There was an increase in antioxidant capacity in all samples with the addition of s... [more]