Fatigue, characterized by periods of exhaustion that interfere with normal activities and negatively affect quality of life, can be classified as prolonged fatigue (or short-term fatigue, SF) or chronic fatigue. Vitamin deficiency and chronic inflammation seem to be possible causes of fatigue. Due to the unavailability of effective remedies that attenuate fatigue and provide consumer satisfaction, the aim of this investigation is to assess whether a commercial food supplement consisting of pomegranate extract with known anti-inflammatory activity, B vitamins, and vitamin C can help fight SF. To this end, the chemical composition of whole fruit pomegranate dry extract was determined through a RP-UHPLC−HRMS method, which indicated the presence of ellagitannins, gallotannins, and organic and phenolic acids. In a survey of consumers of food supplements aimed at reducing fatigue, 78 subjects (21 men and 57 women) were recruited for one month to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of this... [more]

This study aimed to find alternatives to sulphite as a preservative for dried fruits. Granny Smith apples were sanitised in a 200 ppm sodium chlorite solution, de-cored, peeled, and cut into slices. The sliced apples were pre-treated/dipped in a water solution containing the three weak acids, namely, ascorbic acid (AA), citric acid (CA), and potassium sorbate (PS) as well as Moringa oleifera leaf extract powder (MOLEP). A screening fractional factorial experiment consisting of five independent variables (AA, CA and PS, time and temperature and MOLEP) constrained at their upper and lower levels (AA: 0.5 to 2.0%, CA: 0.3 to 2.0%, MOLEP: 0.1 to 0.2%, time: 7 to 15 h and temperature: 57 to 70 °C) were evaluated for their effect on the colour of the dried sliced apples. An increase in the concentration of the CA significantly increased the lightness (p = 0.05) and decreased the redness (p = 0.0022) of the dried apple slices. AA and PS did not impact the lightness of the dried sliced apples.... [more]

The effects of boric acid and ammonium sulfate on the electrochemical reduction process of Fe(II) Ni(II) were studied. A series of FeNi thin films were prepared by electrodeposition with different current density and Fe(II) concentration in solution. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) results show that the reduction current of Fe(II) is higher than that of Ni(II) at the same concentration of Fe(II) and Ni(II) as well as the same electrodeposition parameters. Adding H3BO3 to Fe(II) Ni(II) solution is beneficial to obtain brighter and compact coating, and adding (NH4)2SO4 is beneficial to obtain higher reduction current density. Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) results show that the current density has a significant and nonlinear effect on the Fe content in FeNi thin films. The highest Fe content is obtained at a current density of 25 A∙cm−2. SEM results show that the surface morphology of FeNi films is controlled by the content of Ni and Fe in the films. With increasing Fe content... [more]

Agricultural policies should be aimed at enhancing production per unit area and help to reduce the cultivated area. To that end, it is critical to conserve soil fertility, promote ecological agriculture, employ climate change adaptation technology, significantly enhance irrigated agriculture, and decrease agricultural production risks. Sustainable agricultural production requires optimized land usage, increased energy efficiency, reduced use of fossil fuels, and minimized environmental consequences. Energy has been used in agriculture in a dramatically increased manner, and the agri-food chain now accounts for 30% of the total global energy use. Energy analysis quantifies the amount of energy used in agricultural production, so it may be used to optimize energy consumption and boost energy efficiency, further propelling the sustainable development of agriculture. Recently, the Mongolian government has expressed concerns about how to realize food sustainability and self-sufficiency in w... [more]

In developing countries, achieving greater coverage in the treatment and safe reuse of graywater is a pending task. Therefore, this article presents the results obtained from cafeteria wastewater treatability tests and effluent toxicity tests. For the treatment, a serial system was applied: an aged refuse filled bioreactor (ARFB) and a solar distiller (SD). In the first stage (ARFB), two hydraulic loads (HLs) were tested (200 and 400 L/m3·day), the latter being the best of them, with an average decrease of 95.7% in chemical oxygen demand (COD). In the second stage (SD), the decrease was 62.8%, resulting in a final effluent with 67.7 mg/L COD, which corresponded to a global COD decrease of 97.4%. For the toxicity tests, radish seeds were used in the serial system effluent, obtaining a relative seed germination (RSG) rate of 93.3% compared to 80% obtained in the ARFB effluent. For the percentage germination index (PGI), it was determined that both effluents (ARFB and ARFB-SD) presented a... [more]

New strategies for obtaining target bioactive compounds and natural pigments with the use of “green solvents” are consistently being developed, and deep eutectic solvents are (DES) a great alternative. This work established the significant variables and models for anthocyanin extraction, using DES and experimental design, of Euterpe edulis Mart. (jussara) fruit pulp, an endangered palm tree from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. From a screening of seven initially tested DES, choline chloride/xylitol-based solvents had the best results with up to 42% increase in the total anthocyanin yield compared to methanolic extraction. Antioxidant assays also revealed a maximum antioxidant capacity of 198.93 mmol Trolox/100 g dry weight basis. The DES extract showed slower degradation to heat at 60° and 90 °C (2.5 times) and indoor constant light source (1.9 times) than methanolic extracts. The optimal extract also revealed slight inhibition of S. enterica and S. aureus growth in the agar plate.

(Nephelium mutabile Blume) is an underutilized fruit native to tropical countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. To date, the medicinal potential of pulasan remains unexplored, although this fruit shares the same genus with the well-known rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum). Therefore, the current study aims to examine the antioxidant properties of different parts of pulasan (flesh, rind, and kernel) and investigate the bioactive profile, anti-hypertensive and hypoglycemic properties of pulasan rind. Pulasan were extracted using different solvents, including distilled water, methanol, and ethanol. The antioxidant capacity was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the antioxidant component was identified by total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC). The bioactive profile of pulasan rind was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography... [more]

This study explored the noodle-making performance of flour blends with different particle sizes and blending ratios of purple-colored wheat bran and their antioxidant properties. The bran particle size was reduced using an ultra-centrifugal mill equipped with 1, 0.5, and 0.2 mm sieves. The damaged starch and swelling capacity of the bran were analyzed. Quality of the flour-bran blends at different blending ratios was analyzed by solvent retention capacity (SRC). Noodles made from the blends and their corresponding antioxidant activities were examined. The damaged starch and swelling capacity of bran were higher for smaller particles than for larger particles. Water and sodium carbonate SRC values of blends increased as the bran particle size decreased. The smaller the bran particles incorporated in the cooked noodles, the greater firmness and springiness measured. The antioxidant activity of noodles made with blends reflected better embedding of the small particles of bran than the lar... [more]

(MO) grows throughout most of the tropics and has several industrial and medicinal uses. Besides the various uses of the plant parts such as its leaves, seed kernels, roots, or stem barks, the twigs (MT) of this plant are usually regarded as excessive parts. Although there have been few studies conducted to determine the value of this plant part, in fact, its potential uses—especially the pharmaceutical effects—of this biomaterial remains an up-to-date topic for scientists to discover due to the lack of interest so far. This study aims to identify the optimized fractions of different solvents for the extraction of antioxidants, for xanthine oxidase inhibition agents, and for anti-microbial activities. The two most active fractions obtained by column chromatography were the Hexane-Ethyl Acetate elution at a 9:1 (E1) and 8:2 (E2) ratio, respectively. With regard to antioxidant activity, E1 and E2 displayed relatively high DPPH radical scavenging capacity (IC50 = 87.7 and 99.0 µg/mL), whi... [more]

Urban areas are the fastest growing land type worldwide. By 2060, it is expected that approximately 70% of the human population will live in cities. With increased urban population growth, food sovereignty and security issues have gained more attention, resulting in a drastic increase in urban food production activities including, urban farming and gardening. The extent to which urban farms function, their social, ecological and economic composition, and their overall impact on local food security has become an often overlooked, but important topic. From 2014 to 2017, we partnered with 29 urban farms in the San Francisco Bay Area for a broad-scale survey of urban farm characteristics. Findings reported in this research focused on local (on-farm) characteristics, including management practices, on-farm spatial composition, and estimated productivity. We implemented open-ended surveys for farm managers to better understand management practices, measured on-farm elements, including yields... [more]

Freeze-drying is generally used to achieve high quality products and preserve thermal sensitive components; however, it is also considered as a high energy and costly process. Modeling of the process can help to optimize the process to reduce these drawbacks. In this work, a mathematical model is presented to predict the heat and mass transfer behavior for freeze-drying of porous frozen food particles during freeze-drying to optimize the process. For the mass transfer, a comparison between Knudsen diffusion and the more complex dusty-gas approach is performed. Simulation results of a single particle are validated by experiments of single-layer drying to extend the usage of this model from a single particle to a particle bed. For the moisture transfer, adaption parameters are introduced and evaluated. A comparison shows a good agreement of the model with experimental results. The results furthermore suggest a strong correlation of the drying kinetics with pore size and particle porosity... [more]

The use of antioxidants in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultures to improve monoclonal antibody production has been a topic of great interest. Nevertheless, the antioxidants do not have consistent benefits of production improvement, which might be cell line specific and/or process specific. In this work, we investigated how treatment with the antioxidant rosmarinic acid (RA) improved cell growth and titer in CHO cell cultures using transcriptomics. In particular, transcriptomics analysis indicated that RA treatment modified gene expression and strongly affected the MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, which regulate cell survival and cell death. Moreover, it was observed that these signaling pathways, which had been identified to be up-regulated on day 2 and day 6 by RA, were also up-regulated over time (from initial growth phase day 2 to slow growth or protein production phase day 6) in both conditions. In summary, this transcriptomics analysis provides insights into the role of... [more]

In this work, selections of seven international hop varieties and three craft beers obtained from them were analyzed by SPME-GC/MS techniques with the aim to describe their volatile chemical profile. The brewing process was also reported. Furthermore, the hop extracts and beers were investigated to determine their flavonoid and polyphenol content and to evaluate their antioxidant power by DPPH and ABTS assays. The findings showed the presence of compounds belonging to different chemical classes such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, alcohols, esters and fatty acids. In particular, sesquiterpenes were the main compounds with β-caryophyllene (from 1.7 to 16.2%) and humulene (from 10.8 to 43.9%) as the major components in all varieties of dried hop cones investigated. On the contrary, with the exception for the Pacific sample, monoterpenes were the class of compounds that were more abundant in the hop extracts and, among these, β-myrcene appeared to be the predominant constituent (from 31.... [more]

Glutathione (GSH) is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biomolecule. Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber mesh (NFM) is capable of the attachment and release of biomolecules for prolonged periods and has the potential as a transdermal drug delivery system during wound healing for a diabetic patient. Our earlier study found that high levels of sugar in diabetic male mice were significantly decreased by daily doses of glutathione administered on the mice. Furthermore, oxidative stress found in diabetic male mice led to the total depletion of glutathione levels in the body’s organs (pancreas, spleen, epididymis, and testis). The objective of this study was to attach GSH with PCL NFM for the controlled release of GSH biomolecules for long periods of time from the fiber mesh into a diabetic body. This study produced PCL NFM using an electrospun technique and tested it on mice to evaluate its efficiency as a dermal drug delivery mechanism. This study dissolved GSH (2.5 mg/mL) with phosphate-bu... [more]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) as an environmentally friendly approach compared to conventional heat-reflux extraction (CE) for the isolation of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seed polyphenols and to assess the bioactivity of the obtained extracts. Water, ethanol (30%, v/v) and acetone (30%, v/v) were used as extraction solvents, and the extraction was carried out varying the temperature (40, 60 and 80 °C), irradiation time (5 and 10 min) and microwave power (300 and 600 W). According to the total phenolic content (TPC), 30% acetone at 80 °C after 5 min of irradiation at 300 W proved to be the optimal MAE conditions for obtaining the highest yield of polyphenols. The phenolic profile of both extracts comprised 21 compounds, with cinnamic acids and flavonols being the most abundant. When compared to CE, the MAE extract showed a lower amount of TPC as well as the sum of all identified individual phenols, although both ext... [more]

An experiment was carried out in the laboratories of the Department of Food Engineering, Department of Vegetable Science, and Department of Plantation Spices Medicinal and Aromatic crops, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal, India. The work was performed during 2018−2019 and 2019−2020 with different drying methods including sun drying, solar drying and oven drying. In oven drying, different temperatures such as 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70 °C were considered. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was designed with seven treatments and three replications. Experimental results were significantly varied among the treatments as influenced by different drying methods and temperatures. Minimum time taken (480 min) to reach safe moisture content was recorded in T7 (oven drying at 70 °C), whereas maximum values in color components such as L* value (24.55), a* value (32.14), b* value (20.53), and pungency score (7.85) were recorded in T6 (oven drying at 65 °C). However, the h... [more]

Surface cracks are easily produced after friction between continuous casting billets and copper layers in mold cavity, but the formation mechanism is not clear. Based on a steel-based hot-dip copper plating experiment, this study simulated the action behavior of copper adhering to the surface of a continuous casting billet after mold wear and systematically analyzed the formation mechanism of cracks caused by copper infiltration on the surface of the continuous casting billet. It is shown that when the copper liquid adheres to the surface of the slab, in addition to the diffusion of Cu in the steel, Fe is also dissolved in the copper liquid, accelerating the solidification of the copper liquid on the surface of the slab and forming a stable fusion combination between copper and steel. At the same time, due to the enrichment of the Fe-C phase and a large number of vacancies at the grain boundary, the grain boundary becomes the dominant area of copper−steel fusion bonding. For a continuo... [more]

The use of food agricultural wastes as a source of bioactive compounds is an alternative to reduce their environmental impact and generate the possibility of producing value-added products as functional foods. This study aimed to extract and microencapsulate the bioactive compounds from the red banana peel (Musa acuminata Colla AAA “Red”) by spray drying and to evaluate the bioaccessibility of the bioactive compounds by in vitro digestion. The microencapsulation of bioactive compounds was carried out using two wall materials gum arabic (GA) and soy protein isolate (SPI). Microencapsulation using GA and SPI proved to be an effective technique to protect the phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity of banana peel extract under in vitro digestion conditions. The extract without the encapsulation process suffered a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity after in vitro digestion. Although microcapsules with SPI held the bioactive compo... [more]

The Glycemic Index (GI) has been described by an official method ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 26642:2010 for labeling purposes. The development of in vitro methods for GI measurement has faced significant challenges. Mass transfer and reaction engineering theory may assist in providing a quantitative understanding of in vitro starch digestion and glycemic response from an engineering point of view. We suggest that in vitro GI measurements should consider the mouth and the stomach in terms of fluid mechanics, mass transfer, length scale changes, and food-solvent reactions, and might consider a significant role for the intestine as an absorption system for the glucose that is generated before the intestine. Applying mass transfer and reaction engineering theory may be useful to understand quantitative studies of in vitro GI measurements. The relative importance of reactions and mass-transfer has been estimated from literature measurements through estimating the Da... [more]

Packaging is an integral part of the food industry associated with food quality and safety including food shelf life, and communications from the marketing perspective. Traditional food packaging provides the protection of food from damage and storage of food products until being consumed. Packaging also presents branding and nutritional information and promotes marketing. Over the past decades, plastic films were employed as a barrier to keep food stuffs safe from heat, moisture, microorganisms, dust, and dirt particles. Recent advancements have incorporated additional functionalities in barrier films to enhance the shelf life of food, such as active packaging and intelligent packaging. In addition, consumer perception has influences on packaging materials and designs. The current trend of consumers pursuing environmental-friendly packaging is increased. With the progress of applied technologies in the food sector, sustainable packaging has been emerging in response to consumer prefer... [more]

Within the kingdom of fungi, the division Basidiomycota represents more than 30,000 species, some with huge genomes indicating great metabolic potential. The fruiting bodies of many basidiomycetes are appreciated as food (“mushrooms”). Solid-state and submerged cultivation processes have been established for many species. Specifically, xylophilic fungi secrete numerous enzymes but also form smaller metabolites along unique pathways; both groups of compounds may be of interest to the food processing industry. To stimulate further research and not aim at comprehensiveness in the broad field, this review describes some recent progress in fermentation processes and the knowledge of fungal genetics. Processes with potential for food applications based on lipases, esterases, glycosidases, peptidases and oxidoreductases are presented. The formation and degradation of colourants, the degradation of harmful food components, the formation of food ingredients and particularly of volatile and non-... [more]

Reduction in food waste, as well as non-invasive methods for extending the shelf-life of perishable fruits, are important global challenges. To achieve these objectives, in this paper, the use of natural compounds, chitosan films (CS) incorporated with essential oils from leaves, for postharvest fungal protection of strawberries is proposed. In the present study, the CS films incorporated with the essential oil from Perilla frutescens leaves (PFEO) at different concentrations were prepared and employed for packaging strawberries infected by B. cinerea during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 10 days. Interestingly, the strawberries coated with CS films containing PFEO at 1.0% during this period possessed an effective antimicrobial effect against B. cinerea infection in potato dextrose agar (PDA). Moreover, the quality properties of the strawberries, (i.e., weight loss, firmness index, decay percentage, yeasts/molds, pH value, total soluble solids, titrable acidity, and maturity index),... [more]

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice that has been used for a long time in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties and recently used in the food industry for its dyeing and flavoring properties. This work studied the effect of different drying methods (convection oven drying, fluidized bed drying, and traditional solar drying) on the quality of Curcuma longa powder. The effect of UV radiation on turmeric powder using different packaging materials (glass, aluminum foil bag, and low-density polyethylene bag), was also studied. Subsequently, the fluidized bed drying method was used to evaluate the effect of drying temperature. The results show that convection and fluidized bed drying had no significant impact on turmeric quality. However, solar drying degraded curcuminoids by 36.5% and the ORAC value decreased by 14%. Regarding the packaging materials, the aluminum bag prevented the deterioration of 14% of the curcuminoids for the powder exposed to UV radiation. Finally,... [more]

Roscoe rhizomes have been associated with multiple health benefits, such as blocking blood clotting, digestive and antinausea effects and aid in respiratory conditions. These effects have been linked with their polyphenolic main metabolites, gingerols and shogaols. Herewith, we report a detailed study on the polyphenolic profile and in the contents of main gingerols and shogaol as well as the antioxidant activity of extracts from Z. officinale rhizomes (n = 17) produced in Costa Rica. Using UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS, a total of 34 polyphenols were identified, grouped in 12 types of structures. In addition, our findings on the main metabolites using UPLC-DAD show all rhizomes complying with total gingerols (TG) content established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). At an individual level, samples SR-1 and NR-4 show the higher contents and also exhibit the highest Folin−Ciocalteu (FC) reducing capacity results as well as the best DPPH antioxidant values. In addition, Pearson correlation ana... [more]

The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties of a phytocomplex product obtained using 10% hydroalcoholic extractive solutions, in equal proportions, from Ribes nigrum, Rubus idaeus, Rubus fruticosus and Fragaria moschata fresh fruits harvested from the spontaneous flora of Romania. These plant products were recognized for their rich antioxidant content. The phytochemical profile was assessed using HPLC chromatography and UV-Vis spectrometry. The obtained results highlighted the presence of complex bioactive compounds with antioxidant actions, namely anthocyanins, proanthocyanins and vitamin C. The antioxidant actions of the hydroalcoholic extractive solutions and the phytocomplex product were evaluated using chemiluminescence, electrochemical and superoxide dismutase (SOD) methods. The experimental results showed evident antioxidant activity in both the hydroalcoholic extracts and the phytocomplex product.