Preparation and characteristics of soy protein isolate - Sea buckthorn flavone emulsion and their effects of on quality and heterocyclic amines of roasted mutton granules.

A soy protein isolate (SPI) - sea buckthorn flavonoid emulsion was developed to study its effects on roasted lamb quality and heterocyclic amine (HAAs) precursors. The emulsion was stable with uniformly dispersed, well-encapsulated droplets averaging 0.1 to 10 µm. CLSM confirmed its good physical stability, small particle size, and uniform dispersion. FTIR the existence of hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction and physical adhesion between SPI and sea-buckthorn flavonoids. The emulsion improved lamb pellet texture by reducing chewiness and hardness, increasing adhesion, and decreasing browning. The emulsion-treated roasted mutton showed a 47.95-53.56 % increase in DPPH scavenging activity and MDA content reduction from 60.78 to 17.80 nmol/mg, indicating strong antioxidant activity and lipid oxidation inhibition. For both precursors and HAAs, there was a significant intensity of inhibition, where creatine decreased by about 44.91-68.34 %, glucose by 84.47 %-97.74 %, and the seven HAAs, Norharman, Harman, IQ, MeIQ, MeIQx, AαC, and PhIP, were inhibited by 79.64 %, respectively, 88.76 %, 65.07 %, 87.27 %, 96.16 %, 89.30 % and 49.44 %, respectively. This study aimed to develop a novel soy protein isolate-sea buckthorn flavonoid emulsion and evaluate its potential to improve roasted lamb quality while inhibiting the formation of harmful HAAs.

Electromagnetic wave-based technology for ready-to-eat foods preservation: a review of applications, challenges and prospects.

In recent years, the ready-to-eat foods market has grown significantly due to its high nutritional value and convenience. However, these foods are also at risk of microbial contamination, which poses food safety hazards. Additionally, traditional high-temperature sterilization methods can cause food safety and nutritional health problems such as protein denaturation and lipid oxidation. Therefore, exploring and developing effective sterilization technologies is imperative to ensure food safety and nutritional properties, and protect consumers from potential foodborne diseases. This paper focuses on electromagnetic wave-based pasteurization technologies, including thermal processing technologies such as microwave, radio frequency, and infrared, as well as non-thermal processing technologies like ultraviolet, irradiation, pulsed light, and photodynamic inactivation. Furthermore, it also reviews the antibacterial mechanisms, advantages, disadvantages, and recent applications of these technologies in ready-to-eat foods, and summarizes their limitations and prospects. By comparing the limitations of traditional high-temperature sterilization methods, this paper highlights the significant advantages of these pasteurization techniques in effectively inhibiting microbial growth, slowing lipid oxidation, and preserving food nutrition and flavor. This review may contribute to the industrial application and process optimization of these pasteurization technologies, providing an optimal choice for preserving various types of ready-to-eat foods.

Effect of two-stage low-temperature tempering process assisted by electrostatic field application on physicochemical and structural properties of myofibrillar protein in frozen longissimus dorsi of tan mutton.

The effects of refrigerator tempering, two-stage low-temperature tempering (TLT), and a combination of TLT with electrostatic field tempering (TLT-1500/2000/2500/3000) on the physicochemical and structural properties of the myofibrillar protein (MPs) in Longissimus dorsi of Tan mutton were investigated. The results from differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic rheology indicated that TLT-2000/2500 had the least impact on the thermal stability of MPs. While the carbonyl and dityrosine contents of MPs in TLT-2000/2500 were the lowest, the total sulfhydryl content and Ca2+-ATPase activity were the highest, suggesting that TLT-2000/2500 preserved the properties of MPs more effectively. The smaller and uniformly distributed particle size, highest zeta potential, and SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed that TLT-2000/2500 had minimal impact on the aggregation and degradation of MPs. Additionally, results from surface hydrophobicity, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, intrinsic fluorescence, and UV second-derivative absorption spectra suggested that TLT-2000/2500 was more conducive to stabilizing the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of MPs.

Effects of umami substances as taste enhancers on salt reduction in meat products: A review.

Sodium is one of the essential additives in meat processing, but excessive sodium intake may increase risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. However, reducing salt content while preserving its preservative effect, organoleptic properties, and technological characteristics poses challenges. In this review, the mechanism of salt reduction of umami substances was introduced from the perspective of gustation-taste interaction, and the effects of the addition of traditional umami substances (amino acids, nucleotides, organic acids(OAs)) and natural umami ingredients (mushrooms, seaweeds, tomatoes, soybeans, tea, grains) on the sensory properties of the meat with reduced-salt contents were summarized. In addition, the impacts of taste enhancers on eating quality (color, sensory, textural characteristics, and water-holding capacity (WHC)), and processing quality (lipid oxidation, pH) of meat products (MP) and their related mechanisms were also discussed. Among them, natural umami ingredients exhibit distinct advantages over traditional umami substances in terms of enhancing quality and nutritional value. On the basis of salt reduction, natural umami ingredients improve the flavor, texture, WHC and antioxidant capacity. This comprehensive review may provide the food industry with a theoretical foundation for mitigating salt consumption through the utilization of umami substances and natural ingredients.

Development and characterization of a new potato starch/watermelon peel pectin composite film loaded with TiO2 nanoparticles and microencapsulated Lycium barbarum leaf flavonoids and its use in the Tan mutton packaging.

Reinforced edible film with active nanoparticles has been in increasing demand as a new technology to improve the quality and extend the shelf-life of muscle foods. The study aimed to fabricate and characterize a novel potato starch (Pst)/watermelon peel pectin (Wpp) composite film with the microencapsulated Lycium barbarum leaf flavonoids (MLF) and nano-TiO2 (Pst/Wpp/MLF/TiO2) and further apply the film in Tan mutton preservation. The moisture content, thickness and water vapor permeability (WVP) of the composite film were relatively increased with increasing the percentage of MLF, while nano-TiO2 had slight influence on the thickness, but leaded to a significantly decreased the moisture content and WVP. Also, the SEM images showed that the roughness and porosity were created on the film surface by adding MLF and nano-TiO2. FTIR revealed electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions between the components in the film system. Meanwhile, MLF and nano-TiO2 effectively enhanced the mechanical strength, UV-barrier, controlled-release, thermal stability, antimicrobial and antioxidation properties of the Pst/Wpp film. Also, the composite film containing MLF and nano-TiO2 significantly inhibited the growth of microorganisms and chemical deterioration of mutton samples, which suggested that such film has potential as a prospective active packaging for preserving Tan mutton.

Physicochemical and structural changes of myofibrillar proteins in muscle foods during thawing: Occurrence, consequences, evidence, and implications.

Myofibrillar protein (MP) endows muscle foods with texture and important functional properties, such as water-holding capacity (WHC) and emulsifying and gel-forming abilities. However, thawing deteriorates the physicochemical and structural properties of MPs, significantly affecting the WHC, texture, flavor, and nutritional value of muscle foods. Thawing-induced physicochemical and structural changes in MPs need further investigation and consideration in the scientific development of muscle foods. In this study, we reviewed the literature for the thawing effects on the physicochemical and structural characters of MPs to identify potential associations between MPs and the quality of muscle-based foods. Physicochemical and structural changes of MPs in muscle foods occur because of physical changes during thawing and microenvironmental changes, including heat transfer and phase transformation, moisture activation and migration, microbial activation, and alterations in pH and ionic strength. These changes are not only essential inducements for changes in spatial conformation, surface hydrophobicity, solubility, Ca2+ -ATPase activity, intermolecular interaction, gel properties, and emulsifying properties of MPs but also factors causing MP oxidation, characterized by thiols, carbonyl compounds, free amino groups, dityrosine content, cross-linking, and MP aggregates. Additionally, the WHC, texture, flavor, and nutritional value of muscle foods are closely related to MPs. This review encourages additional work to explore the potential of tempering techniques, as well as the synergistic effects of traditional and innovative thawing technologies, in reducing the oxidation and denaturation of MPs and maintaining the quality of muscle foods.

A combination of acidic electrolyzed water with modified atmosphere packaging improves quality of jujube during cold storage by enhancing antioxidant activity.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a combination of acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality of jujube stored at 1 ± 0.5°C for 40 days. Jujube was treated with AEW + MAP, AEW, and MAP, respectively, to identify an appropriate preservation method based on the changes of quality indicators, activities of antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic antioxidant systems, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and cell membrane permeability. Results showed that the combined treatment maintained higher storage quality of jujube than the other three treatments. The combined treatment significantly suppressed softening, weight, and color loss and maintained total soluble solid and titratable acidity. Moreover, the combined treatment improved antioxidant capacity showing high levels of nonenzymatic antioxidant systems (ascorbic acid and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity), and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase). These effects remarkably suppressed the increase of MDA level and cell membrane permeability, thereby inhibiting oxidative damage and alleviating quality deterioration. Furthermore, kinetic model indicated that AEW + MAP decreased rate constant of quality deterioration. Principal component analysis also showed that AEW + MAP treatment alleviated quality deterioration, with higher comprehensive score than other treatments. In summary, AEW + MAP was an effective preservation method to maintain storage quality and delay postharvest senescence of jujube. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, a combination of acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has been found to have effective preservation effects on jujube. AEW + MAP treatment improved quality of jujube during cold storage mainly by enhancing antioxidant capacity. The combined treatment may provide a new preservation technology for jujube.

A comprehensive review of the principles, key factors, application, and assessment of thawing technologies for muscle foods.

For years, various thawing technologies based on pressure, ultrasound, electromagnetic energy, and electric field energy have been actively investigated to minimize the amount of drip and reduce the quality deterioration of muscle foods during thawing. However, existing thawing technologies have limitations in practical applications due to their high costs and technical defects. Therefore, key factors of thawing technologies must be comprehensively analyzed, and their effects must be systematically evaluated by the quality indexes of muscle foods. In this review, the principles and key factors of thawing techniques are discussed, with an emphasis on combinations of thawing technologies. Furthermore, the application effects of thawing technologies in muscle foods are systematically evaluated from the viewpoints of eating quality and microbial and chemical stability. Finally, the disadvantages of the existing thawing technologies and the development prospects of tempering technologies are highlighted. This review can be highly instrumental in achieving more ideal thawing goals.

Active edible films with plant extracts: a updated review of their types, preparations, reinforcing properties, and applications in muscle foods packaging and preservation.

Currently, edible films have been increasingly explored to solve muscle food spoilage during storage, especially through the incorporation of plant extracts to develop edible packaging materials. Natural polymers matrices with plant extracts are befitting for fabricating edible films by casting methods. In the films system, the structure and physicochemical properties were strengthened via chemical interactions between active molecules in plant extracts and the reactive groups in the polymer chain. The antibacterial and antioxidant properties were dramatically reinforced through both physical and chemical actions of the plant extracts. Additionally, edible films imbedded with color-rich plant extracts could be considered as potential sensitive indicators to monitor the spoilage degree of muscle foods in response to change in gas or temperature. Furthermore, these films could increase sensory acceptability, improve quality and prolong the shelf life of muscle foods. In this article, the types, preparation methods and reinforcing properties of the edible films with plant extracts were discussed. Also, the applications of these films were summarized on quality maintenance and shelf-life extension and intelligent monitoring in muscle foods. Finally, a novel technology for film preparation achieving high-stability and sustained release of active compounds will become an underlying trend for application in muscle food packaging.

Edible films/coatings containing bioactive ingredients with micro/nano encapsulation: A comprehensive review of their fabrications, formulas, multifunctionality and applications in food packaging.

Due to the consumer's pursuit of safe, nontoxic and nutritious foods, edible and/or biodegradable materials have stood out in food packaging and preservation. In this context, the preparation and application of micro/nano encapsulated active ingredients (M/N-E-BAIs) represent a step toward reinforcing the properties of sustainable and controllable food packaging, particularly for the successful incorporation of new substances and functionalities into traditional edible films/coatings. This review, from the preparation of M/N-E-BAIs, the fabrication of edible film/coating containing M/N-E-BAIs to their characterization of multifunction and the application in food, makes a systematic summary and in-depth discussion. Food-grade polymers can encapsulate bioactive ingredients (BAIs) by chemical, physicochemical and mechanical methods, thereby forming M/N-E-BAIs with suitable sustained-release and unique biological activities. Furthermore, M/N-E-BAIs is incorporated into biopolymer substrates by solvent casting, 3D printing or electrostatic spinning to obtain novel edible films/coatings. This advanced packaging material exhibits superior physicochemical and functional properties over traditional food films/coatings. Besides, their applications in foods as active and intelligent packaging can improve food quality, prolong shelf life and monitor food corruption. Even so, there are still many challenges and limitations in formulation, preparation and application of this new packaging technology that need to be addressed in the future.