Improving physicochemical, rheometry and sensory attributes of fortified beverages using jujube alcoholic/aqueous extract loaded Gellan-Protein macrocarriers.

The use of phenolic bioactive substances in beverages is introduced by novel techniques as a functional food product. Gel beads from jujube extract were prepared by extrusion method using encapsulation and coated by whey protein isolate and soy protein isolate and thus, a functional beverage was prepared from these beads. There were three types of beads, including Gellan, Gellan/whey protein isolate and Gellan/soy protein isolate. The pH, acidity, Brix, turbidity, viscosity and sensory properties were evaluated. Observing the increase in pH is the result of the release of small amounts of fruit extract, the effect of which can be seen in the inverse relationship of acidity next to pH. The results demonstrate that the highest viscosity is related to protein beverages, especially Gellan gum/SPI beads' beverage. Hence, the highest turbidity in Gellan gum/SPI beads' beverage was visible on the 14th day (66.6 NTU). Thereby, there is potential for these Gellan beads beverages with suitable sensory scores to be wholly utilized and developed with the aim of this study. Along with it, this new beverage can attract the opinion of a wide range of consumers. Therewith, the industrialization of such types of products helps to improve the consumer market.

Essential oils as additives in active starch-based food packaging films: A review.

The production of sustainable food packaging from renewable sources represents a prominent alternative to the use of petrochemical-based plastics. For example, starch remains one of the more closely studied replacement options due to its broad availability, low cost and significant advances in improving properties. In this context, essential oils as additives fulfil a key role in the manufacture of renewable active packaging with superior performances. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the impact of adding essential oils to the starch-based films is provided. After a brief introduction to the fundamental concepts related to starch and essential oils, details on the most recent advances in obtaining active starch-based films are presented. Subsequently, the effects of essential oils addition on the structure-property relationships (from physicochemical to antimicrobial ones) are thoroughly addressed. Finally, applications and challenges to the widespread use of essential oils are critically discussed.

Valorization of Sweet Lime Peel for the Extraction of Essential Oil by Solvent Free Microwave Extraction Enhanced with Ultrasound Pretreatment.

Essential oils of sweet lime peel, a waste by-product in the juice industry, were extracted using the vacuum assisted solvent free microwave extraction (VASFME) method. The effects of microwave output power (500-1000 W) and extraction time (20-30 min) on the essential oils yield and antimicrobial property were investigated. Optimal conditions were observed at 797.844 W microwave output power and 30 min extraction time. The essential oils yield and antimicrobial property under these conditions were 0.792 ± 0.03% and 18.25 ± 1.45 mm, respectively, which agrees with the predicted values of 0.757% and 16.50 mm. The essential oils were extracted at optimized conditions and analyzed through GCMS for compound identification. A total of 49 compounds were identified, with limonene content (43.47%) being the highest among all sweet lime peel oil compounds. Moreover, the sweet lime peels were subjected to ultrasound pre-treatment before microwave extraction. The ultrasound pre-treatment helped to increase the essential oils yield from 0.84 to 1.06% as the treatment time increased from 30 to 90 min. The increase in yield was 37.66% more compared to VASFME at 90 min treatment time.