Donkey milk as a non-bovine alternative: a review of its nutri-functional properties, applications, and challenges.

Elevation in incidences of cow milk protein allergies warrants the need to investigate the suitability of non-bovine milk alternatives for human consumption. Donkey milk has emerged as a potential alternative attributed to its benefits to human health. Evidently, it is a great option for infants as it closely resembles human milk. Researchers have also investigated its suitability in producing numerous dairy products. This review discusses the various nutri-functional aspects of donkey milk, its applications and challenges in the manufacturing of infant formula, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, kefir, and fermented milk. Research updates on processing techniques (thermal and non-thermal) for donkey milk preservation are also delineated. Despite abundant nutrients and desirable functional properties, the growth of the donkey milk industry is not significant. This is due to the lower yield, scattered population, and lack of regulatory standards for both products and processing. Recommendation on research gaps and obstacles in its commercialization are also addressed.

Electrohydrodynamic processing of natural polymers for active food packaging: A comprehensive review.

The active packaging materials fabricated using natural polymers is increasing in recent years. Electrohydrodynamic processing has drawn attention in active food packaging due to its potential in fabricating materials with advanced structural and functional properties. These materials have the significant capability in enhancing food's quality, safety, and shelf-life. Through electrospinning and electrospray, fibers and particles are encapsulated with bioactive compounds for active packaging applications. Understanding the principle behind electrohydrodynamics provides fundamentals in modulating the material's physicochemical properties based on the operating parameters. This review provides a deep understanding of electrospray and electrospinning, along with their advantages and recent innovations, from food packaging perspectives. The natural polymers suitable for developing active packaging films and coatings through electrohydrodynamics are intensely focused. The critical properties of the packaging system are discussed with characterization techniques. Furthermore, the limitations and prospects for natural polymers and electrohydrodynamic processing in active packaging are summarized.

Effect of High-Tunnel and Open-Field Production on the Yield, Cannabinoids, and Volatile Profiles in Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Inflorescence.

This study discovered the impact of high-tunnel (i.e., unheated greenhouse) and open-field production on two industrial hemp cultivars (SB1 and CJ2) over their yield parameters, cannabinoid development, and volatile profiles. Development of neutral cannabinoids (CBD, THC, and CBC), acidic cannabinoids (CBDA, THCA, and CBCA), and total cannabinoids during floral maturation were investigated. The volatile profiles of hemp flowers were holistically compared via HS-SPME-GC/MS. Findings indicated a high tunnel as an efficient practice for achieving greater total weight, stem number, and caliper, especially in the SB1 cultivar. Harvesting high-tunnel-grown SB1 cultivars during early flower maturation could obtain a high CBD yield while complying with THC regulations. Considering the volatile profiles, hemp flowers mainly consisted of mono- and sesquiterpenoids, as well as oxygenated mono- and sesquiterpenoids. Volatile analysis revealed the substantial impact of cultivars on the volatile profile compared to the production systems.

Novel high internal phase emulsion gels stabilized solely by hemp protein isolate: Enhancement of cannabidiol chemical stability and bioaccessibility.

This study aims to fabricate high internal phase emulsion gels (HIPEGs) using modified hemp protein isolates for microencapsulating cannabidiol (CBD) to enhance their chemical stability and bioaccessibility. Importantly, the combined effect of CBD concentrations (0.1 vs 0.5 wt%) and post gel storage conditions (before-refrigeration (BR) vs after-refrigeration (AR)) on the properties of HIPEGs were investigated. The results showed that the CBD concentration above 0.4 % is necessary to fabricate a stable HIPEG. The rheological properties of HIPEGs were influenced by CBD concentration and refrigeration. The AR gels with 0.5 % CBD showed the highest gel strength (up to 91.7 Pa) and solid-like structures. These properties allowed to HIPEGs maintain good physical stability during storage at 4, 25, and 37 °C for 14 days due to the interconnected polyhedral protein matrices and thick interfacial protein layers. These unique protein architectures offered superior protection against CBD degradation (<2 % of initial added amount) for 100 days during exposure to light and temperature (25 or 37 °C). The INFOGEST digestion results showed the BR gels effectively protected CBD during digestion and consequently improved their stability and bioaccessibility up to 95 % and 74 %, respectively. Overall, the fabricated HIPEGs could be valuable for nutraceutical delivery.

Application of yellow mustard mucilage and starch in nanoencapsulation of thymol and carvacrol by emulsion electrospray.

Starch/water soluble yellow mustard mucilage nanocapsules loaded with thymol and carvacrol (TC) were developed using electrospray atomization. Emulsions were electrosprayed, aiming to generate nanocapsules with a controlled release behavior of TC for antimicrobial packaging applications. To understand the effect of water soluble yellow mustard mucilage (WSM) on the nanocapsules, the emulsion viscosity, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, molecular interactions, and release kinetics were evaluated. Surface and internal morphological analysis revealed that nanocapsules were non-porous with minimal surface shrinkages and had inner multicore spheres within a solid wall layer. Encapsulation efficiency ranged from 61.17 to 84.10 %, increasing at higher TC contents. Fourier transform spectroscopy confirmed the molecular interaction between wall materials. The release kinetics of encapsulated TC (30 % w/w) followed a Fickian diffusion mechanism and a controlled release pattern up to 120 h. Results indicated that the addition of WSM can modulate the release kinetics of bioactives and achieve a controlled release pattern.