Use of red onion (Allium cepa L.) residue extract in the co-microencapsulation of probiotics added to a vegan product.

This study aimed to develop a functional strawberry pulp containing the combination of Lactobacillus casei and bioactive compounds from red onion peel extract into the microparticles formulations to improve bacteria survival during storage and product consumption. To achieve this goal, the addition of different concentrations of red onion peel extract added to the microparticles was evaluated: 5, 20 and 40 %. Microparticles were morphologically characterized and the encapsulation efficiency of the bioactive compounds were evaluated. The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the fruit pulp were within the required standards, regardless of the formulation evaluated. As for the pulp added from the microparticles, their physicochemical and microbiological features and probiotic survival under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and storage were analyzed; the size of the microparticles ranged from 136.00 to 305.00 µm. The encapsulation efficiency of both, probiotics and compounds was satisfactory over the different treatments. Indeed, the results pointed out values in the range from 77.77 to 92.11 % for probiotic bacteria; from28.88 to 50.18 % for reducing compounds; 35.72 to 69.01 % for flavonoids; and 25.39 to 60.00 % for total monomeric anthocyanins. The formulations of alginate microparticles and alginate +5 % extract had the best results of L. casei probiotic viability in strawberry pulp under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and during storage at -18 °C for 60 days. In conclusion, red onion peel extract at low concentrations can help the survival of the probiotic L. casei under different conditions.

Effect of ultrasound and chlorine dioxide on Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli inactivation in poultry chiller tank water.

This study evaluated the application of ultrasound alone or combined with chlorine dioxide (ClO2) for Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli inactivation in poultry processing chiller tank water. A Full Factorial Design (FFD) 22 was conducted for each microorganism to evaluate the effect of ultrasound exposure time (x1: 1 to 9 min; fixed: 37 kHz; 330 W; 25 °C) using a bath, and ClO2 concentration (x2: 1 to 17 mg L-1) on microorganism count expressed in log CFU mL-1 in distilled water. Variable x2 had a negative effect on Salmonella Typhimurium (-5.09) and Escherichia coli (-2.00) count, improving the inactivation; while a x1 increase present no inactivation improvement, explaining the use of x1 lower level (1 min) and x2 higher level (17 mg L-1). The best condition for microorganism inactivation based on FFD was evaluated in chiller tank water (with organic matter) at 25, 16, and 4 °C; x1 was kept (1 min), however x2 was adjusted to obtain the same residual free chlorine (2.38 mg L-1) considering the ClO2 consumption by organic matter, achieving the value of 30 mg L-1. An inactivation of 49% and 31% were observed for Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli. When ultrasound was replaced by a simple agitation in the presence of ClO2, there was no inactivation for both microorganisms. Moreover, at poultry carcass pre-chilling (16 °C) and chilling (4 °C) conditions, the synergism of ultrasound combined with ClO2 was more pronounced, with microorganisms' reductions up to 100%.

Ultrasound and basic electrolyzed water: A green approach to reduce the technological defects caused by NaCl reduction in meat emulsions.

Meat emulsions were prepared by replacing water with basic electrolyzed water (BEW) and reducing NaCl content by 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%. The emulsions were sonicated in an ultrasound bath (25 kHz, 175 W, normal mode) for 0, 10, and 20 min. The physicochemical (pH, redox potential, water activity, and color parameters) and technological (cooking yield, emulsion stability, and texture) characteristics were evaluated. The US operation time of 20 min improved the emulsion stability, cooking yield, and texture of the emulsions with 10% and 20% NaCl reduction. The BEW-treated emulsions exhibited good fat retention and moderate water retention capacity. The combination of US and BEW for 20 min provided good emulsion stability and cooking yield for the formulations with up to 30% NaCl reduction, which exhibited texture profile similar to the control (0% NaCl reduction). Therefore, it is possible to produce reduced-salt meat emulsions using the combination of US and BEW.

Chemical composition and oxidative stability of eleven pecan cultivars produced in southern Brazil.

Nuts are considered highly nutritious foods and a source of health-promoting compounds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition (proximate composition, fatty acids, volatile compounds, total phenolics, squalene, and ß-sitosterol) of eleven pecan cultivars harvested in Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil) and investigate their oxidative stability by the Rancimat method. 'Barton' is the main cultivar produced in Brazil and presented the highest protein, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid values and the lowest saturated fatty acid values, which provide health benefits. 'Mahan' showed the highest oxidation induction time, both in extracted oil and ground samples, low abundance of lipid oxidation compounds, low polyunsaturated fatty acids, high levels of oleic acid and ß-sitosterol, which suggests potential for storage. 'Stuart' and 'Success' had the highest total dietary fiber values. Moreover, analysis showed that 'Chickasaw' and 'Success' had large quantities of compounds correlated to lipid oxidation, suggesting low stability for long-term storage. These results imply that the physicochemical characteristics and proximate composition of pecan nut cultivars from southern Brazil have variable parameters that may depend on their genetic variability.

Characterization of olive oil flavored with Brazilian pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) in different maceration processes.

The present study aimed to evaluate two different processes of olive oil aromatization with Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, conventional maceration (CM) and ultrasound-assisted maceration (UM), and their influence on quality parameters, total phenolic compounds (TPC), fatty acid profile (FA), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stability. Flavoring reduced peroxide values, although it increased free fatty acids and extinction coefficients. The flavorization process did not change the FA profile, which showed oleic acid as a major compound. The VOCs varied and the migration of oxygenated monoterpenes were more effective in UM-flavored olive oil compared to its CM counterpart. All flavored olive oils presented higher oxidative stability than the control samples and UM-flavored olive oil was highlighted for its higher antioxidant activity. These findings proved that aromatization with pink pepper assisted by ultrasound may be an alternative to improve olive oil quality and create a new competitive flavored product.

Effect of ultrasound on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of Italian salami.

Italian salami were sonicated in different times (0, 3, 6 and 9min) using ultrasound bath (US, 25kHz). The effect of sonication on microbial growth (lactic acid bacteria and Micrococcaceae), lipid and protein oxidation, total heme pigments (THP), non heme iron (NHI) and metmyoglobin (MMb) was investigated during processing (0, 2, 15, and 28days) and storage (1, 30, and 120days). US enhanced growth of microorganisms (P<0.05), mainly for the treatment 9min of sonication. The lipid (peroxide value and TBARS) and protein (thiol group) oxidative reactions were accelerated by US (P<0.05) and they should be considered to maintain Italian salami quality. Sonication contributed to maintenance of THP (P<0.05), especially during storage. MMb pigment was not affected by sonication (P>0.05). This study presented some features of US application that could be explored in the manufacture of Italian salami.