Impact of Ultrasound Pre-Treatment on the Drying Kinetics and Quality of Chicken Breast-A Comparative Study of Convective and Freeze-Drying Methods.

Fresh meat has a limited shelf life and is prone to spoilage. Drying serves as a common method for food preservation. Non-thermal techniques such as ultrasound treatment (US) can positively affect the drying processes and alter the final product. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of US pre-treatment on the hot air (HA) and freeze-drying (FD) of chicken breast meat and the quality of the dried products. US pre-treatment had a varied impact depending on the drying method used. The contact US method extended the HA drying time (about 50%) but improved water removal during FD (about 30%) compared to the untreated samples. Both methods resulted in low water content (<8.3%) and low water activity (<0.44). While rehydration properties (RR) and hygroscopicity (H) were not significantly affected by US pre-treatment in HA drying (about 1.35% and about 1.1, respectively), FD noticed differences due to shrinkage and porosity variations (RR: 2.4-3.2%, H: 1.19-1.25). The HA-dried samples exhibited notably greater tissue shrinkage and a darker surface color than the FD meat. Ultrasonic processing holds substantial potential in creating dried meat products with tailored characteristics. Hence, meticulous consideration of processing methods and parameters is of utmost importance.

The Impact of Drying Methods on the Quality of Blanched Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) Larvae.

The growing world population necessitates the implementation of appropriate processing technologies for edible insects. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of distinct drying techniques, including convective drying at 70 °C (70CD) and 90 °C (90CD) and freeze-drying (FD), on the drying kinetics, physical characteristics (water activity, color), chemical characteristics (chemical composition, amino acid profile, oil properties, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, mineral composition, FTIR), and presence of hazards (allergens, microorganisms) of blanched yellow mealworm larvae. The freeze-drying process results in greater lightness and reduced moisture content and water activity. The study demonstrated that the freeze-dried insects exhibited lower contents of protein and essential amino acids as compared to the convective-dried insects. The lowest content of total polyphenols was found in the freeze-dried yellow mealworm larvae; however, the highest antioxidant activity was determined for those insects. Although the oil isolated from the freeze-dried insects exhibited the lowest acid and peroxide values, it proved to have the lowest PUFA content and oxidative stability. All the samples met the microbiological criteria for dried insects. The results of the study demonstrate that a high temperature during the CD method does not result in the anticipated undesirable changes. It appears that freeze-drying is not the optimal method for preserving the nutritional value of insects, particularly with regard to the quality of protein and oil.

Effects of Sequential Induction Combining Thermal Treatment with Ultrasound or High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Pea Protein-Psyllium Hydrogels as Elderberry Extract Carriers.

Entrapping bioactive ingredients like elderberry extract in hydrogels improves their stability and functionality in food matrices. This study assessed the effect of sequential thermal treatment with ultrasound (US) or high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and treatment duration on pea protein-psyllium hydrogels as elderberry extract carriers. Measurements included color parameters, extract entrapment efficiency, physical stability, textural properties, microrheology, FT-IR, thermal degradation (TGA), SEM images, total polyphenols content, antioxidant activity, and reducing power. The control hydrogel was obtained using only thermal induction. Both treatments impacted physical stability by affecting biopolymer aggregate structures. Thermal and US combined induction resulted in hydrogels with noticeable color changes and reduced entrapment efficiency. Conversely, thermal and HHP-combined induction, especially with extended secondary treatment (10 min), enhanced hydrogel strength, uniformity, and extract entrapment efficiency (EE = 33% for P10). FT-IR and TGA indicated no chemical structural alterations post-treatment. Sequential thermal and HHP induction preserved polyphenol content, antioxidant activity (ABTS = 5.8 mg TE/g d.m.; DPPH = 11.1 mg TE/g d.m.), and reducing power (RP = 1.08 mg TE/g d.m.) due to the dense hydrogel structure effectively enclosing the elderberry extract. Sequential thermal and HHP induction was more effective in developing pea protein-psyllium hydrogels for elderberry extract entrapment.

Combined effect of ultrasound and vacuum impregnation for the modification of apple tissue enriched with aloe vera juice.

The aim of the work was to investigate how ultrasonic (US) treatment impacts on the physical and chemical properties of vacuum-impregnated apples. Apple slices were subjected to vacuum impregnation (VI) in an Aloe vera juice solution without additional treatments, serving as the reference material. Alternatively, ultrasound (US) treatments, at frequencies of 25 or 45 kHz, and durations of 10, 20, or 30 min, were employed as a pre-treatments before the VI process. The use of US processing enabled a significant increase in the efficiency of VI, without influencing in a significant way the color of the VI samples. The VI process led to a reduction in the content of bioactive compounds, in particular vitamin C and TPC decreased by 34 and 32 %, respectively. The use of US as a pre-treatment, in particular at 45 kHz for 20 or 30 min, led to a better preservation of these compounds (unchanged values for vitamin C and decrease by 23-26 % for TPC in comparison to the fresh samples). Through cluster analysis encompassing all assessed properties, it was evident that US treatment was beneficial for the processing, however the application of appropriate parameters of US treatment (frequency and time) had an impact on achieving similar quality to VI samples. The ultrasound treatment before vacuum impregnation may be suitable, however, the specific processing parameters should be defined for the obtained high quality of the final product.

Powdered plant beverages obtained by spray-drying without carrier addition-physicochemical and chemometric studies.

Plant-based beverages (PBs) are currently gaining interest among consumers who are seeking alternative sustainable options to traditional dairy drinks. The study aimed to obtain powdered plant beverages without the addition of carriers by spray drying method to implement them in the future as an alternative to the liquid form of dairy drinks. Some of the most well-known commercial beverages sources like soy, almond, rice and oat were analyzed in this work. The effect of different treatments (concentration, addition of oat fiber) and two approaches od spray drying (conventional high temperature spray drying-SD, and dehumidified air spray drying at low temperature-DASD) were presented. Moreover, moisture content, water activity, particle morphology and size of obtained powders were analyzed. It was possible to obtain PBs without the addition of carriers, although the drying yield of four basic beverages was low (16.1-37.4%). The treatments and change in spray drying approach enhanced the drying yield, especially for the concentrated beverage dried using DASD (59.2%). Additionally, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was applied to evaluate the differences in chemical composition of powdered PBs. FTIR analysis revealed differences in the range of the absorption frequency of amide I, amide II (1700-1500 cm-1) and carbohydrate region (1200-900 cm-1). Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to study the relationship between spray dried plant beverages samples based on the fingerprint region of FTIR spectra, as well as the physical characteristics. Additionally, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was employed to explore the clustering of the powders.

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field Technology on the Composition and Bioactive Compounds of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Dried with Convective and Infrared-Convective Methods.

In recent years, an increasing interest has been shown in alternative food sources. Many studies are focused on the use of insects. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the chemical and thermal properties of black soldier fly larvae influenced by the pulsed electric field (PEF) and convective (CD) or infrared-convective (IR-CD) drying techniques. Examinations of the basic chemical composition, properties of extracted fat (fatty acid composition, acid and peroxide values, and oxidative stability), total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, allergen content, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed. Generally, the results showed that dried black soldier fly larvae are a good source of protein and fat, up to 33% and 44%, respectively. The fat extracted from the dried insects consisted mainly of saturated fatty acids (above 75%), in particular lauric acid (C12:0). A good oxidative stability of the fat was also observed, especially from samples dried with the IR-CD method. The convective drying technique allowed for better preservation of protein content compared to samples dried with the IR-CD method. Nevertheless, samples treated with PEF were characterized by significantly lower protein content. The samples after PEF pretreatment, with an intensity of 20 and 40 kJ/kg and dried with the IR-CD method, were represented by a significantly higher total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, in most cases, the convectively dried samples were characterized by a higher allergen content, both crustaceans and mollusks. Taking into account all of the investigated properties, it can be stated that the samples without treatment and those that were PEF-treated with an intensity of 40 kJ/kg and dried with the infrared-convective method (IR-CD) were the most rewarding from the nutritional point of view.

Effect of the Pulsed Electric Field Treatment on Physical, Chemical and Structural Changes of Vacuum Impregnated Apple Tissue in Aloe Vera Juices.

Vacuum impregnation (VI) stands as a diffusion-driven food processing method that has found recent application within the food industry, particularly for the cold formulation of fortified food products. Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment can affect the food structure, influencing therefore the mass transfer phenomena during the further processing. Thus, the study aimed at investigating the effect of PEF treatment on selected physicochemical properties of vacuum-impregnated apples. Apple slices were vacuum impregnated with aloe vera juice solution with or PEF treatment at different intensities (125, 212.5 or 300 V/cm). The PEF was applied as a pretreatment-applied before the VI process as well as posttreatment-applied after the VI process. The VI process with aloe vera juice resulted in a sample weight increase of over 24% as well as structural changes, partial cell viability loss and color alteration. In addition, the decrease of bioactive compounds was observed, while antioxidant activity remained at a similar level as in raw material. PEF treatment adversely affected vacuum impregnation efficiency, causing microstructural changes and cell viability loss. Additionally, chemical composition modifications were evident through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. Tissue hardness decreased significantly due to structural damage and caused high leakage from plant tissue, which resulted in hindering saturation with aloe vera juice during the VI process. Additionally, reduced bioactive substance content after PEF treatment was observed and the VI process did not restore apple samples of the bioactive compounds from aloe vera juice.

NET4 and RabG3 link actin to the tonoplast and facilitate cytoskeletal remodelling during stomatal immunity.

Members of the NETWORKED (NET) family are involved in actin-membrane interactions. Here we show that two members of the NET family, NET4A and NET4B, are essential for normal guard cell actin reorganization, which is a process critical for stomatal closure in plant immunity. NET4 proteins interact with F-actin and with members of the Rab7 GTPase RABG3 family through two distinct domains, allowing for simultaneous localization to actin filaments and the tonoplast. NET4 proteins interact with GTP-bound, active RABG3 members, suggesting their function being downstream effectors. We also show that RABG3b is critical for stomatal closure induced by microbial patterns. Taken together, we conclude that the actin cytoskeletal remodelling during stomatal closure involves a molecular link between actin filaments and the tonoplast, which is mediated by the NET4-RABG3b interaction. We propose that stomatal closure to microbial patterns involves the coordinated action of immune-triggered osmotic changes and actin cytoskeletal remodelling likely driving compact vacuolar morphologies.

Biophysical and proteomic analyses of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 extracellular vesicles suggest adaptive functions during plant infection.

Vesiculation is a process employed by Gram-negative bacteria to release extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the environment. EVs from pathogenic bacteria play functions in host immune modulation, elimination of host defenses, and acquisition of nutrients from the host. Here, we observed EV production of the bacterial speck disease causal agent, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000, as outer membrane vesicle release. Mass spectrometry identified 369 proteins enriched in Pto DC3000 EVs. The EV samples contained known immunomodulatory proteins and could induce plant immune responses mediated by bacterial flagellin. Having identified two biomarkers for EV detection, we provide evidence for Pto DC3000 releasing EVs during plant infection. Bioinformatic analysis of the EV-enriched proteins suggests a role for EVs in antibiotic defense and iron acquisition. Thus, our data provide insights into the strategies this pathogen may use to develop in a plant environment. IMPORTANCE The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the environment is ubiquitous among bacteria. Vesiculation has been recognized as an important mechanism of bacterial pathogenesis and human disease but is poorly understood in phytopathogenic bacteria. Our research addresses the role of bacterial EVs in plant infection. In this work, we show that the causal agent of bacterial speck disease, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, produces EVs during plant infection. Our data suggest that EVs may help the bacteria to adapt to environments, e.g., when iron could be limiting such as the plant apoplast, laying the foundation for studying the factors that phytopathogenic bacteria use to thrive in the plant environment.

Developments in Plant Proteins Production for Meat and Fish Analogues.

In recent years, there have been significant developments in plant proteins production for meat and fish analogues. Some of the key developments include the use of new plant protein sources such as soy, legumes, grains, potatoes, and seaweed, as well as insect proteins, leaf proteins, mushrooms, and microbial proteins. Furthermore, to improve the technological and functional properties of plant proteins, they can be subjected to traditional and unconventional treatments such as chemical (glycosylation, deamidation, phosphorylation, and acylation), physical (pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, dynamic high-pressure treatment, and cold plasma), and biological (fermentation and enzymatic modification). To obtain the high quality and the desired texture of the food product, other ingredients besides proteins, such as water, fat, flavors, binders, dyes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, also have to be used. The final product can be significantly influenced by the matrix composition, variety of ingredients, and water content, with the type of ingredients playing a role in either enhancing or constraining the desired texture of the food. There are several types of technologies used for meat and fish analogues production, including extrusion, shear cell technology, spinning, 3D printing, and others. Overall, the technologies used for meat and fish analogues production are constantly evolving as new innovations are developed and existing methods are improved. These developments have led to the creation of plant-based products that have a similar texture, taste, and nutritional profile to meat and fish, making them more appealing to consumers seeking alternatives to animal-based products.

The Influence of Pulsed Electric Field and Air Temperature on the Course of Hot-Air Drying and the Bioactive Compounds of Apple Tissue.

Drying is one of the oldest methods of obtaining a product with a long shelf-life. Recently, this process has been modified and accelerated by the application of pulsed electric field (PEF); however, PEF pretreatment has an effect on different properties-physical as well as chemical. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed electric field pretreatment and air temperature on the course of hot air drying and selected chemical properties of the apple tissue of Gloster variety apples. The dried apple tissue samples were obtained using a combination of PEF pretreatment with electric field intensity levels of 1, 3.5, and 6 kJ/kg and subsequent hot air drying at 60, 70, and 80 °C. It was found that a higher pulsed electric field intensity facilitated the removal of water from the apple tissue while reducing the drying time. The study results showed that PEF pretreatment influenced the degradation of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid. The degradation of vitamin C was higher with an increase in PEF pretreatment intensity level. PEF pretreatment did not influence the total sugar and sorbitol contents of the dried apple tissue as well as the FTIR spectra. According to the optimization process and statistical profiles of approximated values, the optimal parameters to achieve high-quality dried apple tissue in a short drying time are PEF pretreatment application with an intensity of 3.5 kJ/kg and hot air drying at a temperature of 70 °C.

The Influence of Lactic Acid Fermentation on Selected Properties of Pickled Red, Yellow, and Green Bell Peppers.

Red, yellow, and green peppers are vegetables rich in natural pigments. However, they belong to seasonal vegetables and need to be treated to prolong their shelf life. One new approach to processing vegetables is to pickle them using lactic acid bacteria. The use of such a process creates a new product with high health value, thanks to the active ingredients and lactic acid bacteria. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the applied strain of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the chemical properties, including the content of active compounds (pigments) and the physical properties of the peppers. Levilactobacillus brevis, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Lactoplantibacillus plantarum were used for fermentation and spontaneous fermentation. The pigments, polyphenols content, and antioxidant properties were determined in the pickled peppers, as well as sugar content, color, dry matter, texture properties, and the count of lactic acid bacteria. In all samples, similar growth of LAB was observed. Significant degradation of chlorophylls into pheophytins was observed after the fermentation process. No significant differences were observed in the parameters tested, depending on the addition of dedicated LAB strains. After the fermentation process, the vitamin C and total polyphenols content is what influenced the antioxidant activity of the samples. It can be stated that the fermentation process changed the red bell pepper samples in the smallest way and the green ones in the highest way.

Development and implementation of the AIDA international registry for patients with Schnitzler's syndrome.

Objective: The present paper describes the design, development, and implementation of the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) International Registry specifically dedicated to patients with Schnitzler's syndrome. Methods: This is a clinical physician-driven, population- and electronic-based registry implemented for the retrospective and prospective collection of real-life data from patients with Schnitzler's syndrome; the registry is based on the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool, which is designed to collect standardized information for clinical research, and has been realized to change over time according to future scientific acquisitions and potentially communicate with other existing or future similar registries. Results: Since its launch, 113 centers from 23 countries in 4 continents have been involved. Fifty-seven have already obtained the approval from their local Ethics Committees. The platform counts 324 users (114 Principal Investigators, 205 Site Investigators, 2 Lead Investigators, and 3 data managers) at current (April 28th, 2022). The registry collects baseline and follow-up data using 3,924 fields organized into 25 instruments, including patient's demographics, history, clinical manifestations and symptoms, trigger/risk factors, laboratory, instrumental exams, therapies, socioeconomic information, and healthcare access. Conclusions: This International Registry for patients with Schnitzler's syndrome facilitates standardized data collection, enabling international collaborative projects through data sharing and dissemination of knowledge; in turn, it will shed light into many blind spots characterizing this complex autoinflammatory disorder.

Effect of Thermal and Non-Thermal Technologies on Kinetics and the Main Quality Parameters of Red Bell Pepper Dried with Convective and Microwave-Convective Methods.

The drying process preserves the surplus of perishable food. However, to obtain a good-quality final product, different pretreatments are conducted before drying. Thus, the aim of the study was the evaluation of the effect of thermal (blanching treatments with hot water) and non-thermal technologies (pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultrasound (US)) on the kinetics of the drying process of red bell pepper. The convective and microwave-convective drying were compared based on quality parameters, such as physical (water activity, porosity, rehydration rate, and color) and chemical properties (total phenolic content, total carotenoids content, antioxidant activity, and total sugars content). The results showed that all of the investigated methods reduced drying time. However, the most effective was blanching, followed by PEF and US treatment, regardless of the drying technique. Non-thermal methods allowed for better preservation of bioactive compounds, such as vitamin C in the range of 8.2% to 22.5% or total carotenoid content in the range of 0.4% to 48%, in comparison to untreated dried material. Moreover, PEF-treated red bell peppers exhibited superior antioxidant activity (higher of about 15.2-30.8%) when compared to untreated dried samples, whereas sonication decreased the free radical scavenging potential by ca. 10%. In most cases, the pretreatment influenced the physical properties, such as porosity, color, or rehydration properties. Samples subjected to PEF and US treatment and dried by using a microwave-assisted method exhibited a significantly higher porosity of 2-4 folds in comparison to untreated material; this result was also confirmed by visual inspection of microtomography scans. Among tested methods, blanched samples had the most similar optical properties to untreated materials; however non-thermally treated bell peppers exhibited the highest saturation of the color.

Influence of Fermentation Beetroot Juice Process on the Physico-Chemical Properties of Spray Dried Powder.

Picking vegetables is, along with salting and drying, one of the oldest ways to preserve food in the world. This is the process of decomposition of simple sugars into lactic acid with the participation of lactic bacteria. The aim of the study was to obtain powders from fermented red beet juice with the highest possible amount of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and active ingredients. For the analysis, juices were squeezed from the vegetables and two types of fermentation were used: a spontaneous fermentation and a dedicated one. After inoculation, samples were taken for analysis on a daily basis. Extract, pH, total acidity, pigments, and color were measured. In addition, microbiological tests were also carried out. The juices from the fifth day of fermentation was also spray dried, to obtain fermented beetroot powder. Juices from 3-5th day were characterized by a high content of LAB and betanin, had also a low pH, which proves that the lactic fermentation is working properly. The exception was the juice from spontaneous fermentation. According to the observations, the fermentation process did not run properly, and further analysis is needed. The powders were stable; however, results obtained from the pigment content and the LAB content are not satisfactory and require further analysis.

The Influence of Polyols on the Process Kinetics and Bioactive Substance Content in Osmotic Dehydrated Organic Strawberries.

In recent years, an increasing interest in reducing sugar consumption has been observed and many studies are conducted on the use of polyols in the osmotic dehydration process to obtain candied or dried fruits. The studies in the literature have focused on the kinetics of the process as well as the basic physical properties. In the scientific literature, there is a lack of investigation of the influence of such polyol solutions such as sorbitol and mannitol used as osmotic substances during the osmotic dehydration process on the contents of bioactive components, including natural colourants. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of polyols (mannitol and sorbitol) in different concentrations on the process kinetics and on chosen physical (colour and structural changes) as well as chemical (sugars and polyol content, total anthocyanin content, total polyphenol content, vitamin C, antioxidant activity) properties of osmotic-dehydrated organic strawberries. Generally, the results showed that the best solution for osmotic dehydration is 30% or 40% sorbitol solutions, while mannitol solution is not recommended due to difficulties with preparing a high-concentration solution and its crystallization in the tissue. In the case of sorbitol, the changes of bioactive compounds, as well as colour change, were similar to the sucrose solution. However, the profile of the sugar changed significantly, in which sucrose, glucose, and fructose were reduced in organic strawberries and were partially replaced by polyols.

The Influence of Different Pretreatment Methods on Color and Pigment Change in Beetroot Products.

Vegetable processing pomace contains valuable substances such as natural colors that can be reused as functional ingredients. Due to a large amount of water, they are an unstable material. The aim of our research was to assess how the pretreatment method (thermal or nonthermal) affects the properties of powders obtained from beet juice and pomace after the freeze-drying process. The raw material was steamed or sonicated for 10 or 15 min, and then squeezed into juice and pomace. Both squeezed products were freeze-dried. The content of dry substance; L*, a*, and b* color parameters; and the content of betalain pigments were analyzed. Pretreatments increased the proportion of red and yellow in the juices. Steam and ultrasound caused a significant reduction in parameter b* in the dried pomace. A significant increase in betanin in lyophilizates was observed after pretreatment with ultrasound and steam for 15 min. As a result of all experiments, dried juices and pomaces can also be used as a colorant source. However, there is higher potential with pomaces due to their additional internal substances as well as better storage properties. After a few hours, juice was sticky and not ready to use.

The Quality of Red Bell Pepper Subjected to Freeze-Drying Preceded by Traditional and Novel Pretreatment.

It has been demonstrated previously in the literature that utilization of PEF or a combination of a pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultrasounds (US) can facilitate dehydration processes and improve the quality of dried products even better than the application of thermal methods such as blanching. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of red bell pepper subjected to freeze-drying preceded by blanching or PEF or US treatment applied in a single and combined mode. Furthermore, the freeze-drying was preceded by shock freezing or vacuum freezing performed inside the freeze-dryer as a result of pressure drop during the first stage of freeze-drying. All of the analyzed technological variants enhanced the drying kinetics when compared to the intact material. Freeze-dried bell pepper subjected to non-thermal pretreatment exhibited higher vitamin C, total phenolic and carotenoids content than blanched material despite the fact that blanching reduced drying time the most compared to all other analyzed methods.

PLA Biocomposites: Evaluation of Resistance to Mold.

Due to the content of lignocellulosic particles, wood plastic composites (WPC) composites can be attacked by both domestic and mold fungi. Household fungi reduce the mechanical properties of composites, while mold fungi reduce the aesthetics of products by changing their color and surface decomposition of the wood substance. As part of this study, the impact of lignocellulosic fillers in the form of sawdust and bark in poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-based biocomposites on their susceptibility to mold growth was determined. The evaluation of the samples fouled with mold fungi was performed by computer analysis of the image. For comparison, tests were carried out on analogous high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. Three levels of composites' filling were used with two degrees of comminution of lignocellulosic fillers and the addition of bonding aids to selected variants. The composites were produced in two stages employing extrusion and flat pressing. The research revealed that PLA composites were characterized by a higher fouling rate by Aspergillus niger Tiegh fungi compared to HDPE composites. In the case of HDPE composites. The type of filler (bark, sawdust) affected this process much more in the case of HDPE composites than for PLA composites. In addition, the use of filler with smaller particles enhanced the fouling process.