Nature's palette: An emerging frontier for coloring dairy products.

Consumers all across the world are looking for the most delectable and appealing foods, while also demanding products that are safer, more nutritious, and healthier. Substitution of synthetic colorants with natural colorants has piqued consumer and market interest in recent years. Due to increasing demand, extensive research has been conducted to find natural and safe food additives, such as natural pigments, that may have health benefits. Natural colorants are made up of a variety of pigments, many of which have significant biological potential. Because of the promising health advantages, natural colorants are gaining immense interest in the dairy industry. This review goes over the use of various natural colorants in dairy products which can provide desirable color as well as positive health impacts. The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth look into the field of food (natural or synthetic) colorants applied in dairy products as well as their potential health benefits, safety, general trends, and future prospects in food science and technology. In this paper, we listed a plethora of applications of natural colorants in various milk-based products.

Underutilized green leafy vegetables: frontier in fortified food development and nutrition.

From the ancient period, Green leafy vegetables (GLV) are part of the daily diet and were believed to have several health beneficial properties. Later it has been proved that GLV has outstanding nutritional value and can be used for medicinal benefits. GLV is particularly rich in minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc. These are also rich in vitamins like beta carotene, vitamin E, K, B and vitamin C. In addition, some anti-nutritional elements in GLV can be reduced if it is grown properly and processed properly before consumption. Tropical countries have a wide variety of these green plants such as Red Spinach, Amaranth, Malabar Spinach, Taro Leaf, Fenugreek leaf, Bengal Gram Leaves, Radish Leaves, Mustard Leaves, and many more. This review focuses on listing this wide range of GLVs (in total 54 underutilized GLVs) and their compositions in a comparative manner. GLV also possesses medicinal activities due to its rich bioactive and nutritional potential. Different processing techniques may alter the nutritional and bioactive potential of the GLVs significantly. The GLVs have been considered a food fortification agent, though not explored widely. All of these findings suggest that increasing GLV consumption could provide nutritional requirements necessary for proper growth as well as adequate protection against diseases caused by malnutrition.

Synergistic effect of herbal plant extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in maintain the antioxidant activity of decaffeinated green tea from various parts of Assam.

In the present study, two extraction methods, hot water extraction and ethyl acetate extraction were used to decaffeinate fresh green tea leaf (Camellia assamica) collected from four parts of Assam, NE-India. Both type of extraction methods have significant effect on the antioxidant activity of decaffeinated green tea. Amongst the four samples, Dhekiajuli sample have highest antioxidant activity and total polyphenol as well as flavonoid contents. During hot water extraction (100 °C for 3 min), in decaffeinated green tea, the antioxidant activity decreases to 996.1 ± 26.12 mM TE/g green tea and 1165 ± 31.25 mM TE/g green tea from 1403.07 ± 70.15 mM TE/g and 1587.1 ± 79.355 mM TE/g green tea as observed for caffeinated green tea by DPPH and FRAP assay respectively. Again more antioxidant activity (ranges from 996.1 ± 15.8 to 1421.3 ± 71.06 mM TE/g) was recorded for ethyl acetate extracts compared to hot water extracts of samples. However, the loss in antioxidant activity, due to decaffeination of green tea in our study was minimize by using herbal plant extract, Hibiscus sabdariffa along with the tea extract which shows a synergistic effect.

Role of Fermentation in Improving Nutritional Quality of Soybean Meal - A Review.

Soybean meal (SBM), a commonly used protein source for animal feed, contains anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitor, phytate, oligosaccharides among others, which limit its utilization. Microbial fermentation using bacteria or fungi has the capability to improve nutritional value of SBM by altering the native composition. Both submerged and solid state fermentation processes can be used for this purpose. Bacterial and fungal fermentations result in degradation of various anti-nutritional factors, an increase in amount of small-sized peptides and improved content of both essential and non-essential amino acids. However, the resulting fermented products vary in levels of nutritional components as the two species used for fermentation differ in their metabolic activities. Compared to SBM, feeding non-ruminants with fermented SBM has several beneficial effects including increased average daily gain, improved growth performance, better protein digestibility, decreased immunological reactivity and undesirable morphological changes like absence of granulated pinocytotic vacuoles.

Effects of hydrocolloids as texture improver in coriander bread.

An attempt was made to study the effects of hydrocolloids on loaf weight, volume, crumb grain characteristics, crumb moisture, firmness and dough rheological properties on 3.0 % coriander leaf supplemented breads. Carrageenan (CA), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), guar gum (GG) and xanthan gum (XG) were added in the proportions of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 % w/w of 100 g wheat flour. Addition of hydrocolloid increased the loaf volume and decreased the average cell area. An inverse relationship was observed between specific volume and average cell area. XG showed uniform change in crumb moisture on storage at all levels of substitution. However highest loss of moisture occurred in bread samples supplemented with GG. Crumb firming kinetics using Avrami's model showed slower firming rates for GG and CMC. High complex modulus (G*) values were observed in breads with 0.75 and 1.0 % XG.

Interest of functional foods for low-income countries.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To understand the interest of functional food in low-income countries by analyzing various necessary factors. RECENT FINDINGS: Being on a low income would appear to relate most often to an unbalanced diet, both qualitatively and quantitatively, which may be damaging to health in the long term. Most chronic diseases of concern today are multifactorial in origin. For control, an approach in which medicines and nutrition are considered together and complement each other may produce most successful and cost-effective management of health risk factors and chronic diseases. Functional food may become an important player at the interface between pharma and nutrition, and merit attention from both public health and a marketing perspective. SUMMARY: In general, the health benefit of functional food is well established and the attitude both to functional food and to their low socioeconomic consumers is positive.

Artificial sweeteners - a review.

Now a days sugar free food are very much popular because of their less calorie content. So food industry uses various artificial sweeteners which are low in calorie content instead of high calorie sugar. U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved aspartame, acesulfame-k, neotame, cyclamate and alitame for use as per acceptable daily intake (ADI) value. But till date, breakdown products of these sweeteners have controversial health and metabolic effects. On the other hand, rare sugars are monosaccharides and have no known health effects because it does not metabolize in our body, but shows same sweet taste and bulk property as sugar. Rare sugars have no such ADI value and are mainly produced by using bioreactor and so inspite of high demand, rare sugars cannot be produced in the desired quantities.

Prophylactic and therapeutic role of catechin-loaded poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanocapsules in gastric ulcer by in vitro and in vivo approach.

Background: Gastric ulcer develops from imbalance of gastro-aggressive and protective factors. As existing drugs have adverse effects, use of natural products is in continuous expansion. In this study, we prepared nanoformulation with catechin and polylactide-co-glycolide to provide a sustained, controlled and targeted delivery. Materials & methods: Detailed characterization and toxicity study of nanoparticles were done on cells and Wistar rats. The comparative actions of free compound and nanocapsule were investigated in vitro and in vivo during treatment of gastric injury. Results: Nanocatechin improved bioavailability, reduced gastric damage at a significantly lower dose (2.5 mg/kg) by safeguarding from reactive oxygen species, restored mitochondrial integrity and downregulated MMP-9 and other inflammatory mediators. Conclusion: Nanocatechin is a better alternative for preventing and healing gastric ulcers.

Gastric ulcer, a chronic disease, has a widespread effect on the global populace. Side effects become an issue with available drugs, so natural products are getting acceptance. A promising nanodrug has been designed with catechin, the primary component of green tea, to offer enhanced potency at a lower dose. Toxicity and efficacy studies on laboratory rats have shown its suitability for biological use. In our experimental model of gastric ulcer in rats, nanocatechin was given as drug. It showed improved absorption and relatively fast healing without any adverse impacts. Molecular-level research demonstrated its role in restoring mitochondrial integrity. Thus, it may be an alternative choice for treating stomach ulcers in the clinical setting.

Critical Review on Nutritional, Bioactive, and Medicinal Potential of Spices and Herbs and Their Application in Food Fortification and Nanotechnology.

Medicinal or herbal spices are grown in tropical moist evergreen forestland, surrounding most of the tropical and subtropical regions of Eastern Himalayas in India (Sikkim, Darjeeling regions), Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, a few Central Asian countries, Middle East, USA, Europe, South East Asia, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. According to the cultivation region surrounded, economic value, and vogue, these spices can be classified into major, minor, and colored tropical spices. In total, 24 tropical spices and herbs (cardamom, black jeera, fennel, poppy, coriander, fenugreek, bay leaves, clove, chili, cassia bark, black pepper, nutmeg, black mustard, turmeric, saffron, star anise, onion, dill, asafoetida, celery, allspice, kokum, greater galangal, and sweet flag) are described in this review. These spices show many pharmacological activities like anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and antioxidant activities. Numerous bioactive compounds are present in these selected spices, such as 1,8-cineole, monoterpene hydrocarbons, γ-terpinene, cuminaldehyde, trans-anethole, fenchone, estragole, benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, piperine, linalool, malabaricone C, safrole, myristicin, elemicin, sinigrin, curcumin, bidemethoxycurcumin, dimethoxycurcumin, crocin, picrocrocin, quercetin, quercetin 4'-O-ß-glucoside, apiol, carvone, limonene, α-phellandrene, galactomannan, rosmarinic acid, limonene, capsaicinoids, eugenol, garcinol, and α-asarone. Other than that, various spices are used to synthesize different types of metal-based and polymer-based nanoparticles like zinc oxide, gold, silver, selenium, silica, and chitosan nanoparticles which provide beneficial health effects such as antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, enzyme retardation effect, and antimicrobial activity. The nanoparticles can also be used in environmental pollution management like dye decolorization and in chemical industries to enhance the rate of reaction by the use of catalytic activity of the nanoparticles. The nutritional value, phytochemical properties, health advantages, and both traditional and modern applications of these spices, along with their functions in food fortification, have been thoroughly discussed in this review.

Comprehensive Review on Fruit Seeds: Nutritional, Phytochemical, Nanotechnology, Toxicity, Food Biochemistry, and Biotechnology Perspective.

Fruit seeds are leftovers from a variety of culinary sectors. They are generally unutilized and contribute greatly to global disposals. These seeds not only possess various nutritional attributes but also have many heath-beneficial properties. One way to make use of these seeds is to extract their bioactive components and create fortified food items. Nowadays, researchers are highly interested in creating innovative functional meals and food components from these unconventional resources. The main objective of this manuscript was to determine the usefulness of seed powder from 70 highly consumed fruits, including Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cherry, Common plum, Cranberry, Gooseberry, Jackfruit, Jamun, Kiwi, Lemon, Mahua, Mango, Melon, Olive, Orange, and many more have been presented. The nutritional attributes, phytochemical composition, health advantages, nanotechnology applications, and toxicity of these fruit seeds have been fully depicted. This study also goes into in-depth detailing on creating useful food items out of these seeds, such as bakery goods, milk products, cereal-based goods, and meat products. It also identifies enzymes purified from these seeds along with their biochemical applications and any research openings in this area.

Palm sap sugar an unconventional source of sugar exploration for bioactive compounds and its role on functional food development.

Palm sap sugar is a sweetener which is made from the sap or nectar collected from different varieties/species of palm trees. It has huge scope as an alternative sweetener in Indian market. It is a natural alternative to unhealthy cane sugar and is more beneficial for farmers as well. Some of its characteristic features are low GI value and its macro (Glucose: 0.49-86.90 g/100 ml, Fructose: 0.26-1.61, Sucrose: 5.30-27.00 g/100 ml) and micro (K: 65.28-1326.0, Na: 2.85-117.5, Mg: 0.54-31.00, Ca: 0.24-79.00 mg/100 ml) nutritional content. Palm sugar also has impact on colour, aroma and taste profile of the final product. The taste, sensory profile and nutritional attributes of palm sugar vary on the basis of its species, region of growth and climatic conditions. At present, traditional processing of palm sap leads to lower yield and higher expenses. There is huge potential in the field of development in processing techniques (Traditional processing, spray drying, membrane technology, and vacuum drying) to optimize the production of palm sugar. Palm sugar and other products from different parts of palm can be used to make a variety of other value-added products like toffees, chocolates, cola, toddy wine, candy, and palm vinegar etc. The purpose of this review paper is to summarise the composition of palm sap, distinctive qualities of the extracted sap, various production procedures, nutritional and physico-chemical properties of palm sugar, and the development of functional foods using palm sugar.

Effect of freeze drying and oven drying on antioxidant properties of fresh wheatgrass.

The effects of freeze drying and hot air drying on total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant properties of flour from seven-day-old fresh wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) were investigated. In the quantitative analysis of antioxidative components, fresh wheatgrass samples had the highest amount of ascorbic acid and chlorophyll, but the lowest amount of total flavonoids and phenolics. In the analysis of ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), ethanolic extract from freeze-dried wheatgrass gave the highest value, while the α-tocopherol gave the lowest value. In the analysis of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging ability, freeze-dried wheatgrass samples exhibited the highest activity among the three samples.

Cereal based functional food of Indian subcontinent: a review.

Due to constant health awareness and readily available information on usefulness of different diet and their direct link with health, the demand of functional food is increasing day by day. The concept of functional foods includes foods or food ingredients that exert a beneficial effect on host health and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions. Increasing awareness of consumer health and interest in functional foods to achieve a healthy lifestyle has resulted in the need for food products with versatile health-benefiting properties. Cereal- and cereal component-based food products offer opportunities to include probiotics, prebiotics, and fibers in the human diet. Various growth studies using probiotic Lactic acid bacteria on cereal-based substrates and utilization of whole grain or components as high-fiber foods in developing novel food products lend support to the idea that cereal-based media may well be good probiotic carriers. It is essential that science and traditional knowledge should go together to find mutually beneficial results. In the Indian subcontinent, making use of fermented food and beverages using local food crops and other biological resources are very common. But the nature of the products and the base material vary from region to region.

Role of nutraceuticals in human health.

Nutraceutical is the hybrid of 'nutrition' and 'pharmaceutical'. Nutraceuticals, in broad, are food or part of food playing a significant role in modifying and maintaining normal physiological function that maintains healthy human beings. The principal reasons for the growth of the nutraceutical market worldwide are the current population and the health trends. The food products used as nutraceuticals can be categorized as dietary fibre, prebiotics, probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and other different types of herbal/ natural foods. These nutraceuticals help in combating some of the major health problems of the century such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, cholesterol etc. In whole, 'nutraceutical' has lead to the new era of medicine and health, in which the food industry has become a research oriented sector.

Phytochemical Characterization, Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-diabetic properties, Molecular Docking, Pharmacokinetic Profiling, and Network Pharmacology Analysis of the Major Phytoconstituents of Raw and Differently Dried Mangifera indica (Himsagar cultivar): an In Vitro and In Silico Investigations.

Mango (Himsagar cultivar) is a high moisture-bearing seasonal fruit and cultivated in a wide range of the world. Mango pulp is generally preserved by sun drying. In recent days, industries are using hot-air oven, freeze, and microwave drying for mango leather (dried mango pulp in the sheet like texture) processing. Here, all these four drying methods were studied to determine the effect of drying on mango leather processing. RP-HPLC and FTIR were studied for analysis of polyphenol profile and predominant functional groups in raw and processed samples. The phytochemical analysis and medicinal properties (antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activity) of all five mango samples were studied. The bioinformatics approach was studied to evaluate the bioactive potential of the phytochemicals derived from the samples. Freeze-dried mango leather was found to be the highest in DPPH (74.23%) and Superoxide (66.04%) activity, though raw mango pulp was observed with the highest H2O2 activity (73.24%). Gallic acid was the predominant phenolic acid present in all five samples and it was maximum in the case of freeze-dried sample (2.76 ± 0.04 mg/100 g MD). On the other hand, quercetin was the predominant flavonoid, it was found maximum for freeze-dried sample (3.93 ± 0.21 mg/100 g MD).

Dark chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches.

Dark chocolate gets popularity for several decades due to its enormous health benefits. It contains several health-promoting factors (bioactive components - polyphenols, flavonoids, procyanidins, theobromines, etc, and vitamins and minerals) that positively modulate the immune system of human beings. It confers safeguards against cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancers, and other brain-related disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc. Dark chocolate is considered a functional food due to its anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. It also has a well-established role in weight management and the alteration of a lipid profile to a healthy direction. But during the processing of dark chocolate, several nutrients are lost (polyphenol, flavonoids, flavan 3 ol, ascorbic acid, and thiamine). So, fortification would be an effective method of enhancing the overall nutrient content and also making the dark chocolate self-sufficient. Thus, the focus of this review study is to gather all the experimental studies done on dark chocolate fortification. Several ingredients were used for the fortification, such as fruits (mulberry, chokeberries, and elderberries), spices (cinnamon), phytosterols, peanut oil, probiotics (mainly Lactobacillus, bacillus spices), prebiotics (inulin, xanthan gum, and maltodextrin), flavonoids, flavan-3-ols, etc. Those fortifications were done to raise the total antioxidant content as well as essential fatty acid content simultaneously reducing total calorie content. Sometimes, the fortification was done to improve physical properties like viscosity, rheological propertiesand also improve overall consumer acceptance by modifying its bitter taste.

Study on gelatin-silver nanoparticle composite towards the development of bio-based antimicrobial film.

Nano-scale silver particle stabilized by gelatin protein was prepared through the reduction of aqueous silver nitrate solution by sodium borohydride. Gelatin concentration was varied against a fixed concentration of silver nitrate to optimize the gelatin to metal ratio. Gelatin-protected Ag-nanoparticle was characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All the samples exhibited similar yellow color with a characteristic plasmonic band of silver nanoparticles at 412 nm. TEM micrographs also showed the presence of nanoscale silver particles of approximately 3.9 nm. Since silver has strong bactericidal properties and at the same time relatively less toxic to human cell, silver in various forms is ideally suited for a wide range of applications in consumer, industrial and medical products The antimicrobial properties of gelatin-silver nanocomposites were tested by 'cup-plate zone of inhibition' method. The nanocomposites exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal activity.

Micro and Nanoencapsulation of Natural Colors: a Holistic View.

The applications of natural plant pigments are growing rapidly with the increasing awareness of the negative health impacts of synthetic colorants. Additionally, natural pigments possess various biological properties and therapeutic activities. But their functions are hindered by their poor bioavailability, bioaccessibility, low absorption rate, and susceptibility to destructive environmental changes during processing and delivery. Encapsulation is a method of entrapment of bioactive ingredients within suitable carriers to provide protection and for the appropriate delivery into the targeted site by the formation of particles or capsules in micrometer or nanometer scales. Encapsulation imparts several benefits including improved thermal and chemical stability, preserves or masks flavor, taste, or aroma, controlled and targeted release, and enhanced bioavailability of pigments. Micro and nanoencapsulation of pigments will provide extensive and intensive platforms for the development of a new stage in the production of novel and healthy foods. This review mainly focuses on the advanced developments in the fields of micro and nanoencapsulation of pigments.

The impact of raw and differently dried pineapple (Ananas comosus) fortification on the vitamins, organic acid and carotene profile of dairy rasgulla (sweetened cheese ball).

Pineapple, a tropical fruit that is well known for its excellent nutritional characteristics. Rasgulla (sweetened cheese ball) is a dairy based popular sweet found all over India. To enrich the nutritional profile, vitamin content, organic acid and carotene content profile of normal dairy rasgulla (sweetened casein ball) and to make it functionally more active for human health, fortification of rasgulla has been done by using normal pineapple pulp along with hot air, freeze, microwave and microwave convective dried pineapple pulp for overall comparative analysis and they are coded as PP, PH, PF, PMW and PMWC respectively. By using RP-HPLC method quantification of vitamin A, vitamin B group (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B12), tocopherols (α, ß, γ and δ form), vitamin C, carotene (α, ß, γ and δ form) profile and organic acid profile (oxalic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, propionic acid, succinic acid [SA], and fumaric acid) of all the rasgulla samples are estimated. A significant increase is found for differently fortified rasgulla samples in terms of vitamins content, organic acid and carotene content. B1, B3, B7 and B12 are found maximum in PF whereas B5, B6 and B2 are found maximum for PMWC, PP and NR. The maximum amount of vitamin C and tocopherol are found in PP and PF. PMWC is reported to have maximum carotene content compared to all other samples.

Characterization of phytochemicals, minerals and in vitro medicinal activities of bael (Aeglemarmelos L.) pulp and differently dried edible leathers.

Aegle marmelos (L.) is a seasonal fruit that contains significant amounts of bioactives like, phenolic acids (gallic acids, 2,3-dihydroxy benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid), flavonoid (rutin), organic acids (oxalic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, propionic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid), vitamin C, vitamin B group (thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin, cobalamins, riboflavin), tocopherols (α-tocopherol, ß-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol), carotenes (α-carotene, ß-carotene, γ-carotene, δ-carotene) and also rich in essential minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, copper, manganese). This study provides a comprehensive composition analysis (determined using RP-HPLC and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectroscopy). In vitro medicinal activities (antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-diabetic activity) are quantified for different bael samples. The study also investigates the changes of these bioactive components with freeze, sun, hot air, and microwave drying. The study gives a proper vision to preserve the nutraceutically rich pulp by converting it into fruit leather.