Applications of capsaicin in food industry: functionality, utilization and stabilization.

As a bioactive component in Capsicum species, capsaicin is a compound of hot chili peppers which is known as the main substance responsible for the spiciness of these fruits. Besides its taste and physiological effects, it exhibits good antioxidant activity in food matrix and antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens and viruses. Considering its low stability and bioaccessibility, and also regarding its irritation, the entrapment methods of capsaicin are fully developed. To compensate the limitations of capsaicin, various encapsulation methods have been used so far, including coacervation, emulsion, spray chilling, and liposomal delivery. Capsaicin has been widely used as a flavoring and preservative agent in food formulations and even as an active compound in packaging film and functional foods. This review provides an overview of the techno-functional properties, stabilization procedures, and burgeoning usages of capsaicin in the latest studies of the food sector. So, it may introduce new windows for the application of this compound.

The biological activities of postbiotics in gastrointestinal disorders.

According to outcomes from clinical studies, an intricate relationship occurs between the beneficial microbiota, gut homeostasis, and the host's health status. Numerous studies have confirmed the health-promoting effects of probiotics, particularly in gastrointestinal diseases. On the other hand, the safety issues regarding the consumption of some probiotics are still a matter of debate, thus to overcome the problems related to the application of live probiotic cells in terms of clinical, technological, and economic aspects, microbial-derived biomolecules (postbiotics) were introducing as a potential alternative agent. Presently scientific literature confirms that the postbiotic components can be used as promising tools for both prevention and treatment strategies in gastrointestinal disorders with less undesirable side-effects, particularly in infants and children. Future head-to-head trials are required to distinguish appropriate strains of parent cells, optimal dosages of postbiotics, and assessment of the cost-effectiveness of postbiotics compared to alternative drugs. This review provides an overview of the concept and safety issues regarding postbiotics, with emphasis on their biological role in the treatment of some important gastrointestinal disorders.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Guilan Province, Iran, April 2020.

We determined the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in an affected area in northern Iran in April 2020. Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 528 persons by using rapid tests. Adjusted prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 22.2% (95% CI 16.4%-28.5%).

Red beet extract usage in gelatin/gellan based gummy candy formulation introducing Salix aegyptiaca distillate as a flavouring agent.

Nowadays, the functionalization of food products using natural health-promoting additives is of great interest. Betalains are the natural pigments of red beets and are known for their health-promoting characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate gummy candies formulated with red beet extract (0.1 or 0.3%) as the coloring agent, Salix aegyptiaca distillate as the flavoring agent, and gellan gum (0.5 or 1.5%) as the gelling co-agent. The prepared gummy candy samples were assessed via texture profile analysis, DPPH assay, sensory evaluation, and color analysis. The results revealed that hardness (~ 60 N) improved and gumminess (~ 15 N) decreased with an increment in gellan gum content in the gummy candy formulation. Statistical analysis indicated that by addition of red beet extract, the radical scavenging capacity of the samples increased (50%) significantly (p < 0.05). Furthermore, gellan gum usage lead to the generation of a glossy red color and enhanced the lightness of the samples in comparison with gelatin-based gummy candies. About sensory evaluation, the panelists confirmed that usage of Salix aegyptiaca improved the sensory characteristics of the gummy candy (overall acceptance from 7.4 to 8.2; out of 9). Our findings suggest that gellan gum (as a highly transparent, acid-resistant, gel-forming gum), red beet extract (as an acid-stabilized natural color), and Salix aegyptiaca distillate have immense potential in the food industry for use as structuring, coloring, and flavoring agents, respectively.

Synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer for the selective recognition of carmoisine (Azorubin E122) from pomegranate juice.

Since natural pigments are lost during the processing of beverages such as pomegranate juice, carmoisine, as an adulterant, is often added into the pure juice to improve color characteristics. In this study, molecularly imprinted polymers, as an adsorbent of carmoisine, were synthesized using acrylamide, methacrylic acid, and 4-vinylpyridine as functional monomers and then they were evaluated in terms of the separation and detection of carmoisine. Experiments on the batch adsorption of carmoisine 10 ppm stock solution revealed a better binding capacity for the 4-vinylpyridine-based polymer in comparison to methacrylic acid and acrylamide polymers. The complexation of carmoisine with the 4-vinylpyridine-based polymer was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The synthesized polymer exerted a high thermal degradation point and average diameter of polymer particles were obtained to be 0.2 µm by dynamic light scattering analysis. This work showed that detection of pomegranate juice adulteration with carmoisine is not necessarily difficult, time consuming or expensive with selective separation techniques such as molecularly imprinted polymers.

Cross-linked gelatin film enriched with green carbon quantum dots for bioactive food packaging.

Dialdehyde Persian gum (PG) was applied to reinforce the physicomechanical properties of gelatin films through cross-linkage. Carbon dots (CDs) from grape leaves were incorporated into the system to fabricate nanocomposites. Adding oxidized PG to gelatin and CDs up to 5 % improved tensile strength. The solubility of the oxidized PG/gelatin film increased with the addition of CDs. The water vapor transmission of the gelatin film decreased through cross-linking. Adding CDs to the films reduced UV transfer rates but increased the antioxidant activity from 16.66 to 94.08 %. The oxidized PG/gelatin film with CDs showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The fabricated films showed no cell cytotoxicity. Observed decreases in TVB-N and TBARS values, in trout fillets coated with the film containing 30 % CDs, resulted in extended shelf life up to 4 days. Cross-linked gelatin incorporated with CDs offers various applications in the food industry due to its functional properties.

Sub-micro electrochemical recognition of carmoisine, sunset yellow, and tartrazine in fruit juices using P(ß-CD/Arg)/CysA-AuNPs/AuE.

An electrochemical sensor was designed to identify food colorants in juices. A green polymeric nanocomposite (beta-cyclodextrin/arginine) decorated with gold nanoparticles-capped cysteamine was fabricated on the surface of gold electrodes. Field emission-SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed the morphology and the presence of all elements related to all stages of the electrode modification. For three azo dyes (carmoisine, sunset yellow, and tartrazine), the analytical linear range was 10-8 to 10-4 M, with a low limit of quantification of about 1 nM. The engineered chemosensor showed suitable selectivity for analyzing candidate dyes in the presence of interfering agents. According to the scan rate results, the mass transport was controlled by diffusion, and the reaction on the chemosensor was electrochemically quasi-reversible. The results for different fruit juices confirmed this method's high potential application in detecting artificial color adulteration in food products.

A novel photonic chemosensor for rapidly detecting synthetic dyes in orange juice using colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods.

Synthetic dyes must be monitored and regulated. We aimed to develop a novel photonic chemosensor for rapidly monitoring synthetic dyes based on colorimetric (chemical interactions with optical probes using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices) and UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods. Various types of gold and silver nanoparticles were surveyed to identify the targets. In the presence of silver nanoprisms, the naked eye could visualize the unique and distinctive color changes of Tartrazine (Tar) to green and Sunset Yellow (Sun) to brown; UV-Vis spectrophotometry validated the results. The developed chemosensor showed linear ranges of 0.07-0.3 mM and 0.05-0.2 mM for Tar and Sun, respectively. Sources of interference had minimal effects, confirming the appropriate selectivity of the developed chemosensor. Our novel chemosensor demonstrated excellent analytical performance for measuring Tar and Sun in several types of orange juice as real samples, confirming its incredible potential for use in the food industry.

Comparing the Effect of Premature Infant Care Training and Performing Auriculotherapy Techniques on Anxiety, General Self-Efficacy and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy of Mothers with Premature Infants.

Background: A preterm birth exposes the mother to many challenges in caring for and supporting the baby. This study aims to use training and auriculotherapy techniques as two simple methods to reduce anxiety and increase the mother's self-efficacy. Materials and Methods: This single-blind three-group clinical trial study was conducted in the Bahar Hospital in Shahroud, Iran, in 2019. The target group of primiparous mothers was premature infants. For the first group, premature infant care training was provided, and for the second group, auriculotherapy techniques were performed, and the third group (the control group) received routine care. Anxiety, general self-efficacy, and maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy were measured at the beginning of the study and before neonatal discharge. Results: Before the intervention, three groups were not significantly different in demographic characteristics, obvious and hidden anxiety scores, and general self-efficacy and lactation (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference between the control group and the two intervention groups with ANOVA test for self-efficacy (F2,87 = 6.60, p = 0.002), breastfeeding self-efficacy (F2,87 = 15.20, p < 0.001), obvious anxiety (F2,87 = 56.20, p < 0.001), hidden anxiety (F2.87 = 62.90, p < 0.001), after the intervention. In addition, there was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (p = 0.732). Still, the neonate's infant's mean weight before discharge in the two intervention groups was significantly different from the control group (p = 0.034). Conclusions: Teaching mothers how to care for premature infants and implement auriculotherapy techniques reduces anxiety and increases mothers' general self-efficacy and breastfeeding.

Physico-chemical and antimicrobial characteristics of novel biodegradable films based on gellan and carboxymethyl cellulose containing rosemary essential oil.

The purpose of the current investigation was to produce a novel functional composite biodegradable film by Gellan (Gla) and Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) biopolymers containing rosemary essential oils (REO) and evaluate their physicochemical and antimicrobial features. The film containing 5 % REO, due to its better mechanical properties (UTS = 13.44 ± 0.30 Mpa and SB = 21.14 ± 1.15 %) compared to other emulsified samples containing REO, was selected as the optimal film. Furthermore, it had less water vapor permeability (WVP = 6.60 ± 0.31 (g/mhPa) × 10-8) in comparison to control sample (8.21 ± 0.10 (g/mhPa) × 10-8) and the best color properties among the samples. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images didn't show the phenomenon of agglomeration and point accumulation of REO. Also, 5 % of REO contributed to the increased compactness of the film in comparison to the film without the REO. Based on the results of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, no new chemical bonds were created by adding REO to the biopolymer substrate, and the REO was well dispersed and distributed among the Gla-CMC chains throughout the film substrate. Adding 5 % REO showed antioxidant effects. Considering the antimicrobial tests, all films containing REO had antimicrobial effects against the Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas fluorescens bacterial strains.

Rapid and sensitive detection of tetracycline residue in food samples using Cr(III)-MOF fluorescent sensor.

As tetracycline antibiotics were used in the poultry sector, their residue in edible animal products may adversely affect food safety and human health. The development of selective and sensitive tetracycline sensors has garnered a lot of interest due to the complexity of food samples. Therefore, a fluorescent sensing probe based on chromium(III)-metal-organic framework was developed for the rapid detection of tetracycline. After the addition of tetracycline, blue emission at λem 410 nm was effectively quenched by the interaction between TC and Cr(III)-metal-organic framework material. Under optimized conditions (sensor concentration: 30 mg/L and pH: 10.0), the sensing probe showed a fast response time (1 min), and low detection limit (0.78 ng/mL) with a linear range (5-45 ng/mL). Interestingly, the Cr(III)-metal-organic framework was successfully applied to quantity tetracycline residue in chicken meat and egg samples with recoveries of 95.17-06.93%. To deduce, our work can provide a new strategy for the direct detection of tetracycline in food samples.

Red onion skin active ingredients, extraction and biological properties for functional food applications.

Onion is an important vegetable in the world and the second most important vegetable crop after tomato.Hence, the onion waste, such as onion skin, is produced in abundance causing environmental problems. Due to its bioactive compounds, especially phenolics and flavonoids, red onion skin can be used through appropriate methods for producing value-added products. These phytochemicals are proven to prevent oxidative stress and broad spectrum of microorganisms beside having diverse beneficial biological properties. Extraction step is the most critical processing in making phytonutrient available. Various approaches including conventional and non-conventional technologies applied for extracting different compounds from red onion wastes was summarized in this study. To evaluate the industrial application potential, the use of natural bioactives derived from red onion skin for elaboration of various food systems has been also investigated.

Red cabbage anthocyanins: Stability, extraction, biological activities and applications in food systems.

Red cabbage anthocyanins are of great interest as natural food colorants in the food industry; as they represent the color over a broad range of pH-values compared to anthocyanins from other natural sources. It is important to select an appropriate technique with high recovery of anthocyanins from red cabbage, among which extraction with organic solvents is the most applied extraction method. Currently, novel extraction techniques are employed as an alternative to the solvent extraction method, providing advantages such as higher anthocyanin recovery in a shorter time, lower solvent utilization, and minimum quality degradation. However, the incorporation of extracted anthocyanins into foodstuffs and pharmacological products is limited due to their low bioavailability and relative instability toward environmental adverse conditions, such as pH, temperature, enzymes, light, oxygen and ascorbic acid. In addition to increased structural stability of anthocyanins through glycosylation and acylation, their stability could be improved by copigmentation and encapsulation.

Optimization of orange juice formulation through using lactose-hydrolyzed permeate by RSM methodology.

Permeate is the by-product of the process of ultrafiltration in a kind of cheese making process in which a semipermeable membrane filters the liquid. It mainly contains 4.5%-4.8% lactose and 0.44%-0.47% mineral salts which make it a safe disposal issue. This study was conducted to use permeate and its lactose as an alternative to sugar, and to use these useful permeate compounds in an optimized orange juice formulation. Milk permeate, as a waste disposal of dairy companies, was applied in lactose hydrolyzed form as the cost effective sugar and water substitution in production of orange juice. The RSM optimization method was applied for formulating beverage mixture. The heated and nonheated permeate samples were incubated with ß-glycosidase enzyme in three thermal ranges (35, 40, and 45°C), 3 time intervals (60,150, and 240 min), and 3 enzyme levels (0%, 0.1%, and 0.2%). The degree of hydrolysis was determined by MilkoScan analyzer. In the next step, optimization of orange juice was accomplished with a mixture of sugar (10%-40%) and hydrolyzed permeate (10%-40%) with specific Brix through RSM statistical design. The physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation were measured during 8 weeks of storage. At the first stage of the study, the heated sample with 0.1% enzyme density, which was incubated for 150 min at 40°C, was yielded the best result. At the second stage, which was the juice production and evaluation, the statistical analysis showed increasing trend of pH and sugar content, but density and vitamin C showed a decreasing trend during storage time (p < .05). The optimal condition was obtained in taking 35% permeate and 41 days of storage in which the values of formalin, vitamin C, and sensory tests were in the highest levels.

Optimization of grape juice deacidification using mixture of adsorbents: A case study of Pekmez.

Grape syrup (Pekmez or Dooshab) is one of the nutritious products developed through grape processing. One of the main challenges in the industrial manufacture of this product is the utilization of traditional pekmez earth for tartaric acid adsorption. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of calcium carbonate, nano-silica, alumina, and activated carbon as adsorbents and also contact time in grape juice deacidification, and to determine the effects of these adsorbents on the physicochemical properties of grape juice by using the Box-Behnken statistical design. By applying different amounts of these adsorbents in grape juice, the magnitude of acidity decrement and the physicochemical properties such as acidity, pH, transmittance, the amount of reducing sugars, formalin index, and adsorption efficiency were investigated. Data analysis showed that different mixtures of adsorbents at different concentrations had significant effects on acidity and pH of the samples but no effects on the level of reducing sugars and formalin index were observed (p > .05). According to the results, the adsorption capacity with the highest calcium carbonate content (0.7 g/100 ml) was about 88%; the maximum acidity decrements of up to 92% were achieved using the treatments containing calcium carbonate, nano-silica, and activated carbon, while alumina failed to affect the acidity of the samples. Optimum conditions were obtained in 1.27, 0.21, 0.7, and 0.07 g/100 ml alumina, nano-silica, calcium carbonate, and activated carbon, respectively, resulting pH 4.3 and acidity 0.37% in grape syrup.

Gouda cheese spoilage prevention: Biodegradable coating induced by Bunium persicum essential oil and lactoperoxidase system.

This study aimed to prepare an inhibitory edible coating for Gouda cheese based on whey protein containing lactoperoxidase system (LPOS) and Bunium persicum essential oil (EO) in order to control postpasteurization contamination. Using a full factorial design, the effects of LPOS and EO on microbiological characteristics and chemical indices of manufactured Gouda cheeses were evaluated during 90 days of storage time. Listeria, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacter, Escherichia, and Pseudomonas species were considered as potential pathogenic and spoilage indicators of produced Gouda cheese samples. Chemical properties of cheeses were assessed using the free fatty acid, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid experiments. The results showed that bacteria counts remained constant in cheese samples coated with EO and also EO-LPOS. However, the survival of gram-positive lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacter spp. was more pronounced in LPOS-based coating. The most effective treatments on oxidation stability parameters in cheese samples were EO- and EO-LPOS coatings. By the addition of B. persicum EO and LPOS, further inhibition of the lipid oxidation of the cheese samples was achieved. Lipolysis, as a result of lipid degradation, was more pronounced in the control, whey-coated, and whey-LPOS-coated samples in comparison with whey-EO- and whey-EO-LPOS-coated samples during the final days of storage time. These results indicate that antibacterial, lipid oxidation, and oxygen barrier properties of the coatings were developed by the addition of B. persicum EO and LPOS.

Training in child care and carrying out auriculotherapy techniques for mothers of premature newborns: double-blind clinical trial / Treinamento em cuidados infantis e técnicas de auriculoterapia a mães de recém-nascidos prematuros: ensaio clínico duplo-cego

Abstract Objectives: this study aimed to investigate the effect of education and auriculotherapy on stress, anxiety, and depression, and coping responses in mothers with premature infants. Methods: this is a randomized clinical trial study at Bahar Hospital carried out with 90 mothers with premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Those eligible for hospitalization were included in the study and distributed into three groups before intervention: (30 ones in the control, training, and auriculotherapy groups, respectively). The mean stress, anxiety, depression, and coping responses in mothers were measured both at the beginning of the study and before neonatal discharge. Results: there was no statistically significant difference in terms of anxiety, stress, and depression scores between the three groups before the intervention. However, after the intervention, there was a significant statistical difference between these three groups, which was among the mean scores of anxiety, stress, and depression. In terms of coping responses, the mean emotional and problem-oriented score in all three groups before and after the intervention is statistically significant. Conclusions: educating mothers and auriculotherapy pressure therapy are simple and practical methods in reducing anxiety, stress, depression, and increase coping responses; consequently, they can be used in neonatal intensive care.

Resumo Objetivos: este estudo teve como objetivo investigar o efeito da educação e da auriculoterapia no estresse, ansiedade e depressão e nas respostas de enfrentamento em mães com bebês prematuros. Métodos: este é um estudo de ensaio clínico randomizado no Bahar Hospital realizado com 90 mães de bebês prematuros internados em unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal. Os elegíveis para internação foram incluídos no estudo e distribuídos em três grupos antes da intervenção: (30 nos grupos controle, treinamento e auriculoterapia, respectivamente). O estresse médio, ansiedade, depressão e respostas de enfrentamento em mães foram medidas no início do estudo e antes da alta neonatal. Resultados: não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa nos escores de ansiedade, estresse e depressão entre os três grupos antes da intervenção. No entanto, após a intervenção, houve uma diferença estatística significativa entre esses três grupos, que foi entre a pontuação média de ansiedade, estresse e depressão. Em termos de respostas de enfrentamento, a pontuação média emocional e orientada para o problema em todos os três grupos antes e depois da intervenção é estatisticamente significativa. Conclusões: a educação das mães e a terapia de pressão com auriculoterapia são métodos simples e práticos na redução da ansiedade, estresse, depressão e aumento das respostas de enfrentamento; conseqüentemente, podem ser utilizados em terapia intensiva neonatal.

Long-term effect of massage therapy on blood pressure in prehypertensive women.

BACKGROUND: Prehypertension is one of the cardiovascular disease predicators. Management of prehypertension is an appropriate objective for clinicians in a wide range of medical centers. Massage therapy is primarily nonpharmacological treatment that is used to control blood pressure (BP). This study intends to investigate the long-term effect of massage therapy on BP in prehypertensive women. METHODS: This was a single-blind clinical trial study conducted on 50 prehypertensive women who referred to Sedigheh Tahereh Cardiovascular Center, during 6 months in 2009. Participants were selected by simple random sampling and were divided into control and intervention groups. The test group (25 patients) received massage for 10-15 min, three times a week for 10 sessions, and the control group (25 patients) was relaxed in the same environment but with no massage. Their BP was measured before and after each session and 72 h and 2 weeks after finishing the massage therapy. Analyzing the data was done using descriptive and inferential statistical methods (Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, paired t-test, and Student's t-test) through SPSS software version 18 and a significant level was considered as P < 0.05. RESULTS: The results indicated that the mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in the massage group were significantly lower in comparison with the control group (P < 0.001). Evaluation of durability of the massage effects on BP also indicated that 72 h after finishing the study, still there was a significant difference between the test and control groups in SBP and DBP (P < 0.001), but after 2 weeks, there was not a significant difference in SBP and DBP (P > 0.05) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although massage therapy seems to be a safe, effective, applicable, and cost-effective intervention to control BP of prehypertensive women, its effects do not persist for a long time.

The effect of massage therapy on blood pressure of women with pre-hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Prehypertension is considered as a cardiovascular disease predicator. Management of prehypertension is an appropriate objective for clinicians in a wide range of medical centers. Treatment of prehypertension is primarily non-pharmacological, one of which is massage therapy that is used to control the blood pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Swedish massage (face, neck, shoulders and chest) on blood pressure (BP) of the women with prehypertension. METHODS: This was a single-blind clinical trial study. Fifty prehypertensive women selected by simple random sampling which divided into control and test groups. The test group (25 patients) received Swedish massage 10-15 min, three times a week for 10 sessions and the control groups (25 patients) also were relaxed at the same environment with receiving no massage. Their BP was measured before and after each session. Analyzing the data was done using descriptive and inferential statistical methods (chi square, Mann-Whitney, paired t-test and student t-test) through SPSS software. RESULTS: The results indicated that mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the massage group was significantly lower in comparison with the control group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study indicated that massage therapy was a safe, effective, applicable and cost-effective intervention in controlling BP of the prehypertension women and it can be used in the health care centers and even at home.

Study on effect of massage therapy on pain severity in orthopedic patients.

BACKGROUND: Pain as a main social problem has involved millions of people. Usually pharmaceutical methods use for treating pain but they have side effects which make them less effective. Massage is one of the effective ways for reducing pain after surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of massage therapy on pain severity in orthopedic patients. METHODS: This is a clinical trial study on 60 arthroscopic knee surgery patients who were hospitalized in men's orthopedic ward of Al-Zahra and Kashani hospitals. A two part questionnaire was used for collecting data. Samples were selected using easy continuity method and then they were randomly divided into two groups. In intervention group, besides routine treatments, patients were massaged by the researcher for 20 minutes each day and pain severity was evaluated before and after the massage. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS software. RESULTS: Results showed that there was a meaningful different between mean score of pain severity before and after the massage in intervention group (p < 0.001) but this difference wasn't meaningful in control group (p = 0.32). Also comparing the mean score of pain severity in both groups before any interventions showed that there were no meaningful differences (p = 0.34) but this difference was meaningful after interventions (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Considering massage as a safe and effective intervention, it could be used as an easy, cheap and executable method for treating pain in all medical health care centers and even at patient's home.