Comparison of prediction models for soy protein isolate hydrolysates bitterness built using sensory, spectrofluorometric and chromatographic data from varying enzymes and degree of hydrolysis.

The bitterness of soy protein isolate hydrolysates prepared using five proteases at varying degree of hydrolysis (DH) and its relation to physicochemical properties, i.e., surface hydrophobicity (H0), relative hydrophobicity (RH), and molecular weight (MW), were studied and developed for predictive modelling using machine learning. Bitter scores were collected from sensory analysis and assigned as the target, while the physicochemical properties were assigned as the features. The modelling involved data pre-processing with local outlier factor; model development with support vector machine, linear regression, adaptive boosting, and K-nearest neighbors algorithms; and performance evaluation by 10-fold stratified cross-validation. The results indicated that alcalase hydrolysates were the most bitter, followed by protamex, flavorzyme, papain, and bromelain. Distinctive correlation results were found among the physicochemical properties, influenced by the disparity of each protease. Among the features, the combination of RH-MW fitted various classification models and resulted in the best prediction performance.

Effect of pectin concentration on emulsifying properties of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae albumin modified by pH-shifting and ultrasonication.

The effect of pectin concentration on the structural and emulsifying properties of black soldier fly larvae albumin (BSFLA) modified by pH-shifting (pH12) and ultrasound (US) was studied. The results (intrinsic fluorescence, surface hydrophobicity, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, and disulfide bonds) showed that modified BSFLA samples, especially pH12-US, were more likely to bind to pectin through hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic interactions due to the unfolding of BSFLA, the collapse of disulfide bonds and exposure of hydrophobic groups. Thus, a BSFLA-pectin complex with smaller particle size, more negative charges, and a relatively loose structure was formed. The emulsifying activity (EAI) and stability index (ESI) of pH12-US modified BSFLA were significantly enhanced by the addition of pectin, reaching the highest values (associated with 174.41 % and 643.22 % increase, respectively) at pectin concentration of 1.0 %. Furthermore, the interface modulus of the emulsion prepared by the modified BSFLA was mainly viscous, and had higher apparent viscosity, smaller particle size and droplet size, contributing to higher EAI and ESI. The study findings suggest the addition of pectin to pH12-US treated BSFLA could be used in industry to prepare BSFLA-pectin emulsion with exceptional/desirable properties.

Effect of dual-frequency thermosonication, food matrix, and germinants on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spore germination.

The off-odors associated with spoilage of acidic beverages are linked to the germination and growth of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (AAT) spores. As a consequence, we determined the influence of nutrients, non-nutrient germinants, dual-frequency thermosonication (DFTS), and food matrix on spore germination. AAT spores in orange juice (OJ), supplemented by L-alanine (L-ala), had the highest germination rate and lowest DPA content at 10 h of incubation. The formation of microscopic pores in cell membranes during DFTS caused irreversible damage in AAT spores in citrate buffer solution (CBS); however, it stimulated AAT spore germination in CBS containing L-ala. Hence, the germination potential was established in the order: L-ala > Calcium dipicolinate > asparagine, glucose, fructose, and potassium ion mixture (AGFK) > L-valine. The conductivity analysis indicated that membrane damage could be a key factor contributing to the artificial germination in CBS. AFM images revealed that after 2 h of adding L-ala, the protein content increased with increased germinated cells. TEM showed that membrane poration and coat detachment were the main pre-germination morphological changes detected after DFTS treatment. This study provides evidence that germination stimulated with DFTS might be an effective strategy for reducing A. acidoterrestris spores in fruit juices.