Carnauba wax and adipic acid oleogels as an innovative strategy for cocoa butter alternatives in chocolate spreads.

The aim of this study was to replace cocoa butter substitute (CBS) with structured sunflower oil in chocolate spread partially. Two types of oleogel, 6% carnauba wax (CWO) and 2% carnauba wax with 4% adipic acid (AD-CWO) were substituted (at 20%, 50%, and 70%), and chocolate spread characteristics were evaluated. Various properties of chocolate spread samples were investigated as peroxide value, firmness, oil binding capacity, moisture content, molecular interactions, and molecular conformation of fat crystals. The increasement of CBS substitution by oleogel in samples significantly reduced firmness. The samples with 20% replacement formulated by CWO and AD-CWO had the highest oil binding capacity, 97.48 ± 0.21% and 97.73 ± 0.02, respectively. Moreover, oxidative stability analysis showed a positive correlation with an increasing replacement level over 90 days of storage. Based on FT-IR analysis, the new intermolecular hydrogen bond formation in the oleogel-based spreads network has been confirmed. CBS replacement with oleogels revealed the presence of stable ß´ polymorphs with low intensity. In conclusion, the carnauba-based oleogels have significant potential to substitute CBS in chocolate spread partially.

Molecular interactions of thymol with bovine serum albumin: Spectroscopic and molecular docking studies.

Thymol is the main monoterpene phenol present in the essential oils which is used in the food industry as flavoring and preservative agent. In this study, the interaction of thymol with the concentration range of 1 to 6 µM and bovine serum albumin (BSA) at fixed concentration of 1 µM was investigated by fluorescence, UV-vis, and molecular docking methods under physiological-like condition. Fluorescence experiments were performed at 5 different temperatures, and the results showed that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by thymol was because of a static quenching mechanism. The obtained binding parameters, K, were in the order of 104  M-1 , and the binding number, n, was approximately equal to unity indicating that there is 1 binding site for thymol on BSA. Calculated thermodynamic parameters for enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS), and Gibb's free energy (ΔG) showed that the reaction was spontaneous and hydrophobic interactions were the main forces in the binding of thymol to BSA. The results of UV-vis spectroscopy and Arrhenius' theory showed the complex formation in the interaction of thymol and BSA. Negligible conformational changes in BSA by thymol were observed in fluorescence experiments, and the same results were also obtained from UV-vis studies. Results of molecular docking indicated that the subdomain IA of BSA was the binding site for thymol.

Production and characterization of nondairy gluten-free fermented beverage based on buckwheat and lentil.

The present study aimed to optimize the formulation of buckwheat/lentil gluten-free beverages fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Physicochemical parameters of 14 different beverages, such as pH, acidity, total solids, ash, total phenol content, antioxidant activity, and sensory test, were assessed after 24 h of fermentation. The results showed that the numbers of viable cells of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria on the first day of the experiment were 9.9 and 9.6 log (CFU ml-1), respectively, which were over 9 log (CFU ml-1). During 24 h from the fermentation, the number of viable cells for all beverages decreased, which reached an average probiotic count of 8.81 log (CFU ml-1) that was statistically significantly different from the probiotic count before fermentation (p < .05). Cell viability was evaluated and shelf life was estimated during 15-day refrigerated storage. At the end of the storage (15th day), the beverages contained an average of 8.4 log (CFU ml-1) of live lactobacilli cells and 7.8 log (CFU ml-1) of viable bifidobacterial cells. The optimized levels of independent factors for sprouted buckwheat and lentil flours were 51.96% and 48.04%, respectively. The optimized probiotic beverage was contained 0.25 (% lactic acid) acidity, 5.7 pH, 7.9% total solids, 0.4% ash, 41.02% DPPH, 26.96 (mg GAE/ml) phenol compounds, and 8.65 log (CFU ml-1) probiotic count. The optimized beverage had distinct organoleptic properties on day 15 of refrigerated storage. This study showed that Bifidobacterium bifidum can be used for the development of potentially probiotic beverage with sprouted buckwheat and lentil.

Preparation of egg white powder using electrohydrodynamic drying method and its effect on quality characteristics and functional properties.

This research investigated the effects of spray drying (SD, set at 180 °C), freeze-drying (FD, set at -35 °C), and electrohydrodynamic drying (EHD) with and without the foam-mat method on egg white. The configuration used in EHD was a wire-to-plate type at room temperature. The results showed no significant difference in gel hardness and WHC% (P ≥ 0.05). Also, the foam-mat EHD powders resembled the FD powders in microstructure, appearance, flowability, and absorption intensity of the Amide I and II bands. Furthermore, the foam-mat EHD (DC-) powder had the highest protein content (66.1%), enthalpy (-183.06 J/g), and foaming capacity (725%) (P < 0.05). This finding was proved by FTIR, Raman, and SDS-PAGE tests, which revealed the minor structural changes in proteins (peptide chain structure, Amide I, Amide II, α-helix, and ß-sheet). FD powder demonstrated good protein stability in zeta potential and foam stability tests.

Protection of navy-bean bioactive peptides within nanoliposomes: morphological, structural and biological changes.

This study aimed to produce bioactive peptides from navy-bean protein with alcalase and pepsin enzymes (30-300 min) and to load them into a nanoliposome system to stabilize and improve their bioavailability. The degree of hydrolysis and biological activities (scavenging of DPPH, OH, and ABTS free radicals, reducing power, and chelating metal ions) of navy-bean protein were affected by the type of enzyme and hydrolysis time. The average particle size (83-116 nm), PDI (0.23-0.39), zeta potential (- 13 to - 20 mV), and encapsulation efficiency (80-91%) of nanoliposomes were influenced by the type and charge of peptides. The storage temperature and the type of loaded peptide greatly affected the physical stability of nanocarriers and maintaining EE during storage. The FTIR results suggested the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on the secondary structures of protein and the effective placement of peptides inside polar-regions and the phospholipid monolayer membrane. SEM images showed relatively uniform-sized particles with irregular structures, which confirmed the results of DLS. The antioxidant activity of primary peptides affected the free radical scavenging of loaded nanoliposomes. Liposomes loaded with navy-bean peptides can be used as a health-giving formula in enriching all kinds of drinks, desserts, confectionery products, etc.

Oleogelation of sunflower-linseed oils with carnauba wax as an innovative strategy for shortening substitution in cakes.

The aim of this study was to fabricate a carnauba wax oleogel with improved nutritional characteristics including reduced ω6:ω3 ratio and heightened alpha-linolenic acid through sunflower (SO): linseed oil (LO) in various ratios (100:0, 80:20, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, 20:80, and 0:100 %), for potential shortening substitution in cakes. Combining LO with SO up to 50 % improved oleogel properties considering intra- or intermolecular hydrogen bonding and crystallinity. These oleogels had similar thermal behavior and better morphological structure than oleogel prepared exclusively with SO (100 SO), with reasonable oil binding capacity and oxidation stability. Moreover, 50SO/50LO achieved reasonable ω6:ω3 ratio (1.49), and a healthier lipid profile compared to 100 SO (390.7). The prepared cakes with 70 % shortening substitution using oleogel were accepted in the sensory assay, and leads to a significant reduction in ω6:ω3 ratio (77.64 %), and lipid peroxidation (P < 0.05), so introduced as an optimal formulation for enhanced cake nutrition.

Combined effects of calcium-alginate coating and Artemisia fragrance essential oil on chicken breast meat quality.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of calcium-alginate (CA) containing Artemisia fragrance essential oils (AFEOs) as a potential antioxidant and antimicrobial coating on quality attributes and shelf life of chicken meat throughout keeping period (4°C). Five treatments were produced as follows: T1 (distilled water as control), T2 (2% CA), T3 (2% CA +500 ppm AFEOs), T4 (2% CA +1000 ppm AFEOs), and T5 (2% CA +1500 ppm AFEOs). The chicken meats packaged in polyethylene bags at atmospheric condition and physicochemical, microbiological, and organoleptic properties were assessed at days 1, 4, 8, and 12. There was no remarkable difference in proximate composition (moisture, ash, protein, and fat) of meat samples by treating with CA or AFEOs. The results revealed that CA +AFEOs coating reduced significantly the pH, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values and also displayed higher contents of the total phenolic content (TPC) and redness value when compared with control. According to results, 2% CA +1500 ppm AFEOs reduced 58.3 (mg MDA (malondialdehyde)/kg) and 0.63 (mg/100 g) of TBARS and TVB-N values when compared to control, respectively. The microbiological count showed that CA +AFEOs had a significantly higher inhibitory impact on the total viable count (TVC), coliforms, molds and yeasts. At day 12, 6.89 Log CFU (colony-forming units)/g was recorded for TVC in 2% CA +1500 ppm AFEOs, which was the lowest overall. This treatment also displayed the reduction of 2.97 Log CFU/g in coliforms and 3.3 Log CFU/g in molds and yeasts in comparison with uncoated samples. The outcomes of pH, TBARS, TPC, color values, microbiological count, and organoleptic properties suggested 2% CA +1500 ppm AFEOs as an efficient coating for quality stability and improving the shelf life of chicken breast meat without negative impact on organoleptic properties.

Polysaccharide extracted from Althaea officinalis L. root: New studies of structural, rheological and antioxidant properties.

A water-soluble acidic polysaccharide (AOP-2) from Althaea officinalis L. root was isolated by water extraction and purified by ion exchange chromatography (Cellulose DEAE-52) and gel filtration (Sephadex G-200). The structure characteristics of AOP-2 was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC_MS). The results indicated that the AOP-2 was an acidic hetropolysaccharide with the molecular weight of 639.27 kDa. The AOP-2 composed of 51% galacturonic acid, 32.56% rhamnose, 12.73% glucose and 3.71% galactose. It could be found that the main backbone chain of AOP-2 consisted of →3)-α-D-GalpA-(1→, →3)-α-D-Rhap-(1→ and→3,4)-ß-D-Galp-(1→ with branches of →4)-α-D-Rhap-(1→, →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ and α-D-Rhap-(1 â†’ . Thermal analysis revealed that the AOP-2 had high thermal stability and according to the results obtained from XRD analysis, it had a semi-crystalline structure. The results of Steady-shear flow and dynamical viscoelasticity showed that AOP-2 solutions exhibited shear-thinning behavior with high viscosity and a weak gel-like behavior at concentrations above 1% in linear viscoelastic region. In addition, it showed relatively high antioxidant property.

Preparation of nanobiocomposite film based on lemon waste containing cellulose nanofiber and savory essential oil: A new biodegradable active packaging system.

Lemon waste after industrial juice extraction encompasses of valuable bio-components that stimulated the development of novel and biodegradable films. Lemon waste powder (LWP) based nanobiocomposite films were prepared by incorporating different concentrations of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) (3 and 6% w/w) and savory essential oil (SEO) (1.5 and 3% w/w) in order to modify physical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties of the films. The fabricated film samples were characterized in terms of FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM and DSC analyses as well as mechanical, water vapor permeability and antimicrobial properties. FTIR and FE-SEM results indicated a good compatibility between LWP matrix and incorporated CNF and SEO. Physical and thermal analysis showed a significant effect of incorporating SEO and CNF on enhancing glass transition temperature, tensile strength and water barrier properties of the film samples. SEM analysis revealed non-uniform dispersion of CNF at higher concentration, while SEO incorporation improved the structure of the films. In addition, the LWP based films significantly showed antimicrobial properties against five food borne pathogens and this effect improved considerably by elevating the SEO loading concentration. In conclusion, LWP based nanobiocomposite films containing 3% CNF and 3% SEO could be introduced as a good candidate for development of active food packaging.

Development of behenic acid-ethyl cellulose oleogel stabilized Pickering emulsions as low calorie fat replacer.

This study investigated the optimization of thermal, functional and rheological properties of Ethyl Cellulose (EC)-based oleogel considering different concentrations of Behenic Acid (BA) and stability of water in oleogel (w/og) emulsions. The results showed that the combination of EC and BA improved the oleogel properties at specific ratios (2:4 and 1:5 wt%). High strength (G' > 1000 mPa) with good thermo-responsive and viscoelastic behavior in the range of 45-60 °C and low loss of oil (<0.2%) were observed in these oleogel formulations. Polarized light microscopy images and XRD results showed the presence of crystals and high proportion of crystalline regions in the mentioned formulations. There were no significant differences among solid fat content (SFC) of EC contained oleogels. The FTIR results indicated new hydrogen bonds formation. The w/og stabilized emulsions with EC: BA (1:5 wt%) oleogel showed high physical stability even at high ratios of disperse phase (5 to 45 wt% of water). The particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) of emulsions were reduced significantly to 250 nm and 0.19, respectively by increasing the ratio of water phase to 45:55 w/og. The oleogel and developed Pickering w/og emulsion has good potential in the formulation of low calorie food products.

Novel carriers ensuring enhanced anti-cancer activity of Cornus mas (cornelian cherry) bioactive compounds.

Cornusmas' bioactive compounds are powerful antioxidants. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant activity of the encapsulated bioactive compounds of Cornus mas extract (CME) and its release in semi digestive condition via enteric coated nanocarriers (NCs). The two forms of CME, encapsulated into enteric coated nanocarriers (CME-NCs) and free CME, were studied to determine the effect of encapsulation on the stability of antioxidants. Then, their effect on cell cycle, cell viability and apoptosis of cancer cells were studied. The characterization analysis reported the mean particle size and zeta potential value of NCs equal to 22.7 ± 6.58 nm and -16 ± 5 mV. The results showed that CME-NCs could improve IC50 value 1.33 and 1.47 times more than the free CME after 24 and 48 h of incubation. These findings confirmed that CME-NCs could stop the cells proliferation in G1 phase, and caused apoptosis in cancer cell line HT-29.

Latest developments in the detection and separation of bovine serum albumin using molecularly imprinted polymers.

Recently, enormous attention has been focused on the development of protein-molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). In this sense, bovine serum albumin (BSA) is well regarded as a favorite template in various MIPs-based biochemical/analytical assays mainly due to its low price, easy availability, and high structural homology to human serum albumin (HSA). Equally, the implications of BSA in the pathology of different human-related disorders necessitate the development of methods for its precise detection in biological samples. Accordingly, the current review seeks to provide an update on the design, synthesis, and characterization of the developed MIPs which have used BSA as template protein. Also, the recognition and quantification of BSA in different real samples using the prepared MIPs are discussed. Additionally, main strategies, such as surface imprinting, epitope-MIPs, microcontact imprinting and other methods to overcome the problems associated with the molecular printing of BSA are discussed here. The final discussion provides a comparative exploration of different approaches developed, emphasizing their relative advantages and disadvantages and underlining developments and possible future directions.

Preparation and characterization of carnauba wax/adipic acid oleogel: A new reinforced oleogel for application in cake and beef burger.

In this study, the reinforced carnauba wax (CW)-based oleogel with adipic acid (AA) was prepared and its potential for application in the cake and the beef burger was evaluated. As a result, the addition of AA in CW-based oleogels caused to form new intramolecular or intermolecular hydrogen bonding, and improve the thermal behavior and crystallinity of oleogels. Additionally, the increase of AA concentration higher than 3% of oleogel formulation significantly increased the strength of oleogels. The formulated food models (cake and beef burger) with partial substitution CW2%/AA4% oleogel as the optimized sample showed an acceptable texture profile, color, and organoleptic characteristics. Consequently, reinforced oleogel with carnauba wax/adipic acid in bakery and meat products can provide considerable promise to develop food products with lower saturated and trans-fatty acid.

Recent advances in the use of walnut (Juglans regia L.) shell as a valuable plant-based bio-sorbent for the removal of hazardous materials.

The effective use of agricultural by-products is definitely a major challenge in waste management. In the walnut fruit processing industry, large amounts of shells are produced as agricultural by-products and discarded or burned produced as fuel. Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is a valuable tree nut in the Juglandaceae family. The fruit is composed of four main parts: the kernel, the skin, the shell, and the husk. The importance of walnuts is mostly related to theirs valuable kernels. However, their shells are currently experiencing as much interest as their kernels due to the beneficial effects of the shells. In the past several years, walnut shell (WS) has been widely explored as a naturally inert plant-based biosorbent. In this review, we first highlight recent scientific literature regarding the development of adsorbents from WS in the form of carbon-based materials including unmodified/modified WS, and activated carbons (ACs). Next, we discuss the potential applications of WS-derived by-products as natural yet effective adsorbents for the removal of various hazardous materials including heavy metals (HMs), synthetic industrial dyes, and harmful chemicals.

Characterizing the interaction between pyrogallol and human serum albumin by spectroscopic and molecular docking methods.

In the present study, the interaction of Pyrogallol (PG) with human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by UV, fluorescence, Circular dichroism (CD), and molecular docking methods. The results of fluorescence experiments showed that the quenching of intrinsic fluorescence of HSA by PG was due to a static quenching. The calculated binding constants (K) for PG-HSA at different temperatures were in the order of 104 M -1, and the corresponding numbers of binding sites, n were approximately equal to unity. The thermodynamic parameters, ΔH and ΔS were calculated to be negative, which indicated that the interaction of PG with HSA was driven mainly by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. The negative value was obtained for ΔG showed that the reaction was spontaneous. In addition, the effect of PG on the secondary structure of HSA was analyzed by performing UV-vis, synchronous fluorescence, and CD experiments. The results indicated that PG induced conformational changes in the structure of HSA. According to Förster no-radiation energy transfer theory, the binding distance of HSA to PG was calculated to be 1.93 nm. The results of molecular docking calculations clarified the binding mode and the binding sites which were in good agreement with the results of experiments. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Extraction of red beet extract with ß-cyclodextrin-enhanced ultrasound assisted extraction: A strategy for enhancing the extraction efficacy of bioactive compounds and their stability in food models.

Improving the extraction efficiency and stability of red beet compounds has gained the attention of researchers due to their high nutritional and health benefits. In this study, ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) enhanced ultrasound assisted extraction was used for the extraction of red beet extract, and lyophilized extracts were characterized with FTIR and DSC analyses. The samples extracted with aqueous 5% ß-CD solutions revealed the highest content of betanin (2.243 ±â€¯0.04 mg) and total phenolic compounds (20.03 ±â€¯1.28 mg GAE/g DW), and the highest DPPH inhibition activity (59.87 ±â€¯4.94%). Additionally, complexation with ß-CD significantly enhanced the stability of betanin, phenolic compounds and antiradical activity in the stored beverage and gummy candy models at various pH and temperature conditions during 28 days. In conclusion, ß-CD-enhanced ultrasound assisted extraction is a suitable approach to extracting and stabilizing the red beet compounds for application in food, nutraceutical, and medical fields.

Photocatalytic/biodegradable film based on carboxymethyl cellulose, modified by gelatin and TiO2-Ag nanoparticles.

In this study, the composite of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) film modified with gelatin and TiO2-Ag nanoparticles (CMC/Gel/TiO2-Ag) was prepared and some properties of synthesized film including physicochemical and photocatalytic properties were investigated. FT-IR results showed that new interactions between the film components were created. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the TiO2-Ag particles with 50-100 nm distributed in the CMC/Gelatin film. The results of the mechanical test showed that the TiO2-Ag nanoparticles at low concentrations increased tensile strength (TS) and decreased strain to break (STB), but with increasing nanoparticles concentrations, TS decreased and STB increased. Photocatalytic study showed that the prepared CMC/Gel/TiO2-Ag film has good photocatalytic property. Gas chromatography was used to study photocatalytic effects of film. Increasing TiO2-Ag nano particles on the film increases the photocatalytic activity of films against NH3, ethanol and benzene.

Preparation and characterization of gelatin-based nanocomposite containing chitosan nanofiber and ZnO nanoparticles.

There is an increasing interest toward biodegradable active packaging because of consumer demand and environmental concerns. Despite this interest, poor thermal, mechanical, and water barrier properties of biodegradable polymers such as gelatin limit their application in food packaging. In this study, to prevail these limitations, the gelatin-based nanocomposite containing chitosan nanofiber (CHNF) and ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were fabricated and characterized by FTIR, SEM, and DSC analyses. The results showed the appropriate interactions between gelatin matrix, CHNF and ZnONPs due to their good compatibility. Additionally, the nanocomposite showed high mechanical and water barrier properties due to its high dense and less permeable structure. The incorporation of CHNF compensated the negative effect of ZnONPs on the color properties of gelatin film. In addition, the synergistic effect between CHNF and ZnONPs improved the antibacterial activity of nanocomposite. In conclusion, the fabricated bio nanocomposite indicated considerable potential for food packaging.

Recent developments in the detection of bovine serum albumin.

Albumin is a globular protein which plays a pivotal role in maintaining plasma pressure and the nutritional balance. Different compounds are transported by binding to albumin in the blood. Also, human health is closely related to the serum albumin concentration in blood plasma or other biological fluids. Due to the high structural similarity with human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been widely investigated as a model protein in different fields. Importantly, albumin detection has recently gained huge interest, as this protein serves as an important indicator of cow health, and its milk and meat quality. Also, it is also known as an allergenic and a carrier protein. As a result, it is highly essential to determine bovine albumin in various industries, such as medicine, pharmaceutical, clinical and food. Therefore, the development of new, efficient, fast and straightforward methods for selective detection of BSA is critical. This review seeks to highlight different characteristics of BSA and its importance. Then, by focusing on recent developments made in the last two decades in BSA biosensing and determination methods, the use of different biomaterials/nanomaterials is discussed.