Effect of osmotic pressure and simultaneous heat-moisture phosphorylation treatments on the physicochemical properties of mung bean, water caltrop, and corn starches.

This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties of modified starch prepared through the simultaneous heat-moisture and phosphorylation treatment (HMPT) and osmotic pressure treatment (OPT) for water caltrop starch (WCS), mung bean starch (MBS), and amylose-rich corn starch (CS) for different time periods. Furthermore, variations in starch content [amylose and resistant starch (RS)], swelling powder (SP), water solubility index (WSI), crystallinity, thermal properties, gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH), and glycemic index (GI) were examined. This study demonstrates that neither HMPT nor OPT resulted in a significant increase in the resistant starch (RS) content, whereas all samples succeeded in heat-treating at 105 °C for another 10 min exhibited a significant increase in RS content compared to their native counterparts. Moreover, the gelatinization temperatures of the three starches increased (To, Tp, and Tc), whereas their gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) and pasting viscosity decreased. In particular, the GI of all three modified starches subjected to HMPT or OPT showed a decreasing trend with modification time, with OPT exhibiting the best effect. Therefore, appropriate modification through HMPT or OPT is a viable approach to develop MBS, WCS, and CS as processed foods with low GI requirements, which exceptionally may be suitable for canned foods, noodles, and bakery products.

Evaluation of the Feasibility of In Vitro Metabolic Interruption of Trimethylamine with Resveratrol Butyrate Esters and Its Purified Monomers.

Resveratrol (RSV), obtained from dietary sources, has been shown to reduce trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) levels in humans, and much research indicates that TMAO is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of RSV and RSV-butyrate esters (RBE) on the proliferation of co-cultured bacteria and HepG2 cell lines, respectively, and also investigated the changes in trimethylamine (TMA) and TMOA content in the medium and flavin-containing monooxygenase-3 (FMO3) gene expression. This study revealed that 50 µg/mL of RBE could increase the population percentage of Bifidobacterium longum at a rate of 53%, while the rate was 48% for Clostridium asparagiforme. In contrast, co-cultivation of the two bacterial strains effectively reduced TMA levels from 561 ppm to 449 ppm. In addition, regarding TMA-induced HepG2 cell lines, treatment with 50 µM each of RBE, 3,4'-di-O-butanoylresveratrol (ED2), and 3-O-butanoylresveratrol (ED4) significantly reduced FMO3 gene expression from 2.13 to 0.40-1.40, which would also contribute to the reduction of TMAO content. This study demonstrated the potential of RBE, ED2, and ED4 for regulating TMA metabolism in microbial co-cultures and cell line cultures, which also suggests that the resveratrol derivative might be a daily dietary supplement that will be beneficial for health promotion in the future.

Sources, Degradation, Ingestion and Effects of Microplastics on Humans: A Review.

Celluloid, the predecessor to plastic, was synthesized in 1869, and due to technological advancements, plastic products appear to be ubiquitous in daily life. The massive production, rampant usage, and inadequate disposal of plastic products have led to severe environmental pollution. Consequently, reducing the employment of plastic has emerged as a pressing concern for governments globally. This review explores microplastics, including their origins, absorption, and harmful effects on the environment and humans. Several methods exist for breaking down plastics, including thermal, mechanical, light, catalytic, and biological processes. Despite these methods, microplastics (MPs, between 1 and 5 mm in size) continue to be produced during degradation. Acknowledging the significant threat that MPs pose to the environment and human health is imperative. This form of pollution is pervasive in the air and food and infiltrates our bodies through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. It is essential to assess the potential hazards that MPs can introduce. There is evidence suggesting that MPs may have negative impacts on different areas of human health. These include the respiratory, gastrointestinal, immune, nervous, and reproductive systems, the liver and organs, the skin, and even the placenta and placental barrier. It is encouraging to see that most of the countries have taken steps to regulate plastic particles. These measures aim to reduce plastic usage, which is essential today. At the same time, this review summarizes the degradation mechanism of plastics, their impact on human health, and plastic reduction policies worldwide. It provides valuable information for future research on MPs and regulatory development.

Potential antidepressant effects of a dietary supplement from Huáng qí and its complex in aged senescence-accelerated mouse prone-8 mice.

Healthcare is an emerging industry with significant market potential in the 21st century. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the benefits of tube feeding Huáng qí and its complexes for 8 weeks on 3-month-old senescence-accelerated mouse prone-8 (SAMP8) mice, 48 in total, randomly divided into 3 groups including control, Huáng qí extract [820 mg/kg Body weight (BW)/day], and Huáng qí complexes (6.2 mL /kg BW/day), where each group consisted of males (n = 8) and females (n = 8). Behavioral tests (locomotion test and aging score assessment on week 6, the single-trial passive avoidance test on week 7, and the active shuttle avoidance test on week 8) were conducted to evaluate the ability of the mice to learn and remember. In addition, after sacrificing the animals, the blood and organs were measured for antioxidant and aging bioactivities, including malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and catalase activities (CAT), and the effects on promoting aging in SAMP8 mice were investigated. The findings showed that Huáng qí enhanced locomotor performance and had anti-aging effects, with positive effects on health, learning, and memory in SAMP-8 mice (p < 0.05), whether applied as a single agent (820 mg/kg BW/day) or as a complex (6.2 mL/kg BW/day) (p < 0.05). Based on existing strengths, a more compelling platform for clinical validation of human clinical evidence will be established to enhance the development and value-added of astragalus-related products while meeting the diversified needs of the functional food market.

Circular Economy and Sustainable Recovery of Taiwanese Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) Byproduct-The Large-Scale Production of Umami-Rich Seasoning Material Application.

In this study, umami-rich seasoning powder was produced from the offcuts of Taiwanese tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) by cooking concentration and spray drying of granules while yielding an abundance of glutamic acid (0.23 mg/100 g), glycine (0.10 mg/100 g), aspartic acid (0.11 mg/100 g), lysine (0.10 mg/100 g), and 11 other aminic acids. It exhibited water content (3.81%), water activity (0.3), powder yields (68.83%), and a good water solubility index (99.89%), while the particle microstructure was a spherical powder. Additionally, it received the highest overall preference score (7.53) in the consumer-type sensory evaluation compared to commercially available seasonings. This study proves that offcuts may be part of the human diet after proper processing and can be widely used to flavor savory food. The producers involved could increase their economic returns while meeting the environmental challenges. The practical contribution could create incremental value for products to critical stakeholders at each point in the tilapia supply chain with an operational guide for transitioning from inefficient to innovative circular practices.

Investigation of the optimal production conditions for egg white hydrolysates and physicochemical characteristics.

This study aimed to investigate the potential of egg white protein hydrolysate (EWH) as a functional food by identifying the optimum production conditions for EWH with response surface methodology (the results of the sensory evaluation were considered as an essential quality indicator). At the same time, its physicochemical and biological activity was also evaluated. The optimal economic production conditions were selected: substrate concentration of 12.5%, enzyme content of 7.5%, and hydrolysis time at 100 min. The degree of hydrolysis (DH %) was 13.51%. In addition, to the better acceptance of the evaluation, it also helps to reduce the production cost of the protein hydrolysate, which is beneficial to future processing and applications. The antioxidant capacity experiments showed that EWH has good antioxidant activity, which presents a dose-dependent relationship. Hence, this study provides a theoretical basis for future research and application of EWH for processing applications, including dietary supplementation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05708-0.

Investigation of the physicochemical properties of the thin slices of dried pork meat paper mixed with squid.

Globally, the Peruvian squid (Dosidicus gigas) has the highest productivity among squid species. However, due to its high-water content and astringent taste, it has limited fresh food value. This study used Peruvian squid meat as the primary material to prepare thin slices of dried squid meat paper mixed with pork. Here, different proportions (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%, while 0% as the control group) of squid surimi have used to mix with pork for the meat paper preparation and the changes in physicochemical properties, microstructure, and sensory evaluation were analyzed. The results showed that the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) contents increased with the storage period, where 20% squid surimi substitution had the lowest TVB-N content. The 20% squid surimi substitution group had the highest expansion rate, the lowest peroxide value (PV), and moisture content. The food-borne microorganisms (E. coli, coliforms, and Salmonella spp.) were within the legal limits or negative. Hardness and crispiness, 20-40% squid surimi substitution were closely similar to the control group. This study has provided an effective investigation of the possibility of expanding the utilization of Peruvian squid resources by combining appropriate squid surimi with minced pork for high-quality thin slices of dried meat paper.

The relationship among knowledge, attitude, and behavior of workers on food safety in Taiwan's Company A.

In recent years, consumer awareness of food safety has been increasing, and food workers with professional food safety knowledge, attitude, and practical implementation are essential for maintaining the quality of food as well as preventing foodborne diseases. This study evaluates the knowledge, attitude, and implementation of food safety practices among employees in a food company in Taiwan. The employees were both who had received food safety knowledge and training and had yet to receive it. Data collection was carried out through 68 questionnaires, and analysis methods, including descriptive statistical analysis and multiple regression analysis, have performed. Before the first stage of education and training, 100% of the employees knew that food factories must conduct regular water quality testing. Still, the error rate for personal hygiene and safety was the highest. The second part has the highest average food safety attitude and the concept of food preservation. The third part of personnel behavior was to avoid cross-contamination. After the second stage of education and training of personnel in food safety knowledge, the attitude and behavior have been greatly improved. The findings of this study can be used as a reference for food suppliers to develop employee education and training.

Development of novel green methods for preparation of lead-free preserved pidan (duck egg).

Pidan, a pickled duck egg, is a traditional Chinese cuisine and generally produced by soaking in metal ion containing strong alkaline solution such as NaOH solution. However, nowadays consumers possess negative perception for using strong alkali in food processing. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the potential of incinerated eggshell powder and alkaline electrolyzed oxidized (EO) water for pidan production rather than harmful NaOH use. This study aims to obtain the optimal physicochemical and sensory qualities of pidan. Various dosing (1-5%) of the incinerated eggshell powder solution or alkaline EO water was used as a basic pickling solution. Duck eggs were pickled at 25-27 °C for 15-30 days with 3 days of an observation interval. Actual commercial process commonly undergoes for 14 days of ripening, after 25 days of picking process with incinerated eggshell powder or EO water. Results showed that physicochemical and sensory attributes of pidan obtained by incinerated eggshell powder solution and alkaline EO water were not significantly different (P < 0.05) from the commercial product. This study reports a cost-effective and green alternative method for pidan processing by replacing costly NaOH without compromising their physico-chemical and sensory attributes.

Application of egg white hydrolysate (EWH) to improve frothing functionality of pasteurized liquid egg in large quantity production.

Sterilized Liquid Eggs (SLE) are convenient for the baking process by minimizing the food safety risks of fresh eggs. Although these advantages were encouraging, the thermal effects of the pasteurization process had a negative impact on the functionality of the egg whites, thus making them unattractive to the food industry. Therefore, our previous study found that adding 1-5% egg white hydrolysate (EWH) contributed to the foaminess and stability in SLE. This primary purpose of this study was to confirm the feasibility of applying the optimum concentration of EWH for simultaneous evaluation and shelf life for batch production of SLE. The physical characteristics of the foam were analyzed by adding 1 ± 0.2% of EWH to SLE, and it was found that the foam with 1% EWH had better stability (low drainage), better viscosity, and similar distribution of foam bubbles size in the microstructure. No Salmonella infection has been found during the shelf life of 7 days. In addition, the highest overall acceptability has obtained using the large quantity produced SLE with 1% EWH to produce spoon cookies, followed by sensory evaluation. The cross-sectional height of the cookie and the distribution of holes in the structure were in line with those of the non-sterilized liquid egg white (NSLE). Hence, adding 1% EWH was found to the optimum concentration, which provides good foaming performance and stability of SLE. This study conveys a positive assessment to SLE producers and potential users, as it will increase their profitability economically while meeting the market challenges.

On the removal efficiency of copper ions in wastewater using calcined waste eggshells as natural adsorbents.

Eggshells offer many advantages as adsorbents, such as affordability without special preparations other than pulverization and calcination. However, the manufacturing industry generally has a severe problem with high concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater. The purpose of this study was to use eggshell byproducts and calcined eggshell treatment for the adsorption of copper in an aqueous solution. The reaction time, metal concentration, adsorbent dose, temperature, and pH were evaluated using primary factors followed by the response surface method (RSM) to investigate the optimum conditions for eggshell byproducts and calcined eggshell adsorption treatment. The results of the one-factor-at-a-time experiment showed that the optimal adsorption rate was obtained from treatment at 24 h, 25 mg/L, 10 mg, and 25 °C. In addition, the effect of pH on the adsorption rates of eggshells and eggshells with membrane were detected at pH values of 5 and 5.9 and found to be 95.2, 90.5, and 73.3%. The reaction surface experiment showed that the best adsorption rate reached 99.3% after calcination at 900 °C for 2 h and a 20 min reaction. The results showed that eggshells, eggshell membranes, eggshells with membrane, and calcined eggshells could be applied to remove copper ions from industrial wastewater. The adsorption capacity of the calcined eggshell is better than that of the non-calcined eggshell and has good neutrality in acidic industrial wastewater. Therefore, it is convenient and practical for practical production and application. Likewise, this study conveys promising findings in the context of improving wastewater treatment based on a circular economy approach to waste reuse in the food industry and represents a valuable direction for future research.

Potential antidepressant effects of a dietary supplement from the chlorella and lion's mane mushroom complex in aged SAMP8 mice.

Since the 1990s, the prevalence of mental illnesses, such as depression, has been increasing annually and has become a major burden on society. Due to the many side effects of antidepressant drugs, the development of a complementary therapy from natural materials is an urgent need. Therefore, this study used a complex extract of chlorella and lion's mane mushroom and evaluated its antidepressant effects. Six-month-old male senescence-accelerated mice prone-8 (SAMP8) were divided into positive control; negative control; and low, medium, and high-dose groups. All groups were treated with corticosterone (CORT) at 40 mg/Kg/day for 21- days to induce depression in the animals, and the effects of different test substances on animal behavior was observed. The positive control group was intraperitoneally injected with a tricyclic antidepressant (Fluoxetine, as tricyclic antidepressant), the control group was given ddH2O, and the test substance groups were administered test samples once daily for 21 days. The open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST) were applied for behavior analyses of depression animal models. The OFT results showed that the mice in the positive control and the medium-, and high-dose groups demonstrated a significantly prolonged duration in the central area and a significantly increased travel distance. In the FST, the positive control and the medium, and high-dose groups displayed significantly reduced immobility times relative to the control group. The blood analysis results showed significant decreases in triglyceride and blood urea nitrogen levels relative to the positive control and the medium- and high-dose groups. Notably, in the positive control and the medium- and high-dose groups, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increase by more than in the control group. In summary, medium and high dose of extract of chlorella and lion's mane mushroom could improve depression behavior in animals and have the potential to be antidepressant health care products.

Optimization of Concentration-Time, Agar, and Sugar Concentration for Sweet Gelatinized Adzuki-Bean Jelly Cake (Yokan) by Response Surface Methodology.

Samples of sweet gelatinized adzuki-bean jelly cake were successfully prepared and systematically analyzed to investigate the factors that affect the production, quality, and gelatin properties of yokan (gelatinized adzuki bean cake). The purpose of this study was to investigate the properties of gelatinized adzuki-bean cake gelatin and identify the optimal production conditions using response surface methodology with three factors: agar concentration, sugar concentration, and concentration time. Findings show that the optimum processing conditions are 1.2-1.5% agar concentration and 34-40% sugar concentration, with 30-40 min concentration time. These conditions produced a gelatinized adzuki-bean cake favored by the majority of the sensory evaluators. Overall, the relationships between different gelatinized adzuki-bean cake processing conditions and gelatin properties were preliminarily clarified. The findings not only provide a promising avenue for gelatinized adzuki-bean cake production but also promote the potential application of various processing conditions in quality improvement.

Effect of Thermal Treatment on the Physicochemical, Ultrastructural, and Antioxidant Characteristics of Euryale ferox Seeds and Flour.

Euryale ferox seeds (EFS) were less gelatinized, preventing the release of nutrients and functional compounds, resulting in limited applications in meals and the food industry. Nutraceutical importance of EFS includes starch, protein, lipids, 20 amino acids, minerals, and vitamins (C, E, and beta carotene). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of three different thermal treatments on EFS's physicochemical and nutritional properties and expected to improve its applicability. The results showed that the bulk density, thousand-grain weight, and hardness of thermal treated EFS were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), whereas the maximum decrease was observed in the industrial infrared heating-assisted fluidized bed (IHFH) treatment. Meanwhile, there were more crevices, fissures, and heightened porous structures in EFS between the pericarp and episperm and the endosperm after heat treatment, which facilitated grinding and water absorption. Notably, EFS's water and oil absorption capacities increased significantly (p < 0.05) with microwave and IHFH treatments. EFS ground's solubility into powder was increased significantly with thermal treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the functional properties of TPC, TFC, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and reducing power were significantly increased (p < 0.05). In general, the changes in the physicochemical properties of EFS and increased bioactivity were caused by microwave and IHFH treatments. Hence, it might improve the food value of EFS while providing valuable information to researchers and food manufacturers.

Synergistic Antitumor Effect of Oligogalacturonides and Cisplatin on Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells.

Cisplatin (DPP), a clinically potent antineoplastic agent, is limited by its severe adverse effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oligogalacturonides (OGA) and DDP on human lung cancer A549 cells. The combined use of OGA and DDP had a synergistic effect on the growth inhibition of A549 cells, changed the cell cycle distribution, and enhanced apoptotic response, especially in sequential combination treatment group of DDP 12 h + OGA 12 h. Western blot analyses showed that the combination treatment of OGA and DDP upregulated Bax, p53, and Caspase-3 and downregulated Bcl-2 proteins. More importantly, DDP-induced toxicity was attenuated by OGA and DDP combination treatment in normal HEK293 cells. Our data suggests that the combined use of OGA from natural sources and DDP could be an important new adjuvant therapy for lung cancer as well as offer important insights for reducing kidney toxicity of DDP and delaying the development of DDP resistance.

Assessment of oligogalacturonide from citrus pectin as a potential antibacterial agent against foodborne pathogens.

Foodborne diseases are an important public health problem in the world. The bacterial resistance against presently used antibiotics is becoming a public health issue; hence, the discovery of new antimicrobial agents from natural sources attracts a lot of attention. Antibacterial activities of oligogalacturonide from commercial microbial pectic enzyme (CPE) treated citrus pectin, which exhibits antioxidant and antitumor activities, against 4 foodborne pathogens including Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was assessed. Pectin hydrolysates from CPE hydrolysis exhibited antibacterial activities. However, no antibacterial activity of pectin was observed. Citrus oligogalacturonide from 24-h hydrolysis exhibited bactericidal effect against all selected foodborne pathogens and displayed minimal inhibitory concentration at 37.5 µg/mL for P. aeruginosa, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium, and at 150.0 µg/mL for S. aureus.

Antioxidant activity and emulsion-stabilizing effect of pectic enzyme treated pectin in soy protein isolate-stabilized oil/water emulsion.

The antioxidant activity of pectic enzyme treated pectin (PET-pectin) prepared from citrus pectin by enzymatic hydrolysis and its potential use as a stabilizer and an antioxidant for soy protein isolate (SPI)-stabilized oil in water (O/W) emulsion were investigated. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was found to be positively associated with molecular weight (M(w)) of PET-pectin and negatively associated with degree of esterification (DE) of PET-pectin. PET-pectin (1 kDa and 11.6% DE) prepared from citrus pectin after 24 h of hydrolysis by commercial pectic enzyme produced by Aspergillus niger expressed higher α,α-diphenyl-ß-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, TEAC, and reducing power than untreated citrus pectin (353 kDa and 60% DE). The addition of PET-pectin could increase both emulsifying activity (EA) and emulsion stability (ES) of SPI-stabilized O/W emulsion. When the SPI-stabilized lipid droplet was coated with the mixture of PET-pectin and pectin, the EA and ES of the emulsion were improved more than they were when the lipid droplet was coated with either pectin or PET-pectin alone. The amount of secondary oxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) produced in the emulsion prepared with the mixture of SPI and PET-pectin was less than the amount produced in the emulsion prepared with either SPI or SPI/pectin. These results suggest that PET-pectin has an emulsion-stabilizing effect and lipid oxidation inhibition ability on SPI-stabilized emulsion. Therefore, PET-pectin can be used as a stabilizer as well as an antioxidant in plant origin in SPI-stabilized O/W emulsion and thus prolong the shelf life of food emulsion.

Separation and utilization of pectin lyase from commercial pectic enzyme via highly methoxylated cross-linked alcohol-insoluble solid chromatography for wine methanol reduction.

The isolation and utilization of pectin lyase (PL) from commercial pectic enzyme for methanol reduction in wine production was investigated. PL can be separated from pectinesterase (PE) and polygalacturonase (PG) on HM-CL-AIS affinity chromatography at pH 4; however, it is difficult to further distinguish PE from PG. Some desirable physicochemical properties such as transmittance, lightness, redness, and lower total pectin content are found in the external enzyme adding groups (PL, PE and PG, and pectic enzyme groups) in comparison to the control group. Methanol contents in pectic enzyme and the PE and PG groups increase from 628 +/- 13 (control group) to 3103 +/- 16 and 1736 +/- 67 mg/L ethanol in the final products, respectively. Nevertheless, the adding of PL does not cause any increase in methanol content. The results present in this study suggest that the HM-CL-AIS column is a simple, inexpensive, convenient, and effective method for PL purification. Moreover, the partial purified PL is a potential replacement of commercial pectic enzyme for pectin depolymerizing, methanol content reducing, and wine quality improving in wine production.