Functional stirred yogurt manufactured using co-microencapsulated or free forms of grape pomace and flaxseed oil as bioactive ingredients: Physicochemical, antioxidant, rheological, microstructural, and sensory properties.

Functional stirred yogurt samples were manufactured with combinations of grape pomace (GP) and flaxseed oil (FO) in microencapsulated or free forms (2% w/w) and quality characteristics of yogurts were investigated during 21 days of storage. The incorporation of GP and FO in microencapsulated or free forms caused a significant decrease in pH, syneresis, and a significant increase in acidity, water holding capacity, and viscosity of stirred yogurt (p < .05). While stirred yogurt containing GP and FO in free form had the highest loss modulus (G″), all yogurt samples represented solid-like behavior. Stirred yogurts containing the microencapsulated form of GP and FO showed the highest amount of phenolics and antioxidant activity compared with the two other yogurt samples (p < .05). More compact structure and higher gel strength were observed in stirred yogurts formulated with the microencapsulated or free form of GP and FO, compared to the control yogurt sample. The overall sensory acceptability of stirred yogurt manufactured using the encapsulated form of GP and FO was not significantly different from the control yogurt sample (p > .05). In conclusion of this competitive study, GP and FO as bioactive compounds could be used in the microencapsulated form in order to develop functional stirred yogurt with specific quality characteristics.

Chemical changes of food constituents during cold plasma processing: A review.

There is a growing demand for the consumption of nutritious and safe food products. Cold plasma is a novel non-thermal technology that in recent years, has found numerous applications in the food industry. Study on the applications of this technology and its effects on food quality is increasing. Like any other technology, using cold plasma for the processing of foods can be associated with food quality challenges. This paper reviews the effect of cold plasma on the chemical structure of different food constituents as well as its influence on food characteristics. The emphasis is on the recent studies about the plasma mechanisms of action and chemical alterations of different food components. The studies show that the interaction of plasma-reactive species with food components depends on process conditions. Developing the functional characteristics and reducing the anti-nutritional compounds are of promising potentials of cold plasma. Finally, the research gaps, the salient drawbacks, and future prospects of this technology are highlighted.

Targeting PPAR ligands as possible approaches for metabolic reprogramming of T cells in cancer immunotherapy.

Despite the prominent progress in understanding cancer immunosurveillance mechanisms, there are some types of problems which have been identified to hinder effective and successful immunotherapy of cancers. Such problems have been ascribed to the tumor abilities in the creation of a tolerant milieu that can impair immune responses against cancer cells. In the present study, we represent possible approaches for metabolic reprogramming of T cells in cancer immunotherapy to overcome tumor metabolic impositions on immune responses against cancer cells. Metabolic suppression of effector immune cells in tumor milieu is one of the important strategies recruited by tumor cells to escape from immunogenic cell death. We have investigated the metabolic reprogramming of T cells as a method and a possible new target for cancer immunotherapy. Synergic effects of PPAR ligands in immunotherapy of cancers on the metabolic reprogramming of T cells have been noticed by several studies as a new target of cancer immunotherapy. The current wealth of data like this promises a future scenario which the consideration of metabolic restriction in the tumor microenvironment and administration of therapeutic agents such as PPAR ligands to overcome metabolic restrictions on T cells (refreshing their functionality) may be effective and enhance the accountability and efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

Developing an innovative textural structure for semi-volume breads based on interaction of spray-dried yogurt powder and jujube polysaccharide.

Addition effect of yogurt powder (YP, 2.96-10.03%) and jujube polysaccharide (JP, 2.08-4.91%) to the dough formulation of novel semi-volume breads was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to achieve the best physical (moisture content, specific volume and color parameters), textural (crumb firmness and springiness) and sensory attributes. A contrary behaviour on physico-mechanical and sensorial characteristics was found by adding YP and JP. An increase in JP content led to a significant reduction in the texture firmness and a remarkable increase in specific volume, crumb springiness and overall acceptability. YP had a substantial increase on the lightness, while JM significantly increased the bread redness. The optimum moisture (30.58%), specific volume (3.01g/mL), firmness (2.16N), springiness (58.48%), lightness (83.14), and redness (2.98) were obtained in the dough formulated with 5.16% YP and 3.62% JP. The optimal bread with superior organoleptic and microstructural properties compared to the control showed a lower moisture loss during the cooking and storage processes.

Relationship between Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus strains circulating in Iran and Turkey: possibilities for transborder transmission.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an important zoonotic viral disease that is asymptomatic in infected livestock, but poses a serious threat to humans. The high fatality rate may be due to phylogenetic variations in the virus, transmission routes, and a lack of an efficient surveillance system for the disease. The geographical features of the eastern and southeastern borders of Turkey may facilitate transmission of viruses between countries of the region. Therefore in this study we focused on the genetic relationship between Turkish and Iranian CCHF viruses based on their S-segment sequences. The research was performed on a total of 104 blood samples from small ruminants reared in southwest Iran. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed that Iranian CCHF virus isolates were closely related to human-originating Turkish Group II viruses from a European lineage reported previously.

Chitosan based delivery systems for mucosal immunization against bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1).

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), is a major pathogen of cattle which causes serious infections, including infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR)/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IPV). At present, BHV-1 is still a serious threat to animal health and productivity in Turkey, hence to develop a more efficient and economical vaccine system against BHV-1 is certainly an important necessity. A mucosal vaccination strategy would provide both mucosal and systemic immune responses to protect disease progression and transmission. However, vaccination through mucosal membranes requires adjuvants/delivery systems in order to enhance the immunogenicity of the antigens. Chitosan, which is a biodegradable, biocompatible and bioadhesive natural polysaccharide, has been shown to be promising both as a delivery system and an adjuvant for mucosal vaccination. In this study, microparticles with appropriate size (<10µm), positive surface charge and high loading efficiency (∼95%) were prepared for mucosal delivery of BHV-1, using various types of chitosan with different molecular weight and solubility. Particles were shown to be taken up by the cells, mostly around the nucleus, whereas with aggregates which were bigger in size were adsorbed at the surface. Furthermore, gel formulations with a suitable viscosity which would provide easy application and remain on the mucosa for extended period of time were also developed with a high zeta potential indicating a stable system. Both the BHV-1 loaded microparticle and gel formulations were shown to maintain cell viability and antigen integrity. Chitosan-based formulations are suggested as promising adjuvant/delivery systems for mucosal immunization against BHV-1.