Advanced application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables preservation.

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables (F&V) play a pivotal role in modern diets due to their convenience and nutritional value. However, their perishable nature renders them susceptible to rapid spoilage, causing quality deterioration, safety risks, and economic losses along the supply chain. Traditional preservation methods, while effective to some extent, often fall short in maintaining the quality and safety of fresh-cut F&V. This comprehensive review examines the utilization of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) as a novel preservation technique for fresh-cut F&V. The review encompasses the production mechanisms, sterilization principles, classifications and application of SAEW. It explores the effects of SAEW on microbial inactivation, quality parameters, and metabolic pathways in fresh-cut F&V. Additionally, it assesses the synergistic effects of SAEW when combined with other preservation methods. SAEW demonstrates remarkable potential in extending the shelf life of fresh-cut F&V by effectively inhibiting microbial growth, suppressing browning, preserving chemical content, and influencing various metabolic processes. Moreover, its synergy with different treatments enhances its overall efficacy in maintaining fresh-cut F&V quality. The review highlights the promising role of SAEW as an innovative preservation approach for fresh-cut F&V. However, challenges regarding its widespread implementation and potential limitations require further exploration. Overall, SAEW stands as a significant contender in ensuring the safety and quality of fresh-cut F&V paving the way for future research and application in the food industry.

Physicochemical and microbiological evaluation of treated Gastrodia elata with combination of slightly acidic electrolyzed water and lithium magnesium silicate under certain temperatures and different storage periods.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of slightly acidic electrolyzed water combined with lithium magnesium silicate hydrosol on the quality of fresh slices of Gastrodia elata under varying storage temperatures, including room temperature fresh slices of Gastrodia elata 25 °C and 37 °C. Fresh slices of Gastrodia elata 25 and 37 samples were stored for 13 days and extensively analyzed for color, weight loss, decay index, bacterial count, vitamin C, and polysaccharide contents during different storage periods. The findings revealed that the slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol treatment notably decreased weight loss and decay index compared to distilled water and slightly acidic electrolyzed water treatments. Moreover, fresh slices of Gastrodia elata treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol exhibited untraceable bacterial counts after 3 days, with counts starting to increase after 7 days of storage. The bacterial counts rose from 3.25 to 5.36 and from 4.13 to 5.79 log CFU/g under both storage conditions. The application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol resulted in reduced chromaticity values of L*, a*, and b* on the Gastrodia elata surface, along with a lower percentage loss of polysaccharide contents and vitamin C compared to distilled water and slightly acidic electrolyzed water treatments. These results suggested that Gastrodia elata treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol maintained its quality characteristics and nutritional attributes, exhibiting greater stability during storage.

Electrolyzed water combined with ozone treatment for efficient removal of mancozeb residues from grapes.

Existing cleaning methods mainly focus on removing free-state pesticides. However, mancozeb can bind to the wax layer of grapes, forming bound-state residues that are difficult to remove. This study aims to develop an effective cleaning strategy to eliminate both free and bound mancozeb residues from grapes. Compared with the untreated mancozeb aqueous solution, the concentration of free mancozeb significantly decreased (p < 0.05) after treatment with ozonated water (OW), electrolyzed water (EW), and their combination (OW+EW) for 60 min. The combined treatment synergistically promoted mancozeb degradation, thus reducing its half-life to 38% and 75% of that observed when OW and EW were used alone, respectively. To investigate the effect of the waxy layer on mancozeb removal, oleanolic acid (OLA) was selected as a representative component. The binding effect of OLA limited the degradation of mancozeb in OW and EW, extending its half-life by 1.27 and 1.20 times, respectively. Density functional theory elucidated the mechanism by which the binding of OLA affects the degradation of mancozeb. Interestingly, the decomposition of mancozeb in OW + EW was almost unaffected by the introduction of OLA, indicating that the combined treatment could effectively remove bound-state mancozeb. The combined treatment was then successfully applied to remove mancozeb from grapes. After exposure to OW + EW for 10 min, the removal efficiency of mancozeb reached up to 80.61% with minimal risks of ethylene thiourea formation. There was no obvious change in the surface color of grapes after treatment. The findings provide valuable guidance for removing mancozeb from fresh fruits rich in waxy coatings.

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water treatment enhances the quality attributes and the storability of postharvest litchis through regulating the metabolism of reactive oxygen species.

Effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on the storability, quality attributes, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism of litchis were investigated. Results showed that SAEW-treated litchis presented better quality attributes and storability than control litchis. On storage day 5, the commercially acceptable fruit rate of control litchis was 42%, while SAEW-treated litchis displayed 59% higher rate of commercially acceptable fruit, 21% lower pericarp browning index, and 13% lower weight loss percentage than control litchis. Additionally, compared to control litchis, SAEW-treated litchis demonstrated higher activities of SOD, CAT and APX, higher levels of GSH, AsA, DPPH radical scavenging ability, and reducing power, but lower O2 -· generation rate, lower levels of H2O2 and MDA. These findings indicated that SAEW treatment could elevate antioxidant capacity and ROS scavenging ability, reduce ROS production and accumulation, and lower membrane lipid peroxidation, thereby retaining the quality attributes and storability of litchis.

Oral Hygiene With Neutral Electrolyzed Water and Systemic Therapy Increases Gastric Helicobacter pylori Eradication and Reduces Recurrence.

OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori gastric infection strongly correlates with gastric diseases such as chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, and complications such as peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. In developing countries, systemic therapies are not usually successful due to elevated antibiotic resistance. Additionally, oral H. pylori infection and periodontal disease correlate with gastric treatment failures. This study aimed to explore the effect of an integral therapy, comprising oral hygiene and concomitant systemic treatment, to increase the eradication of gastric infection and recurrences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized, four-arm, parallel-group, open-label clinical trial was conducted to investigate the efficacy of integral therapy to eradicate gastric H. pylori infection and avoid recurrences in double-positive (real-time PCR oral and gastric infection) patients. Oral hygiene involved mouthwash with neutral electrolyzed water (NEW), with or without periodontal treatment. One hundred patients were equally distributed into four groups: NS, NS-PT, NEW, and NEW-PT. All patients had concomitant systemic therapy and additionally, the following oral treatments: mouthwash with normal saline (NS), periodontal treatment and mouthwash with normal saline (NS-PT), mouthwash with NEW (NEW), and periodontal treatment and mouthwash with NEW (NEW-PT). Gastric and oral infection and symptoms were evaluated one and four months after treatments. RESULTS: Integral therapy with NEW-PT increased gastric eradication rates compared with NS or NS-PT (84%-96% vs. 20%-56%; p < 0.001). Even more, a protective effect of 81.2% (RR = 0.1877; 95% CI: 0.0658-0.5355; p = 0.0018) against recurrences and 76.6% (RR = 0.2439; 95% CI: 0.1380-0.4310; p < 0.001) against treatment failure (eradication of infection and associated symptoms) was observed in patients from the NEW and NEW-PT groups. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of oral hygiene and systemic treatment can increase the eradication of gastric infection, associated symptoms, and recurrences. NEW is recommended as an antiseptic mouthwash due to its efficacy and short- and long-term safety.

Effect of combined electrolyzed reduced water and slightly acidic electrolyzed water spraying on the control of Salmonella, eggshell quality, and shelf life of eggs during storage.

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) is a safe and effective disinfectant, but its sterilizing efficiency is compromised by organic matter on the egg surface. Electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) is a harmless cleaner with a decontamination effect on a variety of surfaces and can be used to remove organic matter. This study assesses the effectiveness of a combination of ERW and SAEW in eliminating Salmonella and manure mixture from egg surfaces, as well as its impact on egg quality during storage. The results show that ERW (74.14%) was more effective than deionized water (DW, 64.69%) and SAEW (70.20%) (P < 0.05) in removing manure from egg surfaces. The damage to the cuticle of eggshell treated with ERW for 28 s was similar to that of DW (P > 0.05) and less than that of SAEW (P < 0.05). Spraying ERW for 10 s followed by SAEW for 18 s (ERW + SAEW) completely removed Salmonella from the egg surface, with no bacteria detected in the residual wash solution. Additionally, ERW + SAEW demonstrated superior preservation of egg quality during storage at 25℃ than the control and ERW single treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, ERW + SAEW resulted in less weight loss compared to SAEW single treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the sequential use of ERW and SAEW appears to be a promising approach for sterilizing eggs. It not only removes organic matter and Salmonella from the egg surface but also improves the preservation quality of the egg at 25 ℃.

Effects of combined treatment with hydrogen-rich electrolyzed water and tea polyphenols on oxidative stress, intestinal injury and intestinal flora disruption in heat-stressed mice.

Heat stress (HS) can cause damage to the organism, especially the intestinal tract. In this paper, we investigated the effects of the combined action of tea polyphenols (TP) and hydrogen-rich electrolyzed water (HRW) on HS in mice. The combination of HRW feeding and TP of intraperitoneal injection was screened by in vitro antioxidant activity assay. The results revealed that the combined treatment was more helpful in alleviating the effects of HS on the behavior, growth performance, oxidative damage, and intestinal tract of mice compared with the respective treatments of TP and HRW (P < 0.05). Additionally, the combined treatment could repair HS-induced intestinal dysbiosis in mice, augmenting the number and abundance of bacteria, increasing the number of beneficial genera (Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Lactobacillus), and decreasing the number of harmful genera (Desulfovibrio and Enterorhabdus), and the effect was significantly better than that of individual treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the combined treatment of TP and HRW effectively mitigates the adverse effects of HS on mouse behavior, growth performance, oxidative damage, and intestinal dysbiosis, surpassing the efficacy of individual treatments with TP or HRW alone.

Isolation and Identification of Postharvest Rot Pathogens in Citrus × tangelo and Their Potential Inhibition with Acidic Electrolyzed Water.

This study focused on the identification of rot-causing fungi in Citrus × tangelo (tangelo) with a particular emphasis on investigating the inhibitory effects of acidic electrolyzed water on the identified pathogens. The dominant strains responsible for postharvest decay were isolated from infected tangelo fruits and characterized through morphological observation, molecular identification, and pathogenicity detection. Two strains were isolated from postharvest diseased tangelo fruits, cultured and morphologically characterized, and had their gene fragments amplified using primers ITS1 and ITS4. The results revealed the rDNA-ITS sequence of two dominant pathogens were 100% homologous with those of Penicillium citrinum and Aspergillus sydowii. These isolated fungi were confirmed to induce tangelo disease, and subsequent re-isolation validated their consistency with the inoculum. Antifungal tests demonstrated that acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on P. citrinum and A. sydowii, with EC50 values of 85.4 µg/mL and 60.12 µg/mL, respectively. The inhibition zones of 150 µg/mL AEW to 2 kinds of pathogenic fungi were over 75 mm in diameter. Furthermore, treatment with AEW resulted in morphological changes such as bending and shrinking of the fungal hyphae surface. In addition, extracellular pH, conductivity, and absorbance at 260 nm of the fungi hypha significantly increased post-treatment with AEW. Pathogenic morphology and IST sequencing analysis confirmed P. citrinum and A. sydowii as the primary pathogenic fungi, with their growth effectively inhibited by AEW.

Effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water on the quality and antioxidant capacity of fresh red waxy corn during postharvest cold storage.

Fresh red waxy corn is consumed worldwide because of its unique flavor and rich nutrients, but it is susceptible to deterioration with a short shelf life. This study explored the effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) treatment on the quality and antioxidant capacity of fresh red waxy corn during postharvest cold storage up to 40 d. The SAEW treatment exhibited lower weight loss, softer firmness, and higher total soluble solids (TSS) and moisture content than the control group. Correspondingly, the SAEW maintained the microstructure of endosperm cell wall and starch granules of fresh red waxy corn kernels well, contributing to good sensory quality. Furthermore, SAEW effectively reduced the accumulation of H2O2 content, elevated the O2 -· scavenging ability, maintained higher CAT and APX activities, and decreased the decline of the flavonoids and anthocyanin during the storage. These results revealed that the SAEW treatment could be a promising preservation method to maintain higher-quality attributes and the antioxidant capacity of fresh red waxy corn during postharvest cold storage.

Novel thawing method of ultrasound-assisted slightly basic electrolyzed water improves the processing quality of frozen shrimp compared with traditional thawing approaches.

Thawing is the primary step in handling frozen aquatic products, which directly determines their end-product quality. This study firstly constructed a novel thawing method of ultrasound-assisted slightly basic electrolyzed water (UST), and its influences on the physicochemical and histological properties of shrimp, as well as the structural of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) in shrimp were evaluated. Results indicated that the UST treatment greatly reduced 48.9 % thawing time of frozen shrimp compared to traditional thawing approaches. Meanwhile, the UST effectively decreased the generation of malondialdehyde (MDA), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and carbonyl compounds in the thawed shrimps. In addition, it significantly preserved the elasticity and integrity of muscle fiber. Notably, the UST reduced the damage of thawing to the spatial structures of MPs, thereby greatly keeping the stability of protein. All these favorable changes maintained the water holding capacity (WHC) and quality of shrimp. Therefore, the UST is a promising non-thermal thawing technology for aquatic products.

Acidic Electrolyzed Water Maintains the Storage Quality of Postharvest Wampee Fruit by Activating the Disease Resistance.

Harvested wampee fruit is susceptible to disease, resulting in postharvest losses. Acidic electrolyzed water (AEW), a safe and innovative sterilization technology, plays a role in enhancing disease resistance in harvested produce. In this study, the efficacy of AEW in delaying wampee disease development was assessed, along with its association with disease resistance metabolism. Wampee fruit was treated with AEW (pH 2.5) at different available chlorine concentrations (ACCs) (20, 40, 60, and 80 mg/L) and subsequently stored at 25 °C for 8 days. Results revealed that 40 mg/L ACC in AEW (pH 2.5) was most effective in improving the postharvest quality of wampee fruit. Compared with control wampee fruit, those treated with 40 mg/L ACC in AEW exhibited lower incidence of fruit disease, higher pericarp lignin content, and higher activities of pericarp disease resistance enzymes (DREs), such as cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chitinase, ß-1,3-glucanase, polyphenol oxidase, 4-coumarate CoA ligase, and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase. These results suggested that AEW elevated DRE activities, promoted lignin accumulation, and ultimately enhanced disease resistance, suppressed disease development, and improved storage quality in harvested wampee fruit. Consequently, AEW emerged as a safe technology to mitigate the disease development and enhance the storage quality of harvested wampee fruit.

Bactericidal efficacy of lithium magnesium silicate hydrosol incorporated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water in disinfection application against Escherichia coli.

In food safety implementation, bacterial inactivation is an imperative aspect of hygiene and sanitation. Studies on lithium magnesium silicate (LMS) hydrosol incorporated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) for decontamination of pathogenic bacteria are limited. This present study aimed to investigate the bactericidal efficacy of LMS hydrosol incorporated with SAEW against Escherichia coli. Optimum combination conditions of SAEW, hydrosol concentration, and available chlorine concentration (ACC) were optimized by response surface methodology under the central composite design against the growth of E. coli. The optimum combination conditions of exposure time, hydrosol concentration, and ACC were 9.5 minutes, 1.7%, and 20.5 ppm, respectively. The results showed that the increase in ACC led to inactivation in the survival of E. coli compared with the control (p<0.05). It can be concluded that the best combination percentage between SAEW and hydrosol ranged from 1.5-1.7%, in which E. coli was reduced by 4.50 log10 CFU/mL at an ACC of 9.94 ppm. When increasing the ACC to 14.84 ppm, E. coli was reduced by 4.51 log10 CFU/mL compared with the initial number of bacteria (8.20 log10 CFU/mL) in the control group. The number of bacteria was undetected after increasing ACC to 19.93, 25.15, and 29.88 ppm at 10 min. This study suggests that LMS hydrosol incorporated with SAEW could potentially be used as an effective sanitizer.

Recent advances in activated water systems for the postharvest management of quality and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Over the last three decades, decontamination management of fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) in the packhouses and along the supply chains has been heavily dependent on chemical-based wash. This has resulted in the emergence of resistant foodborne pathogens and often the deposition of disinfectant byproducts on FFVs, rendering them unacceptable to consumers. The management of foodborne pathogens, microbial contaminants, and quality of FFVs are a major concern for the horticultural industries and public health. Activated water systems (AWS), such as electrolyzed water, plasma-activated water, and micro-nano bubbles, have gained significant attention from researchers over the last decade due to their nonthermal and nontoxic mode of action for microbial inactivation and preservation of FFVs quality. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of recent progress on the application of AWS and their effects on quality attributes and microbial safety of FFVs. An overview of the different types of AWS and their properties is provided. Furthermore, the review highlights the chemistry behind generation of reactive species and the impact of AWS on the quality attributes of FFVs and on the inactivation/reduction of spoilage and pathogenic microbes (in vivo or in vitro). The mechanisms of action of microorganism inactivation are discussed. Finally, this work highlights challenges and limitations for commercialization and safety and regulation issues of AWS. The synergistic prospect on combining AWS for maximum microorganism inactivation effectiveness is also considered. AWS offers a potential alternative as nonchemical interventions to maintain quality attributes, inactivate spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, and extend the shelf-life for FFVs.

Different electrolytic treatments for food sanitation and conservation simulating a wash process at the packinghouse.

Microorganisms are predominantly responsible for food deterioration, necessitating the sanitization and removal of these entities from food surfaces. The packinghouse employs free chlorine in the sanitization process; however, free chlorine's propensity to react with organic matter, forming potentially toxic compounds, has led to its restriction or outright prohibition in several European countries. Therefore, this study aims to assess various washing methods, emulating packinghouse conditions, utilizing diverse forms of electrolyzed water to impede microbial proliferation and significantly enhance the food's shelf life. The subject of investigation was cherry tomatoes. The findings revealed that electrolyzed water containing NaCl exhibited superior efficacy compared to electrolysis with Na2SO4. Both forms of electrolyzed water demonstrated noteworthy effectiveness in inhibiting microorganisms, resulting in a reduction of 2.0 Log CFU mL-1 for bacteria and 1.5 Log CFU mL-1 for fungi. The electrolyzed water also exhibited a comparable capability to free chlorine in removing fecal coliforms from the tomato surfaces. Notably, both electrolyzed water treatments extended the shelf life of cherry tomatoes by at least three days, accompanied by minimal or negligible residues of free chlorine. Consequently, the electrolyzed water formulations proposed in this study present themselves as promising alternatives to traditional packinghouse sanitizers. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05882-1.

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water significantly restrains the accumulation of the microalgae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata in hydroponic systems.

AIMS: This study explored the effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on algae to exploit technologies that effectively suppress algal growth in hydroponic systems and improve crop yield. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effects of SAEW on algal growth and the response mechanisms of algae to SAEW were investigated. Moreover, we studied whether the application of SAEW adversely affected tomato seedling growth. The results showed that SAEW significantly inhibited algal growth and destroyed the integrity of the algal cells. In addition, the intracellular oxidation-reduction system of algae was greatly influenced by SAEW. The H2O2, O2-, malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence signals were significantly induced by SAEW, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities were greatly enhanced by a low SAEW concentration but significantly inhibited by SAEW with a high available chlorine concentration, which may contribute to heavy oxidative stress on algal growth and cell structure break down, eventually causing the death of algae and cell number decrease. We also found that regardless of the concentration of SAEW (from 10 to 40 mg L-1), there was no significant change in the germination index, length, or fresh weight of the hydroponic tomato seedlings. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that SAEW can be used in hydroponic systems to restrain algae with no negative impact on tomato plants.

Kinetics of sterilization of atomized slightly acidic electrolyzed water on tableware.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the kinetics of atomization of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) for use in sterilization of secondary contaminated tableware surfaces. The sterilization efficacy of SAEW was assessed on the basis of the change in the total number of colonies with different contamination levels (101 CFU/mL and 102 CFU/mL), atomization time (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 s), atomizing distance (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm), and available chlorine concentration (ACC; 25.2, 30.2, 34.9, 40.5, 44.8, and 53.3 mg/L) as the main influencing factors. According to the relationship among flux, atomization area, and time, a kinetic model of SAEW atomization for the sterilization of tableware surfaces was established. The results indicated that the sterilization efficacy of SAEW gradually improved with decreased contamination levels (12.69 %-15.74 %), extended atomization time (13.68 %-46.58 %), and increased ACC (36.89 %-95.14 %). Based on the kinetics analysis, the change law of the kinetic model of SAEW atomization and sterilization of tableware surfaces with secondary pollution was found to be consistent with the change law of sterilization (r2 > 0.8). The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for SAEW atomization for sterilization of secondary contaminated tableware surfaces and also contributes to the improvement of technological theory of SAEW sterilization.

Response surface methodology to optimize the sterilization process of slightly acidic electrolyzed water for Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis) and to investigate its effect on shrimp quality.

Chinese shrimps are popular among consumers for their delicious taste and high nutritional value, but they are highly susceptible to deterioration due to microbial contamination with degradation of texture, color and flavor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of available chlorine concentration (ACC), processing time and material-liquid ratio on the bacterial inhibition rate of shrimp treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW). The effective parameters were optimized by response surface methodology to the optimal bactericidal conditions: ACC 88 mg/L, processing time 12 min, and material-liquid ratio 1:4. The actual bactericidal inhibition rate of shrimp under these conditions was 37.60 %. On this basis, the quality, color difference and textural changes of shrimp treated with SAEW, sodium hypochlorite and alkaline electrolytic water were compared and investigated during storage at 4 °C. The combined results showed that the SAEW treatment could extend the shelf-life by more than 2 d.

Ultrasound synergistic slightly acidic electrolyzed water treatment of grapes: Impacts on microbial loads, wettability, and postharvest storage quality.

Microbial contamination is the principal factor in the deterioration of postharvest storage quality in grapes. To mitigate this issue, we explored a synergistic treatment which combines ultrasound (US) and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW), and rigorously compared with conventional water cleaning (CW), exclusive US treatment, and standalone SAEW treatment. The US + SAEW treatment proved to be markedly superior in reducing total bacterial, mold & yeast counts on grapes. Specifically, it achieved reductions of 2.23 log CFU/g and 2.76 log CFU/g, respectively, exceeding the efficiencies of SAEW (0.78, 0.75), US (0.58, 0.65), and CW (0.24, 0.46). The efficacy of this synergistic treatment is attributed to the ultrasound removal of the wax layer on grape skins, which transitions the skin from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. This alteration increases the contact area between the grape surface and SAEW, thereby enhancing the antimicrobial efficacy of SAEW. From a physicochemical quality standpoint, the US + SAEW treatment exhibited multiple advantages. It not only minimized weight loss, color deviations, polyphenol oxidase activity and malondialdehyde synthesis in comparison to CW-treated samples but also preserved firmness, sugar-acid ratio and the activities of key enzymes including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, and thus maintaining high levels of total phenolics, total ascorbic acid, total anthocyanins, and antioxidants. Consequently, US + SAEW treatment put off the times of decay onset in grapes by 12 days, outperforming both SAEW (8) and US (4) in comparison to CW. These results highlight the potential of US + SAEW as an effective strategy for maintaining grape quality during their postharvest storage period.

Feasibility and efficacy of newly developed eco-friendly, automatic washer for endoscope using electrolyzed alkaline and acidic water.

INTRODUCTION: As well as preventing nosocomial and healthcare-associated infections, a reliable and eco-friendly washer for medical equipment would also be safe for the global environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed automatic washing system (Nano-washer) that uses electrolyzed water and ultrasonication without detergent for washing endoscopes. METHODS: Patients who underwent laparoscopic lobectomy or laparoscopic colectomy at Nagasaki University between 2018 and 2022 were included. A total of 60 cases of endoscope use were collected and classified according to endoscope washing method into the Nano-washer group (using no detergent) (n = 40) and the manual washing group (n = 20). Protein and bacterial residues were measured before and after washing, using absorbance spectrometry and 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction. The effectiveness of protein and bacterial removal and endoscope surface damage after washing were compared under specular vision between the groups. RESULTS: Nano-washer did not use detergent unlike manual washing. There was no difference in demographic or clinical characteristics between the groups except for the presence of comorbidities in the lobectomy group (Nano-washer, 85%; manual washing, 40%, P = .031). Compared with the manual washing group, residual protein levels in the Nano-washer group were significantly reduced after washing (lobectomy, 0.956 mg/mL vs 0.016 mg/mL, P < .001; colectomy, 0.144 mg/mL vs 0.002 mg/mL, P = .008). Nano-washer group showed a significant reduction in bacteria between before and after lobectomy (9437 copies/cm2 vs 4612 copies/cm2 , P = .024). CONCLUSION: Nano-washer is a promising, effective, and eco-friendly automatic washing device that is safer and more efficient than manual washing.

Green technologies applied to low-NaCl fresh sausages production: Impact on oxidative stability, color formation, microbiological properties, volatile compounds, and sensory profile.

The influence of different concentrations of NaCl (2.5% and 1.75%), basic electrolyzed water (BEW), and ultrasound (US, 25 kHz, 159 W) on the quality of fresh sausages was studied. During storage at 5 °C, TBARS, pH, Eh, aw, nitrous pigments, and bacterial evolution were evaluated at three specific time intervals: 1d, 15d, and 30d. At the same time, the volatile compounds and sensory profile were specifically assessed on both the 1d and 30d. Notably, sausages with 1.75% NaCl and BEW displayed higher pH values (up to 6.30) and nitrous pigment formation, alongside reduced Eh (as low as 40.55 mV) and TBARS values (ranging from 0.016 to 0.134 mg MDA/kg sample), compared to the 2.5% NaCl variants. Protein content ranged between 13.01% and 13.75%, while lipid content was between 18.23% and 18.86%, consistent across all treatments. Psychrotrophic lactic bacteria showed a significant increase in low-NaCl sausages, ranging from 5.77 to 7.59 log CFU/g, indicative of potential preservative benefits. The sensory analysis favored the TUSBEW70 treatment for its salty flavor on the 30th day, reflecting a positive sensory acceptance. The study highlights that employing US and BEW in sausage preparation with reduced NaCl content (1.75%) maintains quality comparable to higher salt (2.5%) counterparts. These findings are crucial for meat processing, presenting a viable approach to producing healthier sausages with reduced sodium content without compromising quality, aligning with consumer health preferences and industry standards.