Physicochemical, antioxidant and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy evaluation of Kashmiri honeys as food quality traceability and Himalayan brand.

Three types of honeys viz. Robinia pseudoacacia (RSA), Plectranthus rugosus (PR) and multifloral honey (MF) from Kashmir Himalayas of India were characterized on the basis of physicochemical, antioxidant and FTIR-ATR spectroscopic features. The physicochemical parameters indicated that ash content, electrical conductivity, redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) were higher in MF honey, moisture content, Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and lightness (L*) in PR honey and Water activity (aw) and proline content in RSA honey (P ≤ 0.05). Significantly higher values of total sugar, total reducing sugar and sucrose content was observed in MF honey (P ≤ 0.05). The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids, ferric reducing antioxidant power and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy-IC50 (DPPH- IC50) free radical scavenging activity showed that MF honey had significantly higher antioxidant activity (P ≤ 0.05). ATR-FTIR analysis demonstrated that the absence of peaks at broad band around 1653.454-1637.656 cm-1 in MF honey, 1185.989-1153.072 cm-1 and 918.570-916.544 cm-1 wavenumbers in PR honey thus clearly discriminating different types of honeys. The results revealed that physico-chemical, antioxidant and spectroscopic characteristics of honey types vary with geographic origin and their floral sources and MF honey have a high therapeutic potential.

Processing and storage of apricots: effect on physicochemical and antioxidant properties.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of processing methods and storage periods on the three apricot varieties viz. CITH-1, CITH-2 and New Castle. Apricots were processed by freezing and canning of pulp and drying of whole apricots. After processing these were analysed for various physicochemical and antioxidant properties for a storage period of 12 months at 4 month interval. The results for physicochemical properties like moisture content, TSS, total sugars and reducing sugars showed significant variation with respect to varieties and processing methods during storage. Apricots processed by canning showed highest retention of antioxidants in terms of TPC, FRAP, DPPH and metal chelating activity throughout storage period than that of frozen and dried one. CITH-2 processed by canning, freezing and drying method showed highest antioxidant properties than CITH-1 and New Castle. It can be concluded from the study that canning and freezing can preserve the apricot pulp for 12 months and significantly retain bioactive compounds.

Suitability of Different Food Grade Materials for the Encapsulation of Some Functional Foods Well Reported for Their Advantages and Susceptibility.

Functional foods find a very important place in the modern era, where different types of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. are on a high. Irrespective of the abundance of bioactive components in different fruits and vegetables, their low solubility in aqueous solution, vulnerability to destruction in different environmental and gastrointestinal conditions and a low intestinal absorption becomes a concern. Because it is quite difficult to commercialize non food materials for the food encapsulation purposes due to their safety concerns in the human body, scientists in the recent times have come up with the idea of encapsulating the different bioactive components in different food grade materials that are able to safeguard these bioactive components against the different environmental and gastrointestinal conditions and ensure their safe and targeted delivery at their absorption sites. Different food grade encapsulation materials including various oligosaccharides, polysaccharides (starch, cyclodextrins, alginates, chitosan, gum arabic, and carboxymethyl cellulose) and proteins and their suitability for encapsulating various bioactive components like flavonoids (catechins, rutin, curcumin, hesperetin, and vanillin), nonflavonoids (resveratrol), carotenoids (ß-carotene, lycopene, and lutein), and fatty acids (fish oil, flaxseed oil, and olive oil) of high medical and nutritional value are reviewed here.

Effect of whey and casein protein hydrolysates on rheological, textural and sensory properties of cookies.

Milk proteins were hydrolyzed by papain and their effect on the rheological, textural and sensory properties of cookies were investigated. Water absorption (%) decreased significantly as the amount of milk protein concentrates and hydrolysates increased up to a level of 15 % in the wheat flour. Dough extensibility decreased with inrease in parental proteins and their hydrolysates in wheat flour, significantly. Similarly, the pasting properties also varied significantly in direct proportion to the quantity added in the wheat flour. The colour difference (ΔE) of cookies supplemented with milk protein concentrates and hydrolysates were significantly higher than cookies prepared from control. Physical and sensory characteristics of cookies at 5 % level of supplementation were found to be acceptable. Also the scores assigned by the judges for texture and colour were in good agreement with the measurements derived from the physical tests.

Abnormalities in sex hormones and sexual dysfunction in males with diabetes mellitus: A mechanistic insight.

Diabetes is a considerate metabolic disorder that can lead to a series of complications, involving the malfunctioning of the reproductive system of males. It has been observed that there is a gradual rise in male diabetic patients and almost half of the diabetic males have low semen quality and decrease reproductive function. In diabetic conditions, prolonged hyperglycemia leads to oxidative stress, diabetic neuropathy, and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and its deficiency can impair the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, gonads, and perigonads. This causes a decrease in the secretion of gonadal steroids such as GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), and Testosterone. Moreover, it also causes damage to the testicles, spermatogenic and stromal cells, seminiferous tubules, and various structural injuries to male reproductive organs. During spermatogenesis, glucose metabolism plays an important role, because the fundamental activities of cells and their specific features, such as motility and mature sperm fertilization activity, are maintained by glucose metabolism. All these activities can influence the fertility and reproductive health of males. But the glucose metabolism is primarily disrupted in diabetic conditions. Until now, there has been no medicine focusing on the reproductive health of diabetic people. In this chapter, we review the consequences of diabetes on the reproductive system of males and all the pathways involved in the dysfunction of the reproductive system. This will help interpret the effects of DM on male reproductive health.

Probiotic-fortified fruit juices: Health benefits, challenges, and future perspective.

Consumers' growing interest in using foods that improve health has motivated researchers and the food industry to develop new functional products, such as foods containing probiotics or live microbes. Probiotics have functional attributes that could satisfy most basic nutritional and therapeutic supplementation requirements. These microbes positively respond to clinical therapies against diseases and illnesses such as rotavirus-associated diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and food allergies. Moreover, the role of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and diseases related to pathogenic microbes is an exciting and rapidly advancing research arena. Probiotic supplementation usually involves dairy products. However, because of the growing number of individuals affected by lactose intolerance and/or vegans, other food matrices like fruits, vegetables, cereals, and so on, have been studied as potential carriers for these microorganisms, presenting an alternative and better source in the process of assessing novel probiotic strains. The present review discusses the various factors affecting the survival of probiotics during storage in fruit juices, the possible effect of probiotics on sensory attributes and the overall acceptance of the products, and future technologies to improve the viability of probiotics.

History in Perspective: The prime pathological players and role of phytochemicals in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a steadily progressive, irreversible neurological disorder that is most frequently categorized under the umbrella term "neurodegeneration". Several attempts are underway to clarify the pathogenic mechanisms, identify the aetiologies, and determine a pathway by which the therapeutic steps can be implemented. Oxidative stress is one of the pathogenic processes, which is commonly believed to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulation of extracellular amyloid-ß protein (Aß), hyperphosphorylation of tau, initiation of neurometabolic reactions characterized by the loss of neuronal function and synaptic failure, and decreased or lost learning capability and memory function are the most central neuropathological characteristics of AD. According to the amyloid cascade hypothesis, the enhanced deposition of Aß deposits and neurofibrillary tangles due to hyperphosphorylation of Tau activates the cascade reactions in the brain. These reactions affect the synaptic activity and activation of microglia, which results in neuroinflammation due to enhanced immune function. Plant-based phytochemicals have also been used long ago against several diseases. Phytoconstituents play a significant neuroprotective property by preventing the pathophysiology of the disease. In this review, we have discussed the formation and crosstalk between amyloid and tau pathologies as well as the effect of neuroinflammation on the progression of AD. We have specifically focused on the formation of NFT, ß-amyloids, inflammation, and pathophysiology of AD and the role of phytochemicals in the prevention of AD.

Effect of cold storage on Carbofuran dissipation in Cabbages (Brassica Oleracea).

Cabbage being a highly imported product is often subjected to long term cold storage to maintain product quality and in order to retain its freshness it is kept in cold chambers for a long time. Being highly infested by pests during storage, cabbages are often treated with insecticides having active ingredients such as carbofuran in them. Also, large number of malpractices have come into the notice of the regulatory bodies where the growers use last minute Carbofuran dips on the cabbage heads to improve the shine and lustre of the foliage for better marketability .Therefore, the study was conducted to monitor the effect of cold storage on degradation pattern of Carbofuran on Cabbage during storage in Kashmir valley. The level of carbofuran residue decreased with an increase in storage period Dissipation pattern was studied for three application rates of Carbofuran by dipping the samples in T1 (First dose) 3g/1000mL, T2 (Second dose) 2g/1000mL, T3 (Third dose) 1g/1000mL. The initial control deposit was found to be 0.05mg/kg for T1, 0.03mg/kg for T2, 0.01mg/kg for T3 on Cabbage. The residues were dissipated to about 0.02mg/kg in T1, 0.01mg/kg in T2 and ND in T3 after 60 days of application. The waiting period after proper risk assessment was calculated and was found to be 30 days for almost all application rates.

Changes in concentration of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables during household processing.

Monitoring of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and their processed products like jams, pickles, juices, ketchup, dried products and canned products was undertaken. The study was conducted to assess the effect of washing, peeling, heating and cooking on concentration of various pesticides. The stability of various pesticides in samples and their products was assessed. Pesticide residues were extracted using QuEChERS method and analysed by GC-MS. It was observed that pesticides like mancozeb and carbofuron were found to be stable for tomato and potato while chloropyriphos, captan and mancozeb (in other samples) were found to be unstable. It was also observed that peels and pomace showed highest levels of pesticide residues. In this study, washing, peeling and heat processing (boiling and blanching) have been found to be the most effective ways of pesticide residue dissipation.

Ultrasound assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from pomegranate peel, their nanoencapsulation and application for improvement in shelf life extension of edible oils.

In this study pomegranate peel extract was evaluated as source of antioxidant encapsulated by nano-emulsions in soybean oil. Encapsulating agents maltodextrin (MD), whey proteins isolate (WPI) and complex of maltodextrin and whey protein isolate (MD/WPI) (1:1) were used as wall material. Average droplet size of primary W/O and double W/O/W nanoemulsions stabilised by MD, WPI and MD/WPI were 108 nm, 157.82,189.94 nm and 191.12 nm respectively. Lyophilised nanoemulsion powders were added at 100, 200 and 300 ppm concentration to soyabean and mustard oil and observed for change in various oxidative stability indices during storage and were compared to non-encapsulated extract and synthetic antioxidant BHT. From the results, it can be suggested that nanoencapsulated extract at 300 ppm concentration performed better in controlling oxidative changes in both oils than unencapsulated and synthetic one, however, extract encapsulated by MD/WPI exhibited higher antioxidant effects due to controlled release of bioactive compounds.

Preparation of a biodegradable chitosan packaging film based on zinc oxide, calcium chloride, nano clay and poly ethylene glycol incorporated with thyme oil for shelf-life prolongation of sweet cherry.

This study includes development of chitosan-based films with incorporated essential thyme oil and different combinations of cross-linkers viz., ZnO, CaCl2, NC, and PEG for the safe storage of sweet cherries. The resulting films stored with sweet cherries were analyzed for different physicochemical and antimicrobial properties. Incorporation of ZnO, CaCl2, NC, and PEG in chitosan-based films maintained fruit quality by conserving higher total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and reduced weight loss. The combined ZnO + CaCl2 + NC + PEG in chitosan-based films also suppressed microbial activity. The sensorial quality of fruits stored with CH + ZnO + CaCl2 + NC + PEG treatment was also stable during storage. In conclusion, the combined CH + ZnO + CaCl2 + NC + PEG with added thyme oil application is an effective approach to maintain the postharvest quality and could be an alternative to increase the shelf life of sweet cherries, besides decreasing environmental impacts of non-biodegradable packages.

Development of chitosan-based biodegradable films enriched with thyme essential oil and additives for potential applications in packaging of fresh collard greens.

In the present study, chitosan (CH) based biodegradable films were developed enriched with thyme essential oil (TEO) incorporated with different additives including zinc oxide (ZnO), polyethylene glycol (PEG), nano clay (NC), and calcium chloride (CaCl2) and characterize the postharvest quality of 'collard greens' during refrigerated storage. The results indicated that the incorporation of ZnO/PEG/NC/CaCl2 in CH-based films significantly decreased water vapor transmission rate, increased tensile strength, and were water soluble and biodegradable in nature. Moreover, CH-TEO based films incorporated with ZnO/PEG/NC/CaCl2 were significantly effective in reducing physiological weight loss, retained total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and preserved chlorophyll contents as well as showed lesser a* values, suppressed microbial growth, and preserving appearance/sensory quality of collard greens for 24 days than LDPE and other biodegradable films. Our results suggest that CH-based films enriched with TEO and additives such as ZnO/CaCl2/NC/PEG are an ecological, environmental friendly, and effective alternative approach to retain shelf life of collard greens during refrigerated storage.

Effect of oxalic acid and salicylic acid treatments on the post-harvest life of temperate grown apricot varieties (Prunus armeniaca) during controlled atmosphere storage.

This study aimed at investigating the influence of different postharvest treatments with oxalic acid (OA) and salicylic acid (SA) on quality attributes and postharvest shelf life of temperate grown apricot varieties stored under controlled atmosphere (CA) storage conditions. After each treatment was given, the samples were stored in CA store maintained at a temperature of 0 °C, 90 ± 5% relative humidity, 5% oxygen and 15% carbon dioxide for 30 days. Results indicated that both OA and SA treatments significantly (p ≤ 0.05) retained total soluble solids, titratable acidity, color profile, ascorbic acid content and total phenolic content of apricot varieties and had a positive effect on antioxidant activity and texture of samples compared to control. However, carotenoid content was found to be higher in control. Both the treatments reduced chilling injury index, weight loss and decay percentage of samples. Moreover, it was found that SA treatment was the most effective treatment in maintaining visual color of apricots while OA maintained fruit firmness and effectively decreased the decay percentage and chilling injury index of apricot varieties. In conclusion, it was found that both OA and SA have the potential to extend storage life of apricots and maintain quality attributes of the crop during CA storage.

Influence of Canning and Storage on Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidant Properties, and Bioactive Compounds of Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Wholes, Halves, and Pulp.

This study aimed to examine the effect of canning and storage on physicochemical, mineral, and antioxidant properties and phenolic composition of apricot wholes, halves, and pulp. The findings for physicochemical properties revealed that the total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total sugars, and ascorbic acid were found higher in apricot pulp (37.15, 1.39, and 20.74% and 7.21 mg/100 g FW, respectively) followed by apricot wholes and halves throughout the storage period. The remarkable contents of potassium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese were found in the apricot pulp which revealed that canning and storage slightly affected the mineral composition. Bioactive substances were identified and quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, which indicated a higher presence of chlorogenic acid (34.45 mg/kg FW), quercitin-3-glucoside (16.78 mg/kg FW), neochlorogenic acid (26.52 mg/kg FW), gallic acid (5.37 mg/kg FW), kaempferol (14.22 mg/kg FW), ellagic acid (6.02 mg/kg FW), procyanidin B2 (8.80 mg/kg FW), and epicatechin (9.87 mg/kg FW) in apricot pulp followed by apricot wholes and halves throughout the storage period. The total phenolic content was found highest in apricot pulp (13.76 GAE mg/100 g FW) followed by wholes (8.09 GAE mg/100 g FW) and halves (6.48 GAE mg/100 g FW) which decreased significantly throughout the storage period. Antioxidant properties were assessed by DPPH, ABTS+, MCA, and BCBA, which were found higher in the apricot pulp (92.23 TEAC µg/g DW, 92.33 TEAC µg/g DW, 33.80 TEAC µg/g DW, and 68.40 TEAC µg/g DW, respectively) that is correlated with the higher presence of bioactive compounds. Thus, apricot pulp containing excellent sources of nutrients, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidant components could be used for consumption purposes that provide nutraceuticals and antioxidants globally.

Shelf life extension of apricot fruit by application of nanochitosan emulsion coatings containing pomegranate peel extract.

The effect of nanochitosan coating containing pomegranate peel extract (PPE) at concentrations 0.5, 0.75 and 1% (w/v) on postharvest quality of apricot fruit was studied during storage at 4 °C for 30 days. Nanoemulsions showed significant increase in droplet diameter 275-400 nm, decrease in zeta potential -30-23 mV and viscosity 90-76 mPas-1 with increase in PPE concentration. Results confirmed that apricot fruit treated with chitosan and 1% PPE showed significantly reduced decay percentage, weight loss, effectively retained DPPH radical scavenging activity, ascorbic acid, kept titratable acidity and firmness at high level than untreated fruit. Color attributes showed decrease in L*, a* values and significant increase in b* value. Nanochitosan containing 1% PPE significantly inhibited total psychrophilic bacterial count, yeast and mold count during storage. Our results suggest that chitosan coatings enriched with pomegranate peel extract has the potential to preserve the quality and extend shelf life of apricot.

Network-Based Approach and IVI Methodologies, a Combined Data Investigation Identified Probable Key Genes in Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease.

In fact, the risk of dying from CVD is significant when compared to the risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Moreover, patients with severe CKD are often excluded from randomized controlled trials, making evidence-based therapy of comorbidities like CVD complicated. Thus, the goal of this study was to use an integrated bioinformatics approach to not only uncover Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs), their associated functions, and pathways but also give a glimpse of how these two conditions are related at the molecular level. We started with GEO2R/R program (version 3.6.3, 64 bit) to get DEGs by comparing gene expression microarray data from CVD and CKD. Thereafter, the online STRING version 11.1 program was used to look for any correlations between all these common and/or overlapping DEGs, and the results were visualized using Cytoscape (version 3.8.0). Further, we used MCODE, a cytoscape plugin, and identified a total of 15 modules/clusters of the primary network. Interestingly, 10 of these modules contained our genes of interest (key genes). Out of these 10 modules that consist of 19 key genes (11 downregulated and 8 up-regulated), Module 1 (RPL13, RPLP0, RPS24, and RPS2) and module 5 (MYC, COX7B, and SOCS3) had the highest number of these genes. Then we used ClueGO to add a layer of GO terms with pathways to get a functionally ordered network. Finally, to identify the most influential nodes, we employed a novel technique called Integrated Value of Influence (IVI) by combining the network's most critical topological attributes. This method suggests that the nodes with many connections (calculated by hubness score) and high spreading potential (the spreader nodes are intended to have the most impact on the information flow in the network) are the most influential or essential nodes in a network. Thus, based on IVI values, hubness score, and spreading score, top 20 nodes were extracted, in which RPS27A non-seed gene and RPS2, a seed gene, came out to be the important node in the network.

Effect of gum Arabic, xanthan and carrageenan coatings containing antimicrobial agent on postharvest quality of strawberry: Assessing the physicochemical, enzyme activity and bioactive properties.

Effect of edible coatings of gum Arabic, carrageenan and xanthan gum containing lemon grass essential oil 1% w/v on postharvest quality of strawberry was studied under refrigeration for a period of 12 days. Results showed all the three coatings maintained fruit quality parameters during storage compared to control. Among all the coatings, carrageenan coated fruits showed delayed weight loss (10.1 to 8%), decay percentage (78.42 to 14.29%), retained ascorbic acid (0.15 to 0.27 g kg-1), antioxidant activity (18.17 to 25.85%), firmness (9.07 to 12.43 N), L* (32.38 to 40.42), a* (16.08 to 17.22) and b* (27.36 to 33.54). Carrageenan gum also showed lowest cellulase activity (0.03 units h-1 mg protein-1), pectin methylesterase activity (1.13 A620 min-1 mg protein-1) and ß-galactosidase activity (0.51 µmol min-1 mg protein-1), while showed maximum reduction in polygalacturonase activity (0.07 units h-1 mg protein-1) at the end of storage. Carrageenan gum was found effective in retention of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds during storage. Coatings loaded with antimicrobial agent inhibited psychrophilic bacteria, yeast and mold growth. It is concluded that carrageenan gum could better retain strawberry quality up to 12 days under refrigeration.

Influence of Different Types of Polysaccharide-Based Coatings on the Storage Stability of Fresh-Cut Kiwi Fruit: Assessing the Physicochemical, Antioxidant and Phytochemical Properties.

The present study focuses on studying the influence of various edible biopolymer coatings at several concentrations on physicochemical, antioxidant and lipid peroxidation activity levels of biopolymer-coated fresh-cut kiwi slices stored at room temperature (relative humidity: 90%). Kiwi slices were coated by dipping in xanthan gum (0.1, 0.2, 0.3% w/v), alginate (1, 2, 3% w/v) and chitosan (0.25, 0.50, 0.75% w/v) solutions for 2 min. Kiwi fruit slices without any treatment were designated as the control. Compared to the control, all coated samples retained higher ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, total phenolic component and antioxidant capacity levels. However, xanthan-gum-coated slices retained significantly higher amounts of total phenolics in comparison to alginate- and chitosan-coated slices (p ≤ 0.05). HPLC analysis showed the presence of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid and epicatechin. The results suggest that the xanthan gum can be utilized to enhance the shelf life of fresh-cut kiwi slices without compromising quality.

Effect of γ-irradiation on structure and nutraceutical potential of ß-D-glucan from barley (Hordeum vulgare).

This paper reports the characterization and potential antioxidant activity of ß-D-glucan isolated from barley treated with γ-rays. The ß-D-glucan was irradiated with 0, 2, 4 and 8 kGy by gamma ray. The samples were characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and quantitative estimation by Megazyme ß-D-glucan assay kit. The average molecular weight of non-irradiated ß-D-glucan was 177 kDa that decreased to 79 kDa at 8 kGy. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by five complementary assays including DPPH, lipid peroxidation, reducing power, metal chelating ability and oxidative DNA damage assays. Further, the antiproliferative potential of irradiated ß-D-glucan was tested against three human cancer cell lines including Colo-205, T47D and MCF7 using MTT assay. Irradiated ß-D-glucan exhibited dose dependent cancer cell growth inhibition. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that irradiation leads to the formation of low molecular weight ß-D-glucan with enhanced antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.