Using Secondary Fish Raw Materials to Produce Gerodietic Food Products

Elderly people frequently experience a decrease in body weight, associated primarily with a decrease in protein intake, for a variety of reasons, including social factors. In this regard, the consumption of liquid food rations enriched with watersoluble protein hydrolysates is the simplest solution to the problem of providing people with sufficient protein intake. Development of methods for the manufacture of fish and cereal-based products is promising due to the possibility to simulate the composition of a certain nutritional compound for functional consumption by various population groups. Our task was to substantiate the parameters and components for creating a product for gerodietic use. The development of the technology included the following stages: preparation of ingredients, such as cereal filler, by-products from herring cutting, natural food coloring, vegetable oil, table salt and water; their mixing; heat treatment; cooling and packaging. The finished product has a light orange color, characteristic of natural pollock roe, and a pleasant fishy smell; the ”fish eggs” are easily separated from each other. New types of gerodietic products make it possible to increase the nutritional and biological value of the diet of the elderly, as well as to inhibit the development of age-related pathological changes. Keywords: Secondary Raw Materials, Functional Foods, Gerodietic Food Products

Encapsulation of thyme essential oil using electrospun zein fiber for strawberry preservation

Background Strawberry is a nutrient-rich and important small fruit because of its high content of beneficial phytochemicals and several vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin B6. However, strawberry is highly perishable due to its susceptibility to mechanical damage, microbiological decay, and softening in texture. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in using various essential oils as natural food preservatives. Although, they have limited stability to exposure to high temperatures, light and oxygen, which could eventually affect sensory quality attributes. The electrospinning method is a simple and well-organized process that has been used to encapsulate essential oils. In this study, the effect of thyme essential oil (TEO) encapsulated into zein electrospun fiber film was assessed on extending the shelf life and preserving the quality of strawberry fruit during storage. Findings Results indicated that TEO presented potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Aspergillus fumigatus. The scanning electron microscopy images of zein fiber had a linear shape, absence of beads, and smooth surface. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of TEO in the zein fiber was about 75.23%. Encapsulated TEO released at a slower rate than free TEO. The zein/TEO fibers (zein fiber film loaded with TEO) significantly (p ˂ 0.05) decreased weight loss and maintained the anthocyanin content, firmness and color of the strawberries during storage. After 15 days of storage, weight loss reduced about 15% and firmness was higher about 20% in packed fruit with zein/TEO fibers compared to control. Conclusions Interestingly, after 15 days of cold storage, the strawberries firmness, appearance, and sensory evaluation, which are important quality factors from both postharvest and consumers’ viewpoint, in zein/TEO fiber treatment were acceptable and had higher scores compared to the control. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the benefits of incorporating TEO into zein films, which could play a significant role in the active packaging and preservation of strawberry fruits. Graphical Abstract

Characterization of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Levilactobacillus brevis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Metabolites and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial Activity against Food Pathogens

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play an important role as natural food preservatives. However, the characterization of the variety of their metabolites is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the production of specific metabolites of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Levilactobacillus brevis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum by an optimized liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet/diode detection (HPLC-UV/DAD) method and to investigate their potential antimicrobial activity against specific food pathogens. Based on the results of this study, the main metabolites detected in Levilactobacillus brevis were 103.4 μg mL−1 DL-p-Hydroxyphenyllactic acid (OH-PLA) and 2.59 μg mL−1 vanillic acid, while 216.2 μg mL−1 OH-PLA, 19.0 μg mL−1 salicylic acid, 3.7 μg mL−1 vanillic acid, 6.9 μg mL−1 ferulic acid, 4.2 μg mL−1 benzoic acid and 1.4 μg mL−1 4-Hydrocinnamic acid were identified in the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain and 147.6 μg mL−1 OH-PLA and 4.9 μg mL−1 ferulic acid were identified in Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus. This study provides alternative approaches for the molecules involved in the antimicrobial activity of food microorganism fermentation. These molecules may be used as antimicrobial ingredients in the food industry instead of conventional chemical preservatives.

Interactions Between Plastic, Microbial Biofilms and Gammarus pulex: An Initial Investigation

There is increasing evidence that microbial biofilms which form on the surface of marine plastics can increase plastics palatability, making it more attractive to organisms. The same information, however, does not exist for freshwater systems. This study observed the response of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex when exposed to 3 cm-diameter discs of biofilm-covered plastic, both alone and when presented alongside its natural food. G. pulex did not fragment or consume the plastic materials, and the presence of colonised plastic in the immediate environment did not alter the amount of time organisms spent interacting with their natural food. This study provides baseline information for virgin and microbially colonised low-density polyethylene and polylactic acid film. Further studies, with other types of plastic possessing different physical properties and with different microbial biofilm compositions are now required to build further understanding of interactions between plastic, microbial biofilms, and freshwater shredding invertebrates.

Chrysin-Loaded Microemulsion: Formulation Design, Evaluation and Antihyperalgesic Activity in Mice

Chrysin is a bioactive flavonoid found in pollens, passion flowers, honey, royal jelly, and propolis, which is commonly used as an ingredient in natural food supplements and is primarily responsible for their pharmacological properties. A transparent chrysin-loaded microemulsion (CS-ME) prepared through a ternary phase diagram was evaluated for use as an antihyperalgesic formulation. It was formulated with 40% Labrasol® (surfactant), 5% isopropyl myristate (oil phase) and 55% water (aqueous phase) and classified as an oil-in-water (O/W) microsized system (74.4 ± 15.8 nm). Its negative Zeta potential (−16.1 ± 1.9 mV) was confirmed by polarized light microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis. In vitro studies in Franz-type static diffusion cells showed that chrysin release from CS-ME followed zero-order kinetics. Oral administration of CS-ME in mice resulted in a statistically significantly reduction (p < 0.05) in carrageenan-induced mechanical hyperalgesia compared to the control group. Treatment with CS-ME also showed anti-inflammatory activity by significantly decreasing the TNF-α level (p < 0.01) and increasing that of IL-10 (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. These results suggest that the proposed microsystem is a promising vector for the release of chrysin, being able to improve its capacity to modulate inflammatory and nociceptive responses.

Horned Melon (Cucumis metuliferus E. Meyer Ex. Naudin)—Current Knowledge on Its Phytochemicals, Biological Benefits, and Potential Applications

Recent studies reveal that numerous non-edible parts of fruits and vegetables, as well as food wastes, are a good source of phytochemicals that can be extracted and reintroduced into the food chain as natural food additives. Horned melon or kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus E. Mey. Ex. Naudin) is a fruit rich in various phytochemical components important in the daily diet. After primary processing, horned melon non-edible parts (e.g., peels and seeds) can represent raw materials that can be utilized in numerous applications. Among under-researched fruits, this study aims to present the potential of using horned melon edible and non-edible parts based on current knowledge on nutritional value, phytochemicals, biological activity, as well as biological benefits. Overall, this review concluded that the biological properties of horned melon are associated with the phytochemicals present in this fruit and its waste parts. Further studies should be conducted to identify phytochemicals and valorize all horned melon parts, assess their biological efficacy, and promote their potential uses in different health purposes.

Shelf life prediction of straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea) based food enhancer using accelerated shelf life testing method

Food shelf life is related to food safety since consumers need to be informed an expired date of the food product. This study aims to determine shelf life of natural food enhancer based on straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) using Accelerated Shelf Life Testing (ASLT). Determination of shelf life was carried out at 30, 40, 50°C followed by descriptive sensory (colour, aroma, taste) and moisture content analysis for 28 days. Further data of those parameter over storage time were plotted into a graph to obtain a linear regression equation of zero-order and first-order. Then relationship between ln slope (k) and storage temperature 1/T (°K) was plotted in a linear regression to determine activation energy. Equation of linear regression from the lowest activation value then was used to calculate the shelf life of the product. The taste parameter on zero-order was used in shelf life determination as the critical quality because it has the smallest activation energy as 1708.39 cal/mol. The Arrhenius equation then was calculated using this value to obtain degradation constant (k). The results showed that shelf life of the straw mushroom based food enhancer were 77.58 days at 30°C, 70.85 days at 40°C and 65.07 days at 50°C.

Potential Health Benefits of Fenugreek With Multiple Pharmacological Properties

Fenugreek is one of the familiar spices found in human food and has been used extensively for curing numerous disorders. It provides natural food fibers and other nutrients required in the human body. It is used in functional foods, traditional foods, and nutraceuticals as well as in physiological uses such as antidiabetic agent, antibacterial, hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, enzymatic pathway, and modifier gastric stimulant. It has a valuable influence on digestion and also has the capability to modify food texture. In modern food technology, it is used as a food stabilizer, adhesive, and emulsifying agent due its fiber, protein, and gum content. Recent pharmocological exploration of the seed extract of this plant discovered anticancer properties. Although it has many potential effects, there are some side effects as well; therefore, there is a greater need to study the pharmacological and toxicological effects of fenugreek to examine its clinical efficacy and safety.