Functional Beverages: The Emerging Side of Functional Foods

Stabilization of milk proteins in acidic conditions by pectic polysaccharides extracted from soy flour

Pectic polysaccharides were extracted from soy flour at either room temperature (SPRT) or 121°C (SPH), and their abilities to stabilize milk proteins in acidic conditions were evaluated. Both SPRT and SPH were found to contain proteinaceous components that were difficult to dissociate from polysaccharide components using size exclusion chromatography, whereas the molar mass of the former was approximately twice that of the latter. Due to the higher molar mass, SPRT was expected to provide stronger steric effects to prevent aggregation between milk proteins in acidic conditions than SPH. Alkaline treatment of SPRT for breaking O-linkages between AA and monosaccharide residues decreased its molar mass by approximately 160 kDa, indicating that they contained naturally occurring conjugates of pectic and proteinaceous moieties. Particle size distributions in simulated acidified milk drink samples containing 0.2% SPRT or SPH showed monomodal distributions with median diameters of around 1.2 μm at pH 4. The presence of large protein aggregates (∼5 μm) was detected at 0.2% SPRT and pH 3.2, 0.6 to 0.8% SPRT and pH 4, or 0.2% SPH and pH 3.4. The presence of excess polysaccharide molecules unbound to proteins was detected at 0.2% SPRT and pH 3.2 to 3.4, 0.4 to 0.8% SPRT and pH 4, 0.2% SPH and pH 3.4 to 3.6, and 0.4 to 0.8% SPH and pH 4. The present results suggest that molecular characteristics of pectic polysaccharides vary depending on extraction conditions and hence their functional behavior.

Past, present and future: The strength of plant-based dairy substitutes based on gluten-free raw materials

Plant-based foods are gaining popularity and the market is developing fast. This trend is based on several factors, like the change of lifestyle, interest in alternative diets, and the increasing awareness about sustainable production of food and especially proteins. Plant-based dairy substitutes can serve as an option to traditional food products, meeting many of these interests. However, the market is in its infancy and needs to progress. Trends show, that the market will change from being focused on mainly soya, almond and rice-based products, due to their unsustainable farming, and nutritional concerns, like genetic modification and low protein content. The market is likely to shift towards alternative plants to meet consumers' needs and desire for healthy, flavourful and intriguing products. In this regard, the aspect of allergy-free, like gluten-free products gain in importance. Research studies are approaching the nutritional quality of plant-based dairy substitutes, such as improving the protein quality and glycaemic properties. Furthermore, the application of these products or plant proteins as functional ingredients or substitutes for cow's milk in dairy products like cheese and yoghurt are disseminated. However, there is still a need for much more diversified studies in order to overcome stability, textural, nutritional and sensory problems.

Traditional low-alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented beverages consumed in European countries: a neglected food group

Fermented beverages hold a long tradition and contribution to the nutrition of many societies and cultures worldwide. Traditional fermentation has been empirically developed in ancient times as a process of raw food preservation and at the same time production of new foods with different sensorial characteristics, such as texture, flavour and aroma, as well as nutritional value. Low-alcoholic fermented beverages (LAFB) and non-alcoholic fermented beverages (NAFB) represent a subgroup of fermented beverages that have received rather little attention by consumers and scientists alike, especially with regard to their types and traditional uses in European societies. A literature review was undertaken and research articles, review papers and textbooks were searched in order to retrieve data regarding the dietary role, nutrient composition, health benefits and other relevant aspects of diverse ethnic LAFB and NAFB consumed by European populations. A variety of traditional LAFB and NAFB consumed in European regions, such as kefir, kvass, kombucha and hardaliye, are presented. Milk-based LAFB and NAFB are also available on the market, often characterised as 'functional' foods on the basis of their probiotic culture content. Future research should focus on elucidating the dietary role and nutritional value of traditional and 'functional' LAFB and NAFB, their potential health benefits and consumption trends in European countries. Such data will allow for LAFB and NAFB to be included in national food composition tables.

Development of dairy beverages functionalized with pure ergosterol and mycosterol extracts: an alternative to phytosterol-based beverages

In the present work, Agaricus bisporus extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and ergosterol, were incorporated into dairy beverages at concentrations mimicking commercial phytosterol-added yogurts, to work as alternatives.

Factors Affecting Quality and Health Promoting Compounds during Growth and Postharvest Life of Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.)

Sweet cherries are attractive fruits due to their taste, color, nutritional value, and beneficial health effects. Sweet cherry is a highly perishable fruit and all quality attributes and the level of health promoting compounds are affected by growth conditions, picking, packing, transport, and storage. During production, the correct combination of scion × rootstock will produce fruits with higher firmness, weight, sugars, vitamins, and phenolic compounds that boost the fruit antioxidant activity. Orchard management, such as applying drip irrigation and summer pruning, will increase fruit sugar levels and total phenolic content, while application of growth regulators can result in improved storability, increased red coloring, increased fruit size, and reduced cracking. Salicylic acid, oxalic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, and methyl salicylate are promising growth regulators as they also increase total phenolics, anthocyanins, and induce higher activity of antioxidant enzymes. These growth regulators are now also applied as fruit coatings that improve shelf-life with higher antioxidant enzyme activities and total phenolics. Optimizing storage and transport conditions, such as hydro cooling with added CaCl₂, chain temperature and relative humidity control, are crucial for slowing down decay of quality attributes and increasing the antioxidant capacity. Application of controlled atmosphere during storage is successful in delaying quality attributes, but lowers ascorbic acid levels. The combination of low temperature storage in combination with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is successful in reducing the incidence of fruit decay, while preserving taste attributes and stem color with a higher antioxidant capacity. A new trend in MAP is the use of biodegradable films such as micro-perforated polylactic acid film that combine significant retention of quality attributes, high consumer acceptability, and a reduced environmental footprint. Another trend is to replace MAP with fruit edible coatings. Edible coatings, such as various lipid composite coatings, have advantages in retaining quality attributes and increasing the antioxidant activity (chitosan) and are regarded as approved food additives, although studies regarding consumer acceptance are needed. The recent publication of the sweet cherry genome will likely increase the identification of more candidate genes involved in growing and maintaining health related compounds and quality attributes.

Bioactives of coffee cherry pulp and its utilisation for production of Cascara beverage

Coffee cherry pulp is a by-product obtained during coffee production. Coffee cherry pulp contains considerable amounts of phenolic compounds and caffeine. An attempt to produce Cascara, a refreshing beverage, has been made. Six dried coffee pulp samples and a beverage called Cascara produced in Switzerland out of one of those samples were investigated. Aqueous extraction of coffee pulps revealed a content of total polyphenols between 4.9 and 9.2mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/gDM. The antioxidant capacity was between 51 and 92μmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/gDM as measured by the assay with ABTS radical. Bourbon variety from Congo and maragogype variety showed highest caffeine contents with 6.5 and 6.8mg/gDM. In all samples chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid and rutin were present. The beverage Cascara contained 226mg/L of caffeine and 283mgGAE/L of total polyphenols whereas antioxidant capacity amounted to 8.9mmol TE/L.

Minimal muscle damage after a marathon and no influence of beetroot juice on inflammation and recovery

This study examined whether beetroot juice (BTJ) would attenuate inflammation and muscle damage following a marathon. Using a double blind, independent group design, 34 runners (each having completed ca. ∼16 previous marathons) consumed either BTJ or an isocaloric placebo (PLA) for 3 days following a marathon. Maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MIVC), countermovement jumps (CMJ), muscle soreness, serum cytokines, leucocytosis, creatine kinase (CK), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured pre, post, and 2 days after the marathon. CMJ and MIVC were reduced after the marathon (P < 0.05), but no group differences were observed (P > 0.05). Muscle soreness was increased in the day after the marathon (BTJ; 45 ± 48 vs. PLA; 46 ± 39 mm) and had returned to baseline by day 2, irrespective of supplementation (P = 0.694). Cytokines (interleukin-6; IL-6, interleukin-8, tumour necrosis factor-α) were increased immediately post-marathon but apart from IL-6 had returned to baseline values by day 1 post. No interaction effects were evident for IL-6 (P = 0.213). Leucocytes increased 1.7-fold after the race and remained elevated 2 days post, irrespective of supplement (P < 0.0001). CK peaked at 1 day post marathon (BTJ: 965 ± 967, and PLA: 1141 ± 979 IU·L^-1) and like AST and hs-CRP, was still elevated 2 days after the marathon (P < 0.05); however, no group differences were present for these variables. Beetroot juice did not attenuate inflammation or reduce muscle damage following a marathon, possibly because most of these indices were not markedly different from baseline values in the days after the marathon.

Bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds after non-thermal processing of an exotic fruit juice blend sweetened with Stevia rebaudiana

A comparative study of the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in a fruit juice-Stevia rebaudiana mixture processed by pulsed electric fields (PEF), high voltage electrical discharges (HVED) and ultrasound (USN) technology at two equivalent energy inputs (32-256kJ/kg) was made using an in vitro model. Ascorbic acid was not detected following intestinal digestion, while HVED, PEF and USN treatments increased total carotenoid bioaccessibility. HVED at an energy input of 32kJ/kg improved bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds (34.2%), anthocyanins (31.0%) and antioxidant capacity (35.8%, 29.1%, 31.9%, for TEAC, ORAC and DPPH assay, respectively) compared to untreated sample. This was also observed for PEF treated samples at an energy input of 256kJ/kg (37.0%, 15.6%, 29.4%, 26.5%, 23.5% for phenolics, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity using TEAC, ORAC and DPPH method, respectively). Consequently, pulsed electric technologies (HVED and PEF) show good prospects for enhanced bioaccessibility of compounds with putative health benefit.

Willingness to pay more for value-added pomegranate juice (Punica granatum L.): An open-ended contingent valuation

This study aimed at estimating the consumer's willingness to pay (WTP) more for value-added pomegranate juice using the contingent valuation method (CVM). The WTP was estimated applying the open-ended elicitation technique with 454 consumers in two supermarkets located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The average consumer's WTP more for pomegranate juice was estimated in R$2.04 (Brazilian currency) and the income elasticity coefficient at the midpoint was 0.19, i.e., a 10% increase in consumer income will increase, on average, 1.9% the WTP of pomegranate juice (ceteris paribus). Therefore, the income elasticity coefficient was considered inelastic, once an increase in income would have low effect on the WTP for these consumers. The results indicated that the consumers were interested in acquiring a non-traditional juice processed using a technology that preserves vitamins and antioxidants, maintains the flavor of "fresh juice" without colorants and preservatives, despite the pomegranate is not part of the Brazilian diet.

Development of a beverage benchtop prototype based on sweet potato peels: optimization of antioxidant activity by a mixture design

A beverage benchtop prototype related to oxidative stress protection was developed based on sweet potato peels phenolics. Formula components were sweet potato peel (Ipomoeas batatas L.) aqueous extract (SPPE), sweet potato leaves water extract (SPLE) and honey solution (HonS). According to linear squares regression (LSR) models, SPLE presented higher additive effect on total phenolic content (TPC), FRAP and DPPH than the other components. All antagonist interactions were not significant. The optimum formula obtained by artificial neural networks (ANN) analysis was 50.0% of SPPE, 21.5% of SPLE and 28.5% of HonS. Predicted responses of TPC, FRAP, DPPH and soluble solids were 309 mg GAE/L, 476 mg TE/L, 1098 mg TE/L and 12.3 °Brix, respectively. Optimization with LSR models was similar to ANN. Beverage prototype results positioned next to commercial vegetable and fruit beverages, thus it has an interesting potential to the market of health and wellness.

Antiulcer and antiproliferative properties of spent brewer's yeast peptide extracts for incorporation into foods

The main objective was to study the antiulcer and antiproliferative potential of yeast peptide extract for further incorporation into functional foods.