Sous-vide technique as an alternative to traditional cooking methods in the context of antioxidant properties of Brassica vegetables

Comparative analysis of the qualities of traditional and sous-vide marinated duck drumsticks

The sous-vide technique is increasingly used to improve the quality of poultry meat; the study aimed to compare the quality of traditional and sous-vide marinated (SVM) duck drumsticks by analyzing the sensory-related, nutritional, storage-related, and in vitro digestive-related quality of duck meat. The results showed that the sensory quality scores of color, odor, and appearance, L* and a* values of duck drumsticks in SVM group were significantly increased compared with the traditional marinated (TM) group (t-test, p < 0.05, the same below), and the b* values on the outside and inside of duck drumsticks were decreased by 22.47% and 38.04%, respectively. Compared with TM group, hardness, springiness, chewiness, adhesion, cohesion, and resilience of duck drumsticks in SVM group decreased by 43.32%, 29.52%, 65.08%, 62.35%, 20.23%, and 30.33%, respectively. The moisture content and total fat content of duck drumsticks in SVM group were significantly higher than those in TM group (p < 0.05), and the protein loss, total volatile basic nitrogen, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values were decreased by 61.4%, 25.86%, and 20.45%, respectively. The results of in vitro digestion experiments showed that the content of free sulfhydryl groups of duck drumsticks in SVM group was significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the contents of Schiff base and carbonyl groups were significantly decreased compared with the TM group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the SVM technology could significantly improve the sensory-related qualities, reduce the loss of nutrients, and improve the storage-related qualities of duck drumsticks. This study provided theoretical reference for the high-value application of SVM technology in duck meat.

Advances and Drawbacks of Sous-Vide Technique-A Critical Review

The sous-vide (SV) technique, notable for its precision and ability to preserve food quality, has become a transformative method in culinary arts. This review examines the technical aspects, applications, and limitations of SV, focusing on its impact on food safety, nutritional retention, and quality parameters across various food matrices such as meats, seafood, vegetables, and semi-prepared products. Through an extensive literature review, the study highlights the use of natural inhibitors and essential oils to enhance microbial safety and explores the nutritional benefits of SV in preserving vitamins and minerals. The findings suggest that while SV offers significant benefits in terms of consistent results and extended shelf life, challenges remain in terms of equipment costs and the necessity for specific training, and although sufficient for food preparation/processing, its effectiveness in eliminating microbial pathogens, including viruses, parasites, and vegetative and spore forms of bacteria, is limited. Overall, the research underscores SV's adaptability and potential for culinary innovation, aligning with modern demands for food safety, quality, and nutritional integrity.

Modern and traditional cooking methods affect the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds content of Trachystemon Orientalis (L.) G. Don

Trachystemon orientalis (L.) G. Don is a medicinal plant with beneficial effects on human health. Its antioxidant and phenolic compound content is higher than most natural plants. This is the first study on the cooking of this consumed plant. This study investigated how different cooking methods and times affect the antioxidant activity and phenolic compound content of Trachystemon orientalis (L.) G. Don. The Folin-Ciocalteu method (FCR), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), copper-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC). Phenolic compounds were also determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Microwave cooking, stir-frying and sous vide increased TPC and antioxidant activity (p<0.05). Steaming decreased TPC and antioxidant activity (p<0.05). It was determined that the best cooking method and time was stir-frying for 15 minutes (TPC, CUPRAC and FRAP values 45.18±3.91 mg GAE/g DW, 15559.39±106.90 mmol Troloks/g DW and 555.10±24.05 μmol Fe (II)/g DW, respectively). Raw Trachystemon orientalis (L.) G. Don was detected with caffeic acid (31.53±0.25 mg/100 g DW). New phenolic compounds (protocatechuic acid and p-coumaric acid) were formed by boiling, stir-frying, microwaving, and sous vide methods. In conclusion, regarding antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of Trachystemon orientalis (L.) G. Don; the best cooking methods are microwave, stir-frying, and sous vide (p<0.05). The most wrong cooking method is steaming (p<0.05).

Comparative elucidation on the phenolic fingerprint, sugars and antioxidant activity of white, orange and purple-fleshed sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas L.) as affected by different cooking methods

In this study, three cooking methods (baking, boiling, sous vide (SV)) were applied to Turkish sweet potatoes with three flesh colors (white, orange, purple) to examine the effects of the product color and cooking methods on the total phenolics, antioxidant activity, sugars, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins. LC-MS-MS was employed in the characterization of these compounds. It was observed that the product color and cooking method significantly affected the concentrations of bioactive compounds like polyphenols. Both the highest total phenolic content (11.36 mg/g) and antioxidant activity (DPPH (50.3 μM TE/g) and ABTS (63.53 μM TE/g)) were determined in the purple sweet potato cooked with the SV method. 10 phenolic acids were quantified in all samples which were in the highest amounts in the orange colored samples followed by the purple samples. Baking resulted in the highest total phenolic acids in all samples. 13 anthocyanins were detected in the purple-colored samples, while the SV cooking best preserved the anthocyanins. In sum, purple sweet potatoes cooked by SV are recommended for higher phenolic contents, antioxidant capacity and anthocyanins.

The Impact of Culinary Processing, including Sous-Vide, on Polyphenols, Vitamin C Content and Antioxidant Status in Selected Vegetables-Methods and Results: A Critical Review

This study presents various research methods and results analysis of the total antioxidant status (TAS), polyphenols content (PC) and vitamin C content in selected plant materials (vegetables) subjected to various technological processes, including sous-vide. The analysis included 22 vegetables (cauliflower white rose, romanesco type cauliflower, broccoli, grelo, col cabdell cv. pastoret, col lllombarda cv. pastoret, brussels sprouts, kale cv. crispa-leaves, kale cv. crispa-stem, toscana black cabbage, artichokes, green beans, asparagus, pumpkin, green peas, carrot, root parsley, brown teff, white teff, white cardoon stalks, red cardoon stalks and spinach) from 18 research papers published in 2017 to 2022. The results after processing by various methods such as conventional, steaming and sous-vide cooking were compared to the raw vegetable results. The antioxidant status was mainly determined by the radical DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods, the polyphenol content by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the vitamin C content using dichlorophenolindophenol and liquid chromatography methods. The study results were very diverse, but in most studies, the cooking techniques contributed to reducing TAS, PC and vitamin C content, with the sous-vide process being most beneficial. However, future studies should focus on vegetables for which discrepancies in the results were noted depending on the author, as well as lack of clarity regarding the analytical methods used, e.g., cauliflower white rose or broccoli.

Glucosinolates and Polyphenols of Colored Cauliflower as Chemical Discriminants Based on Cooking Procedures

The impact of mild oven treatments (steaming or sous-vide) and boiling for 10 min, 25 min, or 40 min on health-promoting phytochemicals in orange and violet cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) was investigated. For this purpose, targeted ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of phenolics and glycosylates, combined with chemometrics, was employed. Regardless of cooking time, clear differentiation of cooked samples obtained using different procedures was achieved, thus demonstrating the distinct impact of cooking approaches on sample phytochemical profile (both, compound distribution and content). The main responsible components for the observed discrimination were derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid and kaempferol, organic acids, indolic, and aromatic glucosinolates, with glucosativin that was found, for the first time, as a discriminant chemical descriptor in colored cauliflower submitted to steaming and sous-vide. The obtained findings also highlighted a strict relationship between the impact of the cooking technique used and the type of cauliflower. The boiling process significantly affected the phytochemicals in violet cauliflower whereas orange cauliflower boiled samples were grouped between raw and either steamed or sous-vide-cooked samples. Finally, the results confirm that the proposed methodology is capable of discriminating cauliflower samples based on their phytochemical profiles and identifying the cooking procedure able to preserve bioactive constituents.

Impact of High-Pressure Processing (HPP) on Selected Quality and Nutritional Parameters of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis)

In recent years, innovative food processing methods, such as high-pressure processing (HPP) treatment, have been shown to improve food quality. The purpose of this work was to determine the effects of high-pressure processing (HPP; 400 and 600 MPa for 2 or 5 min, 20 °C) of cauliflower. Microbial shelf-life (total aerobic count and spores), texture, color, drip loss, dry matter, antioxidative capacity, total phenolic content, and ascorbic acid were analyzed before and after processing, as well as during storage (4 °C) for up to 42 days. Among the different treatments, HPP at 600 MPa exhibited low microbial counts between days 14 and 28 of storage, while at 400 MPa already had high bacterial counts between days 7 and 14. HPP at both 400 and 600 MPa was the best method to maintain the color during storage. The texture of the cauliflower did not differ from the control during storage for HPP. For all samples, the dry matter content remained stable during storage, with few differences between treatments. The nutritional quality of high-pressure-processed cauliflower at 600 MPa for 2 min remained high until day 28. The overall results of this study demonstrate that HPP has the potential to preserve the quality of cauliflower.

Effects of culinary treatments on the physicochemical properties of Ulva lactuca collected from Tabuk coast of Red sea in Saudi Arabia

The increasing demand for healthy, natural, and sustainable food led scientists to take advantage of marine resources and promote interest in culinary and the use of algae that give a variety of colours, textures and flavours from the seaweed. However, few studies have been done on the effect of culinary treatments. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the most popular culinary treatments (boiled, steamed and sous vide) on the physicochemical properties of Ulva lactuca. The treatments were applied at temperatures of 100 °C in the case of both boiling and steaming whereas 50 and 75 °C on sous vide culinary. Results illustrated that both the chemical composition and physical properties of Ulva lactuca greatly affected depending on the culinary method and time. The culinary processes produce an increase in water activity (0.962–0.989) with respect to the raw algae (0.952). All the applied culinary treatments showed an increase in the content of pH, chlorophylls and carotenoids compared to the raw algae, and the highest rise was after boiling for 5 min, although this effect decreases slightly at longer times of boiling. The same about ash, protein, fat, minerals (K, Ca, and Mg), and poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) boiling is a culinary method that greatly influences and on the contrary, sous vide culinary is a technique that respects and can even improve the nutritional value of raw algae.

Hydrothermal Treatment Effect on Antioxidant Activity and Polyphenols Concentration and Profile of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) in an In Vitro Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion Model

Brussels sprouts are a source of polyphenolic compounds. However, their concentration is affected by many factors depending on the plant material, hydrothermal treatment methods and digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hydrothermal treatment on the antioxidant activity, concentration and profile of polyphenols of Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera in an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion model. The study showed a significant effect of the type of hydrothermal treatment on total polyphenol concentration, polyphenolic acid profile, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. Traditional boiling in water was the least effective type of hydrothermal treatment with respect to bioactive components of Brussels sprouts. Sous-vide was the most effective hydrothermal treatment in terms of retention of polyphenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity, thus providing a better alternative to steam cooking. Using an in vitro model, a significant difference was demonstrated between the concentration of bioavailable polyphenolic compounds and the polyphenol content of the plant material before digestion. The influence of the type of hydrothermal treatment used on the concentration of bioavailable polyphenolic compounds was maintained in relation to material not subjected to in vitro digestion (except for antioxidant activity).

Sous-Vide as a Technique for Preparing Healthy and High-Quality Vegetable and Seafood Products

Sous-vide is a technique of cooking foods in vacuum bags under strictly controlled temperature, offering improved taste, texture and nutritional values along with extended shelf life as compared to the traditional cooking methods. In addition to other constituents, vegetables and seafood represent important sources of phytochemicals. Thus, by applying sous-vide technology, preservation of such foods can be prolonged with almost full retention of native quality. In this way, sous-vide processing meets customers' growing demand for the production of safer and healthier foods. Considering the industrial points of view, sous-vide technology has proven to be an adequate substitute for traditional cooking methods. Therefore, its application in various aspects of food production has been increasingly researched. Although sous-vide cooking of meats and vegetables is well explored, the challenges remain with seafoods due to the large differences in structure and quality of marine organisms. Cephalopods (e.g., squid, octopus, etc.) are of particular interest, as the changes of their muscular physical structure during processing have to be carefully considered. Based on all the above, this study summarizes the literature review on the recent sous-vide application on vegetable and seafood products in view of production of high-quality and safe foodstuffs.