Vinegar production to valorise Citrus bergamia by-products

Evaluation of the Shelf life of Ready-to-Eat Fresh Bamboo Sprouts (Phyllostachys edulis) Packaged in a Modified Atmosphere or Vacuum: A Comparative Study

During the last decades, the consumption of bamboo sprouts (Phyllostacys edulis) has increased because they are considered a "superfood". However, this product is characterized by a short shelf life due to the deterioration in quality parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of two modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems (MAP1: 2% O2, 5% CO2, 93% N2 and MAP2: 3% O2, 7% CO2, 90% N2) to fresh-shelled ready-to-eat bamboo sprouts and compare these packaging systems with vacuum packaging during storage for 28 days at 4 °C using heat-sealable polyamide and polyethylene (PA/PE) trays. Several chemical-physical parameters (moisture content, water activity, pH, headspace composition, and firmness) were monitored, as well as CIELab colorimetric parameters and microbial growth. The quantification of selected organic acids was performed via UHPLC. Mathematical kinetic models were applied to study the evolution of total phenol (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and carotenoid content (TCC) during storage. The evolution of antioxidant potential investigated by ABTS, DPPH, and β-carotene bleaching tests was also assessed. Results showed that at the end of the storage period, significant variations in the colorimetric parameters are detectable between the sprouts apical portion and the basal one, regardless of both applied MAPs. A linear reduction in both DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity was evidenced during storage, regardless of the type of packaging applied. In DPPH test samples packaged in MAP after 28 days of storage, they retain good antioxidant activity, whereas in vacuum, this activity is reduced by 50% compared to the initial value (IC50 values from 24.77 to 32.74 μg/mL and from 24.77 to 71.12 μg/mL for MAP2 and vacuum, respectively).

Targeted phenolic profile of radler beers by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS: the added value of hesperidin to beer antioxidants

The well-known health beneficial properties of beer are mainly due to phenolic antioxidants. Citrus-flavored beers represent a growing side-market in the beer industry, sparingly investigated to date. The phenolic profile of commercial radler beers (R1, R2) was investigated to evaluate the impact of the lemon juice added to beer in the industrial production. Results were compared to those obtained for opportunely chosen commercial beer (B) and lemonade (L). The study was carried out by an HPLC-MS/MS with an electrospray ionization source in selected ion recording mode, analyzing in a single chromatographic run 26 compounds belonging to the different phenolic classes of hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic and caffeoylquinic acids, flavonoids and prenylflavonoids. Different phenolic profiles were found for R1 and R2, mainly ascribed to different malt/hop/recipe used for the beer. High to very high level of hesperidin were found in the radlers, so that a major impact on phenolic antioxidants of the radlers was due to the lemon. Similarly, a major impact of the lemon aromas was found, D-limonene being the dominant peak resulting from the GC-MS analysis of the volatile fraction of the radlers.

Formulation of Biscuits Fortified with a Flour Obtained from Bergamot By-Products (Citrus bergamia, Risso)

Bergamot belongs to the Rutaceae family and is a typical fruit grown principally in the province of Reggio Calabria (South Italy). Nowadays, its industrial use is mostly related to the extraction of the essential oil contained in the flavedo but also to a lesser extent the extraction of the juice (from the pulp), which is rich in antioxidants. However, the pressed pulp (known as Pastazzo) is either used for animal feed or is discarded. The aim of this research was to study the effect of bergamot Pastazzo flour in shortbread biscuits. Pastazzo flour partially replaced the 00 wheat flour in different percentages (2.5%, 5%, 10% and 15%). Simultaneously, a sample without the addition of pastazzo flour (control) was analyzed, thus obtaining five biscuit samples. Cooking was done in a ventilated oven at 180 °C. The baking time was different for the control and the enriched samples depending on when the desired color was reached. The control took 12 min, while the enriched samples reached the desired color in 8 min. All samples were subjected to physicochemical and antioxidant characterization, as well as total polyphenols and flavonoids. The use of pastazzo flour resulted in a slight increase in water activity and humidity values. pH values decreased for all the enriched samples compared to the control, but this was more relevant for the samples enriched with 10 and 15% of flour from by-products. Hardness varied from 1823 g (Control) to 2022 and 2818 g (respectively, for 2.5% and 15% bergamot Pastazzo flour in the recipe). Total phenol content varied from 0.14 mg GAE g−1 (Control) to 0.60 and 3.64 mg GAE g−1 (respectively, for 2.5% and 15% bergamot Pastazzo flour in the recipe). The obtained results demonstrated that the use of pastazzo flour had a positive influence on the antioxidant content, with values which increased as more pastazzo flour was added.

Application of Glycine betaine coated chitosan nanoparticles alleviate chilling injury and maintain quality of plum (Prunus domestica L.) fruit

The use of edible coatings can lead to significant extension of the postharvest life of fresh horticultural products through the regulation of water and gaseous exchange during storage. In this regard, nano-engineered materials are of great interest to design novel and multifunctional edible coatings and are increasingly employed. Chitosan and glycine betaine have been reported to enhance fruit tolerance to chilling stress during cold storage. The current study applied new coating treatments to plum (Prunus domestica L. cv. 'Stanley') fruit at maturity stage in a completely randomized factorial design with three replicates. Plums were treated with distilled water (control), glycine betaine (GB) at 2.5 and 5 mM, chitosan (CTS) at 1% (w/v) or glycine betaine-coated chitosan nanoparticles (CTS-GB NPs) at 0.5 and 1% (w/v) and stored at 1 °C for up to 40 days. The application of CTS-GB NPs (0.5% w/v) was the most effective treatment and induced lower electrolyte leakage, MDA and H₂O₂ content, and significantly alleviated chilling injury. Furthermore, this treatment remarkably increased the activity of PAL enzyme, resulting in higher levels of phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins content, and enhanced DPPH scavenging capacity. In addition, CTS-GB NPs treatment increased endogenous GB (9.25 mg g^-1 DW) and proline (1929.29 μg g^-1 FW) accumulation leading to higher activity of CAT, POD, SOD and APX enzymes. Based on the obtained results, the commercial application of CTS-GB NPs could effectively reduce chilling injury, preserve nutritional quality, and prolong the storage potential and shelf life of plum fruit.

Fruits Vinegar: Quality Characteristics, Phytochemistry, and Functionality

The popularity of fruits vinegar (FsV) has been increased recently as a healthy drink wealthy in bioactive compounds that provide several beneficial properties. This review was designed in the frame of valorization of fruits vinegar as a by-product with high value added by providing overall information on its biochemical constituents and beneficial potencies. It contains a cocktail of bioactive ingredients including polyphenolic acids, organic acids, tetramethylperazine, and melanoidins. Acetic acid is the most abundant organic acid and chlorogenic acid is the major phenol in apple vinegar. The administration of fruits vinegar could prevent diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress, cancer, and boost immunity as well as provide a remarkable antioxidant ability. The production techniques influence the quality of vinegar, and consequently, its health benefits.

Strategies to Improve the Potential Functionality of Fruit-Based Fermented Beverages

It is only recently that fermentation has been facing a dynamic revival in the food industry. Fermented fruit-based beverages are among the most ancient products consumed worldwide, while in recent years special research attention has been granted to assess their functionality. This review highlights the functional potential of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented fruit beverages in terms of chemical and nutritional profiles that impact on human health, considering the natural occurrence and enrichment of fermented fruit-based beverages in phenolic compounds, vitamins and minerals, and pro/prebiotics. The health benefits of fruit-based beverages that resulted from lactic, acetic, alcoholic, or symbiotic fermentation and specific daily recommended doses of each claimed bioactive compound were also highlighted. The latest trends on pre-fermentative methods used to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds (maceration, decoction, and extraction assisted by supercritical fluids, microwave, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, high pressure homogenization, or enzymes) are critically assessed. As such, optimized fermentation processes and post-fermentative operations, reviewed in an industrial scale-up, can prolong the shelf life and the quality of fermented fruit beverages.

High-throughput determination of flavanone-O-glycosides in citrus beverages by paper spray tandem mass spectrometry

A fast and accurate methodology for the quantification of the most abundant flavanone glycosides in citrus beverages has been developed. The approach relies on the use of paper spray mass spectrometry, which allows to record data in few minutes and without sample pre-treatment. The experiments have been carried out in Multiple Reaction Monitoring scan mode, in order to obtain the best specificity and sensitivity. The analytical parameters were all satisfactory. The results coming from the analysis of real samples were compared to the data obtained by the commonly used chromatographic method, proving the robustness of the proposed approach.

Biotechnological Processes in Fruit Vinegar Production

The production of fruit vinegars as a way of making use of fruit by-products is an option widely used by the food industry, since surplus or second quality fruit can be used without compromising the quality of the final product. The acetic nature of vinegars and its subsequent impact on the organoleptic properties of the final product allows almost any type of fruit to be used for its elaboration. A growing number of scientific research studies are being carried out on this matrix, and they are revealing the importance of controlling the processes involved in vinegar elaboration. Thus, in this review, we will deal with the incidence of technological and biotechnological processes on the elaboration of fruit vinegars other than grapes. The preparation and production of the juice for the elaboration of the vinegar by means of different procedures is an essential step for the final quality of the product, among which crushing or pressing are the most employed. The different conditions and processing methods of both alcoholic and acetic fermentation also affect significantly the final characteristics of the vinegar produced. For the alcoholic fermentation, the choice between spontaneous or inoculated procedure, together with the microorganisms present in the process, have special relevance. For the acetic fermentation, the type of acetification system employed (surface or submerged) is one of the most influential factors for the final physicochemical properties of fruit vinegars. Some promising research lines regarding fruit vinegar production are the use of commercial initiators to start the acetic fermentation, the use of thermotolerant bacteria that would allow acetic fermentation to be carried out at higher temperatures, or the use of innovative technologies such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, microwaves, pulsed electric fields, and so on, to obtain high-quality fruit vinegars.

Application of accelerating energies to the maceration of sherry vinegar with citrus fruits

BACKGROUND

In the present work we propose the use of accelerating energies (microwaves and ultrasounds) to the maceration process of sherry vinegar with citrus fruit peels (orange and lemon). For the application of microwaves, an experimental design has been developed in order to optimize the maceration conditions. To evaluate the effect of these energies on the maceration, the volatile and polyphenolic content of the samples has been analyzed, as well as their sensory characteristics.

RESULTS

Orange peel provided a higher number of volatile and polyphenolic compounds to the vinegar, while lemon's yielded a greater amount of some of them. The multivariate analysis showed that the samples macerated using microwaves were the most similar to the samples macerated in the traditional way. This aspect was corroborated by the sensory analysis, which was more noticeable when orange peel was used in the macerations.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, it seems that the use of microwaves to accelerate maceration is a good alternative to the traditional method of making sherry vinegars macerated with citrus peel, since it cuts down the maceration time from 3 days to just a few minutes. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Shelf life extension of mozzarella cheese packed in preserving liquid with calcium lactate and bergamot juice concentrate

Traditional Mozzarella is a fresh cheese produced in Italian local market without additives that shows a short shelf life of about 5 d. This work tested the use of natural additives (bergamot juice concentrate-BJ and calcium lactate-CL) in preserving liquid for a Mozzarella cheese with the aim to extend its shelf life, regarding the microbial growth and overall cheese quality. Results of qualitative analyses showed that the preserving liquid with the mix of BJ and CL promoted an extension of mozzarella shelf life up to 20 d. A slightly reduced growth of Pseudomonas species was evidenced after 5 d of storage, whereas no inhibition of lactic acid bacteria was observed for the storage period. Moreover, mozzarella cheese packed in mixed preserving liquid possessed better textural properties, evidenced by the lowest proteolysis index measured after 13 d of storage, and a good antioxidant activity.

Flavored Sherry vinegar with citric notes: Characterization and effect of ultrasound in the maceration of orange peels

Accelerated maceration experiments of orange peels in Sherry vinegar employing ultrasounds (US) have been carried out. Their effect on the vinegaŕs volatile composition as well as on its olfactometric and sensory characteristics have been evaluated. The optimal conditions for the ultrasounds were determined as follows: sonication power 550 W/L; pulses 40 s On and 20 s Off; with orange peel 200 g/L established previously. Statistical studies showed that maceration under ultrasounds increased volatile compounds content, since the vinegars obtained showed a high content in alcohols, aldehydes and terpenes. Regarding the olfactometric study, the control vinegar exhibited the lowest values for the "floral", "greasy" or "citric" categories and the highest value for the "sweet" category, whereas the US macerated vinegars presented the highest and lowest values for the "floral" and the "acid" categories, respectively. Based on their sensory evaluation, the panel members preferred the vinegar where orange peels had macerated under ultrasounds for 90 min. According to the results, ultrasound is a technology that could be employed to broaden the range of products manufactured by Sherry vinegar producers.

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia, Risso): The Effects of Cultivar and Harvest Date on Functional Properties of Juice and Cloudy Juice

Reggio Calabria province (South Italy) is known for being almost the only area of cultivation of the bergamot fruit, grown principally for its essential oil, but today much studied for the health benefits of its juice. The biometrics and physico-chemical properties of the three (Citrus bergamia Risso) existing genotypes namely Castagnaro, Fantastico and Femminello were studied during fruit ripening from October to March. Castagnaro cultivar had the biggest and heaviest fruit during this harvest period. °Brix (7.9-10.0), pH (2.2-2.8) and formol number (1.47-2.37 mL NaOH 0.1 N/100 mL) were shown to be influenced by both the genotype and harvest date. Titratable acidity (34.98-59.50 g/L) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (341-867 g/L) decreased during fruit ripening. The evolution of flavonoids such as neoeriocitrin, naringin, neohesperidin, brutieridin and melitidin was studied both in bergamot juice and in the bergamot cloudy juice which is the aqueous extract of bergamot during fruit processing. Bergamot cloudy juice contained a higher quantity of flavonoids compared to the juice. This study gives important information regarding the cultivar and the harvest date for producers who want to obtain the highest juice quantity or the highest juice quality from the bergamot fruit.