Poly(acid lactic) films with carotenoids extracts: Release study and effect on sunflower oil preservation

Natural pigments in the food industry: Enhancing stability, nutritional benefits, and gut microbiome health

Natural pigments are increasingly favored in the food industry for their vibrant colors, fewer side effects and potential health benefits compared to synthetic pigments. However, their application in food industry is hindered by their instability under harsh environmental conditions. This review evaluates current strategies aimed at enhancing the stability and bioactivity of natural pigments. Advanced physicochemical methods have shown promise in enhancing the stability of natural pigments, enabling their incorporation into food products to enhance sensory attributes, texture, and bioactive properties. Moreover, recent studies demonstrated that most natural pigments offer health benefits. Importantly, they have been found to positively influence gut microbiota, in particular their regulation of the beneficial and harmful flora of the gut microbiome, the reduction of ecological dysbiosis through changes in the composition of the gut microbiome, and the alleviation of systemic inflammation caused by a high-fat diet in mice, suggesting a beneficial role in dietary interventions.

Natural Pigments Recovery from Food By-Products: Health Benefits towards the Food Industry

Given the health risks associated with synthetic colorants, natural pigments have emerged as a promising alternative. These renewable choices not only provide health benefits but also offer valuable technical and sensory properties to food systems. The effective application of natural colorants, however, requires the optimization of processing conditions, exploration of new sources, and development of novel formulations to ensure stability and maintain their inherent qualities. Several natural pigment sources have been explored to achieve the broad color range desired by consumers. The purpose of this review is to explore the current advances in the obtention and utilization of natural pigments derived from by-products, which possess health-enhancing properties and are extracted through environmentally friendly methods. Moreover, this review provides new insights into the extraction processes, applications, and bioactivities of different types of pigments.

Intelligent and active biodegradable biopolymeric films containing carotenoids

There is growing interest in the use of natural bioactive compounds for the development of new bio-based materials for intelligent and active food packaging applications. Several beneficial effects have been associated with the antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials of carotenoid compounds. In addition, carotenoids are sensitive to pH changes and oxidation reactions, which make them useful bioindicators of food deterioration. This review summarizes the current research on the application of carotenoids as novel intelligent and active biodegradable food packaging materials. Carotenoids recovered from food processing by-products can be used in the development of active food packaging materials due to their antioxidant properties. They help maintain the stability of lipid-rich foods, such as vegetable oils. Additionally, when incorporated into films, carotenoids can monitor food oxidation, providing intelligent functionalities.

The sources, properties, extraction, biosynthesis, pharmacology, and application of lycopene

Lycopene is an important pigment with an alkene skeleton from Lycopersicon esculentum, which is also obtained from some red fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is used in the food field with rich functions and serves in the medical field with multiple clinical values because it has dual functions of both medicine and food. It was found that lycopene was mainly isolated by solvent extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, high-intensity pulsed electric field-assisted extraction, enzymatic-assisted extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction. Meanwhile, it was also obtained via 2 synthetic pathways: chemical synthesis and biosynthesis. Pharmacological studies revealed that lycopene has anti-oxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-cancer, immunity-enhancing, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, cardiovascular-protective, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and osteoporosis-inhibiting effects. The application of lycopene mainly includes food processing, animal breeding, and medical cosmetology fields. It is hoped that this review will provide some useful information and guidance for future study and exploitation of lycopene.

Recent Advances in the Carotenoids Added to Food Packaging Films: A Review

Food spoilage is one of the key concerns in the food industry. One approach is the improvement of the shelf life of the food by introducing active packaging, and another is intelligent packaging. Detecting packed food spoilage in real-time is key to stopping outbreaks caused by food-borne diseases. Using active materials in packaging can improve shelf life, while the nonharmful color indicator can be useful to trace the quality of the food through simple color detection. Recently, bio-derived active and intelligent packaging has gained a lot of interest from researchers and consumers. For this, the biopolymers and the bioactive natural ingredient are used as indicators to fabricate active packaging material and color-changing sensors that can improve the shelf life and detect the freshness of food in real-time, respectively. Among natural bioactive components, carotenoids are known for their good antimicrobial, antioxidant, and pH-responsive color-indicating properties. Carotenoids are rich in fruits and vegetables and fat-soluble pigments. Including carotenoids in the packaging system improves the film's physical and functional performance. The recent progress on carotenoid pigment-based packaging (active and intelligent) is discussed in this review. The sources and biological activity of the carotenoids are briefly discussed, and then the fabrication and application of carotenoid-activated packaging film are reviewed. The carotenoids-based packaging film can enhance packaged food's shelf life and indicate the freshness of meat and vegetables in real-time. Therefore, incorporating carotenoid-based pigment into the polymer matrix could be promising for developing novel packaging materials.

Phytochemicals and bioactive constituents in food packaging - A systematic review

Designing and manufacturing functional bioactive ingredients and pharmaceuticals have grown worldwide. Consumers demand for safe ingredients and concerns over harmful synthetic additives have prompted food manufacturers to seek safer and sustainable alternative solutions. In recent years the preference by consumers to natural bioactive agents over synthetic compounds increased exponentially, and consequently, naturally derived phytochemicals and bioactive compounds, with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, becoming essential in food packaging field. In response to societal needs, packaging needs to be developed based on sustainable manufacturing practices, marketing strategies, consumer behaviour, environmental concerns, and the emergence of new technologies, particularly bio- and nanotechnology. This critical systematic review assessed the role of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds from natural resources in food packaging and consumer behaviour patterns in relation to phytochemical and biologically active substances used in the development of food packaging. The use of phytochemicals and bioactive compounds inside packaging materials used in food industry could generate unpleasant odours derived from the diffusion of the most volatile compounds from the packaging material to the food and food environment. These consumer concerns must be addressed to understand minimum concentrations that will not affect consumer sensory and aroma negative perceptions. The research articles were carefully chosen and selected by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines.

Recent Advances in Lycopene for Food Preservation and Shelf-Life Extension

In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the safety of additives used to extend the shelf-life of food products. As a result, lycopene, a natural phytochemical compound, has attracted attention, as it has been demonstrated to be a potential alternative to traditional artificial antioxidants, with significant health benefits when applied to food preservation. Based on this, this review introduces the specific forms of lycopene currently used as an antioxidant in foods, both in its naturally occurring forms in fruits and vegetables and in artificially added forms involving technologies such as composite coating, active film packaging, emulsion, and microcapsules. In addition, it also provides a comprehensive summary of the effects and progress of lycopene in the preservation of different types of food products, such as meat, seafood, oil, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, in the last decade. At last, it also points out the limitations of lycopene, including its insolubility in water, dark color, and high sensitivity to heat or light, as well as the potential solutions to load lycopene on suitable carriers, such as combining lycopene with antimicrobial substances or other actives, in order to broaden its applications as an antioxidant in future foods.

Bixin-loaded colloidal nanodelivery systems, techniques and applications

Bixin is the cis-carotenoid from the seed of achiote tree or annatto. It is an approved liposoluble apocarotenoid by FDA as colorant and additive in the food industry. Nonetheless, bixin is unstable in the presence of oxygen, light, high pHs (alkali) and heat; thereby reducing its bioavailability/bioactivity, and also, with a low solubility in water. Some biopolymeric (e.g., nanofibers, nanogels, and nanotubes) and lipid-based nanocarriers (nanoliposomes, niosomes, hexosomes, nanoemulsions, solid-lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers) have been introduced for bixin. Thus, this review focuses on the updated information regarding bixin-loaded nanodelivery platforms. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive review of bioavailability, physicochemical properties, and applications of nanoencapsulated-bixin as an additive, its release rate and safety issues. These findings will bring potential strategies for the usage of nanocarriers in managing bixin defaults to improve its broad application in various industries.

Brazilian native fruit pomace as a source of bioactive compounds on starch-based films: Antimicrobial activities and food simulator release

The bioactive compounds extraction from fruit pomace is an ecological alternative for these abundant and low-added-value by-products. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of pomace extracts from Brazilian native fruits (araçá, uvaia, guabiroba and butiá) and the effect on physicochemical, mechanical properties and the migration of antioxidants and phenolic compounds from starch-based films. The film with butiá extract had the lowest mechanical resistance (1.42 MPa) but the highest elongation (63 %). In comparison, uvaia extract had less impact on film mechanical properties (3.70 MPa and 58 %) compared to the other extracts. The extracts and films showed antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, L. inoccua, B. cereus and S. aureu. Approximately 2 cm inhibition halo was noticed for the extracts, while films ranged from 0.33 to 1.46 cm inhibition halo. Films with guabiroba extract had the lowest antimicrobial activity (0.33 to 0.5 cm). The phenolic compounds were released from the film matrix in the first hour at 4 °C with maintenance in the stability. The fatty-food simulator showed a controlled release of antioxidant compounds, which can assist in controlling food oxidation. Brazilian native fruit has shown to be a viable alternative to isolate bioactive compounds and produce film packaging with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

Biodegradable sodium alginate films incorporated with lycopene and β-carotene for food packaging purposes

Incorporating carotenoids into sodium alginate films can give them functional properties for food packaging applications. The lycopene and β-carotene were included in the biopolymer matrix at 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5% (g carotenoid/g polymer). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in film thickness (45 ± 1 μm) of sodium alginate films with carotenoids. Nevertheless, the low quantity of carotenoids was enough to promote significant variations in the tensile properties of films. The films with lycopene or β-carotene showed lower tensile strength and elongation at break than control films. The carotenoid incorporation promoted a reduction (p < 0.05) in water vapor permeability, mainly by adding 0.5%. In the same way, it improved the light transmission and thermal stability of films and did not affect the water solubility of films. The scanning electron microscopy of films showed a homogeneous surface, but the films with lycopene or β-carotene showed a more compact structure than the control film. The sodium alginate films incorporated with 0.3% lycopene or β-carotene showed a remarkable protective effect on sunflower oil against oxidation compared with traditional commercial plastic packaging under accelerated storage conditions (heat and light). Therefore, they can be considered a potential material for food packaging purposes.

Characterization of Cassava Starch Extruded Sheets Incorporated with Tucumã Oil Microparticles

The application of biopolymers and feasible technologies to obtain sheets is crucial for the large-scale production of food packages and for reducing plastic pollution. Additionally, the inclusion of additives in sheets can affect and improve their properties. This work aimed to incorporate tucumã oil (TO) and TO microparticles produced by spray drying (SD), spray chilling (SC), and their combination (SDC) into extruded cassava starch sheets and to evaluate the effect of such addition on their physical, optical, and mechanical properties. Gum Arabic and vegetable fat were used as wall materials for SD and SC/SDC, respectively. The sheets enriched with tucumã oil (FO) and the microparticles produced by SD, SC and SDC (FSD, FSC, and FSDC, respectively) presented yellow color (hue angle around 90°) and higher opacity (11.6–25.3%) when compared to the control (6.3%). All sheets showed high thickness (1.3–1.8 mm), and the additives reduced the water solubility of the materials (from 27.11% in the control to 24.67–25.54% in enriched samples). The presence of large SDC particles, as evidenced by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), caused discontinuity of the sheet structure and decreased mechanical strength of the FSDC. One may conclude that potential active packages were obtained by extrusion of cassava starch sheets added with pure and encapsulated TO.

Oxygen Scavenger and Antioxidant LDPE/EVOH/PET-Based Films Containing β-Carotene Intended for Fried Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) Packaging: Pilot Scale Processing and Validation Studies

The aim of this study was to develop an oxygen scavenger and antioxidant active packaging material for fried peanuts. The packaging solution, which has been made at the laboratory previously, has been developed by cast film extrusion and is composed of low-density polyethylene-ethylene vinyl alcohol-polyethylene terephthalate (LDPE/EVOH/PET)-based films containing β-carotene (CAR). In comparison with film without additive, developed film presented an orange colouring (higher L* and b* values and lower a* values) and an increase in oxygen induction time (OIt) from 4.5 to 14.1 min. The incorporation of β-carotene to the formulation also brings about a significant effect on the thermal stability as maximum degradation temperatures increased around 1%. Regarding the oxygen absorption capacity of the films, values of 1.39 ± 0.10 mL O₂ per g of film at laboratory scale and 1.7 ± 0.3 mL O₂ per g of multilayer (ML)/LDPE_CAR were obtained, respectively, after 3 days, proving the suitability of the packaging solutions as oxygen absorbers. To validate the packaging solution, the oxidative stability of fried peanuts packed in fabricated multilayer β-carotene bags was evaluated for 3 months at 40 °C. The hexanal content remained constant during this period. Meanwhile, peanuts packed in ML without β-carotene increased their hexanal content to 294%. This fact indicated a lower extent of oxidation in fried peanuts compared to food samples packaged in control films, suggesting the potential of ML/LDPE_CAR films as sustainable and antioxidant food packaging systems to offer protection against lipid oxidation in foods. Sensory evaluation confirmed that ML/LDPE_CAR films provided the peanut samples with an extra aroma due to the volatile degradation products of β-carotene (such as β-cyclocitral or 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol).

Recent advances in biobased and biodegradable polymer nanocomposites, nanoparticles, and natural antioxidants for antibacterial and antioxidant food packaging applications

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) and natural antioxidant compounds are an emerging trend in the food industry. Incorporating these substances in biobased and biodegradable matrices as polysaccharides (e.g., starch, cellulose, and chitosan) and proteins has highlighted the potential in active food packaging applications due to more significant antimicrobial, antioxidant, UV blocking, oxygen scavenging, water vapor permeability effects, and low environmental impact. In recent years, the migration of metal NPs and metal oxides in food contact packaging and their toxicological potential have raised concerns about the safety of the nanomaterials. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the main biobased and biodegradable polymer nanocomposites, inorganic NPs, natural antioxidants, and their potential use in active food packaging. The intrinsic properties of NPs and natural antioxidant actives in packaging materials are evaluated to extend shelf-life, safety, and food quality. Toxicological and safety aspects of inorganic NPs are highlighted to understand the current controversy on applying some nanomaterials in food packaging. The synergism of inorganic NPs and plant-derived natural antioxidant actives (e.g., vitamins, polyphenols, and carotenoids) and essential oils (EOs) potentiated the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of biodegradable nanocomposite films. Biodegradable packaging films based on green NPs-this is biosynthesized from plant extracts-showed suitable mechanical and barrier properties and had a lower environmental impact and offered efficient food protection. Furthermore, AgNPs and TiO₂ NPs released metal ions from packaging into contents insufficiently to cause harm to human cells, which could be helpful to understanding critical gaps and provide progress in the packaging field.

Egg Yolk Oil as a Plasticizer for Polylactic Acid Films

Polylactic acid (PLA) is known to be one of the most extensively used biodegradable thermoplastic polyesters, with the potential to replace conventional petroleum-based packaging materials; however, the low flexibility of films prepared using PLA has limited the applications of this biopolymer. In this study, in order to improve the mechanical properties of PLA films and to provide them with antioxidant properties, egg yolk oil was used as a biobased plasticizer. For this purpose, PLA films with increasing concentrations of egg yolk oil were prepared and the effects of this oil on the light transmission, transparency, colour, water vapour permeability, solubility, antioxidant activity and mechanical properties of the films were characterized. In addition, electron microscopy of the structure of the transverse section of the films was also performed. Results showed that the formulations with higher concentrations of egg yolk oil increased the films’ elasticity, and their light barrier and antioxidant properties. Finally, in order to test the films as a packaging material for food applications, extra virgin olive oil and resveratrol, both photosensitive compounds, were packed and exposed to ambient light. Overall, the results show the potential of egg yolk oil as an environmentally friendly plasticizer that can improve the flexibility of PLA films and provide them with additional photoprotective properties.

Edible coatings and films with incorporation of prebiotics -A review

Prebiotics are compounds naturally present in some foods or can be synthesized by microorganisms and enzymes. Among the benefits associated with prebiotic consumption are the modulation of the intestinal microbiota that increase the production of short chain fatty acids and prevent the development of some disorders such as colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, obesity, among others. Traditionally, prebiotics have been used in diverse food formulations to enhance their healthy potential or to improve their technological and sensory properties. However, different alternatives for the production of prebiotic products are being explored, such as edible coatings and films. Therefore, this review aims to highlight recent research on edible coatings and films incorporated with different prebiotics, the concept of prebiotics, the general characteristics of these materials, and the main production methods, as well as presenting the perspectives of uses in the food industry. Current works describe that polyols and oligosaccharides are the most employed prebiotics, and depending on their structure and concentration, they can also act as film plasticizer or reinforcement agent. The use of prebiotic in the coating can also improve probiotic bacteria survival making it possible to obtain fruits and vegetables with synbiotic properties. The most common method of production is casting, suggesting that other technologies such as extrusion can be explored aiming industrial scale. The use of film and coating carried of prebiotic is an emerging technology and there are still several possibilities for study to enable its use in the food industry. This review will be useful to detect the current situation, identify problems, verify new features, future trends and support new investigations and investments.

Terpenoids and Polyphenols as Natural Antioxidant Agents in Food Preservation

Synthetic antioxidant food additives, such as BHA, BHT and TBHQ, are going through a difficult time, since these products generate a negative perception in consumers. This has generated an increased pressure on food manufacturers to search for safer natural alternatives like phytochemicals (such as polyphenols, including flavonoids, and essential oils rich in terpenoids, including carotenoids). These plant bioactive compounds have antioxidant activities widely proven in in vitro tests and in diverse food matrices (meat, fish, oil and vegetables). As tons of food are wasted every year due to aesthetic reasons (lipid oxidation) and premature damage caused by inappropriate packaging, there is an urgent need for natural antioxidants capable of replacing the synthetic ones to meet consumer demands. This review summarizes industrially interesting antioxidant bioactivities associated with terpenoids and polyphenols with respect to the prevention of lipid oxidation in high fat containing foods, such as meat (rich in saturated fat), fish (rich in polyunsaturated fat), oil and vegetable products, while avoiding the generation of rancid flavors and negative visual deterioration (such as color changes due to oxidized lipids). Terpenoids (like monoterpenes and carotenoids) and polyphenols (like quercetin and other flavonoids) are important phytochemicals with a broad range of antioxidant effects. These phytochemicals are widely distributed in fruits and vegetables, including agricultural waste, and are remarkably useful in food preservation, as they show bioactivity as plant antioxidants, able to scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, such as superoxide, hydroxyl or peroxyl radicals in meat and other products, contributing to the prevention of lipid oxidation processes in food matrices.

Recent Advances in the Development of Smart and Active Biodegradable Packaging Materials

Interest in the development of smart and active biodegradable packaging materials is increasing as food manufacturers try to improve the sustainability and environmental impact of their products, while still maintaining their quality and safety. Active packaging materials contain components that enhance their functionality, such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, light blockers, or oxygen barriers. Smart packaging materials contain sensing components that provide an indication of changes in food attributes, such as alterations in their quality, maturity, or safety. For instance, a smart sensor may give a measurable color change in response to a deterioration in food quality. This article reviews recent advances in the development of active and smart biodegradable packaging materials in the food industry. Moreover, studies on the application of these packaging materials to monitor the freshness and safety of food products are reviewed, including dairy, meat, fish, fruit and vegetable products. Finally, the potential challenges associated with the application of these eco-friendly packaging materials in the food industry are discussed, as well as potential future directions.

Evolution of Flavors in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Shelf-Life

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most distinctive ingredients of the Mediterranean diet. There are many properties related to this golden ingredient, from supreme organoleptic characteristics to benefits for human health. EVOO contains in its composition molecules capable of exerting bioactivities such as cardio protection, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer activity, among others, mainly caused by unsaturated fatty acids and certain minor compounds such as tocopherols or phenolic compounds. EVOO is considered the highest quality vegetable oil, which also implies a high sensory quality. The organoleptic properties related to the flavor of this valued product are also due to the presence of a series of compounds in its composition, mainly some carbonyl compounds found in the volatile fraction, although some minor compounds such as phenolic compounds also contribute. However, these properties are greatly affected by the incidence of certain factors, both intrinsic, such as the olive variety, and extrinsic, such as the growing conditions, so that each EVOO has a particular flavor. Furthermore, these flavors are susceptible to change under the influence of other factors throughout the oil's shelf-life, such as oxidation or temperature. This work offers a description of some of the most remarkable compounds responsible for EVOO's unique flavor and aroma, the factors affecting them, the mechanism that lead to the degradation of EVOO, and how flavors can be altered during the shelf-life of the oil, as well as several strategies suggested for the preservation of this flavor, on which the quality of the product also depends.

Active food packaging of cellulose acetate: Storage stability, protective effect on oxidation of riboflavin and release in food simulants

In this work, cellulose acetate films were prepared with the incorporation of different carotenoids (lycopene, norbixin, and zeaxanthin). The effect of adding these natural antioxidants was evaluated through stability during storage under controlled conditions (temperature and light), degradation rate coefficient, release in food simulants and protective effect on oxidation of vitamin B₂. During storage at 25 °C or 40 °C the light showed a greater effect on the stability of the carotenoids, with significant increase in reaction constants (k) and decrease in half-life (t_1/2). The degradation of the carotenoids was followed by a variation in the color parameters and mechanical properties. The films with norbixin showed the highest barrier to the transmission of UV-Vis light, consequently preserving 72% of a vitamin B₂ stored under a photooxidative environment. Lycopene presented a higher release rate than norbixin and zeaxanthin to a fatty food simulant.

Applicability of Agro-Industrial By-Products in Intelligent Food Packaging

Nowadays, technological advancement is in continuous development in all areas, including food packaging, which tries to find a balance between consumer preferences, environmental safety, and issues related to food quality and control. The present paper concretely details the concepts of smart, active, and intelligent packaging and identifies commercially available examples used in the food packaging market place. Along with this purpose, several bioactive compounds are identified and described, which are compounds that can be recovered from the by-products of the food industry and can be integrated into smart food packaging supporting the “zero waste” activities. The biopolymers obtained from crustacean processing or compounds with good antioxidant or antimicrobial properties such as carotenoids extracted from agro-industrial processing are underexploited and inexpensive resources for this purpose. Along with the main agro-industrial by-products, more concrete examples of resources are presented, such as grape marc, banana peels, or mango seeds. The commercial and technological potential of smart packaging in the food industry is undeniable and most importantly, this paper highlights the possibility of integrating the by-products derived compounds to intelligent packaging elements (sensors, indicators, radio frequency identification).