A comparative FTIR study for supplemented agavin as functional food

Emulsification and stabilisation technologies used for the inclusion of lipophilic functional ingredients in food systems

Food industry is increasingly using functional ingredients to improve the food product quality. Lipid-containing functional ingredients are important sources of nutrients. This review examines the current state of emulsification and stabilisation technologies for incorporating lipophilic functional ingredients into food systems. Lipophilic functional ingredients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, and fat-soluble vitamins, offer numerous health benefits but present challenges due to their limited solubility in water-based food matrices. Emulsification techniques enable the dispersion of these ingredients in aqueous environments, facilitating their inclusion in a variety of food products. This review highlights recent advances in food emulsion formulation, emulsification methods and stabilisation techniques which, together, improve the stability and bioavailability of lipophilic compounds. The role of various emulsifiers, stabilizers, and encapsulation materials in enhancing the functionality of these ingredients is also explored. Furthermore, the review discusses different stabilisation techniques which can yield in emulsion in a solid or liquid state. By providing a comprehensive overview of current technologies, this review aims to guide future research and application in the development of functional foods enriched with lipophilic ingredients.

Microalgae Biomass Production from Rice Husk as Alternative Media Cultivation and Extraction of Phycocyanin Using 3D-Printed Ohmic Heating Reactor

Phycocyanin is a highly valued pigment present in Spirulina platensis biomass with applications in the food industry in terms of biorefinery concepts; specifically, its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity are an advantage that could be incorporated into a food matrix. This study aims to use rice husk as an alternative culture medium for S. platensis biomass growth and phycocyanin extraction by ohmic heating processing using a 3D-printed reactor. S. platensis was cultivated in rice husk extract (RHE) from 0-100% (v/v). The highest content of microalgal biomass was 1.75 ± 0.01 g/L, with a specific growth rate of 0.125 ± 0.01 h-1. For the phycocyanin extraction under an ohmic heating process, a 3D-printed reactor was designed and built. To optimize phycocyanin extraction, a central composite rotatable design (CCDR) was evaluated, with three factors: time (min), temperature (°C), and pH. The highest phycocyanin content was 75.80 ± 0.98 mg/g in S. platensis biomass grown with rice husk extract. Ohmic heating is a promising method for rapid phycocyanin extraction, and rice husk as a culture medium is an alternative for the growth of S. platensis biomass in the integration of second- and third-generation biorefineries.

Inherent molecular characteristics and effect of garlic polysaccharides on dough micro- and mesoscopic properties

Directional control of the process of doughs with nutrition fortification is challenging. Thus, this study aimed to develop non-starch polysaccharides that can modify the quality of flour products. Polysaccharides were extracted from three different garlic cultivars, evaluated for physicochemical properties and used to enrich doughs for microstructure and mesoscopic characteristics analysis. We assessed the moisture distribution, texture characteristics, thermodynamic properties, dynamic viscoelastic properties, protein structure, microstructure and molecular interaction of the doughs and demonstrated a relatively high molecular weight, lower steric hindrance of molecular chains and higher cross-linking ability with the dough network in the supernatant polysaccharide from Yunnan single-clove-garlic (SGSOS) fraction. These features of SGSOS fraction improved the rheological, thermodynamic, texture characteristics, and water distribution of doughs. These findings provide information on the use of garlic polysaccharides during the processing and manufacturing of foods to enhance their processing adaptability and qualities.

Physicochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Chlorella sp. by microwave-assisted enzymatic extraction

Microwave-assisted enzymatic extraction (MAEE) was used for the separation of polysaccharides from micro-Chlorella. The extraction condition of MAEE was optimized by Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. Results showed that the optimal condition for the extraction of Chlorella sp. crude polysaccharides (CSCP) was at 50°C for 2.3 h with 380 W of microwave power and 0.31% of enzyme dosage. Under the optimal extraction condition, the extraction yield of CSCP reached 0.72%. Similarly, the α-amylase modification conditions of the CSCP were also optimized, in which the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging rate was used as the response value. The scavenging rate of DPPH free radicals was 17.58% when enzyme dosage was 271 U/g at 51°C for 14 min. Moreover, the enzyme-modified CSCP presented a typical heteropolysaccharide mainly including glucose (48.84%), ribose (13.57%) and mannose (11.30%). MAEE used in this work achieved a high extraction yield of CSCP, which provides an efficient method for the extraction of CSCP from Chlorella sp.

A Tomato Pomace Enriched Gluten-Free Ready-to-Cook Snack’s Nutritional Profile, Quality, and Shelf Life Evaluation

Attempts were undertaken to design a quick ready-to-cook gluten-free snack utilizing finger millet and potato flour (50:50) as well as tomato pomace due to the restricted availability of gluten-free snack goods in the Indian market. The nutritional content of the food and its general acceptability, cooking characteristics, and storage stability were all tested. The addition of tomato pomace had a distinct influence on the product’s color and hardness. Additionally, it resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of oil used, cooking loss, and frying time required. With a high acceptance level, the snack supplemented with 10% tomato pomace was determined to be the most optimal formulation. When the same substance was subjected to FTIR analysis, it was discovered that it retained all the important functional groups required for sustaining antioxidant activity. It also displayed high storage stability, a desirable overall acceptance score, and a very promising nutritional profile, all of which would benefit the product’s end users.

Artichoke Biorefinery: From Food to Advanced Technological Applications

A sequential extraction process has been designed for valorizing globe artichoke plant residues and waste (heads, leaves, stalks, and roots left in the field) by means of green extraction techniques according to a biorefinery approach. We investigated two cascading extractions based on microwave-assisted extractions (MAE) and green solvents (water and ethanol) that have been optimized for varying temperature, solvent and extraction time. In the first step, phenols were extracted with yields that ranged between 6.94 mg g⁻¹ dw (in leaves) and 3.28 mg g⁻¹ dw (in roots), and a phenols productivity of 175.74 kg Ha⁻¹. In the second step, inulin was extracted with impressive yields (42% dw), higher than other conventional inulin sources, corresponding to an inulin productivity of 4883.58 kg Ha⁻¹. The remaining residues were found to be valuable feedstocks both for bioenergy production and green manure (back to the field), closing the loop according to the Circular Economy paradigm.